“Happens,” he said.
Sheriff Angie looked up from behind her desk when we came in. “I see you haven’t been scared off yet,” she said, setting a stack of papers aside.
“Not yet,” I said with a smile. I decided to not tell the sheriff that the only reason I was still here was because I wrecked my car.
“Did you get a hold of Martha’s lawyer?” Angie asked.
“I did, and that’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh?” Angie’s light eyebrows rose, and she motioned for Blake and I to have a seat. “I’m listening.” She clasped her hands together.
I took a deep breath. I wasn’t sure how much the sheriff knew about the supernatural stuff going on here, but I decided to err on the side of caution. “I’m not convinced my aunt’s death was an accident.”
Angie’s mouth tightened and she looked down at her hands. “I can assure you, it was an animal attack. Martha’s death has been well-documented with photos, and the case is closed.”
Blake cleared his throat. “Can we see these photos?”
“They’re gruesome,” the sheriff warned. To me she said, “I didn’t think it was necessary to show you the pictures since you’ve never met your aunt. It wasn’t as if you could have identified the body. I took care of that.” She paused. “What makes you suspect foul play?”
The ghost of my dead aunt told me so, I wanted to say. But instead I said, “The lawyer seemed to think there would be no trouble finding a buyer for the lodge. She said she actually had someone lined up—Frank Honeycutt.”
Angie smiled. “And you think that’s a motive for murder?” She ran her fingers through her feathery blond hair.
“Maybe,” I said. “He would have benefitted from her death, wouldn’t he?”
“By that line of reasoning, you’d be a suspect, too—the estrange niece who inherited everything.”
“I was out of town when Marta died.”
“You were,” Angie agreed. “And so was Blake. Your flight didn’t get in until after the body was discovered.”
“Oh, so you checked?” Blake leaned forward. “Were you looking for alibis?”
Angie’s expression hardened. “I’m a cop. I explore every angle—that’s my job.”
“So do it, then,” Blake said, his hand tightening into a fist. “You know there are other motives for someone wanting Martha dead, motives that have nothing to do with finances. Everyone knew Martha was a witch.”
“I’m well aware of what people thought about Martha, and I understand you’re upset. With all due respect, you were not the only one who cared about Martha and more importantly, you weren’t there. You didn’t see what she looked like.” The corners of her mouth turned down as she swallowed. “I don’t think any human is capable of something like that. Trust me, it was a tragic accident, but it was just that—an accident.”
“Oh come on, Angie,” Blake said. “Don’t feed us that lie. How many animal attacks have we had here on Wolf Mountain in the past few decades? I know some people around here prefer to live with their heads in the sand, and blindly believe the the coverups and the fake stories.”
Angie’s eyes flickered with some kind of unspoken warning. “We live in the mountains. Sometimes, things are exactly what they look like. Sometimes it’s just an animal attack.”
“What makes you so sure?” Blake said.
“Stop pushing this, Blake. I mean it.”
Color rose into Blake’s face. “If it had been one of us, Martha would’ve tracked down the person responsible.”
Now it was Sheriff Angie’s turn to lose her cool. “Don’t you think I’ve been down that road already? I’ve spent the last day questioning everyone I could think of. Who do you think the suspects are? Let’s see, there’s Ace Harris who found the body.” She counted on her fingers. “There’s Benjamin, who was found wandering around Martha’s body.”
I glanced at Benjamin, who sat quietly at my side. He hadn’t mentioned that he had been anywhere near Martha when she died.
Angie went on. “There’s Liam Evans who was extremely cagey about his whereabouts. We also have Ida Honeycutt who is probably one of the few non-supernatural residents on the mountain other that you and me. Oh, and I don’t know if that brother if yours in in town, but if he is, we could add him to the list, too.” She leaned forward. “Are you beginning to understand what I’m up against there? Martha’s gone. She’s gone, Blake. Without her magic, I don’t exactly have the manpower I need to arrest a practicing witch, a werewolf, or a vampire. I think you can also see why I can’t even call anyone out here to help investigate. Exposing these creatures to the world would only lead to more problems,” she said bitterly.
Blake threw his hands up. “So that’s it? You’re not going to do anything?”
“I did my job.” Angie’s eyes narrowed. “I had a couple park rangers come out yesterday and turns out they were able to locate the bear they believe is responsible for the attack. The bear is being relocated to the Tennessee zoo as we speak.”
“Unbelievable,” Blake said. “You really have given up, haven’t you?”
“What do you propose I do, Blake? I’m a cop, and I’m doing the best I can. I’m no Van Helsing, and no offense, but neither are you.”
“Maybe I can help,” I said.
“I don’t think so, and even if you could, you shouldn’t get involved. You don’t live here, and you’ve made it clear you’re not staying. This isn’t your battle,” she said. “And be grateful it’s not, because believe me, it’s a losing one.”
I licked my lips. “It is my battle. Martha asked me to do this.”
“Do what exactly?”
“Solve her murder. She came to me as a ghost last night. She gave me her powers.” I swallowed. “I get it—all this is weird, but there’s no harm in looking into things.”
A maternal look of sympathy swept across the woman’s face. “Oh, Sweetie, that’s where you’re wrong. This is a very dangerous case. If something was powerful enough to kill a witch like Martha, that something is more than capable of doing the same to you.”
I sat up straight, determined now. “I don’t care. I’m going to do this, and I need you to tell me everything you know about Martha’s death.”
“No,” she said stubbornly. “It’s a suicide mission. Trust me, this place will eat you alive—and I mean that literally.”
“Tell me, or I’ll get the press out here. I’ll have the New York Times investigating all of these so-called animal attacks.”
Angie’s face grew pale as a full moon. “You wouldn’t.”
“I would.”
“You’d be making a huge mistake,” Angie warned.
“No,” I said in a level voice. “You would. Or you could just tell me. I’m her niece. I deserve to know regardless.”
Angie brought her fingers to her temples and rubbed. “Fine, but I won’t be able to protect you.”
“I’ll protect her,” Blake said. “And Benjamin can.”
Angie let out a hollow laugh. “Writing about monsters doesn’t mean you’re capable of killing one, and as for Benjamin, he was right there when the attack happened.”
Benjamin’s ears twitched, but he didn’t make any noise.
“I can protect myself,” I said.
Angie smirked. “Right. That’s why you ran out of Martha’s cabin at 1 A.M. last night and got in a car accident.” When she saw my face, she said, “Ida Honeycutt was telling anyone who would listen at the bakery this morning. Wolf Mountain is a small town. People talk.” She sighed. “But if you insist on it, I’ll tell you what I saw yesterday.”
I saw Blake look my way and I nodded. “I want to know.”
She let out an exasperated breath, resigned. “I believe Martha’s death happened at about 4 P.M. yesterday afternoon. Ace Harris was out on his four-wheeler and happened across the body. He had recognized it as Martha, and got close enough to check for a pulse—brave kid. Apparently, he saw
Benjamin sniffing around the forest, about ten yards from the body.”
Ace Harris was a name I hadn’t heard before. “Who is that?”
Blake answered. “He’s a kid who works at the lodge. He’s going to graduate from Wolf Mountain high next year.”
“And he ’s also a Harris,” Angie interjected. “And that family is bad news.”
Blake shook his head. “He’s not like his family though.”
“Not yet,” Angie said. “But he’s young, and he didn’t give me an alibi.”
“That doesn’t prove he’s a murderer,” Blake pointed out.
“Doesn’t prove he isn’t one,” Angie said. “Apparently, Ace went down to the station, and saw I wasn’t there. Frank Honeycutt takes my boy out fishing every Friday. Frank’s good with Chris. On nice days, Ida and I will come along with them and bring a picnic, but Ida had to work that afternoon. A big family reunion just checked out, and she had vacation rentals to clean,” she explained. “Ace found us at the Triple Lake’s fishing hole, and told me where the body was. I called the medical examiner in Weaverville, and he signed the death certificate. Martha Wilder was the victim of a fatal animal attack. I know that this town has a history of covering up any supernatural deaths, but this one really did appear to be an animal attack.”
Blake shook his head. “No, I just don’t believe that. Martha wouldn’t have let that happen to her. She could light a vampire on fire with her mind.”
“Seriously?” I asked.
Blake shrugged. “That’s what she told me anyway.”
Angie scooted in her chair and flattened her hands against the desk. “I did notice a few curious details that the medical examiner left off the report.”
I folded my arms. “Ok, let’s hear it.”
“First, there was no sign of a struggle—no dirt under the nails and the leaves underneath and around the body appeared to be undisturbed. We found her lying on her stomach, her head turned to the right. All of that makes me believe she was dead before an animal attacked her.”
“So what killed her then?” I asked.
“A heart attack, maybe. Or an aneurysm. Perhaps she was out on a hike and collapsed. Then a bear happened to be walking by and did what bears do,” Angie said. “We found bits of black fur near the body and the marks on the body were consistent with what a black bear would do. There were also bits of black fur stuck to some of the nearby tree trunks.”
Blake nodded thoughtfully. “What about tracks? Any bear tracks by the body?”
“Nothing identifiable,” Angie said. “There was one more strange thing. Three was broken glass near the body with red residue inside.”
“Was the red residue blood?” Blake asked.
“I don’t know yet, but I know it wasn’t human blood.”
Blake pulled a paper map out of his back pocket. “Where exactly was the body?”
Angie spread the map out on the desk, pushing away piles of folders. Then she plucked a black marker out of a mug she was using as a pencil holder. “There.” She made an “X” on the map. took out a black marker and made an “X” on the map. She folded up the map and handed it back to Blake. “Be smart. Both of you. You might think this is all some kind of game, Natalie, but it’s not. This town doesn’t need another death to mourn.”
Chapter 9
As soon as we got back in the truck, I glared at Benjamin. “Are you kidding me? You were there when Martha died? Why wouldn’t you tell me that? And why didn’t you do anything?”
Blake started up the truck. “I actually was a little curious about why Martha was alone in the first place. Her and Benjamin were attached at the hip.”
Benjamin pulled his head back in from the window, and stopped panting. “I had my reasons,” he said, not looking the least bit sheepish for withholding information.
“Well, enlighten me.” I said, gripping his collar to her him from hanging his head out the window. “Because as ‘close’ as you were to Martha, you don’t seem all that broken up about her death.”
Benjamin sat back and scratched his neck with his hind leg. “When you’ve been around as long as I have, you learn that death isn’t the end of someone. I’ve been dead before. It’s basically like hopping into another dimension. Frankly, it’s a lot more peaceful on the other side, and I don’t have to worry about getting interrogated by newbie witches who think they know everything.”
“Someone needs to be asking questions. Aunt Martha was murdered, and you’re being awfully shady right now.”
“You’re right,” Benjamin said. “Martha was killed with magic. I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but I know her death wasn’t a natural.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that before?” I asked.
“Tell you what before?” Blake asked, steering the truck around a tight curve along the edge of the mountainside. “What’s he saying? I’m only hearing barking.”
“Because I didn’t think you could handle it,” Benjamin said. “We all saw how you reacted when you found Martha’s secret room. No offense, but you didn’t take any of it particularly well.”
“Excuse me, but I took it very well considering I didn’t even know magic existed twenty-four hours ago.”
“Well, you’re still here. That’s something. Although I’m not sure how’d you’d be able leave considering the state of your car.” Benjamin circled on the truck seat, hitting me in the face with his wiry gray tail. “And I suppose it’s worth mentioning that you’re clearly in love with the neighbor.”
My mouth hung open. Horrified, I looked over at Blake to see if had understood any part of what Benjamin said.
“What? What’s he saying?” Blake asked, returning my look for a moment before turning back to the road.
Relieved, I glared at Benjamin. “I cannot believe you said that.”
He plopped down on the front seat, draping his lanky frame across my lap. “I don’t hear you denying it.”
“That’s because I’m shocked by your brazenness.”
Benjamin snorted. “I’ve seen you shocked, and that’s not shock.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Oh, you think you know everything, don’t you?”
“I am almost three centuries old,” Benjamin said. “I know what attraction looks like.”
“For your information, I just got out of a serious relationship and I’m nowhere near ready to date again,” I shot back.
A look of confusion washed over Blake’s face. “I’m totally lost here,” he said.
“Whatever.” Benjamin settled into my lap and he glanced up at me without lifting his head. He had this annoying little spark of mischief in his eye.
I closed my eyes, and willed myself to calm down. “Ok, first of all, you’re getting dog hair on my pants, and second of all, stop deflecting. What were you doing in the woods yesterday? Did you see the murder? Why didn’t you stop it from happening? Why weren’t you the one to get help instead of that Ace Harris kid?”
Benjamin stared forward, pausing for a beat. “I wasn’t with Martha when she was killed. I regret that, but I can assure you Martha actually is in a better place. She was a powerful witch, and she can move between the two worlds easily. You’re going to see a lot more of her as you get comfortable with your powers. You can count on that.” He exhaled a long, smelly breath. “As for Martha’s death, it happened yesterday afternoon. Martha usually went for a walk in the afternoon, and I’d accompany her. That day, she asked me to stay at the cabin and keep an eye on one of her potions she was making. She needed to find a certain mushroom to complete her brew. She left to find it and I stayed behind. Soon after, I sensed she was in danger, and I immediately went to find her. When I was almost there, I stopped being able to sense her in human form. That’s when I knew she had moved into the spirit world,” Benjamin said. “I went to the place I last sensed her, and that was when I saw her body. From afar, it looked just like the sheriff explained—claw marks, teeth marks, and black fur. I tried to get a closer look, but I cou
ldn’t.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Whoever killed Martha cast a spell on the area. Whenever I got too close, I’d feel the sensation of bumping into a wall even though there was nothing there. I believe it was a spell meant to keep me out. As Martha’s familiar, my job was to guide and protect her. I suspect that her murderer knew that, and wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be able to save her. Who ever it was had that spell planned to separate Martha and me.”
“So you just hung around until someone else got there,” I said, imagining the scene unfold.
“Exactly. I knew I’d have the best chances of learning what happened to Martha if I investigated the area. Like I said, I sensed it was too late to save her life.”
“What do we know about this Ace Harris kid?” I asked.
“That’s one question I can answer,” Blake said, stepping hard on the gas petal to get us up a steep incline. “He’s worked at the lodge since he was fifteen, a hard worker. He leads youth group and scout troops on hikes in the summers and teaches snowboarding in the winter. He has excellent Yelp reviews.”
“Sounds like a nice kid,” I remarked.
Blake paused. “He also happens to be the future leader of one of the most notorious covens in the southeast.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Here’s were it’s going to get weird, isn’t it?”
Blake suppressed a smile. “Have you seen the movie, ‘Cursed’?”
“Yes, I watched it on Halloween, and I had to sleep with the light on for a week.”
“No surprise there,” Benjamin commented.
“Watch it, Mister,” I warned.
“‘Cursed’ was one of my first movies,” Blake said. “The Harris Coven inspired that story—and the five sequels. I owe that family hundreds of thousands of dollars. Literally. Those movies cleaned up at the box office.”
“If I’m remembering correctly, the witches in those movies are super evil,” I pointed out. “They used black magic to kill people in really bizarre and horrifying ways.”
Blake smiled. “I did take some creative license with that, but the story is true. The Harris coven practices black magic. Most of what I know about that coven, I learned from Martha. She’s an excellent storyteller, by the way. Or, was.” A shadow fell over his expression and some of his excitement drained. “It hasn’t really set in yet—that she’s gone.”
Carolina Witch Page 6
