The Dirty Coven

by Lily Harper Hart

  Cooper opened his mouth to do just that when a terrifying crack of thunder caused the entire room to shake. Hannah snapped up her head, her eyes going wide.

  “What was that?”

  “It’s a storm.” Cooper shot her a reassuring look as he moved to the front window. Storm clouds were rolling in overhead and the workers were clearing from the streets and scattering into buildings. “They’re normal around here. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  Hannah was familiar with storms — Michigan was chock-full of them in the summer — but this one was so loud that it made her nervous. “I have to get Jinx. He hates storms. I mean ... really hates them.”

  “He’s in the barn with Tyler.”

  “Yeah, but ... he’s still my baby.”

  Cooper sighed. He understood what she was saying. “Well, come on.” He made an impatient gesture with his hand and pushed open the swinging doors. “Let’s get him locked in here with us. The books can wait for a few minutes.”

  Hannah was profoundly grateful. “Thank you.”

  They jogged to the barn. It wasn’t raining yet, but it would be soon. Tyler didn’t seem surprised when they poked their heads inside. He looked to have his hands full as Desperado danced around and fought efforts to go into his stall.

  “I see that horse is still being persnickety,” Cooper noted as Jinx happily barked and ran to Hannah. “When are you going to give up and admit he’s a lost cause?”

  “Never.” Tyler was adamant. “Abigail wanted him. I’m going to find a way to break him if it’s the last thing I do. It’s personal now.”

  “Yeah, well, a storm is coming,” Cooper noted. “Do you need help getting the animals inside?”

  “No. They’re already taken care of. Most of them have the sense to come in out of the rain. Well, sometimes the chickens don’t. They have their coop, though. They’ll be fine.”

  “We came for Jinx,” Hannah explained. “Storms make him nervous.”

  “I wondered. He’s been whining a bit for the past few minutes. I think he’ll be happier with you.”

  “Are you going to hunker down here?” Cooper asked.

  “Yeah. There are still some cops running around. I’m not sure what they’re going to do, but it’s their business. I’m sticking here. I think the storm is supposed to last about an hour. After that, it’s back to business as usual.”

  “We’ll be at the saloon if you need us. I’m teaching Hannah how to do the books.”

  “I bet you are.” Tyler let loose a saucy wink, which mortified Cooper to the soles of his feet.

  When the security chief turned to Hannah, he found her watching him with open amusement. “I take it you find this funny.”

  “Just a little. I warned you about it.”

  “Yes, well ... it will get better.”

  “If you say so.” Hannah affixed Jinx’s leash to his collar and pulled him toward the door. “Come on, boy. Let’s get you home. If you have to do your business, now is the time to do it. I’m not taking you outside in the rain.”

  The dog shot her a look that said “we both know you’ll take me wherever I need to go” but happily wagged his tail.

  “Let’s move,” Cooper suggested. “The storm will be here any second. I want to be safely inside when it hits.”

  LEARNING THE BOOKS TURNED OUT to be easier than Hannah wanted to admit. She still wasn’t thrilled with that new facet of her job, but she managed to muddle through and do everything required of her three times in a row, which meant Cooper was fine giving it a rest for the day.

  “We’ll do it together next month, too,” he said as he closed the laptop. “That way I’ll be there in case you forget something.”

  “I think I can handle it, but thank you so much.”

  “I heard that sarcasm.”

  “I wasn’t trying to hide it.”

  Thanks to a flash of lightning, they both moved to the window to take a better look. Jinx was staying as far away from the swinging doors as possible — for a mixed-breed Labrador, he only liked water when he could splash in it, not when it splashed on him — and was curled up in the corner behind the bar. He kept casting suspicious looks toward the door and clearly wasn’t happy when Hannah and Cooper set up shop next to the window.

  “It’s been longer than an hour,” Hannah pointed out, glancing at her watch. “This doesn’t look like it’s going to let up anytime soon.”

  “It doesn’t,” he agreed, a chill running down his spine when he accidentally brushed against her slim back. She wasn’t wearing perfume — at least not that he could tell — but she smelled delightful all the same. She was starting to go to his head, and that was a worrisome thought. “I should probably check on Boone and the others.” He cleared his throat and took a step back.

  If Hannah sensed his sudden discomfort, she didn’t show it. “How do you know they’re still here?”

  “Because they took refuge in the bank right before the storm hit. I saw them. There’s no way to get out of here while this is going on so they’re definitely waiting it out.”

  “Oh.” Hannah wrinkled her forehead. “Are you sure you want to go out in this?”

  “No, but I would like to know if Boone has learned something. Don’t worry. There’s no way Astra will approach you here during this storm. Besides, I won’t be gone very long.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes in a ridiculous manner, causing him to smile. “I think I’ve proven I can take care of myself.”

  “You certainly have. I simply don’t want you feeling exposed. I won’t leave you open until this is settled. I promise you that.”

  “Does that mean you’re spending the night again?”

  The question made him uncomfortable. “That was the plan. Is that okay with you?”

  “Sure. Can we get Chinese tonight, though? I’m in the mood for sesame chicken.”

  “I believe I can make that happen.”

  “Great.” She watched him go from the window, waved when he landed on the other porch and disappeared under the protection of the overhang. He turned and waved back and the grins they shared for a beat were sloppy. Then she turned to business. “I’m going to practice those books again so I can wow him next time. It’s nowhere near as hard as I thought it would be.”

  BOONE WAS GROUPED WITH two of his deputies when Cooper stomped into the bank. They were sitting at one of the small tables at the front of the facility and looked to be playing cards.

  “I’m glad to see you guys are working hard,” Cooper drawled, shaking his mane of hair like a dog as he grinned. “How is life?”

  “It’s fantastic,” Boone replied, making a face. “I’ve never had so much fun in my life.”

  “What are you playing?”

  “Rummy. We didn’t have any other options. Do you want in?”

  “No, I’m heading back to Hannah in a few minutes. I just wanted to ask if you’d found anything of interest since we last talked.”

  Boone had known Cooper for a long time and he was used to the man’s moods. There was something he was purposely leaving unsaid. “You could’ve called,” he pointed out finally, lifting his cell phone. “Even though she fought it for years, Abigail finally got that cell signal booster because the internet wouldn’t work otherwise. I would think calling would’ve saved you from getting wet.”

  “I ... .” Cooper was caught and the knowing look Boone sent him was marginally annoying.

  “You needed a breather from Hannah because you were about to do something stupid.” He filled in the blanks. “I get it. Did you kiss her or just think about it?”

  The fact that the deputies — both men that Cooper knew well — were smiling, only made matters worse. “Ugh.” He slapped his hand to his forehead. “Do you have to act like a child?”

  “I’m simply curious. I mean ... she is Abigail’s granddaughter and you thought of Abigail as a surrogate grandmother. That means Hannah is essentially your cousin.”

  Cooper glowered at him. “She
most certainly is not my cousin.”

  “She kind of is.”

  “She is not!”

  “Not that he cares about things such as that,” one of the deputies teased.

  Cooper ignored him. “I didn’t want her to be alone after she was attacked. She’s Abigail’s granddaughter. You’re right about that. I would never be able to face Abigail again if something happened to her. I was trying to keep her safe. Nothing happened. Why can’t you drop it?”

  “Because you’re adorable when you get frustrated,” Boone replied without hesitation. “Seriously, though, just chill out. We’re only having fun with you.”

  Cooper was understandably wary. “Fine. Have you found anything good?”

  “I did find one thing,” Boone admitted, turning serious. “I don’t know what to make of it. One of the techs pulled it out of a wound on Kip’s neck.”

  Cooper frowned. “Wait ... are you saying that Kip had the same marks as Jordan?”

  “He did.” Boone bobbed his head. “In almost the exact same place, too. The rope they used on him hid the marks.”

  “What did you find?” Cooper was grim as he followed the sheriff to the bank counter. There, several evidence bags rested. The one Boone reached for had a speck of ... something ... inside. He couldn’t quite make it out. “What is that?”

  “I don’t know. It looks like a sequin or something, like something you might have on a dress. It’s tiny, though. I don’t know what to make of it.”

  Cooper squinted as he studied the item in question. He flipped it over so he could look at it from both directions. He recognized it, although it took him a moment to put things together. “I know where this came from.”

  “You do?” Boone brightened considerably. “Where?”

  “It’s a nail enhancement.”

  “I don’t understand what you mean.”

  “I mean that it’s a nail enhancement. Women use polish to paint their nails and then set these small rhinestones in them as another accent.”

  “I’ve never seen a woman do that.”

  “I have. I’ve seen four of them do it.”

  “Which four?”

  “I’ll give you one guess.”

  Boone thought hard and then the knowledge smacked him upside the head. “Oh.”

  “Yes.” Cooper ran his tongue over his teeth as he paced back and forth. “Astra has one in her finger. The other three do, too. They followed her lead, which I’m sure was her idea.”

  “Then we just need to figure out which one of them is missing a rhinestone.”

  “I think that’s going to be easier said than done.”

  “Still, it’s somewhere to look.”

  “You’re not wrong.”

  18

  Eighteen

  Hannah diligently worked on the computer program, checking back and forth multiple times to make sure that she was doing it correctly. After a few minutes of clicking around, she had a general idea of how everything worked. It was similar to the spreadsheet program they used at the law office, which she knew in and out.

  The rain came down in torrents outside and she found the sound soothing even as the frequent bursts of lightning and thunder caused her to jolt in her seat. The building looked old but it seemed well-constructed, which made her feel better. She commanded herself to focus on her work even though she found her attention more and more frequently drawn to the street on the other side of the swinging doors. There was something mesmerizing about the tempest.

  A particularly vicious series of lightning bolts — three flashes practically on top of each other — had Hannah’s attention going to the street again. She thought she saw something but couldn’t be sure, so she narrowed her eyes and stared at the spot in question.

  The lightning flashed again but there was nothing there. She continued staring anyway.

  After the third time, the spot still empty, she convinced herself that she’d imagined it and turned back to the computer. At that exact moment, the lights went out in the saloon, plunging Hannah into darkness. The only thing offering any light was the laptop and it wasn’t exactly radiating a welcoming glow.

  “Well, this sucks.” Hannah left the laptop open as she slowly got to her feet. It wasn’t night but there was very little ambient light to guide her because of the storm clouds obliterating everything they came in contact with. Hesitantly, she walked to the doors and stared out. Her stomach was twisted with worry and she was seriously considering racing into the storm just so she could follow Cooper. The only thing holding her back was the fact that she didn’t want to look like a weakling in front of the security chief. She knew she would never live down the shame if she couldn’t handle a simple storm.

  Another flash of lightning had the hair on her arms standing on end. She pulled back slightly from the door and shook her head, a set of rueful eyes traveling to Jinx as he cowered behind the bar. “I don’t think either of us will turn into storm chasers anytime soon, huh?” She swallowed hard and glanced back at the street. “I wish Cooper would come back. Although ... if you tell him I said that, I’ll deny it.”

  Jinx’s tongue lolled out and she could almost hear him laughing. It made her feel better to know the dog was close, even if he was a poor watchdog and more likely to lick an intruder to death than attack.

  “It’s so dark outside,” she muttered. “I don’t like this.”

  “You’ll get used to it.”

  Hannah almost jumped out of her skin as the chirpy voice knocked her for a loop. Her blue eyes went wide — almost the size of saucers really — and she sucked in a breath when she realized Abigail’s ethereal form was standing next to her.

  “What are you doing here?” Hannah made a face as she worked overtime to calm her racing heart. “You should start announcing yourself before you appear.”

  Abigail smirked. “How do you suggest I do that? I can barely control when I appear as it is. I’m working on it but ... well ... it’s not nearly as easy as I thought it would be.”

  Hannah was legitimately confused. “What’s not as easy?”

  “Being dead.”

  “Oh, well ... .” She pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead and regulated her breathing. She was going to have to get used to this. If she wanted to stay, Abigail was going to be a part of her life. Sure, the woman was a ghost and Hannah was certain she never saw her life going this way, but she was simply going to have to suck it up. “What’s it like?” she asked finally, genuinely curious.

  “Being dead?” Abigail held out her hands and shrugged. “It’s a lot like being alive except that I can’t control anything ... or work in my garden. I loved my garden.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “What do you have to be sorry about?”

  “Well ... I’m sorry that you died.” Hannah rubbed her sweaty palms on the front of her jeans and moved away from the doors. “You probably weren’t ready to go, huh?”

  “I don’t think anyone is ever ready to go,” Abigail replied. “I’m not happy to be dead, if that’s what you’re asking. I am happy to finally meet you.”

  “Yeah?” Hannah felt weird talking to a dead woman. Even worse, she felt awkward because she had so many questions regarding her mother. She wasn’t sure if they were considered rude but she wanted them answered all the same. “How come my mother never mentioned you?”

  Abigail’s smile slid as she heaved out a sigh. “I figured you would want to talk about that eventually,” she admitted. “I was hoping we would have more time before we hopped right into things but ... well ... here we are.”

  “Yeah. Here we are. I’ve been going through my memory as much as possible since I arrived and I can’t remember my mother talking about you more than a handful of times. She seemed ... agitated. I guess that’s the word I would use.”

  “She was agitated about me?” Abigail’s face lit with amusement. “That’s rich. She was the one who was annoying.”

  “She was my mother.”

 
; “And even though you found her annoying, you don’t want anyone else to talk about her in a negative light,” Abigail surmised. “I get it. I don’t blame you. She was my daughter and she drove me crazy but I don’t want to hear anyone else disparage her either.”

  “Did you talk at all?” Hannah lowered herself into a nearby chair. “I mean ... did you ever pick up the phone and try to have a conversation even though you clearly weren’t getting along?”

  “We tried a few times over the years,” Abigail conceded. “They weren’t good conversations, but we did try. When your brother was born, she called me. She thought I might want to see my grandson. I did, of course, but I was angry she didn’t tell me that he was on the way. I internalized that anger, and by the time I arrived in Michigan I was spoiling for a fight. That’s exactly what we did when we saw each other.”

  “You fought?” Hannah was amused despite herself. “That sounds about right. Mom liked to fight. My father wasn’t much of a fighter. I guess that saved their marriage, though, because he was never into it and she had to look elsewhere if she wanted to yell. Dad was just never the sort of guy you could be angry at. He was too amiable.”

  “I know your father.” Abigail’s smile widened. “I happen to like him a great deal. He was never a source of conflict for your mother and me.”

  “No?” Hannah had no idea why, but for some reason that made her feel better. “He’s a good man. He lives in New York now. My brother does, too. They were anxious to get out of Michigan once we were out of high school. My father does better in an area with a lot of museums.”

  “Your father always was a history buff,” Abigail agreed. “He used to love visiting Casper Creek.”

  “He said he’d been here but didn’t say much else about it,” Hannah supplied. “How many times did he visit?”

  “Just the one that I recall.” Abigail’s lips quirked. “He spent all his time telling the re-enactors what they were doing wrong. He absolutely loves the old west.”

  “It’s because his last name is Hickok.” Hannah’s expression turned dour. “He’s convinced he’s related to Wild Bill Hickok, although I believe I’ve already mentioned that. He tells people he is even though there’s no real proof.”