I follow Stephanie upstairs and into her bedroom. She gestures towards an open suitcase on the bed that’s jam packed with clothing and personal hygiene products. I was expected an overnight bag. She’s packed enough stuff for a month.
“Do you have any clothes left in your closet?” I ask.
She laughs. “More than enough. I guess Ben didn’t tell you that when our parents died, we each inherited a fortune. More money than I’ll ever be able to spend. Most of this stuff I haven’t even worn yet. You can have it.”
My head is spinning I’m so confused. “If Ben has all that money, why is he working two jobs?”
She laughs. “He loves to work. He’s always wanted to be a police officer. Ever since we were kids.”
“I remember that. He always tried to get me to play cops and robbers when we were little. I always had to be the criminal and he would be the police officer.”
“How old were you?”
“Your brother and I were friends in Kindergarten.”
“I was just a baby.” After a moment, she points a finger at me. “Were you the girl who pushed him out of the tree house? He landed on that sharp rock and scarred his face.”
“Guilty as charged. In my defense, he was the one who started tickling me in a very tight space. I was struggling to get him to stop. I pushed him away and he fell out of the tree house. But I still think he holds it against me. I did scar him for life.”
She laughs. “I’ve never met anyone he’s dated before. Not that my brother has dated many women. Just three. But I probably shouldn’t be telling you that.”
“We’re not dating. We’re working on a case together.”
“Oh…” She wrings her hands uncomfortably. “The way he talked about you, I just assumed that the two of you were together.”
“I really appreciate you putting the suitcase together for me.”
“It’s my pleasure.” She closes the bag and places it on the floor next to me. “It’s a little heavy. Maybe we should get Ben to carry it down the stairs for you.”
“Oh, one more thing.” She opens her bedroom closet. “Would you like to take a gun? For protection.”
“No. That’s fine. I don’t need one.”
She turns to face me. “Are you sure? We have quite a few. I’ve got a small Sig Sauer that’s easy to handle.”
Despite my complete lack of enthusiasm for the idea, she proceeds to rummage through her closet.
“What’s this doing in here?” She pulls a large black stick, bigger than a baseball bat, out of the closet.
When I realize what it is, I gasp. It’s a weapon very similar to the ones the men dressed in black used to kill my grandmother’s neighbor Opal Opre.
“I told Denver not to keep this in the bedroom. He really needs to keep this with his other Benandanti stuff.”
“Benandanti?” I mutter.
Stephanie frowns. “You know what that is?”
I nod.
“Did Ben tell you about it?”
“I… um…”
“Ben isn’t the only witch hunter in the family. I also married one.”
Beads of sweat begin to drip down my forehead. I feel like the room is closing in on me.
Ben is a witch hunter.
“Are you alright?” Stephanie asks. “You look pale. Maybe you should sit down. Ben told me everything you’ve been through. It’s a lot to handle.”
“I think I need some fresh air.”
Before she has a chance to protest, I hurry out of her bedroom. I rush down the stairs, right past Ben, and out the door.
I take in a deep breath and try to calm my frayed nerves. It doesn’t help. I still feel like everything is crashing down around me.
A few moments later, Ben exits his sister’s house carrying the massive suitcase she packed for me.
He opens the trunk of his car, places the bag inside, and slams the door shut.
It’s difficult for me to read the expression on his face as he walks over to me. I can’t tell if he’s sad or confused. Maybe a combination of both.
“Why didn’t you tell me that you’re a witch hunter?”
“Why didn’t you tell me that you’re a witch?”
“How did you know?”
He gives me a look like I just asked the most ridiculous question in the world.
“Right. You’re a witch hunter. It’s your job to know.”
When our eyes meet, there’s still an overwhelming attraction between us, even with this new information out in the open.
“Were you there the night that Opal Opre was punished?”
When he nods, my stomach knots.
He closes the distance between us and places his hands on my cheeks. “I would never do anything like that to you. I promise. And I would never let anyone else do that to you either.”
“But what about the covenant? Aren’t you bound by duty and honor to enforce the supernatural laws? Isn’t it one of your rules?”
“Screw the rules.”
He leans over and places a soft kiss on my lips that leaves me tingly all over.
“I don’t think you were supposed to do that,” I whisper.
“I know.”
His next kiss, deep and passionate, leaves us both breathless.
“Now what?” I look deep into his eyes.
“Now I take you back to my place.”
Chapter 14
BEN
* * *
Kissing Maggie was so wrong, yet it felt so right. I should have talked her into volunteering for protective custody. Or convinced her to allow Carson to watch over her. Or I could have asked Stephanie and Denver to watch her at their place. There were so many things I could have done other than invite her to stay with me.
I guess it’s time to admit that I want Maggie at my place. I want her with me all the time. I want to be her guardian and her savior. I want to protect her from all the bad in the world.
After everything she’s been through, she deserves some happiness. But am I the one who can make her happy? She’s been smiling a lot more since we’ve been spending time together. It’s a start.
I park as close as I can to the entrance of my apartment building. I hop out of the car and grab the suitcase my sister packed from the trunk.
“What did Stephanie put in here? Library books?”
Maggie laughs. “I think she went a little overboard. She gave me enough stuff to travel through Europe for a month.”
As I drag the overstuffed bag inside the building, Maggie follows close behind.
Balancing the suitcase as I unlock the door is a bit of a trick. When Maggie tries to give me a hand and grab the suitcase, she gasps.
“Wow. That is heavy.”
“I’ve got it.”
“I’m no weakling,” she insists.
“I know. But I can handle it.” I grab the suitcase back as we step inside my apartment.
She glances around but doesn’t say anything.
I’m a tad embarrassed. I should have done more to decorate. Or at least make it appear that someone lives here. Until now, I didn’t have any reason to bother with it. I don’t spend much time here and Burt doesn’t care what it looks. He just cares about being warm, dry, and well-fed.
“Did you just move in?” she asks.
“Something like that.”
I take the suitcase into the spare bedroom and place it on the bed.
“Thank you,” Maggie stands next to me. “For everything.”
“I should give you some time to unpack and freshen up.”
Just as I’m about to leave, Maggie grabs ahold of my arm. “Wait.”
I turn back to face her. “What is it?”
“Your sister said that the two of you inherited a lot of money.”
I heave a sigh. “It’s not something I like to talk about. I’ve never touched the money. Everything I have I’ve earned from working. I prefer it that way. I know the money is there if I ever need it, but so far I haven’t needed it.”
&nbs
p; “I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just… you don’t come across as someone wealthy.”
“You mean because I live in a crappy apartment and drive a motorcycle?”
“I didn’t even know about the motorcycle. I’ve only seen you in your police car.”
“You have to admit the apartment is pretty crappy.”
“It looks like something a busy bachelor would rent.”
“Now you’re just being nice.”
“I appreciate you sharing your crappy apartment with me. Is that better?” When she smiles, it lights up the otherwise bleak room.
I place a quick kiss on her forehead. “I’d better get a shower. I can smell myself and it isn’t pretty.”
“You are getting ripe,” she teases.
“Meet me in the living room whenever you’re ready.”
Burt gives me one of his cold stares when I emerge from my bedroom showered and shaved. I glance at the clock on the microwave and realize it is a lot later than I thought. It’s way past his dinnertime.
I open a can of cat food and place it in his bowl. He sticks his butt in my face as he passes by. He always gives me a butt roll whenever he’s angry at me.
This time, I have a good excuse for being late. “I had to protect Maggie,” I tell him.
Burt is unfazed. He prances over to his food and starts eating, completely ignoring my existence.
I grab a beer from the refrigerator. Pop open the bottle. Take a big swig.
“I’ll have one too,” Maggie says as she comes up behind me.
I grab another beer from the fridge. Remove the cap. Hand it to her. “Do you need a glass?”
She shakes her head. Then takes a sip from the bottle.
She smells like strawberries. I don’t remember leaving anything but generic men’s shampoo in the guest bathroom. Would it be too dorky if I stepped closer and took in her scent? She smells so good.
“Stephanie put shampoo and shower gel in the suitcase for me. It’s called Strawberry Breeze.”
“Was I sniffing you?” My voice cracks I’m so embarrassed. I didn’t think I was being that obvious.
“Kind of. Maybe a little bit. I don’t blame you. The stuff is expensive. It does smell good.”
“I’ll have to thank my sister.”
“What do you think?” She does a little twirl showing off the flowered sundress she’s wearing. This is the first time since the interview at her house that I have seen her wear something other than sweatpants or blue jeans. “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks.”
“You did something different to your hair.”
“Your sister also supplied me with fancy hair gel. Stuff that I can’t afford. It tamed my wild mane.”
“It looks great.”
There’s something else that’s different about her. The dark cloud that was shrouding her has finally lifted. She seems lighter and brighter. Even a little younger.
“You must be hungry.” When I open the refrigerator, I realize I have nothing but beer and condiments. And the only thing in my freezer are Hot Pockets. “Maybe we should order take-out, and have it delivered. Chinese or pizza?”
“Mongolian beef?” we both say at the same time.
She points a finger at me. “What do you like on your pizza?”
“Pepperoni and mushrooms,” we say unison.
For a moment I wonder if this woman could be any more perfect for me. Then I remember she’s a witch and I’m a witch hunter.
That kind of puts a kink in things.
When her stomach growls I know it’s time to order food. I grab my cellphone and order Chinese for delivery.
She takes a seat on my well-worn couch. I plop down next to her. A few moments later, Burt climbs into my lap.
“Your cat is cute,” Maggie says.
“Shhh. Don’t let him hear you say that. He’ll get a big head. It’s not fun living with a cat that has a big ego.”
That makes her laugh. “You have a weird sense of humor. I like that.” She takes another sip of her beer. She seems to be a little less stressed now and a bit more relaxed.
“While we’re waiting for the food to arrive, maybe we should review the case. See where we’re at.”
She places her beer on the coffee table then crosses her leg underneath her on the couch. I’m taken aback by how comfortable she looks in my place. It’s like she belongs here.
“We know that someone set fire to the Bookman College Library,” I state. “Twenty people died including your husband and daughter. The State Fire Marshall has not been able to determine the cause of the fire, which is unusual.”
“I was supposed to meet my husband and daughter for lunch that day, but I was running late. If my family were the intended victims, it’s possible that the person who set the fire thought I would be there as well.”
“Which could be why the two goons were sent to kill you. To finish the job.” I take a gulp of my beer then place it on the coffee table with Maggie’s.
“We found my father-in-law, Sal Moreno, dead. He died of natural causes, but someone hid his body in a freezer. We don’t know why.”
“What we do know is that he had in his possession some unusual artifacts, including a Hand of Glory, and what we believe to be the Seal of Solomon. Both items are supposed to give the owner supernatural powers.”
“I have reason to believe that Sal’s company, Moreno Industrial Supplies, which my brother-in-law, Lenny, helped to run, engaged in illegal activities, which is probably why my husband, Nick, didn’t want to have anything to do with the company and why he kept me and Lizzie distanced from his family.”
“Today we found Lenny murdered. And someone was there shooting at us. Maybe it was Lenny’s killer. Or maybe someone sent another hitman after you.”
She rubs her chin. “The only person left is Kiki.”
“Who we know very little about.”
She snaps her fingers. “Maybe Kiki isn’t her real name. I doubt that Moreno Industrial Supplies did much of a background check when they hired her. Maybe she used an alias.”
“That’s very possible. I wasn’t able to find anything about her online. Not even an address.”
When our eyes meet, I can tell her wheels are spinning. “I may be able to find her…”
I shake my head. “You know I can’t allow you to do that.”
“Why not? I’m supposed to use my magic for the good of humanity. If Kiki is a murderer, isn’t in society’s best interest for us to find her?”
She has a point. “Fine,” I agree. Reluctantly. “But only because we don’t have any other options.” The line that I’m not supposed to cross keeps getting pushed further away. Soon it will be pushed so far that I’ll be using magic myself.
“Do you have any candles?”
I hop up from the couch and hurry into the kitchen. I rummage through a junk drawer until I find an old candle and matches that I keep in case of an electricity outage.
When I bring them back into the living room, I see that Maggie is now sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the coffee table.
“Just the candle.” She takes it from my hand. “I don’t need the matches.”
I frown. No matches. That’s weird. I toss the package onto the end table. Then take a seat on the couch.
Maggie places the bottom of the candle inside of her beer bottle using it as a makeshift candle holder. As she slowly waves her hand over the candle, she lights it with her own energy. No matches required.
That’s when it occurs to me. “Wait!”
Maggie turns to face me. “What is it?”
“I saw how easily you were able to light that candle with your power. How difficult would it be for you to light something a little larger?”
Her brow furrows. “How large?”
“Something the size of the Bookman Library?”
As her eyes slowly widen, I know she’s thinking what I’m thinking. “Do you think someone used witchcraft to start the Bookman Li
brary fire?”
“That could be why the Fire Marshall has been unable to determine a cause. Maybe it’s supernatural.”
“The arsonist wouldn’t have to set fire to the building, would they? That would take someone extremely powerful. But they could have set fire to something inside of the building and it spread quickly. It was a building filled with old books. Lots of paper.”
“I think we need to find Kiki.”
Maggie stares into the candle flame for several moments. Then she begins to chant. “I now call on the power of the Great Goddess to see the person who calls herself Kiki Rogers.”
Her body is completely still, like she’s in a trance.
“What do you see?” I urge.
“It’s a strip mall. I know where it is. Not that far from Bookman College. She’s walking into one of the shops. Wait. It’s not a shop. It’s a workout place. She’s got a gym bag with her.”
A knock on the front door startles us both.
As Maggie rises from the floor, the candle goes out like a light being switched off.
I grab thirty bucks from my pocket as I head for the door.
A teenager, who looks like he’s still in high school, hands me a brown paper bag stuffed with food containers. In exchange, I hand him the cash. “Keep the change.”
He grins. “Thanks, dude.”
As I close the door, I turn to Maggie. “Do I look like a dude to you?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’m not a teenager, so who knows.”
“I think we should postpone our Chinese feast and see if we can catch up with Kiki at the gym.” Then I reach into the bag and remove two egg rolls. “We can eat these on the way.”
Chapter 15
MAGGIE
* * *
Fitness by Jane is located in a busy strip mall right next to a popular burrito place. Fortunately, Ben finds a parking space in the packed lot.
We hop out of his vehicle and hurry inside.
I immediately spot Kiki on a recumbent bicycle. As we head towards her, we’re stopped by an angry looking security guard. “I’ll need to see your pass,” the guard says to me. Then she turns to Ben, “This workout facility is for women only.”
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