Would-Be Witch

by Kimberly Frost

  “Merc, you ready or what?” I demanded.

  Mercutio looked up lazily.

  “Okay, stay here for all I care. I’m going.” I was out the door and halfway down the hall when I felt Mercutio bound up next to me.

  I bent down and ran a hand over his sleek head. “You were tempted to stay in that kitchen with him and all that cream, huh?” I glanced around to be sure no one was listening. “I can’t say as I blame you.”

  He meowed, and I smiled.

  “Yeah, you’re my favorite, too.” I said, hugging his neck and adding in a whisper, “But it’s probably best if you don’t tell the men I said that.”

  I just had one thing left to do before I could go home and see about getting my doors fixed. I’d decided to let Zach loan me some money until I got a new job, so Merc and I drove to Macon Hill, and I retrieved Earl’s .38 from the roof.

  Johnny Nguyen called while I cleaned it. I reassured him that I’d gotten the locket back and Edie was safe and sound. He asked how I was feeling emotionally because Rollie’s coven had called to tell him about how gruesome the attack at the witch meeting had been.

  My lip did tremble a little when I thought about all the dead people. I filled him in on the details of the past couple days, and my voice sort of choked up as I did. Johnny told me I’d done a good job protecting the town. I wished I could have helped more at the meeting.

  In the background, I heard Rollie say, “Hey, these things happen. Tell her there’s no point crying over spilled blood.”

  I shook my head, but couldn’t help smiling a little.

  “Rollie say, listen to relaxation tape and get sleep. You feel better.”

  For not being a native English speaker, Johnny’s sure got the translation thing down pat. “You’re sure a good friend, Johnny. I’m sorry I thought—”

  “Oh, that all behind us. Come for haircut and scalp massage. We talk about happy things.”

  “Thanks.”

  I pulled up to Earl’s pawnshop and tried not to be nervous. Mercutio slept in the passenger seat, which was good. I didn’t think Earl’d be too happy to see me, let alone Merc.

  I went in and was surprised when he didn’t glare at me.

  “Hey, Earl.”

  “Tammy Jo,” he said evenly. I noticed Jenna Reitgarten standing near a big mirror next to an original Elvis Presley Vegas polyester jumpsuit that I didn’t think anyone but the king could really pull off.

  I shifted uncomfortably, not wanting Jenna to hear my conversation with Earl, but there wasn’t any help for that I guessed.

  I set the gun and the four hundred dollars on top of the glass case he was standing at.

  “I brought back what I borrowed. I’d like my jewelry, please.”

  He grinned, and my heart pounded in alarm.

  “Too late. Jenna bought the lot of it about five minutes ago.”

  “What?”

  “Yep. She likes to get a good deal, so I called her this morning to let her know I got some nice jewelry in stock.”

  Only a former friend knows how to really hurt a person deep. And Earl definitely fell in the “former” category when it came to friends.

  “Well, I guess we don’t have anything else to say to each other then.” I picked up the money, but left the gun where it lay. Just as well. I didn’t think I should have a gun in hand when I talked to Jenna.

  I walked over to the mirror and saw that she was holding up her hair to check out how Aunt Mel’s emerald earrings looked on her. My stomach churned, and I swallowed hard.

  “Morning, Jenna.”

  She smiled, smug as can be. “Good morning, Tammy Jo.”

  “I’ll be wanting that jewelry back.”

  Her grin got wider. “Not a chance.”

  My blood started to boil. “You really plan to wear my family’s jewelry?”

  “Well, it could be a little better quality, but it’ll do for regular occasions.”

  My heart hammered from the effort of not screaming my head off at her. “Name your price. You can make a profit and buy something that suits you better.”

  She turned and looked me up and down. “First of all, you couldn’t afford it.” She paused, turning her nose up. “And second, lately you’ve been acting a lot higher and mightier than you are. It’s time someone taught you a lesson. That’s going to be my fall project.”

  I clenched my fists, tempted to hex her, and tried not to give her a four-letter piece of my mind, but I couldn’t help it. I opened my mouth to holler that I didn’t deserve this kind of treatment the morning after the most traumatic day of my life. Then she hiccupped.

  “Well, I’ll see you around,” she said, hiccupping again.

  Uh-oh.

  She rolled her eyes at me, then strolled to the shop door. “Darn hiccups,” she muttered after she hiccupped again.

  I watched her walk to her car, her shoulders jerking every few seconds from a new hiccup.

  Earl ignored me, until I started giggling.

  “Something else I can help you with? Otherwise, you can go on and get out of my store.”

  “Earl, you turned into a real nasty person, and temporarily losing my jewelry was a small price to pay to find that out.”

  He frowned.

  “You know, I was just thinking that the universe and the good Lord have ways of seeing that things work out. Better watch yourself, Earl.”

  I hurried out and hopped in the car. Mercutio woke when I slammed my door shut, which was real convenient since then I could tell him about what happened.

  I pulled out of the parking space as I said, “And having the hiccups gets old pretty darn quick.”

  As usual, Merc didn’t disagree.