Point Muse Cozy Paranormal Mystery Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by Kelly Ethan

  “It’s not your fault, Xandie.” Lila took a sip of her coffee. “The killer is the one to blame, not you. We’ll track him down and my bakery will reopen.” She glared at her cousins. “Got it?”

  Xandie nodded. “How do you think Mr. Mitas died?”

  “Poison,” Holly matter-of-factly stated. “Obvious with the frothing mouth, vomiting, and convulsions.”

  Lila stared. “Sometimes you scare me. Quiet little mouse to poison expert in a heartbeat.”

  “Not expert, but I’ve seen it in the morgue. Whatever he ate poisoned him.”

  “But I served that muffin twenty minutes before he died. Why didn’t it work straight away?”

  “Because someone exchanged the ginseng for water hemlock.” Aunt Winifred stood in the doorway, along with a wrinkled old woman with lavender streaks in her short hair. Lila’s mother crowded in behind them.

  The wrinkled old woman in a snazzy emerald-jogging suit beamed a wrinkled smile and crossed to Xandie. “My sweet granddaughter. You look just like your mother.” She gripped both of Xandie’s cheeks and pinched. “All my girls are beautiful. Single, but beautiful.”

  “Okay?” Xandie tried to mumble through cheeks full of old women fingers.

  “Goodness sakes, Mom. Let the poor girl breathe. We’re here about murder, remember?”

  Amelia pried her mother away and pushed her into a single chair next to Xandie. “Xandie, this is your grandmother, Elspeth. She’s been away at a yoga retreat. She’s our plant and herb expert.”

  “They found me at the hairdresser’s getting my purple highlight touched up.” Elspeth patted her streaked coif. “Now if you want to know anything about the town, go there. But I’d be careful, the girls hold a grudge and they ain’t happy with getting booted from your property.”

  “I should trust my hair to annoyed hairdressers with a grudge?”

  Her grandmother waved Xandie’s comment away. “They wouldn’t dare go against me. But it wouldn’t hurt to apologize and offer your land up for their rituals.” Grandma Elspeth winked at Xandie and clapped her hands. “Right, we were talking about murder, weren’t we?”

  Wouldn’t hurt to mend some naked fences. They were the only hairdressers in town. Who knows what juicy gossip they had about Point Muse and the murders? “Fine. I’ll do it,” Xandie interrupted the murder babble.

  “Good girl.” Elspeth patted Xandie on the knee. “Now, death girl is right. It was poison. They substituted water hemlock for the ginseng. A sweet muffin hid the bitter taste. It would have been the only way the killer could get that idiot to eat it.”

  “First, that idiot was a regular and second, I keep my powdered ginseng in a container in my walk-in pantry. Away from all my other ingredients. I’m in and out all day but anyone could have exchanged it for hemlock. But why frame me?”

  “We think the target’s still Xandie. Pure good luck she was working on the same day Mitas died. The goal is framing Xandie, not you, Lila. You’re just collateral damage.” Winifred exchanged a look with her sister, Amelia.

  “Why would the killer want to frame me? I was just there because of the imps, so what’s my link to the victim? Aside from the obvious.” She rolled her eyes. Yeah, let’s just discount the fact the victim wanted the estate’s land and Xandie had rung the night before to warn him of danger.

  “Because the only available water hemlock in the area grows around the pond on your land, my darling.” Elspeth frowned. “They must be residents of Point Muse, to know that. Plus, they’d have to have expertise or knowledge to harvest it.”

  Holly weighed in. “But you said it was good luck on the killer’s part Xandie was here. Wouldn’t the killer control the imps?”

  “Not necessarily, but those particular imps that invaded the library strictly belong to its demon master. He’d love to get his hands on the library. Speaking of hands on…” Elspeth giggled and fanned her face. “Such a lovely body he has now. He’s mellowed over the centuries, although he’s still scheming to get inside. But I don’t think even he would commit murder now.”

  The clamor of all three cousins caused Elspeth to clamp hands over her ears. “For goodness sakes, what is this generation coming to if they can’t spot a demon on the earthly plane?” She scoured her daughters with beady eyes. “I blame the hippie generation, they never paid attention to their lessons. It was all about the weed and the orgy sex.”

  Amelia and Winifred looked appalled and hustled Elspeth out.

  Elspeth yelled over a shoulder at Xandie, “Check the charming professor out and don’t forget the hairdressers.”

  The three women squabbled all the way down the stairs and outside. Lila opened the window and peered out. “They’re still fighting.” She kept up a running commentary on the arguments outside. “Elspeth just stuck a foot out and tripped mom. But mom grabbed Aunt Winifred, and now they’re both lying on the ground. Grandma Elspeth’s on the run and headed into the lingerie shop across the road.”

  Xandie shuddered at the image of the wrinkled purple-haired grandmother parading around in black lace. “Do we want to know why she’s in a sexy underwear shop?”

  Holly frantically shook her head. “No pictures, no pictures in my head.”

  Lila shut the window. “She’s having a fling with the owner of the flower shop down the road. Mom has walked in on them a few times. I think Elspeth keeps him supplied with go-go juice, if you know what I mean. They’ve broken her bed twice now.”

  Xandie tried to get back on track. “Hemlock? The professor is a Demon?” Anything to get the picture of a broken bed and pensioners out of her head.

  “Elspeth has had a few dealings with them, but mostly they give her a wide berth. I’ve never met any. How about you, Holly?”

  “I met a few. Some are okay. Depends what they want.”

  Xandie would never get used to the casual way Point Muse residents had of announcing the weird. Then again...she remembered the way red light flickered in the professor’s eyes when she’d run into him. Right around the time people discovered Louise Maker’s body. Maybe the idea wasn’t so outlandish.

  “Hanging around a morgue you see weird stuff. Calling death can sometimes attract darker things like demons,” Holly stated.

  “Wow, I have to re-evaluate you and your life. You’re much more interesting than you look.”

  Holly poked a tongue out at Lila. “In that case I should mention I have a new job now.”

  “Don’t tell me you let Aunt Win drag you into her candle business? She’d drive you crazy in a day.”

  Xandie agreed with Lila. Her aunt was lovely, but spending a day discussing different candles’ healing properties would drive her crazy, let alone Winifred’s own daughter.

  “I’m not suicidal. No, since I’ve been training at the morgue, the coroner, who owns the Elysian Fields Funeral Home with his sister, offered me a job.”

  Dead silence met Holly’s words. Xandie peeped at Lila, waiting to see her cousin’s reaction to Holly’s new job. She didn’t have to wait long.

  “Elspeth doesn’t call you death girl for nothing. Provided you don’t take your work home, who cares?” Lila snorted at her pun-worthy cleverness.

  “Do you ever take anything seriously? This could be a good job for a training banshee.” Holly frowned and crossed her arms.

  Xandie intervened between the two cousins before a food fight began. “It’s a good idea. Now can we get back to the murder, blood-thirsty knights, demons and what our next step is?”

  Lila sneered at Holly. “Geez, lighten up. Making a joke in my black-hole of traumatic loss might have cheered me up.”

  Holly pointed to Xandie and ignored Lila. “Elspeth told us to focus on the Professor and the oldies at ‘Here Today Gone Tomorrow’. I’ll see them tomorrow if you will?”

  Nodding her agreement, Xandie turned to Lila. “What about you? Any ideas?”

  “I’m betting the health inspector will be here tomorrow, so I’m hanging around here. But if I get
spare time, I’ll track down Elspeth for more information.”

  Xandie inhaled, held the breath deep in her lungs for a moment and then released it on a loud sigh. That was it. They had a plan. Her next step…suck up to octogenarian hairdressers who hated her. Get as much gossip as she could tolerate on the mayor, the professor and the murders. Easy. All she had to do was swallow her pride and invite old women to perform naked ceremonies on her land

  Simple.

  Eleven

  Wrinkly leader number one a.k.a. Olive Johnson, now with a beehive addition to her head, stood behind a black shiny counter. All purple hair highlights dissolved under the mass of red piled on top of her head. “You finally crossed our doorstep?”

  Holly shoved Xandie further into the hairdressing salon. A surprisingly welcoming salon. Wood-framed mirrors on the walls, padded black leather chairs dotted around the room, small tables next to them. A bank of leather and black metal chairs faced mirrors. Sinks and massage chairs against the other wall, obscured by pinup girl-imaged room dividers. An ornate Victorian inspired chandelier hung in the center of the room. An effective use of an eclectic style that drew the customer in.

  “If you finished cataloguing our style, what can I do for you?” Olive leaned on the counter and appraised Holly and Xandie. “Both of you have the Harrow hair, plain brown and straight. We can jazz it up and make you decent looking.”

  Xandie cleared her throat. “I’d like to offer an apology. Adapting to Point Muse has been a learning experience. If you and your group want to use my land, you can. I just need advance notice on the date and clothing state.” Apologetic enough to get a foot in the door?

  Olive’s sister-in-law, Dorothy Johnson, sashayed up, leaned on the counter and sniffed dramatically. This time she sported a platinum blonde shaggy wig. “I suppose we can accept your condition. Sister, what do you think?”

  Olive played with the red curl hanging down from her beehive and stared at Xandie’s follicles. “Sounds fine, but I need to give you a trim of those split ends first. They offend me.” Nodding to Dorothy, both women grabbed Xandie and Holly and shoved them into two chairs facing the mirrors.

  Holly shook her shoulder length straight hair in protest. “I’m fine. Besides, I’ve never upset you. No need for follicle revenge.”

  “Traitor,” Xandie hissed, but she fingered the ends of her hair. Her hair was split and messy. She hadn’t had a cut in months, and it showed. Her medium brown hair frizzed below her shoulders. Maybe she should try a new cut.

  Olive clamped fingers on Xandie’s head and forced it straight. “You need a trim and layers to get rid of the weight. What about colors? I have a lovely emerald highlight that would look fantastic on you.”

  “Ah, I’m fine with my color.” Her mom’s hair had been the same color before she disappeared.

  Dorothy tittered, picking up a strand of Holly’s limb hair. “No layers for you. How about a treatment and maybe a style cut? You have a great heart-shaped face.”

  Thinking for a moment, Holly agreed. “Do it. If it looks horrible, I’ll unleash my grandmother on you.”

  Dorothy shuddered. “No need for nastiness. I don’t know where you girls get your sass from.”

  Xandie and Holly looked at each other, muffling their giggles. If you wanted to survive the Harrows, sass was pretty much a requirement. Holly was the quiet one of the bunch and even she had a mouth on her.

  “Seen any good murders?” Holly smiled sweetly as Dorothy gaped at her.

  Talk about no tact. “My cousin meant isn’t it horrible all these murders are happening? You heard the police cleared me of all the charges?” Xandie wanted subtle, not sledgehammer interview technique.

  Olive slapped Xandie’s shoulder. “Deal is we shampoo and then we dish on murder.” She pointed to the washing station. “Now giddy up, girls, if you want the gossip.”

  Xandie shuffled to the basins and adjusted the awkward chair. Olive’s fingers worked relaxation magic as she sloshed shampoo through Xandie’s hair. Whatever the grievance she had with the naked group of wrinkled Wiccan practitioners, washing her hair wasn’t one. From the snorting noises coming from Holly, she agreed. The sisters-in-law had a hairdressing gift.

  Finished with the wash, Olive led Xandie back to her seat. Dorothy and Holly trailed behind.

  “Right, talk about any murders you want. But no comments on our hairdressing, got it, girlies?”

  Agreeing in self-defense, because it never paid to anger somebody with scissors, Xandie wriggled in her chair, trying to work out how to how to bring up murders and suspects casually.

  “Spit it out. We’re unshakable in Point Muse….” Olive expertly snipped portions off Xandie’s hair.

  “Have you heard anything interesting around town?”

  “You mean the murders? Or the steamy private lives of Point Muse residents?”

  “Steamy?” Sidetracked, Xandie tried to picture a steamy situation. It wasn’t pretty.

  “You’d be surprised what people around here get up to.” Olive sliced a long lock of hair and watched it plummet to the ground. “The professor causes heat. But not always the sexy kind.”

  Demon lord of Point Muse had groupies. What’s the bet he was the same guy who’d burned the physical library down. “Hmmm,” encouraged Xandie.

  “Him and Sera used to squabble, but I think both kind of liked it. He dated that Aphrodite wannabe, Rose, but Aaron soon put a stop to that. Boy, I thought the Professor would flay Aaron right there at the Inn, but the Professor calmed down soon enough.”

  “The fight was about Rose?”

  “No punches thrown, but I’ve never seen Aaron back down like that before. He swore afterward he’d seen flames in Amoru’s eyes and then that same night he had a kitchen fire in that garage of his. Maybe the guy’s a lousy cook, but he swore he wasn’t even cooking.”

  Made sense if Professor Amoru was the demon, he’d burned the library down once already with balefire. Why not a bachelor’s kitchen? “Anything else about the mayor? Any goodies?”

  Dorothy and Olive snorted in unison. Dorothy leaned over to Xandie. “Momma’s boy? Or should we say sister’s boy? He doesn’t do squat without Irene’s approval but he’s protective of her too. Remember the council meeting?”

  Olive agreed. “Talk about drama. Irene had a few dates with the Professor and Rose found out. Meow. Fur flew at that meeting night.”

  “Irene dated him too?” Xandie couldn’t imagine the steel-spine spinster loosening up for date night moves.

  “He dated both before he met Sera. Once he did, neither Rose nor Irene was good enough for him. But the mayor, he had it in for both Rose and Sera when he found out. Had words with Rose who was dating Aaron by then. But Sera laughed in his face. Wouldn’t confirm or deny anything about her and the professor.”

  “What happened next?” This gossip was like a Days of Point Muse soap opera.

  “The mayor went after Amoru. Accused him of using Irene. The mayor implied the professor wanted Sera’s estate and courted her to get it. Amoru couldn’t care less about the mayor. Told him he wasn’t the one pulling the steel wool over the sheep’s eyes. Mayor backed off and both he and his sister ignored the Professor. But the looks Irene gave Sera.” Rose shivered. “I don’t know who hated her more, Irene or her brother.”

  Now wasn’t that interesting? Once again, the Cummings involved in juicy gossip. Could the mayor have hated Sera enough to kill her? And what about the other murder? “And Maker, Essam and Mitas? Any issues I should know about?”

  “Dorothy? You knew Louise better than me. Any gossip for our sleuths here?”

  Dorothy pursed her lips. “She never dated Amoru but went out with the mayor a few times. She ended up ditching him though; she always thought he tried too hard. Too creepy for her. But I know the mayor wanted her to join some real estate deal, but she had already formed one with Essam and Mitas. She told him she wasn’t interested. Next day he raised her rent and renovations started on
her building. She used to complain all the time about losing clients because of the noise.”

  More and more connections to the mayor and his sister. “When did the mayor and his sister move to Point Muse?”

  “Twenty years ago, I guess. Irene was exactly the same, and the mayor had more hair and fewer products. They were quieter, less visible than they are now.” Olive dragged her hairdryer out. “Now, fewer questions, more relaxing.”

  The drone of the hairdryer soothed Xandie and her eyes drooped. By the slumping of shoulders in Holly’s chair, her cousin was as relaxed as she was. The slap on Xandie’s shoulder was a shock to her system, and she sat bolt upright, eyes wide.

  “What ya think?” Olive dusted the back of Xandie’s neck and whipped the cape covering her off like a matador.

  Xandie stared in the mirror. For a loud-mouth, naked Wicca-preforming octogenarian, she was a wizard with the scissors. Xandie’s straight and lifeless brown hair now glowed a rich brown with gold highlights. Her hair fell down her back in a waterfall of waves. “Whoa, looks amazing.”

  “I’m good. Your great-aunt, unlike your Harrow aunts, never saw my hairdressing genius, but other members of your family are more appreciative.”

  Xandie looked over at Holly. A little elfin face stared back at her. A sleek bob to her chin hung in sheets of golden brown. Holly twisted her head left and right.

  “Looks fantastic, Holly.”

  Holly smiled and shook her head again. Every strand fell back into place with no effort. “Lila missed out for once.”

  Dorothy tittered. “Lila sneaks in every six weeks for a trim and treatment. Otherwise those curls would be frizz city. She inherited her father’s hair. He has a curly mop. I guess it’s all that humidity in the underworld.”

  “Sneaky cousin. She swore she’d never come here while Elspeth does.”

  “Families lie. Get used to it.” Olive pushed Xandie out of the chair. “Got people waiting, no lazing around.”

  Xandie happily paid Olive for the haircut. Who knew the naked wiccans were so creative with hair follicles?