Witch Confidential

by Lily Harper Hart

  “I’ve enlisted your daughter to help on my investigation,” Sully replied. “We’re going back to the scene.”

  “I see.” Oscar was thoughtful as he glanced between them. He wasn’t nearly as oblivious as he assumed Sully believed. He’d seen the way they’d been looking at each other over the past few weeks and recognized that things in his small corner of the world were going to change. As Ofelia’s father, he felt it necessary to vet her boyfriends ... even if she was an adult pushing thirty. “Do you think that’s wise?”

  Sully was taken aback by the question. “What do you mean? Why would it be a bad idea?”

  “Because the last case you two got involved in together ended with my daughter almost being killed.”

  The statement was enough to incur Ofelia’s wrath. “Don’t blame that on him.” She extended a finger and wagged it vehemently. “What went down isn’t his fault. I’m the one who poked the bear on that one ... and that bear came for me as a result.”

  “It also happened to be wearing a witch hat,” Oscar pointed out. He had no magical ability to speak of, but he was well aware of Ofelia’s gifts. As a man, he was proud of her. As a father, he was terrified something would ultimately happen to her. “Why can’t you be happy running Krewe and stay away from the rest of it?”

  Ofelia understood that the statement came from a place of fear. “Because that girl was killed in the next building over. Given the way these buildings run together, it almost feels as if she was killed on my turf. I can’t just ignore it.”

  “I guess.” Oscar rubbed the back of his neck, unconvinced. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

  “I will most definitely be careful. Although ... .” She paused before moving to follow Sully. “The Windsors used to own that property, right?”

  Oscar nodded. “Yeah. The father, not the kids. He’s gone now, though, which is probably why they sold it.”

  “The holding company handling his affairs after his death — that was like three years ago now, right? — offered to let me buy the property in case I wanted to expand.”

  “I remember.” Oscar’s lip curled in disgust. “They wanted three times what it was worth. They were trying to shake you down because they knew you were interested.”

  “Obviously you didn’t buy,” Sully noted.

  Oscar’s chest puffed out in pride. “Nope. There was a moment when I thought she might buckle and take the offer because she always had grand plans for that building. Then she saw it and immediately backed off. It was great because that real estate agent thought she had you and was crushed when you shot them down.”

  Amusement flicked over Sully’s features as he watched Oscar express his pride. In truth, he’d only seen the man act out a few times. In general, he appeared to be a good father. That didn’t mean the detective wasn’t keen to keep an eye on him. If Ofelia were to ever be hurt during one of Oscar’s outbursts, he wasn’t sure if the Archer family could recover.

  “Was it the money that turned you off from buying?” he asked.

  “It was multiple things,” Ofelia replied. “First off, the real estate agent was one of those hard-sell people. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. The way she was pushing convinced me that they were trying to unload ... and fast.

  “Second, you’ve seen the inside of that building,” she continued. “While the space has good bones, it would take a chunk of money to refurbish it.”

  “And you don’t think it’s worth it.”

  “Actually, I think I could turn that space into a variety of things, including storefronts or exercise space. I think I could make a profit on it. They simply wanted too much. From the amount of money I would’ve had to funnel into the space to update it ... well ... it just didn’t make any sense.”

  Sully was amused despite himself. “You’re a shrewd businesswoman.”

  “Did you have any doubt?” Oscar scoffed. “She learned everything she knows from me.”

  “Uh-huh.” Sully tore his eyes from Ofelia and focused on her father. “Did you ever want the property? I mean ... I know you owned Krewe before Ofelia. Did you ever consider trying to buy it back in the day?”

  “It wasn’t always in disarray,” Oscar replied. “Fifteen years ago it was something else entirely.”

  From Sully’s perspective, they were finally getting into the good stuff. “What?”

  Puzzlement washed over Oscar’s features. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean what was it?” Sully fought to conceal his impatience. Snapping at Oscar wasn’t going to get him anywhere and it might very well alienate Ofelia. He didn’t want that. “You said the building wasn’t always this bad. Obviously it was in use before my time on the force. I can look up what it was used for, but you were here to serve as a witness. You can get me a leg up.”

  “Oh.” Realization dawned on Oscar. “I get what you’re asking. Well, let me think.” He sat at the table Sully and Ofelia had just vacated. “When I first bought the bar it was an insurance agency. I remember because I went in and asked them about insuring the bar and they wanted a ridiculous amount of money for flood insurance. I mean ... flood insurance.” Oscar made a disgusted sound deep in his throat.

  “We have flood insurance now,” Ofelia pointed out. “After Katrina ... .” She trailed off. She had vague memories of the hurricane, the way her father freaked as he tried to get her out of the city. Felix had already fled with her mother and ... well ... it had been a dicey situation for the remaining Archers. It was also one she didn’t like thinking about.

  “I know we have it now.” Oscar shot her a sympathetic look. It was as if he recognized where her head had temporarily fled. “Back then it wasn’t really a thing, though.”

  Desperate to turn the conversation back to something that wouldn’t upset anyone, Sully redirected Oscar back to the topic at hand. “How did an insurance agency operate there given the way the tunnel is situated? They couldn’t have drawn in a lot of foot traffic.”

  “Which is why that insurance agency folded.” Oscar grinned at him. “The tunnel wasn’t always here, to be fair. That was added after the fact.”

  “Really?” Sully craned his neck so he could look out the front door. Krewe’s set-up was unique. Honestly, he’d never seen anything like it. The nearby hotel and the bar were accessible through what was essentially a garage entrance. Traffic was diverted one way and visitors were directed the other. Random tourists rarely found the area — although it wasn’t unheard of — and only the paranormal actually seeking it out were regular visitors to both venues. The building in between the restaurant and hotel was something Sully hadn’t given a lot of thought to ... until now.

  “It was the garage owners,” Oscar explained. “That’s the fourth building, but you can’t access it on foot except for on the other side of the block. The thing is, given traffic flow, the garage needed an entrance that was more northern. That’s why the developers came to us ... and by us I mean the Windsors, the hotel owners, and me.”

  Oscar was so proud Ofelia was loath to interrupt him. They didn’t have all day to sit around and listen to stories, though. “To make a really long story short, the three of them banded together and leased an easement of sorts to the owner of the garage. As part of the deal, he put the roof over the entryway, which essentially created the tunnel, and it’s been a lucrative partnership ever since.”

  Oscar pinned his daughter with a harsh look. “Hey! That was my story.”

  “Yes, but I’m helping Sully with something for his case and we don’t have an extra hour to waste. As much as I love your thrilling rendition of what happened, it’s not as exciting for those of us who weren’t there.”

  Sully’s lips quirked at Oscar’s downtrodden expression.

  “Fine.” Oscar threw his hands in the air. “Have it your way. To answer your question, though, the tunnel actually benefited Krewe and the hotel. As for the other building ... well ... you’ve seen it. Nothing ever thrived there. I can’t tell you the
number of businesses that have only lasted a few months.”

  “It’s true,” Ofelia volunteered. “Off the top of my head I remember them putting in a gym, business offices for a car rental place, an investment firm. Oh, and it was kind of a youth center for a time. I remember the Windsors figured they might be able to use it as a tax write-off if they ran a nonprofit there. Nobody wanted to hang out in that building no matter what it was, though.”

  Sully frowned. “A youth center?”

  Ofelia bobbed her head. “Yeah. I remember I was like thirteen or something and wanted to hang out, but my father refused. He said they were all delinquents and smokers and he didn’t want me hanging around with either.”

  “And I stand by that.” Oscar smirked. “You were too young to pal around with those kids. Most of them were fairly rough and tumble and you were ... sweet.”

  Ofelia was officially offended. “I was never sweet.”

  “Oh, you were sweet.” Oscar rolled his eyes. “You used to carry around that stuffed cat you had and you would force me to have tea parties with you and him. I remember how sweet you were. It’s not as if I imagined it.”

  Heat crept up Ofelia’s cheeks as she tried to hold it together. “I wasn’t having tea parties when I was thirteen.”

  “Of course not. That was a whole other issue.” Oscar clearly didn’t pick up on his daughter’s embarrassment, which served as a source of entertainment for Sully. “The other reason we didn’t want you going to that youth center was because of the missing girls.”

  Slowly, his back ramrod straight, Sully tracked his eyes to Oscar’s face. “What missing girls?”

  “Yeah, what missing girls?” Ofelia echoed. “I don’t remember any missing girls.”

  “Sure you do.” Oscar made a face. “It was a big deal in the Quarter back then. Like ... seven or eight girls went missing. They were young, teenagers, and people were freaking out.”

  “I seriously don’t remember this,” Ofelia argued. “This is when I was thirteen?”

  “Well ... how old were you when Katrina hit?” Oscar stroked his chin as he considered the question.

  “Thirteen,” Ofelia confirmed.

  “Then that’s how old you were. I know because the disappearances stopped once we returned after the storm.”

  Sully and Ofelia exchanged heavy looks.

  “Are you sure the disappearances stopped?” Sully asked finally. “Is it possible you didn’t notice they were still happening because you had other things to deal with? I mean ... the cleanup effort from the hurricane is legendary. Maybe you simply forgot to keep your ear to the ground about the girls.”

  “Forgot?” Oscar shook his head. “When you have a teenage daughter, you don’t forget stuff like that. I was on edge when we came back because the population shrunk so much during that time. Ofelia was young for the age group being targeted but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t have made an appealing target if nobody else was around.”

  “I kind of remember you being overprotective when we came back,” Ofelia mused. “I always chalked it up to you being worried about what was happening on the streets. I honestly don’t remember the missing girls.”

  “It never got the proper media attention,” Oscar said. “I was angry at the time. Those of us in business in the area knew about it, but nobody else was talking.”

  “Because they didn’t want to freak out the tourists,” Sully surmised. “They had an uphill battle if they wanted to entice people back. Stories about missing girls weren’t going to fly.”

  “Do you think that’s who we found in that wall upstairs?” Ofelia queried.

  Sully held out his hands. “I don’t know. It’s definitely worth looking into, though. The thing is ... those girls might be listed as Katrina victims, not missing persons. It’s actually fortuitous that we ran into your father when we did. I would’ve had no idea when to look if it weren’t for him.”

  “Do you hear that, Fe?” Oscar poked her side. “It was fortuitous you ran into me. I’ve been telling you that your entire life.”

  “Ha, ha.” Ofelia wrinkled her nose as she stepped away from her father. “I’m going back up with Sully for a little bit. Try to stay out of trouble while we’re gone.”

  “Um ... I never get in trouble. I think you have me confused with ... well ... you.”

  “Just stay out of trouble.” Ofelia started for the door. “We shouldn’t be too long. See if you can remember anything else about the missing girls. We’re going to need a place to start.”

  “We?” Sully asked, falling into step with her.

  “Hey, you’re the one who invited me into the case. You can’t back out now.”

  “I asked you about the hex bags.”

  “Well, now I’m involved in all of it. You’re welcome, by the way. I think we’re going to work well together.”

  Sully trailed behind her, dumbfounded. “You know you’re not a cop, right? Right?” She didn’t answer, which made him scowl. “I hope I don’t live to regret this.”

  OTHER THAN POLICE TAPE CLOSING OFF THE door, the room was exactly how they left it ... with one notable exception.

  “Where did you come from?” Ofelia made a cooing noise as she slid under the tape and scurried toward the tiny kitten sitting in the middle of the room. He was black, his fur matted, and he had big green eyes.

  “Where did he come from?” Sully asked, glancing around. He was obviously confused. “He wasn’t here when I left this morning.”

  “Well, he’s here now.” Ofelia tentatively extended her fingers in the direction of the kitten, who delicately sniffed them before prancing over to butt his head against the palm of her hand. “He’s adorable.”

  “He’s cute,” Sully agreed, scratching the kitten’s head as Ofelia cradled him close to her chest. “I just don’t understand where he came from. It’s possible there’s a litter of kittens around here somewhere. I mean ... you usually don’t find just one.”

  “More babies?” Ofelia stroked the purring kitten as she extended her magic in an attempt to find more whiskered play pals. She came up empty. “I don’t sense anything.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure. Seriously, he’s the only one. Maybe he got separated from his mother and wandered in here or something.”

  “Maybe.” Sully plucked the kitten from Ofelia’s arms and lifted him so he could study the animal.

  “Um ... you could’ve asked,” Ofelia snapped.

  Her reaction made Sully laugh. “I apologize. I thought you would want both hands to use your magic and check that wall for more hex bags. The kitten probably won’t like that.”

  “Oh, well ... .” Ofelia pursed her lips, glanced at the kitten one more time, and then shuffled toward the wall. “Don’t let him go.”

  Sully was amused despite himself. “Why? Are you going to keep him?”

  “I’m going to make sure that nothing happens to him,” she clarified. “If that means taking him to the shelter, I can spare twenty minutes.”

  “Oh, you don’t want to take him to the shelter.” Sully scratched behind the kitten’s ears and sent him into a purring frenzy. “Then he’ll end up with someone else. I think it’s clear this kitten belongs with you.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Ofelia raised her glowing fingertips as she leaned into the now-exposed partition. “Why do you think that?”

  “Because he was clearly waiting here for you. It’s fate.”

  She shifted her eyes to him, curiosity sparking. “Do you believe in stuff like that?”

  “Fate?”

  She nodded.

  “I believe in fate.” His voice was soft, even. “I don’t know that I believe there’s some all-powerful entity out there guiding us. I don’t believe our lives are predetermined. Some things, though, are meant to be. You’ll never convince me otherwise.”

  There could’ve been hidden meaning in his words, Ofelia told herself. He seemed deadly serious. She wasn’t ready to go there, though. They ha
d enough on their plates. “Okay.”

  He held her gaze for an extended beat. “What about you? Do you believe in fate?”

  “I guess ... well ... I guess certain things are meant to be, too.”

  “Yeah.” They broke the magical moment anchoring their gazes on each other at the same time and he returned to petting the kitten. “I think you should keep him.”

  “And why is that?” Ofelia went back to searching the opening, her skin momentarily crawling as she glanced around the space. There was a malevolence haunting the area. It was faint, not a ghostly presence as much as an energy, but it was definitely there.

  “Because everyone should have a pet.”

  “Oh, yeah? Do you have a pet?”

  “Not right now.”

  “I think you just made a hypocrite of yourself.”

  “Not really.” Sully’s expression was bland. “I had two cats up until a few months ago. Ren and Stimpy.”

  Ofelia pressed her lips together and cast him a sidelong look. “Ren and Stimpy?”

  “I named them when I was a kid. I’ve always ... had a way with cats.” As if to prove it, he caused the kitten to wriggle his butt as he attempted to curl under his chin. “I found Ren and Stimpy in a box on the side of the road when I was a kid. I brought them home and my mother pitched a fit because she didn’t want cats. She relented and let me keep them anyway after I melted down for six straight hours.

  “I had them up until two months ago, when they died of kidney failure on the same day,” he continued. “I plan on getting another cat. I’m just ... not ready yet.”

  “I understand.” Ofelia’s heart went out to him. “How old were they when they died?”

  “Twenty-two.”

  “Wow.” She honesty felt sorry for him. “I’m sorry I called you a hypocrite. I get wanting to wait.”

  He stroked the kitten again. “Someday. For now, I think you should keep this kitten so I can visit him. To me, that’s the best of both worlds.”