Witching For A Cure

by Kali Harper

  Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  From The Author

  Witching For A Cure

  Emberdale Cozy Mystery, Book 3

  By Kali Harper

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any way, including information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious.

  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Keep up to date on all of Kali’s news and releases by joining her newsletter.

  You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

  Chapter One

  Smoothing the ankle-length skirt Kat had loaned me, I read over the list of drinks again instead of checking the time. I’d alternated between the two once Lance told me he’d be late. Which was over half an hour ago. If he had a murder to solve, the least he could’ve done was fill me in on the details.

  As it was, he’d stopped answering my texts and refused to pick up his phone. He’s working, I assured myself, tearing the corner of a napkin as I fought back my nerves. My heart didn’t agree, dipping into my stomach whenever Sammy glanced in my direction. He’d positioned himself right outside the front door to The Laughing Bean and had a clear view of my table.

  I wouldn’t be able to lie my way through this one. Lance didn’t show, and Sammy knew it.

  He’d agreed to tell Maggie all about our date once we got home. If I go home. Anymore, I wasn’t sure if I stayed for Lance or to avoid the list of questions Maggie had planned for me once I returned.

  Sighing, I rested my head in my hands and looked around the establishment. Compared to Every Last Crumb, The Laughing Bean was dark and had a completely different atmosphere to it. Neon lights lined the wall behind the front counter, and dim overhead lights made it close to impossible to read the menu without using the tiny votive in the center of the table. I’d never seen The Laughing Bean like this before, but then, it was getting late. Joe clearly did it for the evening crowd.

  “Another coffee?” Marcy asked as she stepped over to my table, already moving the pot of decaf in my direction.

  “Please, and make it strong. I don’t do decaf,” I told her, thanking Marcy once she returned with the strong stuff. “How’s Joe? I heard he had an accident.” Word around town was he’d been attacked by a dog. He didn’t get a good look at it, but Emberdale had its share of strays just like everywhere else.

  Marcy shook her head and tucked a tendril of dark hair behind her ear. “He’s hanging in there. He’s out today with a slight fever but should be back in a next day or two.”

  “A fever from the dog bite?” That didn’t sound good. “Did he get checked for Rabies?”

  She nodded. “I honestly don’t think they have anything to do with one another. Bad timing, you know? Joe’s immune system has never been the best. Last year, he got the flu twice.”

  “Sounds like someone should buy him a new immune system,” I told her between sips of coffee.

  “If only there was a store for that.”

  “Please send him my best. The place isn’t the same without him.”

  “I will.” She released a long breath. “Looks like table seven’s up to no good again. Excuse me for one minute.” She turned on her heels and headed for the table in the back corner of the cafe, the clamor of voices climbing to a whole new level once Marcy asked them to leave. Marcy gestured toward the door, and after a moment, the five teens reluctantly got up and filed out of the cafe. “Boys, am I right?” she asked, returning to my table.

  “It’s those Henderson kids. Once you get those two redheads together, it doesn’t matter what you say.”

  “They’re the ringleaders, that’s for sure. Still, Dillon isn’t much of a peach, either.” Dillon being the most vocal of the bunch. “You remember the prank they pulled last summer?”

  “Depends… was it a normal prank or a magical one?” If magic was involved, Maggie’s enchantments would’ve kept me from noticing.

  “Oh, that’s right. Lance hounded Dillon about it, but in the end, the Hendersons were behind it all. It was a very extravagant prank, not to mention dangerous.” Lowering her voice, she said, “They charmed one of Felix’s statues and brought the thing to life!”

  “They animated it?” I couldn’t even imagine.

  “And more. It was a living, breathing machine. Anyway, it was one of the gryphons perched outside Felix’s shop. Felix noticed it immediately and called Max. I’d hate to think of what might’ve happened if a customer happened to cross its path first.”

  A chill ran down my spine. “Wow,” I said, sitting back in my chair once I realized I’d leaned forward. “I love his statues but I don’t think I’d ever want to see them move.”

  “They are very lifelike,” Marcy agreed. “The kids have done other pranks as well, usually with Dillon as the mastermind. None of them, however, were as bad as this last one.”

  “They’re teenagers. Sounds like they’re testing their limits.”

  “When those limits include magic, which they usually do, one small prank can go a long way.” She released a long breath and her shoulders dropped.

  I might not have had any skills as a healer, but even I could see the exhaustion on her face. The dark circles under her eyes were beginning to show. Most of her foundation had worn off throughout the day. And when she spoke again, the weariness I saw on her reached her voice.

  “I try not to eavesdrop on them, but when those five pile in, it’s hard not to overhear something,” she said.

  “Anything good?”

  She shrugged, then wiped down the table closest to mine even though it was already clean. “The other day, they were talking about the best way to spread magic across the entire town. I actually joked with them, saying how it would do wonders for the flowers if they could teach Ronan how to expand his magic to other venues.”

  “Ronan could never give up his fruits and vegetables.”

  “It’s just talk, though,” Marcy said, shoving her washrag in the pocket of her apron.

  “I’m surprised they weren’t reprimanded for the last prank they pulled.” Marcy was right. If Felix hadn’t noticed, things could’ve been a lot worse.

  “Oh, they were. Problem is, you can’t strip someone of their magic unless it’s absolutely necessary. Small pranks don’t count. I keep hoping they’ll move away or join the folks in Fairmount once they turn eighteen. Then we won’t have to keep such a close eye on them.”

  “They’d be the Celestials’ problem,” I said with a smile. “Don’t worry. I’m sure they’ll calm down eventually.”

  “Yeah,” she laughed. “Hopefully before they’re eighty. Well, I’ll leave you two alone. If you need anything else, let me know.”

  I was about to ask her if The Laughing Bean had a ghost of its own when I spotted Lance out of the corner of my eye. His brown curls were in complete disarray, his eyes bloodshot as he sidled up to the table.

  “Excuse me, Miss. Is this seat taken?” he asked with a sheepish grin on his face.

  I placed my purse on the chair as he pulled it out. “As a matter of fact, yes. It’s reserved for those who arrive on time.”

  He cocked an eyebrow at me, then removed his brown bl
azer before placing it over the back of the chair. “How about the floor?”

  What? The tiled floor was covered in tiny crumbs from the evening rush. Marcy had been so busy trying to get table seven to calm down, she hadn’t had the time to tidy up the place. When both she and Joe were around, things ran smoothly. However, with Joe out sick, it was easy to see who kept things in order much of the time.

  “The chair’s fine,” I told Lance, grabbing his wrist before he could do anything else. “So, what was it this time? Was there a break-in? Theft? Humans crossing the border?”

  Lance shook his head and settled in the chair beside mine. “How is Izzy doing these days?”

  Even though she was human, Izzy was accepted by our kind due to her help in a previous investigation.

  “Darby says she’s doing well but already wants to come back. Izzy can come back, can’t she?”

  “She can, but not for a little while. Folks talk and most aren’t as accepting about it as Morpheus was.”

  “Let them say what they want. It’s all talk anyway. You also avoided my question.”

  “I did no such thing. I was simply asking about a friend.” He removed his glasses and rubbed under his eyes.

  “Uh huh. Sure you were.”

  He adjusted his glasses and offered me a smile which was forced. “You know I can’t discuss my investigations with you.” There was a twinge of regret in his voice.

  “I have a deputy sticker that says otherwise.” In fact, it was still on my bedroom mirror. Sammy made sure to tease me about it every single day.

  “It isn’t a big deal,” Lance said, oblivious to my thoughts. “ An old friend of mine is coming into town tomorrow. I had to get his papers in order.”

  “Just for passing through?” No one asked my aunt Lucy to fill out any papers and she’d been in Emberdale for close to a week.

  “He’s thinking of moving here, actually.”

  “You should bring him by Every Last Crumb when you get a chance. I need more test subjects.” Though, to be fair, my cooking wasn’t nearly as bad as it was a few months ago. I was actually starting to enjoy it.

  “Are you planning to kill him before you meet him?” This time, Lance’s smile was genuine and reached all the way to his eyes.

  “My skills in the kitchen have improved,” I told him, trying to look as serious as possible. “Which is something you’d know if you ever bothered to stop by and have a bite.”

  “The last time you asked me to taste something, I had to wash it down with three glasses of water. I couldn’t eat anything without it tasting burnt for days!”

  “I swear it isn’t like that anymore. You can even ask Kat and Sammy.” I gestured at the gray tabby still sitting outside. “So, if this friend of yours decides to stay in town, you think Max would have a job opening for him?”

  Lance shrugged. “We could always use another detective.”

  “For all those murders that keep happening, right?” Our town was so small, having one detective was probably over budget.

  “One murder,” Lance corrected me, straightening his posture when Marcy came by to take his order. She added on a salad for me and a burger for him before shuffling back into the kitchen. “I’m sorry, what were we talking about?”

  I smiled. “Murder and this buddy of yours possibly working in Emberdale.”

  “Oh, yes. I figured I could use someone under me. I have some of the guys at the station, but they haven’t had the proper training.”

  “And again, not much happens in this town. Maggie’s murder, sure, but there hasn’t been one since. What are you expecting to happen? For someone to go on a killing spree? We know everyone here.”

  “Just because you know them doesn’t mean you actually know them. Besides, I’m sure Max would be happy to have him.” Lance got quiet then, and I could see the visit troubled him. He didn’t smile when he talked, and this visitor was supposed to be an old friend.

  “I still find it strange Joe expanded The Laughing Bean into a bar and grill at night but never changed the name,” I admitted, changing the subject until the tension passed. “If I didn’t live in Emberdale and came to The Laughing Bean at night, it would look like a completely different establishment in the morning.”

  “He’s starting to serve real breakfast,” Lance informed me. “Omelets, hash browns, the works. I hear he makes a killer Belgian Waffle.”

  “Okay, now I wish we came here in the morning.” A salad could never compare to a fluffy waffle, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries.

  “We’ll make it our second date, then,” Lance promised, taking a sip of coffee Marcy had brought over for him.

  Being on my fourth cup of the evening, I was less inclined to drink, paying close attention to Lance and how, whenever he looked at me, my stomach flipped. “We haven’t even finished our first.” Not that I’d mind having another one.

  A month ago, I could barely stand the guy, let alone be in the same room with him. However, since our time in Fairmount together during our search for a missing troll, I realized he wasn’t so bad after all. Neither was Ida, the town Seer and Lance’s mom.

  The town was starting to grow on me. Everyone had their quirks, from Lance’s quiet personality to how adorable Ronan Clark and Maggie were together, even if she was a ghost.

  “Ahh, the first meal of the day. Thanks, Marcy,” Lance said when she brought over our food, setting his coffee to the side as he put a dash of pepper on his burger.

  “First?” I asked him, drizzling a side of Italian dressing all over my salad. “You haven’t eaten yet?”

  “Haven’t had the time,” he admitted, biting into his food a moment later. “Got a call from Ivan, the friend I mentioned, first thing. I’ve been pulling strings ever since.”

  “How did you two meet?”

  “We both went to the same academy. He eventually took off to play hero in California. He’d actually invited me to go along with him, but Max had already offered me a job at the station. It’s not something you’d walk away from. I had a guaranteed job, whereas Ivan was hoping one would open up for him once he got there.”

  “And did it?”

  “Yup, but he says things are starting to get way too complicated around those parts, so he’s coming for a visit to see if Emberdale jives with him more.”

  “I’m sure it will. Small town life, what’s not to love?”

  Lance frowned and held up a finger when he removed his cell from his jacket pocket, his brows pinching together after reading over the caller ID. “I’m sorry, I have to take this.”

  “Duty calls,” I said, putting on the best smile I could as he stepped away from the table.

  While I waited, I decided to check in with Kat. She responded a second later.

  How was it? She asked, likely sitting on the edge of her sofa as she read over my texts.

  It’s okay. He just got here, and now it looks like he might have to leave. Thank goodness you can’t read tone, otherwise I would’ve come off as a spoiled brat.

  Deep down, I hated how his work had made him late and how he was already having to leave. He hadn’t said as much, but I could tell by his posture outside the front window that whoever was on the phone meant business.

  It’s the risk you take, Kat texted me. It sucks, but the job will always come first.

  As it should, I thought. I just wished it didn’t make me feel so miserable. If this was how our first date went, I wasn’t sure if there’d be a second. I’d like there to be, but not if every conversation we had was interrupted by a phone call.

  Maybe he’ll pass the job to someone else, Kat offered when I didn’t text her back.

  He’s the only homicide detective we’ve got. And, according to Lance, those working under him weren’t as good.

  It might not even be a homicide. We live in a small town, Astrid. What do you think is going to happen?

  “I feel terrible for saying this,” Lance said, returning to our table before removing his blazer from
the back of his seat, “but I’m gonna have to cut this short. Rain check?”

  “Yeah, sure,” I said, shoving my phone in my purse as I stood to walk him out. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah. One of Kyle’s cows died. He says it was a wolf.”

  “A wolf?” I asked, my voice sharper than I’d intended. “Do we even have wolves in Emberdale?” I knew about the woods on the outskirts of town, but surely they weren’t big enough for a wolf to live off of.

  “Kyle’s probably making a bigger deal out of it than it really is, but I should go over and take a look anyway.” Lance removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, looking even more tired than before.

  “Can’t they get someone else to look into it? You’ve been at it all day. You’re exhausted, and don’t say you’re not. I can tell.”

  “Thank you for your concern, but I really need to handle this.”

  “Who was it?” I asked, following him to his Station Wagon which he’d parked out front.

  “Who was what?”

  “Which cow was it?” If it was Gerta, I could completely understand Kyle’s alarm. She was his best dairy cow and gave him more than enough calves to fill a barn.

  “I hadn’t thought to ask. I’ll, uh… I’ll see you around.” He hesitated and looked like he was about to say something else but thought better of it. With one last smile in my direction, he got in his car and sped to the outskirts of town, leaving me on the sidewalk with Sammy who’d overheard the entire thing.

  “Can’t even manage one date, huh?” Sammy asked with a purr.

  “Oh, shut up. He got a call. That’s it,” I told him, turning back for the establishment.

  “Or maybe it was your breath.”

  I doubted it. “Wait here. I need to cover my bill, then we can leave.”

  Lance would cover our next meal. I was sure of it. As I walked back into The Laughing Bean, Marcy cleared the table and offered me a reassuring smile.

  “Hard to nail them down,” she said, walking the dishes back toward the kitchen. “Joe’s the same way. Married to the job first, then me.”

  “I bet not being able to work is killing him,” I said, helping her with the dishes before grabbing a broom from the back.