by Elle Adams
That, or they’d followed me from Angie’s shop. I hadn’t been nearly careful enough at watching my back. But if it’d been a witch, they wouldn’t have needed to be standing behind me to push me. Given how far off the person had seemed to be, maybe they had used magic to do it. Didn’t mean I knew who was responsible, though.
“Not that I saw,” she said. “I do think you should talk to Drew about this.”
“It’s fine. I’m a Reaper. Theoretically, I could fall off a building and be fine. Ghosts are more of a danger to me than living people are.”
I wasn’t exaggerating. The retired Reaper had lost his apprentice in a torrent of ghosts who’d shown up following the flood in town two decades ago, but the rest of us were generally more resilient when it came to attempts on our life from living people. I’d thought the detective knew that, but even knowing the theory didn’t make the reality any easier to deal with. I’d have freaked out if I’d seen him dangling above the river with nothing below him but darkness.
“Talk to him.” She rose to her feet and walked to the bar. “You’ll thank me later.”
“I’ll talk to him.” What I’d say, though, I still didn’t know.
Did he really want to date me, or just the person he thought I was? As a human, I was all for it, but as a Reaper, I wasn’t sure I could give him what he wanted or needed. The detective struck me as the kind of guy who wanted someone steady, someone who’d stick around. Someone who didn’t sneak around in the shadows and derail his murder investigations.
I’d only make things worse if I set the coven leader against the pair of us, but who else was willing to do anything about her? He’d definitely be horrified if I went after her alone, but she’d already covered up at least one death, not to mention removed all the evidence from the crime scene. There was no telling what she might do if things escalated to the point that she felt her coven was threatened.
Hayley walked past the table, startling me out of my reverie. “Hey, Maura.”
“Hey.” I managed a wan smile.
“I heard what happened,” she said. “With the ghost up in your room. Someone banished her?”
“Or chased her off,” I said. “Just when I thought I was getting somewhere with her.”
“In what way?” she asked. “I never asked—what was her name? The ghost?”
“Amanda Dawson,” I said, figuring there was no harm in telling her.
Her expression froze. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah… why?” I rose to my feet, adrenaline spiking. “Wait, you knew her?”
“Not personally, but everyone in the coven at the time heard about her death,” she said. “I didn’t know it was that recent.”
“Do you know why she’d come here, and not wherever she lived?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I didn’t know her well, but I do remember Mina shutting down the investigation into her death. Have you asked her about it?”
“No, because Angie died before I had the chance to,” I said. “And everyone else on the committee within the coven does what she says, so they’re likely to tell tales on me to her if I start probing into a years-old case.”
“If it helps, I won’t tell tales,” she said. “If her ghost remembers how she died, this could change everything?”
“She doesn’t,” I said. “How did she die?”
“She drowned,” she said. “There was a fuss about it at the time because it didn’t look like an accident, but Mina managed to shut down the rumours after it became clear nobody was going to be able to find out who did it, and it was only turning the coven members against one another.”
“Sounds familiar.” Just look at how Mina had reacted to the two recent deaths. How many more scandals had she swept under the carpet?
More to the point… drowned. In the river, I was betting. Her death and Harriet’s were linked more closely than I ever would have guessed.
“Are you two okay?” Allie walked past again, waving her wand to set the vacated tables on either side of us.
“Yeah, we were just talking about the ghost in my room,” I explained. “Turns out Hayley knew her.”
“Not well,” Hayley said. “I was in the coven at the time, though, and I remember the killer was never caught.”
“Mina Devlin shut down the investigation,” I told Allie. “Took away her body before anyone could look at it.”
“Not quite,” said Hayley. “I mean, several people saw her body before the burial. That’s what tipped them off that it wasn’t an accident. There were these… markings, on her body, they said.”
My stomach lurched. “Markings? Like what?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Mina shut down the case pretty fast. The same didn’t happen with Harriet, did it?”
“The exact same,” I said. “Markings and all. Though the only people who saw the marks on her hands were the wizards who pulled her out of the river, and they were all drunk at the time. They didn’t think anything of it.”
She paled. “Are you sure they were telling the truth?”
“I think they were,” I said. “They didn’t know what the markings were, but Mina took the body away for a reason.”
“Tell the detective,” said Allie. “Don’t go off alone, Maura. That clear?”
I watched her walk away, my head spinning. The detective. Had he been chief of police back then? No, he hadn’t, but the police were bound to have the records of Amanda’s death. I ought to have looked into it sooner.
One thing was certain: I needed to find Drew and hope he forgave me. If he had the details of the case, he might also have something that belonged to Mandy when she was alive. If I could get my hands on the right tools, I’d be able to lure her ghost back and find out her side of the story. In detail, this time, regardless of what it meant for Mina and the coven.
“Tell you what,” said Hayley. “I’ll take over your shift, if you like. Give you the chance to meet Drew and see what you can find out.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. “I appreciate it.”
I fired off a message to the detective. Then I waited.
Drew met me in the lobby twenty minutes later. I’d worried something would have come up at work or that he’d taken our minor spat yesterday to heart, but here he was, as though nothing had happened at all.
He walked in through the front door. “How’re things?”
“Pretty lousy, actually,” I said. “Someone ransacked my room and chased the ghost off.”
“When was this?” he asked.
“Right after I got back last night,” I said. “And I was already having a crappy day.”
“No kidding,” he said. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. I panicked when I saw you fall off the bridge. It slipped my mind that you were more resilient than most people.”
“I’m sorry, too,” I said. “I should have mentioned I can’t actually drown.”
“I know you can’t, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t worry me when you take risks,” he said. “This case… it’s already led to two ghosts disappearing.”
“Or three.” I hadn’t even thought to look for Angie’s ghost yesterday, though I’d initially planned to use the notebook I’d taken from her shop to track her down. I’d been too distracted by Mandy’s disappearance and the attempt on my life. I’d need to deal with that, too, once I had a spare moment.
“Was the ghost from the inn banished, then?” he asked.
“Not with magic,” I said. “She was chased off. But get this—Hayley remembers Mandy’s death, a few years ago. Will the police still have records? Her name was Amanda Dawson.”
“Right, you told me,” he said. “It slipped my mind.”
“Mine, too, but I was just talking to Hayley and it sounds like Amanda died the same way Harriet did,” I explained. “Apparent drowning, but marks were found on her body. What’re the odds that the same markings were found on Harriet, too? I think you should ask for the records, if the police have them.”
“
They’ll want to know why I’m dragging up an old case, but I’ll try,” he said.
“Apparently, the coven leader buried the whole thing,” I said. “Literally. She didn’t want the coven to break apart in arguments. Sound familiar?”
He gave a slow nod. “Yes, but we need to tread carefully. Mina has already been at my office at least once per day since Angie’s death, asking for updates.”
“Of course she has.” Yet another complication I didn’t need. If she knew everything the police did, she might well have taken steps to hide any incriminating information already. She’d certainly removed evidence from the scene. And as for the book Mart claimed to have seen in her office last night…
“Also,” I added, “if you have records of Mandy’s death, would you be able to find something that belonged to her when she was still alive? Because if you can, I’ll be able to track her down, wherever she’s hiding.”
Assuming she hadn’t been banished for good, that is. Someone had wanted her out of the way, and the ghost was so easily scared that the person who’d got rid of her hadn’t even needed to be able to see her to terrify her into leaving.
Drew and I reached the small red brick building which housed the local police department, and I waited in the reception area while the detective went looking for the files on Amanda Dawson’s death. I’d never actually been here before, since he always came to the inn instead. Which was a sign Mart would have pointed out as being so obvious it might as well be wearing Marie’s pink hat and singing karaoke.
“Nice place, this,” said Mart, as though my thoughts had conjured him up.
“There you are.” I kept my voice low in case anyone was listening in. “Did you follow me?”
“Obviously,” he said. “I thought you were with the detective, but it looks like he’s ditched you instead. Why are you here?”
“To find out the records of our ghost’s death,” I said. “If they have anything of hers here, so much the better. I need to track her down.”
“Why would you want to do that?” He pouted. “I was almost considering coming back to your room now she’s no longer around.”
“She was killed in the same way Harriet was,” I whispered. “There were marks on her body, too. And the case was never closed. If she can reveal who did it…”
“Case closed.” He flew around the office, and several papers rustled in the faint breeze stirred up by his presence. “So… do you already have a suspect?”
“Yeah, I do,” I murmured. “But it’s someone who won’t take kindly to an open accusation.”
“You think it’s the coven leader.”
I dipped my head. “Why else would she be hellbent on covering up both deaths at once? No other explanation makes sense. So we need evidence, and we need to figure out how to get the ghost to testify in a manner which removes all doubt.”
“Wise idea,” he said. “Except nobody aside from you can see or hear her.”
“I know.” It would have helped if we’d found some kind of evidence in Mina’s office, but I’d need to get past her defences in order to drag it out into the open. Even then, it might not be enough to convict the most powerful witch in town.
The sound of a door opening made me turn around. The detective was back. “I have the files.”
“And…?”
He drew in a breath. “It’s as you said. Amanda Dawson was believed to have drowned, but the facts didn’t add up. Amanda Dawson’s family wanted to push for answers, but the leader blocked anyone outside the coven from investigating.”
Of course she did. “Did you get any statements from the family, or… or anything to suggest where the markings came from?”
“No,” he said. “Her body washed up on the bank of the river. I couldn’t find any more details than that. The other officers either weren’t around at the time or don’t remember much about the case.”
“Depends if Mina decides to tell us, then.” I wasn’t betting on it. “What about something belonging to Mandy?”
“It seems all her possessions ended up with her close family,” he said. “I have her sister’s address.”
“Ah.” I grimaced. “I don’t want to drag anyone else into this, but I really do need something that belonged to her in order to find her ghost.”
“If you explain, I’m sure she’ll be willing to help you,” said Drew.
“You’re overestimating my people skills.” But I didn’t see another way to find the ghost, short of sending Mart around town to hassle people, and I’d put him in danger enough times already. Once we had Amanda’s ghost back within reach, it was only a matter of time before someone tried to banish her again. This time, for good.
I’d get to the truth before then. I was counting on it.
Drew and I reached Mandy’s sister’s house, which stood on a row of terraces near Harriet’s old house. We’d debated over how much to tell her, but in the end, the need for justice had won out. I wanted her to know we planned to help her get to the truth about her sister’s death by any means possible.
Drew knocked on the door and a young woman with a heart-shaped face and dark curly hair answered.
“Oh—Detective Drew.” Puzzlement flickered through her features. “Can I help you?”
“I apologise for disturbing you,” he said, “but we have reason to believe that your sister’s ghost is present in town.”
“She came to me,” I added, as the colour drained from her face. “She showed up at the inn where I’m staying, and we think the recent death of a coven member might be connected with your sister’s death, too.”
“Harriet Langley?” She leaned on the door frame with one hand, visibly shaken. “You know, I wondered, when I heard about her trying out for the position of coven healer… but I didn’t believe it. Didn’t want to. I mean, it was years ago.”
If Hayley had made the connection, then of course Mandy’s sister would have suspected, too, if the news of Harriet’s death had dredged up painful memories.
“Her ghost doesn’t remember all the details,” I told her, “but I did speak to her, and it took me a while to get her name. Can you see ghosts?”
“No.” She shook her head. “You spoke to her? How? I’ve never… never heard of her ghost being seen anywhere before.”
“I think she’s been hiding,” I said. “But the recent case must have jogged her memory about her death, and she came to me because I’m working with the police investigation.”
That, and I was a Reaper, but I’d rather not get into that part now.
She shook her head. “You won’t find anything. I never did, and I used to visit the river every day after they found her body. Can you see her ghost now?”
“That’s the bad news,” I said. “Someone scared her away from where she was hiding out at the inn. I can track her down, but I’ll need to borrow something that belonged to her, if that’s okay. Something important to her, if you have anything.”
She gave a nod. “Sure.”
She disappeared into the house and ran upstairs, while the detective and I waited downstairs. A minute later, she returned, her eyes puffy, and she handed me a pointed hat embroidered with pink flowers. “This is all I could get. I hope it’s okay.”
“It should be,” I said. “If you have anything more to say about her death, you can tell us in confidence and we won’t tell a soul.”
“I can tell you what I remember,” she said. “They wouldn’t let me see her until the day after she died.”
“Meaning, Mina wouldn’t?” I guessed. That’s the connection. But what did it all mean? “Do you remember anything else? Did you see her body?”
Her shoulders stiffened. “I wasn’t supposed to.”
“But you did, right?” I kept my tone as gentle as I could muster. “Were there marks of any sort on her body?”
“There were markings on her… markings on her hands… like runes.” She shuddered. “I tried to tell the coven there was something odd about them, but they wouldn
’t listen. I was positive the marks looked like some kind of sacrificial magic, but I was outnumbered. It was my word against the rest of the coven.”
“A sacrifice?” I echoed. “For what?”
Her eyes brimmed with tears. “I wish I knew. Then I might have had a chance of getting closure.”
“That’s our plan.” I held up Mandy’s hat. “We’re looking for the truth about Harriet’s death, and I’ll do my best to get answers about Mandy’s, too. We’ll be in touch when we know more.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
As the door closed, I held up the pointed hat. The detective eyed the embroidered flowers on the edge. “You can find her using that?”
“If she’s still around, I can.” I took in a breath. “You don’t have to stay with me.”
“But I will,” he said. “Don’t worry, Maura. I’m here.”
Warmth bloomed inside my chest, and a new resolve settled on my shoulders. Time to track down the ghost.
14
Shadows spread outward from my feet, and I held up the hat as the darkness folded around me. Drew didn’t make a sound, and while he must be at least a little unnerved, he didn’t say a word. I did my best to tune out the world around us and concentrated hard on my Reaper senses, urging them to point me in the right direction. Like the point of an arrow, they led me towards the ghost. So she hadn’t been banished. She had fled. Straight to…
I lowered the hat. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What?” said Drew. “Where is she?”
“Hiding with the Reaper of all people.”
“It’s a logical choice,” he said. “She came to you because you were a Reaper, right? So it makes sense that she’d choose to hide with the other Reaper rather than anyone else.”
I twisted my mouth into a grim smile. “I guess she picked me first because I’m the nicer of the two of us.”
Which was worrying, if nothing else. Depending on an antisocial Reaper like me who’d already alienated the entire witch coven didn’t strike me as a good move, but I suspected I was the only person who could handle this for that very reason.
