A Southern Charms Cozy Potluck Box Set

by Bella Falls

  His childish glee tickled me. “A motorized bicycle?”

  “I wouldn’t call it a motorcycle.”

  “Like mine, you know, the one you're supposed to have fixed for me?” I needled him.

  “I’m still waiting on parts for Old Joe. But in the meantime, would you like to take a trip into town with me and try her out?” He wiggled his eyebrows and beckoned me forward with a finger.

  “Give me just a second.” Disappearing into the house, I ran upstairs to get myself into better shape. I’d never been a girly-girl type to worry about or fuss over her looks, but something made me want to appear more than just presentable.

  I brushed my teeth and pulled back my hair into a ponytail. With a final glance into the mirror, I approved my appearance and ran back downstairs. Voices coming from the porch welcomed me.

  Joining them, I found Dash speaking with my roommate.

  “Beau, you didn't come home last night,” I commented.

  “After what happened with Raif, I needed a little TLC time. And since you have a strict rule about me bringing my lady friends back to the house, I decided to spend my time at the retirement home.”

  I managed not to grimace at the implications of my roommate’s night dalliances, but Dash failed at hiding his surprise. “You wooing the ladies there?” he asked.

  “From time to time,” admitted my vampire roommate. “Last night, I spent an hour or two with Cordelia Jenkins. A perfectly lovely woman, although we were interrupted by a commotion. The same poor soul who found Raif’s dog had a bit of a breakdown.”

  “She did?” I asked.

  Beau nodded. “She became very agitated, crying out odd accusations about somebody making her say the things that she did on stage. They had to bring Dr. Andrews in to calm her down.” The pudgy vampire leaned closer to us and lowered his voice. “The rumor going around the home this morning was that they’re talking about enacting a binding.”

  “No,” I uttered in absolute disbelief. “It's been an age since they've done that. But if she's so out of control, then she can be a danger to herself and those around her,” I admitted. Still, the thought of having anyone's magic stripped from them made me go cold all over.

  “Sounds like a lot of trouble,” Dash said.

  I frowned at him. “It's how we take care of our own,” I responded, trying to keep the thoughts of the power of his pack life at bay.

  “I left before any other drama happened this morning. I think I will take a much-deserved nap.” Beau yawned and opened the screen door. “You two kids have fun.”

  “Shall we?” Dash gestured at the bikes.

  A ride was exactly what I needed to clear my head. I raced him down the steps and straddled the bicycle. “Show me how the new-fangled magic works.”

  The wolf shifter gave me an explanation about the switch on the side of the gearshift. I could either ride it like normal or turn the switch on, which would activate the spell.

  Dash did his best to explain how the magic worked but got more and more frustrated as I asked questions. “I don't know,” he exclaimed. “You just turn it on, magic happens, and the bike goes.”

  I knew my friend Lee had a particular talent in spellworking his magic with technology and objects. No doubt he had given explicit instructions to Dash that were hard for anyone else to understand.

  “No worries,” I said. “Let's take them out to the road and see what happens.”

  We walked the bikes side-by-side through the field until we reached pavement. “You ready?” Dash mounted his bicycle.

  “As I'll ever be,” I exclaimed. Flipping on the switch, I recognized the initial dizzying rush of power over the object and my body. I took off at a faster pace than I could set with my own legs.

  “Hey, that's not fair,” called out Dash from behind.

  A carefree giggle bubbled out of me. “Last one to town buys lunch.” I left him in the dust as the wind whipped around me. Letting out a loud whoop, I leaned forward and urged the bike on.

  “You cheated,” accused Dash as he pulled up beside me on Main Street.

  “I’m hearin’ a whole lot of whinin’ and not seein’ a whole lot of payin’ up,” I teased. “Shall we go to the cafe?”

  We parked our bikes and wandered down the sidewalk.

  “Next time, I want a fair contest. Plus, we never shook on any bet, so I don't see why I have to buy you food.” Lifting his top lip, he fake growled in complaint.

  “I suppose that's true,” I admitted.

  “But I'm happy to buy you lunch anyway.” He bumped me with his hip. “Loser.”

  “Are you looking at your reflection in the window?” I asked, bumping him back. “Because if I recall, I got to town first.”

  “Hey, is that your friend waving at you over there?” Dash asked.

  “Nice try, but you’re not distracting me,” I insisted.

  He stopped walking. “No, over there,” he pointed.

  I stopped talking and looked in that direction. Horatio was gesticulating wildly with his arms. “Charli,” he called out, his loud voice echoing off the storefronts. “If you could, I request your presence with immediate haste.”

  I rushed over to the troll, Dash following close behind. “What's wrong, Horatio?”

  “I…I…” Horatio stammered. “Forgive me, but it is not something I can tell you outright. The situation is more something you have to see.” He glanced around in fear. “Come inside with me,” he insisted.

  The troll took wide strides up the stairs and disappeared into the library. Dash looked at me, his face full of warning, but curiosity got the better of me. I followed close behind, and the wolf shifter stayed glued to my side.

  The unmistakable smell of old books filled my nostrils. In its heyday, the building had been bustling with people checking out books and children reading inside in hidden corners. It had fallen under neglect over the years and seemed more dingy than inviting.

  “Something's not right.” Dash’s eyes flashed amber. “I smell death.”

  “I think that's the scent of old books,” I countered, speaking in a hushed tone. Even though the building was empty, I still felt the need to whisper.

  “No,” said Horatio. “Your friend here is correct. Look.” He ushered us to the tall stacks of books, stopping and giving us time to spot the object that didn’t belong. In the middle of the row, sheltered between full bookshelves lay a body.

  The sickeningly sweet scent of gardenia hit my nose at the same time the funk of decay did. My stomach turned, and my hand flew to my mouth to guard against anything coming out.

  “Don't tell me that's—” started Dash.

  “It is,” I managed. “It's Mrs. Kettlefields.”

  Chapter Five

  The dead body rested in a contorted fashion, her eyes open and filmed over in that deceased kind of way.

  “We need to get a warden here,” I exclaimed.

  “Yeah, why did you bring Charli in instead of one of them?” Dash asked.

  Horatio blew out a breath. “I do not know. I must confess, when I walked outside, I was in a quandary as to what action to take. You must understand that my first thoughts were that it looks suspicious that her body was found in the library, the one place where I have been allowed to have full reign and control. You cannot deny that this town has had its issues with my presence before.”

  “But why me?” I asked, unable to stop staring at the poor woman.

  “Because you have a knack for finding things. And, forgive my impertinence, but I thought that your presence on Main Street was fortuitous at that exact moment.” The troll wiped his mighty hands down his protruded brow and face.

  I touched his arm in sympathy. “I get it, but we really do need to bring the wardens in on this. If we don't, then the suspicion will lay on you even more.”

  Horatio hung his head. “But, of course, you are in the right.”

  Dash tugged on my arm. “Let's go, Charli.”

  I shook my head.
“No. You go. I want to stay and take a closer look.”

  “Charli,” insisted the shifter. “You don't need to do that. It’s not your job.”

  I looked at him and the troll. “I don't have to, but I want to. See if you can find my brother, although it may be faster to go straight to the warden station.”

  Dash blew out a frustrated breath. “Fine. You can stay here until I bring a warden back with me. Then you leave.”

  I didn't appreciate his demanding tone. “Then I'll make up my own mind and my own decision at that point.” A small part of me hoped that maybe the wardens would request my help in figuring out what had happened to my old teacher. “Now, go.”

  “Yes, ma'am,” Dash replied, all trace of flirting gone from his response.

  Left behind, I returned to the matter at hand. With careful steps, I walked around the disheveled body. I mentally took notes on as many details as possible, saying them out loud in order to cement them in my head. “Did you find a cane anywhere near here?” I asked.

  “No,” replied Horatio. “Why?”

  “She needed one to get around. When she waved it on stage, she would lose her balance. No cane means she didn't come here under her own power.”

  “Nicely observed,” said Horatio. “What else?”

  “She's dressed in a nightgown. Clearly, that adds to my suspicion she was brought here rather than making the journey on her own.”

  “She might have been sleepwalking,” offered the troll.

  “It's possible,” I conceded. “However, I've never known the woman to step out into society without being appropriately clothed. Look at her neck.”

  The troll leaned over the body as best he could. “I don't see anything.”

  I pointed at some purple marks on her pale skin. “That looks like bruising to me.”

  “Somebody put their hands around her neck. Poor woman,” lamented the troll.

  My eyes roamed over the dead woman's body, looking for any other noticeable clues. I avoided going above the neck because I wasn't sure if I'd be able to handle looking into her open eyes again. Yes, I wanted to help, but knowing the victim might render me useless.

  The unnatural bend of her body more than suggested that she didn’t fall on her own. “Somebody definitely laid her here.” I crouched down to look at the soles of her feet. “See? No dirt.”

  “So she was placed here on purpose.” Horatio frowned.

  “Looks like it.” The stench of her perfume and the mortification of her body overwhelmed my senses. I closed my eyes and covered my nose with my hand.

  “Here.” Horatio handed me a handkerchief. Instead of using it to block out the smell, I thanked him and used the fabric to pick up her lifeless hand. “See here? She has blood on her fingertips and under her fingernails.”

  “And I think we can take it from here, Miss Goodwin,” called out a familiar voice. Mason rounded the corner. “I’ll ask you to let go of the body and back away.”

  I placed Mrs. K’s hand down with gentle intent and held up my own, showing the detective the handkerchief. “I didn't touch her with my bare hands.”

  “You shouldn't be touching her at all,” admonished Mason. “As I said, we can take it from here. And you,” he turned his attention to the troll. “It was you who found her?”

  “I did.” Horatio looked at the body and back at the detective. “I feel most bereft for the poor lady.”

  “I’m sure,” muttered Mason, taking out his notebook from his pocket. “And when did you find her?”

  “When I came in to open the library this morning. Ten o'clock, I believe, Detective,” answered my friend.

  Mason glanced at his watch. “It's almost lunchtime. Why have we been brought in now?”

  “I will admit, I did not discover her right away. It took the re-shelving of a few books for me to stumble upon her.”

  “And so the first person you contacted was Charli and not a warden.” The detective’s point came out as a statement rather than a question.

  “I did not search specifically for her, Detective Clairmont. However, when I exited the library initially, I found her within the area. For whatever reason, I asked her to verify who the lady is. Was, I mean,” stumbled Horatio.

  Mason instructed both of us to step away from the body to give the other wardens a chance to do their job, peppering us with more questions. With each one, it became clear whom the detective suspected.

  “Horatio didn't do it, Mason, if that's what you're trying to imply,” I protested.

  “And what makes you the expert in this? Were you with Horatio so that you can vouch for him?” His professional gaze chilled me.

  “No. But there is nothing to suggest that he did do it other than she was found in the library,” I pointed out.

  “By him,” said Mason. “And he did not alert us to her presence right away, which calls him into suspicion at least.”

  “And while you're asking him questions, you're not the one taking notice of the important things,” I insisted.

  “Like what?” Mason asked.

  I filled him in on my observations. The detective listened and wrote things down in his notebook. “Thank you for doing a job that doesn't belong to you, but I must insist that you leave now. And Horatio, I would like you to accompany me to the station.” He turned his back to us and ordered the other wardens to get the body onto a nearby stretcher.

  With a warden on either side of the body, they used their magic to lift her into the air. When she settled on the stretcher, her head lolled to the side in my direction. Her empty, glassy eyes stared at me while her mouth gaped in horror as if still trying to draw in a final breath.

  “Wait a minute,” I called out.

  Mason rushed to me. “Charli,” he hissed. “That’s enough. I don't need you here, and I don't need your help.”

  His words stung, but I brushed them off. “No, I mean, look at her mouth.” Something white was sitting in her open jaws.

  “Tweezers,” commanded Mason. “Does anybody have any tweezers?”

  “Horatio, grab me two pencils,” I ordered.

  “Don't move,” countered Mason. “Here, you two. Give me your pencils.” The nearby wardens handed over their writing implements.

  Holding them in my hand like a pair of chopsticks, I approached the body. With care, I clasped the white object between the tips of the two pencils and pulled on it gently. It came out and fell, a line of sticky saliva snapping away as it hit the floor.

  Mason gestured his hands at the object, and it lifted in the air. With a few twists of his wrists and a flourish of his fingers, the article unfolded and grew larger, revealing a wrinkled piece of paper. “There's something written on it,” the detective said.

  I edged closer to it. “Looks like a poem.” I read the lines out loud.

  “Turn, turn, my wheel! All things must change

  To something new, to something strange;

  Nothing that is can pause or stay;

  The moon will wax, the moon will wane,

  The mist and cloud will turn to rain,

  The rain to mist and cloud again,

  To-morrow be to-day.”

  “I know those words,” declared Horatio. He broke the command of the detective and ran off with heavy stomps. When the troll returned out of breath, he held out a book in his hand. “It's Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.” He opened the hardback to reveal the torn page. “I believe it came from here.”

  “I’ll take that.” Mason gave orders for a warden to bag the book. He made another flourish with his hands, and a shimmering protection layered over the book and sealed it. He took it from the troll, handing it off to one of the other wardens, and issued orders for them to take the body out the back of the library instead of out the front door onto Main Street.

  Mason turned his attention back to the two of us. “I’m going to lock this place down under warden protection. You, you're coming with me,” he directed at Horatio. “Charli, you need to go home.” />
  “But don't you want my help?” I asked. “Perhaps there’s something I can track down?”

  Mason escorted me to the front door. “If there’s something to find, then I might be in contact with you. Until then, let me do my job.”

  I pulled on his arm to stop him. “Mason, what's going on?” More questions popped into my head, but I focused on the one that mattered. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No, Charli. It's not you who did something wrong.” He cast his eyes down and scratched the back of his head.

  “I don’t understand. That implies that you think you did something, and for the life of me, I can't think of anything.” I wanted to shake him out of whatever mood affected him.

  Without another glance at me, Mason opened the door. “Let me handle things my way for once. Please.”

  The sun hurt my eyes. Already a crowd had gathered on the front steps of the library. Linsey forced her way through the crowd and confronted Mason. “I heard you found a body. Care to elaborate?”

  “No comment,” replied Mason.

  Lily's younger sister turned her attention to me. “How about you? Are you involved in another murder, Charli?”

  Back off, Linsey,” I grated through my clenched teeth. “Or I will hex your hiney.”

  “So, that's not a no?” challenged the annoying reporter wannabe.

  “Miss Goodwin was assisting me inside. And that is all you need to know. Good day,” Mason dismissed her.

  Inquisitive eyes burrowed into me, and I needed a quick getaway. A shrill whistle snapped me to attention. I ran in its direction and found Dash around the corner. He stood shirtless beside the two bikes, sweat dripping down his muscled torso. Pulling his shirt over his head, he covered his muscled skin.

  “Were you naked?” I asked.

  “How else do you think I got to the warden station so fast? I don't shift with my clothes still on.” The corner of his mouth lifted in amusement.

  People started heading our way to ask more questions. I straddled the bike and flipped the switch. “Let's get out of here.”

  We took off down the street, leaving the rest behind. About halfway back to my house, I turned the switch off, wanting to burn some energy with the power of my own muscles. My mind raced through the details I had noticed. Mason's treatment of Horatio and me repeated over and over again, and I grew angrier at each mental replay. I stopped the bike in the middle of an intersection.