The Witch's Mind

by Iris Kincaid

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The ghost of Melvin Wynter was also greatly impressed with Ruby. He followed her all the way across the park.

  “You have to help me. You’re the only one who can hear me, and I need to get a message to my son.”

  “I heard what you had to say to him, and seriously, trying to squeeze more overtime out of the workers without paying them is not a message I’m interested in delivering.”

  “No, it’s about my estate. He and his brother are fighting over it because they are going by a will that I wrote ten years ago. There’s a more recent copy in my file cabinet, signed, which invalidates all earlier wills. But they may never find it, and it’s the will that makes it clear that all business interests and control should be in Griffin’s hands.

  “My youngest son is a bit of a screwup, you see. He would run the business right into the ground. But in an earlier, foolish mood, I wrote a will that gave him a great deal of control. And the two of them have been fighting over this for months. I need you to show Griffin exactly where that new will is. Middle drawer of the file cabinet, under a folder that says Legacy.”

  “How would I explain this? I can’t tell him that I spoke to his father’s ghost. He’ll just think I’m a lunatic.”

  “If you are in the condo, you can locate it yourself.”

  “In the condo! I don’t see how that would happen. That sounds like a date situation. I’m certainly not one of the women in Oyster Cove throwing herself at him, and I couldn’t even pretend to be.”

  “No, you would never be on a date with him. You’re not his type. I mean, he doesn’t generally date outside of his . . . circle. He’s dated in some of Boston’s finest families. Some truly outstanding young women.”

  “Okay, why don’t you have one of those outstanding young women who were good enough for your son go help you with that little problem?”

  “Please. I have no other recourse, as you well know. You are my only way to reach him. It is such a dreadfully helpless thing to be among the dead and to have left so much unsaid and undone. Please help me.”

  As obnoxious as he had been, Ruby was not a hardhearted person. These were a dead man’s last wishes, and she truly was the only one who could do anything about them.

  “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll see what I can do.”

  The ghost drifted away in contented gratitude. For Heaven’s sake. Why couldn’t she have just gotten superhuman strength like Gemma?

  *****

  Finn was leaning against his police car when Ruby approached the post office. They headed toward the employee entrance together.

  “So, we managed to snag a poison sniffing police dog from Boston,” Finn noted. “He’s also been given some of Sam Singleton’s clothes to sniff out whether Sam has been inside some of those houses on his route. And now they’re just going door-to-door, letting him do his thing. People don’t have to let us inside, but almost everyone does. While they do that, you and I can check out his coworkers.”

  “Okay. It’s still so hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that anyone would hate Sam so much. Especially his coworkers. They must’ve known what a sweet guy he was.”

  “We’ll find out soon enough,” Finn said. “Although in my experience, people who work together can really get on each other’s nerves. He may not have been as well-liked as you think.”

  Inside the small back office, about eight people bustled around, sorting Oyster Cove’s incoming and outgoing mail. A few of them were rather weepy, still in deep shock over the news about Sam Singleton. But some of others seemed grimly resigned, even hardened. Finn and Ruby spoke with the supervisor.

  “Of course, we’re all in a state of horrible shock. This is the worst thing that has ever happened to our office. Sam was such a trusted and valued member of our team,” he asserted.

  A soft snort of derision could be heard from nearby. Finn gestured to Ruby. “You want to go and check that out?”

  Ruby headed toward the worker who was clearly in disagreement with the supervisor’s sentiments.

  “I don’t know if I would ever call Sam Singleton a team player. Not after what he did to Kristin.”

  “What did he do to Kristin? And who is Kristin?” Ruby inquired.

  “Kristin was one of us. Kristin Byrne. She’s been a carrier for over ten years. Until Sam got her fired. She has problems, that’s true. Drinking problems. But she’s trying do something about them. And being unemployed is only going to make it worse. Yeah, he got her fired.”

  “What happened? What did he do?”

  “She screwed up. She had a wicked hangover. And during her delivery, she just had to stop and head home and take a nap. And she woke up eight hours later and had a full day’s worth of undelivered mail. So, she panicked and dumped the mail. She dumped it. She couldn’t explain why she hadn’t delivered it.

  “Anyway, she told me she was feeling so bad about it and she didn’t know what to do about it. But we could’ve figured something out. She could’ve just tried to deliver it late, maybe over the course of two weeks. It was better than nothing.

  “But Sam overheard us and he reported her. And she got fired. No unemployment check. No recommendation. And it actually became a news story. So, all the local employers heard about it. She’ll never work in this town again, all because of Sam. All because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut.”

  “She must be pretty upset about it,” Ruby said.

  “Like I said, she needs to get the drinking underhand, and she knows it. But she’s got more reason to drink now than ever. And even if she can kick it, and I know that she can, what does she have to look forward to? How is she going to support herself?”

  This fellow was so sympathetic to Kristin that he would really torture himself if he knew that he had just put her forward as a strong candidate for Sam Singleton’s murder. Ruby quickly excused herself, pull Finn aside, and together, they coaxed contact information for Kristin Byrne from the office supervisor.

  *****

  Kristin was in her early forties, with disheveled hair, and wearing sweats that looked as if they hadn’t been changed in three days. The sight of a police officer clearly agitated her.

  “What was your relationship with Sam Singleton?” Finn asked.

  “Well, I think you probably already must’ve heard that he got me fired, right? That’s why you’re here. Of course, I heard about his death. Yeah, I don’t even know what to feel. ‘Course, I was mad at him. I was furious. Who wouldn’t be? The guy never stopped to think for one minute about what he might be doing to my life.

  “He could have come to me and told me that I had to do something about that mail, and I could have told him that I was already working on it. It would have been taken care of. Two weeks, tops. Late mail is better than no mail, right? But he’s got to be Mr. Goody Two-Shoes. Delivering the mail is our sacred trust. Blah, blah, blah, blah.”

  “When was last time you saw Sam?”

  “Oh, that must’ve been the day that I got fired. Yeah, that would’ve been about two months ago. Why?”

  “Sam was poisoned—”

  “Well, like I said, I haven’t seen him in two months, so it couldn’t have been me.”

  “With a lethal, very slow-acting poison that could’ve been administered months before he died,” Finn finished his sentence.

  “What you saying? Are you really thinking that I did it? How does his death help me to pay my rent?”

  “Ma’am, we’re just trying to conduct as thorough an investigation as possible. You are just one of many, many people we will be speaking to. In fact . . .” Finn pulled out his cell phone and checked the text. “We’re on our way to speak with a few more people right this moment. We really appreciate your time.”

  Outside Kristin’s home, Finn turned to Ruby. “What do you think?”

  “I think that she’s really hit rock bottom. Although I didn’t see any alcohol and I didn’t smell any alcohol on her. Maybe she really is getti
ng herself together on the drinking. But, losing her job the way she did, she’s got rough days ahead and she knows it. Of course, she would have hated Sam. The question is, how much?”

  “That is the question. In the meantime, our dog has uncovered several houses that are full of Sam Singleton’s scent. To start with, this guy whose name is Ricky Gerber. Apparently, Sam is all over his living room. Shall we?”

  *****

  Ricky Gerber was in his mid-forties and bore a disturbing resemblance to Jack Nicholson, circa The Shining. But that wasn’t the creepiest thing about him. That would be his ever-present, never-ending smile. It was just unnerving, and in the context of a discussion of a man’s recent death, it was jarringly inappropriate. But the death of an old acquaintance didn’t seem to faze him in the slightest.

  Also notable in Ricky’s home was his adorable black cocker spaniel mix who had a large bandage attached to his side and was walking with a limp.

  “Oh, what happened to your dog?” Ruby asked sympathetically. She gently pulled the dog into her lap and tried to pet it without going anywhere near the injured parts.

  “Yeah, there’s all kinds of wild critters in this neighborhood. I think my dog got into the wrong end of a fight with a raccoon. You’d think he’d know better. It’s always a mistake to get into a tussle with someone who’s a lot stronger than you are. But I guess that’s just a lesson he needed to learn.”

  Again, what would have pained most pet owners was not enough to wipe the smile off Ricky Gerber’s face.

  “Did Sam Singleton come into your home?” Finn asked.

  “Sure. He came in a lot. He came in all the time.”

  “Were you friends?” Ruby asked.

  “No, we weren’t any kind of friends. Matter of fact, he didn’t like me. He didn’t like me at all.”

  “Then what was he doing in your home?” Finn asked.

  “Maybe he wanted to be my friend. Maybe he just liked to talk.”

  “About what?”

  “Well, he liked my dog a lot. He talked about my dog all the time.”

  “Did you ever offer him anything to eat?”

  “Of course, I did. I know how to be a good host. Which reminds me, can I get you folks something? Cookies? Coffee? I’ve got some Froot Loops.”

  “Thanks, we’re good. But did Sam ever take you up on that offer? Did he ever eat anything in your home?”

  “Sure. The man had a huge appetite. Must’ve been all that walking around delivering the mail. Sure, he had some snacks here. Some doughnuts. Peanuts. Apple cider. And unlike yourself, the man did take me up on the Froot Loops.”

  “I’m not sure that I understand,” Ruby said. “You said that he didn’t like you. That you weren’t friends. But he came in here and had some Froot Loops?”

  “People are funny, ain’t they?”

  “You know of any enemies that Sam Singleton might’ve had?”

  “Well now, maybe I do and maybe I don’t. But even if I did, I don’t think I’d really be wanting to tell you. Aren’t the police supposed to be the smart ones? You should be able to figure that out for yourself. If I told you who his enemies were, that would be too easy. Where’s the fun in that?”

  “Sir, I hope you’re not intentionally withholding information that would lead to the discovery and arrest of Mr. Singleton’s killer. Because you would be facing some serious charges of obstruction if that were the case,” Finn warned.

  Ricky just kept right on smiling. This was all one big game to him. Ruby wished that she could smuggle the dog right out of this house and put it in a safe place. After all, the sweet little doggie deserved a nicer owner than this Jack Nicholson doppelgänger.

  *****

  The next interviewee was also a notable pet owner, but in personality was a striking difference from Mr. Gerber. It was an eighty-six-year-old woman named Irma Taggart who got around her home on a walker and apparently no longer went outside. She was actually in a high state of anguish over the news about Sam.

  “What a dear, sweet man. I don’t know what I’m going to do without him. Do you know what he did for me? Obviously, I can’t go out anymore, and he would come by to pick up my mail. But I’m not very good at getting things ready on time. Sometimes, I just forget. And then before I knew it, he was knocking on my door, and I hadn’t gotten my things ready.

  “But he was such a dear. He would just sit here in my place, for ten or fifteen minutes or however long it took for me to get my things together, so that I was never late with any of my bills. I also needed to mail my dividends checks to my bank. I don’t know what I’m going to do now. I know I’m going to get so behind without him to help me.

  “And I know this wasn’t part of his job, but he used to pick up things for me at the hardware store or the drugstore. I get a delivery service twice a week from the grocery store, but when I needed little odds and ends, it was wonderful to have someone who was willing to do that for me. It’s so difficult to be confined and all by yourself.”

  Ruby couldn’t help but be reminded of her elderly Aunt Emma. In her later years, she had been surrounded by family and all the support that she could have wanted. This poor woman was in a very different, much more isolated situation.

  “Ms. Taggart, if it’s all right, I’d be happy to give you a hand. You just let me know what times during the month that you need to get your bills out, and I’ll be sure to come by and get them into the mail. Maybe I could even stop by once a week and take care of some of your errands. I’d be more than happy to.”

  Irma beamed. “Aren’t you the nicest young woman! Oh, this is wonderful. I was feeling so . . . well, I just didn’t know where I was going to turn. I mean, my dearest friend in the world now is little Rosie, and while she is wonderful company, she’s not very good at getting anything done. Are you, Rosie, my little angel?”

  Ruby’s attention finally turned to “little” Rosie, who was anything but little. At first glance, she just seemed to be the most long-haired fluffy cat that ever existed. But on closer examination, it wasn’t all hair fluff. This cat was just fat, possibly the heaviest cat that Ruby had ever seen. For sure, she weighed more than the cocker spaniel mix at the previous home. Speaking of cats, there was a scratching at the front screen door.

  “There’s that other cat. She’s not mine, and I never even bothered to name her. I used to have four cats in here at one time, and so I did think about taking her on. But Rosie likes to be queen of the house, and she didn’t enjoy sharing my attention with anyone. But I can’t bear to let a cat go hungry, so I make sure that she gets something to live on. Could you open the door, please?”

  Ruby dutifully open the door and let in the no-name stray. It seemed to know better than to get too far into the house, and instead, it just waited patiently at the entry for any generosity that might come its way.

  “And if you could look in the kitchen in the bottom cupboard, there’s some food for her.”

  Ruby dashed into the kitchen and came back carrying a small can of Posh Nibbles.

  “No, not that one, dear. That’s very expensive stuff. It’s really gourmet food and it belongs to Rosie. Only the best for her. Even though it means that her grocery bill is even larger than mine. I’m happy with a can of tuna fish for my lunch. But the Posh Nibbles cost twice as much. I don’t mind though. I’d do anything for my little Rosie.”

  Maybe cut her Posh Nibbles meals in half. This cat is getting way too much food, Ruby thought.

  “Look for the bag of dry food. It’s from the dollar store. That’s the one I get for this stray cat. I can’t pamper her as if she were my own. After all, she’s lucky to get anything, isn’t she? I can’t treat her as well as I do my own cat because . . . she just isn’t. But as I said, I won’t let her starve. Could you go get the other pet food, dear?”

  Ruby returned to the kitchen and located the dry, unappetizing dollar-store pet food. She poured it into a bowl and took it out to the patient stray, who ate it without complaint—but w
ithout much enthusiasm either.

  It was time for Lilith to make another appearance. “You have spent entirely enough time on Mr. Singleton’s murder. It is time to move on to more important matters.”

  The stray cat stopped eating and looked pointedly at Lilith’s hazy figure. She walked over to Lilith and started pawing at her, expecting to find something solid she could sink her claws into but instead finding that Lilith was as elusive as a cloud.

  “Now this one has some talent. She can see the dead. And you could use a familiar. She is without an owner, as you just heard. You must take her. She has some potential.”

  “Oh, okay.” Ruby turned to the old woman. “Would you mind if I took this stray cat to my home to take care of her?”

  Lilith sighed in exasperation. “You don’t ask. You take.”

  Actually, that was making a lot of sense. This old lady was very sympathetic, but she was treating the stray like a second-class citizen, which didn’t really sit well with Ruby. “I’m going to take the cat,” she informed Irma, who received the news without protest.

  “Good, now that is settled,” Lilith said. “It is time to begin my quest for justice. We must confront one of my most vicious enemies, Zelda Beale.”

  Ruby flinched. “Zelda. Gemma told us a lot about Zelda. She sounds really . . . dangerous. She sounds really scary. I’ve seen her a few times around town and I always do my best to head in the other direction. You want me to talk to her? I’m sorry, Lilith. I don’t know if I can.”

  “You can and you will. Where on earth is your courage? I was never afraid to face down anyone.”

  “You didn’t give me your courage. You gave it to Margo.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Margo Bailey was the first of the transplant witches, receiving Lilith Hazelwood’s heart, and consequently, her absolute fearlessness. Whether she was facing armed criminals or a rampaging shark, Margo was able to face the world with an abundance of fierce courage. And with that came a lightness and freedom that were the byproducts of the yoke of fear being lifted right out of her life.