“Mr. Mueller, this is a murder investigation. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll answer my questions.”
“Fine. Let’s make this quick.”
“You don’t get to decide how quickly or slowly we do this.”
He groaned. “Can you just get to the questions already?”
“Yes,” Meg said. “Where were you last night between nine and ten o’clock?”
“Here.”
“Doing what?”
“What do you think? I was working on this car, like I do every night.”
“Were you alone?” Meg asked.
“Of course. I always work on my car alone,” Scott said.
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Says who?”
“Says me.”
“Why?”
“Because it means that you don’t have an alibi.”
“An alibi? Why would I need one of those? I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Without an alibi, it’s hard to prove that you’re innocent,” Meg said.
Scott snickered. “You don’t honestly think that I might have killed Denise, do you?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“That wasn’t a no.”
“You certainly had reason to want her dead.”
“How do you figure?”
“Revenge is a pretty common motive,” Meg said.
Scott chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Meg asked.
“You think I might have killed her to get revenge?” Scott asked.
“It’s not the craziest theory. She did just fire you.”
“That’s ridiculous. I would never kill someone over a job.”
“People have been murdered over less.”
“I can always get another job.”
Meg folded her arms. “Oh yeah? What are you doing for work right now?”
“I’m between jobs,” Scott said.
“That’s what I thought. But you still have bills to pay. Not to mention a mortgage. Plus all the parts you’ll need to purchase to get this car of yours running. Besides, you were obviously short on money. Why else would you steal from her business?” Meg asked.
Scott remained calm. “I’m sure I’ll get another job soon.”
“You seem awfully confident about that.”
“Trust me. I’ll be just fine.”
“You say that, but your previous actions tell another story.”
“The only story that matters is that I didn’t kill Denise,” Scott said.
“Too bad you don’t have any way of proving that,” Meg said.
“Just like you don’t have any way of proving that I did something wrong. And until you get some, back off.”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
“I’m telling you this,” Scott replied. “I’m not saying another word.”
Chapter Fourteen
Scott was true to his word. Meg lobbed a few questions his way, but he didn’t answer any of them. Finally, she gave up on him.
After leaving Scott’s place, Meg returned home exhausted and discouraged. She planned on checking in with Connor to see how he was doing, but she needed to decompress first. It had been a long day and some dinner was essential before she continued with her evening. After all, if she didn’t have any energy, she wouldn’t be able to take care of Connor.
Meg turned her car off then reached over to the passenger seat to grab her purse. When she turned back to the driver’s-side window to open her car door, a shocking sight awaited her.
Kaitlin Gordon was standing beside the car pointing a gun at Meg.
Meg gasped.
A devilish smirk was on Kaitlin’s face. “It’s a nice evening for a drive, isn’t it?”
Meg was in such a state of shock that she had trouble formulating words. After a few seconds of silence, she finally managed to string together a sentence. “Kaitlin, what are you doing?”
“Tying up a loose end,” Kaitlin said.
“Put the gun down.”
Kaitlin scoffed. “You’re not in any position to give me orders.”
Meg whispered, “Registro, registro, registro,” under her breath.
Kaitlin’s nose scrunched. “What did you just say?”
By whispering that incantation, Meg had just cast a spell that turned the recording feature of her smart phone on. Of course, Meg wasn’t about to tell her that.
Instead, Meg tried to talk some sense into Kaitlin.
“You don’t want to do this,” Meg replied.
“You’re right. I didn’t plan on things working out this way. But right now, I don’t have any other choice,” Kaitlin said.
“I disagree.”
Kaitlin snarled. “I didn’t ask you.”
“Put the gun down,” Meg said. “It’s not too late to turn back.”
“Oh yes it is. I’m in too deep. There’s no stopping now.”
“Sure there is. You’ve already killed one person. Do you really want to have another murder on your conscience?”
“Enough. You’re going to shut up and do everything I tell you,” Kaitlin barked.
“And if I don’t?” Meg said.
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to shoot you.”
Meg shook her head. “Not here you won’t.”
Kaitlin narrowed her eyes. “Are you willing to take that chance?”
Meg held firm. “I think the real question is, are you?”
Kaitlin’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”
“Come on. Are you really going to shoot me here on a residential street where any number of my neighbors could hear the gunshot and report you? That would be like asking to get caught,” Meg said.
Kaitlin sneered. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you?”
“I didn’t say that. Besides, let’s be honest. You planned on taking me somewhere remote before killing me, didn’t you? That way there would be no way of anyone spotting you. And you could make the whole thing look like an accident, right?” Meg said.
“You think you’ve got it all figured out, huh?”
“Am I wrong?”
“Fine. That was my plan. But sometimes plans change. Especially if you keep getting on my nerves. Don’t push me. Got it?”
“Kaitlin. Stop and think about what you’re doing for a second. You’ve been so meticulous up until this point. You were careful not to leave fingerprints or evidence behind when you killed Denise. You don’t want to blow all the work you’ve done by shooting me in this driveway. I’m telling you, there’s no way of you firing off a round without one of my neighbors hearing it. Your only chance of getting away with this is by shooting me where there are no prying eyes that could be watching,” Meg said.
Kaitlin glared at Meg, but remained silent.
“I’m right, aren’t I?” Meg said.
“You’re dead is what you are. I know you think you can talk your way out of this, but you can’t.”
“Are you sure? I mean, is it really worth it, killing two people for a little bit of money?”
“First of all, it’s a lot of money. And second, it didn’t have to be this way, for you or for Denise.” Kaitlin gritted her teeth. “I mean, if Denise had just agreed to sell the business, she’d still be alive right now. And then there’s you.” She glared at Meg. “If you had kept your nose out of my business, I wouldn’t have to kill you.”
“That’s where you have it all wrong. You didn’t have to do any of this. No one forced you to kill Denise. And you certainly don’t have to kill me.”
“Enough talking. We’re going to take that drive now and you’re going to have a little accident.”
So much for stalling Kaitlin. Meg was fresh out of diversionary tactics. It was time to take action.
Luckily, Meg had magical powers at her disposal. All she had to do was whisper a few words under her breath and she’d be able to cast a spell that would make Kaitlin’s gun jam. That would give Meg long enough to open her c
ar door and tackle Kaitlin.
Meg opened her mouth the whisper the incantation.
But before she was able to get a word out, something incredible happened.
Out of nowhere, Pamela Hutton rushed toward Kaitlin from behind and tackled her.
During the commotion, Kaitlin’s gun fell to the ground.
While Kaitlin winced in pain on the driveway, Pamela grabbed the gun and pointed it at Kaitlin.
“One move and you’re dead,” Pamela said.
Chapter Fifteen
Talk about a crazy twist of fate. It took Meg a few moments to catch her breath. When her breathing steadied, she called the deputy in charge of the case, who darted over to the scene.
When Deputy Griffith arrived, Meg played the recording of Kaitlin’s confession for him. Kaitlin was then arrested and charged with two crimes—the murder of Denise and the attempted murder of Meg.
With Denise’s killer headed off to jail, Meg turned her attention to Pamela.
A huge sense of relief was in Meg’s voice as she spoke to her fellow witch. “I can’t believe you saved me.”
“I told you I was one of the good ones,” Pamela said. “That I was on your side.”
“You did. I’m sorry for being so reluctant to believe you.”
“I forgive you,” Pamela said. “After all, you’ve been dealing with a lot.”
Meg’s eyes widened. “A little too much.”
“I know what you mean. I still don’t know how you manage to juggle everything you have going on.”
“I don’t know that you should look to me for inspiration. Lately, I haven’t been doing anything particularly well.”
“I think you’re being a little hard on yourself.”
“You could be right. One thing is for sure, though.”
“What’s that?”
“How appreciative I am. I can’t thank you enough for putting your life on the line to help me.”
“I have to admit, when I offered to help you solve this case, I didn’t think that things would turn so life and death.”
“Usually, things don’t get that hairy. That’s why I’m glad you had my back. I owe you big time.”
“You’re quite welcome. That said, I can’t help but wonder why you didn’t help yourself more,” Pamela replied.
“You know the saying about timing being everything in life?” Meg asked.
Pamela nodded.
“It turns out I was just about to cast a spell to jam Kaitlin’s gun. But just as I was opening my mouth to say the incantation, you swooped in and came to my aid,” Meg said.
“It’s good to know that you weren’t going to go down without a fight.” Pamela furrowed her brow. “Still, there’s something that doesn’t quite make sense to me. With all the magical powers that are at your disposal, why did you wait so long before deciding to cast a gun-jamming spell?”
“My first priority was getting a recording of Kaitlin confessing to the murder.”
Pamela’s eyes widened. “Ah. Everything makes a lot more sense now. So, does that mean you had everything under control all along then? And that you didn’t need me after all?”
“Let me tell you something. During a standoff like that, it never hurts to have some help from a friend,” Meg said.
Meg and Pamela smiled at each other.
Chapter Sixteen
A few days later
By Saturday, there was a different mood in the air. To start, the book was closed on the Denise Ward murder case. In addition, Connor had finally shaken off the flu. With his health restored, he was eager to get out of the house. After all, he had been cooped up inside for days.
Meg and Connor decided to spend a night out on the town—with a little company. While Meg was usually a sucker for a good date night, that particular Saturday, she wanted Connor to meet her newest friend.
Pamela, Meg, and Connor went out to a new wine bar that had recently opened on Main Street. As expected, everyone had a great time. Jokes were told, smiles were exchanged, and there was plenty of merriment to go around.
Halfway through the evening, while sipping on a glass of chardonnay, Pamela became reflective. “Here’s hoping that this coming week will be a lot more enchanting than last week was.”
Meg nodded. “Tell me about it. If murders keep occurring around here at such a frequent pace, they might have to change the name of our hometown to Deadly Bay instead of Enchanted Bay.”
“Well, with a new week brings new hope,” Pamela said.
Connor gazed into Meg’s eyes. “Besides, regardless of what happens, we have each other.” He grabbed his glass. “Not to mention beer.”
Meg chuckled. “I was just about to comment on how romantic you are. Then you had to ruin it by bringing up beer.”
“Sorry. It’s just that after the week I’ve had, it’s nice to be able to knock back a cold one,” Connor said.
“I don’t doubt that,” Meg said. “But it turns out you aren’t the only one who had a rough week.”
“So true. That’s why I have to say thank you for being the best,” Connor replied.
“In that case, you should thank Pamela as well. She’s the main reason that Kaitlin is behind bars right now,” Meg said.
Connor continued gazing into Meg’s eyes. “I was actually saying thank you for taking care of me while I was sick.”
“Oh,” Meg said.
“But of course I’m very appreciative that you two solved the case as well,” Connor said.
“I’m just happy it’s all over,” Pamela said.
“I second that,” Meg added.
Connor resumed gazing at Meg. “I’m so happy I have you in my life.”
“How romantic,” Meg said. “Now please don’t spoil this moment by bringing up beer.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve learned my lesson. Besides, I have different plans for this moment,” Connor said.
Connor then leaned in and gave Meg a kiss.
“Should I leave you two alone?” Pamela joked.
Meg and Connor pulled back from their kiss.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Meg said.
Connor stared at his empty pint glass. “Actually, I’m going to leave you two alone for a minute. I need another beer.” He looked at Meg then Pamela. “Do you ladies want another glass of wine?”
“That would be great,” Meg said.
“How about you, Pamela?” Connor asked.
Pamela nodded. “Absolutely.”
“Coming up,” Connor said.
“Actually, wait.” Pamela reached into her purse and grabbed a twenty-dollar bill. “This next round is on me.”
Connor smiled. “Meg, I really like this new friend of yours.”
“You’re not just saying that because I’m offering to buy a round of drinks, are you?” Pamela joked.
Connor shook his head. “Of course not. I already thought you were cool. But offering to pay for a round of drinks just makes me like you even more.”
“That’s good to hear,” Pamela said.
“With that said, you can put your money away,” Connor replied.
Pamela’s eyebrows knitted. “Wait. What?”
“I’m going to pay for this round,” Connor said.
“Are you sure about that?” Pamela asked.
Connor nodded. “Absolutely.”
Pamela shrugged. “That works for me. After all, I can think of plenty of other things I can do with this twenty bucks.”
Connor held his pointer finger up. “I’ll bet. Although, if the money is really burning a hole in your pocket, I wouldn’t turn down some dessert.”
Meg’s mouth watered. “Mmm. What a delicious idea.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Pamela said.
“All right. Something scrumptious to look forward to,” Connor said. “In the meantime, I’ll be right back with the drinks.”
Connor left the table and walked up to the bar.
Pamela turned her attention to Meg.
“Connor is an awfully nice guy,” Pamela said.
Meg nodded. “Yeah. I got really lucky finding him.”
“Trust me. He was just as lucky to find you.”
“That’s really sweet of you to say that.”
“It’s the truth. You’re a magical woman.”
“I suppose I should have seen that pun coming, shouldn’t I?”
“I’ll tell you what I didn’t see coming. The fact that Connor has no clue that you’re a witch,” Pamela said.
“I told you. My mother and I have gone a long way to keep our family secret from coming out,” Meg said.
“I know. I just figured that Connor might have his suspicions, being a detective and all. But he has no idea.”
“If my mother has any say in the matter, that’s exactly how it’s going to stay.”
“I think that’s a good call.”
Meg’s eyebrows rose. “Really?”
Pamela nodded. “Absolutely. I mean, look how much Gary freaked out when he found out I was a witch. When I end up finding Mr. Right, there’s no way I’m going to tell him about my powers.”
“I hope you find Mr. Right soon.”
“So do I.”
A contemplative look came to Meg’s face.
Pamela’s nose wrinkled. “What are you thinking about right now?”
“How crazy life is. I mean, all this time, we’ve been living in the same town, leading very similar lives, going through a lot of the same struggles, and trying to keep our true identities a secret, yet we never crossed paths until now.”
“I know what you mean. It would have been so nice having a friend like you when I was growing up,” Pamela said.
Meg nodded. “It sure would have.”
“Enough about the past, though. Let’s focus on the present. Sure it took a while, but we did finally meet,” Pamela said.
“True. And I’m so thankful for that.”
“Especially since we have so much in common.”
“Absolutely, I mean, even if neither of us had the ability to cast spells, we’d still have a blast together—”
“Telling jokes—”
“Sipping chardonnay.”
“And don’t forget our shared love of dessert,” Pamela said.
Halloween Witch Cozy Mystery Ten Book Set Page 57
