by Cindy Stark
Hazel stepped back, panting and grateful that Glenys was unable to cast a spell with her glaring eyes.
Margaret glanced at her boss as though he’d gone insane. “What on earth?”
The warning look on his expression would terrify most. “Hazel. Handcuffs. In my top drawer.”
He turned to Margaret. “Go out and keep everyone away from my door. Please. I don’t need the whole office to hear this, especially the feds, until I know what’s going on.”
Margaret gave a swift nod, her skirt rustling as she hurried away. “I’ve got your back,” she called. She closed the door behind her, and Hazel could hear her talking to others, calming them.
Hazel procured the cuffs, and Peter slapped them on Glenys and then forced her into one of his chairs.
He rounded on Hazel. “What in the hell is this all about?”
Her breaths came short and fast. She didn’t know what to do or say. She couldn’t make Glenys confess if every other word she spoke could curse them. But she couldn’t allow Peter to release her, either. “I think she killed Belinda. She’s here to confess.”
Glenys did her best to scream her disagreement from behind the layers of tape.
Peter’s body was rigid, most likely full of adrenaline like hers, and he was angry. So angry. “That’s not how it appears.”
Hazel’s ire jumped into the fray. She would not bring things this far and then fail. “Fine. Let me rephrase. Glenys has a lot of information she’s withheld from the police regarding Belinda’s murder.” She shot an angry look at Glenys. “Isn’t that right?”
Her eyes darkened with fury, but she nodded.
Peter’s expression grew curious. “You have further information you’d like to tell me?” he asked Glenys.
Glenys shook her head.
Peter growled in frustration and stared down Hazel, showing her he’d lost his patience. “Again, I’ll ask…what the hell is going on?”
Hazel was in way over her head, and her instincts screamed for her to run. She sucked in air and tried to calm her shaking.
She knew she’d have a lot to explain after everything was said and done. But right now, she couldn’t let Glenys go free. “You’re not asking her correctly. You have to be more direct.”
Peter snorted in disbelief. “You’re kidding.”
She shook her head.
His look promised her suggestion had better deliver or else. He scrubbed his chin as he turned from Hazel to Glenys.
The look in Glenys’ eyes morphed from wrath to panic.
He studied Glenys for several moments. “Okay, then. I’ll play along with this ridiculous…whatever it is and head straight for the heart of it. Did you, Glenys Everwood kill Belinda Atkins?”
Glenys’ eyes bugged, and she convulsed. Hazel was sure she’d combust from the inside out as she obviously struggled not to answer. Then slowly, her head bobbed up and down.
Peter widened his eyes as though amazed. “I’ll be a donkey’s behind. You killed Belinda.”
Glenys nodded again and then speared Hazel with a look that promised she’d make Hazel pay for her treachery.
Peter approached Glenys and lifted his hand as though to remove the tape.
“Don’t,” Hazel cried. “She’ll…” Oh Blessed Mother, help her. “She’ll be able to curse you if you do.”
He looked at her as if she was an imbecile. “I’m not afraid of a little swearing.”
She held a hand up and stepped closer to stop him physically if necessary. “No. I mean she’ll cast a curse upon you.”
That stopped him cold. Fear flickered in his eyes. “Then what exactly would you like me to do with her? In order to arrest her, I’ll need to interrogate. Can’t very well do that with tape over her mouth.”
“I’m not sure.” Crap. She hadn’t thought this out. Someone must know that answer. Not her mother. Maybe Cora? “Can you give me a few minutes to make a phone call?”
He folded his arms in front of him, and the action caused his biceps to stretch the brown fabric of his uniform. “Sure. Why not?” His words were innocuous enough, but anger and frustration simmered behind them nonetheless.
Feeling the venomous stare from Glenys and the irritated one from Peter, she slipped the phone from her pocket and dialed Cora. She prayed her actions weren’t somehow putting her friend at risk.
“Hi,” she said, purposefully not mentioning her name. “You’re not going to believe this, but I’ve discovered the killer, and I’m in a bit of a bind. The person will confess if prompted, but there’s also a high probability she’ll hex us, too.”
Cora’s gasped came across the line, followed by a long trail of silence. “Are you serious?”
Hazel swallowed. “Very. I need to know if there’s a way subdue someone’s powers that will still allow that person to talk.”
“You’re not going to tell me who it is?”
“I’m not in a position to do that right now. I just need to know if there’s a spell that will work.” If not, she had no idea how to get out of this tangle.
“Oh, sugar. I don’t know.” A long pause stretched between them as she thought. “Glenys might be able to consult her grandmother’s spell book. There could be something there.”
She exhaled, feeling the beckoning of the two tomes in her bag. “That’s a great idea. Thanks.” She ended the call and turned to Peter. “Do you mind if I take a quick bathroom break?”
His eyebrows shot upward. “Now?”
She picked up her purse and headed toward the door. “I’ll just be a minute.” She rushed from his office and headed to the public bathroom where she barricaded herself in a stall.
What had she been thinking? Any fool could have planned this better.
Her hands shook as she pulled Clarabelle’s tome from her purse. She’d start there. Since it belonged to her family, and technically now her, it might be inclined to reveal its secrets to her quicker.
She pictured Mr. Kitty shaking his head in admonition because she hadn’t studied it all the times he’d forced it in front of her.
Hazel held the book close to her chest and closed her eyes. She whispered a quick prayer to the Blessed Mother to help her find what she needed. Faking confidence, she opened her eyes, ran her finger along the edge of the pages. When a touch of energy zinged her, she opened the book.
Halfway down the page, the words Suppress and Subdue jumped out at her. The Blessed Mother, Clarabelle, or the Fates had come through for her.
She would need to place a drop of blood on a brass pendant and press it against Glenys’ neck whilst repeating “thou shall do no harm” three times. This would supposedly suppress her abilities for one hour.
Frustration threatened to break her. She didn’t have a brass pendant. Wasn’t even sure where she might locate one. But she was in so far that she couldn’t back out now.
If Peter was unable to get a signed confession, he’d have to release Glenys. And Hazel had no doubt that the second that tape was off her mouth, she’d turn Hazel, Peter, and likely Margaret to ash.
The idea of returning to Peter’s office and telling him that she’d managed to locate a spell that might help them, but she didn’t have all the necessary components was ludicrous. Asking him to read Glenys her rights and lock her up for several hours so Hazel could locate a brass pendant would not go over well. The feds would surely catch wind of that.
Peter wouldn’t be able to explain the situation without losing his job. He’d be laughed at, and his reputation would be destroyed.
She exited the bathroom and tried to swallow past the hardened lump of fear and regret that choked her. She had to think of something—
An officer walked in her path, and her heart leapt. The gun at his hip reminded her of the time Peter had showed her his gun and explained the process of firing a bullet…from a brass casing.
She strode as fast as she could without generating notice, back to his office.
Twenty-Four
Inside th
e police chief’s office, Hazel closed the door behind her. Peter waited with an expectant look while Glenys glared. “I have it figured out. I need one of your bullets and string of any kind. I need something sharp, too.”
Glenys mumbled in protest and tried to stand.
Peter pushed her back into the chair. Suspicion radiated from him. “I don’t have any string.”
Hazel glanced wildly about his office and spied a container of paper clips on his desk. “Those will do.” She hoped.
She quickly linked paper clips together until they formed a chain. She held out her hand. “Bullet.”
He hesitated. “What do you intend to do with it?”
She didn’t have time to explain everything to him. He wouldn’t understand anyway. “I don’t actually need a bullet. Just the brass. So, unless you have a brass pendant lying around…” She shoved her hand out farther.
Resigned, he slipped his gun from the holster, removed a bullet, and held it over her hand. “I need to know where you’re going with this. This whole thing is pushing the boundaries of acceptable police conduct, not to mention social norms.”
She met his gaze and held it. “Do you trust me, Peter?”
He hesitated and then sighed. “I do.” The bullet landed in her palm, and she closed her hand around it.
After a little finagling, she had herself a fine-looking brass pendant. Or at least one that would do the job.
She scanned his office again. “Something sharp?” Before he could respond, she pointed to a push pin on a bulletin board. She snatched it and turned to Glenys. She didn’t think the book had specified whose blood she needed, but she wasn’t taking chances.
She approached Glenys who wriggled and flung herself forward to escape Hazel.
Peter jerked her back into the chair, held her steady, and caught Hazel with a pained expression. “Tell me this isn’t happening.”
She pushed away the anguish that reached out to her. She couldn’t think about Peter or what she’d just done to their relationship. She had to focus on the spell or she’d surely mess up again.
“Sorry, not sorry,” she said to Glenys and pricked her thigh.
Glenys screamed behind the tape and a drop of blood welled on the surface. Hazel rubbed the bullet across it, and then secured the makeshift pendant around Glenys’ neck.
“This is beyond unorthodox,” Peter muttered.
“I know,” she whispered.
Glenys kicked hard, catching her in the shin, and she cried out.
In the end, her actions only furthered Hazel’s resolve. If the witch thought she could intimidate her, she could think again. Hazel shot her a parting look and closed her eyes. She repeated the spell three times, invoking Mother Earth’s energy to keep Glenys from harming them.
When she finished, she opened her eyes to find Glenys staring hard.
Peter’s face had turned ashen. “What was that?”
The look of disbelief and fear in his eyes nearly destroyed her. If there had ever been a chance for her and Peter, she’d eviscerated it.
Instead of answering him, she ripped the tape off Glenys’ mouth, the sound bringing her satisfaction if not solace. “You can question her now. You have an hour before this wears off, at which time I highly recommend you gag her again. Don’t waste any time.”
Glenys growled. “You’ll pay for this.”
Hazel met her gaze and sighed. “You can’t hurt me now.”
A twinkle of danger danced in her eyes. “There’s always later, witch.”
Peter pulled Glenys from the chair and led her toward the door. He opened it and then glanced back. “Stay here. When I’m finished with Glenys, I’ll be back for you.” He shut the door with a firm thud.
She placed her hand over her mouth and broke. Soul-deep emotion sprang to the surface like angry welts after a beating. She’d brought Belinda’s killer to justice and had destroyed every good thing in her life in the process.
She’d just practiced witchcraft in front of the police chief in a town that was known to viciously punish people for such acts. If she was lucky, Peter would tell her to get lost and never look at her again.
If she wasn’t… She couldn’t bear to go there right now.
She knew one thing though. She wasn’t about to sit and wait for Peter to break her heart and bring justice down on her head. Or for someone to tell Officer John Bartles she was a witch. She grabbed tissues and strode out of his office, not pausing when Margaret called after her.
If she was smart, she’d head home and pack up everything. She’d never speak a word to anyone about what had just taken place in Peter’s office. But life wasn’t that easy, and she’d already determined she was a few twigs short of a full broom.
If she kept this all inside her, she’d wither from the worry, pain and ugliness. So, instead of going home, she walked her bike to Cora’s.
Cora looked up from a nearby table where she chatted with some locals and recoiled. She held up a finger indicating she needed a moment. Hazel sank to the bench for waiting customers, and a few minutes later, Cora reappeared minus her apron. She wrapped a hand around Hazel’s arm. “Let’s walk.”
Hazel did her best to stifle her sobs as Cora led them on their usual walking trail until they reached the solace of the park. Instead of crossing the small bridge, they headed across the grass to a bench where Hazel dropped and buried her face in her hands.
Cora wrapped an arm across her shoulders and squeezed. “You’re not okay. What on earth has happened?”
Hazel wiped her tears with a wad of tissues and tried to breathe through the anguish. “I ruined everything.”
Cora drew her brows together. “How?”
Genuine warmth and empathy rushed from her friend and into her soul, and she accepted its strength. “Glenys killed Belinda.”
Pain contorted Cora’s features. “No…” The word erupted as a breathless wail. “How could she be so cruel? Belinda didn’t deserve that.”
Hazel met her friend’s tear-filled gaze and hugged her. “I’m so sorry.”
“She… I…” Cora shook her head, unable to find the words she needed.
“It’s worse.” Hazel inhaled a shaky breath. “I used a truth-telling spell before we went to Peter’s office, not realizing that if she could talk to tell the truth, she could also curse us.”
Cora gripped her tighter. “Hazel…”
Her friend’s reaction made her feel as though she’d signed her own death warrant. Maybe she had. “I had to cast a spell to keep her from practicing magic while in custody. He’s getting a confession out of her now.”
“But then what?” Cora seemed more concerned than ever. “Once that wears off, he won’t be able to keep her in check.”
“He can gag her again.”
“Forever? You know that’s not possible.”
Tangled emotions broke her, and she sobbed. “I don’t know, Cora. I don’t know what to do. I never should have messed with things I don’t know about or understand.” She struggled to inhale. “I only wanted to help.”
Cora wiped her tears. “You did help, Hazel. You did. You were brave, and now I’m going to have to be brave, too.”
Hazel sniffed and shook her head in confusion. “How?”
“I’ll call the authorities.”
“That won’t do any good. Federal agents are already stationed in Peter’s office.”
“Not those authorities. There’s a special unit who works for the government. Most of us would never want to engage them or draw attention to ourselves, but we have no choice. Glenys cannot be allowed to hurt anyone again, and they could never keep her in a regular jail.”
Hazel struggled to comprehend. She’d never heard of a governmental entity who handled bad witches. “How do we let them know about her?”
“This part is on me. Don’t you worry. You’ve put yourself in enough danger. I’ll take care of this. The less you know, the better. Trust me.”
She nodded, wishing she co
uld feel reassured by Cora’s words. “What do I do about Peter?” she whispered. “Do you think I’m safe in Stonebridge?”
Cora took her hand. “I don’t think he’d do anything to hurt you. He’s not that type of person.”
Hazel’s heart trembled. “He said witches don’t belong here.”
Cora gave her a shrug filled with attitude and wiped her tears. “I guess he’ll have to get over that then, won’t he?”
She gave her a watery smile even though she didn’t believe for a second that Peter would. “Thank you for loaning me your medallion. I think it saved our lives.” She pulled it from beneath her shirt and over her head to return it.
“Oh…” Cora widened her eyes. “I’m so glad to hear that, but you keep it until you increase the strength of your magic.”
She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve Cora. “You’re a good friend. Will you let me know what happens with Glenys?”
“You betcha. Go home and rest. I’ll check in with you later.”
They both stood and walked solemnly back to the center of town. Cora hugged her before she headed into her café. Hazel checked to make sure Gretta was okay to stay in the shop all day before she climbed on her bike and pedaled home.
She had a raging headache, two magical tomes in her bag that she needed to hide, and a cat to thank for his help.
Epilogue
A soft spring breeze ruffled Hazel’s hair as she pulled weeds from an overgrown garden along the back of Clarabelle’s old home. The loan she’d applied for hadn’t gone through yet and might not for some time since she was sure everything at the bank was in chaos after Glenys’ arrest.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t care for a place that had once belonged to her family. Lavender, sage and nightshade fought for space amongst the weeds, and Hazel wondered if what she saw before her might be offspring from something Clarabelle had planted long ago.
