Witches in Wonderland

by J. D. Winters

  “You don’t say.”

  “I do. I’ve also heard, but from a questionable source, that she stopped by to see Kenny last night after midnight. Only stayed for a short time, just time enough for a brief but volatile argument.” I made a face, then added, “Of course, she might have come back a bit later. Food for thought.”

  “Interesting.” He nodded. “Okay. Then there’s Clarissa.”

  “Oh, so you didn’t fall for her come-hither act?”

  He gave me a look. “Come on Haley. You know me better than that.”

  I smiled, warmed a bit. “Good. So she’s still on the list?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “But don’t forget the neighbor with the dog. He wanted all visitors strung up on lampposts. Especially those who drove hot cars. You might want to check on his movements.”

  “We have.”

  “And…” I hesitated, then steeled myself and went on. “How about Hector? The ghost who went mad-dog and hurt Clarissa. He also knocked me down when I first arrived at the scene. Then ran off.”

  He frowned. “I didn’t know that.”

  “Now you do.”

  He was quiet for a moment, then added, “I am looking into the practices of that ghost handler Rennie hired. She seems to be a bit of a flake.”

  “Yes she does. I saw her distributing ghosts to houses that aren’t licensed to have them.”

  “Uh oh. She definitely needs more questioning.” He looked at me sideways. “And then there’s you.”

  “Me?” Not again! “What possible motive would I have?”

  “You might hate having film-makers exploiting the house you grew up in. Gran Ana is against it. Pretty seriously from what I’ve heard.” He gave me a significant look. “And I’ve heard an earful directly from her.”

  I swallowed hard. “Really? Did she tell you that?”

  “She was very upset.”

  “But isn’t she the one who planned all this touristy stuff with Rennie?”

  “She is, but this isn’t going the way she’d thought it should. She definitely doesn’t want to anger the Council. But she wants these particular filmmakers stopped. She wants everyone who participated in the taping to have their heads on spikes.”

  “Oh. Wow. I wouldn’t want to be any of those people.” I shuddered. “Does that include Rennie?”

  He nodded.

  “Oh-oh. Rennie might want to emigrate to a small South American country. Very quickly.”

  He didn’t smile. “So….how about Gran Ana herself. What do you think of her as a suspect?”

  What did I think? That would take too much analysis for this conversation. “Not much. She can get revenge in her own way and it doesn’t have to involve murder. Unless…”

  “Unless what?”

  “Well…if she was planning anything like that, I’d assume she would have someone else do it for her.”

  He actually looked shocked. “Wow.” He shook his head. “You don’t think she’s capable of personally killing someone?”

  My hands were clenched in my lap, knuckles white. I tried to relax. “Oh sure. I think she’s capable. And I’m pretty sure she’s done things…” I stopped myself. This was ridiculous. “What am I saying? I’m speculating on things I know nothing about. Don’t pay any attention to me. I’m just yacking away like a fool.”

  My heart was thumping, wishing I could recall my words. But once spoken, there was no way to take them back.

  “Hey. I understand. It’s hard to think someone close to you could do something like that. But it happens. I think I get your drift.”

  I mulled this over. Should I tell him? How could I not? After all, we were looking for the truth here, not trying to protect our favorite people. I took a deep breath and said, “She was at the house last night.”

  “Gran Ana?”

  “Yes.”

  “The Haunted House?”

  I nodded.

  “You saw her?”

  I nodded again. “It was right after you and I talked on the porch. Right after Oliver took me away.”

  “Did she see you?”

  “I don’t think so. But Oliver knew.”

  He grunted. “Oliver knows everything. But he’s freakin’ tough to question. He goes into bird mode.”

  That made me laugh. “Bird mode.” I sighed. “By the way, did you know that Phyllis—Kenney’s ex—is Gran Ana’s godchild?”

  “What?” He stared at me in startled surprise.

  “My reaction exactly. It seems they knew each other in France. And they seem to be very close.”

  I felt a pang at that. Okay, what did that mean? Was I jealous? Was that what was behind my suspicions? Argh.

  We both went silent after that. This little discussion had given us both a lot to think about.

  This drive seemed to be taking a long time. I still didn’t recognize the area. We seemed to be racing along. The trees along the side of the road were back to being a blur. And then I thought I saw…. I craned my neck and tried looking back, but it was too late. Had I really seen the little red fox trotting along back there by that cut off? I settled back down in my seat. It was too late to find out for sure.

  “What’s the matter?” Shane said.

  I glanced at him and shrugged. “Aren’t you going a little fast?”

  “Probably. Sorry.” He slowed a bit.

  Suddenly I thought of what Derek had said at the Penny Lane House-speaking of cars going too fast. I turned back to Shane.

  “Do you know Mandy Vega?”

  “Isn’t that the redhead Krissy hired to take care of Gavin?”

  I nodded. “Um hum.”

  “I’ve met her. Why?”

  I took a deep breath. “You know how we’ve talked about…about that dream I keep having. And whether it’s based on….”

  I had a catch in my chest and I couldn’t finish that sentence. But he knew what I was getting at.

  “I’ve been looking into it,” he said. “I’ve got some feelers out with other hunters in other areas. Someone’s got to know something about that accident.” He gave me a sideways look. “Not that finding out the details will help you much. We still don’t know…”

  He couldn’t say it either. It was somehow too deeply imbedded in my heart and soul—such as they were—to talk about. Had I really died? And if so, how was it that I’d been able to come back like this?

  No, we just couldn’t talk about that. It cut too close to bear.

  “Anyway, about Mandy Vega,” I said, brushing the emotional stuff away. “Derek knows her. They come from the same town. A haven town as I understand it. He told me something interesting today.”

  “What was it?”

  “He said that Mandy’s sister died in a car accident a few years ago. She was riding with friends. The car went into a lake. They all drowned.”

  Suddenly, the car was pulled over onto the shoulder and Shane was facing me, looking almost fierce.

  “He told you this?”

  I nodded. “Yes. He even said the name of the town near the lake. Cotton Springs.”

  “Cotton Springs. Okay.”

  He reached out and took my hand in his. I looked into his eyes. There was a sense of something wonderful there, but I wasn’t sure what it was. Still, it warmed me. I had to bite my lower lip to keep the tears back.

  “You didn’t tell him…?”

  “No,” I said quickly. “I didn’t tell him anything. But maybe you should talk to him.”

  He nodded slowly. “Okay then. I’ll get on it.” He turned back to the wheel. “But right now, we’ve got to get out to your grandmother’s.” He looked back at me before he edged back out onto the highway. “You okay?” he asked.

  I nodded. And I was. Having him care—and the way his face showed it--was all I needed right then.

  Chapter 15

  In another few minutes, the area began to look more familiar. We turned onto a road I recognized. I’d used it many times to get to my grandmother�
��s. I began to breathe a bit easier.

  But the closer we got to Gran Ana, the more troubled I was about my relationship with her. I wished I understood more about why she acted so strangely and seemed to care about all the wrong things. She was a mystery. I pointed that out to Shane and he scoffed.

  “Why do you take orders from her?” I said as we began to approach her house.

  “I don’t ‘take orders’ from anyone other than the Sheriff. She and I work together to keep the people of Moonhaven safe. I use her for the power she can wield. She uses me for the protection I can offer her. And we both care about the welfare of this place.” He glanced at me. “And we both care about you. I hope you do get that.”

  “Yes. Yes, I must admit, I do understand and believe that. But it isn’t easy when she’s so….”

  He sighed. “Cut her some slack. Life is a minefield for a sorceress like that. There are demons of all kinds after her. She’s in constant danger. Sometimes she has to take steps that seem cruel to us. But she knows what she’s doing.”

  Did she? I wasn’t so sure about that.

  Suddenly we were there, following the winding road to her property, the ocean to our left, the mountains to our right, and there was Oliver at the entrance to her parking area, his hand raised. I thought at first he was greeting us, but then realized he was trying to wave us off for some reason.

  “Hi,” I said as I started to get out of the car.

  “No!” he called at me sternly. “Go back.”

  I was puzzled. Oliver was usually a friendly face when he was in human form. “Why?” I asked him.

  “Gran Ana is busy with her friends. She is not available today.”

  Shane said something rude as he joined me next to the car, but I was still wondering at Oliver’s attitude.

  “You didn’t give us any warning of this visit,” he said with a frown that made even his human form look quite like the raven he really was. “She is not ready to receive you.”

  He was serious as a church on Sunday.

  “Oliver,” I said. “It’s me. Don’t treat me like a stranger.”

  “Madame detests being interrupted when she is entertaining her friends. Don’t you understand? She’ll…she’ll….”

  “She’ll what?” I said impatiently.

  “Cut my head off,” he muttered, but he was half turning away as though he realized the game was up.

  “Sorry old man,” Shane said. “We’ve got to see her. Matter of life or death.”

  “No kidding?” I said, looking at him quickly. He gave me a wink. I relaxed a bit, but at the same time, while Shane went on arguing with Oliver, I looked beyond our black-clothed guard and saw what was going on behind the house. It certainly did look like Gran Ana was having a party.

  Every time I came to this place, the yard was completely different. This time it was set up with small rolling green hills and little ponds full of ducks. A number of men and women—guests? decor items?-- seemed to be outfitted either in uniforms that looked like playing cards, or were playing croquet dressed in velvet jackets and brocaded ball gowns. Tall rose trees bearing huge, gorgeous red roses lined the playing field. And some of the players seemed to be carrying living flamingos in their arms.

  I recognized it right away. The Queen of Hearts scene from Alice in Wonderland. No wonder Oliver was worried about losing his head. I gaped at it. It was absolutely crazy—but it looked like fun and I was itching to get my hands on one of those flamingos.

  Then I saw my grandmother walking among them, all decked out in a stunning faux ermine cloak.

  “Gran Ana!” I called, waving wildly. “Yoo-hoo!”

  She stopped and gazed at me, her hand shading her eyes against the sun. “Oh dear,” I heard her say.

  “May we come in?” I called. “Oliver is being obstinate.”

  She didn’t look happy about it, but she seemed to be making do. She turned to speak to one of the ladies in brocade, then turned back and waved at us, gesturing toward the front entry, and called out, “Oliver, please escort my granddaughter and her friend through the house and into the back yard. I’ll be waiting here by the fountain.”

  Oliver was still being petulant, but he took on his duties as escort anyway, and soon we were traipsing through her beautiful house. I thought of the day before when she’d miniaturized the place, just to thwart me because I hadn’t dealt with that huge stone quickly enough, and I decided I’d better not hold a grudge if I wanted to get anything out of this visit. And I did. I wanted to know anything she could tell me about myself and my destiny.

  But that is what I always want from her and I haven’t got much yet.

  We stepped out into the huge back yard and I groaned with disappointment. No rolling hills of green. No duck ponds. No ladies and gentlemen dressed for Nineteenth Century croquet. And worst of all, no flamingoes—except some plastic models in a pile near the back door.

  Gran Ana had abandoned her ermine cape somewhere and was now dressed in her usual ankle-length silk with lace overlay. She looked lovely for a woman of her age—how old was she, anyway? But the romantic sweep of the ermine cloak was gone.

  Too bad. Maybe someday Gran Ana will let me play in her imaginary world along with her. But I’m not holding my breath.

  She greeted us, then took my chin in her hand and tilted my face right, then left, dropped her hand and shook her head, saying, “Right now, in this light, you look so much like your mother.”

  I turned toward her, warmed by her words, but only for seconds.

  “Your mother and I never did get along,” she added coldly.

  Stung, I stepped back and she turned to Shane.

  “Why have you brought her here?” she asked him. “And without warning me first.”

  “She needs your counsel and focus. Right now, she’s wandering around in the dark and I don’t think it’s fair. You’ve got to tell her everything you know. She needs some structure to her actions. Otherwise she’ll go after a false target and we‘ll all have to pay for that. She’s gaining strength and skill and she’s got to learn to channel that correctly. That’s hard for her to do when she doesn’t know what she’s up against.”

  She looked at Shane, bemused. “So you think you know it all,” she murmured.

  He grimaced as though her words pained him. “I don’t know much. But I have some appreciation for what I don’t know and realize how it can hurt me. And her.” He seemed to steel himself, as though the next words were hard for him to say. “So we come to you as our mentor, Gran Ana. Help us understand.”

  She considered for a moment, then smiled at him. She liked people who paid her proper deference, and he was trying hard to bend his ego enough to allow him to seem humble. I had to hide a smile. Was I the only one who realized that humility was something he was striving for, but not really achieving in the full? Oh well. He played a good game.

  “Come,” Gran Ana was saying. “Sit here with me under the patio umbrella. Oliver will bring us cool drinks and we’ll talk about these things you say you need.”

  The yard that had looked green and lush a few minutes before, and then had turned to barely managed dirt and trimmed weeds, was suddenly green again. No rolling hills, but one of the duck ponds was back, and a charming table and chairs under an umbrella had appeared near the fountain. We sat and Oliver went inside the house to get us some refreshment.

  “What is it that you would like to know, my dear?” she asked me coolly.

  I took a deep breath. “I’d like to know about my family,” I said, my voice shaking slightly. “My parents and my brother.”

  “Of course.” She thought for a moment, closing her eyes, then looked at me again. “You see, I’ve had some word. I know that they’re alive.”

  My heart leaped. I don’t know why I’d doubted that, but I had. But now, she was saying… Oh!

  “Then can’t you find them?”

  “No, I’m afraid I can’t. They’ve shielded themselves against me.” She gave me
a sad smile. “That’s why I need you.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes. If I go searching for them, or send one of my representatives to do so, they will surely hide themselves away. They’ll dig deeper into the dark passages that hold them. But if you do it…. Well. If they sense that you are near, they’ll come out and embrace you joyfully.”

  Wait a minute, what….?

  “Did you have some kind of fight with them?” The thought of that stabbed at my heart. “What happened to turn them against you?”

  She looked annoyed. “No, it was nothing like that. There were people…evil people, who told them lies about me and what I was doing in France. Then the demons came and they were told I’d sent them.” She waved her memories away as though they were too painful to face. “All lies. Some day I’ll tell you all about it. You’re not really ready for that yet. But this much I can tell you. You need to be ready, heart and soul, body and mind, for the time when it will be necessary for you to go to where they are. They will come out to meet you. I’m convinced of that. And then you will be tasked with the job of persuading them to come home.”

  I thought about that for a moment, then looked up into her china blue eyes. She looked somehow anxious is a way I’d never noticed before. But still I had to say it. “So you want to use me as bait?”

  She drew in a sharp breath, but shrugged and didn’t deny it. “Can you think of a better way?”

  At least she was honest. Sometimes.

  “What do we have to do to prepare for them?” I was keeping my mind on the practicalities. If I let emotions take over, I’d be blubbering in seconds. “I’m sure conditions have to be just right before they can come back. Correct?”

  She nodded and from the look on her face, I could tell that she was impressed with my perceptive guess. “That’s exactly right.”

  Hey, I was impressed with me too, and I decided to try again. I put two and two together for my next well-aimed guess. “Does this have anything to do with the guardian stones that protect us?”

  Her eyes gleamed. “Yes. You met with one of them yesterday.”

  My heart was beating fast and I put my hand over it for a moment. “The stone I tackled,” I said, more to myself than to her. “And what about the huge stone we passed driving here?”