Sweet Murder Hex (Sweetland Witch) (A Cozy Mystery Book)

by Zoe Arden

  It was an odd thing, this stuff with Russell. He'd clearly gone out of his way to help me—saying that I was a vegetarian and all that. When it had come time to sacrifice Colt, he hadn't been able to do it. I had hopes that somewhere inside him, Russell was the same man Colt remembered growing up with. The same father, altered, but still there.

  There was one coffee machine in the waiting room. I stuck a quarter in and nothing happened. I banged on it and it burped at me, but that was it.

  "I'm going to look for a coffee machine that actually works," I told my family. My dad nodded and asked me to bring him back a cup, too. "Anyone else?" I asked.

  "No coffee for me," Trixie said, "but if you see a candy machine somewhere, I could go for something with chocolate and peanut butter."

  "I'll keep my eyes open," I told her. I asked a woman at the nurses’ station where to find another coffee machine and she pointed me toward the end of a hall.

  I wandered down the corridor. A man's voice echoed loudly through the hallway. I paused and turned back toward it. I heard it again.

  "I'm sick of Jell-O! I need some real food!"

  I walked a few feet and found myself in Dean Lampton's room. I was surprised to find him still in the hospital. I hadn't heard much about him since he'd gotten attacked, and I guess that I'd simply assumed he was back at work.

  "Mr. Lampton?" I asked, knocking on his door to announce my presence.

  He looked up. "Ah, Miss Fortune. Have you come to ask me more questions?"

  "No, I'm here with a friend and I heard your voice."

  A nurse was busy rearranging pillows and blankets. She had a vial of blood on a tray that she'd clearly just taken from Dean's arm. He pushed his Jell-O bowl toward her. "Here, take this, too. And bring me some real food."

  "Sir, you are on a strict diet at the moment."

  "Bah! Do you know who I am?"

  "Yes, of course I do."

  "Then you should know that it's better for your career to do as I say. Bring me some fried chicken. A bowl of spaghetti. What harm could a box of donuts do?"

  The nurse sighed. I shot her a sympathetic glance as she gathered her things and left the room.

  "What are you still doing here?" Dean snapped at me.

  Clearly, hospitals did not suit him well. He was even more obnoxious than the last time I'd seen him, though not nearly as scary. Hospital gowns had a way of negating a person's authority—it was hard to take someone seriously when they were dressed in a gown that, unless you were careful, would show off your underwear.

  "I'm just waiting for Melbourne Hammond. He's with Dr. Dunne right now."

  "Oh, I heard about that. Sheriff Knoxx called me. He's got Russell Hudson down at the station."

  "That's right. Do you know what's going to happen to him? I know he attacked you but—"

  "Russ didn't attack me," Dean said.

  "I thought he did. That's what the news said."

  "News, bah! I was unconscious when they brought me in so the news made up their own mind."

  "So, does that mean he's not responsible for Rachel Sessler either?" I asked hopefully.

  Dean shrugged. "Don't know. Don't care, at least not right now. The Council on Magic and Human Affairs will sort all that out when Russell stands trial."

  "Trial?"

  "Of course. The man's got to stand trial for his crimes. We need to determine precisely how much involvement he had with Vlaski Ambrose over the years. How much death and destruction was he responsible for?"

  "So, you knew he was alive this whole time?" I asked.

  Dean sighed. "Yes, I knew, but you have to understand that I had no choice but to keep things a secret. What was I supposed to tell Colt and his mom? That the man they loved was technically dead, but not really? Besides, we needed his help."

  "So... you mean Russ was still working for you?"

  "For a while, yes, then we lost contact with him. It was very sudden. We assumed that Vlaski found out he was a double agent and disposed of him." He shrugged. "Then, of course, he resurfaced and we didn't know what to think."

  "So, what happens if you hold the trial and find Russell guilty of... everything?"

  "He'll be executed."

  "You know, he saved our lives tonight."

  "Well, at his trial, you may be called as a witness. You can tell us your story then. For now, see if you can find me some pizza."

  I left Dean's room and returned to the waiting area, without my coffee. I hated the thought of Russell being executed, especially after he'd saved my life and Colt's. I'd have to make sure that didn't happen. There was a loud squeal and I realized that Melbourne had returned. Trixie had her arms wrapped around him.

  Dr. Dunne was smiling. "Fastest healer I've ever seen," he declared. "I set the bone and it practically fused back together within seconds. I've never seen anything like it. Truly amazing."

  Sadie hovered nearby in the background. I'd seen her a few times since my last stint in the hospital, but I'd never seen her with my father. Not like this. She was looking at him like he was chocolate pudding. He was looking at her the same. They kissed. It was sweet and made me wish Colt was here, too. I'd have to go to the sheriff's station and see him.

  I smiled as Trixie looped her arm through Melbourne's as they headed out of the hospital together. This was the first time I could remember when my aunts, my father, and I were all in happy relationships. I hoped it would last.

  * * *

  Epilogue

  .

  "I knew Mayor Thomas would cave," Trixie said at breakfast.

  It was a few days after Russell's arrest and things between Sweetland and Mistmoor had gotten extra heated in the days leading up to the election. Dean Lampton finally had to step in and put an end to it. He told Mayor Thomas, flat out, that the Mayor-for-All Rule was meant as a way to keep the peace between the two towns five hundred years ago and had no bearing on anything in today's day and age.

  Mayor Thomas had caved under the pressure, recanting his statements about it, saying it was all a joke. Mistmoor didn't think it was too funny. There was talk of recalling Mayor Thomas because of the whole fiasco, but the people in his office were working swiftly to put a positive spin on everything. Megan was working overtime, helping out.

  Mistmoor Point's actual election was today. By the end of this afternoon, a new mayor would be elected. There were four candidates, but the odds were stacked in favor of either Tazzie Singer or Thaddeus Black. I knew Tazzie a little and thought she'd make a decent mayor. She'd already said she wanted to follow in her husband's footsteps and continue to bridge the gap between Mistmoor and Sweetland. Thaddeus agreed with Tazzie.

  Melbourne ate a blood sausage cupcake and asked for another, which made Trixie's whole day. She was actually giddy. "That woman from the mainland bought the Alchemic Stone," she suddenly said. "I heard about it from Lottie Mudget."

  "Has anyone met her yet?" I asked.

  "I don't think so. I can't wait to see if she makes any changes."

  Trixie had been wondering a lot of things lately, one of which was whether she could somehow reunite Esther Winslet with Melbourne. So far, it hadn't worked, but she wasn't prepared to give up.

  Eleanor and Sheriff Knoxx sat with their heads together, going through more photos of wedding cakes.

  "What about this one?" he asked, pointing to one that looked like a giant marshmallow wearing a top hat. Eleanor made a face and the sheriff wisely moved on.

  Colt sat next to me, sipping his coffee. His mom was coming back for another visit in a couple of weeks. We were all going to have dinner together. I was already planning what I would wear, wanting to make a better impression than I’d made on her the first time. I'd talked to her on the phone and apologized profusely for my somewhat inappropriate interrogation of her last time she was here. She said she forgave me, but I knew I was going to have to work extra hard to stay in her good graces.

  Colt smiled at me then went back to studying his coffee. He'
d been back and forth between COMHA headquarters and Sweetland the last few days. Dean Lampton had reinstated him as an agent, and Colt had been working to defend his father against the various accusations against him.

  I had already testified once that Russell saved my life, but the trial was going to be a lengthy process. I would probably have to testify again. For now, it seemed as though things were going well. Colt had hope that his father would be released from custody and allowed to return to society. If not right away, at some point in the future, at least.

  There was a knock on the door. I assumed it was Lucy with morning lattes; she'd said she might stop by. I was surprised to see Sheriff Lincoln Maxwell from Mistmoor Point standing there. I looked around for Felicity Redfern but didn't see her anywhere.

  "Hi, Lincoln,” I said. "Want to come in?"

  He looked grim. "Thanks, Ava. Is Sheriff Knoxx here?"

  "Yeah, follow me." I led him to the kitchen, where everyone looked up in greeting.

  Sheriff Knoxx could tell right away that something wasn't right.

  "What's wrong?" he asked.

  Lincoln sighed. "Sorry to disturb you so early, but I have a problem. A big one. And I need to ask your help with it."

  "Of course," Sheriff Knoxx said. "Consider it done."

  Despite the tension between our two sides of the island, there had never been any tension between the sheriff's departments. Both Lincoln and Sheriff Knoxx thought well of each other, and both made an effort to fuse the gap between our two towns.

  "I've got a situation," Lincoln said. "Someone attacked Tazzie Singer last night."

  "Tazzie!" Eleanor and Trixie shouted.

  "Is she okay?" I asked.

  "She's fine. More scared than anything. At first, I thought it was a tourist trying to rob her, but they dropped something as he fled the scene. Tazzie was able to get ahold of it and show it to me."

  He held it out now for Sheriff Knoxx, whose eyes widened. His lips pressed tightly together.

  "Is this what I think it is?" he asked.

  Lincoln nodded.

  "What is it?" Colt asked. Sheriff Knoxx handed the paper to Colt. I looked over his shoulder. It was a list.

  1. Tazzie Singer $20,000

  2. Thaddeus Black $25,000

  3. Grayson Redfern $5,000

  4. Amanda Hollyberry $5,000

  "What is this?" I asked.

  "The candidates," Lincoln said. "It wouldn't mean a whole lot to me except for what's written on the back."

  I flipped it over. Scratched in someone's handwriting was the time and day of the election, along with an address for each person listed.

  "I don't get it," I told them.

  Colt looked at me. "It's an assassin's list."

  "Assassin?" I cried, looking at my aunts.

  "That's right," Lincoln said. "The money listed next to the names are the prices being offered if that person is killed."

  "Is this a joke?" asked Trixie.

  "I don't think so," said Lincoln. "The person who had this list tried to get to Tazzie Singer. She was lucky to get away. I'm pretty sure he'll try again. I need your help, Sheriff Knoxx. I need you to come back to Mistmoor with me. Bring your best men and help me make sure that things today stay peaceful. I don't want any bloodshed."

  "Of course," Sheriff Knoxx said. "I'll get my deputies, and we'll use a speed spell. We'll be there within the hour."

  "I appreciate it. I have a bad feeling about all of this. A very bad feeling."

  * * *

  THANK YOU

  for reading my book and

  i hope you have enjoyed the story.

  Sweet Murder Hex is Book 4 in Sweetland Witch Series.

  If you have enjoyed reading Sweet Murder Hex , I believe you will be interested in checking out the next book.

  I have enclosed a sneak preview of the next book.

  Is FREE on Kindle Unlimited. (around 330 pages)

  Check it out below . . .

  "Circumstances? What circumstances are you talking about?" I asked. Then I noticed the manila envelope in her hand, the same black block lettering scrolled across it.

  "Is that another threat against Tazzie?" I asked.

  She shook her head.

  "No, it's just..." She sighed and pulled something from the envelope. It wasn't a note; it was a picture. Eleanor and I looked at it.

  Tazzie Singer stood in the photo with her hair flying out behind her, a strong gust of wind blowing against her and the man she was kissing. He was holding his hat to his head while he kissed her. They looked happy. The man was Mayor Thomas.

  Hadley shrugged. "It came this morning. There was a note with it that said to give the photo to Sheriff Knoxx or else."

  "Or else what?" I asked.

  "Or else something bad would happen to my mom." Her face was sour, grim. "I'm sure it's just a joke, but my mother's older, not in good health. Even if someone only meant to frighten her... I don't want to get anyone in trouble, I just don't want anything to happen to my mom."

  "You haven't done anything to feel guilty about," Eleanor reassured her.

  There was a series of loud noises from outside. A moment later, Sheriff Knoxx reappeared. "We got him," he cried triumphantly. I could almost see the goblin in him as his square jaw set into a grin. He suddenly noticed Hadley there, the picture she'd shown us back in her hands.

  Sheriff Knoxx grabbed it, his eyes widening.

  "Where did you get this?" he demanded.

  "It was sent to me," Hadley said, showing him the envelope with her name on it.

  Otis was suddenly in the doorway. A very frustrated looking Mayor Thomas was with him.

  "Sheriff Knoxx, Mayor Thomas says he refuses to come down to the station with us and answer our questions."

  Sheriff Knoxx turned to him. "It's too late for that."

  "What do you mean?" asked the mayor.

  "I mean, Mayor Quinn Thomas, you don't have a choice anymore. You're under arrest for the murder of Thaddeus Black."

  * * *

  PROLOGUE

  The assassin waited in the shadows for Tazzie Singer to walk by. He double checked his target list, folded it, and placed it inside the lining of his coat. She wasn't the highest paid target on his list, but she was close. Thaddeus Black would fetch five thousand more, but Tazzie would be easier. She was older. She wouldn't be expecting him.

  Thaddeus Black had struck the assassin as too aware of his surroundings. He had large black pupils that seemed to always be moving, searching, like he expected trouble. It probably came with the job he'd worked at for twenty years. Curse removal was a dangerous thing. It made people cautious. Paranoid was another name for it. Sometimes too paranoid. Sometimes it was just the right amount.

  He would have his work cut out bringing down Thaddeus, but he could do it. It might even be fun, force him to get more creative. Nothing so simple as he planned to do with Tazzie. Watch her, zap her. Bang, done. Collect his money. Twenty thousand dollars was nothing to sneeze at.

  He heard Tazzie's heels clacking on the ground as she strolled casually down the sidewalk toward him. The sky was dark. The tree tops of Mistmoor Point glowed brightly in the moonlight. He would not normally have thought to take her right here, right now, but sometimes the most open places were the best places to do these things. People felt comfortable out in the open. They never realized that the open left you unprotected. He had every vantage point available to him.

  If he were S.H., strictly human, he would have used a gun, perhaps a knife. Something he could play with. But as a warlock, he didn't condone those things. They were too easy, too disrespectful to the intended targets. Tazzie was a witch, a powerful one, though not as powerful as she once was at a hair over sixty.

  Her powers had started to decline in recent years. She found herself needing a wand more and more often, even for the most basic of spells. Charming a broom to sweep the floor used to be a simple snap of her fingers; now it took work. The other day, she'd had to dig
out her wand just to get the gum off her shoe. It was sad to see a witch deteriorate like this. In a way, he'd be doing her a favor.

  All this, the assassin knew from his reconnaissance. He was nothing if not meticulous in his research.

  He waited for Tazzie to pass the large oak tree where he was hiding. The oak trees in Mistmoor were five-feet thick and layered with rich browns throughout the trunk. Equally thick, molasses-colored branches sprouted out, dark green leaves growing almost like vines.

  The election was tomorrow. Tazzie was busy fussing with her briefcase. White papers stuck out at all angles. She tried to shove them back in, talking softly to herself as she went.

  "For witch's sake, just stay where I put you,"

  she muttered under breath, obviously frustrated with how things had gone today. Thaddeus Black was still ahead of her in the polls, just slightly, but enough to leave her feeling unsettled.

  Frankly, he thought that she was the better candidate. He even suspected that she would end up beating out Thaddeus in the long run if left to her own devices.

  In some ways, the assassin admired her. A woman in her sixties taking over for the town's mayor, her own husband, after his death. It couldn't have been easy. Her daughter, Kayla, was helping her campaign, but Kayla knew little about campaigning.

  Kayla was an interesting study herself. It was always best to know those closest to your targets, so he'd paid particular attention to her. Especially since she was close to two of the targets. You never knew when it might be necessary to use that information. It must have been an awkward situation for Tazzie's only daughter, helping both her mother and boyfriend campaign for mayor. She had promised to remain neutral, though he could tell she was rooting for her mother. She felt guilty about it, though.

  Kayla's boyfriend, Grayson Redfern, was supportive of her. He reassured her over and over again that it was fine if she supported her mom. He understood. The assassin almost believed he meant it. It was just bad luck that Tazzie and Grayson were both on his target list, though Grayson Redfern's bounty was significantly lower. His employer offered only five thousand apiece for him and Amanda Hollyberry. He wasn't even sure it was worth it. Especially Amanda. She was quite powerful and could do a lot of damage if he wasn't careful.