Witch Way Box Set

by Jane Hinchey

  Kaylee stared hard at Gran for a moment before shrugging one shoulder. “If you believe in that sort of thing.”

  Gran inclined her head. “Do you?”

  “Do I what?”

  “Believe in that sort of thing?”

  Seconds ticked by as we waited for Kaylee to answer. “No. I don't.” She finally said and moved away to continue clearing glasses.

  “Shame.” Gran picked up her beer and drained it. “Okay fella's, I think I need to get the granddaughter home to bed. She looks as if a stiff breeze could blow her over.” Gran laid her cue on the table.

  “Oh, don't stop on my account,” I mocked, but stood, keen to get back to the trailer and try to connect with Mom and Dad via astral walking. We stopped by the table where Remy and Blake had been engrossed in conversation all evening—I figured they had a lot to catch up on but was a little put out he hadn’t paid me much attention to me this evening. Again, I wasn't sure what I was expecting from him, but I felt like one minute he blew hot, the other cold, and I didn't know what to make of it.

  “We're ready to go if you are?” I said to them both.

  Remy stood up immediately. “Oh God, it's ten o'clock. You guys must be so exhausted. I'm sorry, I should have wrapped this up earlier.”

  I smiled and patted her arm. “It's okay. Gran was having fun and we got to know some of our fellow travelers, it's all good.”

  “Where's Jenna?” Blake asked, pushing his chair in beneath the table.

  “I think she's outside taking a call,” Remy answered, leading the way to the door.

  Outside, the air was cool enough to make you shiver, a pleasant change from the heat of the day. Crickets chirped loudly, the only sound in the night air, aside from Jenna's voice. She was pacing back and forth as she talked on the phone. From the snippets that reached my ears I figured she was talking to the editor of the Whitefall Cove Tribune, finalizing a story. Seeing us standing on the footpath, she quickly wrapped up the call and joined us.

  Piling into the Range Rover, we traveled back to the trailer park in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. I was keen to connect with Mom and Dad. I'd been trying every night since I learned they'd gone missing, but so far, nothing. Now I was in Australia, and closer to them physically, I hoped to finally connect. Then it was just a matter of rescuing them from whatever predicament they found themselves in.

  “Can I walk you to your trailer?” Blake asked when we pulled up at the park.

  “Sure.” A little thrill went through me at the prospect of being alone with him. I was all over the place with how I felt about this man. One minute I wanted to fully explore a relationship with him, the next I wanted to back away. He was full of secrets and bad boy vibes that set off my radar, and having recently been hurt by my cheating ex-fiancé Simon, I was not in the market to have my heart trampled on by another man. And let's not forget the crush I had on Whitefall Cove Detective Jackson Ward. My love life had gotten more complicated since returning home.

  I could feel the heat of Blake's hand where he placed it against my lower back to guide me across the park to where my parents' trailer sat.

  “Just let Bandit out when you get there,” Remy called. “I'll whistle for him.”

  Craning my neck over my shoulder, I could just make out her silhouette in the doorway of her cabin. “Will do.”

  The walk across the packed earth to my front door was all too short, and we made it in silence. Finally, I blurted out, “What are you thinking?”

  His reply surprised me. “That you look beautiful in the moonlight.”

  I tripped over my own feet at his words. “I do?” I squeaked, feeling a warm tingle spread through my bones. Gah, I was such a sucker for compliments. Was I that needy that all it took was a man to say something nice and I melted into a puddle at his feet?

  “You do,” he murmured. We'd reached my door, and I turned to look up at him in the darkness. Before I could say a word, he lowered his head and my eyes fluttered closed, face tilted in anticipation of his kiss. Only the kiss didn’t happen. He briefly rested his forehead against mine, before dragging in a ragged breath and stepping back.

  “Blake?” The word slipped out before I could stop it, an echo of the chaos ricocheting around in my skull.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s complicated.”

  “Complicated?” My voice went up an octave or two. “Complicated as in you have a wife? A girlfriend? Significant other?” Was he no better than lying cheating Simon? Life couldn’t be that unfair, surely?

  He shook his head, mouth grim. “None of those things.”

  I opened my mouth to demand answers but didn't get the chance. “Goodnight, Harper.” And he was gone, disappearing into the night.

  I stood there, mouth agape, shocked beyond words. Shutting my mouth with a snap, I opened the trailer door. Bandit bounded out. “Go back to your mom.” I told him, blocking Archie from following with my foot. “Oh, no you don't, mister. No nocturnal wanderings for you.”

  Meow?

  “Sorry, buddy,” I leaned down and scratched behind his ears as I locked the trailer door. “Not tonight.”

  Mrrrow. Meow, meow, meeeeow. I chuckled at Archie's noises. “I know you want to go out and play and explore. Just not tonight, okay? I want to try to contact Mom and Dad and... I might need you.” He seemed to accept that explanation since he immediately stopped his chirping and complaining and rubbed around my legs with a purr, as if he understood the angst burning through my veins. Confusion over my feelings for Blake, worry over my parents. And exhaustion from traveling around the globe to get here and find them.

  Blowing out a breath, I slipped off my shoes and climbed onto the bed, sitting in the center cross-legged. Archie jumped up and climbed into the cradle my legs made, turned around in a circle before finally settling with a soft purr. Closing my eyes, I ran my fingers through his soft fur.

  “Let's do this,” I whispered. Concentrating my magic, I searched for a connection to Mom, a thread I could follow. I was here, sitting on the bed she'd slept in, in the trailer she'd lived in. Surely, I could find a trailing ember of her essence to latch onto and follow. Yet I found nothing.

  I didn't even know I was crying until I felt the sandpaper lick of Archie's tongue on my chin. Quickly swiping my fingers over my cheeks to wipe away the moisture, I looked down into his golden eyes. “Sorry, boy,” I sniffed. “Didn't mean to drip all over you.” He head butted my chin, and I hugged him. “Why can't I find her, Archie? Why can't I connect? I mean, the obvious answer is because she's dead—they both are—but I'd know it. Gran would know it. It's almost as if they are in a bubble, cut off from us.”

  Meow... meow.

  “I won't give up. I'll keep trying. Maybe in the caves I'll have more luck?”

  Lying down, I dragged the covers over myself and closed my eyes. Sleep claimed me quickly. A deep dark sleep I eventually woke from with a start. Sitting up, hand to my thundering heart, I glanced around. Archie was meowing at the door and scratching at it. Sunlight poured through the windows where I'd forgotten to draw the curtains the night before.

  “Okay, okay. You can go outside.” Climbing out of bed, I crossed to the door. “But no wandering off, okay? Stay where I can see you. And don't play with anything that has fangs or venom. Understand?”

  Meow.

  Opening the door, I let him out, before hurrying through a shower and then a breakfast of toast and coffee. I was grateful Mom and Dad already had supplies in. I was brushing my hair and pulling it up into a ponytail when Archie scratched at the door to come back in.

  “Back so soon?” I held open the door for him, not noticing he was dragging something inside with him until he dropped it on my foot. The scream that involuntarily left my throat was long and loud. He'd brought me a dead bird.

  “Oh, Archie, you didn't kill it, did you?” I nudged it with my foot, only then noticing the black feathers were covered in blood. It was one of the native crows, similar to a rav
en.

  Archie meowed in what I considered to be an outraged tone. Okay, so he didn't kill it. It couldn't have died of natural causes, too much blood for that. Even as it lay on the floor blood pooled beneath it and my stomach turned. Turning to the door that still stood open, I staggered outside and sucked in a breath of fresh air.

  Blake was running across the park. “What is it?” he yelled, “What's happened? I heard you scream!”

  I pointed a shaking hand to my trailer. “Dead bird.”

  He reached me, briefly touched my cheek before peering inside. “Sure is,” he muttered. “That's a lot of blood.”

  “That's what I thought.” I kept my back to the door, not wanting to see the dead bird again.

  “Did Archie do it?” Blake asked.

  Archie wound his way around my feet, protesting his innocence. I shook my head. “Archie doesn't kill wildlife.”

  “You sure about that? He's a cat, after all. It's what they do.”

  “He's also my familiar. He doesn't need to hunt. You're going to have to trust me—my cat did not do this.”

  I risked a glance over my shoulder. Blake was leaning into the trailer, examining the bird. “You're right. No cat did this. In fact, no animal did this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Someone has cut this bird's throat. With a sharp instrument.”

  My stomach lurched, and I almost brought up my breakfast. “What?” I gasped.

  “There's something else.” His voice sounded ominous. Did I even want to know? Seemed I didn't have a choice for Blake kept on talking. “There's dark magic involved. I can feel it. Someone killed this animal as part of a spell or hex.”

  “You're sure?”

  “Touch it. See for yourself.”

  “I really don't want to,” I muttered, yet found myself drawn forward and reaching out a trembling hand. I tentatively touched a silky black feather, my heart aching for this poor creature. As soon as we connected, I felt it, a wave of energy, dark and foreboding. I snatched my hand away as if burned. “Oh, that is dark.” I gasped. “Is it? Is it... black magic?” I whispered. I'd never dealt in black magic before. It was taboo. Forbidden.

  “What's happening?” Jenna and Remy joined us. Blake slung an arm around my shoulders and drew me away from the doorway so they could see inside.

  Jenna immediately pulled out her phone and took photos. I looked at her incredulously.

  “What?” she said defensively. “I'm documenting the evidence. The way you two are acting this isn't some random animal kill. And despite the amount of blood, this didn't happen here. Archie?”

  I nodded. “Not in the way you think. Archie didn’t kill it. He must have found it, brought it home. Although goodness knows how. It's almost the same size as him.”

  Remy waited until Jenna moved out of the way before inspecting the bird for herself. “You feel it?” she asked Blake, who nodded grimly.

  “Feel what?” Jenna asked, typing notes into her phone.

  “Black magic.” The three of us said in unison.

  “Seriously? I can't feel it.”

  “It’s masked, but there. Touch it,” Blake told her. “Physical contact may help.”

  Jenna reached back in, then quickly snatched her hand back not unlike what I'd done a few minutes earlier. “Oh my God, you're right. That's foul. No pun intended.”

  Blake and Remy had their heads bent close together, whispering, and Jenna looked at me with eyebrows raised. I shrugged. I had no idea.

  Remy straightened and cleared her throat. “Blake and I will take care of this.” She tilted her head to indicate the dead crow. “Harper, you need to drop into the police station to update them on your parents’ situation. How do you feel about driving in? Think you can handle it?”

  “I don't mind going with her.” Jenna jumped in before I could answer. “I'll drive. Unless you want to?” she added.

  I shook my head. “Happy for you to drive, Jen.” I wasn’t at all confident I could cope with driving on the wrong side of the road.

  Blake rested his hand on my shoulder, bringing my attention back to him. “We'll keep an eye on Gran and Archie. You focus on finding your parents. We'll deal with this.”

  There was a lot of we in that sentence and none of it referred to him and me. I glanced from him to Remy and back again. Was there something going on between them that I needed to be concerned about? They seemed close, but I put that down to the fact that Blake and Remy's bosses were friends, that they were friends too. But now I had a niggling suspicion something more was going on. Yet last night he said he wasn’t involved with anyone else. But there was more to their relationship than mere friendship. I was determined to find out what. But it would have to wait. Right now I needed to find out what the police knew about my parents' disappearance.

  Chapter Five

  “Yeah, mate, all good.... nah, nah, don't be a drongo.”

  “What's a drongo?” I whispered to Jenna as we waited at the counter of the police station. The one and only officer, dressed in a navy-blue uniform, was on the phone, although he'd acknowledged us with a nod when we came in.

  “I have no idea,” Jenna mumbled back, her eyes intent on the officer.

  “Catch ya later, Bluey.” The officer hung up and stood, making his way to the counter. “What can I help you with, ladies?”

  “I'm Harper Jones,” I introduced myself. “I believe there's a missing persons report for my parents, Judith and Keith Jones?”

  “Ah yes!” He snapped his fingers and swiveled on his heel to return to his desk where he rifled through the papers in a tray on the corner. “Thanks for coming in, Harper,” he said, eyes skimming over the file in his hand. “All the way from America. That's quite a trip.”

  “Yeah.”

  “And you are?” He turned his attention to Jenna.

  “Jenna Owens, a journalist for the Whitefall Cove Tribune.”

  His face registered shock before he quickly schooled his features. “Fair dinkum? You brought the press?”

  “What?” I looked from him to Jenna and back again, then shook my head. “No, no. Jenna is my best friend. She's here for support.”

  “But if it turns out there's a story here, that'll be good too.” Jenna grinned. His eyes roamed over her, giving her a thorough inspection from the top of her head to the tip of her toes and the slight curl of his mouth told me he liked what he saw. A quick glance at Jenna and the flush of color in her cheeks told me the admiration was mutual.

  “Righto then. I'm Senior Sergeant Mick Gould. Call me Mick. Come on through to the interview room and we'll go over the official part and I'll fill you in on where I'm at with the investigation.”

  It turned out the investigation had turned up little. In fact, it had turned up nothing. Mick had an APB out on my parents' car—it hadn't been seen since leaving the caravan park the night they supposedly left. He'd put calls through to all the gas stations between Arrowstrand and Adelaide, put in a request for CCTV and plate recognition software to be run in and around Adelaide airport, but no trace of them or their four-wheel drive. Mick seemed confident they hadn't left the area, that it was most likely a simple explanation of them forgetting to inform us of a change in plans and that they were, in fact, camping off site somewhere.

  I'd had to sign paperwork, provided him with a recent photo of Mom and Dad, and then we were free to go.

  Outside the police station Jenna grinned at me. “He was hot.”

  I snorted. “Yeah, I noticed the two of you checking each other out.”

  “I love his accent.” Jenna sighed, climbing into the cab of the Land Rover.

  “What? Australian? You sure it’s got nothing to do with the fact you’re a sucker for a man in uniform?” I teased settling myself into the passenger side and clipping my seatbelt into place.

  “That too.” She giggled. “Can you imagine being the only cop for hundreds of miles? Responsible for all of this?” She waved a hand, indicating the street we w
ere parked on and the land beyond.

  “Nope, I truly can't,” I conceded. “It's a big job.”

  “We'll find them.” Jenna sobered, patting my knee before turning the key in the ignition. “Between Remy and her bureau, your magic, and the local police, something will turn up.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Putting on a brave face, I smiled. “So, let's go explore these caves then. Remy and Blake should have gotten rid of the crow by now.”

  Jenna frowned. “That crow business was so weird. Who could be using magic around here? And why?”

  It hit me then, why I hadn't been able to forge a connection with my parents and I gasped. “What is it?” Jenna swiveled her head to look at me as we turned off the main street and onto the track back to the trailer park. “Are you okay?”

  “Magic,” I said. “Someone is using magic to hide my parents. I've been trying to astral-walk ever since we found out they were missing, and nothing. It's like they don't exist. I thought for sure I'd be able to connect with them once we were here, and I tried again last night, but again, nothing. But now it makes sense. I should have thought of it sooner, but I never considered someone could use magic to hide them.”

  “Are there covens in these parts?” Jenna asked. “Any way we can find out who practices magic?”

  I shrugged. “I have no idea. I wonder if there's some sort of register for covens. I guess I could put a call in to Drixworths and see what they know? Although I'm not keen to alert them to the fact I'm involved with something involving dark magic.” I'd already had my witch's license suspended once for using magic to harm humans.

  “Couldn't you say you think it involves magic and do they know if there's a coven here? If there are witches here? I didn't sense any other paranormals at the hotel last night, but that's not to say they're not here.”

  “True. And Remy might have a way of outing them using some of her snazzy equipment.” Hope bloomed in my chest. Archie finding the dead bird may have been the breakthrough we needed.

  “Bad news I'm afraid,” Remy told us when we returned to the park. “Our guide, Nigel, had a booking he'd forgotten to tell Andi about.”