“Hey.” I wasn’t surprised to see them. In fact, I’d expected them to stop by earlier. From the looks of exhaustion on their faces — except for Tillie, who looked normal — it was easy to see they’d had a long day. “Have a seat. Do you want burgers?”
“We’re fine,” Bay said, although she gratefully accepted the tumbler of iced tea Luke passed in her direction.
“There’s bacon for the burgers,” I said to Landon.
His grin was sheepish. “Oh, well ... I could eat a burger.”
“You could eat a cow,” Tillie corrected, taking an open spot next to Nellie and leaning closer to look at the magazine he perused. “Porn?”
Nellie made a face. “I don’t read porn.”
She didn’t look convinced. “I would totally read porn if I could get the good stuff. Everything here is sanitized for prudish pleasures.”
The look Bay shot her great-aunt was withering. “Since when do you like porn?”
“There are many things you don’t know about me,” Tillie replied primly. “For starters, did you know that I like square-dancing? You didn’t know that, did you? I also like walks in the rain, piña coladas and irritating Landon until his head is pounding and he wants to hide under the covers.”
“Well, you’re excelling at that one,” Landon noted, his hand rubbing soothing circles across Bay’s back. “We thought you guys might like an update on Shirley and Adele.”
“Of course.” I gave him my full attention as I sat next to Kade. “What are they saying?”
“They’re not denying anything,” Landon replied. “They killed Darren in his shop and dragged his body to the spot where you found it. They drained him of blood indoors, but they thought there was a chance they might be able to deflect attention to you, so they risked transporting his body in the dark.”
“How did they do that?” Luke asked. “I don’t see how they had the strength.”
“Apparently they used the wheelbarrow Marcus keeps at the stables, rolled the body into it, and took turns using their magic to roll it across town.”
I tried to picture the scenario, but couldn’t. “That sounds ... interesting.”
Landon snorted. “Yeah, well, they’re interesting women.”
“They said they watched you that first night,” Bay offered. “They tested you a few times, made noises to see how you’d react. Do you remember that?”
Something niggled at the back of my brain. “We thought we heard a wendigo howl that night,” I admitted. “It threw me off.”
“No, it threw me off,” Kade corrected. “I was still jumpy.”
“That means they were watching us then,” I mused, concern washing through me. “Did they say anything of interest?”
Bay clucked sympathetically. “I get that you’re worried they’ll say something — and they did see a few odd things, like Luke taking his shirt off and staring at himself in the mirror in front of the funhouse for an hour while making his pecs bounce … oh, and some clown wearing what looked to be chaps — but it won’t matter.”
I slid Luke a sidelong look. “Still? You told me you quit doing that.”
“Hey, I did ... for the most part. Occasionally I’m so good looking I can’t stop staring at myself. Sue me. I’m doing the best that I can.”
Part of me wanted to smack him around, but I let it go. “Why won’t it matter?”
“Shirley really is sick,” Landon replied, tugging Bay a little closer so he could keep his arm around her. “She doesn’t have much time. Prosecuting her will be a waste of time and taxpayers’ money. Instead, she’ll go to a hospital and live out the rest of her days there.”
That sounded unbelievably sad. “And Adele?”
Landon merely shrugged. “We don’t know yet. It’s a difficult situation.”
“What Landon isn’t saying is that no one wants that woman to go before a judge and start screaming about binding spells and wicked witches,” Tillie volunteered. “That’s on top of the things you guys can do.”
I rolled my neck as understanding washed over me. “She won’t get away with it, will she? I mean ... she killed two people.”
“That’s the other problem,” Landon said. “They are blaming Billy’s death on Lizzy and Kaley. If she goes to trial, we’ll have to drag them back.”
“And if we drag them back, they’ll be prosecuted even though they weren’t in control of their actions,” Kade mused.
Landon nodded. “It’s a difficult situation. I called the parents, told them I was just checking to make sure the kids were okay. Other than being upset they missed the festival, the girls are none the wiser.”
“They didn’t know what they were doing,” Bay explained. “They don’t remember. Rosie and Stephanie don’t remember either. How much are we supposed to tell them? It could ruin their lives.”
I rubbed my cheek as I considered the conundrum. “Would you want to know?” I asked finally.
“I honestly don’t know.” Bay looked conflicted. “I would like to think I’m strong enough to accept it, but killing someone ... it’s not always the easiest thing to swallow.”
I knew that better than most. Now, so did Kade. He continued to struggle even though the woman he’d killed had it coming. “So ... what does that mean for Adele?”
“There’s a chance she’ll end up in the same hospital as Shirley,” Landon answered. “She would be committed against her will and kept there the rest of her life. Because of the spell Aunt Tillie cast on her, she won’t be able to use magic to escape. It might be the best possible outcome for all of us.”
“Not for Billy,” I argued.
“No, not for Billy,” Landon agreed. “I don’t know what to do for him.”
“Is he still hanging around?” I asked. “We could ask him.”
Bay slowly shook her head. “I released him this afternoon. He passed over with Darren.”
“Passed over where?” Raven asked with a great deal of interest. “Where are you sending these ghosts when you release them?”
“On,” Bay replied simply. “Wherever they’re meant to be, that’s where I send them. I didn’t facilitate Darren or Billy remaining behind. They stayed on their own because their deaths were unexpected and traumatic.”
“You’ve kept ghosts behind before?” Raven was intrigued. “That means you’re powerful.”
“I didn’t know I was doing it at the time,” Bay explained. “I try to be really careful. It’s new for me.”
“I know all about that.” Kade flashed a small smile. “I think we can live with Adele being locked up in a mental hospital for the duration. It’s not the perfect outcome, but it’s better than some of the others. I agree that it’s probably not smart to drag Lizzy and Kaley back just so we can explode their worlds.”
Bay looked to me for confirmation and I nodded.
“I think it’s a good idea,” I said. “Adele can stay with Shirley until the end. After that, thinking about what she’s done will have to be punishment enough.”
“Okay.” Bay was obviously relieved, because she exhaled heavily and relaxed her shoulders. “That’s good to hear.”
“Did you think we would disagree?” I asked.
Her shoulders hopped. “I didn’t know. You could’ve tried to force things. That wouldn’t have gone well for any of us.”
“No, I definitely think this is the better choice.” I watched her. “You don’t seem happy it’s done.”
She was rueful. “I expected more.”
I didn’t want to laugh — it seemed somehow rude — but I couldn’t stop myself. “It’s terrible that we’re so used to the idea of fights that almost kill us that we’re disappointed when there’s no bloodshed.”
“I feel ridiculous, but I was expecting more,” Bay admitted. “I’m sure I’ll get over it.”
“We all will,” I agreed. “Things went better than they should have. We’re lucky that everyone we love is safe and no one is hurt ... other than Darren and Billy.”
>
“So, we’ll take this as a win,” Bay said, resting her head against Landon’s chest as he kissed her forehead. “Maybe we’ll all get some much-needed sleep tonight.”
“That would be nice.”
Silence descended for a bit, the only sound coming from Nellie and Tillie as they murmured while looking at his magazine. Bay was the first to break it.
“You leave the day after tomorrow,” she noted. “Maybe we can have another meal together before then. You know, just to say goodbye?”
“I think we can manage that.” I smirked. “We told the others about dinner at The Overlook. They’re desperate to join us.”
“We are,” Dolph agreed. “I want to see the enchanted pot field. It sounds magical.”
Landon growled as he glared at Tillie, who remained entranced with Nellie’s magazine.
“Aunt Tillie and Nellie will want a chance to say goodbye, too,” Bay added. “The dinner will be their last hurrah.”
Tillie rolled her eyes. “Excuse me? Last hurrah? We’re becoming online hangout buddies. We already created a forum for The Nettle, where people can learn about what to put in their kettles and Nellie can teach them how to test their mettle.”
I groaned. “That sounds ridiculous.”
Nellie glared. “It’s genius. It’ll make us rich.”
“Plus, we’ll get to keep up with one another,” Tillie added. “I thought about joining the circus, but my family wouldn’t make it without me. I can’t leave them.”
“We could try to make it without you,” Landon suggested.
“I have a better idea,” I said. “Instead of us taking Tillie, why don’t you keep Nellie? I think he would fit right in with Hemlock Cove’s unique makeup.”
“And we would love a break from him,” Luke added. “He’s a lot of work, what with all the evening gowns and shoes.”
Nellie’s eyes filled with fire as he extended a finger in Luke’s direction. “You’re on my list.”
The entire table erupted in laughter. Tears leaked from my eyes as I locked gazes with Bay. There was a lot left unsaid, but it wasn’t necessary. In the end, her family and my family were mostly the same. The Winchesters turned out to be exactly like us.
They were almost too much like us.
In fact, Nellie and Tillie together were definitely too much.
Somehow we survived, and that’s all that mattered.
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About the Author
I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my novels. I have a particular brand of humor that isn’t for everyone – and I know that.
If you liked the book, please take a few minutes and leave a review. An independent author does it all on their own, and the reviews are helpful. I understand that my characters aren’t for everyone, though. There’s a lot of snark and sarcasm in my world – and I know some people don’t like that.
Special thanks go out to Heidi Bitsoli and Phil VanHulle for correcting the (numerous) errors that creep into a work of fiction.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Books by Amanda M. Lee
An Avery Shaw Mystery
Who, What, Where, When, Die
If it Bleeds, it Leads
Buried Leads
Shot Off The Presses
The Preditorial Page
Misquoted & Demoted
Headlines & Deadlines
Misprints & Mistakes
Bylines & Skylines
Off the Record
Unwritten & Underwater
Extra! Extra! Dead All About It
On Deadline & Under Fire
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery
Any Witch Way You Can
Every Witch Way But Wicked
Witching You Were Here
Witching on a Star
Something to Witch About
Witch Me Luck
Life’s a Witch
Charms & Witchdemeanors
The Trouble With Witches
Murder Most Witchy
A Witch Before Dying
A Breath of Witchy Air
Witch, Interrupted
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short
Careful What You Witch For
Wicked Brew
On a Witch and a Prayer
You Only Witch Once
The Christmas Witch
Bewitched
A Solstice Celebration
Witchdependence Day
Happy Witchgiving
Merry Witchmas
Four-Leaf Clover
Thistle While You Work
Landon Calling
I Dream of Twila
How Aunt Tillie Stole Christmas
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fantasy
Witchy Tales
A Witch In Time
Make A Witch
A Witchmas Carol
All My Witches
Close Encounters of the Witchy Kind
An Aisling Grimlock Mystery
Grim Tidings
Grim Offerings
Grim Discovery
Grim Reunion
Grim Expectations
Grim Holiday
Grim Rising
Grim Tempest
Grim Vows
Grimlock Family Shorts
Grim Like Me
Grim & The City
Now & Grim
Grim & Bear It
Grim & The Dead
Death Gate Grim Reapers
Only the Lonely
A Mystic Caravan Mystery
Freaky Days
Freaky Lies
Freaky Hearts
Freaky Games
Freaky Places
Freaky Rites
A Charlie Rhodes Cozy Mystery
The Bigfoot Blunder
The Chupacabra Catastrophe
The Werewolf Whoops
The Megalodon Mix-Up
A Moonstone Bay Cozy Mystery
Witchin’ USA
Witch Out of Water
Freaky Deaky Tiki
A Spell’s Angels Cozy Mystery
Bad to the Crone
Covenant College
Awakening
Whispering
Conjuring
Waxing & Waning
Graduating
Living Covenant Trilogy
Rising Covenant
Dark Covenant
Eternal Covenant
Dying Covenant Trilogy
Haunted Covenant
Desperate Covenant
Everlasting Covenant
2019 Shorts
Wolf on the Job
Elemental Witches of Eternal Springs
Bat Out Of Spell
Spell on Earth
Hotter Than Spell
Spell or High Water
Freaky Witches (A Mystic Caravan Mystery Book 7) Page 30
