by Tegan Maher
“What in the world?”
I pulled the nearest box closer to me and popped the lid off. Inside, there was another plastic bag. This one had what looked like Santa’s beard in it.
Jonah stopped laughing and barked orders at the officers. “Check all the boxes. Looks like we have a trickster on our hands.”
In the back of the warehouse, something moved. The noise it made as it scurried across the floor made everyone stand at attention.
“Who’s back there?” Jonah yelled.
3
Matchmaking was my superpower. It’s the gift I’d been given at birth. It worked well for me in my career but did nothing for my love life. Why I thought it’d help me solve this case, I don’t know. But unless someone came up with a better idea, I’d run with it.
“Hello? You don’t have to hide from us,” I said as Jonah waved the plastic foot in front of my face.
“I can’t believe you thought this was real,” he said. “Have you ever seen a human foot before?”
Why he had forgotten there was a man in a ski mask wreaking havoc, I’ll never understand. Jonah was stuck on the plastic body parts. I had to admit, they gave me the creeps. They were almost worse than actual human body parts. Why would someone leave them in boxes of Christmas decorations? What was the point? That’s what I needed to find out. And if my hunch was right, I could release some of the guilt I had about volunteering because this was primo material for my column and the new podcast. I just had to prove it.
“We know you’re in here,” I said as I walked toward the back of the warehouse.
“Bea, don’t,” Jonah said.
I flashed a smile at him and kept walking.
He rushed toward me, his gun in his hand. “You’re horrible at following directions.”
“And you’re horrible at… at…” I couldn’t think of anything he was bad at.
Daisy remained behind with the other officers who were busy gathering parts of Mr. and Mrs. Claus from the donated items.
“So, you can’t think of one thing I can’t do?” Jonah teased. “That’s good to know. I’ll have to write that down in my diary.”
“You keep a diary?” I stepped over a felt reindeer.
He laughed. “No, but if I did, I feel like that’s something I’d want to write down.”
I didn’t even know where to begin with that. Jonah and I were friends. We’d even gone out on a few dates, but I didn’t feel like I really knew him. He was kind, handsome, smart, funny, and serious when he had to be, but he never disclosed much more than that. Of course, we never had the chance because we’d stopped dating. We hadn’t formally agreed not to date. It just happened. Life got in the way. He moved on with Brianna when she moved to town. That relationship was short-lived. I was dating Rob Santos, a long-time friend and local accountant. That relationship ended abruptly too. Rob and I were still good friends, but right now, our relationship was on hold.
“He’s here somewhere,” I said.
“Who?” Jonah pulled his flashlight out and pointed it around the back of the room. “Why is it so dark back here?” He pointed the light up to the overhead lights. “They’re so dim. A lot of good that does.” He scanned the room. “I don’t see anyone. Do you?”
I shook my head.
“Why are you so dead-set on talking to this guy? If he’s smart, he didn’t stick around.”
I didn’t know how to explain it. I knew in my heart of hearts the man in the mask was nearby. I could feel it.
“You know I could lose my job for this?” he said.
“For what?”
Something moved in front of us.
“Stop right there!” Jonah yelled.
The man didn’t listen and ran toward the back door.
“Stop!” Jonah drew his gun.
I dropped to the ground and covered my head.
The next thing I knew, the other officers ran past me with their guns drawn.
I closed my eyes.
Daisy landed with a thud next to me. “What happened? Did you see the guy?”
I clutched her hand. “I’m sorry I was mean to you.”
Her eyes went wide. “What? When? I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re my best friend. We’re never mean to each other.”
Jonah and the officers gave chase to the man in black, leaving us alone in the warehouse. As they chased him, Daisy and I crawled across the room and hid behind boxes.
“What do we do now? Should we go outside?” Daisy asked.
The distinct sound of footsteps approached from the other side of the boxes.
“Jonah?” I called out.
A leg came into view. It was covered in black jeans.
My heart jumped into my throat and made me choke.
Daisy pounded my back as I choked for air.
The person came into full view. It wasn’t a man at all.
My breath hitched.
Daisy’s voice quivered, “Who… are… you?”
The person bent forward and her face came into view.
“Brianna?” I couldn’t make sense of it. “Why are you here? How did you…” My voice trailed off as I took in her outfit. She was dressed in a black turtleneck, a puffer jacket over it, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black skull cap with her hair tucked under it.
“It was you? You were the person we saw in here earlier?” Daisy asked.
She moved closer.
“She has a knife,” Daisy said as she used her body to shield me. “Watch out!”
“Why?” Brianna asked.
Daisy and I exchanged glances.
“I don’t know why you have the knife. It seems awfully rude. I mean, we’re not carrying any weapons,” Daisy said as she took a tentative step toward her.
I grabbed her hand. “Don’t.”
She gave me a pointed look. “I’m fine.”
“What was your question, Brianna?” I moved in front of Daisy before she got herself killed. “Do you want to know why everyone is looking for you?”
She laughed a maniacal laugh. “You don’t get it, do you?”
I shrugged. “I’m afraid I don’t. Do you want to explain it to me?”
“You were supposed to come alone,” she said.
The sound of Jonah’s voice on the other side of the wall caught our attention.
Brianna waved the knife in our faces. “You know what you are?”
Daisy nodded. “Yeah, not interested in whatever this is. Put the knife down before you hurt someone.”
Brianna jabbed the knife toward me.
I ducked. “Whoa! Watch out.”
“You watch out.” She waved the knife again. “I’m sorry if I don’t behave the way you like. I’m sorry if I don’t look like you. I’m sorry if I didn’t live this big, fancy life in Hollywood. But does that mean I deserve to be punished for not being a spoiled rich girl?”
The comfort I found in the sound of Jonah’s voice vanished when I could no longer hear him.
“What? Are you sad now?” Brianna asked. “Isn’t that cute? The girl who has everything is sad. Boo hoo. That’s what you get.”
“That’s what I get for what?” I asked as Daisy moved closer to Brianna again. This time, close enough to knock her to the ground and knock the wind out of her. “Run!” I yelled as I kicked the knife out of Brianna’s reach and ran like my life depended on it.
Daisy held the door open for me as I ran with everything I had, including the knife.
I saw Jonah out of the corner of my eye.
Without hesitation, he and the officers ran into the building.
“Is he in there?” he asked.
“It’s not a he. It’s Brianna,” I yelled.
He froze.
I stopped by his car to catch my breath.
“What did you say?” he asked.
“It’s Brianna. She’s the person in black.” I lifted the knife. “This is hers.”
His brows furrowed as he stared at the knife.
> The other officers ran into the warehouse.
Jonah locked eyes with me. I saw something in them I’d never seen before, but I couldn’t make out what it meant.
“Mr. and Mrs. Claus,” he said before walking into the building shaking his head.
“What did he say?” Daisy asked.
I sighed. “No clue.” That was a lie. I had an inkling, but although Daisy was my closest friend in the world, she didn’t know I was a witch. I’d never told her I came from a long line of witches. She just thought I was really good at matchmaking.
“How did you figure it out?” Jonah asked as he drove me home.
I stared out the window, watching the snow fall. “I didn’t.”
“She’s lying. She knew. She always knows. That’s what she does. She can tell when people are in love,” Daisy chimed in from the backseat.
Jonah patted my leg. “It’s so unbelievable.”
“It is,” I agreed. “But love does funny things to people.” I laughed at the absurdity. “I can’t believe she thought I stole you from her. What was that all about? And what’s the deal with the severed Claus family?”
He sighed. “It’s a long story.” He pulled the car in front of my house.
“I have time.”
He blushed. “Nope. Not going there with you.”
He didn’t have to. I already knew. It just came to me.
Brianna believed she’d marry Jonah and live an idyllic life complete with a porch swing for two, trips around the world, a house full of children and grandchildren, and years of playing the role of Mr. and Mrs. Claus in the annual Christmas Festival. That’s how she saw their relationship.
Based on what I knew about Jonah, he was nowhere near the same page as her. He wasn’t the dressing up in costumes kind of guy.
“What I don’t get is why she cut them into pieces?” Daisy said.
“That was for my benefit. She thought it’d scare me so badly, I’d never see us doing that in the future,” I said. “That’s my best guess, but who knows?”
Daisy patted Jonah’s shoulder. “Thanks for saving our lives. I’m sure my friend will reward you kindly.” With that, she hopped out of the car and ran up the driveway to the house.
Jonah sighed and leaned his head back on the headrest. “What a day!”
I nodded. “Sure was.”
“Are you okay?”
“Great.”
He placed his hand on mine. “I’m sorry about everything.”
“What Brianna did is her fault, not yours.”
He shook his head. “No, not that. I’m sorry about us.”
“What about us? The last I knew there was no us.” That sounded harsh. “Sorry. That’s not what I meant.”
He squeezed my hand gently. “The truth is, you scare me.”
“What? I’m not the one ripping body parts off mannequins. That’s your ex.”
He laughed.
“How do I scare you?”
The look in his eyes shook me. It was a mixture of fear and something more.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked.
He released my hand. “There’s something special about you. You’re different. Different from anyone I’ve ever met and that scares me.”
I didn’t know what to say.
He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I won’t pressure you. I just want you to know that I see it, but I still haven’t quite figured out what it is yet… but I will someday.”
I swallowed hard. “Is that a threat, Detective Anderson?”
His cheeks turned red. “No, it’s a promise. As soon as I figure out what your secret is, I’ll let you know. Until then, know you and I aren’t entirely over. Don’t count me out yet.”
It was my turn to blush.
“Also, you’re a much better P.I. than your sister.”
That meant the world to me. “Thank you.”
“Now, get out of my car and stay out of trouble. I’ll see you at the festival.”
I leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Merry Christmas.”
“It’s not Christmas yet,” he said.
“It is for me. You just gave me a gift.”
He winked. “There’s more where that came from… when you’re ready.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
“I hope you do. Merry Christmas, Bea.”
Want to read more?
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About Ava
Ava Mallory was born to write. As a child, she wrote on walls, windows, floors, her siblings, and any surface that sat still too long. Her love of the written word made up for her penchant for silence. That was difficult to find in the home she shared with five siblings and extremely loud parents who were musicians.
When she's not writing, you can bet she's busy enjoying one or all of her many hobbies. They include: chauffeuring children, cooking for said children, finding all "lost" items for the children, recounting the days of her youth when she would walk five miles through the snow, up a hill backwards to go to school, running (after children or away from them), binge-watching true crime documentaries, streaming her favorite shows, scrolling through her social media feeds, or desperately looking for a quiet place in her house where she can take a nap.
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Things that Go Bump and the Knight
The Avalon Café Book 4.5
Hermione Moon
Things that Go Bump and the Knight
The Avalon Café Book 4.5
By Hermione Moon
When cakes and pies start going missing in the Avalon Café, kitchen witch Gwen Young is convinced someone is breaking into the shop. But why did the security camera only capture static, and how did the thief circumvent the magic ward she placed on the doors? The answer has an unusual festive twist in this heartwarming cozy witch mystery.
Introduction
Hi! I’m Gwen Young, and I’m a kitchen witch who bakes magical muffins and cakes for the Avalon Café in Glastonbury, England. If you’ve read my other adventures, technically this story falls after book 4 (Her Wedding Knight) in the timeline, and before book 5 (’Twas the Knight Before Christmas). But you don’t have to have read the others to enjoy this standalone story, and I’ve tried not to hint too much at anything that might spoil the series if you go on to read it!
What do you need to know? I solve murders and other mysteries with the help of my best friend, Imogen, her husband, Christian, and my husband, the legendary King Arthur. Well, he insists he wasn’t a king, just a warrior in the sixth century. His spirit was transferred into a ruby that ended up as part of a suit of armour we nicknamed Sir Boss, which still stands in the Avalon Café. He insists I’m the reincarnation of his wife, Guinevere, and that my Labradoodle, Merlin, is his old friend, Taliesin the bard. I had the ruby set in a gold ring, and when he wore it, Arthur was able to take off his suit of armour. And that’s when we fell in love! (It’s not really a spoiler, I promise!)
One last thing—this story is set in England and therefore uses British spelling and word usage.
If you enjoy this story and would like to know more about the Avalon Café series, please go to my WEBSITE. The books are exclusive to Amazon and all free to read in Kindle Unlimited.
1
“Come on Gwen,” Imogen says, “tell us a story.”
It’s the eleventh of December, two weeks before Christmas. Imogen, her husband, Christian, my husband, Arthur, and I have just got home after having dinner together at our local pub, The Lady of the Lake, celebrating Arthur’s birthday. We’ve eaten a huge meal over several hours, and we’re now in the living room, curled up in front of a log fire.
I’m a witch, so technically the winter solstice on the twenty-first is my big celebration
, but I’m more than happy to join in with everyone else in Christmas merrymaking too, so our festivities run for several weeks through December and January. A real tree stands in the corner, the fairy lights twinkling above my handmade ornaments, while on the coffee table a candle flickers in the middle of a circle of pinecones, ivy, and holly with its blood-red berries. Through the window, lit by the streetlamp, flakes of snow flutter to the ground.
I pull the tub of Quality Street chocolates toward me and begin searching for the green triangle that contains my favourite hazelnut praline. “Why me?” I ask Immi. “I’m far too full to tell stories.”
“Then why are you looking for another chocolate?”
“There’s always room to fit a little bit more in.” I find one triangle at the bottom, unwrap it, and pop it in my mouth.
“Fair enough.” Imogen takes the tub from me and searches for her favourite.
Next to me, Arthur chuckles and leans across to kiss my cheek. “Go on,” he says. “Tell us a story.”
I fake a sigh but settle back and run through my mental grimoire of ghost tales. Mum and I used to tell each other stories in the evenings, so I have quite a library stored in my mind.
My gaze drifts down to where my Labradoodle, Merlin, lies in front of the fire. He’s stretched out on his side, but his eyes are open, fixed on me, and for a moment I can’t look away. They’re usually a beautiful brown, but in the firelight they’re like tiny black holes that seem to suck me into them, dancing with orange flame…
“Gwen!” Arthur rubs my shoulder. “You zoned out again.”
