Playing With Fire

by Adrienne Woods et al.

  Carson stares into his coffee cup for several moments. When he looks back up at me, I can see that his eyes are moist. “I hope you’ll learn something from my example. No good can come from a relationship between a witch and a witch hunter. My only child has no idea I’m her father. I’ve had to stand in the sidelines her entire life and watch her grow up from a distance. Believe me, that’s not the life you want.”

  “Fine. No personal relationship with Maggie. I get it. I’m on board.” I hope my voice sounds more convincing to him that it does to me.

  He extends a hand for me to shake. “Take care of my girl. Make sure that she doesn’t use her magic in any way that the council might find objectionable. If they decide that she’s using the dark arts to harm others, you know what will happen. There will be nothing that either one of us will be able to do to help her.”

  Maggie is standing outside on her grandmother’s porch when I pull into the Curiosity Shop’s parking lot.

  I immediately notice there’s a FOR SALE sign in Opal Opre’s front yard. That didn’t take long.

  Maggie doesn’t waste any time making her way to my car and hoping into the passenger seat.

  “Aren’t you the eager one this morning?” I quip as I put the car in gear and head out.

  “What did you find out about Kiki?” she asks.

  “Not much,” I admit. “How long has she been working at Moreno Industrial Supplies?”

  She rubs her chin, obviously giving my question some thought. “Eight months maybe. Not that long.”

  “And you said that Sal was the one who hired her.”

  She nods. “It was not long after he divorced his fifth wife. Or maybe it was his sixth. It’s difficult to keep them all straight. And that doesn’t even include the women he had affairs with and never married like Nick’s and Lenny’s mothers.”

  “Did Sal have any other children besides Nick and Lenny?”

  “I believe he got a vasectomy after Lenny was born so that wouldn’t happen. That’s what I heard anyway. So, no other children that I’m aware of.”

  “Do you have any idea who inherits Sal’s estate?”

  Maggie slowly shakes her head. “I always assumed it would be Lenny. He worked with his dad in the family business. And Nick and his father weren’t close.”

  “I think we need to find out who is Sal’s legal heir.”

  “Maybe that’s who put him on ice.”

  I park in front of Moreno Industrial Supplies. The place seems even more desolate than it did when I was here a few days ago.

  Maggie and I hop out of the car.

  “I’ve only been here a few times.” Maggie glances around. “I could never figure out exactly what they do.”

  I know I can’t tell Maggie about the FBI investigation of Sal and Lenny’s company. But maybe I can give her some clues and she can figure out some of the backstory herself.

  “The last time I was here, the warehouse was completely empty. Nothing but rats.”

  Maggie frowns. “Nick never liked it when I asked questions about his father’s business. He said he didn’t want anything to do with it and he didn’t want us involved.”

  “Why do you think he wanted to distance you from it?”

  “That’s a good question.” She heads over to the warehouse and peeks in one of the windows. “It’s still empty. How can you have an industrial supply company without any supplies?”

  The two of us exchange a glance.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” As her eyes narrow, I imagine the wheels spinning in her head.

  “I can’t tell you what I can’t tell you, but maybe you can guess.”

  “You don’t think that Sal and Lenny were doing something illegal, do you?”

  “Sal did have a Hand of Glory prominently displayed in his living room.”

  “Lenny never seemed like the brightest bulb in the socket. I always wondered how he made so much money. Every time I saw him, he was driving a brand new sports car. He always wears flashy clothes and watches. And he takes trips to Las Vegas all the time.”

  “And Nick wasn’t involved in the family business at all?”

  “He despised it. He said he’d rather go without than work for his dad. Of course, that was never an issue because Nick had a great job at the college. He loved working as a librarian.”

  When her eyes tear up, I feel a twinge of jealousy that I’m not expecting. I have no reason to be jealous of her husband. The guy is dead. And it’s not like Maggie and I are ever going to get together anyway.

  “Maybe we should step inside the office and have a talk with Kiki and Lenny.”

  The office is as desolate as the warehouse. What few personal items that were on Kiki’s desk a are long gone. There’s nothing left but a thin layer of dust.

  The door to Lenny’s office is open. Maggie and I step inside. It’s empty too.

  Not even a Sudoko puzzle book or pencil remains.

  “I wonder where they went,” Maggie says.

  “I was able to find an address for Lenny. There wasn’t one for Kiki in the system. She doesn’t have a criminal record and apparently she doesn’t even have a driver’s license.”

  “Then let’s start with Lenny’s house.”

  Chapter 13

  MAGGIE

  Nick and I were together for seven years and I never once visited his brother’s house. That tells you how close they were. From what I could tell the two of them had nothing in common other than shared DNA.

  I’m surprised when Ben pulls his car up to a beautifully refurbished Craftsman style home. I guess I was expecting something flashier and more ostentatious like his father’s McMansion. Lenny’s place looks like the type of house you’d expect a college professor to live in.

  My head is still reeling from what we discovered at Moreno Industrial Supplies, and from what Ben told me and Nick didn’t tell me.

  I suspected there might have been something shady going on with Sal’s business dealings, but I guess I never wanted to believe it. Who wants to acknowledge the fact that their husband comes from a crime family? I’m still holding hope that maybe the theory is wrong and Moreno Industrial Supplies isn’t a cover operation for illegal activity.

  Ben and I exit his car and I follow him up a flower-lined pathway to the front door of Lenny’s house.

  Ben knocks. We wait. There’s no answer.

  Lenny’s cherry red BMW convertible is parked in the driveway, so it would be strange if he wasn’t home.

  “Do you think he went jogging?” Ben asks. “Or maybe for a walk?”

  I laugh. “Lenny attended the wedding when Nick and I got married. He thought is was too far to walk half a block from the church to the reception hall.”

  “Do you suspect there may be reason to believe your brother-in-law is in danger?” Ben asks, his tone professional.

  I frown. “I don’t know. Maybe…?”

  “If you suspect that your brother-in-law may be in danger, I have cause to conduct a welfare check.”

  “Oh. Right. A welfare check. Absolutely. I have reason to believe he may be in danger.”

  Ben checks the door handle. It’s locked. “There wouldn’t happen to be a key hiding underneath a sculpture somewhere?”

  “How about inside a rock?” I lift a suspicious looking rock up from a small rock garden next to the door and flip it upside down. I open the secret compartment and remove a spare key.

  “Are you sure you’ve never been here before?” Ben asks.

  I shake my head. “Nope. But Nick had a rock just like this with a spare key inside and he kept it next to the front door of his house when we met. It must be a family thing.”

  Ben uses the spare key to open the front door. Then I return it to its place in the fake rock and place the rock back in the garden.

  As we enter Lenny’s house, Ben draws his gun. That’s when I know things are serious.

  The place is well-decorated and much cleaner than I expect. I immediately think t
hat Lenny must have a housekeeper. He’s never come across as the type to spend time vacuuming and dusting. Neither has Kiki for that matter.

  Not that I have much room to talk about keeping a house spotless. I’m the Queen of not-so-clean.

  As we get closer to the bedrooms, I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  Then it hits us. That smell. Like a dirty diaper that’s been left in the sun with a plate of rotting meat.

  “Oh, no…” I immediately put my hand over my mouth and nose.

  “Now might be a good time for that vapor rub.”

  I remove the Vicks from my pocket and rub it under my nose.

  My heart starts to pound in my chest as I follow Ben into the master bedroom.

  There’s no sign of Lenny anywhere in the bedroom, but the stench is getting worse.

  Ben gestures towards the bathroom. I follow him inside.

  Lenny’s naked body is sprawled out in the bathtub. Not something I ever wanted to see. Especially with all the water drained from the tub.

  I’m not a physician, nor do I play one on television, but even to an amateur like me, it seems obvious how he died. The side of Lenny’s head is bashed in. The probable murder weapon, the toilet tank cover, is covered with blood and even a small tuft of hair.

  I notice Lenny is wearing a wedding ring, but there’s no sign of Kiki anywhere. I wonder if she’s in danger or if she’s the one killed him.

  “Are you going to be sick?” Ben asks.

  “I don’t think so.” And that surprises me. The scene is gruesome. Even more gruesome than Opal Opre’s murder scene. And the murder scene at my house when the goons attacked me. It’s much more gruesome than finding Sal’s frozen body in the freezer, although he was a bit of a mess once he thawed out.

  Maybe I’m becoming desensitized after seeing so many dead bodies in such a short period of time.

  “I’ve got to call this in,” Ben tells me. “Maybe it’s best if we wait outside.”

  As we hurry out of the house, I close the door behind us hoping to trap the stench inside.

  While Ben make his phone calls, I look around the exterior of the house for clues. I don’t find much in front of the house, but when I step into the backyard, I’m surprised to see a small Benevento Walnut tree. It’s associated with the Grand Dea and found in sacred witch’s sites around Italy. As far as I know, the tree is not native to this area.

  I snap a few photos of it with my cellphone.

  I doubt that Lenny knew the tree’s importance to the practitioners of Italian folk magic. But what about Kiki? Is it possible that she’s a practitioner of witchcraft?

  “Maggie?” I hear Ben call my name.

  “In the backyard,” I yell back.

  He gives me a wave as he heads in my direction. Then I hear several loud blasts. It sounds like fireworks. It takes me a few moments to realize that someone is shooting at us.

  “Get down,” Ben screams as he takes cover behind an old oak tree.

  My eyes scan the backyard for someplace to hide. There aren’t many options.

  Several more gunshots are fired in my direction. Panic surges through my body leaving me paralyzed with fear.

  “Run over here,” Ben urges. “Let me protect you.”

  “No,” I yell back. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt.” His voice is filled with apprehension.

  I close my eyes to see if I can focus in on the shooter. Who is he? Where is he? Maybe I can use my magic to stop him.

  Just as his image starts to come into focus, I feel someone grab me and pull me from the middle of the lawn. “What are you doing?”

  “Saving your behind.”

  I have to admit that I like it when Ben has me wrapped in his arms, but I also know that I’m putting him in greater danger being so close to him.

  “The shooter wants me not you.”

  “How do you know that?” he hisses. “I’m getting you out of here.”

  He shields me as we make our way to the front of the house. When I hear a police siren blaring towards us, I assume it will scare the shooter away.

  At least for now.

  Within minutes, Lenny’s house is surrounded by squad cars.

  “Keep her safe,” Ben tells a pair of uniformed officers as they hurry over to us.

  He leaves me in their protection then takes off with his gun drawn. I assume to see if he can catch the shooter.

  “Are you okay?” I recognize the man’s voice.

  When I turn around, I see Detective Carson Conner heading towards me. His forehead is creased with deep worry lines. His eyes filled with concern.

  “I’m shaken up,” I admit. That’s when I realize I’m actually shaking. My limbs are trembling.

  “Detective Walker and I found my brother-in-law’s body. Lenny is dead. Sal is dead. Nick is dead. My daughter is dead. They obviously want me dead too. Why has someone targeted our family?”

  “I wish I knew.”

  I swipe at several tears as they stream down my cheek. “I’m scared.”

  “You should be. Maybe we need to take you into protective custody.”

  “No,” I practically shout.

  “We’ll be able to keep you safe.”

  “I don’t know who I can trust.”

  Carson frowns. He looks pained. He seems to have taken my hesitancy personally.

  “I feel safe with Detective Walker,” I tell him.

  “Detective Walker won’t be able to be with you 24/7.”

  I shake my head. “I don’t trust anyone else.”

  He mutters something under his breath that I can’t quite make out.

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing.” He avoids my gaze.

  “What did you just say?” I urge.

  When he looks into my eyes, his gaze is penetrating. “I said that you can be as stubborn as your mother.”

  It takes a moment for his words to sink in. “You knew my mother?”

  As Ben hurries over to meet us, he holsters his gun. “What’s going on over here? Did I miss something?”

  Carson rolls his eyes. “She’s all yours.” He storms away before I have a chance to question him further.

  “Are you okay?” Ben asks.

  “I’m not sure.”

  “You did just get shot at.”

  “Oddly, that’s not what’s bothering me the most. Detective Conner just told me that he knew my mother. She died shortly after I was born. I didn’t know her at all.”

  Ben gulps. “Is that all he said?”

  I shake my head. “He wanted to put me into protective custody. I told him that you’re the only one I trust. But you can’t be there 24/7.”

  “Why not?”

  I laugh. “You can’t be stuck with me all the time. You have a life. You have Burt.”

  “You’re not allergic to cats, are you?”

  “Not that I’m aware. But I must admit I don’t have much experience with pets. My grandmother never let me have one.”

  “You’re more than welcome to stay at my place. It’s not much to look at, but I do have a spare bedroom.”

  “Okay,” I reply much too quickly. I’m usually not so rash with making decisions, but usually not being hunted by a killer either.

  “Great.” He smiles.

  “I’ll need to get a few things from my house.”

  “That might not be a good idea. Two goons already attacked you there. They might send another hit squad after you. My sister is about your size. I think she’d be willing to let you borrow a few things.”

  “I don’t want to put your sister in any danger…”

  “You don’t have to worry. Her husband’s a cop too.”

  The village of Raven Circle is in a remote location, but Ben’s sister and her husband live even deeper in the woods of northern New Jersey. Their closest neighbor is an abandoned farm several miles away.

  “How did your sister find this place?�
�

  “The house has been in her husband’s family for generations.”

  Ben parks his vehicle next to a beautiful two-story old stone house that looks like it was built in the 1700s. It’s like something out of a fairytale. There’s even a babbling brook a few hundred yards from the entrance.

  “Your sister’s home is gorgeous,” I tell him as I hop out of the car.

  “It’ll be a great place to raise a family, when they’re ready. They’re still newlyweds. You’ve been warned.”

  I follow him up a stone pathway to the front door. Before he has a chance to knock, his sister swings the door open.

  She’s a stunning blonde with long curly hair and big blue eyes.

  “You must be Maggie.” She embraces me in a hug. “So nice to meet you. I’m Stephanie. Rufus is around here somewhere. He’s our sheepdog. He’s not much of a watchdog. Obviously. He’s a lover not a fighter. Come in.”

  She steps aside for me and Ben to enter.

  The place is decorated in a shabby sheek style that seems to be popular right now. I’ve never been into decorating. I’ve always bought furniture based on whatever was most comfortable.

  “Denver is working a double shift, so I’ve been using the time to get caught up on a few projects. I’m a sculptor, in case Ben didn’t tell you.”

  “He didn’t mention it.” I give her a polite smile. “I wish I had some kind of artistic talent.”

  “That’s okay. Ben didn’t inherit any artistic talent either. But he makes up for it working two jobs.”

  “Two jobs?” When I glance over at Ben his eyes are wide.

  “Oops. I guess I’m not supposed to talk about his other job. It’s a secret.” She puts a finger to her lips.

  “The clothes,” Ben reminds her.

  “I’m here all day by myself a lot so when another human being arrives, I tend to talk a lot.”

  “Too much,” Ben says pointedly.

  She gives him an eyeroll. “He’s so dramatic.” Then she turns to me. “Let’s get those clothes.”