“Why are you looking at me so funny? Don’t you agree with me?” Beth wondered.
“Of course I do. I’ve just never heard you say something like that before,” Meg replied.
“Get used to it. You’ll be hearing a lot more things just like it going forward.”
Meg smiled even wider. “Good. You know, I have to say, I like this new side to you.”
Beth nodded. “Yeah. It’s safe to say hope has returned to my life.”
“Pun intended?”
Beth laughed. “Of course. I know you’re going to love her.”
“I’ll bet. Anyone who is able to make you so carefree and energetic must be doing something right.”
“It’s like I have a new lease on life. In the past, I’ve been so focused on raising you, running the business, and taking care of everyone but myself. Hope has shown me that I deserve some pampering. That there’s more to life than fretting. Life is short. It’s important to appreciate every minute,” Beth revealed.
“Those are some good words to live by.”
“Besides, she’s a serious hoot to be around. Everywhere she goes, fun seems to follow.”
“I can’t imagine that changing today. It’s hard to go wrong with wine tasting.”
“Hard? Don’t you mean impossible? You know the saying--where there’s wine, there’s a good time.”
Meg wrinkled her nose. “I’m not familiar with that one.”
“I might have just made that one up. If I keep saying it enough, maybe it will catch on,” Beth mused.
Meg couldn’t disagree there. Spirits were high. It seemed like nothing could bring them down. Then, in one moment, everything changed.
Chapter Two
Meg and Beth expected Hope to be waiting on her front patio as they pulled into her driveway. Instead, there was no sign of her anywhere. Perhaps she was just running late. When Meg and Beth approached her front door, they realized that wasn’t the case.
Meg got a queasy feeling in her stomach. Her gut was trying to warn her of something. Things only got worse when they saw the door was cracked slightly open. Had Hope started to make her way out of the house, realized she’d forgotten something, then turned back for a moment to retrieve it, and failed to close the door behind her? Or, was something more sinister at play?
“Is it just me, or do you have a bad feeling right now?” Meg asked.
“I’ll bet she just forgot something inside,” Beth replied.
Beth put on a good face for her daughter, but Meg could see it was just an act. There was no mistaking the worry lines Meg saw on her mother’s face.
Beth knocked on the door and called out for her friend. “Hope. Are you ready to go?”
They waited a few moments. When they received no answer, Beth appeared ready to knock again. By that time, Meg’s gut was completely twisted in knots. She decided to be more proactive.
“There’s something very wrong about this,” Meg insisted.
Meg pushed the door open and took a step inside.
That didn’t sit right with Beth. “Wait a minute. What are you doing?”
“Finding Hope,” Meg answered.
“But, you can’t just barge into her house like this,” Beth reasoned.
Meg didn’t have to walk far to have her suspicions confirmed. The kitchen was right beside the entryway to the house. Meg stopped dead in her tracks when she entered and discovered why Hope hadn’t answered the door.
“It looks like someone already barged in,” Meg replied.
Beth followed her daughter inside and saw exactly what Meg was talking about. Her jaw dropped when she saw Hope face down on the ground, motionless.
Meg rushed to her side, hoping things weren’t as bad as they looked. Unfortunately, they were worse. Hope didn’t have a pulse. Meg took a moment to catch her breath as the grave reality set in.
Beth stood in the doorway, frozen in shock. She became impatient waiting for her daughter to speak up. “Is she…”
She couldn’t even finish her sentence. The thought of uttering the word “dead” made her stomach turn.
It wasn’t necessary for Beth to finish her question anyway. Her daughter knew exactly what she was going to ask.
Meg nodded. “She’s dead.”
Chapter Three
Meg called the police while her mother remained in a state of absolute shock. Not that Meg was doing much better herself. Inside, she felt completely gutted. Discovering Hope’s body was an absolute sucker punch. While she was completely broken up inside, she had to project a much different picture for the sake of her mom.
After all, Beth was a complete basket case. That was to be expected. She’d never experienced anything like this. While her daughter had seen her fair share of dead bodies while investigating murder cases, the idea of Beth stumbling across a corpse was a foreign concept to her, until now. She was handling it exactly as would be expected, which was to say, poorly. The fact that the body belonged to one of her friends only exacerbated things.
With her mother falling apart in front of her, Meg had to be the pillar of strength. It was an abrupt role reversal for Meg, but an all-too-necessary one. They could ill afford to have both of them fall apart.
She did her best to comfort her mother, all the while sensing this was just the first in a series of stunning revelations. There was a nagging suspicion at the back of her mind that there was something very peculiar going on. At the same time, she wasn’t able to follow up on her hunch right now, even as it clawed at the back of her mind.
Beth kept repeating the same thing over and over as her daughter held her. “How could this have happened?”
Meg shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Beth’s inner monologue disappeared. All her deepest feelings spilled out unfiltered. “It’s just not right. She was such a good person. A gentle soul. Why do bad things have to always happen to good people?”
“I wish I had an answer for you, mom.”
Beth began to tear up as she looked at her friend’s body on the floor. “I just can’t believe it.”
Meg wished she had more to say. With a situation as tragic as this, only one thing came to her mind. “I’m so sorry.”
“So am I,” Beth replied.
***
Ten minutes later, the police arrived. Meg knew the questions that would be coming from the cops, and with it, having to describe the scene they’d discovered. This would only unsettle her mother even more.
Meg hoped to cut down on that as much as possible. She had her mother wait in the car, hoping that would help cut her trauma level down. Besides, Meg could easily handle describing all the details to the police. It would also allow her to explore the suspicions she was having regarding Hope’s death.
From initial observations, Hope had been killed by a blow to the back of the head. There was dried blood in her hair, and a blood-stained frying pan on the floor beside her. Given that, and the fact that the adjacent living room was completely ransacked, this had the appearance of a burglary gone wrong—at least on the surface.
The killer could have heard Hope coming down the stairs, grabbed the frying pan, then approached her from behind, and killed her with a whack to the head. The more Meg looked around the living room, however, she began suspecting otherwise. Some things just didn’t add up.
Meg’s boyfriend, Detective Connor Smith, got out of his car and rushed towards her.
“Are you ok?” he asked.
“I’ll be all right. It’s my mother I’m worried about,” Meg said.
Connor peered at Beth, who was still shaking. “Yeah. She doesn’t look so good.”
“Imagine how you’d feel if you discovered the body of one of your best friends.”
Connor turned a sympathetic eye to Beth. “That’s terrible.”
Meg sighed. “What a way to die, too.”
Connor surveyed the scene and immediately jumped to the most likely conclusion. “This has the makings of a classic burglary gone w
rong.”
“At least, that’s what it looks like.”
“I’m sure my men will confirm it. In the meantime, I’m glad you two are safe.”
Meg bit the corner of her lip. “Yeah.”
Chapter Four
While the Enchanted Bay police department’s forensics team started going over the scene for fingerprints or leads to identify the supposed burglar, Connor got an official statement from Meg and Beth. It ended up being quite brief. There wasn’t much for them to say. That was fine by Beth. In her fragile emotional state, the less she had to talk to the police, the better. Luckily, Connor was ready to wrap up the Walton’s involvement in the case and send them home.
Meg walked her mother back to their car and helped her into the passenger seat. Before heading to the driver’s seat herself, she approached Connor. Beth assumed it was so her daughter could say a quick goodbye to her boyfriend.
There was much more going on in Meg’s mind than that. She’d shelved her personal commentary about the case before when she was in front of her mother. Now that it was just Meg and Connor alone, she was ready to let her feelings loose.
Before she had the chance to, Connor got the first word in. “I’m so sorry about what happened.”
Meg exhaled. “Yeah. This is pretty unbelievable. My mother is a complete mess.”
Connor gave his girlfriend a quick hug. “That’s why I wanted you to go home and take care of her. My team and I will handle this case.”
Meg shook her head in disbelief. “This whole thing doesn’t make any sense.”
He disagreed. “When you take out the fact that your mother’s friend is the victim, this actually looks like a pretty textbook burglary turned homicide.”
She furrowed her brow at him.
Connor elaborated. “You know, burglar breaks in, starts robbing the place, and then is discovered by Mrs. Riddle. Not wanting to leave a witness behind, the burglar kills Mrs. Riddle and flees the scene.”
“I knew what you meant by burglary turned homicide,” she replied.
He looked at her, blank faced. “Ok. Now I’m confused. What did you mean then when you said this didn’t make any sense?”
“That I don’t think this was a simple burglary.”
“What gives you that idea?”
“Burglars always go after big ticket items that are easy to hock later. TV’s, jewelry, antiques. Yet, Hope’s TV is still here, so is her jewelry, not to mention that very expensive-looking antique crystal bowl on her dining room table. What kind of a burglar wouldn’t take any of those?”
“Maybe they wanted to, but were in a panic to get out of there after they killed Mrs. Riddle and were forced to leave with nothing.”
She shook her head. “I don’t buy that for a second. If you’re a burglar and would do something as extreme as killing someone, you’re not leaving the scene without something to show for it.”
Meg could see his forehead wrinkling as he racked his brain.
“Maybe the burglar was after something specific,” Connor speculated.
“If that’s the case, then this wasn’t just some standard burglary. Say you’re right. Who broke in here then, and what did they want specifically?”
“That’s for my team and me to find out.”
“Or, like I said, maybe this wasn’t really a burglary at all--”
He knew where she was going with this and wanted to head her off. “This is for my team to find out.”
She stopped him. “Just hear me out for a second. She appears to have been killed by a blow to the back of the head. That’s very odd to me. Now, a gunshot or knife wound I’d understand, but a frying pan? No, that’s very peculiar. What burglar breaks into a person’s house and doesn’t bring with them a gun--or, at least, a knife?”
Instead of answering her question, Connor gave her a warning. “Meg, I have to stop you right there. Now is not the time for you to meddle in this case--”
“Do I have to remind you how valuable my meddling has been in the past? A nosy mind isn’t always a nuisance. I have four solved murder cases under my belt to prove it,” Meg replied.
“This town owes you a lot for your past sleuthing. I can’t deny that. I’m just telling you, right now your mother needs you more than this case does. I’m urging you to please go home and take care of her.”
Meg turned and saw her mother in the passenger seat of the car still looking aghast. “She is a wreck, isn’t she?”
Connor nodded. “She needs comfort right, and you’re the one who can give it to her.”
“You’re right.”
Connor gave Meg another hug. “I’ll give you a call later.”
Chapter Five
It was a quiet car ride home. Meg made a few attempts to start a conversation, but her mother didn’t bite. Beth Walton was just frozen stiff.
Meg’s heart went out to her. She wished there was more she could say, but the same word kept coming to her mind; sorry. Everything else was just window dressing. Amazingly enough, as vast as the English language was, there weren’t enough words that could describe the pain of a senseless death so sudden and jarring. Beth just stared out the window, bereft.
When they arrived back at Beth’s house, Meg cast a few spells to whip up some soothing tea to comfort her mom. It did not go over as Meg expected.
“No, thank you,” Beth said.
This wasn’t just any old tea. Meg had put a spell on it, giving it enhanced calming properties. A few sips and it would take the edge off. The shell shock would melt away. But first, Meg had to get her mom to drink it. That was easier said than done.
“Trust me, you’ll like this. It’ll really help you out.”
“I know what you’re trying to do.”
“To make you feel better.”
Beth wasn’t having it. “If I wanted a cup of tea laced with a calming spell, I would have made one myself.”
Meg was discouraged, but not defeated. “All right. Point taken.”
It was on to Plan B. Her mother was a softy for apple crisp. It was Beth’s true weakness and a delicious one at that. Luckily, the perfect apple crisp was just a spell away. Unfortunately, no sooner had Meg conjured a pan up than Beth turned it down.
“No, thank you.”
Meg wrinkled her nose. “Wait, you don’t want it?”
“Now isn’t the time for apple crisp.”
“I thought there was never a bad time for apple crisp.”
“It really isn’t the time for jokes either,” Beth said.
Meg bit the corner of her lip. “Look, I’m just trying to help you out.”
“I know that, but there’s only one thing you can do for me right now.”
“What’s that?” Meg asked.
“Don’t play dumb. You’re too smart for that.”
Beth stared deep into her daughter’s eyes.
It was finally dawning on Meg what her mother wanted. “Wait a minute, are you saying--”
Beth made her wish perfectly clear. “I want you to go back over to Hope’s house and do what you do best.”
What a time for irony to make an unexpected appearance. With all the previous cases Meg had investigated, her mother had been her most vocal critic. Beth always wanted Meg to stay out of it and let the professionals handle things. She worried so much about her daughter getting hurt, or worse, killed. Yet now, it seemed like she wanted Meg to throw herself into the fray. That was a stunning reversal for her to come to grips with.
“Wait a minute. I’m here to comfort you, mom. To take care of you. Make you feel better.”
“Honey, even a bliss spell wouldn’t make me feel better for long. What I need right now is closure, and there’s only one way to get it.”
Meg didn’t want to leave anything in doubt. She gave her mother one last chance to change her mind.
“Are you sure you want me to investigate this case?” Meg asked.
Beth thought it over and then nodded. “I want you to bring the person who ki
lled my friend to justice.”
There was no misinterpreting Beth’s words. It was her mother’s emotions that were all over the map. In the heat of the moment, this was what she wanted, but during times of great duress like this, emotions had a way of swinging wildly. By contrast, when Meg set her mind on solving a case, she didn’t stop until it was done. That’s why she wanted to make sure her mother’s mind wouldn’t change halfway through the investigation.
Meg struggled for words. “But--”
Beth had no such problem. “Don’t tell me you weren’t already thinking about it.”
Of course Meg was. There was something very fishy about this case, and that was just from one quick glance. There was no telling what she’d turn up if she started digging around.
“It’s just that, you’re the one who usually tells me to stay away and to leave things like this to the professionals like Connor,” Meg said.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love Connor. But there are some things he can’t do, and Hope’s killer has to be brought to justice by any means necessary.”
Beth gave her daughter a pointed stare. It didn’t take much reading between the lines to know she was talking about magic.
“I understand,” Meg said.
“Good. I’d investigate this myself, but with the emotions I’m wrestling with, I have a feeling I’d cast an irresponsible spell and expose our family secret.”
Beth’s greatest fear was that one day, the world would find out they had secret witch powers and that their family would be persecuted because of it. She’d gone to great lengths to keep a lid on that secret her entire life. Throughout Meg’s case work, she’d discovered what a delicate tightrope needed to be walked in order to keep their secret from being exposed. It was all about casting the right subtle spells, and more importantly, keeping emotions in check.
Beth continued. “You’ve done this before and know how to be discrete. I’m counting on that here.”
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