Bones of the Witch

by A. L. Knorr

  Long wispy branches appeared overhead, coming toward me, coming to take Evelyn. I lifted her body up to my shoulders, sucking in air, and gave her frame up to the ash tree. The branches slipped beneath her body, curling around her legs and torso, and bore her up out of the hole. The ash tree deposited Evelyn on the grass as I heaved myself up out of the grave.

  Kneeling beside her and panting, I gazed at Evelyn’s still form and caught my breath. The ash tree returned to standing and swayed in the breeze as though nothing had happened.

  What now? She was in a coma. She needed medical care. My own powers had strengthened her vital signs but hadn’t been enough to wake her. I had no cell phone with me, I never took it on these little Wise excursions because the signals were toxic and might interfere, the way they interfered with faerie cocoons. The hospital was too far for me to carry her, even with reinforcements from the earth, because Blackmouth’s clinic was on the other side of town. It would take me at least an hour to walk there, but she needed help now. And what about Inspector Hamilton? He needed to know right away that she’d been found.

  “I don’t want to leave you, Evelyn,” I whispered to her, “but I have to go get help.”

  Getting to my feet, I took off at a sprint in the direction of the closest help––the police station.

  Chapter 13

  Gasping for breath, I halted at the police station, one hand on the door. I hadn’t stopped running except for the seconds required to stop and put on my shoes when I’d reached them. The building was a gray stone box with small windows. Wrenching open the door I went inside and yelled for help. There was no one in the small front lobby, but a petite woman in uniform appeared in the doorway behind the desk, eyes wide and coffee-bright.

  “Steady on there, miss.” She came forward. “What can I do for you?”

  “I’ve found the missing woman,” I said between gasps, one hand on my pounding heart. Gym class no longer had a role in my life and this was the first moment I regretted that. “I’ve found Evelyn. She needs medical attention right away.”

  Quick as a brake-light, the officer produced a radio and sent the message through to the inspector. She paused to ask, “Where is she?”

  “She’s in the graveyard.” I noted the absence of surprise. She might be young, but she must have seen a few odd things already. Surprising, in the sleepy town of Blackmouth.

  She passed the message on, giving the inspector the particulars on where exactly in the graveyard Evelyn was as I fed them to her.

  I turned to leave and she said, “Where are you going?”

  I shot her a desperate look. “Back to Evelyn. She’s a friend of mine, I’d really like to be there for her. She might wake up, and it would be good for her to see a friendly face.”

  The officer pinched her lips together. “The ambulance will get there before you will. It’s best if you don’t get underfoot. I’ve requested an officer to return here to sit with you, but if you like, I can have him escort you to the hospital.”

  I blinked at her in surprise. “Why do I need an escort?”

  “Inspector Hamilton will want to take your statement. We don’t want to lose track of the one who found her.” Seeing my consternation, she added, “Don’t worry, it’s only a formality. He’ll just want to hear how you found her.”

  The sound of a motor outside drew our attention to the window.

  “That’ll be Constable Sheldon now. He’ll take you to the hospital.”

  Not wanting to waste any more time, I thanked her and left the station.

  Constable Sheldon, a silver-haired man with a neatly trimmed beard, was just getting out of the car when I went for the passenger side.

  “I’m Georjayna, I found Evelyn. The”—I realized I’d not asked the officer’s name—“officer inside the station said you’d take me to the hospital. Evelyn’s a friend of mine. I’d like to meet her at the hospital.”

  He bobbed his head once and retreated back into the driver’s seat. I hopped in beside him and he piloted the car into the road and toward the small Blackmouth hospital.

  “Nice to have a bit of good news,” Constable Sheldon said in a gruff tone. Glancing briefly at me as he steered the car he asked, “How did you find our missing lady?”

  My stomach gave a lurch when I realized that of course I’d be asked this. I hadn’t thought up a story yet. Whatever Constable Sheldon asked, Inspector Hamilton would also ask. I needed to keep my head and my story straight.

  “I was part of the search team which passed through the queen’s land earlier tonight.” I gripped the door handle tightly as I scrambled to come up with a simple lie, one I wouldn’t get snagged in later.

  “Aye,” replied the constable, “but ye found her in the graveyard?”

  “Yes.” My mouth felt like it was lined with carpet. I’d never been great at lying, not the way my friend Saxony was. She could produce an elaborate story on a moment’s notice. “I couldn’t sleep after my search party’s shift was over, so I went for a walk.”

  He shot me another side-eye. “In the graveyard?”

  I just nodded.

  Pulling into the hospital parking lot, blinking red lights could be seen reflecting off parked car windows in the side parking lot.

  “Ambulance is already here,” the Constable said, pulling the car to a stop and putting it in park.

  Unclipping my seatbelt, I opened the door and got out.

  “Just a moment, Miss,” the constable said as he undid his own belt. “I’ll need to take you in.”

  Irritated, I waited for him to get out of the car and lock it. Moving like refrigerated honey, or so it seemed to me in my impatience, he made his way toward the hospital entrance.

  Once inside, we registered with the receptionist and were told to wait in the seating area. I wished desperately for my cell phone. Jasher would be upset with me for not at least trying to contact him. In order to do that, I needed to call the castle. It was possible no one would answer at this hour, but at least I could say I tried. Getting out of the hard vinyl chair, I told the constable, who was seated across from me and typing into his phone, that I wanted to let another of Evelyn’s friends know she’d been found. He nodded without looking up.

  Passing through the lobby to the receptionist’s desk, I smiled down at the lady working there. “Would you mind if I used your phone?” I asked. “I need to let my friends know that Evelyn’s been found.”

  “Of course, dear.” She picked up the industrial office phone and gently tugged at its cord before setting it up on the counter in front of me.

  “I need one more favor,” I added sheepishly. “I need to call Blackmouth Castle, but I don’t have the number. That’s where my friend and I are staying.”

  She looked up in unmistakable delight. “Ach, you must be the Canadian lassie they’ve got there helping out for the closed season. Ainslie and I are old friends. She told me all about you at our last book club meeting. Of course, I’ll get you the number.”

  I let out a relieved sigh. “Thank you.”

  The receptionist retrieved the number from her computer and typed it in for me. I listened to the ringtone with bated breath, but when a recording answered and began to list tourist information about the upcoming season, I hung up.

  The receptionist saw that the call hadn’t gone through. “I could call Ainslie and she could wake your friend up. She won’t mind.”

  I shot her a grateful look. She nodded and waved me back over to the seating area. “I’ll take care of it.” The phone’s headset was already at her ear when she paused. “What’s your friend’s name?”

  “Jasher, but Gavin and Bonnie will want to know Evelyn has been found as well.”

  She waved me away but I was hesitant to go, wanting to get Ainslie’s reaction. When she waved me away a second time, I went, but slowly.

  Sitting across from the constable, I watched the top of the receptionist’s head as she murmured into the phone. She looked up once and went back to her c
onversation for a few more moments. Then she ended the call and gave me the ‘a-okay’ sign.

  Not sure what that meant, I leapt up and went back to the desk. “What’s happening?”

  “Ainslie will wake the laird and lady and let your friend know. They’ll be down here as soon as they can come.”

  “All of them?”

  She shrugged. “We’ll see who turns up, but probably. People care about one another in this wee village.”

  I thanked her and sat down again. What felt like an eternity passed before anyone else entered the waiting area. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Jasher or the laird or lady. It was Inspector Hamilton, and he looked grim.

  I got to my feet the moment he appeared from the hallway leading to the rear of the hospital. “How is she?”

  His eyes were tired and heavy looking. I didn’t like the look of him and I liked the look he gave me even less. “She’s alive but unresponsive.”

  The pit in my stomach grew. “That’s the way she was when I found her.” It was almost the truth. Actually, she’d seemed on death’s door when I’d found her, with a weak pulse and waxy complexion. My powers had put some color back into her cheeks and made her heartbeat and breathing stronger. “Do they know what’s wrong with her?”

  A darkness settled into his stony gaze which further frayed my already frazzled nerves. “I’ll be the one to ask questions, Miss Sutherland. I’d like you to accompany me to the station to relay the events leading up to your discovering Miss Munro in a hole in the graveyard.”

  “Am I under suspicion?” I crossed my arms over my chest, wondering why they’d air condition the clinic in the middle of winter..

  “No, but it’s important I understand the facts,” Inspector Hamilton replied with none of the warmth his son had in spades. I wondered how such a hard man had raised Lachlan.

  “Can I tell you everything here? I’m waiting for a few more of Evelyn’s friends to come. Jasher, Gavin and Bonnie are on their way. I’d like to be here when they arrive.”

  He gave a stiff nod and led me to a couple of the upholstered chairs in the corner under a TV mounted to the wall. He took out his cell phone and interacted with the screen.

  “With your permission, I’ll record this.”

  “Sure.” My hands knotted together in my lap. I wasn’t guilty of anything, but his behavior was making me feel nauseated.

  “State your name for the record,” he prompted, and set the phone on the coffee table at our knees.

  I said my name.

  “How do you know Evelyn Munro?”

  “I met her through a friend of mine,” I replied. “They’re dating. I first met Evelyn at a pub here in town. The Blackmouth Arms.”

  He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, penetrating gaze drilling me in the forehead. “How it was you came to find her?”

  I cleared my throat and took a moment to inhale. “As you know, I was one of the volunteers who searched the queen’s land yesterday afternoon. We searched until well after dark but didn’t find anything. When our shift ended and we returned to Blackmouth, I couldn’t sleep. I was wired from the search and a bit upset. So, I went for a walk.”

  “What time did you arrive at the castle after your shift?”

  “Around ten, or shortly after.”

  “And when did you go out for your walk?”

  “I’m not sure. Maybe just before midnight.”

  He shifted in his seat and folded his hands together. He was watching me the way a hungry dog watches the nearest human in possession of food. “Continue.”

  “I went to Evelyn’s house first,” I explained, “in case she’d shown up at home. But the house was locked and still empty, so I kept walking. I went up the hill toward the graveyard. I was thinking about the body we found on the castle grounds. You know, the one in the wall?”

  The inspector made a sound in the back of his throat that was probably meant to assure me he knew what I was talking about.

  “Someone had told me that a grave had already been dug for the body. Since I was going that way anyway, I thought I’d see if I could find it.”

  He gestured for me to continue then sat back and began to stroke his chin. I could hear the sound of his whiskers rasping against his fingers.

  “There was a mound of dirt visible near the top of one of the hills so I went toward it, thinking it might be the grave.” I realized I was hugging my stomach tightly and told myself to relax. “When I looked into the hole, it wasn’t empty. It was Evelyn.” My voice cracked on her name and I felt my eyes mist up. Good, maybe the inspector would see my distress and ease up a little. I brushed at my eyes and looked to the sliding doors, hoping to see Jasher stroll through them. I wanted an end to this interrogation.

  “Could you see her face?” The inspector began to pick at a nail absently, gaze still on my eyes.

  I swore to myself silently. He probably knew Evelyn’s head and face had been covered up because she didn’t have dirt in her hair.

  “No, the body was wrapped up.” But I stopped there, feeling the bonds of my story tightening around me like a boa constrictor.

  “Then how did you know it was Evelyn?”

  “I…well.” I gave a nervous laugh. “I had some kind of premonition, I guess. I could see that it wasn’t the mummy, because that body was tiny and emaciated.” I felt like a small animal sitting frozen in the underbrush as a larger, very toothy predator stalked by. “This body was bigger and the wrappings looked so white and fresh. The shape looked feminine and she was the right size to be Evelyn.”

  He made a grunt in his throat which I interpreted as, ‘Ok, that’s a bit of logic, but I still suspect you of something unsavory.’

  Emboldened, I added another detail that would help me to look less crazy. “I thought I could see the body breathing.”

  “In the dark?”

  I nodded. “I have good night vision and the wrappings were white so it wasn’t hard to see them move. At first I thought I was seeing things, but when I realized I wasn’t, I got into the grave with her. Just to be sure. When I pulled away the fabric covering her face and felt her pulse, I lifted her out of the grave and then ran to the police station as fast as I could.”

  “So, let me understand.” Inspector Hamilton shifted forward in his seat. His teeth glinted and the suspicion had not fully vacated his eyes. “You found a wrapped body in a grave, thought it might be alive, and actually went into the hole to check?”

  I felt myself wilt. When he said it like that, it did sound a bit crazy. But what would a non-crazy reaction have been, I’d like to have asked. Instead I just said, “Yes.”

  “And when you realized it was Evelyn, you lifted her dead weight out of a six-foot-deep grave all by yourself?”

  I nodded, not looking away from his penetrating gaze.

  He stared at me, letting the silence drag on, probably hoping I’d add something to damn myself, or just break and admit it was all a batch of lies.

  I said nothing, and stared back and wondered what he thought had actually happened. He surprised me with his next question.

  “How tall are you?”

  “Six foot even,” I answered steadily. It was the first time I’d ever answered this question truthfully. I’d been sensitive about my height for as long as I could remember. I always said five-foot-eleven.

  He stared at me thoughtfully. “Could you demonstrate for me?”

  “What?” I straightened sharply.

  “Could you get into a hole in the ground and lift the dead weight of an unconscious body up over your head and out onto the ground?”

  I stared at him in disbelief.

  He stared back, unblinking.

  “What is it you suspect me of, Inspector?” The first flares of righteous anger went off in my chest and I let it harden my voice for the first time.

  “Nothing, yet,” he replied smoothly. “But you have to admit, your story sounds pretty strange.”

  “It’s the truth,” I sna
pped back. “I found her and reported it as soon as I could.”

  “I understand Evelyn is dating your friend, Jasher?”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “So what?”

  “I understand also that you used to be an item with Jasher yourself?”

  I felt as though he’d thrown a bucket of freezing water into my face. Words fled and my jaw dropped in as the implication slowly stepped forward out of the shadows.

  “What are you implying?” I finally asked, beginning to feel a tremble in my knees. It’s a good thing I was sitting down.

  “Were you jealous of Jasher’s relationship?” the inspector asked as casually as if he’d asked for a tissue.

  “Of course not!” I wanted to scream that if he paid attention to his family he would have realized by now that it was his own son I had an interest in, not Jasher.

  Three people rushed in through the sliding doors. Gavin, Bonnie and Jasher made a beeline for the front desk, not seeing me and the inspector.

  I made to get up when Inspector Hamilton said, “We’re not finished here.”

  I stood and glared down at him, firing ice-bullets with my eyes. “If you think I had anything to do with what happened to Evelyn, besides rescuing her, then arrest me.” My voice was trembling with anger. “If not, then leave me alone.”

  Without waiting for a reply, I got up and went to join my friends in the lobby. The inspector didn’t follow me but I felt his gaze stabbing into my back as I left the waiting area.

  Chapter 14

  The doctor had just appeared from the emergency hallway when an older couple came rushing in through the front sliding doors. One look at the woman’s petite frame and wild curly hair told me these were Evelyn’s parents. After quick introductions, the doctor explained to the group of concerned faces pressing in on her that Evelyn was in a coma but that she’d sustained no visible injuries. There were no apparent internal injuries either. The doctor suggested that Evelyn might have sustained some psychological trauma that resulted in her loss of consciousness. The moment she finished talking with us, she took Evelyn’s parents aside to discuss a course of action.