25. Twenty-Five
TWENTY-FIVE
E xplaining the difference between witches and warlocks to Steve was challenging. He actually jotted down a few notes. Still, he remained confused.
“What about psychics?” he asked as he sipped his coffee. “How do they play into this?”
I shrugged. “You rarely run across anyone claiming to be solely a psychic. Many paranormals have a variety of psychic abilities.”
“Including those you see at carnivals and festivals?”
“You mean tarot card readers?”
He nodded.
“I can’t say they’re all frauds. Actually, a lot of them are.
Others are witches with psychic abilities.
Some are … bigger than that.” Briefly, my mind went to Poet Parker, who traveled with Mystic Caravan Circus.
She was an example of a psychic with other abilities.
It had been more than a year since I’d met her, and in that time, she’d grown into something extraordinary.
I only knew that thanks to Scout. They had a past and had only recently found one another.
Much like the others, however, Poet’s secret wasn’t mine to tell.
“This is a lot to take in,” Steve admitted.
“It’s only the tip of the iceberg. You can’t learn it all at once. I’ve been learning for thirty years and still don’t know all of it. I doubt I ever will.”
Aunt Tillie’s hand shot into the air. She was in a much better mood now that we had a plan, even if we hadn’t ironed out all the details.
“You don’t know everything either,” I challenged her.
She sniffed. “I know things. I know a lot of things.”
“Yeah, yeah, you could know things professionally.” I waved her off and focused on Mom, who was poring over the list Chief Terry and Landon had come up with. “Recognize any of those names?”
“I think I can rule two out,” Mom replied. “Donnie Schofield is Rebecca Harrison’s son. She married Rich Schofield. They don’t have a magic bone in their bodies.”
“We’ll take anything we can get,” Landon encouraged her.
“Brett Durbin is another you can mark off,” she supplied. “I saw him at the Valentine’s Day Festival. The only thing magical about him is that he’s not dead. He’s a raging alcoholic. He’s not your warlock.”
“It’s interesting that he was chosen for a project this big if his problems are obvious,” Landon said. “What’s he do?”
“He’s a plumber,” Mom replied. “He works with Chet Milliken.”
“He’s on the list too,” I noted. “Could he be our guy?”
Mom hesitated. “That wouldn’t be my first instinct, but I can’t be positive. He could be one of the guys who was swayed to kill the naiad.”
I slid my eyes to Chief Terry.
“I can’t tell if anyone is magical,” he protested.
“You know Chet,” I pressed. “Do you agree with Mom’s assessment?”
He nodded. “He doesn’t strike me as magical.”
“What about this guy?” Marnie asked, tapping the sheet of paper. “Dexter Littlefield. I knew a Tawny Littlefield. She attended coven meetings when we still played that game. She danced naked with us for a few solstices.”
“I’m on it,” Landon said when I sent him a questioning look. He had his phone out and was typing. “Um … yeah. Dexter Littlefield is Tawny Littlefield’s son. She died about three years ago.”
Marnie made a sad face. “I hadn’t heard. That’s too bad.”
“How powerful was she?” I asked.
Marnie lifted one shoulder. “Middle of the road.”
“What about her husband? Was he magical?”
“I didn’t know him well. In fact, she never brought him around. She almost seemed afraid of him.”
My interest was piqued. “Why would she fear him? She was a witch. If he was a normal abusive human, she could’ve easily handled him.”
“Good point.” Marnie cocked her head. “I don’t know why she feared him.”
“Well, let’s put Dexter Littlefield at the top of the list,” I said. “What about the others?”
“The only other name of interest is Greg Prentiss,” Mom replied. “I don’t know him. It says he’s an electrician. At one time I knew a witch named Evangeline Starr. The last time I saw her she was marrying a Gregor Prentiss. She lived in Traverse City.”
Landon started working on his phone. “Okay,” he said after a few minutes. “I found Evangeline Starr. She is married to a Gregor Prentiss, who just so happens to be the father of Greg Prentiss … who is indeed an electrician.”
“Was Evangeline a witch?” I asked.
“A bad one.” Mom’s lips curved down. “Whenever we were putting together potions or spells, she always went the personal gain route. She wanted to concoct money potions, even though we told her they never turned out. She was big on love charms, too.”
The table fell into silence. Steve finally asked. “Are love potions real?”
“They are,” I confirmed. “They only last a little while because if someone isn’t predisposed to love that individual it won’t last. You can’t overrule free will.”
He still looked confused, so I continued.
“Take Landon for example,” I explained. “If I were to give him a love spell and tell him to love me, it would work because he already does. He wouldn’t fight it.
If I were to give him a love spell and tell him to love Aunt Tillie, it might work for an hour or so, but he would start fighting his condition and the spell would dissipate. ”
Aunt Tillie made a sound like a disgruntled cat. “I don’t see why he wouldn’t want to love me. I’m a catch.”
“A total catch,” I agreed. “His heart already belongs to somebody else, though.”
Steve opened his mouth, another question no doubt on the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t ask it because he was distracted by his phone chirping with an incoming text. He looked down and then frowned. “Well, that’s not good.”
I straightened. I didn’t want bad news. I was finally feeling good about things. “What is it?”
“Another body,” he said. “Found not far from where the first ones were located. This time it was strung up from a tree on the side of the road.”
“Is it a construction worker?” I asked, bracing myself.
“The man’s name is Tyler Travis,” Steve replied. “He was one of the crew chiefs for the resort project.”
“We need to see the body.”
“We should go to his house instead,” Steve replied. “In Shadow Hills. It seems a woman broke into his house, locked his wife and daughter in a closet, and dragged Tyler out. The wife described the woman as a barefoot monster wearing a dress and ranting about retribution.”
My stomach constricted. “She took him in front of his wife and daughter?”
Steve nodded.
“She’s stepping up her attacks. She knows we’re coming for her.” I hopped to my feet. “I want to talk to the wife. She might be able to point us in the direction of the next victim.”
Steve hesitated. “I’m not sure I can explain your presence for an interrogation,” he hedged.
“Say I’m a consultant, or your assistant. Landon does it all the time.”
Steve’s eyes swung to Landon.
“I wouldn’t say all the time,” Landon countered. “You’re the authority figure. The woman is in shock. She won’t question you.”
“Okay.” Steve still didn’t look convinced.
I glanced at Mom. “Lock down the inn. Keep Peg and Winchester inside. I doubt the naiad will come here, but…”
Mom bobbed her head. “What about Millie?”
She was right to worry. Millie was a greater threat to her than the naiad. “Just talk to her. Don’t let Aunt Tillie run her mouth.”
“Hey!” Aunt Tillie barked. “I never run my mouth.”
I ignored her. “Tell her I would like to speak with her. If she gives you a hard time, let her go. If she agrees to a meeting, text me.”
“Okay.” Mom pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. “We can do this.”
“We can,” I agreed. “It will be done by the end of the day. Don’t push Millie. Remember, deep down, she’s Aunt Tillie. She won’t want to hurt you, but if backed into a corner, she may believe she has no choice.”
“Maybe I’ll be able to get through to her.” Mom looked hopeful.
“Stranger things have happened.” Although I wouldn’t hold your breath, I silently added.
WENDY TRAVIS WAS YOUNG— in her early thirties—and her face was red and splotchy from tears. Her blonde hair looked straggly, as if she hadn’t showered yet, and she was dressed in fuzzy sleep pants.
“Obviously, the naiad got here before they started getting ready for the day,” Landon said.
I looked around. Hunter Ryan, Stormy’s fiancée, was near the front door of the house, talking to a girl who couldn’t be more than three or four. As if sensing me, he turned slowly and met my gaze.
He nodded, put his hand on the girl’s shoulder, then ushered her to her mother. Wendy broke into uncontrollable sobs when her daughter was back by her side and sank to the ground.
“Hey.” Hunter managed a flat smile as he approached.
He was well aware of the paranormal world thanks to his association with Stormy.
They were learning on the job together. “I’m surprised to see you guys here.
” He darted a worried look to Steve and Spencer, who stood several feet away, staring at the house.
I didn’t want Steve looking too closely at Hunter, because that would invariably lead him to Stormy.
“Yes, I’m working with Landon and his boss on an investigation. I’m serving as a consultant.”
Hunter’s eyebrows moved toward one another. “I see.”
I looked at Steve, who wasn’t yet looking in our direction. “Do not let on that you know about the magic,” I hissed.
Hunter looked taken aback. He followed my gaze, then nodded. “Nice to see you again.” He reached out and shook Landon’s hand. “It’s always nice to see you.”
That’s when I remembered I didn’t have to worry about Stormy in this particular instance. Hunter had a well-forged past with Chief Terry. I wouldn’t have to make up a reason as to why I knew him. Landon and Chief Terry were the bridge.
I let out the breath I’d been holding and grinned. “Yes, he’s always nice to see.”
Steve and Spencer picked that moment to cross over to us.
“You talked to the wife?” Steve asked Hunter. He didn’t introduce himself, so I assumed they already knew each other.
“I did,” Hunter confirmed. “She’s rattled, which is understandable.
She claims a woman in a raggedy dress barreled into their house.
She was stronger than she should’ve been.
Maybe that was fear feeding her perception.
” He shrugged. “She locked Wendy and Tori in a closet and left the house with Travis.”
“She’s aware that Travis is dead?” Steve asked.
“I told her.” There was no mirth in Hunter’s eyes now. “She’s not taking it well. She doesn’t understand what happened. She refuses to believe an affair was going down and that this might be a Fatal Attraction situation.”
“That’s not what we’re dealing with.” Steve slid his eyes to me. “I believe my consultant would like to speak with her. She has unique insight into certain things.”
“Okay,” Hunter said. “Terry and Landon use her as a consultant often.” He was trying to be helpful, and it worked.
“Right.” Steve bobbed his head. “You’ve worked with them before.”
“Numerous times,” Hunter confirmed. He took a step to the side.
“Go ahead and do what you need to do,” he said to me.
“I’m going to walk the perimeter again.” He took a step away, then paused.
“The body was found in Hemlock Cove and yet taken from here. No one mentioned a vehicle. How did a lone woman get a healthy young man that far without a vehicle?”
“You guys should get on that,” I instructed Steve and Spencer. “I’m going to talk to Wendy.” I didn’t wait for a response. Instead, I marched in that direction, Landon on my heels.
“I like when you get bossy,” he whispered as he followed.
“If we manage to get through all of this and survive the day, I’ll show you just how bossy I can get at home tonight.”
“Now you’re talking my language.”
I was calm and sympathetic as I approached Wendy. “Mrs. Travis? I’m Bay Winchester. I’m with the FBI.
She balked. “You don’t look like an FBI agent.”
“I wear a few different hats.” This woman wasn’t going to give me what I wanted. She was too far gone. She was confused, and I didn’t have time for her to work things out. “I’m really sorry about this.”
Confusion had Wendy scrunching up her nose. “For what? For my husband dying?”
“That and this,” I confirmed. I grabbed both sides of Wendy’s head and she immediately went ramrod straight.
“Geez, Bay,” Landon complained as he shielded the sight line between Wendy and Hunter’s fellow Shadow Hills police officers. “Give me some notice next time.”
“Sorry.” I started sifting through what I could see in Wendy’s mind. Mind magic was not my strong suit, but I knew a few tricks thanks to Aunt Tillie. “Huh,” I said after a few minutes.
“What is it?” Landon asked. He kept darting worried looks between the other law enforcement representatives—including Steve—and me. “Get what you need and get out of there.”
I took his advice and let go of Wendy’s head, taking a big step away from her. The woman was dazed, her eyes unfocused.
“Did you get what you need?” Landon asked.
I nodded. “The naiad put a little something in Wendy’s head. She wanted me to have the information.”
Landon was taken aback. “Is that good or bad?”
“It could be a trap.”
“What did she show you?”
“A house.” I rattled off the address, and he typed it in.
“That house belongs to Greg Prentiss,” Landon said.
“Okay, I know everyone the naiad is going after. I think she wanted me to see it so I’d be aware when she’s done. Now that Travis is dead, there are only two people left on her list.”
“I assume Prentiss is one.”
“He’s the warlock.”
“We kind of figured that out ourselves.”
I turned grim. “The other is Dustin Carrington. I was at his house yesterday when I ran into her. She hasn’t found him.”
“We need to find him,” Landon surmised. “Why does she want you to have all this information, Bay? What’s her end game?”
“She wants me to know she’s almost finished. She’s hoping I won’t come after her, because she really doesn’t want to kill me.”
“Just like you don’t want to kill her.”
“We have to find some middle ground.”
“Like we give her Prentiss and she gives us Dustin?”
“Maybe. I need Scout for what’s to come, but I can’t expose her to Steve. Any ideas?”
“You could try telling him the truth.”
That was a novel choice. “We need to sit down and hash this out. You see if you can track down Dustin and remove him from the situation. Once we have a plan, we’ll move on Prentiss.”
“We won’t be the only ones moving on Prentiss.”