Ghoul's Paradise (Spellbound Ever After Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book 7)

by Annabel Chase

  “And I was annoyed with Alex, not Lorenzo,” June said. “Lorenzo was doing his best to fix the situation. Alex is the one making life difficult for us.”

  “Oh, he is not,” Kay chided her. “We’re the ones making life difficult for him. Let him love whomever he wants. The pack will survive. We’ve endured much worse than this in our history.”

  I’d already thought the four werewolves were long shots and now I was convinced that they had nothing to do with Lorenzo’s murder. It was interesting that Kay didn’t believe the part about the clown costume, though, and she was right about his penchant for expensive suits. How did the clown suit fit with the version of Lorenzo we all knew? Even Penny had been baffled. Before I could make my way to the door, the music started anew. Two werewolves hooked an arm through mine and steered to me toward the dance floor. My protests were drowned out by the loud twang of country music.

  “You’re asking for an injury,” I said. “I’m a terrible dancer.”

  “I’m sure you’re exaggerating,” the werewolf on my right said.

  “Have you watched Wonder Woman?” I asked. “It’d be like that scene where she saves Veld and takes down multiple opponents, except my version will be accidental.”

  “I haven’t seen it,” the werewolf on my left said, “but now I really want to.”

  “A woman with superior fighting skills?” the other werewolf asked.

  “In a very small and form-fitting outfit,” I said. I managed to slip out of their grasp while they contemplated what this woman might look like in their minds. Apparently, Wonder Woman could rescue people simply by invoking her. It seemed she was the goddess I’d always believed her to be after all.

  Chapter Fifteen

  A meeting with the High Priestess was my last resort. If Lady Weatherby wasn’t going to listen to reason, then I had to bust out the big guns. Dr. Hall was right. I had to fight fire with fire and that meant enlisting the aid of the other domineering head of the coven in Spellbound, no matter how much it pained me.

  “Thank you for seeing me on short notice,” I said.

  The High Priestess sat across from me in her office, wearing a powder blue dress suit and white gloves that made her look like she was on the way to a cotillion.

  “Ms. Hart, it’s always a pleasure.” Her pinched expression said otherwise, but I opted to take her words at face value. Her two white dogs came running into the office to inspect the visitor.

  “Hello to you, too,” I said, opening my hand for the dogs to sniff. Two tongues attacked my skin as though I’d basted it in turkey juice this morning.

  “Girls, please leave Ms. Hart be,” the High Priestess said. “What brings you to see me?”

  “There’s a situation I need assistance with and I think you’re the only one in a position to help.”

  Her wide smile told me that she was flattered. “Go on.”

  I explained the issue with Agnes and Lady Weatherby. “You’re the High Priestess of the coven now. Officially, you have authority over every witch in town. Lady Weatherby is still a resident here and, as such, is subject to your will.”

  The High Priestess leaned to the side to pet one of the dogs. “She is subject to my will, isn’t she?”

  “She got Power of Attorney over Agnes’s affairs, but you still have power over both of them.” I emphasized the words power and authority, knowing they would appeal to Limpet’s ego.

  “And you want me to prevent a daughter from taking her mother away so that they can live happily ever after?”

  I gaped at her. “No. No, it won’t be happily ever after. Agnes doesn’t really want to go. Their relationship is complicated.”

  “Do you know what I wouldn’t give to be reunited with my son? To get to live out my days with him by my side?”

  “But you have the power…”

  She punched a fist onto the desk. “I will not exert my authority over a domestic affair, certainly not one involving Lady Weatherby. I have no interest in attracting her ire. Let her go and take her troublesome mother with her.”

  I blinked several times before recovering the power of speech. “That’s your final answer?”

  “Did it sound like I was uncertain? I can try to be clearer.”

  I chewed my lip, fighting the urge to leap across the desk and throttle her. I glanced at the portrait of Arabella St. Simon on the wall behind her and felt the sting of the founder’s disapproving glare. No leaping or throttling of any kind, the eyes said.

  I rose to my feet. “Fine. Thank you for hearing me out, but the next time this coven needs my help, you can remember this moment because the answer will be no.”

  A sharp intake of breath followed my proclamation. “Very well then. I suppose I’ll have to take that chance.”

  I attempted to storm out, but my dramatic exit was thwarted by the dogs who required a final pet before I left. Despite my anger, I couldn’t leave them hanging. Their tongues and tails wagged with delight. I only wished their owner was half as easy to please.

  The parking lot of Spellbound Care Home seemed busier than usual and I wondered whether it was connected to Agnes’s imminent departure. I knew there was a waiting list for rooms, so maybe paranormals had flocked to the care home to see what their chances were.

  It was only when I located Agnes in the cafeteria that I understood the hubbub. A half dozen males scantily clad in nothing except white aprons and shoes paraded around the room, delivering trays of food to enthusiastic residents.

  “How…What?” I couldn’t quite get out the words.

  “Agnes,” an elderly troll said, understanding my confusion. “She organized this as a surprise.” She hobbled past me with her walker, eager to partake in whatever was happening.

  “A surprise for whom?” I asked, to no one in particular. I made my way to the center table where Agnes was holding court and taking one plate at a time from an obliging tray.

  The elderly witch lit up when she saw me. “Emma, this is perfect timing. Come and meet my new friend, Sven.”

  I extended a hand to the nearly naked butler. “Nice to meet you, Sven.”

  “They’re hunks in trunks,” Agnes said. “Aren’t they spectacular?”

  “I think they’ve been mislabeled. I don’t see any sign of trunks,” I said. I tried to avoid looking in the direction of any inappropriate places.

  “You should give that angel the old heave ho and take up with Sven. He makes a mean margarita.”

  My eyes widened. “They’re serving you alcohol?”

  “Virgin,” Sven said quickly.

  Agnes cackled. “Not in a century, apple cheeks, but I’m willing to suspend disbelief if you are.”

  Sven laughed. “You’re definitely my favorite resident, Agnes. I’ll come back here anytime.”

  “You can come back, but I’m afraid I won’t be here then,” Agnes said.

  My heart got lodged in my throat. “Agnes, don’t say that. You’re not going anywhere.”

  Agnes attacked her Jell-O with a fork, poking holes through the wobbly dessert. “It’s not up to me, is it? Jacinda Ruth has power over me and she’s decided to wield it. Her final nail in my coffin.”

  Sven looked at the elderly witch with sympathy. “Who’s Jacinda Ruth?”

  “My train wreck of a daughter,” Agnes said. “She ruined her life here, so now she’s going to ruin mine by making me move to some gods-forsaken town far away from everything I know and vaguely like.”

  I sat beside Agnes and covered her hand with mine. “We’re not going to let that happen. If you want to stay, then I’ll help you find a way to stay.”

  She patted my hand and then withdrew hers. “I appreciate the sentiment, Polly Sunshine, but you know my daughter. If she wants something, she knows how to make it happen.”

  I stared at her. “And where do you think she learned that?”

  Sven emptied his tray and turned to refill it to serve some of the other residents, giving us an unobstructed view of his firm b
ottom.

  “Now do you want to reconsider trading up?” Agnes asked with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

  I smiled and averted my gaze. “Daniel’s backside is every bit as nice as Sven’s.”

  Agnes lifted her wrinkled brow. “Really? I think I might need to decide that for myself. When is he available to service…I mean, serve me?”

  I patted her cheek. “I think you’re getting your fill of male attention today.” I scooped some of her Jell-O onto a spoon and ate it. “How did you manage to arrange this anyway?” I couldn’t see the administrators here allowing hunks in trunks, not knowingly.

  Agnes snickered. “A magician never reveals her secrets.”

  “You’re not a magician. You’re a witch.”

  Silas drifted over to us and swiped a pot of vanilla pudding from the table. “She used magic.”

  “How?” Magic wasn’t permitted in the Spellbound Care Home for obvious reasons.

  “You know our girl,” the genie said. “She has her ways.”

  “And everyone here is appreciative of my ways right now,” Agnes said.

  Another nearly naked butler passed by the table with a tray of meatloaf. He lifted a plate from the tray. “Anyone for beefcake?”

  “Yes, please,” Agnes said. As she raised her hand to smack his butt, I gave her a sharp look and her hand dropped back to the table. “Spoilsport.”

  “So what’s the latest?” I asked. “Have you had another chance to tell your daughter that you don’t want to leave?”

  “Oh, I’ve told her.” Agnes wiggled the remainder of her Jell-O. “She seems to think she knows what’s best for me after all this time.”

  “This is her way of showing she cares about you,” Silas said.

  Agnes’s head snapped up to look at him. “You’re only saying that because you want me to go. That way you don’t have to feel guilty about your budding romance. You can prance around this place in peace.”

  Silas wore a tender expression. “Agnes, you know that isn’t true. I will miss you dearly, more than anyone, in fact.”

  A shrill cry erupted from behind us and I turned to see one of the hunks climb onto the table and perform a provocative dance. He swayed his bare butt and I instinctively covered my eyes.

  “Such a prude,” Agnes said with a low chuckle. “I sure will miss this.”

  “Are they supposed to be dancing on the tables?” I whispered.

  “No, but who’s going to complain?” Agnes shot back.

  I peeked at Silas through my fingers. “Are you enjoying the show?”

  “I’m enjoying the reactions,” he said. “I also think I’ll reap the benefits later.” He winked at me and drifted to the neighboring table.

  Agnes watched him go and I caught the sadness that rippled across her aging features. It occurred to me that heartache didn’t stop at a certain age. It was possible for as long as it continued to beat. “Maybe it’ll be best for me to leave.”

  “That’s not the Agnes I know,” I said. “She’d never give up because of a man.”

  She blew out a breath. “I’m not giving up. I’m just being ornery. It comes with age.” She looked me up and down. “Why did you come here in a suit? That’s not like you. You usually dress like you’ve just emerged from another dimension where fashion doesn’t exist.”

  “I have a case to defend this afternoon,” I said. “Baxter, my trespassing wereferret.”

  Agnes pretended to snore and I gave her a playful swat. “I’ll miss tales of your boring job. Nothing works better for my insomnia.”

  “I’ll miss you, too, Agnes. When do you officially leave?”

  “A couple days,” she said. Her gaze swept the cafeteria and the glimmer of sadness returned. “Any messages for Lorenzo? Want me to ask who killed him?”

  I started. “What do you mean? You can see him?”

  “No, but I have a feeling I’ll be seeing him real soon.” Sven danced past us, wiggling his butt. Agnes cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, “Nothing jiggling in this room except the Jell-O.” And, that quickly, the look of sadness was gone.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The Great Hall was buzzing with activity when I entered through the double doors. Apparently, the two witnesses had tried to invite their friends to watch the trial and the judge had ordered them to wait outside. I was glad he’d opted to close the proceedings. Baxter was high-strung enough without worrying about a non-jury of his peers.

  I blanched when I noticed Calix seated on the end of the last row. He waved at me like a proud papa.

  “Father, what are you doing here?” I whispered.

  “What do you think? I came to see my baby perform.”

  “I’m not performing,” I said. “This is a real trial.”

  “Oh, I know, sweetling, but a trial is very much like a show and the lawyers are the lead actors.” He patted my arm. “I’m counting on you to keep us entertained.”

  I wasn’t even sure how he’d managed to stay in the room, given that the judge had booted out the rest of the viewers. I couldn’t put anything past the demigod though. If he wanted to stay, he stayed.

  “Then you’re not mad at me?” I asked.

  He offered a sad smile. “How could I be angry with you? You have every right to be frustrated with me. I’m still an unknown entity. Everything you told me is right. You’re learning to be a mother and a wife. How can I ask you to learn to be a daughter at the same time? It would be selfish of me.”

  My chest tightened at his sincere words. “Just keep quiet, okay?” I asked. “No one else is permitted to talk except those of us in the front of the room.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of interrupting the performance,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how it ends. I hope it’s not a cliffhanger. I hate those.”

  I fought the desire to roll my eyes and continued to the front of the hall. Josie was already seated beside Baxter in the front row and I clenched my teeth, annoyed that I would have to ask her to shove over. It seemed that she was determined to make this difficult for me from start to finish.

  Judge Lee Melville presided over the proceedings. Rochester was in his usual place across the aisle, acting as the prosecutor. He greeted me with a friendly handshake. Despite our opposing sides, the wizard and I got along famously. He wasn’t the heartless lawyer one might imagine for someone in his shoes.

  “Hi Josie. How are you feeling, Baxter?” I asked, as I wedged myself between them.

  “Not very ready.” Baxter’s pallor was a shade of pale green. As someone prone to nervous vomiting, I recognized that look. I’d have to be ready in case I needed to conjure a bucket with little warning.

  “It’ll be okay,” I said. I patted his hand reassuringly and immediately felt his cool and clammy skin. If he could make it through his testimony, I knew he’d be fine.

  “Shall we begin?” the judge said. “I have a racquetball court reserved for after lunch and I’d really like to make it.”

  “Prosecution is ready, Your Honor,” Rochester said.

  “Defense is also ready,” Josie and I said simultaneously.

  The judge peered down at us from the platform. “Which one of you is acting as lead defense attorney today?”

  I didn’t give Josie the chance to answer. I’d already started muttering a spell under my breath that ended with—“and zip her lip until noon today.” The wererat was pushing me too far and I wasn’t about to jeopardize Baxter’s future because of Josie’s blind ambition.

  “I am, Your Honor,” I said. I ignored the muffled noises erupting beside me.

  “Glad we cleared that up,” the judge said. “I don’t mind a second chair, but I only want to hear from one of you at a time. My hearing isn’t what it used to be and I’m liable to misunderstand.”

  “It won’t happen again, sir,” I said.

  Josie’s muffled protests grew louder and I pressed the heel of my shoe on top of her foot until she fell silent. Dr. Hall would be proud of me,
asserting myself in what was, for me, a rather violent manner. My father, of course, would query why I didn’t reduce her to a pile of rubble and sweep her outside. Smite away, dumpling, he’d say. Show off your impressive DNA.

  Rochester gave a short speech that summarized the case and gave the basic reasons why Baxter should be found guilty and given the mandatory sentence. I offered my brief rebuttal, my reasons why Baxter was innocent, and explained that even if he were found guilty, that the loosening of the laws here was for a case exactly like this, where the defendant didn’t deserve such a severe penalty for a minor crime.

  “The prosecution would like to call the first witness to the stand,” Rochester said. “Parker Humphries.”

  I was glad he was starting with Parker because she was the weak link and the one I most wanted to cross-examine. Based on the information I’d uncovered, she was our best hope of winning this case.

  The werewolf practically skipped to the chair next to the judge. Her blond hair was neatly combed and she wore a skirt and blouse that made her appear much older than her age. She stated her name and age for the record and that she was a senior at Spellbound High School.

  “Miss Humphries, can you tell us about the last time you saw the defendant, Mr. Jones?”

  She wiggled in her seat, and I noticed the Cheshire grin plastered across her friend Lexy’s pretty face. “It was around seven o’clock in the evening. My friend Lexy and I were out for our usual evening run and we saw him somewhere we knew he wasn’t supposed to be.”

  “And where was that?” Rochester asked.

  “Mr. Falmouth’s property. He was probably hunting.”

  “And how did you know that area was off limits?” the wizard asked.

  Parker blew a raspberry. “Everybody knows to stay off Falmouth’s land. It’s one of the first things you learn in the pack—the list of properties to steer clear of.”

  “Then may I ask what you were doing in the vicinity of this prohibited area?” Rochester asked.