by Rose Pressey
I headed down the sidewalk toward my car parked back at the café. Unfortunately, the police had taken my award with them in case they found Reagan. I had explained that the award had my name on it, but they didn’t seem to care. I supposed my award was the least of my worries right now though. I had a bad feeling that she hadn’t taken off on her own.
“Whew, am I glad to be sitting down,” Grandma Imelda said when she climbed in the passenger seat of my car.
“It’s been a long day. We’ll go home and I’ll make us some dinner.”
“Don’t you have a date with Rory?” Grandma Imelda asked.
It was our regular date night. Other times we just stayed at Rory’s house or mine, watching movies or talking over dinner. Tonight would be the night we’d go out on the town. Rory always came up with the best plans, whether it was the theater or just strolling through the park.
I steered the car out onto the road. “I think he’ll understand that I’m too tired tonight.”
I was a little surprised that he hadn’t called me yet. After I’d prepared soup and cornbread for our dinner, my phone rang.
“Hello, gorgeous,” Rory said as soon as I picked up.
“Wow, what a day,” I said.
After I explained what had happened, he said, “So how about a movie or we could just go for a walk?”
I knew I’d said I would just go to bed, but I really wanted a chance to ask Rory about his cousin. “In a half hour?” I asked.
“I’ll pick you up.”
As soon as I hung up, I rushed toward my bedroom so that I could get ready as quickly as possible.
“You decided to see him after all?” Grandma Imelda asked.
I popped my head around the corner and waved my toothbrush through the air. “I figure this will give me a chance to ask about his cousin. I can’t wait until tomorrow.”
Grandma Imelda winked. “That’s my girl.”
I slipped into my favorite pair of jeans and a black sweater and my comfortable cowboy boots. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for another trip to the park this soon though.
Chapter 6
Rory had a big red truck that I had a hard time even climbing up into. His dog Beau loved to sit in the passenger seat and go for rides. I was sure he’d been disappointed when Rory left without him tonight.
“Sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk with you all day. Work kept me busy.” His voice sounded as if he was tired.
I smiled. “That’s okay, we were busy too.”
I wasn’t sure how to tell him that Tom would be back in town soon. That was probably not something Rory would want to hear. For now I would keep it to myself.
It was a pleasant drive through town as I explained, a crisp fall night with not a cloud in the sky and a million stars in the sky. Soon the lights from town broke through the darkness. I was glad because there was an uneasiness that I’d felt while driving in the dark. It felt as if someone was watching us. No matter how much we drove it felt as if the eyes had stayed on us. Not to mention I felt a bit of magic in the air. Just on the cusp where I couldn’t quite put my finger on the source.
As we neared the café, I looked over at Meredith’s shop. I was almost obsessed with the place now. Why did I keep watching it? Was it because of the magic I felt? That was probably it. I just couldn’t understand where the feeling had come from if Meredith said she didn’t use magic. Of course there was always a chance that she could be lying. But why would she? The fact that I had asked about the magic had to let her know that I knew about the town’s magical secret.
Just then I spotted activity at the shop.
“Is that someone trying to break into your cousin’s shop?” I asked.
“Where?” Rory asked.
“Over by that side door.” I pointed.
He eased the truck over to the curb and shoved it into park. “Wait here. I’m going to check it out.”
The side of the building was dark and I really couldn’t make out much of the person, who was dressed all in black. I didn’t even know if it was a man or a woman, just that the person was dressed all in dark clothing. It looked as if they were trying to break in though. Of course I couldn’t let Rory look around out there by himself. What if the person attacked him or had a gun?
I eased out of the truck and over to the sidewalk. From that vantage point I couldn’t see what was going on at the side of the building. My heart thumped in my chest. This was a lot of activity going on with Reagan missing and now a burglar. When I reached the little alleyway, I peeked around the side of the building. I jumped and clutched my chest.
“Elly, you scared me,” Rory said. “You shouldn’t be out here.”
“I was worried you’d be attacked. Did you find the person?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, I didn’t see anyone.”
“Should we call the police?”
Rory stared at the building for a second. “I guess there’s nothing they can do now. I’ll tell Meredith about it. She needs to get more security.”
I glanced across the street toward the café. I hoped the person didn’t move on to my place next.
“We should check the café to make sure the person isn’t over there,” Rory said.
He must have read my mind. We crossed the road over to the café. As we inched toward the back of the building, I nudged Rory and pointed. He took off running toward the Dumpster.
I knew he’d seen the same thing as me. It looked like the same person who had been trying to break into Meredith’s. I was almost sure now that it had been a man. He’d jumped the fence. By the time Rory looked over the top of the fence he’d gotten away.
“Do you see anyone?” I asked when I reached Rory.
He climbed down from the fence. His bicep muscles bulged under the fabric of his shirt. “No, he got away. Somebody must be trying to break in to places around here. We’ll just keep an eye out for anything else suspicious.”
I really didn’t want to deal with the police again tonight.
Rory talked to the police and they said they’d patrol the area more. After all that had happened, I wasn’t in the mood for ice cream so Rory just took me home. He kissed me goodnight and I waved goodbye from the window once I was securely inside.
I didn’t know why I felt so scared even though I was home now. They would think I was involved in some really strange activities. Grandma Imelda was already asleep, so I wasn’t going to wake her to tell her what had happened. I knew she was sensing the strange magic too though.
***
The next morning, Grandma Imelda and I arrived at the café bright and early to prepare breakfast. We had an hour to get ready before the breakfast rush. Grandma Imelda was busy with one of her special pies that she still refused to give me the recipe for. As I prepared my special gravy, I headed over toward the shelf where I kept the spellbook. I had a lot of the spells memorized now, but some of the lesser-used ones I still had to look up. When I reached the shelf, I stopped. There was a book there that I didn’t recognize.
I took the book from the shelf and placed it on the counter. It looked a lot like the book that I had used so many times over the last few months. It had the same leather cover with a gold raised symbol on the front. I glanced over my shoulder. Grandma Imelda was busy making food with the earbuds in her ears. She was dancing and singing along to Taylor Swift’s Shake it Off. I had to take a look inside the book.
Anxiety danced in my stomach as I flipped back the cover. It was definitely a book of magic spells, but I was right, I’d never seen it before. It didn’t look as if the spells were for food either, but then again, I wasn’t an expert with magic—far from it.
Just then the bell on the front door jingled. I must have left the door unlocked. I slammed the cover on the book and hurried over to the door. I’d have to tell the customer that the food wasn’t quite ready yet. Grandma Imelda was still bopping around to the music that only she could hear. At least she wasn’t singing at the moment. My mind was sti
ll distracted by the book that I’d just discovered. I couldn’t wait to get back to look at it again.
When I stepped out into the dining area, I stopped in my tracks. Tom Owenton was standing in the middle of the room. He smiled and his eyes sparkled. I couldn’t stop the dancing in my stomach when I saw him. He looked just as handsome as ever. With his dark hair and eyes, he had that mysterious vibe that went so well with being an investigator with the Organization.
“Good morning,” he said in his sexy voice.
Tom and I started walking toward each other. When he was standing right in front of me, he reached out and wrapped his arms around me. I hadn’t expected that.
I inhaled and caught a big whiff of his spicy scent. He wore a black suit with a white shirt and blue tie. He had a black fedora on and it looked great on him.
“You look great,” he whispered in my ear.
He knew how to make a woman weak in the knees.
I stepped back for a moment to compose myself. “Come in and have a seat.”
Tom smiled and said, “I’d love to.”
He followed me over to the counter and sat on one of the stools. I had a flashback to the time when he’d first shown up in my café. He’d definitely stood out as an outsider.
“So tell me what happened,” he said, getting right to the point. I supposed that was the reason for his visit.
I pushed the hair back behind my ear. “Like I said, Reagan was here to give me the award.”
He held up his hand. “What award?”
I frowned. “The award from the Organization for Most Improved Magic.”
Tom pulled a notepad from his suit pocket and scribbled a note. I leaned forward to see what he’d written, but he blocked it with his hand. Did he do that on purpose?
Footsteps sounded behind me and I whipped around to see Grandma Imelda. It was what she was holding in her hands that was my biggest concern. She had the spellbook clutched to her ample chest. What was she doing with it? Had she been the one to bring it here without telling me? That must have been it. I supposed if that was the case then there was nothing to worry about. Mystery solved.
She smiled widely as soon as she spotted Tom sitting at the counter. “My, my, what have we here?”
Tom winked at her. “Good morning, Imelda. You look gorgeous.”
Grandma Imelda giggled as she walked closer. “I wish you were here under better circumstances,” she said.
Tom nodded. “Me too, Imelda, me too.”
Grandma Imelda placed the book down on the counter in front of us. “Where did this spellbook come from?”
My stomach flipped. I had hoped she would be able to tell me where it had come from. Tom peered down at the book with a frown on his face. For a moment, I was speechless.
Finally, as they both stared at me, I said, “I thought it was your book, Grandma.”
Her eyes widened. “My book? Heavens, no. I’ve never seen it before.”
Now the mystery had returned. I supposed now would be a good time to tell them about seeing the stranger outside the café last night. But that couldn’t have anything to do with this mystery book. I mean, he had never been inside the café. Still, it was probably best that I told Tom and Grandma Imelda about it.
Just then Tom’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket. “If you’ll excuse me for just a moment, ladies, I need to take this call.”
We nodded, but there was no way either of us was going away so that we would miss what he said. I supposed we were nosy, but Grandma Imelda liked to call it inquisitive. I suppose that was a little accurate. Tom looked at me as I listened to the call.
“Right. Uh-huh. Okay. Thanks.” He clicked off the call and released a sigh.
“What did they say?” I asked.
“You don’t know where the book came from?” he asked.
My stomach twisted into a knot. I wasn’t liking the way that this felt. Something was wrong. “It was on my shelf in the kitchen this morning, but I have no idea how it got there.”
“The book has been reported stolen.” His gorgeous eyes were locked on me.
For a moment it felt as if the room was spinning. I placed my hands on the counter to brace myself. Grandma Imelda touched my arm to make sure I didn’t fall.
“Are you okay, dear?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” I said, brushing the back of my hand across my forehead. I hoped that I didn’t faint. “You do believe me, right?” I looked at Tom.
He stared at me with those eyes that would make any woman melt into his arms. “Of course, but I’m afraid you’re under investigation. You understand, right?”
I supposed I didn’t have a choice but to understand. After all, I was the one with the book. “I’m telling the truth. I have no idea how the book got here.”
“My granddaughter would never steal anything.” Grandma Imelda placed her hands on her hips. She liked Tom, but she wasn’t afraid to give him a piece of her mind if need be.
“I’m sorry,” Tom said with a look of confusion in his eyes.
I guessed this was the last thing he’d thought would happen on this visit. I couldn’t believe that this was happening. Not again.
Chapter 7
Tom pulled the book toward him. “I’ll have to take the book as evidence.”
I waved my hand. “Take the thing. I don’t want it anywhere around me.”
Grandma Imelda folded her arms in front of her chest. “Someone obviously put the book here for a reason. I sense that it wasn’t a good reason either.”
“Ladies, just try to stay calm. I promise I will get to the bottom of it.”
“It’s just that there are some strange things going on around here,” I tried to sound calm, but I knew it wasn’t working.
Of course there was hardly a time when there wasn’t something strange going on in town. I had hoped that stuff was all behind us now.
“We’ll find out what’s happening. Though I’m not sure who Reagan is, but I’m looking into the details.” He studied my face. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
I glanced over at Grandma Imelda. I hadn’t told her what had happened yet. I had hoped that it wouldn’t be necessary. I didn’t want to upset her.
I picked at the towel on the counter. “There was one thing that happened last night.”
“What’s that?” He crossed his arms in front of his chest.
I felt Grandma Imelda staring at me. I knew she’d be upset when she found out I’d kept this info from her. “Last night I spotted a man trying to get inside Meredith’s shop across the street. Then he vanished, but when I looked across the street he was over here by my shop.” I probably sounded paranoid.
“What happened?” Grandma Imelda asked with worry in her voice.
I sighed. “He got away.”
“What did this man look like?” Tom pressed.
“I don’t know,” I said.
Tom gave me a confused look.
“It was too dark,” I explained. “I’m not even one hundred percent sure it was a man, but I think it was.”
“What were you doing alone?” Grandma Imelda tossed her hands up.
I cast a look her way. Why did she have to bring that up? Tom had his gorgeous blue eyes focused on my face.
“I wasn’t alone,” I said.
He looked away, as if he didn’t even want to know who I’d been with. Grandma Imelda didn’t mention anything else about the fact I’d been with Rory. Tom didn’t mention it either.
“I need to go to the hotel and speak with the police. I’ll be back soon. Please call if anything else strange happens.” Tom tapped the counter to signal his departure.
I nodded. “I promise I will.”
Tom flashed a sexy, lopsided grin and then turned toward the door.
When he was out the door, I asked, “What do we do now?”
“We finish making the goods. People will be here soon and they’ll be hungry.” She motioned for me to get to work.
Just then Mary Jane walked through the door. She gestured over her shoulder. “Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me, but I could have sworn I just saw Tom walking down the sidewalk.”
I sighed. “No tricks. It was him.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth twisted into the tiniest of grins. “What is he doing here?”
“I didn’t get a chance to call you last night because it was late, but Reagan is missing.”
Mary Jane frowned. “The woman who was supposed to give you the award?”
I nodded. “Yes, and that’s not all.”
“There’s more?” she asked as she grabbed her apron.
“This morning I found a strange spellbook in the kitchen. It’s not mine and it’s not Grandma Imelda’s. Did you see anyone go into the kitchen?” I asked.
She looped the apron around her neck. “No, I wouldn’t let anyone back there. Unless it was for a delivery.”
Grandma Imelda opened the swinging door to the kitchen and motioned for us to enter. “We need to get back to work.”
Mary Jane and I followed her command and stepped into the kitchen. Grandma Imelda was right behind us.
“This is a little scary,” Mary Jane said.
“Yes, it is, but Tom will figure out what’s going on, ladies,” Grandma Imelda said as she grabbed a pot from over the island.
“I bet you’re happy to see him.” Mary Jane wiggled her eyebrows.
I tried to hide my blush by turning away. “It’s always good to see a friend.”
She snorted, but didn’t say anything.
When I looked toward the shelf, I let out a gasp.
“What’s wrong?” Grandma Imelda rushed over.
“Did you see a bug?” Mary Jane asked.
I pointed toward the shelf. “It’s another spellbook.”
Grandma Imelda raced over and grabbed the book from the shelf. She placed the big tome down on the counter. I stepped over for a closer look.
“Is it like the other one?” Mary Jane asked from over my shoulder.
“It does look just like the other one,” I said.
