by A. M. King
“Ebony!”
“What?”
“What if he can hear you?”
Ebony gave her a look. She then gave Felix a look. “I don’t think he speaks our language. But I can read his body language. I think he’s being fresh.”
“He is?”
“Gosh, you’re so gullible.”
“Do you like him?”
“Yeah, he’s cute and charming. But I need to play hard to get.”
“Well, don’t play too hard. He seems as if he’s ready to give up.”
“You all right?” Trey said returning to his seat beside Febe.
“Yes sure. I was just giving Ebony a little pep talk. I hope she behaves on stage.”
“I’m sure they’ll both do fine.”
She hoped and prayed Trey didn’t catch her whispering to Ebony, but it was too late. He must have seen it. She had to cover her tracks better.
Tulip Gosnik, who’d spoken to them earlier and gotten information about their outfits, came back after taking some photographs for the story she was doing on the event.
She was from the Gosnik newspaper and sister to the late gossip columnist, Darla Gosnik. She was scheduled to cover the events over the next two weeks.
Tulip found a seat near Febe and Trey at the side of the stage.
“Well, this sure gives new meaning to the word catwalk,” Tulip said, smacking gum in her mouth.
Man, that really grated on Febe’s nerves. The woman knew how to chew loud.
Febe grinned. “I guess so.”
Tulip blew a bubble. Who did that these days? She yawned as if she was bored covering the event. She was the youngest at the newspaper and often acted as if she’d rather do anything else than work at the family-owned newspaper.
“All this to celebrate the end of the Salem Witch trial,” Tulip said.
“Why do you say it like that?” Febe said.
Tulip shrugged. “I just don’t see what the big deal is.”
“It is a big deal, Tulip. Don’t you understand the significance of that historical event?”
“Apparently not. When did this thing take place anyway? Last century?”
“The Salem Witch Trials happened in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693.”
“That was hundreds of years ago. Don’t see why the big celebration today.”
“More than two hundred people were accused of practicing witchcraft and twenty people were executed.”
“Really?”
“Yes, that’s right. The colony eventually admitted the trials were a mistake and compensated the families of those convicted, but the mark is still there. I believe it was the governor who changed his mind when his own wife was accused of witchcraft, too. He realized how easy it was for people to point fingers and shame others at the drop of a hat. The fact is that people who were different were treated shamefully after a wave of hysteria and crazy rumors circulated about them. We must never forget. Witch or not.”
“I thought witches don’t really exist.”
Febe swallowed hard. “Right, of course. What I meant was it doesn’t matter who’s doing the accusing and for what. It’s just wrong to mistreat a group of people just because they are different from you.”
She shrugged. “Fine. So why does everyone dress up like witches for the event?”
“To show that everyone and everything has beauty in the world, Tulip.”
“Well said,” Trey said. His nephew’s cat Felix was seated comfortably in his lap, but Felix kept giving Ebony a look as if he wanted to flirt with her. Ebony kept rolling her eyes.
Febe stroked Ebony who was seated comfortably on her lap.
Tulip looked at Ebony and then at Felix. She looked as if she was terrified of cats and though she had taken photos earlier, she’d refused to pet them or to get too close.
Who didn’t like cats?
“So what else do I need to know about the background of this...event?” Tulip said with her notepad and pen in hand, ready to scrawl down more information. Febe was surprised she didn’t just use a recorder like most modern journalists. Or record on her smartphone. Then again, she’d also heard that sometimes journalists use both modes of communication in case one fails, especially if the recording doesn’t work for whatever reason. The town had more than its share of Wi-Fi mishaps and unexplained technical glitches.
“Like what else do you need to know?” Febe asked.
“When did this thing end? That’s what we’re celebrating, right?”
“Well, it wasn’t until 1957 that Massachusetts formally apologized for the events of 1692.”
“Isn’t that like 250 years after the fact?”
“Yep. You got it.”
“Wow. Well, better late than never.”
Febe frowned for a moment. “Anyway, that’s why this celebration is so important all over the world. The Salem Witch Trials ended in early 1693.”
“Right. If the last trial happened early in 1693 why celebrate in the fall near Halloween?” Tulip said with her pen hovered over her notepad. She stifled a bored yawn.
Febe playfully rolled her eyes and shook her head. It was better that it was being covered than not.
“We celebrate the end of the Salem Witch Trials around the end of October because the Governor at the time, Governor Phips, dissolved the Court of Oyer and Terminer on October 29, 1692.”
“What the heck is Oyer and Terminer?” Tulip asked incredulously.
Didn’t she do her research?
“Well, it was a court founded in Salem, Massachusetts, around May 27, 1692.”
“Sadly, it was designed for one sole purpose: to try and convict accused witches,” Trey jumped in. “That much I remember from my studies.”
Damn! A hot looking guy who knows his history too. Okay, he just earned bonus points in her books.
“Yes, that’s right,” Febe agreed. “It was started for that purpose alone. And thankfully it was dissolved. It was replaced by a Superior Court of Judicature in late November. You’re right, the last witch trials were held in January of 1693, and in May of that same year the governor pardoned the remaining accused. But the process of dissolving the court happened end of October.”
“Ah,” Tulip said, scribbling down the information.
Trey shook his head and grinned.
“What’s wrong?” Febe asked, innocently.
“You sure know a lot about the background of the Festival of Witches. You put me and everyone else to shame.”
“Yes, you do know quite a lot,” Tulip said, her tone suspicious.
Well, it is my heritage. Most witches know about the Salem Witch Trials and its significance in our history.
“Um, just one of those things I studied in college. You know, my college elective on the history of um...Massachusetts. I knew that knowledge would come in handy some time.”
“Well, you really impress me,” Trey said.
“Thanks, Trey. You impress me too. You seem to know quite a bit about that history too.”
“Well, since coming to the town, I brushed up on a bit of the town’s history. Like the monument in the town square.”
“Oh, right. The memorial marking that anniversary. Even though it happened down south, a few people up here have ties there.”
Tulip got up. She took out her cell phone. “Well, thanks for the information. I’m going to be taking some shots at the corner of the stage when the cats come out.”
“Oh, good.”
A few moments later, the power went out.
“Oh, no.”
Several people screamed.
“Crazy. Imagine at a time like this.”
“You all right, Febe?”
“Yes, I’m here, Trey.”
Trey took out his cell phone but the light on it didn’t work, either. No one had power or light from their cell to illuminate the darkness.
“Well, this is fun,” Ebony said to Febe. “Remind me again why we don’t go out more often?”
“Eb
ony, shh,” Febe whispered.
Just then the power went back on again and the music played as usual.
“Not bad. Just a few seconds out,” Trey said, scrolling down his phone screen.
“Well, I’m glad it was only a few seconds. Felt much longer than that though,” Febe said.
She looked around to see where Tulip had gotten to but couldn’t see her anywhere. “I thought Tulip was going to take more pictures at the side of the stage,” Febe said.
“I guess she went somewhere else.”
“I’ll just be a second,” Febe said, getting up. A strange feeling swept around.
She went to the back of the stage and saw a few people with their cats ready to do the cat walk, but no Tulip.
As she turned to the side, she saw Tulip’s shoes behind the curtain. She crouched down.
Febe let out a scream.
Tulip was lying on the ground. Dead.
Chapter 5
“Okay, everybody. Please stick around. We’ll be asking you some more questions.” Sergeant Heart’s voice was stern as he managed the crowd an hour later.
“This is awful,” Febe said, hugging Ebony to her chest. Febe had already been questioned about what happened leading up to finding poor Tulip sprawled on the ground like that.
Trey was on the job, helping out his already short-staffed colleagues, asking questions.
The forensics team was there and the coroner was preparing to take Tulip’s body away.
It was unbelievable.
“Excuse me,” Febe said to the aide who was about to zip up the white plastic body bag.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“I’m sorry to trouble you,” Febe said, looking at Tulip’s face. “Do you mind if I just say a quiet goodbye quickly. She was my friend. I found her.”
The man sighed deeply.
She glanced at Tulip’s eyes which look petrified. She died with her eyes open. Her gaze was wide and her pupils fully dilated.
“Isn’t that unusual to die with your eyes open?” Febe asked.
“Not all the times. Looks like she could have had a PE.”
“A pulmonary embolism?”
“We won’t know until the coroner’s report and autopsy, Ma’am.”
“Of course.”
Febe had to take another look. Something was very odd about the whole situation. She heard the team talk about gum stuck in her throat and that she probably asphyxiated herself. But this whole case was rubbing her the wrong way. She really didn’t believe Tulip had choked on her gum. She believed she saw something or someone and the shock stopped her heart. Or did the person stop her heart?
Tulip was the second Gosnik who’d been found dead in a short space of time—like within weeks!
What was really going on?
A wave of nausea swept through Febe when she thought of what her auntie had said about the Gosnik family. It had long been rumoured that the Gosniks were witches, too. Or at least Darla was. Maybe Tulip didn’t know anything about her own family background. She certainly behaved as if she knew nothing about witches or witchcraft. So what was going on?
If this was the case, then did it mean that witches were being targeted?
Oh, no.
That would mean that followers of the evil hunter were nearby and about to strike. Who’s to say they would stop at the Gosniks, who might be undercover witches, much like the Summer family.
Febe felt her heart turn over in her chest and her stomach sink.
“Ma’am, we’re going to have to take your friend away now.”
“I’m sorry. Yes, no problem.” Febe closed her eyes shut for a moment and tried to draw in a deep breath.
“Are you all right, Febe? You don’t look too well,” Trey offered. “Can I get you something to drink? A glass of water?”
“No, thank you, Trey. I’m fine. Really.” She stroked Ebony who was still curled up in her arms. She had to be brave. She knew she had no choice. What she really wanted to do was run home to her mother, but that was out of the question for sure.
She had a sick feeling that she was being watched. Everyone was being watched right now, but by whom? She wished she knew so she could be careful and warn the others. This was devastating. Completely unnerving.
But the police said that it looked as if she’d joked on a chewing gum. They didn’t suspect any foul play but would wait until autopsy results.
That really didn’t seem like a simple accident to Febe. Something was definitely up. And then that convenient power outage.
“Next time, would you mind putting me somewhere else while you go look at dead bodies?” Ebony said with a yawn. “I mean, really now. I thought you were going to drop me in that body bag by mistake and the men were going to zip up the bag with me in it. You know how I feel about enclosed spaces.”
“Ebony!”
“What?”
Luckily all anyone around her could hear were meows. Just as she’d heard in the past before she came of age and found out that she could communicate with her feline.
“I’m really sorry about what happened back there. You finding Tulip like that,” Trey said.
“It’s just terrible. I wonder what happened?’
“Looks like she choked on her gum and with all the noise and everything, no one heard her. Happens a lot, you know. We always tell people to be careful when chewing gum or throwing nuts into their mouth.”
“What do you mean throwing nuts into their mouth?”
“You know how people toss peanuts up and try to catch it with their mouth wide open. Worst thing they could do.”
“Why’s that?”
“Your wind pipe and your throat are close together, if it goes down the wrong pipe, you’re as good as dead. Cut off the air supply to your brain and if no one’s around to help you with CPR within four minutes. It’s adios.”
“Yikes. That’s terrible, Trey.”
“I know. You have no idea how often we get called to a house after the fact. It’s a shame, really. The nut swells up in the wind pipe and there’s nothing we can do. If someone around and is able to perform an emergency tracheostomy, they might stand a chance of survival, but that’s only if. Anyway, looks like Tulip just had an unfortunate accident.”
“Do you really think it was an accident, Trey?”
Trey gave Febe a strange look. “Febe, what are you getting at?” he asked softly.
“Well, don’t you think it’s a bit strange that the lights went out all of a sudden and then Tulip ended up dead?”
“Yes, I admit, it is an unfortunate coincidence, Febe. But that’s probably all it is. Just a coincidence.”
“I don’t know about that Trey. I think it could be more than just a coincidence.”
“Febe Summers, do you know something I don’t know?”
Febe shrugged while hugging Ebony to her chest. “I don’t know Trey, this all just seems a little peculiar to me.”
“You seem a little peculiar to him too, doll,” Ebony said with a yawn.
“Ebony!” she whispered, hushing her cat.
Trey then gave her another strange look.
The organizers decided to continue with the event, since it looked as if it had been an accident and there was no evidence of foul play.
But Febe was tired and was getting ready to take Ebony home, especially since Ebony was getting a bit, well, catty. Besides, Trey’s nephew had come to retrieve Felix when news got out about the death at the fashion show.
Just then Trey’s cell phone rang. “Looks like I’m wanted back at the station, Febe. We’re going to do a report, notify Tulip’s next of kin, and look into this. So sorry we had to cut our date short.”
So this was a date then?
“Hey, no worries.”
“You sure you don’t want me to drive you home?” Trey offered again.
“No,” Ebony said.
“Yes, I’m fine, Trey,” Febe said, “I’m just going to poke around for a bit.”
“Okay. Please
call me if you need anything, okay?”
“Will do.”
“Are you crazy? Why are you sticking around here?” Ebony said.
“Because. I’m not satisfied that it was an accident.”
Ebony rolled her eyes.
Febe had to remember that cats slept a lot during a twenty-four hour period and she was going to get her little one home as soon as possible, but she had to ask a few questions.
She saw Jack from the newspaper who was busy taking pictures. Febe walked up to him with Ebony tucked in her arms.
“Jack, I’m so sorry about what happened to Tulip. It’s terrible, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, that sucks.” He continued to take pictures as a contestant walked on the stage with her feline.
The show coordinator had given a moment of silence back stage and tried to keep everyone as calm as possible, moving on with the show since tourists from all over were present and they were raising funds for the shelter and a new monument. Most people at the event were unaware of what was happening, only the people behind the scenes were informed as they were interrogated by police.
Security cameras!
“Jack, there should be security cameras around here, right?”
“Yeah, you have to go backstage through that door to the security office. Why?”
“I don’t know. I just want to speak to someone there.”
Jack shrugged.
“Thanks, Jack.”
No one seemed as concerned as Febe about what happened to Tulip. Was Tulip that difficult a person to deal with?
Okay, maybe she was, but if something happened to her that was foul play, she deserved to have the person responsible brought to justice, right?
Chapter 6
Febe made her way behind the stage toward the security control room. She knocked on the door of the security office.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Febe?” Ebony asked, yawning.
“Yes. I need to check something out, Ebony. Something doesn’t seem right.”
“Yeah, that would be going to the security room to check on footage that you won’t be able to see. That doesn’t seem right, girl. None of this makes sense. Didn’t you hear your detective boyfriend? He said it was an accident.”
