Chapter 9
Mia found Christina sitting at the interview table in her office after the morning meeting. She was surfing the internet on her laptop.
Christina stood to get more coffee as Mia came inside. “You’re not going to believe what I found. Come sit down.”
Mia did what she was told, grinning at Christina’s excitement about her sleuthing. “Can you bring over that pot? I need more coffee after that horrible meeting. My head is killing me. Blake is implementing more forms. A pre-evaluation of the event before it even begins. She’s a horror.”
“She finds comfort in numbers and forms.” Christina filled her cup, then put the pot back.
“Anyway, Suzanne Parker is a really common name, until you add in the Salem thing. Then the sightings fall into a straight line. Either this woman was three hundred and thirty-three years old, give or take, when she was murdered, or her family has a lineage tradition of naming the first-born daughters Suzanne Parker.”
Christina showed Mia all the notations where a Suzanne Parker made the news. “And, most interesting, our current Suzanne Parker owns a plot of land here in Magic Springs.”
“She has a house here?” Mia turned the laptop to see it.
“No, just an empty plot of land. She lives in a condo on Virginia Beach. I’ve seen the pictures from when it was on Zillow.
You need to work for the National Office.
Those people make bank. Of course, she bought it about ten years ago, so it’s gone up in value, but she has a balcony and the building has a rooftop pool.
I’m rethinking our move to Oregon.” Christina handed her a folder.
“I printed the stuff I knew was our Suzanne Parker. She reads a lot and posts reviews. She’s not very nice in them, but sometimes she finds a book she kind of likes.
If I read that many duds, according to her, I would give up reading. ”
“She lived on the beach, she reads, and her family owns property here in the area.” Mia flipped through the pages. “You did a lot of work in an hour.”
“You were gone for two. I was about ready to go find you when you walked in the door. Why did you say an hour?” Now Christina was studying her.
Mia waved away the question. “I guess I lost track of time because the meeting was so boring. I swear, at one point, I looked over and James had fallen asleep.”
“Do you need to be here or is the event tonight dealt with?” Christina asked as she typed a message on her phone.
“Why, do you have a hot date?” Mia stood and sipped her coffee as she moved to her computer and started hitting keys.
“This is good. Not like the crap Blake served at the meeting. How hard is it to make a good pot of coffee? I swear, we’re in the hospitality field for a reason.
According to everything I can see, my staff is ready for this event.
I love them. Oh, and Matt sent us Suzanne’s record from when she stayed in the hotel.
It will show any room or dining charges, as well as who paid for the room, which appears to be the National Office, from their travel funds. ”
“Can you print that for me? Let’s go check out this lot. Maybe you can sense something there.” Christina stood and grabbed her coat.
Mia printed the invoice, then closed her computer. “Sounds good. I’m getting used to these low-key workdays.”
After they left the Lodge, Christina drove them to a highway that headed out of town. Instead of going south toward civilization, this road headed west and, eventually, over Magic Mountain.
Mia rubbed her temple. “Man, this headache is not going away. Why is my necklace flashing? Tell me it hasn’t been doing this for long. I never noticed. What good is it to have a protection spell if you can’t see the warning light?”
Christina started to say something, but Mia’s phone started chirping at her. She put it on speaker. “Sorry, this is Grans. She’s probably found a potion and needs us to pick up something on our way home. Hi, Grans.”
“Where have you been? I’ve been calling for over an hour since your necklace alarm went off. What is going on over there? Is Christina with you?” Grans barraged her with questions.
Mia held up the gently pulsing necklace, and it stopped beating. “It’s been going off for an hour?”
“Blake had her in a meeting for two hours, but Mia thought it was an hour. The others in the meeting were asleep.” Christina spoke toward Mia’s phone. “I got her out of there when I saw the necklace blinking. She seems fine now.”
“Well, Christina, you’re not a doctor or a witch, so forgive me if ‘seems fine’ from you doesn’t alleviate my concerns.” Grans sighed so loudly, Mia heard it over the speaker. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be short. Where are you now? Heading back to the academy, I hope?”
Mia locked eyes with Christina and responded.
“No, we’re going over to check out a plot of land that Suzanne Parker owned here in Magic Springs.
” With her head clearing from the fresh air and distance from Blake, she added, “Grans, is there any way Suzanne Parker was three hundred and thirty-three years old?”
“Of course. She works at the National Office. They don’t like losing talent just because they grow old. They all use some sort of antiaging spell. I wish I could find that spell. I’d sell it to the makeup people and be rich. Or not.”
“Or not?” Mia asked.
“Often pharmaceutical companies don’t want the cure for something.
It steals all their profits. They want to appear as though they’re solving the issue without really fixing it.
So they buy up these ideas and then stockpile the formula, keeping it from others, less unethical than they are.
Humans are a weird lot. You’re fine, so I’ll get back to my work. ”
After putting her phone away, Mia turned to Christina. “You got me out of there on purpose?”
She nodded. “Your eyes didn’t look right, and I sensed traces of magic on you. I don’t want to tell you your business, but I think your boss is spelling you for some reason.”
“You have got to be kidding me. Why do I keep thinking that Blake will react like a normal person?” Mia blew out a breath and then closed her eyes, focusing on her legs bouncing and her need to kill Blake.
Okay, maybe not kill, but tie her up and make her understand she couldn’t keep messing with her.
Pushing her fantasies of torturing Blake aside, she opened her eyes and focused on Christina. “Sorry, she just makes me so angry.”
“I’d be mad too if someone was messing with my head,” Christina admitted.
“Well, I’m going to find out why, and if I don’t like her answer, I’m going to let the coven know. They might not do anything about it, but in no world are you allowed to drug another witch.” Mia peered at the address. “I think we’re here, but that’s not a vacant lot.”
“They’re paying taxes like it’s bare land. I’ve driven down this road every day for almost a month but never saw this place.” Christina pulled the SUV over on the road. “Do we want to knock on the door?”
“Why not? Work doesn’t seem to be a safe haven, and we can’t even go to dinner without having issues.
My necklace is either calm or broken. Why not press our luck?
” Mia laughed at the look Christina was giving her.
“I’m kidding, a little. Let’s just go knock on the door and see who lives there.
With all the cars parked around the place, it looks like they’re having some sort of party. We’ll just crash.”
“One, I’m not dressed for a party, and two, it’s only eleven. Who has a party at eleven?” Christina turned off the engine and tucked her keys into her designer purse. “If your eyes go fuzzy again, I’m dragging you out of there. No discussion.”
“I’m trusting you to do just that.” Mia took a deep breath.
They walked up to the door and found it had been left open.
Mia pushed the door farther open and stepped in.
Chamber music filled the room, which buzzed with men and women in formal day attire.
Suits, black dresses, and muted colors. She saw Finn checking the line of buffet trays set up on the side of the room.
Christina recognized someone on the other side of the room, so she and Mia split up.
Finn was fiddling with a platter of food as Mia came close to the table.
“The crab Rangoon is freshly made and we used Alaskan king crab for the filling.” She looked up.
“Oh, Mia, it’s you. I didn’t realize you were attached to this event.
James got me a slot. You won’t believe what these people pay. ”
“Let me guess; the event is for the Magic Springs Society for Magical Realism? Who’s doing the catering? The Lodge?”
“No, James said it’s a private company out of Sun Valley.
All high-end products. The lady who hired me said they only do one or two events a year in Magic Springs, but she’d hire me full time if I wanted to travel around the Boise area.
” Finn’s eyes widened. “Of course I said no. I’m happy at Mia’s Morsels, but you know I need to fill in spots so I can get my own place. ”
“Relax, Finn, I’m not here to check up on you, and if you get a better offer, take it.
Just make sure it fits into what you want to do.
” She glanced around the room and recognized a few of the coven members.
Brandon Maxwell stood near the fireplace and watched her.
He lifted his champagne glass in salute.
Mia turned back to Finn. “What is this event? A meeting? Did they tell you?”
Finn pointed to the side of the room, where a picture of Suzanne Parker was propped on an easel. “It’s a wake for that woman. It hasn’t started yet. That photo gives me the creeps. It’s like she’s always watching you and you’re failing miserably.”
Mia knew that look. Suzanne Parker had used it on her from the moment she arrived at coven headquarters to the time Cleo came to end the testing—and probably check to see if Mia was still alive.