8. Eight
EIGHT
L andon and Chief Terry drove me back to the inn so I could collect my car. Rather than drop me off with a kiss and a wave, Landon got out to walk me to my vehicle.
“I can tell you’re upset,” I said to him as I stopped near the back of the vehicle. “I don’t see that there was anything else I could’ve done.”
“That’s not why I’m agitated, Bay.” Landon moved his hands over my shoulders, squeezed, then dropped them. He was antsy. “You did exactly what you needed to do.”
“You just wish it hadn’t happened in front of your boss,” I guessed.
Landon blew out a sigh. The day had just started, and he already looked tired. “It’s fine. You were going to have to put on a show eventually.”
“I haven’t even pulled out the big guns.”
“How frightening is that?” He gave me a kiss. “Just be careful, huh? I’m not sure what the deal is with the spider things. You might want to talk to Scout.”
“I would rather not bring Scout in on this just yet. She knows that I might be working with the Feds. She doesn’t play all that well with others. I’m not sure you’ve noticed.”
Landon smirked. “I never would have pegged her as an anarchist,” he teased. He sobered again. “Just be careful, huh? Send me the occasional text so I know what you’re doing. If you head out into the woods, don’t go alone.”
“I can take Thistle and Clove if it comes to it.”
Landon frowned. “No offense to your cousins, but I don’t think you can snark the spiders to death. Get Scout, or Evan … or even Stormy. She can burn them, right?”
It was true that Scout, Evan, and Stormy were more powerful than Thistle and Clove. That was the reason I didn’t want them brought in on this. “I’ll be careful,” I promised him.
Rather than express relief, Landon made a face. “Don’t think I missed the part where you glossed over bringing in the big guns.”
“It’s going to be fine.” I meant it. “Don’t forget, I have another trick I didn’t display for your boss.”
“The ghosts.” Now he did smile. “I do like that you can conjure your own army. I understand why you don’t want Steve finding out about the necromancer thing.”
“I might tell him eventually, but for now…” I trailed off.
“For now, it’s best you don’t,” he agreed. “I’m not sure he’d understand. He freaked out over the spiders.”
“You were pretty calm.” I gave him an appraising look. “I was impressed.”
“Human-sized spiders aren’t the scariest thing I’ve seen since hooking up with you. And how freaky is that to say out loud?”
I laughed, as I knew he’d intended. I leaned in and kissed him. “Don’t worry about me. Just worry about how this is going to work with Steve. I want this partnership to gel.”
“But you were raised to keep this stuff to yourself, and you’re frightened,” he finished. “I understand.”
“It’s a lot to deal with. I’ll be okay.”
“Make sure you are.” He gave me a quick hug, then walked toward a waiting Chief Terry. “Don’t forget to text,” he called over his shoulder. “If you send me the occasional dirty one, I won’t be upset.”
I grinned as I watched him go. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
I WANTED TO GET TO TOWN AND TALK to Viola. The Whistler’s resident ghost spent half her time watching television and the other half skulking around town. She gossiped with the other ghosts. If there was information to glean, she was the best source.
There was something I had to do first, though.
I found Mom, Marnie, and Twila in the kitchen baking. Peg and Winchester were asleep on the floor next to Aunt Tillie’s empty recliner. Knowing she wasn’t in her usual spot filled me with dread.
Mom raised an eyebrow when she saw me. “This is a surprise. You just left.”
“I thought I should tell you what happened,” I replied. I stuck my finger in the frosting Marnie had made. “Nice,” I said after I’d eaten it. “This will be good tonight.”
Marnie’s eyebrows moved toward one another. “Everything I do is good.”
“That is the family motto,” I agreed.
“Perhaps you should stop wasting time and tell us what’s on your mind, Bay,” Mom suggested. “You’re not going to get less agitated by dragging things out.”
I pressed my hands into the counter and leaned back and forth, stretching my back. “There were arachnids at the cabin,” I said finally.
“Those spider creatures Scout fought?” Mom’s forehead wrinkled. “Why would they be here?”
“They often get hired or coerced by other paranormals.” I only knew that because Scout had explained it to me. “It’s possible they’re left over from Scout’s fight and decided to hide here.”
“But?” Mom prodded.
“Something killed those men. It wasn’t the arachnids. I fought and killed two of them at the cabin.”
“In front of Steve?” Mom’s eyes went wide.
“He was fine. Well, mostly. He’s got a thing about me taking action without supervision. He didn’t come out and refer to me as the weaker sex or anything, but I heard him talking to Landon. He asked how Landon could let ‘his wife’ head out alone.” I used air quotes.
Mom’s right eyebrow hiked. “Let?”
“Yeah.”
“You need Landon’s permission?”
I held up my hands, hoping to stop her from losing her cool.
“Landon doesn’t believe that. He argued with Steve.
It’s going to be an adjustment for Steve, though.
There’s no getting around it. He was floored when I used a locator spell.
When I took out the arachnids he looked as if he might pass out. ”
“Would he have reacted the same if a man had done what you did?”
“I’m not sure it’s a man vs. woman thing. It’s more that he doesn’t understand magic. He’s gung-ho to learn—I’ll give him that—but he doesn’t understand what I’m capable of.”
“There’s more,” Mom insisted.
“I’m worried about my friends. It’s one thing for me to agree to work with the Feds. I don’t want to out them.”
“What about Evan? He was with you yesterday.”
“He found the bodies. Then he conveniently disappeared right before Steve and Spencer showed up.”
Mom nodded, taking it in. “You can’t out your friends. You’re going to have to find a way around it. I trust Steve. I don’t think he’s a bad man. That doesn’t mean the men above him aren’t bad.”
“I know that.”
“So what’s the plan?”
“There were footprints outside the guesthouse last night. They were the same odd ones we saw near the clearing last night. I think whatever this is—whatever killed the men and was controlling the arachnids—knows about us.
“I’m going to The Whistler to talk to Viola,” I continued.
“She might know something. Then I’m going to use Thistle’s books to research arachnids, maybe call Scout to see what she can give me.
I’m winging it. I can’t plan too far in advance.
” I glanced around. “Did Steve arrange for rooms for the rest of his team?”
“You mean the three agents who aren’t in the know about the paranormal?”
“Those would be the ones.”
“He said they weren’t staying here but would be making the drive from Traverse City to Hemlock Cove regularly and maybe having a meal or two with us. I’m not sure that will stick. He seemed a little nervous about it too. I guess we’ll see.”
“Did he say anything about them being in town today?”
“No. Why?”
“I want to know who I should be on the lookout for. Landon and Chief Terry are at the medical examiner’s office with Steve and Spencer. Landon will let me know what’s going on with them.”
“You’re as worried about him as you are your friends,” Mom surmised.
“It’s one thing for him to accept being married to a witch. Now the others will be casting judgement. I don’t want things turning difficult for him.”
“Landon is not the type of man who will let that stuff bother him. It will be fine.”
I hoped she was right. On a sigh, I glanced around. “Where’s Aunt Tillie?”
“Off somewhere being angry,” Twila replied. “She claims we’re persecuting her.”
“She said she wasn’t at the Dandridge last night,” Marnie added. “Like Clove doesn’t know what she looks like.”
“I hope she doesn’t do something weird.” I made a tsking noise. “That’s the last thing I need.”
“You can’t control Aunt Tillie.” Mom was matter of fact. “Trust me, I’ve tried. The more you try to control her, the more out of control she gets.”
“I’m just supposed to let her run around town with a crazy doll clown and do nothing? Sooner or later, she’s going to do something weird.”
“We’re Winchesters, dear,” Mom replied blandly. “We live our lives in the stratosphere of weird.”
“Ugh.” I looked at the cake again and nodded. “Make sure it’s a good dinner tonight. I think I’m going to want to eat three servings.”
Mom laughed. “You’ll be fine. You worry too much, Bay. Everything will work out.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because the alternative isn’t acceptable … and history tells me that it will work out,” Mom said simply. “It will be fine. Take a breath and believe in the process. It has worked out for us so far.”
What would happen if it didn’t, though? There was always a first time for everything. “Do me a favor and tell Aunt Tillie about the arachnids when you see her. I want her to be careful. Also, try to get her to kick that clown to the curb. I hate having that thing around.”
“She knows the clown bugs us,” Twila said. “She’ll die before she gets rid of him.”
“Just warn her. Be careful with Winchester and Peg going outside too. I don’t want them being attacked.”
“We’ll take care of them,” Mom promised. “Truthfully, though, I think you’ll see your great-aunt before we do.”
I frowned. “Yeah, that’s not what I want.”
Mom shrugged. “I can’t control her. Good luck getting her to toe whatever line you plan on drawing in the sand.”
“Yeah, it’s going to be a crap day.”
I WAS ON ALERT WHEN PARKING IN The Whistler’s lot. Aunt Tillie was nowhere in sight. I scanned Main Street three times just to be certain. I was gratified to see that Mrs. Little’s shop was open. I could see her behind the counter as she talked to two of her friends. She seemed happy enough.