Prelude to a Witch Page 12

  Once back in Hemlock Cove, I headed for the inn’s extensive library. I needed to bone up on shades. If Helen was right, we were dealing with an enemy who knew us. That made things dicier.

  I heard my mother and aunts in the kitchen sniping at one another, which was their way. More guests would start rolling in for the weekend this afternoon, and even more tomorrow. They had a lot on their plates when it came to running the inn and I had no intention of interrupting them.

  I selected several books from the shelves and sat on the couch, glancing over at my phone when it started buzzing. Landon’s name scrolled across the screen.

  “Is anything wrong?” I asked as I answered.

  “Sometimes I just like to call my future wife to hear her voice,” he said. “I don’t only call when something is wrong.”

  “True, but we’re in the middle of a murder investigation, so I figured it was a possibility.”

  “I just wanted to check on you.” His voice was soft. “Are you still in Shadow Hills?”

  “No. I’m at the inn.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Researching.” I told him about my conversation with Helen. “I don’t know if it’s shades but it’s as likely an explanation as anything else,” I said. “Helen suggested that the shades could’ve been spelled to be invisible so I couldn’t see them.”

  Landon was quiet a beat, and when he spoke again his tone was sharper. “You specifically?”

  I hesitated. The last thing I wanted to do was frighten him, but now wasn’t the time to hold back information. “Maybe. I honestly don’t know.”

  “Well, I don’t like that,” he groused. “If someone cast a spell so these shades are invisible that means they know what you’re capable of.”

  “I don’t disagree.”

  “Bay ... .”

  I waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, I decided to take control of the conversation. “I’m being safe, Landon. I’m researching shades to figure out what I can do to make them visible. I’m not out running toward danger without backup.”

  “And what good will that do?”

  “At least if I can see them, I’ll know how many I’m dealing with. I also might be able to control them.”

  “Have you tried to control them so far?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “You know why.”

  His sigh was long and drawn out. “You don’t like enslaving souls. It makes you feel icky.”

  “While I would hate you using the word ‘icky’ under different circumstances, it feels like the correct word now.”

  He laughed. “Sweetie, I know you feel as if you’re stripping free will from the ghosts when you call on them, but that’s going to be necessary under certain circumstances. You need to get used to it.”

  “I’ve been doing it.”

  “Only as a last resort.”

  “Which is exactly how it should be.” I refused to back down. “I don’t want to be some all-powerful oracle who uses ghosts whenever the mood strikes. That leads to bad witches.”

  “I don’t think you could ever turn bad, but I’m not going to argue with you. I love you and know you’ll do what’s right. I just wanted to check on you. Terry and I are heading out with the search teams looking for Richard and Anna Gilmore. We’ve had no luck so far, but we’re hitting the woods. My cell phone might not get service out there and I didn’t want you to worry.”

  That was so Landon. He always thought ahead on issues like that. “Well, I appreciate the call. Is Hannah with you?”

  “No. She’s doing her own thing. She says she needs to get a feel for the town if she’s going to profile the sort of person who would carry out a murder like this in our neck of the woods.”

  “Do you believe her?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t decide how I feel about her.”

  “No matter what you say, I think you’re feeling a bit of jealousy because she’s clearly still carrying a torch for me.”

  “I don’t feel jealous,” I countered. “I know you love me. There’s no reason for me to feel jealous.”

  “I agree.”

  “So why do you keep circling back to that? Do you want me to be jealous?”

  “Absolutely not.” I could practically see the emphatic headshake he was likely putting on display on the other end of the call. “I want you to always feel secure where I’m concerned, Bay. It’s normal human behavior to feel a bit of jealousy when an old girlfriend shows up. Your place in my heart is secure. Forever.”

  “I know.”

  “She never got the proposal to end all proposals, did she?”

  That made me laugh. “You’re going to throw that proposal in my face for the rest of our lives, aren’t you?”

  “That was my moment.”

  “And you nailed it.”

  “I did. I just wanted to make you aware that I might be out of phone contact for a few hours. With Hannah running around town, I want you to be careful.”

  “I’m not even sure I’ll be heading to town. I’ve got my research books and am comfortable here.”

  “That’s good. You’re safe there. Nothing will get past Aunt Tillie.”

  “I’m pretty sure she’s in town torturing Mrs. Little. She stopped in at the newspaper office this morning. She needed a place to change into her leggings after Mom confiscated the first pair.”

  “Ah. She’s shopping in bulk now.”

  “Mom should stop complaining about the leggings and then Aunt Tillie will stop trying to outdo herself with each subsequent pair. Trying to control her just gives her more power when she’s in a mood.”

  “That’s a Winchester family trait. I have to go. I love you. I’m looking forward to learning more about shades when I see you tonight.”

  “And I look forward to telling you.”

  I DUG DEEP INTO THE BOOKS, JOTTING notes on a legal pad I’d found in the drawer. It was like being back in school and cramming for a test, but this time the stakes were much higher. I was so lost in thought I didn’t realize that somebody was hovering by the door until I heard a soft throat-clearing. When I glanced up, I found Hannah watching me.

  “I don’t want to intrude,” she said.

  “It’s fine.” I closed the book because I didn’t want her curiosity getting the better of her. “I’m just ... reading.”

  “It looks like you’re researching.” She sat in one of the chairs across from me, her eyes going to the legal pad. “May I ask what you’re researching?”

  I wasn’t sure how to answer. “Oh, well ... .”

  “This town is interesting,” Hannah noted when I didn’t continue. “It should be a case study for a psychology journal. I’ve been walking around for a few hours and I’ve seen any number of strange things.”

  “Aunt Tillie?”

  “Your great-aunt could definitely be studied. She has a few diagnosable personality quirks.”

  Oh, well, I didn’t mind this conversation. “Which quirks?”

  “Well, for starters, I think she has ADHD and could use some medication.”

  “She would say her wine is medication enough.” And the pot field that was strategically hidden from prying law enforcement eyes on the back property, I silently added.

  “She has trouble focusing on one thing,” Hannah mused. “She clearly enjoys torturing people.”

  “That makes her sound evil. She only likes torturing some people. If you’re not on her list, you’re perfectly safe.”

  “Have you been on her list?”

  “Yup.”

  “And what sort of punishment has she doled out to you?”

  “Most of it was minor, kid stuff.” I couldn’t answer that without mentioning the big family secret. All of Aunt Tillie’s punishments involved curses and spells.

  Hannah studied me for a long moment. “You don’t trust me.”

  “I don’t know you.”

  “Would
it help if I told you I’m not interested in Landon?”

  I liked that she was straightforward. “I don’t think you’re interested in Landon,” I assured her. “I do think you’re intrigued about how Landon ended up here.”

  “That’s a very astute observation. The man I knew, who was then more of a boy really, had big dreams. They involved city hopping until he got to a big metropolis. He started in Traverse City and was expected to jump to the Detroit office. It never happened.”

  “He was offered a position in Detroit,” I explained. “He decided to stay here.”

  “With you.”

  “You think I held him back.” It was a statement, not a question. “It’s okay. You can say it.”

  “Actually, I think you balance him out,” Hannah corrected. “Holding him back is something you’re worried about. I should point out that nobody else here is worried about that, including Landon. That’s all internal, coming from you.”

  “Is this your psychology degree at work?”

  “Yes, and I know it drives people crazy. That’s a failure of mine.”

  “I don’t think you’re a failure.”

  “No?” She arched an eyebrow. “I do have a few bad personality quirks. Analyzing people is one of them. Yours is occasional bouts of insecurity.

  “I like watching you and Landon together,” she continued. “It’s obvious you love one another. He’s vastly changed from the man I knew at the academy. The job is no longer his only reason for being. Now you’re his main reason for being.”

  My cheeks burned under her studied gaze. “I don’t think that’s true.”

  “But it is. He loves you with his whole heart. It’s written all over his face when he looks at you.”

  “Are you bothered by that?”

  “No. Landon was nothing more than a passing phase when I was young and trying to figure things out. You needn’t worry. I’ve since figured things out. I’m not the same person he knew back then either.”

  “You’re not?”

  “Nope. I’m involved, too.”

  I tried to decide if that was a relief. I didn’t look at Hannah as a threat — despite Landon’s insistence that she was likely still crushing on him — so I was happy for her. “That’s nice.”

  “Her name is Adrian.”

  “Oh.” Realization dawned. “Oh.”

  Hannah laughed at my response. “It’s okay. I didn’t realize when I was dating Landon. We didn’t connect, and part of that was because he was looking for a fling. I was trying to figure out who I was at the time. I wasn’t looking for a connection either.

  “The thing is, at the time, I assumed Landon would spend fifteen to twenty years focused on his job,” she continued. “Then I thought he would find some pretty young thing to marry and have children with. He did the exact opposite.”

  My nose wrinkled.

  “Not that you’re not pretty,” Hannah offered with a laugh. “That came out wrong. You’re definitely pretty. I simply thought he would opt for an empty-headed woman because the job was going to be his driving force. He went the other way, though. He went for a woman of substance ... and he’s completely infatuated with you.”

  “We’re happy,” I said. “I don’t know that he’s infatuated with me.”

  “You associate that word with the negative when it’s not necessary,” Hannah said. “He is infatuated with you. He’s constantly touching you, whether it be a stroke of the hair or his fingers brushing against your arm. He’s also constantly looking at you. That’s infatuation.”

  “We’re newly-engaged. It’s a hormonal thing.”

  “I don’t think so, and there’s no need to sell yourself short.” Hannah graced me with a kind smile. “You changed Landon’s life. You worry that you won’t be enough for him, but you’re wrong. He loves the life you’ve built together. I’ve never seen him more fulfilled.”

  “I guess that’s good.” I dragged a hand through my hair. “You know, he’s going to be really upset when he figures out you no longer have a crush on him. That was boosting his ego.”

  She laughed. “Something tells me he’ll survive. You’re all he really cares about.”

  “That’s not true. He cares about his job. This murder is giving him fits.”

  “It’s giving us all fits.” Hannah leaned back in her chair and flicked her eyes toward the window. “Part of my job is to read a community. That’s what I’ve been trying to do while hanging around Hemlock Cove today. Do you know what I found when I tried to read Hemlock Cove?”

  “Schizophrenia?”

  “Kind of, and it makes me laugh that you also see it. My understanding is that you left Hemlock Cove for a few years and moved to Detroit.”

  I froze. Had she been checking on my background? “Who told you that?”

  “Landon. We had lunch at the diner before he took off with Chief Davenport. He mentioned that you’d only been back in Hemlock Cove a few months when you two met.”

  I was intrigued. “What else did he say?”

  “It wasn’t so much what he said but how he said it. He always smiles when your name comes up. So does Chief Davenport.”

  “Chief Terry helped raise us. Aunt Tillie was our primary caregiver sometimes when we were kids. She would drag us around when she was in the mood to torture Mrs. Little. Sometimes Chief Terry would have to get us out of trouble.”

  “He’s your father figure.”

  I pressed the tip of my tongue to the roof of my mouth and considered the statement. “I have a father. I love him.”

  “Yes, but Chief Davenport is the father of your heart.”

  “I love them both.” I would never say otherwise. “In some ways I’m closer to Chief Terry.”

  “He loves you dearly.” Hannah’s smile turned enigmatic. “He’s also determined to cover for the fact that there’s real magic in this town.”

  All of the oxygen whooshed out of my lungs and I had to tamp down my panic. “W-what?”

  “You look surprised.” Hannah’s chuckle was light. “I’m a pragmatic woman, Bay, but I’m not so pragmatic that I’m incapable of believing in the fantastical.”

  I chose my words carefully. “What is it you think you believe?”

  “I believe that there’s real magic hidden under the fake witch stuff in Hemlock Cove. I also believe your family is at the heart of that. It’s okay if you don’t want to admit it. I can’t imagine being in your position.”

  I fervently wished Aunt Tillie would interrupt us, something I never thought I would wish for. “We’re just a normal family.”

  “You’re not, but that’s none of my business. If you choose to trust me going forward, I’ll be grateful. If you don’t, I’ll understand. I’m here to solve a murder, and I would be lying if I said the blood runes on the trees don’t give me reason for concern.”

  “I researched the case you mentioned in Salem,” I said. “Did you know there was another case twenty years before that?”

  She nodded. “I did. Unfortunately, the evidence in the older case wasn’t filed correctly and has since been lost. There are only two vague reports. The case from two years ago has a lot of the hallmarks of this case. However, it’s difficult for me to believe that someone came from Salem to Hemlock Cove to commit ritual murder.”

  “Then what do you believe?” I asked.

  “I believe there’s something significant about the runes,” she replied. “It’s some sort of magical ritual. The similarities are because someone is looking for a specific outcome. We need to figure out what that outcome is.”

  “Yeah.” I blew out a sigh. “I don’t know what the runes signify.”

  “Is that what you’re doing here? Researching the runes.”

  “Oh, um ... .” I watched as Hannah took the book from my lap and flipped it to the page where I’d placed a pen to keep my place.

  “Shades?”

  “I’m thinking of writing a book,” I lied.

  She immediately dismissed the lie.
“You think this has something to do with evil ghosts.”

  Despite her interest in magic – which she’d hidden pretty well during our ride to the scene hours earlier – she obviously didn’t understand what we were dealing with. Still, I liked her a great deal more than I did at breakfast. She was a woman trying to find her place in the world. That didn’t make her evil.

  “I’m just reading,” I said. Despite her amiable nature, I didn’t feel comfortable admitting the truth about my family. “It’s nothing more than that.”

  Hannah nodded and handed the book back. She looked tired when she got to her feet. “You don’t trust me. It’s okay. I’ve given you no reason to trust me.”

  “I’m just reading,” I insisted.

  “Then I’ll leave you to your reading. If you find anything important, I’m sure you’ll tell Landon. He obviously knows the truth about you.”

  My stomach did an uncomfortable flip. “The only truth about me is that I love him and my family is nuts.”

  “Keep protecting yourself, Bay. Your instincts are good. But I’m not the enemy. When you do know something, I’m sure we’ll all be able to work together to figure it out. Until then, I’ll keep doing what I do best and assume you’ll do the same.” She didn’t wait for an answer before heading for the door. “Good luck,” she called out before disappearing.

  I started rubbing my forehead. Things had just gotten more complicated, and I wasn’t sure that was even possible.

  13

  Thirteen

  I worked all afternoon in the library, which is where Landon found me when he showed up for dinner.

  “Have you been home at all?” He tipped up my chin and kissed me before settling on the couch next to me.

  I shook my head. “There’s a lot of information here on shades.”

  “And?” He looked hopeful.

  “And none of the information is the same. I mean ... none of it. Nobody seems to agree on why they are what they are, or why they can do what they can do. Speaking of the things they can do, it varies and is all over the place. Some think they’re enslaved ghosts. Others think they’re different entirely.”

  “Okay, so what do we do?”