Cold Cases and Haunted Places

by Trixie Silvertale

  “You aren’t planning to curse me, are you?”

  I winked at her. “Not anytime soon, no. But you’d better be on your best behavior.”

  “A witch never makes a promise she knows she can’t keep,” Mallory said, and we cracked up laughing as we walked through the door.

  Get more Zoe, Moon Grove, magic, and mystery in Broomsticks and Burials, the FREE first book in the Magic & Mystery series of paranormal cozy mysteries!

  Reporter Zoe Clarke's life has lost its magic. So when she gets a job offer in the middle of nowhere, Zoe jumps at the chance to make a name for herself only to find her new home is teeming with magic and paranormal beings — and those aren't its only secrets.

  During a heated election for Head Witch, the most powerful position in town, Zoe’s predecessor was buried alive — and accusations are flying faster than broomsticks. Despite her editor’s orders to leave the story alone, Zoe can’t resist.

  Will Zoe’s nose for truth lead her to the murderer and the scoop of a lifetime? Or will they send her to an early grave?

  Download Broomsticks and Burials FREE today to find out!

  * * *

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  Take a look at Mandy's high school days! A looong time before she joins the FBI's Paranormal Cases Division, Mandy and her BFF Katie go on a Halloween double date—to a haunted swamp. A little fright will help ignite romance, right? Except, there's far more lurking in the water.

  Prologue

  Manhattan was dressed in orange and black. Halloween was just around the corner, and the city that never sleeps was doing it more fashionably than ever. Ghosts and pumpkins adorned the windows and lamp posts. Countless eyeballs were gawking at the tourists and the townspeople as they passed by.

  “You know what, Mandy? You just stepped aside for a ghostly woman,” Jackie teased, floating by my side.

  “Are you sure? She was stomping her way over here, and I didn’t wanna get hit.” My eyes widened as I looked at my ghostly pal. On this day, she was dressed in a sexy witch costume with a long slit on one side, complete with a pair of sky-high heels in black and gold.

  My name is Mandy Rowling, née Meyer. I’m a stay-at-home mom, occasionally working on cases for Rick, my husband and the COO of USCAB—United States Cover All Bases, a security-based conglomerate and the Rowlings’ family business—handles. You might have noticed, but I can talk to ghosts, and my ability often comes in handy when talking to murder victims and dead witnesses.

  Jackie is a ghost with a heart of gold, who loves to dress up in flashy, eye-catching garments. In her previous life, she was a Broadway heartthrob with a golden, girlie heart. In the early days of our relationship, I used to use my phone as a prop whenever I talked to her in public—pretending to be on the phone.

  “She was a ghost, you know.” Jackie winked at me, pointing behind us. “You see? That dude over there doesn’t notice her.”

  As I looked in the direction of her hand, the woman we were talking about was still charging fast and furious, going through every person and object in front of her.

  “Okay. I believe you.” I nodded to her. Thanks to the spreading of hands-free phone devices and more self-absorbed people nowadays, I could openly talk to her in public.

  “Good.” She gave me a thumbs-up, and then she tilted her head. “By the way, Mandy, you say I’m the first ghost you’ve ever talked to, but I have a hunch you could have been chatting with random ghosts without even noticing they’re dead.”

  “You have a point.” I had to agree with her, and then I had a lightbulb moment. “Actually, I think I did come across some ghosts before meeting you.”

  “Of course you did. You were a medical student before meeting Rick, so you must have come across many ghosts without noticing their ‘dead’ status.”

  “I guess so,” I nodded. “Suppose I’m chatting with somebody while sitting on the campus’s bench waiting for someone, but my company’s no longer there by the time my human acquaintances showed up. And the next thing I know, they’re asking me what I was thinking, talking to thin air as if I were performing some kind of a pantomime.”

  “Oh, I can imagine it.” Jackie chuckled. “Maybe the ghosts were making bets about if and when you’d finally realize they’re dead.”

  “Maybe,” I said, wondering what they would have wagered. After all, ghosts can’t eat, drink, or buy stuff using money. Then I gasped, suddenly recalling a bizarre experience that had been buried in my memory landfill. “Oh my God! I think I just remembered my first ghostly encounter. Yeah, it was my first. How could I forget about that? I can’t believe it.”

  “Hey, I haven’t heard about that episode.” Jackie bounced around me, twirling a stick that looked like a magical wand. “Tell me about your first contact. I’m all ears!”

  “Okay.” I giggled. “It happened a long, long time ago. Back then, I was a high school junior, and I was Mandy Meyer…”

  1

  Years ago. In classroom I-2, First High School, Queens, New York…

  “Seriously? Are we really going ghost hunting?” I exclaimed. “But we’re going on a date! I thought dating would be more romantic. What if some stray ghost butts in and interrupts you guys when you’re about to kiss each other?” While talking about my friend’s date, I was secretly picturing me and my date Nate making out, but that could sound too desperate and too needy, and I didn’t want to scare him off before I’d even kissed him.

  “We’re going on a double date, Adam and me, and Nate and you,” Katie corrected me. “And, for your information, ghost hunting can be pretty romantic. Not to mention it’s super-fun.”

  “Ghost hunting is spooky and unromantic,” I countered. “Hey, it’s not like this ghost tour is unchangeable or nonrefundable, you know. Why don’t we change our plans and go to a movie or something? I mean, something fun?”

  “You mean, like trick or treating? No can do.” She shook her head mercilessly. “Just because it’s Halloween season doesn’t mean we should act like a bunch of third-graders. It’s not just a date. You know Nancy Maxwell? The girl from Class J-1? At her request, we’re gonna visit La Petit Swamp to expel the spirit haunting the place.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding! Seriously, that swamp is haunted. I’ve heard so many horror stories about that place.”

  As I protested, Katie shushed me. “Mandy, no need to talk like you’re running for governor. You see? Everybody’s staring at us.”

  “Oops, my bad. My voice tends to boom when I’m upset, you know.” I let out a sigh of relief for not blurting out my plan to get smoochy with Nate.

  My best friend, Katie Wilkins, is a fellow classmate of mine. We’d been in the same class since freshman year, and we became fast friends, as we tended to sit in the same area in class. Katie was a social butterfly who’d been invited to join the cheerleading squad many times, while I was a hardcore introvert who detested gym class more than anything. Still, we somehow hit it off.

  If you’re guessing I was a late bloomer, you’re right. At the sweet age of sixteen, I had never been on a date with a boy, and when Katie offered to match me with Nate Cooper, I was thrilled. No, thrilled was the understatement of the year. Nate happened to be my crush du jour. He was tall, muscular, and had a super-cute smile with a dimple on one side of his cheeks. I also used to admire his shoulder blades whenever he took off his shirt to change into his soccer uniform. In my opinion, the soccer team offered the cutest uniform for the high school boys. Baseball gear looked a little bit too pajama-like, and I didn’t fancy the under-tights of the football uniform…

  Oh, about La Petit Swamp. It’s a swamp located at the edge of our school district. Unlike its cutesy name, it wasn’t fancy or romantic, and definitely not a place to go for a date night. Basically, it’s bottomless, and rumors said countless souls were resting in it—apparently, not in peace. Anyway, a smorgasbord
of ghost sightings by the hikers who wandered into this area had been reported every year. After all, this area was surrounded by dense woods and scratchy bushes, and it’s always dark, even in the middle of a sunny day. In a nutshell, nobody liked hanging out around that area.

  “Seriously, we shouldn’t go near that swamp.” I shook my head. “I think I saw hundreds of spirits gathering there when we went to this pond close to the swamp.” I knew what I’d witnessed must have been something like a fog, but I didn’t mention that. I also omitted the reason I went there; Dad drove me to capture tadpoles at the pond. When I was little, I used to have tadpoles as pets, and some even grew into frogs.

  “Wow. So, Mandy, you actually saw ghosts! How cool is that?” Katie perked up.

  “Um… what I saw could have been some kind of a haze, you know,” I mumbled, but she wasn’t listening.

  “Adam was sooo right! He urged me to invite you to this special occasion.” Her baby blues sparkled with excitement. “You know what? I showed him some class photos, and he noticed bizarre lights frolicking around you.”

  “Bizarre lights around me?” I rolled my eyes. “Those lights around me are some kind of atmospheric effect, you know. Though, I like to blame the photographer for his lousy job.”

  “Whatev. Anyway, Adam thinks it’s best if you’re hanging around with us when we take on the ghosts in the swamp. Adam learned to cast out evil spirits by taking some seminars, and I’ve seen him successfully cleanse stray souls so many times. So, I trust him. Then again, sometimes, it takes time for the ghosts to appear. He says the chances of the ghosts appearing will be better with your presence, and I can’t agree with him more. I have a feeling we’re gonna nail this case.”

  “We?” I knitted my eyebrows. Adam Parker rocked at math and physics, but for a science genius, he had this weird obsession about the paranormal world. As much as I liked Katie as a friend, I couldn’t quite understand why she was dating such a weirdo.

  “Come on, stop looking like you’re seriously reconsidering this date plan. This is gonna be so much fun! Even better, Adam will be paying all of us with gold coins.”

  “Oh, really?” My ears perked up at the mention of gold coins. Adam’s family had been in the jewelry business for generations, and he’d been carrying pure gold and pure platinum coins like quarters. I had a soft spot for the golden yellow glitter of the precious metal, and I didn’t mind owning some. Besides that, I could always exchange them for cash when I was done admiring them.

  Katie, the youngest of three sisters in a dentist’s family, flashed her perfect set of pearly whites. “So, you’re in! This is gonna be so much fun!”

  At this point, all I could think about were gold coins and the sexy shoulder blades of Nate.

  2

  The time flew by with the speed of light, and the next thing I knew, it was date night. Full disclosure, I couldn’t sleep very well in the days leading up to the date. During the night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the passionate romance about to blossom between Nate and me. I was ready for whatever romantic moves the night could throw at me.

  When we arrived at the dark forest in the Toyota Camry Katie drove, the sun was about to retire underneath the horizon, spilling bright golden orange hues all over the place.

  “Look at the sky! It’s so pretty, isn’t it?” Katie said.

  “When it turns darker, it’ll be extra-spooky—especially when we have ghosts joining us in the party!” Nate hollered, raising his palm towards me.

  “Sounds fun! Do you like spooky stuff?” I asked, high-fiving him.

  “Yeah. I’m a huge fan of horror flicks. I was gonna attend the premier of The Big Red Butcher from Hell, but when Adam told me about you, I had to come.” As he spoke excitedly, a dimple was showing on his right cheek, making him even cuter.

  “Wow. So glad you’re going out with me,” I replied, trying to sport a sultry smile. I might have been sporting a goofy grin, but at least I was aiming for something sexier. I didn’t fancy horror flicks myself; I was simply happy to learn that he chose me over the butcher movie. Back then, I was naïve enough to be deliriously happy to hear my crush talking about me in comparison to the big, violent guy enjoying a shower of blood, and casually eating sunny-sides up and sausages for breakfast.

  “Of course.” As he winked, his hazel eyes crinkled. “I saw the class photos, and I couldn’t tear my eyes off you.”

  “Oh… Nate… I… I… I thought I was invisible to you…” I muttered, feeling hot in my cheeks. Oh my God! He sounded as if he had a crush on me, and it was love at first sight! It was like a complete dream come true to me. I always believed my crush on him was one-sided. Who could have imagined we had feelings for each other? “You know, I had no idea that our feelings were—”

  But, before I’d finished the sentence, he interrupted me. “Like Adam mentioned, countless spirits were frolicking around you, Mandy,” he said, completely crushing my fantasy about our budding romance. He continued, “Seriously, you’re a ghost magnet. I wish I’d attended the same junior high as you. I’m sure tagging along with you would have given me a ton of opportunities to meet real ghosts.”

  If I were a witty girl, I would have made a smart-ass remark or two. Except, I was a mousy girl, slightly on the nerdy side, and my brain tended to freeze when things didn’t go as my little gray brain cells had planned. Anyway, all I managed to say was, “Oh, that’s interesting.”

  “Hey, guys. Can you see that house over there?” Adam indicated one of the five houses standing about three hundred yards from us. “That’s where Nancy Maxwell lives.”

  Maybe it was because the location was too close to the notoriously hexed swamp, or maybe because of something like a spooky filter my wimpy brain had created, the gleam of the dark-colored roofs reflecting the sunbeam’s remnants looked eerie and somehow malicious.

  “Look at that largest house on the far right. It’s the Maxwells’ residence.” Katie lowered her voice. “Truth be told, the Maxwells have been through rocky days. First, Pricilla, Nancy’s elder sister, ran away from home last spring. Following that, her older brother Steve got badly hurt in a car wreck, and as for her grandma, she had a stroke and fell ill. To rub salt in the wound, her dad’s company has just been audited for suspicion of tax evasion. Anyway, we visited her home to figure out the origin of the hex, but neither Adam nor I found anything suspicious. So, we came to the conclusion that it’s in the swamp.”

  “I was with them, but I didn’t feel anything,” Nate chimed in. “I think something evil could be lurking in the water.”

  “Oh, okay.” I tilted my head. Hmm, I’d heard about curses causing horrible accidents and illnesses to the hexed, but I wasn’t so sure about the relationship between ghostly presence and tax evasion and runaway sisters. Still, I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut. From my experience, I knew Katie wouldn’t stop midway through a project when she was on a roll.

  Adam looked at me expectantly. “Mandy, how do you feel?”

  “Well… It feels somewhat eerie, but—” I was going to say something along the lines of blaming the darkness for the spookiness, but before I’d finished my sentence, I did a full-body shiver. I didn’t know what had gotten into me, but I felt as if something ice-cold had brushed the nape of my neck.

  “What’s up, Mandy? Are you okay?” Nate looked into my eyes. At this point, I was beginning to realize that my crush wasn’t exactly the guy I’d imagined in my fantasy. Still, his hazel eyes looked sweet enough to pull me back to the real world. Also, with him standing close enough for me to feel the heat of his body and smell the citrusy fragrance he was wearing, I had no time to zone out.

  “I don’t know… I felt suddenly cold, on the back of my neck,” I said, rubbing the nape of my neck, and glancing at the swamp again. “I feel something dark bubbling in the depth of this swamp here. Hey, look at that…”

  I didn’t say that just to appear enigmatic or to seek attention. Honestly, something didn’t feel right abo
ut this place—like some kind of a dark, scary, and eerie monster was lurking in the depth of the water. I didn’t feel that way when I visited a pond close to this place to capture tadpoles a few years ago.

  “Are you sure?” Nate piped up.

  “It looks like Mandy’s ability has already kicked in and the ghosts are starting to flock here.” Adam flashed a wide grin, high-fiving Nate.

  “Guess what? I brought a rosary, talisman cards, and a bottle of holy water,” Katie said proudly. “This bottle of holy water was on sale, and I bought it with a 20% discount.”

  “Cool.” Nate gave her a thumbs-up.

  “I know.” She chuckled, picking up a black cape out of her tote bag and putting it on—looking like a wannabe student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

  “Wow.” My eyes widened. “You might want to audition for the next Harry Potter movie. They might pick you up as a new student moving in from the new world, you know. You could turn into a bigger star than Emma Watson.”

  “I won’t.” She shrugged breezily. “Those movies are just fake. I wanna be a real exorcist and a specialist in witchcraft. Actually, I’ve been taking exorcism gigs in the past few months, and I think I’m getting better and better at doing my job.”

  “Seriously? I didn’t know that,” I said, slightly taken aback. “Why are you so into exorcism?”

  “I’m training to become an exorcist and a professional paranormal advocate.” She puffed out her chest. “I’m planning to expand my family business into the paranormal field. How cool is that?”

  “But, your dad is a dentist,” I said, not quite following her.

  “Dental business isn’t all a bed of roses.” She wrinkled her nose. “During the recessions, visiting the dentist is one of the first things many people cut off. Unlike heart attacks and so on, you don’t end up dropping dead, like, immediately, just because you have crooked teeth or cavities. The teeth could fall out, and there are a smorgasbord of bad impacts on the patient’s health, but such conditions are a lot less dramatic.”