Graves and Goons (A Hocus Pocus Cozy Witch Mystery Series Book 4)

by Constance Barker

  “Oh do go on, Celestial!” cried Stella. “I must admit to seeing the Reverend James Younger in a whole new light. Yes indeedy that man could certainly–”

  “Oh please don’t finish that sentence,” said Bella performing another mock puke while holding her stomach.

  Tamara and Celestial laughed and Tamara picked up the next letter.

  “What I don’t understand,” said Tamara casually flicking through the pages “is what they had in common or how they got together. They had very different views on what should happen to all those who were ‘supernatural’.”

  Celestial nodded her head, happy to move on from reading the letter. “You’re right. Although they both wanted the town rid of witches, he wanted to burn us all at the stake and she wanted to rehabilitate us into being ‘normal’ or just drive us out of town.”

  They spent the twenty minutes exchanging thoughts until Celestial declared she was going to call it a night. The others agreed and left after Bella insisted someone read them the letters on another day.

  Once alone, Celestial cleared the kitchen and was about to turn off the light when she turned and glanced briefly around the room before scooping up the letters and making her way up the stairs.

  Chapter 10

  The next day, Celestial went to the post office to ship out the online orders she’d accrued during the week. She stifled a yawn as she waited in line; Tamara, Stella, and Bella had kept her up late the night before. Celestial couldn’t really blame them, though. The Reverend’s letters to Mariah Knight were titillating, to say the least, and she’d be lying if she claimed she wasn’t just as intrigued by the relationship. She wondered how the Reverend felt about Mariah now. Had something changed?

  As if he’d been conjured from her memory, Celestial spotted the Reverend James Younger enter the post office and head toward the self-service kiosk. He was holding an enormous stack of letters, a couple of which inevitably slipped from the pile and fluttered to the floor behind him. Celestial, eager to discover more about the Reverend and his risque fling with Mariah, stepped from the line and walked his way.

  She picked up the letters first, skimming the one on top. Addressed to “My friends and neighbors,” the letter warned of the evil supernatural presence in Brightborough. “It is vital to the purity of our town that we rid Brightborough of these demons,” the letter read, “and thus we must purge the town of any individuals connected to the supernatural.” Reverend Younger had gone so far as to suggest people “out” anyone they thought might be a threat to his moral crusade.

  Unsurprised but still utterly disgusted by the blatant hatred in the letter, Celestial wondered if the Reverend recognized the obvious parallels between his message and that of some other unsavory, power-hungry leaders. More than that, she wondered if he would be offended or delighted by that comparison. Celestial pushed down her feelings of revulsion for the time being and plastered her face with a smile.

  “Hello again, Reverend,” Celestial greeted as she approached him. “You dropped these,” she said as she handed him the fallen letters.

  Reverend Younger turned slightly and replied distractedly, “Oh, hello. Thank you,” He tried turning back to his work at the kiosk, but Celestial was determined to spark a conversation.

  “How are you doing today?” she asked. Annoyed at the interruption, the Reverend turned back towards Celestial, now facing her head-on.

  “I’m … fine,” he responded reluctantly. His attention now fully on Celestial, she spotted a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. His gaze hardened as he looked at her, “I’m sorry, miss, but I don’t believe I’ve caught your name.”

  “It’s Celestial,” she replied, smiling and holding out her hand for him to shake. Reverend Younger clumsily shuffled with his stack of letters before reaching out his hand in return.

  “Ah, yes,” they shook hands. “Well, Celestial, it appears you already know who I am.”

  “That I do,” said Celestial. She shifted the subject in hopes of broaching the topic of Mariah, “I just saw you walking in and thought I’d check up on you. You seemed a bit on edge the other day at the B&B. I think we might have gotten off on the wrong foot.”

  “Oh, that’s very kind of you, Celestial,” the Reverend somewhat relaxed, setting his letters down on the kiosk behind him. Celestial was happy to see that her kindness had at least partially broken through his tough exterior, no matter how difficult it might be for her to keep the facade.

  Younger continued. “I am doing better, thank you for asking. You see, I’ve recently come to a bit of a realization. It’s been quite eye-opening.” This he accompanied with an eerie grin.

  It’s obviously not a realization about your backwards beliefs, Celestial thought before asking “Really? About what?”

  The Reverend adjusted his glasses. “I’ve seen that we will all, eventually, reap what we sow,” Younger explained. “The things we do have consequences, and God does not look kindly on those who hurt his flock.”

  “So,” Celestial asked, “kinda like karma?”

  “I … suppose you could call it that.” The Reverend was clearly taken aback by the identification of his beliefs with Eastern philosophy, but he chose not to press the issue.

  Celestial went on, asking, “What happened to spark this revelation? Did someone you know get their comeuppance?”

  “No, it was nothing specific,” Younger replied. “I’ve just been observing the world, seeing the outcomes of the things people do. Generally, of course,” he unconvincingly reiterated. As he said this he shifted his weight nervously from foot to foot, and Celestial noticed a slight sheen of sweat forming on his upper brow. When the Reverend started toying with his beard, Celestial knew she had caught his bluff.

  With a look of feigned concern, Celestial responded “Oh, okay. I was just wondering because I had heard that you were close with one of the murder victims, Mariah Knight. I wonder if she did anything to deserve what happened to her and her friends?”

  At her mention of Mariah, the Reverend scowled and stiffened: any goodwill Celestial might have gained with him vanished before her eyes. He brusquely grabbed the stack of unmailed letters before saying, “I wouldn’t go sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, Celestial. That’s how people get hurt. You would be better off if you just mind your own business.”

  With that, Reverend Younger gruffly shoved past Celestial and out of the front door. She’d expected him to be defensive, but that level of anger was especially excessive. Clearly, she’d touched a nerve. If that was his reaction to just hearing Mariah’s name, what would he do if someone had caused him real harm? What if someone had broken his heart? Celestial rubbed her shoulder where the Reverend had shoved against her, vowing to never allow James Younger anywhere near her again.

  Chapter 11

  A whoosh of cool air swept into the store as Nikoli entered Herbal Heaven. Celestial looked up from the floor where she was stocking a lower shelf.

  Her heart thudded as he smiled at her; his masculine form shadowed against the sunlight coming in from the window behind him. She pushed herself to her feet and wiped her hands down the front of her linen apron.

  “Good morning detective. What can I do for you today?”

  Nikoli moved closer to her and stared into her blue-green eyes. Neither spoke for a second.

  Celestial shifted her feet and lowered her gaze. He enjoyed making her feel uncomfortable.

  “I’m glad you’re here actually,” Celestial said, breaking the spell. “I would have called you later.”

  Nikoli raised his eyebrows. “Really? What have you been up to now?”

  Celestial gave him her best glare. “Why do you assume that I’ve been up to something?”

  “Because I know you very well,” he said.

  Celestial walked towards the counter and pulled out the letters from a shelf underneath. “I heard that Mariah and the Reverend were having an affair...” she paused and waited for his reaction but he just kept his
eyes on hers, “so I thought I would check out Mariah’s house,” she added sheepishly.

  Nikoli’s shoulders dropped. “Celestial, I cannot believe you. What if Mr Knight was home? For all we know he could be a murderer.”

  “Don’t worry I checked. He’s staying with his mother.”

  “Oh well that’s fine then. By all means do break into his house; it’s not like he could possibly turn up at any time.”

  Celestial screwed up her nose at him. “Sarcasm doesn’t suit you, you know.”

  Nikoli smiled. “Sarcasm is like an Armani jacket, suits everyone on the right occasion.” He winked as she handed him the stack of letters.

  “I found these in Mariah’s wardrobe.”

  Nikoli opened the first letter and began reading. He quickly flipped the page to find out who sent the letter. Celestial watched his expression change.

  His eyebrows rose into his hairline as he looked up at Celestial. “So the holier-than-thou Reverend was having an affair with one of his flock,” he said before moving his attention back to the letter. “And I suppose you’ve read them all.”

  “I . . . well we . . . erm.”

  “I’ll take that as a yes. Anything good?”

  Celestial grinned and nodded. “The Reverend is quite the sinner. They certainly made me blush.”

  “Okay, I’ll take these back to the station and—”

  “Read the whole lot,” she said with a wink.

  Nikoli shook his head and placed the letters in his pocket. “Celestial you really need to stop breaking into people’s homes and businesses.”

  “But technically I didn’t break anything.” She fluttered her long eyelashes at him.

  Nikoli sighed, rolled his eyes and bid her good day before leaving.

  * * *

  It had been a busy afternoon in the store and Celestial was grateful for the sudden lull so she could get herself a drink. She made her way to the kitchen and left the door open so she could listen for the doorbell.

  She grabbed a cold bottle of water from the refrigerator and as she closed the door her body flinched. Tamara was there beaming at her.

  “I wish you would knock,” she scolded. “I nearly had a heart attack.”

  “Sorry babe. I have been in the store for the last twenty minutes but you’ve been so busy you didn’t notice me. I landed on the light fitting and stayed there until the customers had gone.”

  Celestial offered Tamara a drink and they both sat at the kitchen table.

  Tamara placed both palms on the table and leaned forward. “I wanted to find out if you’ve heard about Joseph Bennett?”

  “Who’s Joseph Bennett?”

  “He’s Jolene Bennett’s brother.”

  “Oh, I thought I recognised the name. She was one of the murdered women,” Celestial stated. “So, what about this Joseph Bennett then?”

  “He’s back in town...”

  Celestial furrowed her brow. “That’s understandable isn’t it? After all, his sister just died.”

  “I know but apparently, they hadn’t spoken for years.”

  “What happened...do you know?”

  “No idea,” Tamara said with a shrug, “but he’s about to inherit several million dollars.”

  Celestial took a sip from her water bottle. “So you think he could have killed her deliberately to get his hands on the inheritance?”

  “Maybe. I think he’s her only other sibling so he won’t have to share it.”

  “Do we know if he has any money troubles or bad habits like gambling?”

  Tamara shook her head. “I’ve no idea but I do know that he’s an attorney.”

  “So he’s probably got money,” Celestial said, tapping her finger on the table.

  “Yes and he’s very influential in his career apparently.”

  “So he may not be an obvious suspect perhaps but we don’t know what’s going on in his life or what kind of man he is.”

  “Not really. As we know from previous experience, until you start digging into someone’s life, you can’t rule them in or out of an investigation.”

  Celestial leaned back in her chair and twisted her lips in thought. There was no point in telling Nikoli about the brother as he hadn’t done anything suspicious that they knew of. Besides, no doubt he already knew about Joseph and the inheritance.

  She was not about to accuse a man of anything until she had some evidence to back it up.

  Celestial looked back at Tamara. “We need to meet this guy before deciding whether or not he’s a murderer.”

  Chapter 12

  Celestial turned the ‘Closed’ sign on her door to ‘Open’ and looked along the street. It was quiet apart from Denise Webber who always jogged past her store at this time of day.

  “Morning,” called Celestial as she approached.

  Denise gave a nod of her head and smiled. Her face was red and shiny. She slowed to a stationary jog as she reached Celestial’s store. “I expect you’ve heard about those dreadful women from the LMS who died in that fire,” she panted.

  “Yes I heard about that. It sounds like a tragic accident.”

  Denise slowed her jog to more of an alternate knee bend as she checked around her before continuing. “Do you think it was really an accident?”

  Celestial unconsciously bobbed her head in time with Denise’s ponytail. “I don’t know. Either way it’s very sad,” she said, not wanting to be known as a gossip. “I didn’t know any of them and they were rather nasty to some witches in the town but I wouldn’t wish them dead.”

  “Yeah, they were mean.” Denise began bouncing from one foot to the other. “Dakota told me what they said to Sofia.”

  “Oh . . . yes he did mention that. It wasn’t very nice of them to embarrass her in public like that.”

  “Dakota also said that she told him they sent her malicious notes too. Honestly, I’m not sure who decided to put the word ‘moral’ in their society title but they should have taken a harder look at themselves before pointing the finger at others.”

  “Yes, I’ve often thought that myself,” Celestial agreed.

  “Maybe Sofia decided to get her revenge. Anyway, I must dash. You should look into this one Celestial; you’re good at this sort of thing,” Denise said before breaking into a full jog and waving as she sped off.

  Celestial stood open mouthed about to defend Sofia but it was too late. She was about to go back inside when she noticed Nikoli across the street. He held up a hand in greeting and began walking towards her narrowly missing a truck that was pulling out from the curb.

  Celestial waved back and waited for him.

  “Hi,” he managed, looking flushed. “Can I come in?”

  “Yes of course. I’m just about to make some tea.”

  Once set with their mugs of tea, the two friends perched on stools just inside the store.

  “So what’s up?” Celestial could see there was something on his mind.

  “I’m frustrated.”

  “Okay, I take it you mean about the progress on this case?”

  Nikoli let out a sigh. “We’re getting nowhere fast. The potential pool of suspects is large: any witch in town could want them dead, but sometimes that makes investigating more difficult.”

  “Did you talk to the Reverend?”

  “I did. I asked him about his relationship with Mariah.”

  “And what did he have to say?”

  “Told me to mind my own business and then shut the door in my face.”

  “Oh. Doesn’t he have to talk to you?”

  “Not without a warrant. He obviously doesn’t want everyone to find out about his affair and unless I can find something more to connect him then he doesn’t have to say a thing.”

  “But surely he has a motive?”

  “He didn’t have any motive to kill the others. The affair is a tenuous link at best.”

  They sat in silence drinking their tea until a customer entered the store.

  Celestial smiled. It wa
s Delia Kane the local schoolteacher. “Good morning, Delia. Let me know if I can help you with anything.”

  “Morning Celestial; will do,” she said before glancing across at Nikoli and giving Celestial a sneaky grin.

  Celestial’s cheeks flushed. She was glad Nikoli hadn’t seen their exchange. She leaned in so Delia couldn’t hear.

  “Tamara told me that Jolene’s brother Joseph is in town.”

  Nikoli turned his body to face hers. “He’s probably paying his last respects and dealing with her estate.”

  “I know but apparently they had a major argument because they haven’t spoken in years.”

  “I realize that may sound suspicious but she doesn’t have her own family and if he’s the only sibling then it would be down to him to sort out her will.”

  Celestial took a sip of her tea. “You do know that he stands to inherit millions of dollars.”

  Nikoli raised his eyebrows at her. “No, I didn’t know that. I haven’t had a chance to look into their finances yet.”

  “Well, according to Tamara, he’s an influential attorney with money of his own so maybe not an obvious suspect but aren’t the closest relatives and spouses usually the killer?”

  Nikoli laughed. “Yes that’s true. Which TV program did you get that little snippet from?”

  “Columbo reruns.”

  “Okay, I’ll check him out,” he said, sliding off his stool. “In my experience, anyone who stands to gain that much money is worth talking to.”

  “Can I come with you?”

  Nikoli placed his empty mug on the counter. “Celestial, you do realise you’re not actually a police officer don’t you?”

  “I do. But I could be your back up.” She grinned.

  “You do also realise that I have real officers who I can take along as back up. Trained officers; who I don’t have to worry about as much as I worry about you.”