Owen pulled what looked like a crudely made doll out from under the dumpster. Its arms were twigs and the body made from straw. Nose scrunched, he held it between his gloved fingers before plopping it into the evidence bag DeeDee held open for him. “No idea what that thing is, but it looks an awful lot like our victim. Same hair on top and everything.”
“A voodoo doll,” Raine whispered.
“Yep.” Issy swallowed hard. “Which means the killer picked out the victim beforehand.”
“This is good. Means we’ve got ourselves evidence of premeditation,” Owen said.
DeeDee held up the bag and squinted. “Only one problem, boss.”
“What’s that?” Owen asked as he headed for the back of the ambulance.
“This doll has a blue noose tied around its neck, suggesting hanging or strangulation. Our victim was stabbed,” DeeDee called.
“Good point. Maybe the killer tried to strangle the victim and it didn’t work, then had to resort to the cleaver.” Owen climbed into the rig and unzipped the body bag then peered inside at the corpse. Issy and her cousins followed DeeDee to back of the ambulance. “Darn. No marks on the victim’s neck that I can see.” He peeked farther under the body bag then scowled. “What’s this?”
“What, boss?” DeeDee asked, giving Issy a concerned look.
“This.” Owen held up one of the victim’s arms and pointed at her inner wrist.
There, burned into the flesh, was a small black spiral surrounded by spikes.
The mark of a demon kill.
“Oh, uh, uh… that.” DeeDee’s stammer, coupled with her fear-filled eyes, had Issy’s dread boiling over into full-blown panic. It seemed that their demon had graduated from draining appliances and power blackouts to murder.
The deputy tried to play it off as best she could, though her wide-eyed stare remained on Issy the whole time. “Some tattoo, huh, boss? Saw that same design on one of the tourists last week. Some shop over in Bristol does them. I’ll check it out later and see if they remember our victim, if you want, Owen.”
“Right.” Issy backed away slowly, taking her cousins with her. “We’ll just be going, then, too, if you don’t need anything else from us.”
“What I need is for you guys to figure out what the heck is happening here,” DeeDee said as she caught up with them, her voice still holding an edge of fear. “If there’s a rogue demon on the loose, we need to stop it. Fast. I’ll do my best to keep this all hidden from Owen for as long as I can, but you need to be quick.”
“Sure. Thanks, DeeDee.” Issy stumbled away, feeling drained. “We’ll let you know as soon as we find something.”
“Whoa. This is bad,” Ember said once they’d reached the main street again. The sun still shined brightly, at direct odds with the gruesome scene back in that alleyway. “This is really, really bad.”
“Who would do something like that?” Raine shook her head, her expression mortified. “That’s beyond dark magic. Not to mention the bad karma associated with taking a life.”
“I don’t know.” Issy held onto to her cousins as they crossed the street then flopped down on a deserted bench, craving the safety of contact. “I don’t think a regular paranormal could allow themselves to be possessed on their own. Which means whoever is responsible must’ve been weak or wounded, or in some way susceptible to dark forces.”
“I did some research last night. Demons can hop right into physical bodies if they find an entry point. A wound or some kind of illness that makes a person weak and susceptible,” Raine added.
“How can we possibly find that out, though?” Ember sighed. “It’s not like paranormals broadcast their weaknesses to the world. This is going to be a lot of work.”
“Yep.” Raine’s shoulders slumped. “But what choice do we have?”
“We don’t. And we don’t have much time either.” Issy glanced over her shoulder and spotted Luigi Romano heading toward the commotion in the alley. Exactly what she didn’t need right now. “Like DeeDee said, we need to find out who did this and banish that demon before something worse happens.”
5
“I can’t believe someone would kill the dishwasher from the diner. And she was just a young girl, not more than twenty. She came in to get her hair cut once,” Gray said. All four Quinn cousins were sitting back around Issy’s fire pit overlooking the lake. “It’s so wrong.”
“Believe it,” Issy said, squeezing her eyes shut against the awful images flooding back into her mind. “And that someone is possessed by a demon.”
“But why would the demon want to kill a dishwasher?” Gray asked again.
“Had nothing to do with her occupation.” Raine passed around a plate of veggies and dip. “This probably means we’ve got a demon who’s looking for a permanent human host. And it wouldn’t care what she did for a job.”
“Why do you say that?” Ember asked, filling up her plate with carrots and celery.
“I’ve researched these things. Remember that online course I took last year for my Herbal Sorceress certification?” Raine nibbled on a broccoli floret. “There was a whole lesson on creating potions and tinctures to combat possessions. I didn’t think of it earlier as our demon seemed content to mess around with light fixtures and freezers. I didn’t realize it was going to actually possess a human.”
“That means you’re an expert?” Issy asked, her tone hopeful.
“Unfortunately, no. I was out that week because of the annual Harvest Moon festival.” Raine shrugged one shoulder. “I vaguely remember something about them having to kill a certain number of people. You know, trade their souls in before they get to take up permanent residence in a body. I’ve still got the class materials somewhere. I’ll see if I can find them.”
“Good luck.” Issy smiled. The messiness of Raine’s office was legendary. The chances of her finding anything in there seemed slim to none. “There’s a new moon in five days. This demon might try to harness that power to stay on earth. Maybe there’s some other rituals or criteria they have to fulfill in order to escape Hades and inhabit the earthly realm.”
“If that last part’s true, then we probably haven’t seen the last death in Silver Hollow.” Gray took the platter Issy handed him and piled a paper plate high with veggies and dip. Cosmo squawked from his perch on the end of the log, and Gray tossed him a slice of cucumber to keep him quiet. “What about the police?”
“DeeDee said she’d keep Owen off track for as long as she could.” Issy pushed a pebble around with the toe of her boot while absently stroking Bella’s silky fur. She’d waited all day for some sort of communication from the little pup but got nothing. Now Bella was worn out from playing with Bellatrix and Endora, who slept wrapped around the base of Mortimer’s pot near Raine’s feet. The only familiar missing was Brimstone, though that wasn’t unusual. He came and went as he pleased.
“Not sure how long DeeDee will be able to keep Owen off track after he found that voodoo doll,” Ember said. “He seemed pretty excited about it.”
“Yeah, and we never got a chance to tell her how Enid summoned the demon. Though she saw the demon-kill mark on the victim’s wrist, and I bet she’s dying to find out more. Didn’t want to talk about it too much with all the people milling about behind the restaurant,” Raine added.
As if on cue, the sound of tires crunching on Issy’s gravel driveway sounded, followed by the cutting of an engine and the pounding of footsteps. Soon, DeeDee stuck her head around the corner of the house. “Hey Quinns. Hope it’s okay I dropped by.”
“Sure. We were kind of expecting you.” Issy waved her over. “What’s going on, Deputy? Have a seat, and help yourself to some veggies.”
DeeDee took a seat on the opposite end of Gray’s log and grabbed a plate. “Well, I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news on the Owen front.”
“Uh-oh,” Ember said. “What?”
“He’s all excited about the case.” DeeDee took a bite of cauliflower with dip before continuing. �
�This is really good, Raine. These from your gardens?”
“Of course.” Raine grinned. “Why is Owen excited?”
“Oh.” DeeDee wiped her mouth with a napkin. “He thinks he’ll finally have a chance to prove his detective skills by solving the case. He’s been taking his police duties a lot more seriously lately.”
“Yeah, that’s not good,” Gray said.
“Means I’ll have to work harder.” DeeDee crunched down on a carrot. “Would help if I knew what was really going on.”
“We think Enid Pettywood may have inadvertently summoned a demon outside of Sheer Magic this morning.”
“What?” DeeDee set her half-finished plate aside. “How?”
“She got her foot caught in a crack in the street and tried to cast a spell to free herself,” Gray said. “You know how she gets flustered, though, and doesn’t always enunciate well.”
“Yeah.” Issy shrugged. “Plus, it would explain all the power disturbances around town.”
“Is that what happened?” DeeDee leaned forward. “Ours blipped out at the station too. Thank goodness we had a generator to keep us going.”
“We’re pretty sure the power outages are demon related. The murder too.” Issy picked up Bella, who whined in her sleep, and cradled the tiny dog in her arms. “So, as you can see, we have two problems. One is that there is a demon loose, killing people, and the other is that Owen might erroneously arrest the human body that did the killing.”
“Yep, big problems. I thought that was a demon-kill mark on the body. I sent Owen to a couple of tattoo parlors to check it out. Implied maybe the dishwasher associated with an unsavory crowed. Figured that might keep him busy going down dead ends for a while. But it’s going to be difficult to divert his attention and keep him otherwise occupied.”
“I know, but we can’t let him arrest whoever’s body the demon is possessing. It wouldn’t be right,” Raine said.
“And you know how demons are, as soon as the body was incarcerated, it would probably jump into somebody else, leaving a poor innocent person in jail for something they didn’t do,” Ember added.
“Right. Not good.” DeeDee nibbled on a long clawlike nail. “Did you guys see anyone in that alley?”
Issy exchanged glances with her cousins. They shook their heads. “Nope. We weren’t in there for a terribly long time, though. Why?”
“Ursula said Violet—that’s the victim’s name—must have been killed right before she was discovered. That corroborates the cook’s testimony that Violet went out for a smoke and when she still wasn’t back ten minutes later, the cook went to check on her slacking off and found the body. Must have stumbled on it right after it happened.”
“Wow, then we must have just missed the killer,” Ember said. “Oh. Wait, are you saying Owen suspects us?”
DeeDee smirked. “Nah. Not yet. You have no motive. Right?”
“Of course not. We didn’t even know her.”
“I didn’t think so. Don’t worry. Owen isn’t as incompetent as you might think. In fact, he’s actually pretty good. He’s not some bumbling sheriff that is going to arrest the first person he thinks of without cause.”
“That’s good and bad,” Raine said. “Good we won’t be arrested, but bad that he might figure out who really killed Violet and arrest them, not knowing a demon was behind it.”
“Yeah, hopefully you can make sure that doesn’t happen, DeeDee.” Issy gave her a pleading look.
“I’ll try my best, but certain things are out of my control, and besides, I do have other things going on in my life besides trying to cover up the paranormal happenings in the town.” DeeDee sniffed.
Ember’s left brow quirked. “I have to say, you’ve been looking mighty fine lately, Miss DeeDee. Is there a special guy in your life you’re getting all gussied up for?”
The wolf shifter’s expression fell from a smile to a frown. “I wish things were that pleasant. Unfortunately, my father made a new alliance with another pack over in Vermont. To sweeten the pot, he made me part of the deal. My fun single days are almost over.”
“What?” Gray made a face. “That’s not right. Arranged marriages are outdated.”
“For you witches, maybe. For werewolves, not so much. Our pack alphas have the power to do pretty much whatever they please, especially when it comes to members of their own family.” DeeDee stared out over the lake for a moment before looking at Issy. “You’re lucky, though. You get a second chance.”
“What?” Issy’s breath hitched. “Why?”
“You haven’t heard?” DeeDee smiled. “That sexy hunk Dex Nolan is moving to Silver Hollow. Just rented himself a house and everything.”
“Moving? Here?” Issy’s words squeaked out of her constricted throat. Bella yipped sleepily and licked her chin. Sure, Raine had mentioned the possibility of the FBPI moving in an agent to keep an eye on the paranormal populace, but she’d never thought…
Hands shaking, Issy set Bella on the ground then wiped her damp palms on the legs of her jean shorts. As far as she knew, Dex had left Silver Hollow after the Drummond case fully convinced there was no paranormal activity in town. She thought she caught a subtle telepathic vibe from the dog. One of approval. Approval for what? Maybe for wanting to run as far from Dex Nolan as she could.
Ember reached over and patted Issy’s hand, her smile wide. “We all saw the way you two looked at each other.”
“Yeah, cuz.” Raine waggled her brows. “Wouldn’t hurt to persuade the guy over to our side either.”
“Stop, okay?” Issy scoffed. “I’m not getting involved with an FBPI agent.”
Gray set his empty plate aside then turned to DeeDee once more. “I’m really worried about Owen getting all gung-ho on this case. If this is a true instance of demon possession, then whoever killed that dishwasher can’t be held responsible, because the demon is the real killer. But Owen is going to be looking for someone to arrest. I don’t see how we can get around that.”
“We’ll have to think of something.” DeeDee stared into the fire. “There’s another problem too.”
“What’s that?” Issy asked.
“We found something else on the victim that might be a direct link that could send this innocent possessed person to jail.”
“What?” Raine asked.
“A charm.”
“Like from a bracelet?” Ember frowned. “There are tons of those out there these days. Doesn’t seem like that would give Owen much information.”
“Normally, I’d agree,” DeeDee said. “But this one’s distinctive—gold and enamel with a center stone.”
Issy bit her lip. “But tons of people use that alley every day. Anyone could’ve dropped it, if he found it on the ground. Or it could even have belonged to the victim. Maybe she lost it during the struggle. What makes you think it’s from the killer?”
“Because the victim wasn’t wearing a bracelet,” DeeDee said. “And we didn’t find the charm on the ground. In fact, it was Ursula who found it during the autopsy.”
The woods around them grew silent. Cosmo danced wildly beside Gray, the kittens screeched loudly and jumped into Ember’s lap, and Bella cowered between Issy’s ankles.
Not good. Not good at all.
“Where did she find it?” Issy whispered.
“Inside the wound.” DeeDee’s voice took on an ominous tone. “The only way it could’ve gotten there was during the murder.”
6
An hour after DeeDee left, the Quinn cousins still sat in their same spots as the campfire slowly died and storm clouds hovered over the peaks of the distant White Mountains. A pall had fallen over the group after the deputy’s revelations.
Raine finally pushed to her feet and hauled Mortimer’s pot up into her arms. “I need to head home.”
“Not so fast, missy.” Brimstone trotted around the corner of the house with something dangling from his mouth. As he got closer, Issy saw it was a police evidence bag. He dropped it near Issy’s feet
then hopped up on her log and stretched out lazily. “Check that out.”
“Um, that’s official police business.” Issy shook her head. “No way I’m getting my fingerprints on that bag.”
Brimstone halted mid-lick of one paw and gave her the feline equivalent of a give-me-a-break look. “Seriously? After breaking and entering for the Louella Drummond crime, you really expect me to believe you’re scared to touch a little bag? Come on. I stole it from Owen’s office especially for you.”
Raine put Mortimer back down. His leaves quivered and then bent toward the bag just as Raine leaned over and squinted at it herself. “Looks like something shiny.”
“And glittering,” Ember added, her gaze narrowed. “I see definite glitter.”
As if the familiars sensed something important was in the bag, Bella’s ears perked up with interest, and the kittens opened their eyes and lengthened their legs in a full stretch that made the little pink pads on their toes separate.
“Woof.” Bella barked happily, looking up at Issy as if alerting her to the importance of the charm.
“Yes, I see it. Are you trying to tell me something?”
Bella spun in circles, her tail jerking back and forth. Issy smiled. “Well, maybe she is coming along further than I thought.”
Endora and Bellatrix trotted over and sniffed the bag then looked up at Ember, who smiled proudly at them. “Ditto here.”
“Easy for them. They didn’t have to do the hard work of procuring it. But I suppose someone has to show them how it’s done.” Brimstone glared at the other familiars, but Issy thought she saw a fleeting look of approval in his eye before he turned to her. “Now it’s up to you humans to figure out how to benefit from it.”
Issy pinched the edge of the bag between her thumb and forefinger and held it closer to her face. “Obviously, this must be the charm that DeeDee said Ursula found in the victim’s wound.”
Spell Disaster (Silver Hollow Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series Book 2) Page 3
