Painted Spirits: A Chocolate Magic Cozy Mystery - Book 7

by Olivia Swift

  “The picture Katie painted of the woman and daughter in the enchanted Irish wood could have been a forecast of you and Sammie.”

  “Sam Barnes,” she said, straightening up and coming to wrap her arms around his waist. “You still surprise me with these romantic thoughts.”

  “On a practical note,” he started, “if we put the stable in our garden on the concrete, it would mean it was on our property and I wouldn’t have to do a foundation.”

  “And move the fence in to keep the stable out of the garden,” she added. “And away from the kids.”

  They sat together on the sofa and held hands like a courting couple.

  “The gallery certainly seems to be a success,” he remarked.

  “Brings a lot of customers to the café as well,” she added. “I feel really guilty leaving to go to the rodeo, but I do want to see Branston and Chloe ride. I’ll stay in the café for the midday rush and then go and watch in the afternoon. Branston is on fairly late in the day, I think.”

  “I will help and then we can go together.”

  “Aunt Alison and Gina are both coming to help Rita. Gina says that Bart will be covering everything, and she might as well be doing something useful.”

  “I‘m starting a new extension project tomorrow but will be free on Saturday.”

  They let the cats out into the covered area and then saw them come back in shaking their paws. Magda laughed.

  “They are definitely indoor cats.” She found the treats and the felines settled for the night.

  Morning came far too soon. Magda said that she felt like she could sleep for a week. Then they heard ‘Dadada’ from the next room and both slid out of bed.

  Life was what passed for normal in The Chocolate Magic Café. Magda started to think about a new look for the shop area. Katie covered truffles, and since stock was depleted, they made new centers. The gallery ran on oiled wheels. They were all really pleased with the way customers had taken to it.

  There was no word from Branston, who was presumably practicing his demonstration. Rula told them daily about how the horses were settling, and how well the stable was working.

  Then on Thursday, the new sectional stable was delivered to the house. Sam stayed at home and directed them where to leave it. He called the café and told her it had arrived then went to work.

  Saturday came with the café being busy from the time they opened the doors. There were lots of visitors in town for the rodeo. Aunt Alison and Gina came and found their way around during the morning. Mikey had one of the girls from his shop in the gallery and although lunchtime was manic, things went quiet afterward. After Sam had fed his daughter, the three of them set off for the rodeo.

  The place was packed to the eyebrows with people, horses, wagons, trailers and there were stalls selling everything from hats to burgers. There were more people wearing Stetsons than you see in a month on a normal day. Sammie was in the stroller and Magda pushed it until they reached the part sectioned off for displays. They found that Katie had left earlier and was defending the space for them against all comers. Clara and Gladman were sitting beside them and called out that Chloe and Gladdie had both won rosettes. Sam unfolded the chairs and Katie held her arms out for Sammie.

  “Wow, we made it,” Magda said and looked around. “This place gets busier every year. More like a small town than a fair,” she said.

  “Thank goodness this display area is near the edge. At least the horses can come in without going through the crowds.”

  “Lots of folk lining up at the cash machine the bank has there,” Katie pointed out. “I guess the stallholders are doing well.” Then she added that she must go and find Ava and Jay.

  The people in the ring in front of them were herding a whole lot of llamas and the audience was clapping as they took them away. Magda looked around and saw Branston with the two youngsters behind him heading for the ring. She nudged the others and Branston lifted a hand.

  “He has outdone himself with that outfit,” Katie smiled. She had her camera at the ready. Magda took back the baby. Clara added that Gladdie had wanted to dress up as well.

  “He’s obviously impressed with your cousin, Magda. Branston had a very bright deep pink shirt that glittered as the sun caught it and had metal edges on the lapels and cuffs. He had a matching pink band around the black Stetson. Chloe was a slightly more feminine vision in pink with a pink Stetson and Merlin had a pink noseband. Magda pointed out that Chloe had pink boots as well.

  Gladdie was in a toning purple outfit with metal tips to the collar like Branston and a purple band around his hat.

  The loudspeaker told everyone that the display of horse riding was about to start and gave the names of the three riding into the ring. The three of them rode around the ring as Magda had done with them the weekend before. The crowd clapped and cheered and one or two men who knew Branston called out cheeky comments. He grinned and raised his hat to them.

  Then the two youngsters left the ring and Branston kept the crowd quiet with a pretty stunning display of riding, scooping up things from the ground, jumping up and down, and passing himself under the horse’s neck. He did a very fast finishing circuit and jumped from the horse to wave his Stetson in a theatrical bow. The crowd clapped and cheered, and the horse came and knelt its front legs beside him. Branston sat on the saddle and the stallion rose to its full height.

  “That was impressive,” Sam said.

  Chloe rode in as someone opened the gate for her. Branston presented her like a magician with his assistant and left the ring. Chloe did not disappoint. She did some of the things Branston had done but her walking around with Merlin’s nose at her shoulder enchanted the crowd. Stops, starts, turns, faster pace, and very slow pace, the stallion matched step for step. Then she jumped back into the saddle and finished off with some fast jumps up and down. The crowd loved her, and the cheering was still going on as the gate opened and she presented Gladdie as Branston had done for her.

  The audience settled back into silence. The same tricks that the other two had introduced to start their routine were repeated again and then Gladdie Ryder-James stunned the crowd with his acrobatics in the saddle. Handstands, jumps back and front, balancing as the horse cantered quite fast around the ring.

  Magda saw that Bart had been catching everything on video. Katie was filming as well and lots of the audience were doing the same. It was sensational and Gladdie finished to resounding applause. The other two came back into the ring. They rode around in a single line and then as three in a row.

  Magda heard a commotion at the bank and pulled at Sam’s arm.

  21

  “There’s something wrong over there,” she said. The big van that the bank used at these outdoor events was the center of everybody’s attention around it. There was a gunshot from inside and the people scattered like dust in a wind.

  “Get down,” Sam said, and Magda dropped to the floor with her back to the bank and the baby in her arms. Sam stood in front of her, but it seemed the danger was going to be over as the two men who had robbed the bank came out with a gun in one hand and what he assumed was a bag of money in the other. They had bandanas over the bottom half of their faces and masks over their eyes. They wore black clothing, and each had a black Stetson pulled down to meet the eye masks.

  The men turned to run away with their stolen property when another shot rang out and one of the robbers dropped to the ground with a shout. His pal, with true loyalty of thieves ignored that and grabbed the bag the shot man was holding.

  “Stop right there,” a voice called, and another shot thudded into the side of the bank van. Then another shot followed it. The man dropped the bags and pulled his gun. A shower of bullets rang out. Sam dropped on top of Magda and the baby and covered them with his body.

  “The shots are from behind Branston,” he said into her ear. “Chloe is in the middle of it.”

  Both Sam and Magda looked around from where they were hiding on the ground and saw Chloe clu
tch her arm. She was still on Merlin and still in the ring directly between the two lots of guns.

  Branston was on the horse but outside of the ring and so was Gladdie. They were to one side and out of the line of fire. Branston kicked his big stallion and raced toward the fence. The big horse took off and soared majestically over the fence and thudded to where Merlin was standing waiting for an instruction. Chloe was frozen into immobility.

  Branston circled around her and shouted. They couldn’t make out what he was shouting but the bullets still thudded past them and by the grace of some higher being neither of them was shot. Branston came around again and Sam heard him shout to her to jump.

  “Now, Chloe.”

  She kicked free of the stirrups and when he came alongside again, she jumped and he grabbed her and raced out of the line of fire but Merlin was still there.

  Gladdie took his cue from Branston, set his big horse at the fence and cleared it. Then he galloped to the smaller stallion and grabbed the reins. The horse was reluctant to move and Gladdie shook the reins.

  The shots were still going back and forth. Most sensible people had run for cover and the law was on its way because sirens could be heard.

  “Look,” Sam said, and Magda looked out from under his arm. A golden stream of what could have been sunshine but had a small tail like a comet flew under the nose of Merlin and the horse moved toward the fence. Gladdie pulled at the reins and shouted for Merlin to jump. He soared over the fence and the small flicker of golden light seemed to lift the smaller beast up and over as well. Merlin stopped when Chloe held up a hand and Branston whisked the two youngsters and the horses away from the scene.

  The police force closed in from all sides and the original robbers as well as the ones who attacked them were all taken prisoner. The one on the ground had been shot but they handcuffed him anyway. Clara and Gladman rushed off to make sure Gladdie was okay.

  Sam and Magda joined them. They all made a cluster around Branston and the two young ones. Chloe had a graze from a gunshot on one arm and Bart raced off to find a paramedic. Diana and Shelby were mopping the stream of blood when the ambulance crew arrived. They cleaned the wound and bandaged it up.

  “Now we know,” Merle said, “what Cody was worried about.”

  “And why Crystal was giving me crime novels,” Magda added.

  Chloe said that she did not want to go to the hospital and the police officer in charge came over and asked them to tell him what happened. They gave him a brief account and he said if they came in the next day, they could make a statement. He took names and addresses from Magda and the others as well because they were all witnesses.

  “Let’s go to the Café. It’s close at hand and we can shut the doors and be private,” Magda said. Branston had already put his horse in the big van he used, and he took Merlin away to put him in the trailer. Gladman took his son’s horse and did the same.

  “Good idea,” Merle added. “Let’s get out of here.”

  It was a bit of a struggle to get the vehicles out of the fairground, but they all ended up parked in the main street. There were not many customers as most folk were at the rodeo. Magda gave the people who were there a gift voucher and said she was having to close up. The doors to the gallery were closed but the front of that building stayed open. They closed the wrought iron gates to the alleyway.

  Rita, Alison, and Gina rushed around asking each one what they wanted and trying to glean the gist of what had happened at the same time. Diana sat with her arms around her daughter and Gladdie was decidedly shaken as well. Branston was not showing signs of reaction but Magda knew her cousin very well. She found the whiskey bottle and he downed the shot in one and then grinned at her.

  “Yes, you were magnificent, cousin of mine,” she said, “but please don’t do it anymore.”

  “I did capture it all on video,” Bart said. “I’ll send it to all of you.” He clicked the buttons and lots of cell phones and tablets tinkled as they received it. There was silence as people relived the action over again.

  “The performance that the three of you gave was fantastic,” Magda said. “Just in case that is forgotten in all of this.”

  Chloe gave her a smile and started to come back to life again.

  “It was good to do,” Gladdie said.

  “What a shame that those crooks spoiled the day for so many people,” Clara said and then pointed to the back of the kitchen. Magda laughed.

  “You’re a cat person Clara and our resident ghost cat knows when cat lovers are around.” She said again that Crystal had been right again with the crime novels.

  Then Bart looked up from the video and asked if anyone saw anything unusual.

  “Was it a shaft of golden light, maybe sunshine, or maybe help from somewhere else?” Sam asked.

  “I saw it at the time,” Merle answered, “but didn’t want to say anything.”

  “He was there all of the time but never stepped forward until Merlin was in danger,” Declan said.

  “Cody?” Chloe asked. “But I never saw him.”

  “I think you were too shocked,” Merle told her.

  “We saw the golden light draw Merlin to the fence and help him rise over it,” Magda said.

  “Oh, Lord,” Clara breathed. “The man is still helping people even now.”

  “He watched the whole display,” Declan added. He looked at Merle and nodded. She smiled and asked out loud if Goodie Ryder was still with them.

  “I see the orb in the doorway,” Bart said, and Chloe’s face lit up as she saw what Declan could see.

  “Thank you, Uncle Cody. Thank you for helping Gladdie save Merlin.”

  “Did the display look good?” Branston asked and they felt a solid bang from under their feet.

  “He’s fading now,” Declan said.

  “Bye. Thank you,” Chloe called out.

  “Thank you,” Gladdie echoed. The vision disappeared from view according to both Declan and Chloe. There was a moment of quiet as everyone there thought about what had happened that day.

  “I think we’re recovered enough to drive home now,” Gladman said.

  “The café is lovely,” Clara added. “We’ll have to come back.”

  “It occurred to me,” Branston said, “that working in public is not the best place to do that sort of thing.” The rest looked at him. “If we put on displays at the ranch, they could be controlled, and they could be profitable.”

  “I would like that,” Chloe said.

  “And me,” Gladdie added. The families moved away and left the group of friends to chat.

  “Please, we need a spell of dull and normal life,” Magda said. “Although we have a new stable to build.”

  “No rest for the wicked,” Sam smiled at her and took his daughter to hear her say Dadadada over again. It made everyone smile.

  Merle cleared her throat and said that she felt a bit shaky. Magda went and found a glass of water for her. She sipped it.

  “Watching your husband ride into the line of fire was bound to be a shock to the system,” Rula told her.

  “I’m glad he said that public displays are not really safe,” Merle said.

  She seemed to want to say something else and Magda took her hand.

  “Tell us what is on your mind, although I rather think that Crystal has worked it out before me.”

  “Maybe I should tell him this in private,” she started and Branston looked concerned and sat beside her.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. She nodded and smiled.

  “It’s just that, just that, I think Samantha might not be the only baby anymore.”

  Magda hugged her friend and laughed at Branston’s face.

  “Keep up, my brave cousin. I think you might be joining Sam in the daddy stakes.”

  “What?” Branston looked truly shell shocked and amazed. “You are? You are?”

  “Yes. I think I might be pregnant.”

  Sam slapped Branston on the back. Declan offered a handshake
and there were calls of congratulations and best wishes.

  Magda hugged her cousin.

  “Congratulations. You’ll be a wonderful dad.” Then she turned to Merle.

  “Crystal had dropped a baby book on the floor and I just thought it had come down with the crime novels.”

  “Well, I guess I had better take the father home. He hasn’t taken this in yet.” She turned to the others. “No more riding to the rescue. No more public displays.”

  “It’s wonderful news,” Magda said. “He has the new horse to train. That will keep him occupied.”

  “And I need a horse of my own,” Sam added.

  “Good Lord,” Branston suddenly shouted. “I’m going to be a dad. A dad. He picked up Merle and carried her around the room. “Can you walk? Do you need anything? No more horse riding.” Merle laughed and waved at the others as he carried her down the alleyway and out to the horse transporter.

  “Now I really am broody,” Rula said.

  “Enjoy Beryl for a while,” Magda said. “Let’s all go home. Sam has a stable to put together.”

  Back at home, there were no books on the floor and Magda sank onto the sofa with Sammie in her arms.

  “If you could make her dinner again, that would be just perfect,” Magda said, and Sam went to do it.

  He sat and spooned it into Sammie’s mouth and looked across at Magda.

  “The Magic Café did it again, didn’t it?”

  “What do you mean?” Magda queried.

  “Ever since you stopped fighting me and let me design the café, things have worked out for us, for Rula, for Katie and Declan and for Merle and Branston.”

  “And the next generation is already on the way. I love you Sam Barnes.”

  “Right back at you, Magda.” He reached across and kissed her over the baby’s head.

  In between them a small lilac tortie Birman pushed her way in and settled beside Sammie.

  “I love you too, Crystal, but can we have some peace and quiet for a while, please?” The cat stared at her with those amazing blue eyes and curled her tail around herself. Sam took the baby to give her a bottle and Magda sat with the cat on her knee. The other three were watching from the spiral staircase. Magda smiled and closed her eyes.