wicked witches 07.6 - bewitched

by Amanda M. Lee

  I walked to the front window and scanned the open expanse outside. I pushed the window open so I could ascertain if my friendly neighborhood teenagers were back with their Milwaukee’s Best to ruin my night. There was nothing but rustling leaves and a slight breeze on the other side of the screen.

  Something woke me. I was sure of it. But what?

  I scanned the yard again, hoping for a glimpse of movement. After a few fruitless minutes I gave up and returned to bed. If someone was outside, they were gone now. I could only hope it wasn’t Bigfoot, because if he was I would never convince Clove to spend the night.

  Seven

  The next morning, I was still bothered by my late night wakeup call. I was even more bothered when I remembered Clove wasn’t going to stop by and surprise me again. She apologized profusely before leaving the night before, but Thistle needed to make a run to Traverse City for candle supplies, so that meant Clove had to run the magic shop they co-owned.

  I knew it was ridiculous to let a little thing like Clove’s business serve as a source of disappointment, but after two days of sharing her company I already missed her. That was a little pathetic … and needy … and sad. I recognized the symptoms and found I didn’t care. I liked being with her, although I was definitely going to have to work on her self-esteem.

  Without realizing what I was doing, I headed into the woods. I was convinced something woke me from my heavy sleep the night before, and on a whim I decided to check the small clearing to see whether my underage friends had returned. If they had left another pile of garbage behind, I was definitely calling the police … or maybe Clove. She would tell me to call the police when I asked what to do, but at least I would be able to talk to her without looking like a fool.

  The clearing was free of debris, but I recognized Bay’s familiar blond head from behind when I moved into the space to her left. She jumped when she heard me, her hand moving to the spot above her heart, and she exhaled heavily when she recognized me.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, holding up my hands in a placating manner. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

  “It’s okay,” Bay said, tugging a hand through her hair and squaring her shoulders. She didn’t like appearing weak – especially in front of me – and she seemed determined to show me she was in charge of this situation. “I … what are you doing out here?”

  “This is my property,” I reminded her. “Technically, you’re trespassing. That means you’re the one in the wrong … for a change.”

  Bay furrowed her brow and scowled. “Listen … .”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, shaking my head as Clove’s words from the previous evening echoed through my mind. “That was a genuinely stupid thing to say. I don’t mean to be obnoxious. I was surprised to see you. You’re welcome here whenever you want to visit.”

  “Really?”

  “Really,” I confirmed.

  “Why?” Bay asked.

  “What do you mean why?”

  “You shouldn’t answer a question with a question,” Bay chided. “People will think you’re hiding something.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard that,” I deadpanned. “Listen, I’m actually glad I ran into you – although I’m still confused about why you’re out here in the first place – but I need to apologize for the way I ambushed you about being able to see ghosts.”

  Bay narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know why you think I can see ghosts, but I can’t.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry for accusing you of being able to see ghosts when you can’t,” I said, changing tactics. I wasn’t supposed to know for a fact that she could see ghosts. I didn’t want to risk Clove’s standing within her family to make amends with Bay. “I can see ghosts, and I was under the mistaken impression you could see them, too. I’m sorry for upsetting you.”

  “Why are you all of a sudden sorry?” Bay asked.

  “I’ve been sorry since it happened,” I replied. “I didn’t think you’d react the way you did. Sometimes I speak before I think. That’s what happened that day at the inn. I am truly sorry.”

  “Why do you admit being able to see ghosts?”

  I wasn’t surprised by her bluntness as much as the curiosity shining through her eyes. “Why not?”

  “I don’t know,” Bay hedged. “Some people might think that admitting you can see ghosts is a sign of insanity.”

  “Are you one of those people?”

  “I haven’t decided.”

  I tugged on my limited patience and tamped down my sigh. “I guess I’m not big on hiding who I am.”

  “That’s funny, because you hid who you were and why you really came to town for weeks,” Bay argued. “That seems to fly in the face of your honesty policy.”

  She obviously wasn’t going to let that go. “I was trying to feel you out,” I admitted, Clove’s pleas for patience where Bay was concerned pushing to the forefront of my mind. “I was excited to meet you and your family. I did things in the worst possible way. I’m … sorry.”

  Bay bit her lip and shifted from one foot to the other. “Okay,” she said finally. “I don’t want this to keep being a thing. You’re staying in town. This is my home and I’m not leaving. I don’t see a reason to fight.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “Now what are you doing out here?”

  “Oh, right, I should probably announce my presence next time I trespass,” Bay replied. “I’m looking for Tess Britton.”

  I tilted my head to the side, surprised. “Wait … she’s not home yet?”

  Bay shook her head. “She’s been missing for more than forty-eight hours now. I think I might’ve been wrong about her hiding from her parents.”

  “So what are you doing here?”

  “I … .” Bay broke off, her face conflicted. That’s when I realized what she was doing on my property. “You’re looking to see if you can find Tess Britton’s ghost, aren’t you?”

  “How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t see ghosts?” Bay’s voice bordered on shrill.

  I opened my mouth to answer, snapping it shut when another figure moved into the clearing from my right. It was Landon. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but his presence was enough to set my teeth on edge.

  Landon was lost in his own little world, not even glancing in my direction as he approached Bay. “I can’t see anything around this area,” he said. “I don’t see signs of a struggle. I don’t see discarded clothing. There’s no sign of blood.”

  “That’s good, right?” Bay asked, her gaze locked with mine.

  “I don’t know,” Landon answered. “We need clues. A teenage girl doesn’t just vanish this close to town. Something had to happen to her. Without anything to go on, though … .”

  “You’ll find something,” Bay said. “You always do.”

  “What about you?” Landon asked. He still hadn’t bothered looking at me. “Have you found anything?”

  “No.”

  I cleared my throat in an attempt to announce my presence and Landon jolted at the sound, instinctively stepping in front of Bay to shield her. “Good morning, Landon.”

  Landon relaxed when he recognized me. “What are you doing here?”

  “I live here.”

  “Big whoop,” Landon muttered. “Why are you specifically in this area?”

  “Why are you trespassing?” I challenged, immediately regretting the words. This conversation wasn’t going to elevate me in Clove’s estimation when she found out about it.

  “I’m searching for a missing teenager,” Landon shot back. “What are you doing?”

  “I came to see whether anyone was partying out her last night,” I answered, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. I had no idea why he irritated me so much. “Something woke me in the middle of the night, and I wanted to make sure those kids didn’t leave a mess out here again.”

  “What woke you?” Bay asked.

  “I’m not sure,” I responded. “I was sound asleep … I mean dead to the world … and something jerked me a
wake.”

  “Did you go outside and look around?” Landon asked, his implacable “cop face” in place.

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I looked out the window and didn’t see anything,” I replied. “I opened the window to see whether I could hear anything, but it was quiet. My first instinct when I woke was that another party was going on out here.”

  “I don’t think anyone was out here last night,” Bay said.

  “No,” I agreed. “Last time they were out here they left a huge mess for me and … my lack of sleep … to clean up.” I’d almost slipped and mentioned Clove’s visits. We were going to have to take on her family eventually. I wanted to postpone that for as long as possible … or at least until Bay didn’t make a face that looked as though she smelled rotten pickles whenever I spoke with her.

  “You don’t have the stuff they left out here the other night, by any chance, do you?” Landon asked.

  “It’s in a garbage bag in the shed,” I replied. “The contractor is bringing one of those industrial waste bins out here next week. I was going to hold onto it until then.”

  “Can I see it?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t see why not. Come on.”

  I led Landon and Bay to the shed, internally smirking when I saw Bay’s eyes widen after she caught a glimpse of all of the lawn and leaf bags Clove and I filled over the course of the past few days. They were stacked close to the shed, and the pile was mountainous. “It’s in here.”

  I grabbed the bag in question and handed it to Landon.

  He unceremoniously dumped the contents on my lawn, causing me to frown.

  “Was that really necessary?” I asked.

  “I’m conducting an investigation,” Landon replied, not missing a beat. “Everything I do is necessary.”

  Bay made a face and flicked his ear. “Be nice.”

  “You be nice,” Landon shot back, although his expression softened when he took in her serious face. “Fine. I’ll pick it up when I’m done. Are you happy?”

  “I’m happier,” Bay clarified. “You can buy me lunch at the diner to make me really happy.”

  “I’m going to do something else later to make us both really happy,” Landon muttered, turning to his task. “Oh, gross. Who drinks Milwaukee’s Best?”

  “Teenagers on a tight budget,” Bay replied, lifting her eyes to the Dandridge’s white walls. “Did you have this place pressure washed? It looks cleaner.”

  “We tried that,” I replied. “It didn’t work. I ended up repainting.”

  “They did a good job,” Bay said, trailing her fingers over the bags of yard refuse as she wandered closer to the building. “Do you have to follow historical rules for the refurbishment?”

  I nodded. “Some of them are a pain – like I can’t have cement poured in the patio area, but I can buy new stones for it – but most of them aren’t too bad.” I was happy to engage in mundane conversation if it meant Bay softened her stance and began trusting me.

  “It’s going to be pretty when you’re done,” Bay said. “Your proximity to the water is nice, too. What are you going to do with the gardens?”

  “I haven’t decided yet,” I lied. “I want to put some hardy bushes in, and maybe a few flowers to brighten the walkway. I’m not keen on things that need a lot of work, though, so I’m going to have to do some research.” In truth, I was happy to let Clove plant whatever her heart desired as long as it meant she came back to care for it.

  “There’s not much in here,” Landon said, his frustration evident. “It’s basically beer cans, an empty pizza box and some other random garbage.”

  “I could’ve told you that, and I’m not even a professional investigator,” I said.

  Landon ignored the dig. “Tell me about your run-in with the kids,” he instructed. “Chief Terry said it got contentious.”

  “I don’t know that ‘contentious’ is the right word, but when I heard the kids partying I walked out there and found them,” I said. “The one kid – Tess called him Andy – got belligerent and told me to go away.”

  “What did you do?” Landon asked.

  “I told him I was going back to the lighthouse to call Chief Terry,” I answered, embarrassed by the admission. “I felt like a narc. One of the kids even fake coughed that into his hand. I wouldn’t have made the threat if Chief Terry hadn’t stopped by and warned me about what was going on earlier that day.”

  “I get kids partying in the woods,” Landon said. “I think that’s been going on as long as there have been teenagers and beer. I don’t understand why they would do it so close to the lighthouse. They had to know you were inside.”

  “Maybe they thought he would ignore the noise,” Bay suggested.

  “Maybe,” Landon said, shoving the garbage back in the bag. “This whole thing is weird. You said this Andy was belligerent. Do you think he would’ve fought with you if you hadn’t left?”

  “I have no idea,” I said. “He seemed to be the one in control of everything. That Tess girl tried to calm him down, but he told her to shut her mouth. He said something about her being lucky to be invited.”

  Landon shifted his contemplative eyes to Bay. “Do you know anything about Andy?”

  “His name is Andy Hodgins,” Bay replied. “He’s … a tool.”

  Landon chuckled. “I believe that’s how you referred to me when we first met.”

  “You were a tool, too,” Bay said, unruffled.

  “I was an undercover tool. I was supposed to be putting on an act.”

  “You did a good job,” Bay said. “I was convinced you really were a tool.”

  “You’re lucky you’re cute,” Landon grumbled.

  “Andy is … fairly normal,” Bay said, poking Landon’s side to get him to relax. “I’ve never heard of him getting in real trouble. He’s on a few of the Hemlock Cove sports teams. As far as I know he’s not a terrible kid.”

  “What about girlfriends?” Landon asked. “Is Tess Britton his girlfriend? Does he have a girlfriend?”

  “I know this might come as a total shock, but I’m not really up on the teenage dating scene,” Bay said. “If you want an answer to that question, you’ll have to ask a teenager.”

  “I think I’m going to have to ask Andy,” Landon said.

  “Hasn’t Chief Terry already questioned him?” I asked.

  “He has,” Landon confirmed. “Andy claims that Tess took off after you threatened to call Chief Terry. He says he has no idea where she went or what happened to her.”

  “Do you believe him?”

  “I haven’t talked to him yet,” Landon answered. “The longer this goes on, though, the more worried I am about Tess Britton. We can’t find a reason for her to run away. She seemed to have a good relationship with her parents, although people describe them as ‘strict.’ I just … don’t know.”

  “I don’t know whether it matters, but someone was smoking pot that night,” I offered. “I never saw an actual joint, but I could smell it when I first came up on them.”

  “Pot doesn’t generally make people violent,” Bay pointed out.

  “No, but it does make them paranoid and stupid,” Landon said, handing the garbage bag back to me. “Thanks for letting me look through that.”

  It was the nicest thing he’d ever said to me … which was a little sad. “No problem.”

  “It’s against the law to throw returnables away in Michigan,” Landon added. “You might want to separate those cans out so I don’t have to arrest you.”

  I made an exasperated sound in the back of my throat. Apparently his pleasant attitude had the same shelf life as my charm. “I’ll get right on that.”

  Eight

  “I heard Bay and Landon were out here earlier,” Clove said after dinner, settling on the couch and fixing me with a curious look. “How did that go?”

  “Are you asking whether I told them we’d been hanging out?”

  “No,” Clove replied
. “I’m asking whether you fought with Bay and Landon.”

  “What did they say?”

  “You’re doing that answering-a-question-with-a-question thing again,” Clove scolded. “I don’t like it.”

  “Bay didn’t like it either.”

  Clove’s sigh was low and exasperated. “Okay, we don’t have to talk about it,” she said. “I’m sorry I asked.”

  “No, I’m sorry,” I said, instantly regretting my attitude. A full day of working in the garden without her left me grumpy. “I didn’t sleep well last night, and I’m taking it out on you. That’s not fair.”

  “Why didn’t you sleep well?”

  “I fell asleep right away,” I replied. “Something woke me a few hours later. I have no idea what it was. I looked out the window and didn’t see anything. When I got up this morning I decided to check the clearing in case the partiers came back, but it was clean and empty.”

  “Is that where you ran into Bay and Landon?”

  “That’s where I ran into Bay,” I clarified. “She was alone and looking around. We … talked.”

  “About Tess Britton?”

  “We talked about Tess, but we also talked about the way I ambushed her about seeing ghosts,” I replied. “I apologized for how it happened. She denied being able to see ghosts again … twice … and then said she didn’t want to fight and we should put it behind us.”

  “Hmm.” Clove wrinkled her nose.

  “What does that mean?”

  “Bay didn’t mention making up with you,” Clove said. “I would have thought she’d volunteer that after everything that’s happened.”

  “I don’t know that I would consider it ‘making up,’” I said. “She said she didn’t want to fight. She didn’t say she wanted to be best friends and invite me over for a slumber party.”

  Clove snorted. “We never had slumber parties, so that doesn’t surprise me.”

  “Don’t all girls have slumber parties?”

  “We only hung around with each other, and we already lived together, so I guess you could say we had nonstop slumber parties,” Clove explained. “Because we hated each other a lot of the time, I can honestly say they weren’t fun.”