by Lynn Cahoon
Reaching down, she stretched her fingers and grabbed the canvas tote. It must have been knocked under the table in all the commotion. Relief filled her as she pulled out the bag and, dusting it off, placed it on the table. She’d bought the knives with her first paycheck as a chef. Well, her first year of paychecks. She’d put down 10 percent and paid them off in a year. A chef was only as good as her tools of the trade. And if that motto was true, she was an extraordinary cook.
She opened the bag and ran her hand over the handles. One spot was totally empty. Frowning, she squatted again, and this time crawled back under the table to check the shadowy crannies. Nothing.
She stood and stared at the open tote.
Her chef knife was missing.
CHAPTER 7
An hour later, the entire kitchen having been searched not once, but twice, James gently led Mia to the door, slipping her coat over her arms as she tried to protest.
“Look, I’ll do another search of the kitchen as soon as dinner service is over. Right now, you’re killing the wait time for the dining room.” James stepped outside the kitchen door that led to the back parking lot with her and lit up a cigarette. He took a long drag, then squirmed under her scrutiny. “Don’t judge me. My job is more stressful than you realize. Do you know that some of my customers are doing South Beach and some have some raw food fetish? Seriously, are you sure you want to set up a catering business here? The normal world doesn’t exist in town.”
Mia smiled and put her hand on James’s arm. “Sorry about the look. My dad died of lung cancer. The man smoked like a chimney. The only baby picture I have is him holding me up for the camera, a cigarette hanging from his mouth.”
“Now here comes the guilt. Look, I know I’m taking a chance here, playing with fire, so to speak, and I’ll stop someday.” He sucked another drag and then put out the cigarette on the stone wall that bordered the walk. James slid the half-smoked butt into a pack. “Today’s just not that day.”
“No judgment. But if you ever want to talk, call. I’m a great listener.” Mia leaned against the wall and sighed. “Those knives were the first thing I bought out of culinary school. I know it sounds dumb, but I had hoped I’d have the same set throughout my career. Or at least retire them when I bought a better set.”
“Not silly at all. We get attached to some of the strangest things.” James gave her a look she couldn’t read. “Speaking of attached, I hear the devastatingly handsome man having dinner with Christina is your ex. Nice choice; he’s yummy.”
“I think the fact he’s my ex tells the whole story.” Mia tilted her head at the slightly pudgy man in a full white chef’s uniform standing in front of her. “You’re not married?” Or something, she added silently.
“Girl, being tied to one person is like eating only chicken for the rest of your life. I like my plate filled with variety.” He smiled, but this time the smile didn’t come close to filling his face or his eyes.
“I think you doth protest too much.” Mia smiled. “I guess I’ll head home. I’ve got a plate filled with desserts from the wake waiting for me that I’m calling dinner. After that I’m crawling into a tub filled with hot water and bubbles with the latest Robb book and a glass of wine. I’ll read until the water chills.”
“Baby, you know how to party.” James kicked a rock that had been holding open the door and headed back into the kitchen. She smiled at the memory. The catering staff had used the same method of sneaking a smoke. If they left through the kitchen door and let it shut, the employee would have to reenter the kitchen through the hotel lobby. Management and guests alike frowned on the people cooking their meals taking smoke breaks or anything else when they were supposed to be creating.
She crossed the parking lot and held out her key fob, clicking until her lights flashed.
Yep, dessert, wine, book, and bath desperately on the agenda tonight. She needed time to clear her head of oh, so many things, Isaac being the most recent. She corrected herself—losing the knife was the latest tragedy. As she started the car, letting the air blow on high heat before she even tried to leave, she watched the door to the kitchen. Easy in, easy out. A chill ran up her spine.
Could the door have been left open and Adele’s killer just walked into the busy kitchen without anyone seeing or taking notice of them? And, obviously, someone had stolen one of Mia’s knives, but why? She shivered as a thought came to her. God, she hoped she was wrong. She needed to be wrong, just this one time.
She put the van in gear and headed home. She’d supersize the wine when she got home, just like at Mickey D’s. No use getting up early tomorrow. She still had to find the missing health inspector before any of the contractors would go another step in the remodel. Mia had tried calling three times that afternoon, only getting voice mail. Tomorrow morning she’d start calling again. Or, better yet, get dressed and go to city hall. The guy couldn’t hide forever, could he?
Grans’s face came to mind, and she chided herself. Maybe the man needed attention or a work ethic; making fun of him at his expense wasn’t the way she had been raised. Mia felt ashamed, even though she hadn’t done anything. Not one thing. Grans was good with the guilt. Excellent, even with a long distance between the warring factions.
She pulled the van into her parking spot and frowned. She had to stop frowning at every little thing or her face was going to freeze that way. At this time in her life, Mia realized her mom’s idle threats may not be so idle any more.
Mia unpacked the few boxes in the back and carried the load onto her porch. As she struggled in her purse for the keys, she heard a crash inside. Mr. Darcy. Had he gotten into something while they were gone? The cat loved exploring the three floors, finding unusual sleeping spots he quickly claimed as his own. Hopefully the damage was minor. The key slipped into the lock just as another crash sounded, this time louder.
“Mr. Darcy, what are you in to?” Mia opened the door, flipped on the entry lights, and then she felt a pain in the back of her head and everything went black.
When she awoke her arms were at her side and she lay prone on a bed. A warmed blanket had been spread over her body, and she fingered the fabric. Heavy cotton. Voices surrounded her. She kept her eyes closed as she tried to remember something, anything. The sound of Mr. Darcy knocking over a box, or maybe even a table, was the last thing she’d heard. She opened her eyes and saw the unpainted ceiling of her foyer. The voices she’d been hearing belonged to her favorite local police officer, Mark Baldwin, and some tall hunk of awesome she’d never seen before. The cute guy bent and smiled at her.
“Hey, you’re awake. I thought you’d sleep through the ambulance ride for sure. That’s some bump on the back of your head.” He flipped on a small flashlight and studied Mia’s eyes. “You know where you are?”
“I’m at the school. I mean, my house.” Mia tried to sit up, but straps held her to the gurney. “Why am I strapped down?”
“Safety precautions. I was just getting ready to load you in the ambulance and get you to the hospital. You’ll feel better once the doc checks you over. I can’t give you anything for the headache. Policy, you know.” He reached over and felt her wrist for a pulse.
Mark Baldwin stepped closer. “Do you remember what happened?”
Mia turned her head, straining to see his face. “I think someone was in the house when I got home.”
The look on the officer’s face told her everything she needed to know. In his eyes, she was at best an idiot, and at worst maybe a killer. He sighed. “Why do you think that?”
“Uh, duh? Do you see me strapped to this gurney?” Mia’s face felt hot. She squirmed, but the EMT held her gently.
“Calm down,” he said.
Mia closed her eyes as calm floated over her body. She breathed a blessing to the Goddess that she wasn’t dead. Now, if she could just keep from killing Officer Baldwin, she’d be peachy.
“Miss Malone, please, just answer my question. Why do you think someone was in your house
when you arrived?” He hadn’t even taken out that notepad she’d seen him madly scribbling in while he interviewed people after they’d found Adele.
“I heard a crash—two actually—just before I opened the door.”
“And yet you came in, alone?”
Now it was Mia’s turn to sigh. “I have a cat. Cats get into things where they don’t belong. I thought Mr. Darcy had knocked something off a shelf.”
“Who’s Mr. Darcy?” Now Baldwin looked confused.
“The cat.” Mia glanced at the door. “How long has that been wide open? Mr. Darcy could have gotten out.”
A new voice joined the conversation. A familiar new voice. Isaac. “The door was open when I dropped off Christina. I made her wait in the car while I checked the place out, then I saw you crumpled on the floor.” He touched her face, concern filling his eyes. And for once, Mia thought it might be a real emotion. “Are you all right?”
Mia closed her eyes, willing the tears to stay away. She bit her lip. When she opened her eyes he’d stepped away from the gurney and lowered his hand to his side. “I’m fine.”
Isaac must have heard all the things she didn’t say because he studied her face carefully before speaking. “Christina locked Mr. Darcy upstairs in the apartment. She’s getting you a change of clothes in case they keep you overnight.”
Office Baldwin spoke up. “Glad everyone’s on the same page; now, can we get back to the situation? What exactly happened when you opened the door?”
“I reached over, turned on the lights, then the back of my head exploded. The next thing I remember is hearing your charming voice.” Mia stared at the police officer, who must never have taken customer service training in his life.
“Look, you can question her later. I’ve got to get her to the hospital.” The EMT stood and pushed the gurney to the door.
“Wait, what about the house?” Mia glanced around for Christina, who still hadn’t appeared. “Who will lock up?”
Isaac came to the side of the bed. “No worries. Christina and I will take care of everything.”
He smiled at her and her heart sank. Any positive emotion she’d thought he’d held for her disappeared in that one smile. She’d bet as soon as the building was clear, he’d be looking for her cookbook. That had to be why he had even made the three-hour trip, to con Christina into spying for him. Now, he had full access to everything.
Except the cookbook’s in the safe. Confident that he’d never find the hidden safe, she smiled back at him. Do your best.
Isaac continued watching as the EMT loaded her into the waiting ambulance. When the doors closed and she couldn’t see him anymore, Mia relaxed just a bit while the cute guy settled in beside her.
“My name’s Levi. You know my brother.” He rapped on the side of the wall separating the back from the driver’s area and called out, “We’re ready to go.”
She felt the ambulance move and her stomach turned queasy. She gripped the blanket tightly in her hand. Don’t pass out, don’t pass out. She focused on the EMT, now known as Levi. “I know your brother? How?”
“Does it help when I say my last name is Majors?” He smiled, and Mia saw the resemblance. Same green eyes, same dimple in the chin, but Levi had jet-black hair instead of his brother’s light brown, almost red mop.
“I didn’t know Trent had a brother.” Mia frowned, her head pounding. “Wait, maybe he did say something.”
“He has two, actually. Will’s an attorney in Boise. Trent runs the store. I’m the baby and the underachiever.”
“Working as an EMT isn’t an underachiever.” Mia studied Levi’s face; he probably wasn’t much older than Christina.
“It is when both your older brothers have graduate degrees and are certifiable geniuses.” He adjusted the IV line. “Mom wanted me to be a doctor, I wanted to ski. This is a compromise so we both get what we want.”
Mia frowned. She hadn’t even noticed the tube he’d hooked up to her; must have happened before she’d woken.
Levi saw her glance. “Just a precaution. We in the medical field believe in hydration. You wouldn’t believe how many people pass out just because they are dehydrated.”
“I didn’t pass out.” Was she going to have to explain she was attacked to everyone she met? What, did she look like someone who was so fragile she walked around passing out?
“Yeah, I know. Baldwin can be a tool sometimes. He gets something in his head and bam, you’re on his list forever. Before you showed up that focus was all on me.” Levi grinned. “I’m glad there’s someone new for him to focus on.”
Mia felt the ambulance slow for Magic Spring’s only stoplight, which, of course, was red. It was always red. She guessed she wasn’t dying because the ambulance driver hadn’t even turned on his lights or siren. She focused back on Levi, who seemed to be a normal, if highly inked, EMT. “Why would you be on his list?”
Levi stood and walked to the back of the ambulance, grabbing a second blanket for her. As he covered her up, he grinned at her, “Don’t you know I’m the town’s bad boy warlock?”
Mia studied Levi’s face to see if he was just joking with her. She didn’t know all the members of Magic Springs’s coven.
“I just want you to know we have a small, discreet coven with members from the surrounding area. Nothing too big or demanding; we usually only get together on the holidays, like summer solstice.” He grinned. “At least not since the new management took over a few months ago.”
“Potlucks?” Mia relaxed. “What, are you the local welcome wagon for new magical folks who move into Magic Springs?”
“Something like that.” Levi leaned back on his seat. “I’m the only one in the family who follows the old craft, if you were wondering. Trent and the others seem to think our heritage is better off staying myth and smoke.”
Well, so much for her and Trent having anything but a casual fling. The next real relationship she had, there would be no secrets. And if the guy came from a magical family and didn’t embrace the life at least a little, he couldn’t be the one. The Goddess would bring her a mate. All she had to do was ask. But right now, getting the business up and running was first on her list. Oh, and figuring out who had attacked her. And why.
“It must be hard hiding your true self.” Mia warmed to the guy. He felt like he could be a great friend. He was easy to talk to and understood her magical side. A side she’d had to keep hidden while growing up and, if she was honest with herself, most of her life. She’d always tried to keep her relationships normal, which meant she kept them casual—never letting anyone know all of her.
“I think you might just know more about that subject than me. So, you used to date that tool, Isaac.” Levi’s grin showed the dimple in his chin. “What were you thinking?”
“Blame it on wanting to be normal.” She leaned back on the gurney. “Wait, who told you that we dated?”
“He did. He kept explaining to the cop how the two of you were a couple. Baldwin wasn’t buying it, especially when that cute blonde piped up and ratted him out. Boy, she doesn’t like her brother one bit, does she?” Levi glanced out the window, but Mia thought she saw a tint of pink on his cheeks.
“Christina shouldn’t have to take sides. I’ve told her not to. She’s mad at him for the way he dumped me. Of course, if I’d listened to my intuition, I would have expected something like that.” Mia blew out a long breath. “Honestly, I knew we were over for years. I just didn’t want to be the one to bury a body in case there was a breath left. When I caught him with his new girl, I was shocked.”
“Love gets in the way of power. It can make us blind. Believe me, I’ve dated a few disasters in my life who I should have run away from screaming. Women. And they call witches scary? Some normal women are the true horror stories.” Levi patted her hand. “Sorry you got hurt.”
“I’ll survive. I’ve moved on. Figurative and literally. Beside, now I get to meet surprising new friends.” She felt the ambulance turn into Magic Spring
’s Memorial Hospital parking lot.
Levi stood. “We’ll do coffee one day and compare love war stories. You should come to a circle. You might like the coven.”
“I’ve been invited before; it’s just that we’re not those type of witches.” Mia’s words slurred. She leaned her head back on the pillow. All of a sudden she felt tired, beat tired. She didn’t hear his answer before she’d fallen asleep.
CHAPTER 8
Mia heard her grandmother’s knitting needles clacking together before her eyes focused on the one person who’d always been there for her. Mary Alice had her head down, her gaze on the soft fluff of what was beginning to look like a scarf. Mia could watch her grandmother knit for hours.
“How’s your head feel?” Grans didn’t look up from her work. Her needles changed the balls of yarn and transformed them into cloth so soft, Mia wanted to sink her face into the uncompleted project.
Mia closed her eyes and checked out her injuries. “Like I lost the bet and had to go into the bear cave alone.”
Grans chuckled. “Could be you’re not that far away from the truth.”
Mia sat upright in bed even though the swift movement made her head pound even more. “What do you mean? Did they find out who was in the building?”
“I think they have their suspicions, but the good news is, Officer Baldwin almost believes you didn’t kill Adele.” Grans patted her forearm. “Lay back down, child. The doctor will want to check you out before you go all avenging angel on someone.”
“I feel so relieved,” Mia said, leaning back into the crisp pillow. “Not. What makes you think he doesn’t suspect me anymore?”
“You couldn’t have hit yourself over the head at the angle of your attack.” Grans smiled. “You never know what blessings an action will bring.”
“Yeah, like a splitting headache.” Mia reached up, gently touching the bandage on the back of her head and winced. “Who would do this?”