We drive past the mine, where Marley usually parks her van.
Marley turns up the music again, and we begin climbing the switchbacks up towards the portal gate.
As the van takes one hairpin turn after another, jostling all of us back and forth as we bump over potholes and rocks, questions tumble through my mind. What will the spirit athletes be like? Will I be able to see them? Will they be kind? Nice? Funny? Scary?
I hope not the latter.
Hunger pangs in my stomach also make me wonder if we’ll have to wait long for them. I hope that our guests will be on time. Cora set up her crockpot to slow-cook meatballs and tomato sauce this morning, and the more I think about the upcoming spaghetti dinner, the hungrier I get.
We take the last switchback, drive past the Terra Mansion, and then bounce and jostle over the last mile of rough dirt road to the portal gate. As the gate comes into view, I can see that at least some of my worrying has been unfounded.
The spirit beings are on time.
There’s a gaggle of them, huddled by the metal fence that also serves as a portal into other magical universes.
Our guests have arrived.
Chapter Three
The spirit beings gathered by the fence are not totally see-through, but they are transparent. I can see the faint outline of the trees just behind them as I look them over. They also have a whitish, silvery glow that us humans don’t have. It’s quite captivating.
Some of the beings are short, some tall, some round, some skinny. They’re wearing all sorts of athletic apparel. I see a tracksuit that looks like it’s from the eighties, as well as a few more stylish outfits that are a bit more modern. One tall woman is even wearing a fur coat. Some have duffle bags hung over their shoulders, while others are toting rolling suitcases. All of them are carrying tennis rackets.
“Oh, good,” says Annie. “They brought their own rackets. I hope they have balls, too.”
Marley pipes up while slowing the van down to a creeping crawl. “It does look like the woman in the fur coat has a container of tennis balls with her,” she says.
I peer out the window. “Yes, she does,” I confirm, eying the metal cage-like container of bright green tennis balls.
I’m nervous.
This is going to be fun, I remind myself as I open the van door.
Still lost in my thoughts, I smile and wave. All the spirits have turned in our direction. I walk forward, leading the way towards them. “Hello!” I say as I approach.
The tall spirit-woman in the fur coat steps forward. “You must be Annie,” she says. She has a long, pointy nose that looks almost birdlike. She’s at least seven feet tall and rail thin.
“No.” I step aside, and motion towards Annie, who is right behind me. “This is Annie.” I hold my hand to my chest. “I’m Penny. Penny Banks. These are my friends, Annie, Cora, and Marley.”
The woman nods. “I’m Janice,” she says solemnly while peering down her nose at me. “I’ll be judging the tournament.”
A man with a trimmed white beard and a friendly smile just to the left of Janice steps forward. “I’m Fred!” he exclaims happily. He’s wearing a winter cap with a pom-pom on top, and it bounces up and down as he speaks. “Boy, are we happy to be here! You just don’t know how good you all have it here in the Earth Realm for racket and ball sports. Your gravity field is simply fantastic. Match that with how dense everything here is, and my—” he kisses his mitten-clad fingertips. “Perfection.”
Annie steps forward. “We’re so glad you’ve all made it safely,” she says. “How was the journey?”
My eyes wander over the little gaggle of spirit beings as they respond.
Now that I’m looking closer, I note that the tennis teams of two are dressed alike. Two plump middle-aged women in matching neon pink tracksuits speak up first.
“It was a very scenic trip,” says one of them.
“Beautiful views of the multiverse,” says the other. Her voice is so soft that I can barely hear her.
“We took plenty of pictures.” The first pats a camera that’s slung around her neck. “I’m Pat, by the way. This is my tennis partner, Camilla.”
“Nice to meet you, Pat and Camilla,” I say. Cora, Marley, and Annie offer up greetings as well.
Next, a man who looks more like a football player than a tennis player speaks up. He’s tall with broad shoulders and a thick neck. He has black hair that’s combed over his head. He’s standing with his arm draped over a woman who is just as tall and big-boned as he is. “The journey was too long,” he says, with a thick accent that sounds almost Russian. “Not good before the games. We will be sluggish.”
“We’ll get you moving again here soon,” Annie promises. “We have a dinner planned and then there’s some time where you can do warm-ups before playing. Cora here is a Zumba instructor, and can lead us in a sort of group warm up if you like.” Annie pats Cora’s shoulder.
“It would be my pleasure,” Cora says.
“No. No Zumba,” the large man growls. “I do not do dancing. We will warm up on our own, Boleslava and I.” He looks down at the woman at his side. “Isn’t that right, Boleslava?” he says.
“That is right, my Boris,” she responds. “First, we will do our warm up. Then, we will win the games. There is no other way. It is as it should have been for years. We have had to wait too long for this opportunity to come.” The two shoot glares out at all the other athletes, and then at us.
I shiver.
Alrighty then. These two sure are serious about their sport.
Awkward silence blankets us as we all try to take in Boris and Boleslava’s mood-dampening statements. In an effort to lighten the mood, I say, “Glad you’re here now, Boris and Boleslaw.”
“Bole-slava,” the woman corrects me, settling her black eyes on me and narrowing her lids. If looks could kill!
Fred claps his hands. “That’s right, Penny. We sure are glad we’re here now too. We’ve all been waiting a very long time to have the chance to play tennis against one another. A little friendly competition will do us Spirit Realm dwellers good, you know. We’re very thankful that you invited us. The journey was a piece of cake. Really. Speaking of cake, some kind of food does sound good. You mentioned something about a dinner?”
“Yes, at my house,” Cora says. “We’ll shuttle you all down in two groups.” She motions to the van. “It might be a tight fit. I hope you’re all okay with cozying up to one another.” She gives a little laugh.
“Cozy,” Boris growls moodily. “I do not like cozy. Where is the bus?”
“I’m afraid there’s no bus,” Marley says. “Just my van. Boris, Boleslava, Camilla and Pat, why don’t you hop in first?”
The four of them pile into the van, suitcases, rackets and all. I can hear Boris complaining the whole time he’s getting situated. “You not get bus for us? This van is small. What is this, a bed? What - you live in van?”
His accented string of complaints finally fades as Marley closes the back door, securing the passengers within. Cora and Pat have climbed into the front, and Cora pulls the door shut.
Marley turns to Annie and me, “I’ll be back soon for another shuttle run,” she says.
While we wait for the van to return, Annie and I get to know the remaining athletes.
Fred is just as Annie described him, friendly, full of good cheer, and extremely enthusiastic about tennis. He also seems quite taken by Annie. I catch him glancing over at her many times, even when she’s not speaking.
His teammate, a man named Marve, is about the same age as Fred. I’d place him in his early seventies. Though he’s similar to Fred in age, he’s not nearly as outgoing or friendly. He’s wearing a maroon beret and thick, black-rimmed glasses. He’s short and wiry, and when he speaks, it’s always to say something blunt and condescending.
The remaining two teammates are a couple in their forties. They have matching strawberry-blond bowl-cuts and while they chat with us they jog in place, l
ifting their knees up high as though there’s a drill sergeant watching them. Every once in a while, they check their pulse at the wrist and converse with one another.
“You staying above 140, Beth?” the man asks the woman.
“Oh yeah, Henry,” the woman, Beth says. She picks up her knees higher. “Gettin’ up towards 150, even!”
“Slow it down, honey,” Henry cautions. “Don’t want to tire out, just want to get in the zone. Three hours ‘til our first game.”
Beth looks down at a fancy watch on her wrist. “Two hours and thirty-five minutes,” she says.
“Oh, gee,” the man says. “Beth, keep it nice and steady. Another few minutes and we’ll take rest.”
Fred motions at the two with his thumb. “Reigning champions, over here. Penny, Annie, meet husband-and-wife team, Beth and Henry. Back when we had our last tennis tourney, these two took home the trophy. This year, Marve and I mean to change all that. Isn’t that right, Marve? We’re going to take home the trophy this year, right my buddy?” He elbows Marve in the ribs.
Marve nods curtly and says, “Yes.”
Fred grins. “Henry, Beth hope you’re ready to part with the beauty! Soon that trophy’s going to be ours.”
Henry frowns. “We have it here. Beth, show these boys the trophy that we’ll be keeping this year.”
Beth stops jogging long enough to reach into her red duffle bag. She pulls out a giant trophy.
“Wow!” I say. “That thing is big!”
“Two feet tall,” Henry says proudly while his wife displays the monstrosity. “Made entirely of nickel. Gold plated, too.”
Beth turns the trophy slowly so that we can all see it in the fading light. It’s shaped like a person playing tennis. The figure is stretched up, with his racket high in the air as if he’s about to spike a ball over the net.
“Nickel and gold, like Henry said,” Beth says reverently. “My, it’s much heavier here in the Earth Realm than it is in our world.”
“That’s because the gravity is twice a strong here,” Henry says.
“Don’t worry about carrying the extra weight in your bag, Beth,” Fred says cheekily. “You won’t have to lug it around for much longer. Soon, Marve and I will take it off of your hands. You’re going to have a lot of room in that pretty red duffel on your travels home.” He turns and winks at Annie and me.
“We mean to split custody, don’t we Marve?” Fred says. “The trophy will spend one month at my house, on display, and then a month at Marve’s. Isn't’ that right, old pal?”
He elbows Marve again, this time with so much gusto that Marve’s black-rimmed glasses nearly pop off of his face.
“I’ll get it first,” Marve says, squaring his glasses. “You’ll go second.”
“I don’t know about that!” Fred says, in a friendly manner. “I was the one who made the contacts to arrange this whole thing. Thanks to lovely Annie here.” He motions toward Annie.
Annie smiles. “I was so glad to make contact with someone. And it was such a nice surprise to hear that you played tennis. My late husband and I loved to play tennis together, you know.”
For the next twenty minutes, Annie regales us with memories of playing tennis with Walter.
Beth, Henry, Marve, Fred and I listen with interest, laughing here and there when Annie shares a funny memory. Janice, the tournament judge, stays removed from the rest of us. Instead of listening to Annie and laughing along with the stories, she stares pointedly down the road, clearly waiting for the van to return.
When Marley’s VW van crests the hill, Janice hurries towards it.
She marches, dragging a suitcase along in the dirt behind her. Her fur coat sweeps regally behind her, almost as though it’s a queen’s cape.
“What’s up with Janice?” I ask Fred, as soon as Janice is safely out of hearing distance.
“Oh, she takes her role as a judge very seriously,” Fred says. “She doesn’t socialize with us players much. It’s because she wants to make fair calls during the game. She was the judge for the last tournament we all played in—twenty years back or so. We played here on earth, but it was broadcast back at home in the Spirit Realm. There were... complaints”
“It was broadcast? You mean like, on TV?” I ask.
“Yes!” Fred says. “We’re going to do it again this year. Marve has his video recorder. He’s also in the television industry, you see.”
“Wow! Will it be live in the Spirit Realm?” I ask.
“Not live,” Fred says. “Marve will just collect footage while we’re here, then a team will put it together to make a program once we get home. Tennis is really big back in our realm, even though it’s nearly impossible to play on our home turf. The eight players you have here are the best of the best. Our fans haven’t seen us play for twenty years—you can bet they want to see us compete again.”
“Huh,” I say. Then, “Back to Janice. You said there were complaints... “
Fred nods. “Critics said that she was getting a bit too close to some of the players if you know what I mean.” He tosses me a wink.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I say. “Do you mean romantically? Who?”
“Oh, rumors went around that she was having an affair with Boris. That was before he was married to Boleslava. But then, people also said Janice was getting a little too cozy with Henry. They say that was why his team won.”
We’re moving towards the van, and it isn’t safe to continue gossiping anymore. We’re back within earshot of the rest of the guests.
Beth, Henry, Janice, and Marve manage to squeeze into the back-bench seat. Fred takes the front passenger seat, and Annie squeezes in next to Marley in the front. I crawl into the very back and perch on top of Marley’s bed.
It’s an even bouncier ride down the mountain than it was going up since I don’t have a seatbelt or a grab bar. Marley blasts the reggae tunes, and I can’t hear any of the conversations up front as we drive. This gives me plenty of time to contemplate spaghetti and meatballs, and by the time we reach Cora’s, I’m practically drooling with anticipation.
We all pile out of the van.
“Oh! Look at the stars,” Fred says as we progress up Cora’s walkway. “They’re so much brighter here on earth than in our realm.”
“You know, this would make a good shot,” Marve says. He pulls a small video recorder out of his jacket pocket. “Look up like that, Fred. I’ll film you looking into the starscape.”
“I’m not waiting around out here for you two,” Janice says.
The rest of us follow Janice to Cora’s front door, leaving Fred and Marve outside.
We enter the lobby.
Cora greets us. “Leave your shoes and coats here!” she says in cheery Cora fashion.
We all start to strip down.
“Could you please point the way to your lavatory?” Janice asks primly, once her fur coat and boots have been removed.
“Oh, yes please!” Beth seconds. “I’ve had to go since we left the Spirit Realm!”
“I asked first,” Janice says. “So I’ll use it first. Ma’am?” she looks at Cora.
“I only have one restroom,” Cora says. She points up the stairs. “It’s right up there. Top of the stairs, straight ahead. The light switch is just behind the door.”
“Excellent,” Janice says. She starts up the stairs. Beth waits a minute and then follows. I kind of have to go too. I know I’ll be second in line after Beth, but it’s worth the wait. I’ll pee and then be able to relax for dinner. Mm... dinner. I can smell the meatballs and marinara.
Before I can head up the stairs, Boris speaks. “I will use the bathroom too,” he says gruffly. “Boleslava, you ready my food.”
Okay, maybe I’d be third in line. You know what? I’m just going to wait. Food first, and then a pee break.
I’m so darn hungry! Henry, Boleslava, Marley, Annie and I follow Cora into the kitchen.
The food smells even better in here! You know how warriors sometimes
see red when they’re going into battle? Well, I’m seeing marinara-red as I fill my plate. I’m in a food frenzy!
I carry my plate into the dining room and sit down at the table. Henry joins me, and then Marley. Pat, Camille and Boleslava are already sitting. No one is eating yet. Am I supposed to wait to start eating? Are we going to say some kind of Walterdon-flavored grace?
Nope. I can’t wait. I dig in.
I’ve shoveled half a dozen forkfuls into my mouth, and I’m about to add in another when a blood-curdling scream stops me.
I freeze.
“That sounded like Beth!” Henry says. His brow creases with concern as he pushes his chair back from the table, throws his cloth napkin down, and springs up to his feet.
“It came from upstairs, I think,” I say, setting my fork down and then moving away from the table too.
I lead the way back towards the entryway. As soon as we see the staircase that leads up to the second story of Cora’s house, Henry calls out. “Beth, honey, are you alright?”
A second scream lets us know that Beth is definitely not alright. I start bounding up the stairs, two at a time. I’m aware that Henry is right behind me, and I hear Marley as well. Besides that, I don’t know who is there and I’m too focused on the screaming sound to care. I follow the sound straight to Cora’s bathroom, which is not far from the top of the stairs.
As soon as I burst into the bathroom, I see Beth. She has her hands up over her mouth.
“What is it?” I ask.
Beth pulls one hand away from her mouth. She points, with a shaking hand, towards the bathtub. A thick curtain is drawn across it. I move forward, a sickening feeling in my gut. I think I know why Beth screamed. I can smell it in the air: blood.
I pull the curtain aside and my suspicions are confirmed.
There, lying in the bathtub, is Judge Janice. All seven feet of her, translucent and silvery white, is sprawled in the porcelain tub, with her head propped against the wall. The tiles behind her head are splattered with silvery-red blood. Lying on top of her chest, I see the two-foot-tall trophy.
A Hillcrest Witch Mystery Collection Page 56
