Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery Box Set Read online

  “There’s nothing to fix.” Aunt Tillie was firm. “I told these girls to protect themselves when an enemy attacks. Lila is an enemy. She always has been. She’s still alive. I don’t know what you’re whining about.”

  “So ... you don’t see anything wrong with how your great-nieces responded to this situation?” Jordan countered. “You think they’re correct in their reactions.”

  “Obviously not. They got caught. If they were perfect, Lila would have two black eyes and they would already be on their way home. I’ll sit them down later and we’ll come up with a plan so they won’t get caught next time. How does that sound?”

  “Like you’re compounding the problem.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m going for.” Aunt Tillie flashed an evil smile and then snapped her fingers. “Come on, girls. We’re done here. I’ll give you a ride home. We’ll even stop for ice cream on the way back.”

  “Ms. Winchester, I didn’t say you could leave.” Jordan was on his feet, his eyes wild. “This is a serious situation and we need to discuss it.”

  “You’re not the boss of me.” Aunt Tillie was blasé. “I don’t like all this shrink stuff you do. I don’t like that you go after Bay, Thistle and Clove while allowing Lila to do whatever she wants. I think your whole profession is a bunch of bunk, and I don’t care what you have to say.

  “As for Lila, as long as she continues to go after Bay she’s going to get what’s coming to her,” she continued. “The girls aren’t at fault for what’s happening here. Also, before you give me crap, I don’t think the girls are without fault. I’m sure they can hone their attack so it’s quicker and more efficient. We’ll work on that.

  “Also, the girls screw up all the time and I have no problem yelling at them when they do,” she said. “I’m not blind to their faults. But in this instance they’re not at fault.”

  “So ... you’ll do nothing?” Jordan challenged. “That won’t make them healthy adults who turn to words instead of fists when it comes to solving their problems.”

  “Who said words were better than fists?”

  “Everyone.”

  “Well, I’ve never been one to follow the crowd.” Aunt Tillie offered a sweet smile that I knew meant she had plans for Mr. Jordan should he continue harping on her. “We’re Winchesters. We set our own rules.”

  “That’s not how things work in the real world,” Jordan persisted. “You have to follow rules or the world chews you up and spits you out.”

  “Oh, you’re cute.” Aunt Tillie winked. “That’s only true for people like you. For people like us, we can rule the world ... and rule it well. That’s not going to happen while the girls are trapped in this place. Lucky for you, Bay and Lila are almost done. They’ll be out of here soon.”

  “And what will happen then?” Jordan pressed. “How will Bay fight when she’s not stymied by rules?”

  Aunt Tillie shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m looking forward to finding out. It’s going to be an interesting ride. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing where things end up. As for you, your part of this story ends soon. I would say I’ll miss you but that would be a lie.” She offered him a mocking salute. “Because I’m not a liar I’ll tell you the truth. If we never see you again it will be too soon. Have a nice life.

  “Now, come on girls,” she said, pointing toward the door. “If you want ice cream, we should get it now. I need to be at the end of Margaret Little’s driveway in forty minutes because that’s when she’s due to come home and notice the present I left for her.”

  “Is it yellow snow?” Thistle asked.

  “More like brown snow.”

  “Even better.”

  “I thought so.”

  One

  Present Day

  “So ... you want the ad to say ‘I love everything about you, especially your butt’?”

  I pursed my lips as I tapped the tip of my pen against a pad of paper and regarded Felix Worthington with a hard look. The middle-aged and newly-divorced real estate developer didn’t appear to share the same worries rolling through my busy brain.

  “That’s what I want it to say,” Felix confirmed. “It’s for Debbie Winslow, but I don’t think you should put her name on it. She’ll know I’m directing it to her, so there’s no need to make it public or anything.”

  “Well, I don’t think her husband would like it if you tagged his wife in a personal ad, so I happen to believe you’re making the right decision,” I offered. “It’s still going to cost you fifty bucks without the name.”

  “I’m fine with that.” Felix dug in his wallet and came out with a credit card. “Can you put a heart on it or something, to make it stand out?”

  I nodded as I took the credit card and slid it through the reader. “Sure. I think a heart will class the ad right up.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  I waited until he disappeared from the office to let loose a weary sigh and lean back in my chair. This was the fortieth personal ad I’d taken in three days. I had the bright idea to do a “Lost in Love” section of The Whistler, the newspaper I’d purchased several weeks ago, in honor of the upcoming Hearts and Crones Festival to mark the start of the spring tourist season. That’s right. I, Bay Winchester, was no longer simply a reporter. I was an entrepreneur ... and I was still getting used to it.

  The venture was a moneymaker — the newspaper was solid even though it was more of an advertorial at times — but I had ideas to increase profit margins, and the first I’d implemented was the special ads section to coincide with the upcoming festival. Unfortunately for me, I had no idea how quickly the messages could turn from sweet to perverted.

  When the front door of the newspaper office opened I slapped my hand over my eyes before I could see who was entering. “Go away,” I whined, peeking through my fingers when I heard a familiar chuckle.

  “And here I thought you were enjoying being a titan of industry,” my boyfriend Landon Michaels laughed as he strode toward the front desk. He had a small bakery bag in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. “I brought you gifts and everything. I expected a better welcome.”

  I eagerly reached toward the bag. “What is it? Is it a doughnut?”

  Landon teasingly pulled back the bag before I could get my hands on it. “I want a reward first.”

  I met his gaze. “What kind of reward? I can’t get freaky in the newspaper office during business hours.”

  “You could, but you’re too much of a prude for that.”

  “I am not a prude.”

  “You’re kind of a prude.” Landon tilted his head down and presented his cheek. “Lay it on me.”

  I might’ve fought the demand out of pride, but I wanted whatever he had in that bakery bag, so I smacked a loud kiss against his cheek. “Gimme!”

  “Here.” He handed over both items before grabbing the notepad I’d been writing on. “Who especially likes whose butt?”

  “Ugh.” I rolled my eyes as I dug in the bag, my irritation turning to ecstasy when I caught sight of the cake doughnut he’d lovingly selected with me in mind. It had chocolate frosting and sprinkles. “It’s still warm.”

  “I know. That’s why I decided to surprise you with sugar despite seeing you two hours ago.”

  Even though the road hadn’t been bump-free, Landon and I had managed to settle into a state of domestic calm since moving in together several weeks ago. Sharing the same space with each other wasn’t the issue. However, our proximity to my family was occasional cause for concern. Most everything else was a breeze, especially the fact that he was spending more time in town working — even doing paperwork at the local police station — and popping in to surprise me with food whenever the mood struck.

  “Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.” I bit into the doughnut, a moan of delight easing past my lips. “Oh, man. If I didn’t already love you this would tip you over into ‘forever my love monkey’ territory with one bite. Do you want some?” />
  “Oh, now that’s true love,” Landon teased, his eyes flashing as he smoothed his shoulder-length black hair. “I already ate two. The only reason I knew they were warm is because Chief Terry and I stopped for a mid-morning snack.”

  “Two, huh?” I took another bite and thoughtfully chewed. “You’re going to get fat if you keep eating like that.”

  “I know.” Landon’s smile disappeared. “When we first started dating I didn’t worry too much. At most I ate here three or four days a week. Then, when I headed back to Traverse City to work, I ate healthily and worked out hard for three days. It was a balancing act, but it worked.

  “Now I eat with your family almost every meal and there’s no gym,” he continued. “I need to come up with a workout plan.”

  “Maybe we should get an elliptical or something.”

  “I prefer getting my workouts another way.” He lifted a suggestive eyebrow and poked my side, grinning when my cheeks began burning. “I love how easily embarrassed you are, my little prude.”

  “I’m not a prude.” I tapped the notepad he held by way of proof. “I mean ... seriously. I took all those ads and some of them are rather risqué.”

  “So I noticed.” Landon’s eyes scanned the paper. “Who placed the one about loving the light of someone’s soul until the end of time? That’s kind of sweet.”

  “Father Markham.”

  Landon stilled. “A priest placed a lusty personal ad for the spring love festival?”

  “It’s for God.”

  “Oh, well, that’s okay.” His smile was back. “Who is Tommy Rivers and who does he want to love until his dying day?”

  “Tommy Rivers is a senior at the high school.”

  “Ah. Young love. Is Jenna Barkley a senior, too?”

  “She’s the high school librarian.”

  Landon’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well ... crap.” Landon dug in his pocket until he found a small notebook and jotted down some notes. “I’m just going to ask a few questions at the high school. I’m sure the kid has a crush on her and she’s not encouraging him, but I want to check.”

  “That’s probably wise,” I agreed, snatching my notebook from him before he could continue reading. “You’re done looking through my notes. I don’t want you arresting all my customers.”

  “Fair enough.” He tilted his head to take in the office. “You still haven’t decorated.”

  “No. I don’t know how I want to decorate.”

  “It’s not life-or-death stuff, Sweetie. Just pick a few paintings you like. Although ... why are you working out here today? I expected to find you in your office.”

  “I’ve been busy with ads. It’s easier to take them out here because this is where we keep the credit card reader.”

  “Ah. I see.”

  “Also, it seems too weird to take sexy ads in my office. I’m worried about a random pervert coming in off the street. Other than you, I mean.”

  “Ha, ha.” He flicked my ear. “Now that you mention it, I think it’s smart to take the ads in the front like this. Do you have your pepper spray for protection in case one of these guys attacks?”

  As an FBI agent, Landon had certain ideas when it came to my safety. He needn’t have worried. I had other ideas ... and they were far more diabolical than his.

  “I don’t need pepper spray,” I reminded him. “I’m a witch.”

  “You are. But it doesn’t hurt to have more than one weapon in your arsenal.”

  “I’m a witch who can call ghosts to attack people,” I reminded him. “I can control ghosts.”

  Even though he would’ve heard if someone had entered the office through the front door, Landon glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening before continuing the conversation. “I know you can.”

  “I used them to kill someone.” I was still flustered by that development. I was used to being a witch. I was born that way. Only recently, though, I experienced a power boost that allowed me to order several dead girls to attack their killer. He was trying to kill me at the time, so I didn’t feel all that guilty, but I’d muddled through a few sleepless nights since. I had no idea what to make of the new development.

  “You used your new power to protect yourself,” Landon clarified. “As for the little rodent in question ... I can’t feel sorry that he’s dead, Bay. He killed four girls. He wanted to kill you. You’re the one still standing. I’m thankful for that.”

  He was so calm, so rational, it relieved some of the anxiety coursing through me. “I know. It’s just ... I keep waiting for something else to happen. I know that controlling the spirits of four dead girls isn’t the first and last time this is going to come up.”

  “No.”

  “Doesn’t that worry you?”

  “No.” Landon’s lips curved. “I get that you’re still worked up about this. It’s a big deal. You’re a good person, Sweetie. We’ll figure this out.”

  I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t more worried. “What if I accidentally raise an army of dead spirits and bring about the end of the world?”

  Landon shrugged. “At least I’ll be with you when the end comes.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You’re trying to be charming.”

  “Is it working?”

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Good.” He leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to my mouth. “We’ll figure it out, Bay. Nothing has happened since that day. Well, you’ve been a little tense — which is another reason I brought you the doughnut — but it’s been quiet. We have time to test your new power and figure out how it works.”

  I hated how pragmatic he sounded. “You know, two years ago you didn’t even know witches were real. Now you’re all, like, ‘You can control ghosts and it’s totally fine’ about everything and I think it’s a little weird.”

  Landon’s grin was quick and charming. “Is that your imitation of me? The way you deepened your voice, I mean.”

  “Maybe.”

  “It’s cute.” He tapped the end of my nose. “You don’t need to worry, Bay. I’m not nearly as worked up about this as you are.”

  “Maybe that’s because you don’t understand the ramifications.”

  “Fair enough. What are the ramifications?”

  I absolutely hated when he used that rational tone with me. I mean ... hated. “I can make ghosts do my bidding.”

  “I’ve noticed. Although, technically, you’ve only done it with the girls who were killed and dumped in the snow on the highway. I have a theory about why your new power kicked in when it did, if you’re interested.”

  Oh, well, this should be good. “Lay it on me.”

  “I think you were upset about being the one who found those girls in the snow,” Landon supplied without hesitation. “You were outraged on their behalf, which is understandable. You essentially tethered those girls to you because you were fighting on their behalf.

  “Now, I get that you didn’t realize you were doing it and you want to learn to control the ability,” he continued. “I think that’s a good idea and I’ll be at your side as you figure things out. But this is not the end of the world. In fact, I think it might be useful.”

  “How?”

  “You’ve helped me solve cases before. You talked to the dead and they led you to answers. Now you’re even more powerful. That means the answers will come faster and we’ll be able to get more killers off the streets.”

  He would see things that way. “And what if I accidentally set ghosts to other tasks?” I challenged. “I mean ... what if I send ghosts to haunt someone without realizing I’m doing it?”

  “We’ll figure it out.”

  “We’ll figure it out?” I hated how shrill I sounded, but I couldn’t contain my worry. “Tell that to the poor soul I haunt until he or she loses their mind.”

  “That’s a little dramatic.”

  “I’m a Winchester. We idle at dramatic.”


  “True. The fact remains that you’re the best person I know and I love you. You’re stuck with me. We’ll figure this out together. Getting worked up about it doesn’t help anyone.”

  “Fine.” I rubbed my forehead. “Do you think I was crazy to do these personal ads?”

  “How many have you taken?”

  “Forty-five, I think. At this rate, I expect another forty-five before we go to press. I hired Stella from the diner to come in and take over for me this afternoon because I have other things to do.”

  “How much are you charging for the ads?”

  “Fifty bucks each.”

  “So that’s, like, forty-five hundred bucks, right?”

  “Essentially.”

  “I think it was a genius idea, like all your ideas.”

  My expression turned rueful. “I think you’re just saying that because you want to romance my socks off later.”

  “I honestly don’t care if you wear socks when I romance you.” He gave me another kiss. “I simply want you to relax.”

  “That’s why you brought me the doughnut; you’re checking up on me.”

  “That doughnut was warm and I knew you would love it. And it did allow me to check on you.”

  “So it was a multi-pronged doughnut excursion.”

  “Basically.”

  I heaved a sigh. “You don’t have to worry about me. I know I’m a little nervous, but this is hardly the first time a new power has popped up out of nowhere. I’ll figure it out.”

  “I believe that’s what I’ve been telling you for weeks.”

  “Yes, well ... I wouldn’t be a Winchester if I didn’t blow things out of proportion before listening to reason.”

  “I’ve yet to meet a Winchester who listens to reason.” Landon’s grin was mischievous as he pushed himself away from the desk. “Text me at lunchtime. If I’m around we can eat together.”

  “Okay, I ... .” I forgot whatever I was going to say when a ghost popped into existence to Landon’s right. I didn’t immediately recognize the man’s features — they were twisted, contorted — but I knew he was a ghost because I could see through him. “Oh, great!”