Spooky Spider

by Addison Creek

  It was the only place in town that had housed witches for longer than Haunted Bluff. In fact, one reason my ancestors had moved to the estate in the first place was that the manor was already in Shimmerfield.

  A retired warlock lived there now, along with several vampires and the odd le-haunt, which is what a warlock becomes when he dies.

  The warlock had kept mostly to himself since his retirement, preferring to garden and read alone. Cookie had known him for years and from time to time would take him fresh fruit and vegetables. We always teased her, saying that she had a crush on him, but she always denied it.

  “I was only required to put myself through that trial once. Never again,” she said caustically.

  The manor was beautiful, but it wasn’t on the coast, it was tucked away down a tree-lined street in town. The Shimmerfield library wasn’t far away, so the old warlock could walk there in good weather.

  He rented out rooms in the manor to vampires, who took care of the place for him. He was an important figure in the warlock world, so when important visitors came to Shimmerfield they usually stayed at the manor. It was much calmer than staying at the most famous haunted house in the magical and supernatural world.

  As for us Haunted Bluff denizens, rarely did we all go somewhere at the same time, and on this occasion there was some concern about leaving the place untended by any witches or warlocks. My mother asked Steve and Mr. Blacksmith to keep an eye on the haunted house, but there was also some debate about whether Cookie should go with us. Given that someone was trying to kill her, my mom thought it might be best for her to stay at home. But Cookie insisted that since no one had tried to kill her in the past couple of days, it was all fine.

  End of discussion.

  We had only one car, but the Vice Chancellor was sending a second vehicle. Since everyone wanted to ride in the limousine except me, Lark, and Pep, the decision was easy. The three of us would drive our vehicle and everyone else would take the limo.

  We had all piled into our two respective cars when I looked around and said, “Where’s Cookie?”

  My mother, who was about to sit down in the limousine, looked around and said, “I thought she was with you.”

  I shook my head. We hadn’t seen her since the discussion in the foyer about whether she was going.

  Just as we were about to mount a search party, she came out of the mansion and stomped towards our car, prompting Mom to say, “Don’t you want to come in the limousine?”

  “Under no circumstances will I set foot in a vehicle of that man’s,” said Cookie angrily.

  “I guess that means she’s coming with us,” I said.

  Lark quickly got out of the front seat and hopped in the back. My grandmother joined me in the front. “No Rose?”

  “She didn’t think her presence would be appreciated,” I said. “Besides, she looked very comfortable all curled up on the couch.”

  “Sometimes I’m jealous of that cat,” said Cookie. “Well! Drive! We don’t have all day.”

  The limousine was already pulling out of our long driveway. We hastened to follow.

  “What about uncle Taft?” Pep asked.

  “He’s in no condition to hang out with nincompoops,” said Cookie.

  We made the rest of the short drive in silence.

  There was one special thing about the manor that I was about to learn.

  “It looks like the driver of the limousine is turning into the woods. Does he have any idea where he’s going? There’s no road there,” Pep cried.

  We had been driving down the tree-lined street for a short while, through a stretch with no houses on either side, only forest land. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the limo’s turn signal started to blink.

  “Just wait. Edmund is particularly proud of this feature,” said Cookie.

  In my rearview mirror I could see Pep shaking her head.

  As the limousine turned toward the trees, a dirt road appeared. It wasn’t a bumpy and potholed dirt road, it was perfectly smooth, and just as easy to drive down as any pavement.

  “Wow,” I breathed.

  “Yes, it’s all very impressive,” said Cookie. “Edmund is so talented, and he likes doing things for show. Besides, he doesn’t have a fancy haunted house that people have to be able to find. He prefers to be hidden away in the woods.”

  “I had no idea. Don’t the townspeople wonder where he comes home?” Lark asked.

  “I have no idea what the townspeople think. They rarely see him,” said Cookie.

  We followed the limousine down the dirt road, which seemed to appear as we needed it. It was the most amazing bit of enchantment I had ever seen. The trees lining each side of the path were mostly evergreens, so the whole thing would be shielded from view year-round.

  “Is that a moose?” Pep asked incredulously.

  “Certainly not. Why would a moose be in a forest in Maine?” said Cookie, rolling her eyes.

  Pep quieted, but she was still staring out the window in shock.

  It was in fact a moose.

  No, actually it was two.

  A mother and a baby were walking through the woods looking unconcerned by the cars, and uninterested. I just hoped they didn’t come our way. A moose could do a lot of damage to a car if you hit it.

  Or it hit you.

  I had seen a couple of moose in Maine in my time, but I didn’t see them often enough not to be shocked by the spectacle.

  “Are they enchanted?” Lark asked.

  “I doubt it. This is just a lot of private forest land. Nature flourishes when there aren’t tall buildings,” said Cookie.

  “Here we are,” I said.

  The limousine pulled up in front of a huge old house. It wasn’t as big as the mansion, but it was still very large.

  The mansion was built of stone, while the manor had old wood siding, probably cedar. A porch spanned the entire front of the house, which was three stories high with a shingled roof.

  A shed was barely visible to the left, tucked in amongst the trees. There was no car in sight.

  “This is a beautiful house,” I said as I parked next to the limousine.

  Everyone piled out of the cars. Pep hurried out of the back seat to help Cookie, who waved her cane at her granddaughter to make Pep back off.

  “I will not appear as an invalid,” said Cookie.

  “I thought you had a bad hip,” said my mother, walking up to us.

  “I do. Can’t let them know that, though. Vultures,” said Cookie.

  Audrey was the only member of the family who hadn’t come. She wasn’t a witch, and though it was no secret that she was family and lived with us, she usually avoided gatherings like this. Sometimes the fact that she couldn’t perform enchantments made others who could uncomfortable. Quite understandably, those encounters were no fun for Audrey, either.

  She had, however, sent a basket filled with baked goods. The aroma was tantalizing, all the more since none of us had eaten breakfast.

  The driveway was covered in bright autumn leaves that hadn’t yet been swept away by the winds. Winter was coming, but it hadn’t quite arrived. The fall color had gone from above our heads to below our feet.

  I loved this time of year.

  “Greetings.” A thin, tiny old man came out of the house, letting the screen door bang behind him. Edmund Crawford smiled and waved. Cookie brightened and waved back.

  Mr. Nutcracker emerged after him with an even brighter smile. Cookie started to make a rude gesture with her hand, but Lark gently made her lower her arm.

  “I was just stretching,” said Cookie.

  “What were you stretching?” Lark asked.

  “My elbow,” was the reply.

  “Come in, come in. So happy to have all of you here,” said Mr. Crawford.

  My mom made introductions. It took a while because there were so many of us. Then Mr. Crawford had to be properly grateful for the basket of baked goods Audrey had sent.

  Once the proprieties had
been dealt with, he ushered us inside.

  “So glad you could come for brunch. I don’t think I’ve had this many people here since the meeting to end the illegal silk enchantment trade last year,” he said.

  “I heard good things about that party,” said Mr. Nutcracker.

  “It was excellent. Really excellent,” said Crawford with a smile.

  I had expected the inside of the old house to be as drafty as it looked, but it was surprisingly warm, even though I could see bits of light sneaking in through the cracks between wall panels.

  Several of Mr. Nutcracker’s attendants had appeared. They looked as nervous as they had at Haunted Bluff, as if they were sure this brunch was going to run over schedule.

  “The grove is just through here. Follow Mr. Nutcracker,” said Edmund. He seemed to want Mr. Nutcracker to go first because he himself would be so slow. “Cookie and I can just keep each other company back here.” He smiled at my grandmother in a way that I’d never seen before. I wondered if he knew what he was looking at.

  But I didn’t get to see how she responded. We were forced to trail after Mr. Nutcracker or be openly rude to our host.

  The grove was so named because it was a long glass room with venerable old trees hanging over it, shielding it completely from prying eyes.

  It was beautiful.

  “I’d like to get this wallpaper pattern for my bedroom,” said Meg appreciatively, meaning the colorful leaves pressed against the glass ceiling. She hung her leather jacket over the back of her chosen chair, revealing a white blouse setting off black sequin pants. She looked stunning.

  “I should start a company and sell that pattern,” said Edmund with a smile.

  The long table was covered with a white linen cloth and beautiful antique silverware. Vases filled with delicate-looking flowers were spaced all along the table.

  “Lovely,” said Meg.

  “I’m glad you like it,” said Edmund.

  He escorted Cookie to the place of honor next to him. Mr. Nutcracker was about to follow him to the head of the table to sit on his other side when Edmund foiled that notion.

  “Why don’t you sit with Meg?” he said to the politician.

  Mr. Nutcracker didn’t miss a beat. I hadn’t seen him miss a beat once.

  “I’d be happy to. If she’ll have me?” He quirked one white bushy eyebrow at Meg.

  My aunt didn’t appear to mind Mr. Nutcracker, and Cookie looked relieved. Kip fell into the nearest seat and just stared at the food.

  “I remember when I was younger and could eat a lot. Those were the days,” said Edmund, noticing the look on Kip’s face.

  A couple of Mr. Nutcracker’s employees joined us at the table, and we all settled in. The food was plentiful and delicious. Unlike the weird offerings Audrey sometimes made, everything on this table was what you would normally expect to eat at a café or diner in the morning.

  I filled my plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. I sprinkled some cheddar cheese on the eggs since it was being passed around, and covered everything with a healthy dose of salt.

  “So, what brings you to Haunted Bluff?” my mom asked the Vice Chancellor.

  “As I told Cookie, I thought I should come. It’s been awhile,” said Mr. Nutcracker with a smile.

  “It didn’t have anything to do with the murder?” asked Lark, not beating around the bush.

  “I heard about the murder and came straight away. It reminded me that Shimmerfield was a great place to visit,” said Mr. Nutcracker.

  “And now you’ve just suspended your schedule for the next few days?” Meg said.

  Silently I thanked my aunt. She wasn’t trying to be rude, she was genuinely curious and wasn’t going to pretend she wasn’t. The Vice Chancellor coming to town was a very big deal.

  “Yes,” he said, “it was all stuff I could either do here or put on hold. Edmund is well used to having visitors, and the manor is quiet, so I’ve been able to get a lot of reading and studying done in the mornings. The afternoons are for meetings.”

  “Careful. If you keep eating that fast you’ll give yourself a stomachache,” said Edmund with a slight smile toward Kip, who had started to shovel food into his mouth as soon as he sat down.

  Kip looked up as he chewed a mouthful of eggs and tried to smile.

  “Jane, I heard you’re starting a detective agency. How’s that going?” Edmund asked. I looked up in surprise that he knew anything about it.

  “Oh, no she isn’t. Wherever did you hear that?” my mom interrupted me, not seeming to mind that contradicting her host came off as abrupt and even rude.

  “The announcement was made at a recent wedding, I believe. My memory isn’t as good as it used to be, but that was clear enough,” said Edmund.

  “That was just a joke,” said my mom.

  I looked down and frowned into my plate.

  “No, it wasn’t a joke,” said Cookie. “Jane means to pursue a career in investigation.”

  My mother dabbed at her mouth with her napkin, but she didn’t say anything more.

  “Seems there’s disagreement among the family. Might as well ask the source herself,” said Edmund.

  Even with my eyes glued to my plate, I knew that everyone was suddenly looking at me.

  “I do like investigating,” I said quietly.

  “So how much of a joke do you think it really is?” Edmund asked my mother.

  “It’s just that she works at the haunted house, and we’re very busy,” said my mom.

  “Perhaps a side business. Lots of people have those.” Edmund’s voice was kindly.

  I shifted in my seat, feeling better than I had in a long time. There were actually people who believed I could have an investigating business. Sure, one was Cookie, and she was crazy. But still.

  The rest of the breakfast was uneventful. My mother seemed willing to move on to other topics, and she and I didn’t make eye contact again. The group mostly discussed the haunted house and what a success it had been over the past year. It wasn’t until the end of the meal that Edmund brought up Blu and the assassination attempt again.

  “It is my understanding that the presence of your granddaughter may have foiled a murder plot?” Edmund asked, looking at Cookie.

  My grandmother sighed. She had clearly expected Edmund to bring this up, but that didn’t stop her from being annoyed that he had.

  “That’s one theory. Why Blu, the would-be murderer, thought she made any difference I don’t know,” she said.

  “You don’t believe that if you’d been attacked she would have been of assistance?” Edmund’s voice lilted and his eyes were hooded. He found Cookie’s statement curious, while I found it mildly insulting.

  “If I had been attacked by an assassin, I would have defended myself. Jane’s presence would just have meant I’d have to defend her as well,” said Cookie.

  “I hope that from now on you’ll be properly protected. It wouldn’t do for anything to happen to you,” said Edmund. The old warlock had the habit of pushing his bottom lip upward, making his chin jut out and look larger.

  “There’s no one in the world who can protect me from what’s coming,” said Cookie.

  “Are you talking about the Root?” asked one of Mr. Nutcracker’s assistants, who had waist-length black hair and very pale skin. In her black dress she could have sold tickets at the haunted house without changing clothes.

  For the first time I saw Mr. Nutcracker look slightly annoyed. He hadn’t wanted anyone to bring up the Root.

  “I’m talking about something you can’t possibly understand,” said Cookie. She didn’t like this girl by association.

  The rest of brunch continued very quietly.

  Chapter Twenty

  Mom had no intention of lingering after the meal, and Edmund didn’t press us to stay. Everyone knew how hard Mom worked at Haunted Bluff.

  As we walked back toward the front of the house, Edmund pulled Mom aside. Meg saw them step away and frowned, but d
idn’t follow. The rest of us headed for the cars.

  They weren’t gone long. When my mom came outside to join us, she looked grim.

  Standing in the crisp cold of an early winter day, we thanked Edmund and said goodbye to him and Mr. Nutcracker.

  “Perhaps I shall stop in one more time before I return to other duties,” said Mr. Nutcracker.

  “Don’t go out of your way,” Cookie said.

  Mr. Nutcracker continued his practice of not appearing to hear her.

  We drove home in silence. When we got there, we split up and headed off to finish our work for the day, just like we would on any other day.

  Cookie had been neglecting her cauldron; she wanted to get back to her stirring.

  Lizzie usually trained during the day, but this time she wanted to help Cookie in any way she could. Cookie told her that under no circumstances was that necessary. Lizzie was insistent, so Cookie eventually sent her to pick herbs in the garden.

  “Do we have herbs?” Lark asked.

  “Never mind herbs, do we even have a garden?” Pep asked.

  “Is that what you heard?” said Cookie. “I heard that we have weeds in the dirt and leave me alone. Really, living with so many of you, I can’t get a moment’s peace.”

  I rolled my eyes at the sky.

  “Anyone could just hop the gate and attack you. You shouldn’t be alone out here. Not if there’s an assassin out there trying to kill you,” said Pep.

  “The assassin is dead. Didn’t you hear?” said Cookie.

  “If at first they didn’t succeed, they’ll just send another one,” said Lark.

  “I told you, I’m not afraid of a mere assassin,” Cookie insisted.

  It was clear that we weren’t going to change her mind, so we all headed off to get busy.

  Lark and Pep had work to do in their shops. I was increasingly dejected about not having an assigned role at the haunted house; the lack of specific responsibilities made it feel as if I was only there temporarily. By now I knew that wasn’t true, so I told myself I had to find something to do soon, I just wasn’t sure what. Starting a detective business was all well and good, but I still needed to help out at home.