Seer Protector

by Roxanne Witherell

  Heather growled inside as she glared at him. She hated to be called ma’am. The reminder of her age always irritated her. This time was no different. The tech put the cone next to the bracelet and snapped a few photos of it. When he put the camera in his bag, he pulled out an evidence bag.

  “Let me see that once you get it bagged.” After the information was written on the bag, he handed it to Heath. He turned the bracelet over in the bag. The silver charm had an intricate design. He stared at it for a moment. “I’ve seen this before.”

  “We have?” Heather took the bag to examine the bracelet herself.

  “I’m sure of it. I think it’s the same as the tattoo on the first victim, Adelinda Barren.”

  “What’s the chance that two of the victims had this symbol? I think you just found the connection.” Heather slapped him on the back and gave the evidence bag back to the crime scene tech to log.

  “We’re all done.” The tech closed his bag and headed back to his van.

  The tow truck pulled into the parking lot and backed up to the Maxima. Heath couldn’t wait to be out of there. He needed to make sure Ciara was alright at the station. Once the car was loaded up and the crime scene techs left, Heath and Heather got into their SUV and headed to the station.

  “There’s more to this case than the sheriff knows. Ciara said the victim had powers.” Heath eyed Heather. “Paranormal powers.”

  “Think she’s a witch?” she asked as Heath turned at the first light.

  “Maybe.” He shrugged. “Call Gunner and have him check any listed covens in the area. Maybe that symbol is the coven’s talisman.”

  “The killer could be a witch hunter.”

  “If that’s the case, then we need to find out who else is in the coven.”

  “Have you figured out how Ciara fits into this?”

  “She’s a seer. She’s had visions of at least two abductions. Yet, we can’t ask her about it in front of Sheriff Dickweed. We have to help her.”

  “You’re protective over her, why?” Heather stared at him, daring him to lie.

  “If not me, then who? Did you see anyone by her side?”

  “So, now you’re her protector?”

  “What if I am?” He gave her a sideways glance but kept facing forward to watch the road.

  “Hold the fuck up! We just strayed.” She adjusted in her seat so that she was looking straight at him. “We’re not talking about the case, are we?”

  “No.” He shook his head and smiled. “I haven’t exactly told you everything.”

  “What the hell, Heath? What haven’t you told me? You haven’t knocked her up. You haven’t been alone with her more than a few minutes.”

  “Well, maybe one day I’ll knock her up.” He shrugged and glanced over at her. “She’s my mate. She doesn’t know, of course.”

  “Seriously, you want to go find a mate while you’re on a case?” Heather’s mouth was agape with disbelief.

  “She found me actually,” Heath clarified.

  “I told you your feelings were going to get you into trouble.” Heather laughed. “I guess you should be her knight in shining armor and save her from the big bad sheriff.”

  Chapter Six

  “For the last time, Sheriff, I don’t know any of these women,” Ciara declared. Where is Agent Cooper?

  “I don’t believe, for one second, that you had nothing to do with these women getting killed. Did you set them up?”

  “No!”

  “Then how is it that you’ve witnessed not just one abduction but two?”

  “I just have bad luck, I guess.” She shrugged not knowing what else to say. He’s going to believe what he wants anyway.

  “Look at her.” He dropped a photo onto the table. It was a picture from a driver’s license of the woman that went missing from the bar. “Tell me where she is, or she’ll end up like this.”

  He slammed several photos down in front of her. She was horrified at the crime scene photos. Those poor women. A tear escaped and slid down her cheek.

  “Where are they?” he screamed down at her.

  The door slammed open and Agent Cooper stormed in. Finally! She thought he’d never come. Sheriff Logan straightened up and glowered at him.

  “We have new evidence and maybe a link between the victims. You can let Ms. Carter go.”

  “What?” The sheriff glared at her then back over to the agent. “I’m not done questioning her.”

  “You are done with pointless questions and accusations.” Agent Cooper held out his hand to her. “Unless, you’re charging her with something.” His narrowed eyes daring the sheriff for a challenge.

  “Stay here,” the sheriff told her. “I’ll have someone drive you back to your vehicle.”

  “I’ll drive her back,” Agent Cooper offered.

  “Whatever, I need to speak to you.” The sheriff glared at Agent Cooper then walked out of the room.

  “I’ll be right back. Don’t leave with anyone other than me,” Agent Cooper told her as he stepped out behind the sheriff.

  She hadn’t wanted to leave with the sheriff the first time. He made it clear she didn’t have a choice. Agent Rockfell didn’t seem too concerned. Agent Cooper had been inside the bar talking to the woman’s date.

  A few minutes passed before Agent Cooper came back in. This time he was alone.

  “Agent Cooper, I’m glad you came. I think the sheriff was about to break out the handcuffs.”

  “I told you that wouldn’t happen, and please, call me Heath.”

  He held out his hand to her and this time she took it. As he helped her out of the seat, a vision flashed before her eyes. It was early morning, light shone through the window. She was in bed with Heath beside her. Suddenly, the bedroom door opened, and two children bounced their way into the room and jumped onto the bed. The little boy and girl beamed at her.

  “Mommy, can we have bacon for breakfast?” The little boy pressed his hands together, begging her. His sister followed his lead, put her hands together, and smiled sweetly.

  “I’ll make breakfast.” Heath kissed her shoulder before getting out of bed. “Bacon and pancakes?” He asked the children.

  “Yay! Daddy’s famous pancakes.” The little girl’s excitement almost caused her to fall from the bed.

  The scene before her changed. They were all seated at the kitchen table with a stack of pancakes and a mountain of bacon in the center of the table. Each pancake was made to look like different celebrities or cartoon characters. All too soon the vision disappeared.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, and she was sucked back to reality.

  “Of course.” She walked past him to the door.

  “You looked a little spaced out.”

  “Sorry, my thoughts carried me away for a moment.” She glanced over her shoulder as he followed her to the door.

  “Must have been some happy thoughts.”

  “Why do you say that?” She stopped and turned toward him.

  “You were smiling.” He opened the door and held it for her.

  “I’m just happy to be getting out of here.”

  “Mm Hmm.” He led her out to the lobby where they first met. “Heather will be here shortly.”

  “Sorry I ruined your date,” she lied but wanted to see what he’d say.

  “What? You think I was on a date with Heather? That would never happen.” He laughed.

  “Why not? She’s beautiful.”

  “Because she’s my sister. My twin to be exact.”

  “Twin?” Embarrassment flooded through her. “I saw you at The Rusty Spur together and assumed you two were on a date.”

  “Nope, just a pair of siblings out for a beer. Scoping out the establishment and trying to get some info on the missing women.”

  “Oh yeah, now I feel stupid.”

  “It’s okay. Most people don’t know we’re twins. Heather changed her last night before we went through the academy. She thought that if people knew we were siblings, they
would treat her as if she was a tag along. Heather is far from it. I hate to admit it, but she’s better than me at a few things.”

  “Oh, I doubt that.” She couldn’t see him being anything but the top of his class.

  “Believe it.” Heather stepped up behind her. “I can out-shoot him any day.”

  “Well, was I right?” Heath asked Heather as he turned for the door.

  “Yeah, the charm matched the first victim’s tattoo. I searched their belongings and found an ankle bracelet with victim three’s stuff. We didn’t see it in the pictures because of how she was positioned. I didn’t find anything with victim two’s belongings,” Heather explained, walking out the door ahead of them.

  “If it was jewelry then it could have fallen off, like the bracelet tonight.”

  “What are you talking about?” Ciara asked as Heath opened the back door to his black SUV.

  “A bracelet we found tonight in the parking lot matched a tattoo on another victim and jewelry from another. It shows there’s a connection between the victims. It may help us find the killer,” he explained before shutting the door.

  “Good, he needs to be stopped,” she commented when he opened the door and slid into the passenger seat.

  Heather got in the driver seat and shut the door. “I’m going to stop by the hotel. You can drop her off.”

  “Have Gunner extend the perimeter of his search. These can’t be his only victims. There’s bound to be more. We just haven’t found them yet.”

  “I was thinking the same thing. No way is this his first time.” Heather pulled out onto the main road. “I was thinking about a three-year search.”

  “Go back five and check the surrounding states, too.” Heath tucked some papers in a folder and stuffed it beside the seat.

  Ciara sat silent in the back, listening to the two agents. She could see a slight resemblance in their jawline. Other than that, you couldn’t tell they are related, let alone twins. She felt silly for ever thinking they were an item. A smile curled to her lips when she thought of her vision coming true. How could she make it come true? He’d leave at the end of the case, and she’d be heartbroken.

  When they pulled up to the hotel, Heather got out, leaving the driver door open. Heath opened the passenger door but instead of going around to the driver side, he opened the back passenger door.

  “I thought you might like to ride up front.” He held out his hand to her.

  When she took his hand and stepped out, a scene flashed before her. They were at her house, in her bedroom. Their sweat glistened bodies pressed against each other. Her body warmed instantly, aching to be touched by Heath. She could feel his hands as if they were really sliding against her skin. Her legs pinched together to stop the throbbing between her legs. When the vision cleared, she found Heath smiling at her.

  “What?” She quickly got in the front seat.

  “More happy thoughts.” He grinned and closed the passenger door.

  She watched as he went around the front of the SUV. His grin matched how she felt. If only he knew what she had been thinking about. She tried to compose herself by running her fingers through her hair. Her face was still blushed by the time he slid into the driver seat. She kept her eyes straight ahead, so he wouldn’t notice.

  “I am single by the way,” Heath told her with a sideways glance and put the vehicle in gear.

  “Yeah, again sorry about that.” Got to rub salt on the wound.

  “No, that’s not what I meant. I was just letting you know I wasn’t seeing anyone.”

  “That’s good to know.” Her lips curled into a smile.

  There was a moment of silence. Ciara wasn’t sure where to go with that. If he lived in the area, then she would jump all over the opportunity to have a relationship with him. He probably wouldn’t want a girlfriend he’d have to drive for hours to see. She gazed out the window and sighed.

  “How long have you been around these parts?” Heath broke the silence.

  “My mother dropped me off at my grandmother’s when I was a baby. I stayed around until I turned eighteen, then left for a while. When my grandmother got sick, I moved back to help her out. Once the roots set in, I just stayed.” She hadn’t planned on telling him her life story. It just sort of slipped out.

  “I heard a couple of deputies talking about your candle shop. How long have you had your shop?”

  “I opened it five years ago. When my grandmother got sick and had a stroke, we needed another income to help with the medical expenses. I had a candle shop in New Orleans and gained a lot of online business. So, the switch wasn’t too bad.”

  He pulled in the parking lot to AJ’s and stopped behind her CR-V. The whole ride over he had asked questions about her. She didn’t get the chance to ask him anything. Mentally kicking herself in the ass, she opened the door.

  “Thanks, for the ride,” she said, stepping out of the vehicle.

  “Ciara,” he called to her before she shut the door.

  “Yes?” Her stomach did a hopeful flip.

  “Do you want to have lunch tomorrow?”

  “That would be nice.” She nodded. “You have my number.”

  With a wink, she closed the door. As she walked to her vehicle, she felt empowered. She wasn’t sure if going on a date was a good idea, but her body urged her to go with the flow. Let’s see what happens.

  Chapter Seven

  Heath had just pulled on his pants when there was a knock at his hotel room door. He threw on a white t-shirt and opened the door. Room service rolled a cart into the room with breakfast. As Heath realized where the man was going, he rushed to the table to quickly gather the crime scene photos and reports. He tipped the server before he left.

  “Thank you.” The man smiled. “Have a good day, sir.”

  Heath closed the door behind the man and went to the door separating his room and Heather’s. He opened the door to find Heather’s door still shut.

  “Breakfast is here, empress,” he called out as he knocked on her door.

  “In a minute.” Her muffled voice was barely loud enough to hear.

  “I’m not waiting on you.” He pivoted and made his way back to the table.

  There were two covered plates on the table. He sat down and peeked under the first lid. The smell of bacon and pancakes greeted him. As he set the lid down, he took a deep breath. He loved the smell of breakfast. Not waiting on his sister, he poured syrup over his pancakes and started eating. The door to Heather’s room opened and she strolled in. She had on her black leather pants he swore she painted on. She took the seat beside him and placed her leather jacket on the back.

  “You know, if you didn’t have to melt and pour yourself into your pants, you wouldn’t be eating a cold breakfast.” He shoved the last bite of pancake in his mouth.

  “It will be fine.” She pulled the lid off her no longer steaming breakfast.

  After picking up his last piece of bacon, Heath cover the plate and set it to the side. They were going to go over the case before going to the sheriff’s office. His phone rang across the room, from the charger by the bed. He hurried to the phone.

  “Agent Cooper,” he answered.

  “Hey man, it’s Gunner. I tried Rockfell’s phone, but it went to voicemail.”

  “Yeah, she’s stuffing her face right now.” He glanced over at Heather in time to see her middle finger saluting him. “Whatcha got for us?”

  “I couldn’t find a coven matching the talisman in your area, however, the talisman in the picture is an exact match to a coven up north. Here’s the kicker. Every member of that coven died before their time.”

  “Were they murdered?” Heath put his phone on speaker and set it down on the table between him and Heather.

  “Anything from car wrecks to muggings. Nothing with your guy’s MO. Although, there was a woman killed five years ago. She had a small tattoo of the talisman behind her right ear, but there’s no record of her with the coven or in a coven in her area. There’s one c
oven member, Catrina Wilkson, but she hadn’t been seen for over thirty-five years.”

  “Strange, the whole coven came to an end. No one suspected anything?”

  “Their deaths were spread out. No two were the same. There was nothing connecting them. You think this guy killed them?” Gunner’s voice was full of surprise.

  “I’m not ruling out that possibility, but I’m going to focus on the current victims right now. See if any of them are related. Maybe the lineage was passed down.”

  “You got it. I’ll let you know if I find anything. Normandy wants an update. I’ll let you handle that.” Gunner hung up before Heath could say anything.

  “I’m leaning toward a witch hunter,” Heather commented as she finished off her eggs.

  “If it was a normal witch hunter then we’d have witches all over the place popping up dead. I think he’s targeting a specific coven.” He picked up the picture of the bracelet they found last night. “Something about this coven pisses him off. He may have started off causing the accidents but that wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to get up close to these women. What if he wanted to be part of the coven but was rejected?”

  “If it was about the coven or the talisman, wouldn’t he take the talisman as a trophy?” Heather asked, covering her empty plate.

  “You would think so. Maybe it’s a mental thing. Leaving the jewelry on their dead bodies is his way of killing the talisman,” Heath suggested.

  “We need to find out who the other members of the coven are.” Her concern was palpable.

  “Let’s go by the victims’ places. Maybe there’s something there that can lead us to the others.” He set their plates on the tray they came on and set it out into the hall for pick up. “We need to check if Beatrice Birchum had a piece of jewelry that matches the others.”

  “I’m ready when you are.” Heather pressed the brew button on the hotel coffee maker.

  “Hey, that was my last one.” He narrowed his eyes giving her the death glare. “Fine, I’ll get one of yours.”

  “I’m out. Why do you think I’m stealing yours?” She smirked and poured in some creamer.