Witch You Wouldn't Believe (Lemon Tea Cozy Mysteries Book 1)

by Lucy May

  “Pull around back, so no one sees your truck,” I instructed once he reached the old factory.

  He parked close to the building in the back. The factory itself hid his truck from anyone driving by. No one would be able to see it unless they were driving around the back on the old dirt roads that led to a small lake. No one ever went back there. We got out of the truck and I immediately saw a collection of footprints in the dirt.

  “Whoa! Look at this,” I said pointing to the evidence covering the ground.

  Gabriel looked down. “I thought you said this place was abandoned. It looks to me like it’s been very busy.”

  “Maybe it was the investigators?” I offered.

  He shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe. I haven’t heard about any of the local kids partying out here, but that’s a possibility too. Look at the footprints over there. They look kind of small to belong to a man,” he pointed out.

  “Yes, they do,” I mumbled. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

  I fumbled with the key ring, trying to find the right key to fit narrow back door. I finally found it and pushed it open. We both started coughing as the dust stirred up in front of us.

  “Let’s go up to the second floor,” I whispered.

  “Why are you whispering?” he asked in a whisper.

  I paused. “I don’t know,” I laughed.

  He followed me as I crossed the first floor, weaving around the various pieces of large equipment on the floor. I made my way up the stairs.

  “This is as far as I got last time I was here. Lila came in and interrupted the tour.”

  “What’s on this floor?” he asked, looking around.

  “More equipment as far as I know. The third floor is packaging stuff if I remember right, and the fourth floor is offices.”

  He looked around the area. “Why don’t we start on the fourth floor and work our way down. What are we looking for exactly?”

  “Uh, I don’t actually know. Anything that seems out of place.”

  “Don’t you think the sheriff would have already gone over all of this?”

  I shrugged. “Probably, but I feel like there is something here. Something no one wants found.”

  He gave me a strange look, but didn’t question my feeling. We went to the far end of the building and climbed the industrial stairs to the third floor. Unlike the second floor, this floor was closed in. You couldn’t see to the factory floor. There were various machines and old cardboard boxes littering the area.

  “Should we search the boxes?” Gabriel asked, looking at the stacks scattered around the area.

  I groaned. “I don’t know. Let’s check the top floor first and then we’ll decide. Maybe we’ll find something obvious up there.”

  He didn’t look convinced. I wasn’t convinced either, but something was pulling me upstairs. I just knew I needed to look there. We ascended the last flight of stairs, both of us looking around.

  “Maybe we should split up. You go left and I’ll go right,” I suggested.

  “Is that a good idea? I mean, someone died here recently. They may have been doing the same thing.”

  I thought about it for a second and realized he was probably right. “Okay, let’s start in here,” I said, pushing open the door to the first office on my left.

  “You check the desk and I’ll check the bookshelf,” Gabriel instructed.

  I started pulling open drawers, only to be disappointed to find them empty.

  “Anything?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “Old paperwork and invoices, but nothing that screams ghosts and goblins were here.”

  I let out a long sigh. It felt futile. “Let’s check the next office.”

  “Violet, it would really help if I knew what I was looking for.”

  I shrugged and shook my head. “I don’t know exactly. The supernatural guys were here to investigate rumors of a coven,” I said, pretending I had never heard of such a thing. “I want to see if there is anything to the rumors. Was there anything to find?”

  “Do witches and covens leave journals?” he asked.

  Laughing, I continued, “I have no idea, but those guys thought they were going to find something.”

  I pushed away the feeling of foreboding that crept up my spine again. I knew my mother was worried, as was Lila. I needed to know if they were involved in this man’s death. If so, what were they trying to hide?

  “Alright, we’ll keep looking.”

  We wandered from office to office, finding nothing that looked incriminating or even interesting. It wasn’t until the last office that we found something.

  “What is that stuff?” I asked, looking at what appeared to be modern electronics.

  Gabriel lifted one of the small black boxes. “I don’t know. Maybe a speaker or a microphone?”

  I looked at it and agreed with him. We found a laptop, but the battery was dead and we couldn’t find a charger.

  “I’m assuming this must have been left by the investigators,” I said, picking up another device that looked like something from Ghostbusters.

  Gabriel nodded his head. “Check this out.”

  I walked to the corner where he was looking into a box. “Wow,” I said, taking in the contents. It was filled with VHS tapes.

  “Do you think they had cameras up?”

  I immediately looked up at the ceiling. “Where?”

  “Cameras could be anywhere. I wasn’t looking for cameras when we came in. Maybe we should?”

  “I’m going to take these with us. I want to see if there is anything recorded on these tapes.”

  “Aren’t they evidence in a crime?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.

  I shrugged a shoulder. “If the sheriff wanted them, he could have taken them. Either he wasn’t interested or he didn’t find them. They were in plain sight.”

  Gabriel didn’t look convinced, but didn’t try and stop me. “I don’t see anything else. This equipment has to be worth a lot of money. I wonder if the other guy will be back to collect it.”

  “The sheriff may not let him in.”

  “We’re in,” he pointed out.

  “But the sheriff doesn’t know that.”

  “Maybe we should get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps.”

  I had to agree with him. “Alright, I want to make a quick sweep of the third floor, though.”

  “Fine, but quick. I want to get out of here.”

  We walked back down the stairs and quickly checked a few of the boxes on the third floor. Most were empty while others contained old, empty lemon tea containers.

  “This is good. If I find anything interesting on the tapes, we can always come back,” I stated.

  “Uh, or not.”

  I laughed. “You can’t be afraid of ghosts. Your mom was a witch.”

  “And?”

  “And by proxy, you shouldn’t be afraid of ghosts. Maybe you can talk to the spirits,” I teased.

  “I’d rather not. Let’s go.”

  We headed towards the back door. Gabriel stopped me from walking right out, wanting to make sure no one was waiting for us. When he declared the coast was clear, we both practically ran for the truck. Being in the factory had made us both feel very uneasy.

  “Ruby Red?” he asked.

  “Sure. I’m going to hide these in the backseat.”

  “Do you even have a VCR to watch those on?”

  I smiled. “I’m sure my grandmother does. She didn’t throw anything away. I still haven’t ventured up to the attic, but I can guarantee everything she has ever owned is up there somewhere.”

  He laughed and headed for the road that would lead us out of town. I looked in the side mirror, watching the massive factory building get smaller and smaller. There was something about that place. I didn’t know what, but I hoped I would find the answer on the tapes.

  Chapter 9

  Our trip to Ruby Red ended up being another dinner date. I had really enjoyed myself. It was rather odd to hang
out with a guy and go shopping, but we had a good time. Gabriel was funny and seemed to be having just as much fun as I was. By the time we got back to town, it was well past my bedtime. My typical schedule meant I was up by four in the morning, which meant I was usually in bed by nine. It was ten by the time I walked through the front door.

  I touched my finger to my lips and smiled. Gabriel had been a total gentleman and walked me to the door before giving me a sweet kiss goodnight. I headed upstairs with my bags of new clothes and crawled into bed, exhausted from the busy day.

  I woke up a little later than usual. The moment I opened my eyes, I sensed something was off.

  The tapes. I had left them in Gabriel’s truck.

  I groaned and rolled out of bed, looking for my cell. My eyes focused on the time. It was just after five. Probably a little too early to call him. I sent him a quick text instead. Then it was downstairs for coffee.

  By the time I showered and dressed in my new clothes, I was chomping at the bit to watch those videos. While I waited for Gabriel to text back, I made the climb into the attic to see if I could find a VCR. I searched for an hour with no luck.

  “Dammit!”

  I was going to have to hunt one down. My mother was anti-television. That was a dead end. It wasn’t like there was anywhere to buy one in Lemon Bliss. Someone had to have one. I could hear my phone ringing and raced out of the attic, nearly breaking my ankle in my haste.

  “Hello?” I answered, not recognizing the number.

  “Is this Violet Broussard?”

  “Yes. Who’s this?”

  “My name is George Cannon. I would like to talk to you about the lemon tea factory. Do you have some time to meet?”

  I was instantly on guard. “Um, I’m sorry, but who are you?”

  “George Cannon,” he repeated.

  I was getting frustrated and I could tell he was as well. “I’m sorry sir, but your name isn’t familiar to me. How’d you get my number? And who are you?”

  “I’m a supernatural investigator. I am—I was—Dale Johnson’s partner. We’ve been investigating this area and the paranormal activity surrounding this area for the past couple of weeks.”

  I didn’t answer.

  “Dale was the man who was found dead in the factory you own. A title search revealed your name and it wasn’t hard to get your number. We need to talk.”

  “Oh,” I said. “What can I do for you?”

  “I’d like to talk. Can you meet me?”

  Instinct told me to be cautious. “No,” I said firmly.

  “I’m sorry, but I really need to talk to you. I know where you live,” he added.

  “Excuse me? Are you threatening me?”

  “No, no, no. I simply meant I know where you live. I can meet you at your place. I’d prefer that actually.”

  “I don’t know you, and I don’t want you coming to my house. I’m not comfortable with that. What is it you need to talk to me about?”

  He grumbled something under his breath. “I see. Obviously, you’re protecting them,” he grumbled, disdain evident in his voice.

  “Protecting who? I’m not protecting anyone. I’m sorry you find it strange I don’t want strangers showing up at my door.”

  “Dale told me about the women in this town. He grew up in Lemon Bliss and spent months researching the town and that factory. He was on to what was happening and he was going to expose everything,” he seethed. “I’m not going to let you people get away with this.”

  The man had my guard up. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but obviously you have some ideas. I can’t imagine why we need to meet to talk, but I don’t appreciate the way you’re speaking to me. I suggest you take your complaints to the sheriff. He can help you. I can’t,” I said, preparing to end the call.

  “My partner died!” he shouted, before I could hit the end button.

  “I understand that sir and I am sorry for that, but I don’t see how I can help. You need to talk with the police, not me.”

  “You can fill in the blanks. I know you know something. I want to know what he found. I want to know why he was killed. What did he find?” he shouted.

  I took a deep breath. Clearly the man was grieving and I could understand that, but I didn’t see how meeting would help. I knew nothing. My mind suddenly went to the tapes. There could be a clue on the tapes.

  “Mr. Cannon, I’m very sorry about your friend. However, I don’t know that the sheriff has ruled it a homicide. There’s still an investigation going,” I said as gently as possible. “You really need to talk to him. I know nothing.”

  “Did you know your mother and a woman named Lila visited the factory quite often? What are they trying to hide?”

  I couldn’t speak. He had caught me off guard. I suspect that was his intention. He wanted me to say something that he could use. I wasn’t going to give it to him.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I guess you should probably tell the sheriff, not me,” I shot back. “I can’t help you. Please don’t call me and don’t you dare stop by. I will call the sheriff if you do either.”

  “Oh, I plan to talk with the sheriff. We’ll see if he does anything. You people all protect one another!” he spat out. “I don’t need your cooperation to run the story. I have Dale’s notes and I will find his other research. If the sheriff doesn’t do anything, I will take it to the state police.”

  “Do what you must,” I said, and ended the call.

  His words left me more shaken than I wanted to admit. My mom and Lila had been seen going to the factory. Why? Why would they visit an empty building? It explained why Lila had been acting weird and why the sheriff had questioned my mother, not once, but twice. My mind whirred as I went over everything he had said.

  He said he was running the story. What story? Was he going to expose my mother for a witch? I groaned. It wouldn’t take them long to decide I was a witch as well. What a mess.

  I had to find out what was on those tapes.

  It was almost eight and I still had no response from Gabriel. I was not a patient person by nature. I paced the room a few times before finally giving in. I couldn’t wait any longer. I called him, assuming he’d have to be up by now. I hoped.

  “Hi,” he answered. “I’m glad you called.”

  “Hi, I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “Nope, I was just getting ready to head out the door. What’s up?”

  “I sent you a text. I forgot those tapes in your truck. I was wondering if I could meet you somewhere to pick them up?”

  “Oh, shoot, I forgot all about them as well. I can bring them by before I head out to my first job. Did you find a VCR?” he asked.

  I sighed. “Not yet, but I’ll track one down.”

  “Let me call my aunt and see if she has one,” he said.

  “Oh, that would be great! Thank you!”

  I hung up the phone and quickly ran back upstairs to put on a little makeup before he showed up. I didn’t know what Gabriel and I were doing, but I liked him. I enjoyed spending time with him and didn’t want to scare him off with my fresh-out-of-the-shower look. The man was too fast. He was there before I knew it. I took a last look in the mirror and declared it would have to be good enough. I flew back downstairs to greet him.

  “Good morning!” I said, pulling open the door, greeting him with a big smile.

  His warm grin made me sent a dash of joy through me. I couldn’t explain it. It was just a happy, bubbly feeling. It was foreign, but lovely.

  “Here are the tapes. I’m so sorry I forgot about them last night. Aunt Coral didn’t have a VCR, sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll find one. Thank you so much for bringing them by. I really appreciate it.”

  He looked at me, and I got the feeling he wanted to say something.

  “Doing anything tonight?” he asked, sheepishly.

  I smiled. “I don’t think so. Are you doing anything?”

  “Nope, no
t unless you agree to meet me for a sandwich at the deli.”

  I chuckled. “This place could really use a diner or somewhere other than the coffee shop in the post office that’s also the deli.”

  He shrugged. “It adds to the charm of Lemon Bliss.”

  “I suppose.”

  “So, sandwiches for dinner, tonight?”

  “Sounds fabulous.”

  “One of these days, I’ll have you over to my house and I’ll make dinner,” he said with that disarming grin.

  “Gabriel,” I started.

  He held up his hands. “I know, I know, you’re not going to be around long. Got it, but in the meantime, we can have some fun, together. Right?”

  “Right. I’m sorry, I know I keep saying that. I probably sound like a snob. I don’t dislike Lemon Bliss, it’s just I made a life away from here,” I tried to explain.

  “Don’t worry about it. I understand. I really do.”

  The man was too good to be true. “Thank you.”

  “So, dinner?”

  “Yes. Call me when you’re done working. I’m sure I’ll be here, doing nothing.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you tonight,” he said before jogging down the steps to his truck.

  I took the box of tapes and set them on the coffee table. I had to find a VCR. The tapes were practically screaming at me to watch them. Unfortunately, they would have to wait for now. If only I were a witch. Then I could conjure up a VCR or at least that’s what I assumed witches did. My extent of witchcraft knowledge was limited to what I’d seen on television, although these days that meant I had plenty of examples. If only they were more than fiction.

  After a quick breakfast, I set out on a mission to find a VCR since no amount of wiggling my nose produced one. I checked with the guy at the deli to see if he knew of anyone in town who had one I could borrow. It was a dead end. It was off to Ruby Red to find a VCR. I was prepared to go all the way to New Orleans if I had to.

  Thankfully, I didn’t have to, but it took me stopping at three different stores only to finally find one at a thrift store. I drove home, so excited I had to fight my urge to speed. I was dying to see what was on those tapes. I hoped I could prove George wrong.