The Salem Concord Book 1: Interview for a Wizard

by J. A. Areces

  Chapter 15

  Sunday

  Jesse Alexander couldn’t sleep that night. He couldn’t. Too much had taken place, another death, Cindy got hurt and the fear of having to experience another near death nightmare kept him wide-awake. He lay on his bed as the hours slowly ticked away; sirens traveled up and down the street outside his small room. The small town of Mount Dora was turned upside down. Jesse’s life was also been turned upside down, in and out. He felt like he was going to get sick. Jesse sat on the edge of the bed and retraced all the events over and over in his mind. He was getting good at it. He had done it so many times already. Each day was something new, correction - - bizarre. Each day was changing him. Jesse didn’t think he would ever be the same again.

  The morning finally broke through the blinds. Jesse could make out the costume he wore to the Halloween festival. The wizard hat and cloak were still on his night table. The small light on the tip of his staff was still lit. He remembered Mily claiming that Claw was dressed in the same outfit. What if others witnessed the same thing and told the police? He would be a prime suspect. Jesse felt his stomach turn as he tried to convince himself that there were others dressed exactly the same. He sold a bunch of wizard hats and robes. The festival was full of wizards. The police couldn’t suspect all of the wizards at the festival.

  His cell phone rang. Jesse jumped out of his bed and fumbled through the room searching for it. He finally found it tucked deep in the inside pocket of his cloak but by then it stopped ringing. He pulled it out and dialed into the voice mail.

  “You have one new message…”

  It was from Beifar.

  “Jesse, meet me for breakfast when you wake up.”

  Jesse hung up, and sat back on the bed. He leaned over and ran his fingers through his hair, pulling it back away from his face. When will this end? That’s when he remembered it was Halloween. It was Sunday, Halloween, and the last day of the month.

  “Good or bad it all comes to an end today.” He told himself. “It’s the last day of the sixth month. Mr. Claw will strike today.”

  Downtown Mount Dora was unusually quiet. Jesse drove his motorbike slowly into the city and as he passed Donnelly Park he saw the area around the fountain was roped off and local news trucks parked along the side. Jesse could see reporters reporting about the murder, live, for the morning news. He turned into one of the small streets and passed in front of the Deli. He parked in front, got off his bike, looked inside through the glass door, and found it empty. It was still closed.

  Jesse was hoping to find Cindy feeling well enough to be working today. He wanted to see her, hold her, and apologize for everything.

  Disappointed, Jesse jumped back on his bike, and slowly rode away toward Alivan’s Wizards and Witches Corner Store. He parked the bike in the back, before he went to meet the wizard for breakfast. Beifar was at the same table sipping his morning coffee. His hat and staff were both on an empty chair next to him. Jesse plopped himself on the other chair directly across from the wizard. The waitress was already approaching the table with his breakfast and milk.

  “It was my fault.” Jesse’s voice trembled as he spoke. “If I hadn’t run off to check on Cindy….”

  “Don’t blame yourself, Jesse.” The wizard said compassionately. “Raven is very smart, as well as mad. He followed you, watched you, identified a vulnerable opportunity, and used it to draw you away.” Beifar sipped his coffee. “I would have done the same thing,”

  “But she’s dead!”

  The waitress turned and faced them as she hurried with her duties. “It was awful!” she commented. “What is this world coming too?”

  “Yes,” the wizard was looking straight ahead, “she’s dead.”

  Jesse pushed his plate away and they both sat in silence.

  “What are you going to do now?” Jesse asked. “It’s Halloween tonight.”

  “I’ve run out of time. Whatever Claw is going to do, it will be tonight, and I don’t even have a clue.” He sipped at his coffee. “I’m right back where I started from - - here with you.”

  Jesse looked away.

  “I don’t even know what he looks like, no one does. Mily was my last hope.”

  “I don’t think this is the time to get down on yourself?” suggested Jesse, “Yeah, we blew it, but if we don’t do something…”

  FLASH!

  The waitress turned around startled. An older man in a long, brown coat that hung down to his ankles, wearing an old, brown, gangster hat, was standing with Jesse and Beifar. She made nothing of it and continued working.

  The flash also startled Jesse. Beifar reacted by grabbing his staff. The older man stood before them with wand in hand.

  “Good morning,” he addressed them both as he removed his hat.

  The wizard slowly stood.

  “Good morning, Chief,” responded Beifar. “Jesse Alexander, I would like to introduce you to the Department Chief, Bastian Semisecret.”

  Jesse reached out and shook his hand.

  “Agent Mahgo, we need to talk.” Chief Semisecret said. “Yesterday, I was visited by Lord Alex,” Beifar raised an eyebrow. “He claimed you broke his…nose.” The chief scratched his head. “Is that true?”

  “Well, sir, not exactly, I didn’t break his nose…”

  “And . . .” interrupted the chief, “we have a number of reports from the FBI in reference to a series of unexplainable events, occurring in the same vicinity of Lord Alex’s company, involving two wizards dueling.” The chief stopped, and stared at the wizard. “You were ordered not to get near him, agent Mahgo. Lord Alex is a very rich and powerful wizard. He has friends in high places, and word is out that he is a shoe-in for the open, ambassador’s position. He wants your butt, agent, and this time he might just get it!”

  “Sir, I can explain. I was following a lead to Raven Fidgewidge…”

  “Get your hat, agent.” Chief Semisecret commanded.

  The wizard leaned over and grabbed his large, grey pointy hat and placed it back on his head. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out some money and placed it on the table. “Go back to the store and wait for me there, the Emunio Concutio will protect you.”

  “But we’re running out of time.”

  “I know. Go back to the store and don’t take any chances. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Chief Semisecret pulled out his wand, put on his hat, and tapped it once as the wizard Beifar tapped his staff on the pavement.

  FLASH!

  They were both gone.

  The waitress poked her head from behind the counter. She only saw Jesse sitting at the table, shrugged and returned to work.

  Jesse arrived at Alivan’s Wizards and Witches Corner Store shortly after the wizard gone. He never finished his breakfast nor cared to. The events of the last few days were taking their toll. Jesse was exhausted. He hadn’t slept an entire night since his first nightmare, not to mention all the other things that were keeping him awake as well. Jesse opened the front door. The bell sounded bringing Jesse back to reality. He turned the sign over to read OPEN and then pulled up all the blinds. The outside light filled the store adding more color and warmth. Jesse didn’t notice, not today. His mind was still somewhere between dazed and asleep. Jesse stood for a moment facing the large crystal ball. It stood silent in the middle of the store. He wondered if he could contact the people inside and…and…do what? Ask them if they knew where Raven Fidgewidge could be found? He shook the idea out of his head. Not every wizard is a good wizard, he thought; better not to be known by the Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers. Better not to be known by more witches at all, or is it Wizardry? That’s how Beifar referred to them. Jesse shrugged. He then went around the front counter and turned on his laptop. As he waited for it to boot up, he sat on his chair and looked around the store. He let his arms hang down from the side of the chair as he sighed with no
desire to work. After all it was Sunday, and it was usually slow on Sundays. On previous Sundays he would take extended lunch breaks, walk over to the Deli, and have nice long conversations with Cindy, but he didn’t see that happening today. The screen came up with the usual icons. Jesse clicked on the icon with a witch hat and wand causing the store program to appear. There were no orders.

  A loud bang on the door caused Jesse to jump in his seat. He looked out the window and saw no one standing on the porch. He slowly got out of his chair and made his way to investigate. He took hold of the doorknob with one hand, the bell sounded as he pulled the door open. On the porch, just inches from the door, was the morning paper.

  Jesse let out a sigh of relief.

  Once inside and back at the front desk, Jesse opened the paper and read the front page.

  The headline read:

  MURDER AT MOUNT DORA HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL!

  Woman found DEAD.

  SCARED TO DEATH!

  Witnesses said that a man dressed in a wizard outfit was seen speaking with the victim just minutes before she dropped to the ground. It’s been determined that the unnamed victim suffered a fatal heart attack caused from extreme fear.

  Jesse stopped reading and folded the paper, stuffing it in the empty trash bin under the counter.

  “BEEP”

  An order appeared and Jesse began to work, hoping to forget the event all together.

  It turned out to be a rather busy Sunday. Since it was Halloween, there were still many customers who were coming in at the last minute hoping to find an item or two to complete their costumes. Jesse was thankful for the chaos of the day; it kept his mind clear and away from the last few days.

  Jesse worked right through lunch and never even stopped to take a break. By the end of the day most the merchandise was gone, all that remained were his high-end items, a few Stealth brooms and expensive wands. A few hats hung on the walls, and the very costly robes were still on the rack. Jesse ran his fingers through his hair with one hand as he glanced at his watch on the other. It was time to close up shop - - the end of a very busy day. The sun would soon set and soon trick-or-treaters would be flooding the streets.

  The bell rang as the front door slowly opened.

  Jesse was standing next to the crystal ball, when he heard the familiar sound. He quickly turned, "I’m sorry, but the store is closed.”

  Chief Fabiano was closing the door behind him.

  Jesse glanced out the window and was able to see the dark car parked across the street with the same driver sitting inside behind the wheel. “Hi, chief, can I help you?”

  “I hope so,” responded the chief. He slowly walked across the room and stood on the other side of the crystal ball. “I’d like to ask you a few questions.” He placed his hands on the crystal ball and slightly leaned on it.

  Jesse noticed the swirling mist violently forming inside the crystal orb. “Chief, if you don’t mind, I just finished cleaning that.” He pointed to the crystal ball.

  The chief quickly removed his hand, and the swirling immediately stopped. “Jesse, I assume you read the paper this morning.”

  Jesse nodded affirmatively.

  “Good, so you are aware of the murder last night?”

  Jesse nodded again.

  “The victim was murdered - - scared to death.”

  “What does that have to do with me?”

  “I’m not certain, but I find it unusual that you were the first to contact the police when you found the homeless man dead across the street; you were seen at the Halloween festival wearing the same costume that witnesses claim the murderer was wearing; and . . . this old house,” he looked around the store, “was involved in the Lefkoff murders and it seems to be involved again.”

  “I don’t understand. What does Alivan’s Wizards and Witches Corner Store have to do with any of this? What do I have to do with any of this? Chief, why are you here?”

  The chief pulled out some papers from his police jacket. He adjusted his glasses and unfolded the papers. Slowly he turned the pages until he found what he was looking for.

  “How is it that someone right out of high school can own a business? There isn’t even a co-signer.” The chief looked up at Jesse through the top of his glasses. “Can you explain that?

  Jesse felt as if he was being wrongly accused of stealing, but this was more than stealing, much more, he was being accused of murder. A huge lump formed in his throat.

  “You were seen running around the park last night. You were seen acting strange right after Cindy’s accident, and then you were seen leaning over the dead woman’s body.” The chief’s voice was slow and deliberate. “You were seen almost every day this week having breakfast with a strange man dressed as a wizard.” He moved closer to Jesse. “Jesse, you’re in big trouble.”

  Jesse did not answer and stepped away from the chief.

  “I don’t like this magic stuff,” Continued the chief with a stern voice. “You know, old man Lefkoff claimed he was not responsible for the murders. He claimed that he was under some kind of spell, that the house was haunted, and that he was being framed by an evil wizard.”

  Jesse was shocked by the new information. He wanted to ask more questions, but he didn’t dare.

  “I suggest you don’t leave town tonight, Mr..” He tucked the papers back into his jacket, and turned away. “Have a good night.” The bell rang as he closed the door behind him.

  Jesse followed and watched Chief Fabiano get into the dark car and drive away. He turned and slowly walked around the store. He replayed in his mind what the chief said about Ira Lefkoff.

  Framed?

  But how?

  Jesse looked around the store, up the steps and up at the office door. Maybe all the answers are behind the door, he thought. He ran his fingers through his hair again to pull it back off his face as he paced around nervously. Outside the street lights were turning on, it was now dusk. He hadn’t heard from Beifar all day. His mind was cluttered with voices and images. Time was running out. Was I being framed, he thought? He turned back to the office door.

  “I need to get inside.”

  Jesse quickly went over to the front desk, opened the top drawer and pulled out the letter opener. He held it out before him like a sword ready to slay a menacing dragon. Jesse was filled with an overwhelming surge of bravery and adventure like none he ever felt before. He rolled around the counter, ran through the store and up the steps, pausing just in front of the closed office door. It wasn’t intimidating or menacing; it was just another ordinary door. Jesse knocked. No answer. He tried to open the door but it was locked. Jesse took a deep breath and began to go at the lock with the letter opener. Minutes passed, but to Jesse it seemed like hours. His hands sweated as he worked the lock. He had no idea what he was doing, but that didn’t stop him. Jesse was determined to get inside. He tried every position and angle he thought would get the lock to give. Impatience gave way to frustration and Jesse began to push at the door with his shoulder and then his body. Then in one last attempt, he leaned back and kicked the door hard with all his might causing it to bang against the inside wall as it swung open.

  The door bounced off the wall before slamming shut again, but it was now unlocked. Jesse slowly and cautiously walked inside. It was dark; too dark to make anything out. He unsuccessfully felt the wall for the light switch. When his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, he noticed the reflection of the streetlight outside on the light bulb hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. Jesse stretched out his arms and felt his way to it, stumbling over items. He felt around the light for a string or chain, gripping something, he pulled. Jesse was able to see.

  Jesse thoroughly inspected Mr. Claw’s office. There was a small desk on one side of the room with a small computer and stacks of papers. On the other end was a large wooden table with empty bottles in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. Small boxe
s containing leaves, herbs and tiny animal parts were left opened, some of their contents scattered everywhere. On the floor, in front of the table was a large empty cauldron. However, what Jesse found to be the most disturbing was that the office was full of images, drawings, maps, books, guides to the different parks, newspaper clippings, architecture designs, structural plans and a lot of other information about Disney World. Jesse studied some of the information pinned to walls, or hanging from the ceiling. The one place that stood out was Cinderella’s Castle. And, it was the only place in all the parks for which he saw a series of detailed design drawings. These drawings revealed everything anyone might want to know about the ins and outs of the castle.

  Top five vacation spots in the world. Jesse was trying to remember the results of the search. Paris number one and Disney World number two ... Cinderella’s Castle.

  Jesse then heard the bell viciously ring as the front door opened. He forgot to lock the front door. Quickly, he reached up and turned off the light.

  “UPS”

  Jesse recognized the voice. He turned the light back on. “I’m up here! I’ll be right down!”

  Jesse heard the UPS man coming up the steps. Before he knew it, the UPS man was standing at the doorway with his pad and pen in hand.

  “Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!” he exclaimed. “Looks like you’re a little Disney fan …and in a weird sort of way.” He was now standing in the center of the room looking around. “Aren’t we all?” He turned and gave Jesse a sneaky smile.

  Then the UPS man reached into his UPS coat pocket and withdrew a wand. He waved it once at the door causing it to slam shut.

  Jesse spun around shocked. He heard the lock click as it turned and trapped them both inside. Confused, he faced the UPS man. His eyes wide as his mind raced with different scenarios. The UPS man was a wizard?

  “Hi, Jesse, I’m Mr. Claw.” He was tall and slender with a long face and tiny eyes. His extremely white, large teeth almost took up his entire face as he smiled.

  Jesse froze. His heart pounded, his knees felt weak, his head spun.

  “Are you surprised?” Claw leaned closer, “BOO!”

  Jesse heard a knock on the door. He was busy taking orders. The store was closed, blinds were pulled down, and the sign on the door read CLOSED. There was another knock. Jesse reluctantly stepped away from the desk, and went to the door. He didn’t want to, he tried fighting the urge, but he was already standing at the front door. Taking hold of the handle with one hand, he unlocked the door with the other. The bell swung and rang as he turned the knob. Slowly he opened the door. It was dark outside. A strange figure stood in the darkness. Jesse turned the porch lights on. A thin man in prison clothes grinned back at Jesse. This time it wasn’t the same old man he encountered in his nightmares. Jesse froze. This time it was Mr. Claw. Jesse tried to run, but he couldn’t even move. Claw moved forward opening his mouth. His lips spread apart and his tongue dropped with his jaw. Jesse felt a rush of warm, stale breath on his face as the mouth grew and grew, until Jesse lost himself inside of it. He felt everything tighten up. He felt his body being squeezed; his heart pound against his chest, and his head swallowed up.

  Jesse panicked! He yelled repeatedly! But he couldn’t wake up.

  The pressure increased. Jesse felt pressed in from all directions, his lungs felt compressed, his head and chest ached, and his muscles tore. He tried breathing, but there was no air. He lashed out at nothing in self-defense. I’m going to die, he thought.

  BANG!

  Jesse woke up, his body quickly returned to normal. He found himself on the floor next to a large wooden trunk.

  Claw quickly turned to him. “A protective spell!” he shouted angrily. Then he quickly gained his composure, “No problem, I’ll just tie you up . . . ” Claw waved his wand and Jesse couldn’t move, “ . . . and in the morning the authorities will find you and blame you for everything, just as I planned.”