by Rose Pressey
Mary Jane stood beside me as we watched Rory get into his car. Instead of driving off down the street, he pulled into the alleyway beside Meredith’s shop. We exchanged a look.
“What is he doing?” Mary Jane asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. He’s acting weird.”
“Did you ask him about it?”
“He said he didn’t believe that she is involved with magic.”
“We know that’s not true,” Mary Jane said.
“I didn’t know what else to say, so I dropped it after that,” I said.
Just then Rory backed his truck back onto the street. He wasn’t alone in the truck this time. It looked as if a man was in there with him. Of course he had a hat on and sunglasses. It almost looked as if he was trying to wear a disguise.
“Who is that?” Mary Jane asked.
“I don’t know.”
Rory pulled out onto the street in a hurry and took off. Neither of them even looked this way. Maybe it was none of my business, but I needed to know who was in the truck with him. I knew that I couldn’t share everything with Tom. And Rory might not be telling me everything, so I would have to take matters into my own hands. Where would I even start? First I would find out who was in the truck with Rory. Then I needed to learn why Meredith was lying about the spellbooks. Did any of this have anything to do with Reagan’s disappearance?
“Are you there?” Mary Jane touched my arm.
I snapped out of my thoughts. “Yeah, sure.”
“Here come a couple customers.”
“We have to hurry.”
As soon as I had time I would look into all of my questions.
Chapter 11
The sun would set soon. It had been a busy day, but things had settled down now. I’d been so consumed with customers that I hadn’t thought much about the morning’s events. Now that things had grown quiet, the thoughts started seeping back into the front of my mind.
I had thought the last customer had left for the day, but then a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties entered the café. He didn’t make eye contact with me as he slipped into a booth at the front of the café. It was only fifteen minutes until time to close, but that would be just enough time to make his food.
I could start cleaning while he ate. Mary Jane had already left for the day, so I grabbed a menu and headed over toward the table. Grandma Imelda was in the kitchen. She was prepping for tomorrow’s menu. I knew she was trying to keep busy because she was still fuming over finding the spellbook in the kitchen. She’d kept a close eye on that shelf all day in case another book had appeared. Thank goodness nothing else had happened. But I was worried another book would show up overnight once we’d left the café. I was going to have to set up surveillance cameras around the café.
I placed the menu down on the table in front of the man. “Good evening. Welcome to Mystic Café. Would you like something to drink?”
He snatched the menu from the table. “Water.”
His behavior caught me off guard. He’d obviously left his manners at home. I turned without saying another word. After getting a glass of water, I headed back over to the table. Now I was dreading having another interaction with this man.
I placed the water down on the table and then said, “Do you know what you’d like to order?” I tried to use my friendliest tone possible.
“I’ll take a cheeseburger and make it snappy.”
I knew the customer was always right, but this guy was a jerk. The quicker that I got him out of there the better off I’d be. If Grandma Imelda encountered his nasty disposition she’d want to kick him out on his rear.
He tossed the menu at me. “And get rid of this too.”
I bit my tongue and still didn’t say anything. I knew what I was going to do. I’d give him a spell to change his attitude. It might not last long, but it would be enough to make him at least civil while he was in the café.
I hurried back to the kitchen. I still didn’t let Grandma Imelda know about this man’s behavior.
“What did he order, dear?”
“Just a cheeseburger,” I said as I started making his food.
I thought about making a pie for him, but there was no guarantee he would eat it, so I decided to add the magic to the cheeseburger. The desserts seemed to absorb the magic better, resulting in stronger spells, but I would add magic in other foods if I had to—mashed potatoes seemed to work well too. The spices popped and sparkled as I added them to the burger on the grill. For good measure, I added just a dash more.
Grandma Imelda turned to me. “He needs a spell?”
I smiled. “I just thought it would be a nice way to end his evening.”
She wiped her hands on her apron. “That’s nice. A happy spell?”
I nodded. “Yes, he will be blissful for a short while.”
I finished the food and marched out into the dining area. He turned to look at me as I neared his table.
“It’s about time,” he snapped.
I was trying hard, but one more comment like that and he might end up with ketchup on his head. I placed the plate in front of him and he immediately grabbed the burger and started eating.
I stepped back over to the counter to watch Dr. Jekyll turn into Mr. Hyde. He ate the entire burger surprisingly fast and I wondered if the spell would even work after being consumed so quickly. As soon as he finished he turned to look at me. I had hoped he would smile, but his scowl had turned even nastier. This wasn’t supposed to happen. His eyes almost looked as if they were glowing. I swallowed hard as he stood from the table. What was he going to do? I hoped he didn’t come over and yell at me. Or something worse.
In one fluid movement, the man grabbed the table and flipped it in the air. The plate and glass flew in the air before crashing onto the floor.
Grandma Imelda ran from the kitchen. “What happened?”
I didn’t even know what to say to her. The man’s face had turned red. He grabbed the nearby chair and smashed it against the floor, breaking it into pieces.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Grandma Imelda yelled.
I stepped in front of her. “Don’t get too close to him, Grandma. I think there’s something wrong with him.”
The man reached for another chair. If he kept this up I wouldn’t have anything left of the café. Just then the door opened. Tom stormed in and grabbed the chair from the man’s hands. It all happened so quickly. Tom grabbed the guy by his shirt and marched him toward the door. Grandma Imelda and I raced across the café and out onto the sidewalk.
Tom tossed the guy onto the street. “I don’t want to ever see you in here again.”
I’d never seen Tom so mad. The man stumbled up from the pavement. He glared at Tom, but didn’t speak. We watched as he stumbled across the street and down the sidewalk a little way.
Tom had acted as if he knew this man. We watched as he climbed inside a big red truck that was parked on the street. Just then the truck’s headlights turned on and the engine revved. The truck drove down the street right in front of the café.
For a moment, I could have sworn the truck was Rory’s. But I supposed it just looked like his. There would be no way this man would know Rory or get in the truck with him. I released a deep breath when the truck’s taillights went out of sight. I hoped I never saw that man again.
I felt Tom’s eyes on me. I knew what he was thinking. I hoped that I could avoid the topic. Finally I had to look over at him. He was staring at me with his gorgeous eyes.
“Was that Rory’s truck?” he asked.
I frowned. “No. Of course not. That was just a truck that looked like his.”
Tom looked out at the street again. I knew he was suspicious and didn’t believe me. “You have to admit that it was a little suspicious, no?”
“No, I don’t have to admit anything,” I said. “I don’t know what else to say other than I know that he was not involved. Why would he be friends with someone who acted that way?” I sta
red at Tom.
Finally, he looked at me. “I guess he wouldn’t be. What did that man say? Why was he acting that way?”
“He came in to eat at the last minute, but he was rude from the start.”
“I thought maybe you’d encountered him before,” Tom said.
I shook my head. “I’ve never seen him before.”
“Just keep your eye out for him again.”
“I’ll be watching over my shoulder everywhere now,” I said.
Tom held the door open for me. “Let’s go back inside.”
The darkness was a little unsettling even though there were street lights around. After the encounter with the man, it just felt as if someone was watching us. We stepped back inside the café. Grandma Imelda had been by the window watching, but she was now picking up pieces of broken chair.
“Grandma, don’t do that. I’ll clean it up.”
She picked up a leg of a chair. “It gives me something to do, dear. You know I’ve never been one to just sit around.”
I glanced at Tom. “What have you found out about Reagan?”
He shook his head. “I’m working on it.”
I stared at him. “Why do I feel you’re keeping secrets from me?”
He leaned against the back of the booth. “I don’t know. Why would I keep secrets?”
“Maybe there is more going on around here than you want me to know about,” I said.
“Because I am trying to protect you?” he asked.
I pointed at him. “Exactly. Is that what it is? You need to be honest with me.”
Tom stared at the wall for a moment and I knew that I was on to something.
“You know that I’m going to find out anyway. So you might as well go ahead and tell me now,” I said.
He didn’t answer for a moment and then he finally looked at me. “The Organization has no record of her.”
“What do you mean? There’s no record of Reagan?” I asked.
He nodded. “That’s what I’m saying. She’s not part of the Organization.”
“Then why was she here to give me an award?” I asked.
“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” he said.
Now I knew why he hadn’t told me sooner. This was unsettling. I was completely confused.
I was suspicious of Meredith too. Especially after seeing the books and then having her act as if she had no idea what I was talking about. “What about Meredith?” I asked.
Tom sighed and then said, “There are no records of her either.”
I pulled out a chair and sat down. “I can’t believe this was happening. What are they trying to do?” I asked.
Tom sat on the chair beside me. He wrapped his hands around mine and looked me right in the eyes. “We don’t know that they are connected. Don’t jump to conclusions.”
“What are the odds that two women who are connected in some way to magic, yet the Organization doesn’t know them, aren’t involved in this together? What game are they trying to play?”
My thoughts were going a million miles an hour. I suddenly had an idea. I looked at Tom.
“I don’t like the look in your eyes,” he said.
Maybe this was a crazy idea. Okay, I knew that it was crazy and there was probably no way Tom would agree to it, but I had to ask anyway. I took in a deep breath and released it.
“Let’s sneak in Meredith’s shop. I’ll show you that the books are really there,” I said.
Tom chuckled. Obviously he didn’t think I was being serious.
When I didn’t laugh back he said, “We can’t do that.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“That is against the code of the Organization that I vowed to uphold when I became an investigator.”
Hmm. “Well, I’m not an investigator, so that doesn’t mean that I can’t do it.”
“I can’t let you do that,” he said.
Why did Tom have to be so by the book? It wasn’t like I wanted to take anything.
I sighed and leaned back in the chair. Tom was still holding my hands, by the way. Not that I was complaining.
“Okay, what if you were to catch me in her shop? What if I just happened to be in that little room that was full of all those books?” I studied Tom’s face.
He was biting back a smile, I just knew it. Did that mean that he was seriously thinking about it?
I continued, “You would have to come in there and tell me to get out. It would be the right thing to do.”
Tom looked at me and said, “Maybe.”
His eyes widened as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just said. I was getting him to do that a lot lately.
He shook his head. “No way. I can’t let you do that. Don’t even mention it again.”
I shrugged. “Okay, but I don’t know how the Organization will give you permission to look in her shop if you have no cause. If all you have is my word then that probably won’t mean much. I doubt they will ever let you go in there.”
“I know what you’re trying and it won’t work,” he said.
Chapter 12
The next morning, I headed in to work. Grandma Imelda had a few errands, so I wanted to get to the café as quickly as possible and make sure another book hadn’t appeared. I was still trying to find a way to prove to Tom that the books were really inside that building. Of course if I were to sneak inside again the police would probably take me to jail this time. I wondered if there was a way to get inside while Meredith was actually in the building. Sure I could just walk in the front door, but I didn’t want her to know I was there. If I could sneak in while she was there, then it technically wouldn’t be as if I’d done anything illegal.
As I walked down the sidewalk, I watched the building across the street. I’d almost made it to the café when someone said, “Whoa, darlin’, watch where you’re going.”
I stopped and realized I’d almost run into Henry. He described himself as the town drunk, but lately I hadn’t seen him take a sip of anything other than coffee or water. Henry’s clothing was even clean today. His tan pants had been ironed and his blue shirt didn’t have a single stain. He’d even combed his thinning gray hair.
“I’m sorry, Henry. I guess I was a little distracted.”
He chuckled. “You’re lucky I wasn’t a pole or you would have lost a couple teeth and met with the pavement. Are you looking for Mr. Rory?”
“Um, no, why do you ask?”
Henry gestured toward the building across the street. “I just saw the young man earlier. He was over there with that new woman in town.” Henry acted as if he didn’t like to gossip, but I knew that he did. “She isn’t very friendly, is she?”
“No, I suppose she’s not,” I said. Why had Rory been over there so early? “Was anyone else with him other than the shop owner?”
Henry nervously glanced over at the building as if he was afraid Meredith might be watching us. “No, it was just the two of them.
“Well, thanks for telling me, Henry. I guess I’d better get to work.” I pointed toward the café.
“Don’t you want to know what they were doing?” He stared at me.
“I assumed they were just talking.”
He waved his hands. “No, it was much more than that.”
I was almost afraid to hear what he had to say. “What were they doing?”
“They were moving books.”
I froze. For a moment I didn’t know what to say. “Books? What kind of books?”
“They just looked like books,” he said.
Of course he wouldn’t know what kind. He couldn’t see the covers from all the way over there on the sidewalk.
“Where did they move them to?” I asked.
“From that building right there into Rory’s truck.”
So that was why he had been there so early. Rory had to know what was going on and he was purposely keeping this from me. I wanted to know what Meredith was up to and Rory owed me an explanation. Of course nothing had happened to me other th
an the book appearing in my café. But it seemed that she had put the book in my café on purpose so that I would get in trouble. Did she want me to get in trouble with the Organization?
“Well, I need to get moving,” Henry said.
“Thanks, Henry,” I said.
“See you later.” He waved as he walked away.
For a moment, I stood there staring at the buildings. Of course, that wasn’t going to make me understand what was going on over there. Now it would be pointless to take Tom over there to find the books. Meredith had clearly known that she had to get the books out of there. Where had she gotten the books and why was she hiding them? I had to find out and the number one person I wanted to talk with at the moment was Rory.
I stepped closer to the café door. I wasn’t even going to wait to get inside before I called him. I pulled out my phone and dialed his number. After several rings, it went to his voice mail. Had he suspected that I would find out? He had to tell me what was going on eventually. He couldn’t hide it forever. Why had he never mentioned his cousin before she showed up in town? Especially since she had lived here before. I left a voice mail, trying to sound calm. Next, I needed to call Tom. I hated to admit it, but apparently his suspicions were right.
I leaned against the side of the café as I dialed Tom’s number. After several rings, he didn’t answer either. I needed to tell someone about what had happened. Maybe I wanted them to tell me there was a logical explanation for what Henry had seen. Were they really books? Maybe it had just been boxes with other supplies. No, I knew that Henry knew the difference between a box and a book. Plus, he had no reason to make up a story like that. At the moment, I felt completely lost, like everything I thought I knew was a complete lie.
I left a message for Tom to call me right away. As I turned to open the café door, someone touched my arm. “Are you looking for me?”
I jumped and dropped my purse on the ground. I clutched my chest. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
Tom was standing next to me with a concerned look on his face.
“I just left you a message. Where did you come from?” I looked around. “I don’t see your car.”
