by Geof Johnson
Mrs. Stewart rose from her seat and extended her hand toward them. “But you cannot go in there now. They are in session.”
“Certainly we can,” Mrs. Malley said over her shoulder.
“But....” No one bothered to respond as they made their way to the last door on the left.
Nova’s face was tight as they walked, and she said in a tense voice, “I am so out of my comfort zone right now.”
“Relax, child,” Momma Sue said. “You are in good company.”
The two blue-uniformed guards standing in front of the ornate door crossed their ceremonial spears to block their entry, and one of them said, “Halt and state your business.”
Momma Sue walked up to them, gestured with one hand, and murmured something. Their eyes became blank for a moment and then a look of bewilderment passed over their faces. “Step aside, boys,” Momma Sue said and brushed their spears away with her arms.
Jamie opened the door and held it for them again, and they went inside. The councilmen were sitting around the polished rectangular table, and the mayor frowned when he saw them and demanded, “What is the meaning of this?”
“I’d like to have a word with you,” Jamie said and put his hands on his hips.
“Then you must make an appointment with our secretary. We are busy at the moment.”
“You shall see us now, you pompous bag of wind,” Mrs. Malley said and stepped forward. The mayor and the other councilmen’s eyes widened when they recognized her.
“M...Mrs. Malley?” the mayor spluttered. “What are you doing here? I heard that you were infirm and taken to bed.”
“Do I look infirm to you? I am spry as a deer, and feeling fine. You however, do not look well.”
The mayor’s face was white as chalk, his lips parted and his hands clutched across his chest. The other councilmen looked the same or worse.
Councilman Stennis moved his lips wordlessly for a moment before managing to say, “Who...what...uh, the young woman with red hair must be Fred the Witch, but....” He squinted at them. “Who are the others?”
Jamie introduced Nova and said, “She’s a witch, too, a special kind. She knows when you are lying, so don’t try to fool us. You already know Mrs. Malley, and her friend is Momma Sue, a voodoo queen, one of the most powerful witches from my world.”
Mrs. Malley walked closer to the table and the men seemed to shrink back in unison. She said, “We know that you are still meddling in the affairs of the Rivershire School, and we have come to put a stop to that once and for all.”
“With magic?” Councilman Whelan squeaked.
“No,” Momma Sue said, “with our good looks and womanly charms.” Then she threw back her head and cackled like a witch from a Hollywood movie. Jamie put his hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh.
“You will swear an oath that you cannot break,” Mrs. Malley said, “an oath that prohibits you from ever interfering with Master Jamie’s school.”
“Or any other project I may have for the community,” Jamie added. “I have more plans.”
Mayor Duncan raised one hand and shook it fervently. “Wait! You need to hear our side of the story first. We have a good reason for what we have been doing.” He looked at Jamie and cleared his throat. “We...my fellow councilmen and I, are concerned about the guidance and direction of this school because, well...you are an outsider, frankly. Even with all of your memories from the old sorcerer. How can we trust you to do what’s good for this town?”
Jamie locked eyes with the stout mayor and considered what he’d just said. After a long moment Jamie said, “That’s a fair concern. Would it make you feel better if I swore an oath, too? To only do what’s best for the people of Rivershire?”
Mayor Duncan looked at the other councilmen, most of whom reluctantly nodded their acceptance. “I think we can agree to that.”
“Good.” Momma Sue stepped closer and gestured at the seated men. “It’s time to get this done, so stand up, and do as you’re told.”
There was no denying the voodoo queen’s imperial command, her voice and manner too authoritative and compelling. They all rose and stood by their seats, fidgeting like guilty little boys.
“Now, here’s what we’re going to do,” she continued. “We are going to join hands and form a circle, all ten of us, with a witch or wizard in between each of you.” The looks in the councilmen’s eyes showed that they were uncomfortable with that, but were unwilling to argue.
Mrs. Malley pointed with one finger. “Nova, stand between these two men, and Fred, the next two, then Jamie. Sue and I will stand on either side of the mayor.”
Mayor Duncan’s face blanched again, but he complied and made room for the two old witches. When the circle around the table was complete, Momma Sue began to chant in a language Jamie didn’t recognize, and Mrs. Malley said to the men, “Now, repeat after me: I swear to never interfere with the affairs or ventures of Jamie Sikes, be it in Rivershire or elsewhere.” The men began to mutter and Mrs. Malley frowned. “I can’t hear you, Mayor.”
The mayor repeated the vow in a louder voice, and Mrs. Malley turned to Jamie, who swore his oath firmly and with conviction, pledging to only work for the best of the Rivershire community.
Then Momma Sue and Mrs. Malley closed their eyes and began to chant in unison. Jamie felt the familiar tingle in his hands, and they began to glow, softly at first. Then they flared like small suns, so brightly that he had to look away, and the tingle rushed up his arms and filled his body. Still the women chanted, and the room began to vibrate, and a low sound began to emanate from the walls and floor, peaking as a deep, bell-like tone that seemed to permeate everything before it trailed off to nothing.
When it became silent, Momma Sue suddenly threw up her hands and shouted“Done!”
The councilmen blinked and looked at each other nervously. Mayor Duncan said, “That...that’s it?”
“Yes,” Mrs. Malley answered. “You are forever magically bound to your vow. You cannot break it no matter how badly you wish to. You will find yourself incapacitated, and it will be a most unpleasant experience, I assure you.”
“And Master Jamie is bound to his vow, also?” the mayor asked.
She nodded.
Momma Sue brushed her hands together and turned to Jamie. “We’re finished here. Can you make a doorway back to my house for me and Bella? We have things to do.”
“Certainly.” He drew the glowing outlines and pushed it open as the councilmen stared, open-mouthed.
The old witches stepped through and Fred said, “Me and Nova, too. I gotta go to work and she’s gotta go home.”
Jamie made two more portals, and when the girls left, he found himself alone with the councilmen, who still stood by their chairs with dazed looks on their faces. Jamie shrugged and waved, “Well, gotta go. Have a nice day.” Then he translocated back to the school.
* * *
Duane Gundy attached the magnetic sign to the side of the white van. “Acme Services,” he said to himself and nodded approvingly. “Looks legit.” Then he peeled it off and put the other one in its place and read it aloud. “North Carolina Department of Child Services.” He nodded again. “I’m gonna look official, now.” And I can finally go out and search for Sammi again.
An hour later he was back on Applewood Drive, wearing his suit, a clipboard in one hand and his new fake ID badge hanging from a lanyard around his neck.
I’m a government worker. Nobody’ll think twice when they see me.
Now he could check every house on every street in town that ended in wood, door-to-door, until he finally found Sammi. Process of elimination. That’s all it takes.
He walked up the steps of the first house and quickly rehearsed his front-porch speech one more time for good measure. Then he confidently pressed the doorbell and waited.
* * *
Duane Gundy was working on his seventh neighborhood of the day. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d seen a police car, but just one had s
topped to talk to him, and then only to ask if he’d seen a silver Camry.
It was late afternoon, his feet hurt from wearing his black leather dress shoes, and he was hot and tired and hungry. Just one more street and I’ll go get some supper, he thought as he turned onto Pinewood Drive and parked on the side of the road.
Even though it was still warm, he put on his suit jacket and straightened his tie before stepping out of the van. The clipboard he carried had six pages full of checked-off house numbers, and he was steadily eliminating places where Sammi wasn’t hiding.
The fourth house he came to was a modest, single-story brick home with a neat flowerbed by the walkway, full of yellow and red blooms. He rang the doorbell and an older woman answered, white-haired, with age-spotted hands and a bony, prim face.
“Hello,” he said pleasantly and began his well-practiced lines. “I’m Michael Baxter with the Department of Child Services.” He pointed to the laminated badge hanging from his neck. “We’re looking for a runaway girl named Sammi Price, about seven years old, with black hair about down to here.” He touched a spot on his arm just below his shoulder. “We have reason to believe she’s in this area. Have you seen anyone meeting that description?”
The woman scrutinized his badge for a moment with one hand pressed to her chest. “Well, I’ve seen a bunch of young children at that house down there.” She pointed at a two-story brick home down the street on the other side of the road. “A couple of times at least. And it’s the oddest thing, because their son is almost fully grown, now. He drives that new blue Chevrolet that’s in the driveway. I heard he bought it himself with the money he makes from working at the veterinarian clinic. He’s a good boy, and he does volunteer work all the time and he —”
“Yes ma’am, I get the picture.” This lady must be the neighborhood busybody. “But getting back to the kids. Has your husband seen them, too?”
“Oh, Mr. Wysoki passed away some years ago. I’m a widow.” She pointed down the street again. “But that family over there, the Sikes, they used to have young ones in and out all the time over there, but not anymore. That’s why it struck me as strange that they should have those children coming and going now.”
“Did any of them have long dark hair and big brown eyes?”
“Um...one of them did, but her hair was shorter, just down to her chin. I’ve seen her more than any of them.”
That could be Sammi. He felt his heart begin to beat faster. She could have cut her hair. “Was she cute?”
“She’s adorable. They all were, but not like her. She really catches your eye.”
That’s got to be her.
“But I don’t think the family that lives there would harbor a runaway,” the old woman continued. “The husband is a policeman and the wife is a teacher, and they go to church every Sunday.”
Damn! Gundy turned to look at the house down the street again. Sammi’s stayin’ with a cop. No wonder she’s been so hard to find.
“I hope I’ve been some help to you, Mr. Baxter.”
“What?” He cleared his throat and nodded. “Yes, Mrs. Wysoki, very helpful.” He gave her a polite wave. “Thank you for your time.”
She closed the door and he stood on the stoop for a moment, rubbing his chin and regarding the two-story house with the blue Chevy in the driveway. That’s where she is. I’m sure of it. But a cop! Damn. That complicates things. I’ll have to be careful when Igrab her.
He returned to his van, took off his coat and tie, rolled up his sleeves and started the engine. Then he cranked the air conditioner to maximum and sagged in the driver’s seat as the blissfully cool breeze blew over his sweaty chest and arms.
He eyed the house down the street and considered his next move. I’ll watch ’em ’till Sammi shows up. She’s bound to, sooner or later. She likes to play outside. Then I’ll just drive by and snatch her up, and get the hell out of here.
By nightfall, though, he hadn’t seen any activity at the house at all, except when a young man with curly blond hair walked out of the front door and went to the home catty-cornered across the street.
Gundy was tired and hungry, and his bladder was about to burst. He finally gave up, turned the van around and headed back to his hotel. He decided against returning that evening because he knew he would look suspicious. Especially with that busybody widow living on that street.I’ll come back first thing in the morning with a different disguise. Then I’ll watch all day if I have to. I’ll bring a sandwich and some water, and maybe even a pot to piss in.
Sammi won’t get away now.
* * *
That night at dinner, after he returned from Fred’s house, Jamie told his father about his morning with the Rivershire councilmen.
“Are you sure it worked?” Carl said. “You don’t think they’ll interfere with you now?”
Jamie shook his head. “That was some powerful magic, that circle we made with Momma Sue and Mrs. Malley. Never done anything like that before, and I don’t think Eddan did, either. It felt more compelling than the other oaths I’ve been part of. I’m sure those guys won’t meddle anymore.”
Rachel served herself some mashed potatoes and nodded. “Miss Duffy was certainly relieved to hear the news. She acted like a big weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and she immediately apologized to Mr. Winston. She seems like a totally different person. I think the atmosphere at the school will be much more pleasant from now on.”
“Good,” Carl said. “I finally have some news to report about Mr. Gundy. I’ve been reviewing video footage that we got from the local hotels, the view from their lobby cameras. I finally saw Gundy on one, when he was at the Ramada last Sunday night, around 9:00. You can clearly see him at the desk, trying to check in. But they didn’t have any vacancies, so he left.”
“Do you think he’s at some other hotel?” Rachel asked.
Carl shrugged. “Could be, but I don’t think he’s at one of the closer ones. He might be at one of the smaller, mom-and-pop places, but there are dozens of those, and they’re scattered all over the place. Or, he could be camping, instead. I called my buddy Hank at the Park Service, and they’re checking the local campsites.”
“Nobody’s seen Gundy’s car?” Jamie asked.
“We’ve pulled over several silver Camrys, but he wasn’t in any of them. He may have ditched it and gotten a different vehicle, for all we know. He seems to have a penchant for muscle cars, so we’ll be looking for him in those, too.”
“Have you told Lisa and Larry about any of this, yet?” Rachel asked.
“I’m going to wait until Sammi takes a bath. I don’t want to scare her.”
“I think I should stay over at the Callahan’s again tonight,” Jamie said with a frown. “Though I don’t get much sleep on that air mattress in their living room, and Mr. and Mrs. Callahan will probably wake me up before dawn. But that’s okay, ’cause tomorrow I have to go to work really early to cover for one of the other guys.”
“How are we going to get to the school if you aren’t here to make a doorway for us?” Rachel asked.
“You’re going to use the one at John Paul’s house,” Carl said. “He gave me a spare set of keys to his front door and to the magic portal in his basement.”
“Has Fred put a hex on it yet?” Rachel asked.
“No,” Jamie said. “She hasn’t been able to get over there when John Paul’s home ’cause he’s been working so much lately. But the portal’s protected by a solid wood door with a good dead bolt on it, so I think we’ll be okay. I can’t imagine Gundy being able to find it or get through it.”
“Just be on the lookout for a silver Camry when you drive over there, Rachel,” Carl said. “Or any other car that looks suspicious.”
“And make sure everybody has their Stupefyin’ pendants,” Jamie added.
* * *
Fred jerked awake when she heard Sammi cry out. “What is it, Sammi?”
“I had a bad dream,” she said pitifully.
; Fred reached across the bed and rubbed Sammi’s arm gently. “Well, it’s over now. Want to tell me about it?”
“I dreamed I was little and I was hiding in a mouse hole, and I had to get out for some reason. But there was a big cat on the other side, and...I don’t know how I knew it was there, but it was. And I finally ran out of the hole and I heard it hiss at me and it was huge, and it had big fangs and it swung its giant paw at me and I screamed. Then I woke up.”
“It sounded more like a moan, but you’re okay now. I think you must’ve dreamed that because my mom called you her little kitty tonight when you were snuggling with her on the couch.”
“Don’t feel like a kitty. I feel more like a mouse. Mr. Gundy’s out there and he’s just waiting for me to go out of my mouse hole so he can get me.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
“Unh hunh. Mr. Sikes saw him on a video.”
“Who told you that?” Sammi didn’t answer, and Fred frowned at her. “Were you listening when he came over a while ago?”
“No. I heard him today with my magic, when he was driving in his truck and talking on his cell phone.”
“You’re not supposed to do that.”
“Couldn’t help it,” she mumbled.
“Um, by any chance, have you heard anything from Mr. Gundy lately?”
“Just a couple of little things, but they didn’t make any sense so I didn’t tell anybody.”
“Oh boy.” Fred sighed and rolled onto her back. “Well, try to relax and get some sleep. I’m right here and Jamie’s downstairs, so you’re safe.”
Sammi nodded, but Fred wasn’t sure if Sammi was convinced.
Chapter 28
Duane Gundy returned to Pinewood Drive early the next morning with everything he needed for a sustained vigil: two ham sandwiches, a gallon jug of water, and a pot from the kitchenette from his hotel room. On the way there he’d stopped at a road construction site and stolen a couple of orange plastic cones.
He was using a different disguise. The van now sported the Acme Services signs on each side, and he wore his gray coveralls and yellow hard hat. With his aviator sunglasses on, he was certain that no one in the neighborhood would recognize him from the day before. Especially that busybody old lady, Mrs. Wysoki. Bet she’s lookin’ out her front window right now. He made it a point to park where she couldn’t see him, but he had a clear view of the house where he suspected Sammi was hiding. He placed an orange cone at each end of the van and settled in to watch.
