Witch Silenced in Westerham

by Dionne Lister

  Will smiled, his dimples slaying me. “Allow me to book us a table, and I’m paying. I’ll get us in as soon as possible for lunch. How does that sound?” How was it this man liked me? He could have just about anyone. Wonders would never cease.

  I smiled. “That would be perfect. Thank you. I can’t let you pay though. I’m happy to pay, but isn’t the PIB covering it?”

  Angelica cleared her throat. “No. I’m afraid not.” She shared a meaningful glance with James. She licked her lips and took a deep breath through her nose. “James and I have reason to believe that the infiltration of the PIB may have gone further than the staff and agents who are lower level. We can’t afford any unusual expenses triggering curiosity from my bosses.”

  My eyes widened. Was she saying the people running the PIB could be part of the group or at least helping them in some way? Anger burned in my chest and warmed my face. I shook my head. “Bastards! Why is it the same with any big organisation or government? They’re only ever in it for themselves. They’re supposed to be there to help people, not run their own agenda.”

  “Calm down, dear. I don’t know for sure, but it’s not a chance we can take. We could all lose our jobs over this, so I’m being extra careful. We’re investigating something privately. When I suggested to one of my bosses that we needed to find Dana, he was adamant it would be a waste of resources. He said he would handpick two agents to follow up when they had time. That was all I needed to know to be suspicious. One of their best agents has gone rogue, and they don’t even want to pretend to look for her or care? She’s tied up in a major crime—that should be enough to have them do more than what they’ve done.” She clenched her jaw. Okay, at least I wasn’t the only one upset over this.

  “I’m booking and paying, Lily. Besides, we haven’t been on a proper date yet. I’d hardly call jogging and hanging out at care homes wooing you.” Will laughed.

  He had a point. I shrugged. “I’m sure I’ve had worse dates. I just can’t remember. I’ve probably blocked them out. Oh, that’s right: tennis with a murderer, and you and James on the court next to me giving me death stares.”

  “Hmm, I’d definitely class that as the worst date ever,” said Millicent. “James has taken me to the Ritz for dinner before. You’ll enjoy it, even if you are there for a different reason. I’d leave taking the photos for after dessert, so you can enjoy yourselves.”

  “That’s a great idea, Mill. I’ll definitely do that. You know I love my dessert.”

  She grinned.

  Angelica looked at her nephew. “Beren, I’d like you to keep your nose to the ground at head office. See if you can weed out any Dana sympathisers or spot anyone with that tattoo. I doubt they’ll have the tattoo uncovered if they have one, so be vigilant. If you find anyone, pull their file and send it to me at home. I’ll send it onto the security facility. At this stage, I don’t have anything else for anyone to do. We don’t know enough about this group’s goals to dig deeper or profile their members. Barring anything else happening, we’ll meet here again same time in a week.” Her gaze circled the table. “Any questions?”

  Everyone shook their head. Angelica stood. “If you haven’t already disappeared your papers, please do. I’ll see you when I see you.” She made her door and left.

  I pinched the corner of the pile of papers in front of me between thumb and forefinger and trickled a few droplets of power into it. It vanished. Neat.

  Millicent yawned and rubbed her rounded belly. Would it be a boy or girl? They weren’t going to find out until the day, which irritated me. I wanted to know, dammit! If I ever had kids—which may never happen because I wasn’t that enamoured with them—I’d find out as soon as possible so I could buy the right stuff. Apparently boys and girls had different types of nappies. I supposed men and women wore different types of underpants from each other… most of the time. I snorted, thinking that some men probably loved wearing women’s lacy knickers, and it was normal for women to have “boy-leg” ones. Ah, the crap that filled my head when I let my guard down.

  “I’m off to bed. Night.” Millicent waved at us and gave James a hug and quick kiss on the lips.

  “Bye, bro.” I gave James a quick hug.

  “See you later, alligator.”

  I smiled at him. Our dad used to say that, and we’d reply with the “in a while, crocodile.” I sighed as melancholy slid over me like the shadow from a storm cloud passing the sun.

  Will embraced me and placed a lingering kiss on my cheek. “I’ll text you when I’ve booked lunch.” He stood back and smiled.

  “Can’t wait. And let me know what happens with the autopsy.”

  His smile fell, and he nodded.

  After Beren and Olivia said their goodbyes, I grabbed Olivia’s hand. As I made my doorway to take us home, a prickle of unease skittered along my nape. I had a feeling trouble was coming, and it would be here sooner rather than later. There were too many sharks circling. Eventually one would strike. The question was: would we be ready for it when it did?

  Chapter 5

  The next day after lunch, I chilled at home, reading a cosy mystery on my iPad. Everyone else was at work. It sure had been quiet lately, and I missed Olivia’s company. I didn’t have any photography jobs booked for the next couple of weeks, which was fine because I’d been paid for all the work I’d done with the PIB to crack the tea-and-violence case. Angelica had been in charge and had given me a bonus, which really equated to danger money because of the night at the warehouse. My only expenses were my phone and food since Angelica wouldn’t take any rent, so I had plenty saved for a rainy day. Actually, over here, that would be for a sunny day. I snorted at my own joke.

  My phone dinged. I started, and my arms jerked up, almost launching the iPad across the room. Gah, could I be anymore high-strung? I clutched the iPad to my chest while I got myself together. I slotted the iPad carefully and safely between the chair arm and myself, then grabbed my phone from the little round table between the armchairs.

  Ooh, it was from Will. I grinned. Hey, My Little Aussie Witch. I’ve made reservations for lunch :). We’re booked in at 12:30 p.m., Friday the 12th. I’ll pick you up at 12:15 p.m. Always, your Crankypants.

  Was he sweet or what? And had he given me a pet name? I texted back, Yay! I can’t wait. And thank you, Your Little Aussie Witch.

  Happy warmth spread through my stomach. I couldn’t stop smiling. Yeah, I knew I was such a dag, which meant dork in Aussie-speak. The technical meaning was gross, matted wool around a sheep’s bottom, and sheep didn't use toilet paper, if you got my drift. Okay, so Aussies were a strange lot, but that was my normal.

  So, I only had ten and three-quarter days until we went on our first real date. How was I going to not spontaneously combust from the excitement? Why did almost everything require patience I didn’t have? Oh, yeah, the universe’s stupid sense of humour.

  My brain intervened, making sure to temper my joy. Had Will gotten the autopsy results yet? I didn’t want to ask. If he had them, he likely would have said, and it would surely take longer than one day. They were witches, but how much of the investigation could be done magically? I figured at least some of it had to be done the normal human way.

  Well, that was sobering. I put my phone down and went back to reading on my iPad. The time flew by, as it did when you can’t stop turning the pages. About three hours later, my phone rang. I quickly grabbed it, just in case it was Will.

  Angelica’s name was on the screen.

  “Hi. Is everything okay?” She didn’t normally call me to chat. Okay, she’d never called just to chat.

  “Hi, Lily. We’ve just gotten the autopsy results back. I’d like you to come in for a meeting.”

  Oh no. That must mean Edith had been murdered. I sighed, my whole body sagging into it, sad for Will. “But what can I do? I can’t use my talent at the care home because magic use is blocked.”

  “Will’s requested it, dear. Now hurry up. We haven’t got all afternoon.”
She hung up. Well, if he wanted me there for moral support, say no more. I magicked my iPad up to my room—Angelica did not like mess, and I was prone to it. It was easier now that I could tidy using magic, but I sometimes got distracted, walked off, and forgot to come back and remove my stuff.

  I walked towards the front door and stopped halfway, remembering I wasn’t going somewhere in the car. Being a witch wasn’t always automatic for me yet. I wondered if it ever would be.

  I stayed where I was, made my doorway, and stepped through. Gus was there to open the door. It was always nice to see this particular face. He was such a calm, amenable person. As we walked to the conference room, I avoided all subjects that could lead to vomit or poo. Except, it was harder than I’d thought.

  “Seen any good movies lately, Gus?”

  He rubbed his chin. “I saw part of a good movie last week, except halfway through, I felt sick. Must’ve been the takeaway fish and chips I’d had for dinner. I only just made it to the restroom in time, if you know what I mean.” He shook his head.

  I wasn’t sure if he meant vomit or diarrhoea, and I was not going to ask. Nope.

  “Wow, that’s not good,” I said as we reached the conference-room door. I was going to have to learn to walk faster, so there’d be less time to chat. “Thanks, Gus.”

  “My pleasure, Lily.” He opened the door and stepped back, letting me through.

  My brother sat to the left of Ma’am. He gave me a chin tip in greeting. Ma’am sat at the head of the table, her expression serious and her posture straight-backed, ready to get down to business. I took the hint and hurried to the closest chair, which happened to be next to Beren, who sat to Ma’am’s right. “I got here as quickly as I could.” I was pretty sure Ma’am wasn’t angry with me, but I felt the need to defend myself.

  “That’s fine, Lily.” Her voice was calm but devoid of emotion, as if we were about to discuss the budget for the next financial year.

  Across the table from me, next to James, Will was not looking so calm. His furrowed brow overshadowed sad eyes and a clenched jaw. “Thanks for coming, Lily.”

  “Whatever you need, Will. I’m here.” I gave him a sad smile. Argh, there was nothing worse than seeing someone you cared about be miserable. Why couldn’t emotional pain be the kind of pain we could take away, never to return, like a splinter or a headache that was banished with tweezers or a tablet? Self-medication for emotional pain only lasted as long as the alcohol or pills were in your system, and even then, it was still there waiting to pounce. It made perfect sense to just face whatever it was, revel in the horror, then move on. Avoiding it only prolonged the suffering.

  Ma’am magicked some papers into her hand. She held them up. “This is the autopsy report on Will’s grandmother Edith. I’ve already spoken to Agent Blakesley”—she gave him a quick glance and turned back to Beren and me—“as I thought it prudent to give him time to digest the news. The autopsy findings conclude that she was murdered. The cause of death was a heart attack brought on by air bubbles in the blood. The injection site was on her neck and into her jugular.”

  “So that’s really a thing? Dying by air bubbles.” I’d thought it was an old wives’ tale. I mean, weren’t there little air bubbles in drips? I had my appendix out when I was ten, and I remember being freaked out at some bubbles in the clear tube going to my arm, but the nurse reassured me it would be fine. I’d assumed after not dying that it wasn’t actually something that could kill you.

  “Yes, Lily. If enough air is injected, it will cause a heart attack. Whoever did this probably assumed no one would bother getting an autopsy on an elderly person with dementia who had clearly had a heart attack, and they may have been right if they hadn’t picked the grandmother of an agent.”

  “Are we ordering autopsies on Edith’s friends, the two she said died recently?” Beren asked. Will must have filled him in.

  “Not right now.” Angelica shared a look with James. They had obviously worked out a plan already. “We don’t want the care home to get wind of our investigation. They don’t know we’ve autopsied Edith. To get access to the other bodies, we’d need to find out where they went after the care home. And we don’t want irate relatives going down there and threatening them. Also, we don’t have enough evidence to start a proper investigation. They could say it was an accident, and by then, the culprit would be alerted. If the murderer is a witch, they’ll disappear, and we’ll likely never find them.”

  “So how are we going to investigate?” I thought gathering evidence was par for the course. And now that we couldn’t go and visit Edith there, it would be hard to find anything else out.

  “I’m going undercover as a patient.”

  My mouth dropped open. Ma’am, as a dementia patient? I guessed she had the cranky face mastered, but still, I couldn’t imagine her letting herself be subjected to other people showering her and telling her when to go to bed and when to eat. And what if something happened to her while she was there? She wouldn’t have access to her magic.

  “Being an agent, you know self-defence, right?”

  She smiled. “Of course I do, Lily. You don’t get to my position within an organisation like this without being good at everything.”

  Hmm, well, that ensured I’d never be the boss of anyone, which was fine since I didn’t want the responsibility.

  “I’m also going to have a listening device with me at all times.”

  I still wasn’t convinced. “Where are you going to hide it? I mean… what about when you’re in the shower, or they’re brushing your hair? It might be tricky.” I figured she’d have to find one place to put it, and then it had to stay there.

  A grey teddy bear appeared on the table in front of Angelica. She picked it up. “This has an audio-visual device hidden in the teddy’s eye, and I’ll be wearing fake hearing aids, which will also transmit sound to nearby agents who will be listening 24/7.”

  I pressed my lips together to stop a smile. Angelica with a teddy bear? That was something I had to see. I looked at Will, and his mouth curved up on one side.

  “Ma’am and her teddy?” I asked.

  He nodded, his smile growing.

  “Well, if you two are finished laughing at me, we’ll continue.” She raised a brow. Exaggerate much? Surely, she could see the humour in this? “Lily, I’ll need a photo for my care-home ID. Would you mind taking one now? We can just do it with your mobile phone.”

  “Ah, okay. But you’re in your PIB gear.”

  She stood, mumbled a few words, and a bed and bedside tables with forest-green lamps on them appeared behind her. At the same time, her clothes had changed into pyjamas, and her hair had gone white, wispy, and hung loose to just below her shoulders, which were newly stooped. She had aged fifteen to twenty years in a matter of seconds.

  Ma’am hobbled to the bed and got in. She arranged the pillows so she could sit up. She settled back and laid her arms on the outside of the covers. “I’m ready when you are.”

  I stood next to the bed, slid my mobile phone from my pocket and switched it to camera mode. “Do you want to give me a vacant, child-like smile?”

  “Oh, good idea.” She did just that, and I laughed. I wasn’t the only one. Multiple chuckles came from behind me.

  “Is this what I have to look forward to when I visit my decrepit aunt when you’re ninety?” Beren asked.

  Her serene expression vanished, and she narrowed her eyes. “Just for that, I promise to stay sane and annoying as long as is witchily possible.” She smirked and resumed her docile smile.

  I snorted. Poor Beren.

  I lifted my phone, pointing it towards Angelica.

  Oh God, no! It couldn’t be. I shut my eyes tight and then opened them again. I swallowed, my heart thumping hard. “Um, I think there’s something wrong with my phone. I just need to restart it.” I held the button down and waited for it to turn off.

  James started a conversation with the guys, but I couldn’t hear what was said over the w
hooshing in my ears. I turned the phone on and waited. While it powered up, I turned my gaze to Angelica. She met what was probably my terrified look with one of calm. I didn’t have to say anything: she probably already knew from my face.

  Please don’t be real. Please don’t be real, I chanted while I pressed the camera app again and held it up.

  My stomach dropped faster than a meteorite. I snapped the shot and tried not to cry. I lowered the phone, and Angelica held out her hand. I passed her the phone so she could see for herself.

  Her face paled—she wasn’t as stoic as I thought.

  “What’s wrong?” Beren’s voice held a note of worry, and he got up and hurried to the bed. They all knew my special talent, and Beren had probably already guessed what was up.

  “Apparently,” Angelica said with a firm voice, “I’m going to die.” There was a sharp intake of breath from either Will or James, and Beren shook his head.

  She turned my phone around so Beren could see the image on the screen—the image of a see-through Angelica.

  There’d been times I’d hated my magic in the past—when I’d been confronted with images of my parents—and this was up there with that. But I refused to believe it. Surely there was something we could do to change things?

  But by the looks on Beren’s and Angelica’s faces, there wasn’t.

  “Can you just not go undercover? Surely that’s why you’re see-through.” I didn’t want to say, “going to die.” That was too final.

  Angelica handed Beren the phone. “We need a photo that’s not see-through.”

  I might have gotten a normal photo—it had happened before at a wedding I’d photographed where the bride’s father was see-through, then wasn’t. He still died. But it would be quicker if Beren took it. But why would she still insist on going through with being in the care home?

  Angelica assumed the demented patient position, but this time, she kept a slack face—no smile. And who could blame her? Beren pressed the button, and my phone made the click noise.