Son of a Witch: A Witch Squad Cozy Mystery #2

by M. Z. Andrews

  “Louise! The girls might have some issues, but they are good girls,” Sergeant Bradshaw pleaded to his wife.

  “No, they aren’t! They act just like their dead mother, Marjory was a harlot too. Right up until the day she died. She was cheating on you, you know.”

  He shook his head frantically.

  “She was. After she died I took pity on you, raising two little girls on your own. Even though I never wanted children of my own, I fell in love with you and I promised to be a good mother to those girls. And I was too! So when we moved to Aspen Falls I thought it would be a clean break from our old lives. Everyone would think they were our daughters together and life would be good. But then they began to take after Marjory, whoring it up all over town. Every single one of my friends talks about them, you know. They gossip behind my back about them. I know it! Those girls are an embarrassment to the Bradshaw name! I just wanted them gone from our lives. I’m tired of being second to your bratty girls and the memory of your dead wife. You’ve always loved them more than me! I know you have.”

  “Louise, tell me you didn’t have Jimmy kill Harper, please?” he begged.

  “Are you an idiot Henry? Really. Isn’t it obvious? Of course, I paid your dear old buddy Jimmy to kill Harper! I overheard you talking to Elena the day that she came home to beg for yet more money. You told Elena to ask Harper to come to the house in the morning. You suggested that she stay at Jimmy’s because you trusted him so much with your precious Harper!”

  She gave Elena’s hair another solid yank causing the young woman to scream out.

  “But what you didn’t realize is, Jimmy was bankrupt. I had read it in the paper, not that long ago, that Jimmy Spencer’s building was in foreclosure. How easy would it be to just offer him the money that you were going to give to your daughters anyway and have him end our misery permanently?”

  “Misery? I can’t believe what you’re saying, Louise,” he cried.

  “Believe it Henry. It was easy. It hardly took any convincing at all. Jimmy was going to get his bar paid for free and clear and I was going to get the bane of my existence out of my life for good. Of course Jimmy made things hard for me. He decided he needed to blackmail me for more money. I don’t take too kindly to blackmailers,” she scoffed. “So Jimmy had to go.”

  “Louise!” Sergeant Bradshaw said in shock.

  “What? Elena’s next you know,” Louise cackled. “I’ve had just about all that I can take from this one.” Louise pushed the gun against Elena’s temple. Elena winced, as did Sergeant Bradshaw. He held his hands up in front of him.

  “No, Louise. Don’t do this. Please. I’ll give you whatever you want,” he promised her as the sound of sirens racing up the dusty dirt road could be heard in the distance.

  “Who called the police?” Louise asked with surprise as she looked between all of us girls and Sergeant Bradshaw.

  I eyed Alba, Holly, and Sweets out of the corner of my eyes. None of them moved. Then I saw Alba look at me out of the corner of her eyes. I gave her a little nod and she nodded back as a tiny smile lifted the sides of her mouth.

  “We did!” I smirked.

  Louise loosened her grip on Elena’s hair and took the gun off of her temple and aimed it at me. “Well then, you deserve everything you’re about to get.”

  “Louise, no!” Sergeant Bradshaw hollered.

  Alba inhaled a deep breath, raised her arms up in front of her, closed her eyes and took no time in discharging her pent up energy from the palms of her hands. It shot forth in bright blue and green streaks of electrical energy, powering Louise Bradshaw straight through the side wall of the cabin and out into the field. Elena’s eyes widened as she watched her step-mother fly past her. Sergeant Bradshaw rushed to Elena’s side immediately and held her tightly to his chest.

  “Daddy!” Elena cried.

  “Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry!”

  Harper rushed to be by her father and sister’s side while Alba, Holly, Sweets and I rushed outside to make sure Louise Bradshaw was down for the count.

  Outside she was still lying on her back on top of the wooden section of wall that Alba had blown clear off of the cabin. She groaned, holding her back as she struggled to get up. I walked over to her and kicked the gun out of her hand before she could think of using it to harm anyone.

  “Alba, I’m going to start calling you the Hulk! You smash everything that gets in your way!” I quipped.

  Police officers descended upon the small house with Detective Whitman leading the pack.

  “Mercy! What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into now?” he asked, as his gaze covered the destruction of the cabin.

  “We found your killer, sir,” I told him proudly, pointing towards Louise Bradshaw who was being lifted to her feet by a team of police officers.

  “Another murder suspect Miss Habernackle. How am I ever supposed to believe you? You are constantly changing your mind!”

  “She confessed! Her husband heard the confession and everything,” I argued.

  Sergeant Bradshaw and Elena walked out of the cabin. He glanced over at Detective Whitman and nodded. “These young women saved the day, Detective. My wife paid Jimmy Spencer to kill my daughter and then she killed Jimmy Spencer herself. If it wasn’t for these girls…” he trailed off as the immensity of the situation hit him and tears began to fall down his cheeks.

  “You mean the Witch Squad?” Detective Whitman asked with a chuckle.

  “Yes,” Sergeant Bradshaw agreed with a sniffle. “If it wasn’t for them, my Elena would be dead right now. They are to be commended!”

  Detective Whitman threw his shoulders back and grinned at the five of us, like a proud father. “Very good. Very good indeed. Sorceress Stone will be happy to hear this!”

  Sweets’ eyes shot open as did Holly’s. “Why do you have to tell her everything?”

  “Yeah,” I agreed. “I think we can keep this one thing to ourselves, can’t we?”

  “I suppose,” Detective Whitman agreed.

  { Chapter Twenty-Two}

  Several days later, Sergeant Bradshaw gathered the lot of us together - everyone that had had an impact on solving his daughter’s murder. Detective Whitman and several of the officers from the Aspen Falls Police Department, the Witch Squad and Hugh, of course, Mom, Reign and Chesney, and Harper and Elena all gathered together in Jimmy Spencer’s Bed & Brew.

  Sergeant Bradshaw had catered a meal to show his thanks for all of the work we’d all done. With his daughters flanking either side of him, he raised a glass to the crowd. “I’d like to make a toast,” he began, his thick heavy voice filled the room. “To Detective Whitman and his officers at the Aspen Falls PD and to the girls here today from the Paranormal Institute. Without you, I can’t even imagine what my life would be like right now without my dear, sweet, Elena. I’m still reeling from the loss of my beautiful Harper, may she rest in peace.” His voice lowered as he spoke her name.

  Harper laid her head easily on her father’s shoulder, causing a lump to form in my throat and tears to well up in my eyes. I only wished that I had the powers to allow a ghost one last opportunity to say goodbye to their loved ones.

  “I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to the family of Reign Alexander, as he was falsely accused of committing this horrible crime. Stand up, son,” he said to my brother.

  Reign stood up quietly.

  “Reign, I understand that you’re new to Aspen Falls. You came here to meet your sister. The very woman who helped solve my daughter’s murder. I’d like to do something for your family, son.”

  Reign shook his head, waving one hand slightly in front of his face. “No, no. That’s quite alright.”

  “No, I insist. My wife, who I’d like to mention was indeed off of her medication for at least the last month if her prescription history is any indication, gave Jimmy Spencer a large amount of money to pay off his debts. When his apartment was searched, it was discovered that he hadn’t yet cashed the check f
rom my wife. Perhaps they were waiting until some of these things had died down so as to not alert anyone to their involvement together. In any regard, his property is still in foreclosure and I have made arrangements with the bank to purchase this building and subsequent business.”

  Whispers could be heard through the bar.

  “And I have decided that I would like to gift the building and business to you and your sister to show my sincere appreciation and apologies for everything you have all been through.”

  My eyes widened as did Reign’s. “You want to give us this bar?” Reign asked in shock.

  “Yes, son. I enjoyed coming down here for coffee every morning and I’d like to be able to continue my morning ritual. The place needs a young person to have the energy to keep such a thing in business. I’d like to keep you around Aspen Falls while you get to know your family. And, when you decide it’s time for your journey to move on, it’s yours to sell as you please.”

  “Sir, you don’t have to do this! I could never repay you,” Reign argued as his eyes met our mother’s. She beamed at him proudly.

  “No, no. It’s a done deal. And no thanks necessary. I’d just be thrilled to have a free cup of coffee in the mornings.”

  Reign smiled from ear to ear. “Of course, yeah, definitely!”

  “Very good,” he asserted. “Now, enjoy your meal, everyone.” With that, he sat back down.

  I stood up and walked towards the head of the table. “Sergeant Bradshaw, Elena, I was wondering if I might have a word with you? Privately?” I asked them.

  They exchanged curious glances before standing up. “Of course,” he said.

  I led them upstairs to the room that Harper had been killed in. Harper followed closely behind. When we got into the room I closed the door and offered them a seat at the little table overlooking the fire escape and alley.

  “First of all,” I began quietly. “I’d like to thank you, Sergeant, for the generous gift you’ve given my brother. I look forward to keeping him around and getting to know him better. That was very kind of you.”

  Sergeant Bradshaw nodded and gave me a pleasant smile. “Of course, it’s the least I could do.”

  “Now, the reason I asked you both up here, is there is one last order of business before I’m able to put this case behind me. That issue is that of your daughter, Harper.”

  “Harper?” he asked.

  “Yes. I don’t know if you realize this, sir, but Harper has appeared to me as a ghost,” I began gently.

  He nodded. “Yes. Elena has filled me in on some of the details.”

  Harper sat down on the bed in front of her father and sister.

  “She’s here with us, right now. Until she can say goodbye to you both, I don’t think she’ll be able to be at peace.”

  “Harper’s here?” he choked out, as his eyes filled with tears.

  “Yes.”

  “Hi Daddy,” Harper whispered. I could tell she wanted to cry but knew she couldn’t.

  “She said, ‘Hi Daddy’,” I told him.

  “Hi darling, I love you so much, and I’ll miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you too, Daddy. And Elena,” Harper said sadly.

  “She said she’ll miss you and Elena too.”

  Elena looked heartbroken. “Tell her I’m sorry I wasn’t a better sister.”

  Harper shook her head. “No, tell her I’m sorry that I told her she was a horrible sister. She wasn’t a horrible sister. She was a great sister and I’ll miss her forever.”

  I smiled gently, as Harper’s words tugged on my heart. “She said no, she’s sorry that she said you were a horrible sister. She said you were a great sister and she’s going to miss you forever.”

  Elena wiped at her wet cheeks with the pads of her fingertips. “Harper, I love you.”

  “I love you too, Lena,” Harper croaked out.

  “Me too Harper, sweetheart. I love you!”

  “I love you too, Daddy!”

  I swallowed hard, trying to keep my tears from falling. “She said she loves you both,” I whispered.

  The outline of Harper’s body began to flicker, like the fire atop a candle when it’s caught a breeze. “Thank you Mercy,” she called out.

  “Goodbye Harper,” I called back to her until finally, she flickered away into nothingness.

  “She’s gone,” I whispered to her family. “She’s at peace now.”

  “Thank you, Mercy,” Elena whispered back.

  “Yes, thank you dear,” her father agreed.

  I nodded at them both. “I’ll let you two have time together. I’m going to go downstairs.”

  With that I left the room, closing the door behind me and descended the stairs where Hugh was standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me.

  “Hey there darlin’, you alright?” he asked me sweetly.

  I nodded and swallowed hard again. “Yeah,” I whispered. Then I mustered up a smile for him. “Thank you for being there for me this week. It’s been a tough week.”

  “I know it has. Now that we’re finally putting all of this behind us, there’s something that I’ve been meaning to do all week,” he said quietly.

  “What’s that?” I asked as the skin on my arms rippled.

  “This,” he said and gently bent his head down to lay his lips atop mine. It was sweet and tender, a true kiss of a gentleman. My heart raced inside my chest.

  I smiled as he lifted his lips off mine. Leaning my head onto his broad shoulder, I linked arms with him.

  “Let’s go sit down,” he suggested.

  “Yeah,” I agreed happily.

  I followed him back to the table where Mom was holding Chesney. “I’ve sure fallen in love with this little guy,” she said as he nuzzled her neck.

  “Mom and I were just talking, Mercy, I think we’re both going to move in here. For awhile anyway. Mom’s going to help me get this business off its feet.”

  I smiled at them both as I slid into my chair and took Chesney from my mother, “That’s awesome!”

  “Yeah, it’ll give us a chance to get to know each other better,” said Mom. “You know, Mercy, a dorm room is no place for a puppy. He needs to be able to have room to run around and play.”

  I rolled my eyes as I played with Chesney’s ears.

  “I’m not kidding. I know your heart was in the right place when you adopted Ches, but until you’ve left the dorms, I think you should consider letting me take care of him. He will have so much more room to run and play here.”

  I looked at Chesney sadly. I knew Mom was probably right. I stuck out my bottom lip as I patted the top of Chesney’s head. “But he’d miss me!”

  “You can come and see him anytime you want. It would give me an opportunity to see you more, too.”

  “Fine,” I grumbled. “I suppose.” I hugged Chesney close before handing him back to my mom.

  My mom squeezed Chesney close to her before pulling her navy blue cardigan tighter over her shoulders. “Brr, it’s really freezing in here,” she commented. “Aren’t you girls cold?”

  Alba, Sweets, Holly and Jax looked at me nervously. “Your mom’s cold, Mercy,” Holly stated nervously.

  As if on cue, Reign cleared his throat. “Umm, Mercy, I know you wanted to wait for any big new surprises,” my brother began. “But there’s really something I need to tell you and Mom.”

  From across the table, Hugh’s eyes met mine.

  I raised a hand to stop my brother. “Reign, no! I said this before. Give me a week off. Or maybe two before dropping bombs on me! I need a break!”

  Mom looked at him curiously. “What is it, Reign?”

  He looked at me, unsure of what to do. “Mercy?”

  “No, Reign,” I growled.

  “Mercy! Let your brother tell us.”

  “Mom, it’s going to be bad, I can just feel it. The girls and I have just been through three murder investigations. We are exhausted. I’m exhausted! I need a break. He can tell us next week.”


  “Mercy Mae Habernackle! You stop, this instant!” she cried.

  I sighed, feeling defeated. “Fine. Spill your guts, Reign.”

  “Sorry, sis. This was going to come out soon anyway,” he said looking nervously between Mom and I. “You weren’t the only reason I came to Aspen Falls.”

  I looked at Mom curiously. Her confused expression told me she obviously had no idea what he was talking about either.

  “Oh-kayyyy?” I drug out. He had piqued my curiosity.

  Reign looked down at his hands. “I came to Aspen Falls to meet someone else.”

  “Who else do you know in Aspen Falls?” Mom asked in surprise.

  Reign played nervously with his hands. “My father.”

  Mom’s head jarred backwards. “Excuse me?”

  The girls all looked at each other in confusion. I was sure they were thinking exactly what I was thinking. How in the world does he know who his father is?

  “You can’t possibly…” Mom began.

  “My grandmother told me,” he said quietly. “I went to see her.”

  “You talked to granny?” I was shocked.

  “Yeah,” he whispered.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I demanded.

  He cocked his head to the side and gave me a sly smile. “Mercy, I tried. You know that.”

  “So, who is it? Who’s your father?” Jax asked from across the table.

  “Yeah! We’re dying over here,” Holly added. “Tell us!”

  Reign chuckled. “I’d love to tell you who ladies, but first, I need to introduce myself to my father. I don’t even think he knows that he has a son.”

  I furtively glanced at my mother. A dark shadow seemed to have crossed over her face. That’s when I knew that the relaxing break I had dreamed about was only the beginning of troubled days to come.

  Coming Soon:

  A Witch Squad Cozy Mystery Book #3

  Witch Degrees of Separation

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