“Has the forensics team found anything at the scene that might be able to help me?” Griffith asked.
Will shook his head. “No. Sorry.”
Griffith took a deep breath. “You’re not as sorry as I am.”
“How about the employee who found the body?” Will asked. “Did you get anything useful out of her?”
“Unfortunately not. Maggie Stone said that when she arrived at work this morning, the kitchen door was already open. She went inside, found the victim’s body on the ground, and then called 9-1-1,” Griffith said.
“How about last night? Does she have an alibi for the time of the murder?” Will asked.
Griffith nodded. “A rock-solid one. She was eating dinner with two of her friends at Mitchell’s Café all the way until ten-thirty yesterday evening.”
Will grimaced. “How about this morning? Did this employee see anything or anyone suspicious when she arrived at work?”
“You mean, other than the dead body?”
“Obviously.”
Griffith shook his head. “No. Just the body.”
Will winced. “You really don’t have much to work with, do you?”
Griffith groaned. “Don’t remind me.”
As Meg sat in her car and watched Griffith and Will speaking, one thing really stood out to her. The deputy was trying his best to put on a good face, but there was a shaky look in his eyes.
Whether he was willing to admit it or not, he was in over his head.
Chapter Six
Meg returned to Connor’s place to check up on him again. Her boyfriend was happy to have her back so soon. He always worried about his fiancé’s safety and didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. So when Meg told Connor that Deputy Griffith refused her help, a look of relief came to Connor’s face.
Connor tried to change the subject, but Meg’s focus didn’t waver.
“What do you think of Deputy Griffith?” she asked.
“He can handle this investigation,” Connor said.
“Do you really believe that?” Meg said. “Or are you just saying that because you don’t want me going out there alone?”
“Meg, please leave this to Griffith.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Okay. Fine. My answer is yes to both of your questions.”
“I wish I had as much confidence in the deputy as you do.”
“Can we please talk about something else? Anything else?”
“I could have really helped him if he’d just given me a chance.”
“Why don’t you just let him do his job?”
“Because he’s just a deputy.”
“I’ve been training him for months. He knows what to do.”
“There’s a big difference between training and a real-life murder investigation. Denise’s killer is out there. There’s no room for error.”
“Look. If there was ever a time for him to prove that he’s ready, it’s now,” Connor said.
Meg’s forehead wrinkled. “Uh-huh.”
Connor looked at his fiancé long and hard. “Meg, please leave this case to Deputy Griffith.”
Meg gave him a smile. “Why don’t you just focus on getting healthy?”
Connor squinted. “I know that look. You’re planning on investigating, aren’t you?”
Meg avoided the question. “You look like you could use another nap.”
Connor tried to get up from bed. “If you insist on investigating this case, I’m going with you.”
Meg shook her head. “Nice try, but you aren’t going anywhere.”
“I have to be there to protect you. This could be really dangerous,” Connor said.
Connor stood up, and then promptly began to wobble.
Just as Connor began to fall over, Meg caught him in her arms. She helped him back onto his bed.
“Sit back and relax. You need your rest,” she said.
“But, I can’t let you—”
Meg put her finger over Connor’s mouth to shush him.
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll go get you some soup,” she said.
Meg exited the room and headed to the kitchen. When she was safely out of Connor’s view, she cast a sleep spell.
Connor quickly drifted off and began snoring.
“I love you,” Meg said. “Get better soon.”
Chapter Seven
Before Meg began her investigation, she stopped over at her mother’s house with one thing weighing heavy on her mind. It would take a good deal of luck, but there was a slight chance that this case could be solved without Meg having to run around town questioning suspects. The problem was that she’d have to convince her mother to help her out. That would be an especially difficult task.
The road to getting her mother to say yes got even longer when Meg revealed the terrible news about Denise’s death. A look of worry was all over Elizabeth Walton’s face as she stared at her daughter.
“Oh dear. It’s happening again. Only it’s even worse this time,” Elizabeth said.
“Mom, please don’t freak out,” Meg said.
Elizabeth grimaced. “It’s too late for that.”
“Can you please just calm down?”
“If you were a mother yourself, you’d know what a ridiculous question that is. You’re talking about investigating a murder case all by yourself. I don’t even like it when you tag along with Connor.”
“Now is not the time for a lecture.”
“Actually, it’s the perfect time for a lecture. This is a terrible idea. You could be killed.”
Meg held her hand up. “Mom, will you just let me say my piece?”
Elizabeth folded her arms. “That depends.”
“On what?”
“Am I going to like what you’re about to say?”
“I don’t think you’ll hate it.”
“That isn’t exactly comforting.”
“Just hear me out,” Meg said.
Elizabeth exhaled. “All right.”
“I need you,” Meg said.
Elizabeth pointed at herself. “Me?”
Meg nodded.
“For what?” Elizabeth asked.
“I think you know,” Meg said.
Elizabeth winced. “Because you want to cast a séance spell?”
Meg nodded. “Exactly. And, as you know, it’s a two-witch spell.”
Elizabeth bit her lip. “What if I don’t agree to help you? Does that mean you’ll have to abandon your investigation?”
Meg shook her head. “No. It means I’ll have to find the killer the hard way.”
“You know, you really have me between a rock and a hard place here?”
“This conversation doesn’t have to be so difficult. Please help me with the spell. I mean, just think—what if we’re able to conjure up Denise’s spirit and she’s able to identify who did this to her? I won’t need to chase murder suspects around town.”
“Meg, you don’t have to do that now. I mean, the police are on the case.”
“While that’s technically true, the lead investigator is a detective-in-training with no cases under his belt. If ever there was a time for me to investigate, it’s now. After all, there’s a killer on the loose.”
“That’s why you should leave this to the deputy, even if he is inexperienced. He’s still a trained professional.”
“I’m not exactly inexperienced myself. Besides, I am armed with plenty of spells.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “You’re so stubborn.”
“Mom, there’s a chance that we can end this now. But I need your help. Please—I’ll beg if I have to,” Meg said.
Elizabeth looked into her daughter’s eyes. She saw nothing but resolve staring back at her.
After a few moments of silence, Elizabeth groaned. “Fine.”
Chapter Eight
The trouble with a séance spell was that it was so energy-intensive. Not only did it require two witches to cast, but it could only be held for a few minutes.
If Meg and Elizabeth were able to conjure Denise’s spirit, Meg would have to make good use of what precious little time she had with Denise.
Meg and her mother sat across from each other on the floor with a number of feet of space between them. They closed their eyes and began chanting. A few seconds later, a glowing blue light appeared in the air.
Within that light, Denise’s spirit emerged. Elizabeth continued chanting with her eyes closed to keep the spell going while Meg stared up at Denise.
Not surprisingly, confusion was all over Denise’s face. “What’s going on? Why am I here?” She squinted at Meg. “Wait a minute. Meg Walton? Is that you?”
“Denise, I know there must be so much going on in your mind, but we don’t have a lot of time. Someone murdered you and we’re trying to figure out who. So we’re holding this séance in hopes that you might be able to give us some answers,” Meg said.
Denise grimaced. “I wish I could.”
“So wait. Are you saying that you don’t know who killed you?” Meg asked.
Denise shook her head. “I have no clue.”
Meg became visibly deflated. “That’s a shame. Did they sneak up behind you then?”
“No. They charged right at me. The problem was, I had just turned off the light in the kitchen and my killer was dressed from head to toe in all black,” Denise said.
“I know you said it was dark, but did you not even catch a glimpse of their face?”
“I’m afraid not,” Denise said. “They were wearing a ski mask.”
“Were you even able to make out the killer’s gender?”
Denise shook her head. “Unfortunately, no.”
Meg took a deep breath.
Denise continued. “I can tell you this, though. About an hour before I was killed, Gary McDonough and I got into a big argument.”
“About what?” Meg said.
“He stopped in at my business, completely frantic,” Denise said. “He told me that Pamela Hutton had discovered our relationship.”
Meg’s nose crinkled. “Who is Pamela Hutton? And why does it matter that she found out about your relationship with Gary?”
“Because Gary and Pamela used to date.”
“How long ago was this?”
“Until yesterday, I thought they had broken up six months ago.”
“Were you mistaken?”
“Apparently, Gary had been lying to me for the entire course of our relationship. All these months, he was dating both Pamela and me at the same time.”
Meg winced. “No way.”
Denise took a deep breath. “Imagine how shocked I was to find that out.”
“What happened next?” Meg said.
“I broke things off with Gary,” Denise said.
“And he didn’t take it well?” Meg said.
Denise shook her head. “Not at all. He started yelling at me so I told him to leave.”
“Did he?” Meg said.
Denise nodded. “In a huff.”
“Do you think he might have come back later to kill you?” Meg said.
Denise bit her lip. “Maybe. Or perhaps it was Pamela who killed me. According to Gary, she was practically spitting fire when she found out about Gary’s relationship with me.”
Meg’s focus was pulled away when she saw her mother straining to keep the séance going.
“Denise, my mother can’t hold the spell much longer. Is there anything else you can tell us that might help us identify your killer?” Meg asked.
Denise’s eyes widened. “Did you just say ‘spell’?”
Meg nodded.
“Wait a minute. Are you and your mother witches?” Denise asked.
“I know it’s hard to believe, but yes,” Meg replied.
“Wow.”
“I know. It’s a lot to take in.”
“No. I meant, I can’t believe there are three witches in town,” Denise said.
Meg’s nose scrunched. “Three?”
Denise nodded.
Meg squinted. “Who is the third witch?”
“Pamela,” Denise said.
Meg’s eyebrows rose. “Hold on. You need to back up a minute. Pamela Hutton, Gary’s other girlfriend, is a witch?”
“She sure is. Why do you think Gary was so frantic when he came over to my place? He was afraid of what an angry witch like Pamela might do to him,” Denise said.
Meg opened her mouth to ask Denise another question, but by then, Elizabeth’s energy was completely drained. She didn’t have the strength to hold the spell any longer.
Sheer exhaustion took hold of Elizabeth.
Just like that, the glowing blue ball of light dissipated.
But even though Denise’s spirit was gone, a whole slew of questions remained.
Chapter Nine
“Did you hear that?” Meg asked.
Elizabeth’s jaw hung open.
Meg continued. “We’re not alone in Enchanted Bay. Another witch has been living in our hometown all this time.”
Elizabeth remained completely silent.
“Mom, don’t you have anything to say?” Meg asked.
“I can’t believe it.”
“That doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Why would Denise lie to us? She has no reason to.”
“If she’s telling the truth, and there has been a witch living in the same town as us all this time, it’s just—”
Meg cut her mother off. “Incredible.”
“I was going to say crazy,” Elizabeth said.
“Did you have any idea that we weren’t the only witches in Enchanted Bay?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “I had no clue.”
Meg scratched her chin. “It makes you wonder if maybe there are even more witches in town than we know about.”
Concern was all over Elizabeth’s face. “That isn’t what I’m thinking.”
Meg’s nose crinkled. “Are you saying that you aren’t even the least bit curious?”
“No. Right now I’m just terrified,” Elizabeth said.
“Yeah? Well I’m fascinated.”
“Honey, I have a really bad feeling about this case.”
“What else is new?”
“I’m serious.”
“Mom, you always have a bad feeling about me investigating.”
“True. But this time, my instincts are warning me more than ever that you should stay out of this investigation.”
“I can’t do that.”
“You say that you can’t, but really you mean that you won’t.”
“We can squabble over my phrasing all you want, but it’s not going to change the fact that Denise was murdered. I mean, we’re not just talking about some random stranger here. Denise was my friend. She deserves justice.”
“I understand that. And I know you think I’m overprotective, but if one of the suspects really is a witch, I have every reason to be worried. I mean, we use our powers for good, but can you imagine how much damage a witch could do if they went down an evil path?”
“All the more reason for me to investigate this case.”
“Don’t you mean all the more reason to stay out of this?”
Meg shook her head. “No. If this witch is the killer, they need to be stopped. And that poor detective-in-training won’t be able to do it. He’ll be woefully outgunned.”
Elizabeth’s brow furrowed. “But what if something happens to you? I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“You’ll have to be. Your life may depend on it.”
“I understand,” Meg said. “Look, I know you wish I would just sit these investigations out, but I need to do this. Not just to get justice for Denise. But for the safety of this town.”
“I know.” Elizabeth took a deep breath. “That’s the problem. You’ve been doing this long enough that I realize there’s nothing I can say to stop you.”
“If it makes you feel any better, my gut is telling me that everything is going to work out just
fine.”
“I’m glad one of us is getting that feeling.”
“I’ll be back in one piece. You’ll see.” Meg leaned in and gave her mother a big hug. “I love you.”
Elizabeth didn’t want to let go. “I love you too.”
Chapter Ten
Meg paid Gary McDonough a visit at his light-green Victorian-style house on Orchid Avenue. Before walking up to his front door, she cast a spell that gave her the appearance of wearing a police uniform. It would be a lot easier to get answers from him if he thought she was a member of the police department.
It took two sets of knocks to get Gary to answer his door, but he finally opened up.
“Mr. McDonough,” Meg said.
The handsome, athletic, round-faced, thirty-nine-year-old looked confused by Meg’s presence at his house.
“Yes?” he replied.
“I need to ask you a few questions about Denise Ward.”
“What sort of questions?”
“The difficult kind.”
Gary’s forehead wrinkled. “Why do you look so disturbed? Did something happen to her?”
Meg nodded. “As a matter of fact, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but she was murdered.”
His face strained. “That’s terrible.”
“It certainly is. Even worse, her killer is on the loose.”
“That’s terrifying. In that case, though, what are you doing here?”
“Like I said, I have some questions to ask you.”
“But if her killer is out there somewhere, what are you doing wasting your time talking to me?”
“Because I want to gather as much information as possible,” Meg said.
“I still think it’s crazy that you’re talking to me—”
Meg interrupted him. “I find that hard to believe. Especially after what happened between you two.”
He folded his arms. “What are you talking about?”
“I know about the fight that you and Denise had yesterday,” Meg said.
His eyebrows knitted. “I don’t know where you heard that from—”
Meg cut Gary off again. “That part is irrelevant. What matters is—”
Witch Cozy Mystery Nine Book Set Page 55