“JT to you, little missy.” He pecked me on the cheek. “Better now that those two psychos are off to the maximum security prison to wait for their trials.”
I put the flowers in a vase on the dining room table, the wine in to chill, and turned to JT. “How did you happen to magically appear at the ranch in the nick-of-time?”
“No magic to it, just police work. The Dallas lab had been backed up but when we got the DNA back from the weapon that killed Mag, it was Donna’s. Three messages from you helped me pin down your location. Keith admitted hiring kids to vandalize the house.”
The doorbell rang again. Cherilyn and Reneé were there, hands full of Reneé’s flaky fruit tarts and Cherilyn’s tortilla rolls. Cherilyn seemed to be settling into a truce of sorts with her boss, Laurel. I hadn’t seen Laurel since the dance but I did get paid, so I hoped things would settle down for all of us.
Reneé had been quieter since Frank had gotten out of jail and hadn’t mentioned him at all. I think she figured that a relationship with him would include all his baggage and his alcohol addiction. Not an easy thing.
On the positive side, Party On had several events booked, all the way into the Christmas season. Reneé and I would have very little time to brood on the past because we’d be busily preparing for the future. Many of the people who had been quick to jump on the bandwagon to get the witches out of town had now scheduled events.
Later that evening, full of steak and dessert along with everything else, we sat on the deck, watching the kids play. JT, a kid himself, had joined in for a game of touch football. Country music played in the background, fireflies twinkled, as did the stars overhead, a perk of country life.
I’d counted on a quiet small town life. Didn’t happen. But I was home, with Mumsie and the kids. I had my best friends around me, and I’d accepted my gift and was prepared to learn more about it. Life was better than it had been for a long time, and I finally felt in control. I knew I had to accept chaos with quiet and an existence without contrast wasn’t a life, just boredom.
As for Mag-the-Terror, I never heard from her again. Maybe she had moved on when Donna was caught. I hoped so and that she could have peace from all that anger.
I looked across the yard and thought I saw a shimmering figure at the far edge. I glanced at Mumsie. She saw it also. When we looked again it was gone. Maybe controlled wasn’t exactly the right adjective for my life.
Don’t miss the next Tali Cates mystery
Bloody Murder
About the Author
Carol Shenold has written fiction and nonfiction and works in the medical field as a registered nurse. Mystery with paranormal elements is her first love and she loves to read a good Jim Butcher fantasy with the wizard Harry Dresden. She lives in Oklahoma with her daughter, two cats and a spoiled poodle named Jasper. When she’s not working full time or writing, she loves to play the hammer dulcimer and harp, paint portraits and read mysteries.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Privy to Murder Page 21
