3 The Ghoul Next Door

by Rose Pressey

  I couldn’t believe the thought that Karyn was somehow involved had ever crossed my mind.

  “You can’t be serious. You can’t be selective and just turn it on and off.” I glanced around for an escape.

  “Sure you can. I was supposed to be the coven leader.” Bitterness dripped from her words.

  So that was what all of this was about.

  Jane’s face tightened and she glared at me. She clenched her fists and stomped her foot like a three-year-old throwing a temper tantrum. “It was my right to be the coven leader years ago. It was my birthright and Karyn took that from me.”

  What was so special about being the coven leader, anyway? Why did everyone want that position? I didn’t want that position, but kept getting shoved into it.

  Jane circled us. As she walked beside me, Elvis appeared. He walked beside Jane, but I wasn’t sure how long he could keep her at bay. A demonic force had powers beyond what he’d ever experienced. And it was obvious that Jane had that demonic force. An evil smile spread across her face. She knew she had me exactly where she wanted me.

  “I told myself years ago that I couldn’t give up until I had what was rightfully mine. I won’t let you or anyone else stand in my way.” She glared at Mindy when she passed her.

  I took in another sharp breath. This woman made Brianna and Becky seem polite. I never thought I’d say that.

  “I don’t have anything to do with the coven leader position. I don’t decide who the leader is.”

  She scoffed. “That’s where you’re wrong. You had the necklace. Therefore, no matter what you say, you are in charge. You are technically the coven leader.”

  I wished Karyn had never given me that necklace. But she’d said everyone in the coven needed me. No pressure there. No pressure at all. I wasn’t sure how I would talk myself out of this situation. I could barely breathe. The dark feeling within me was bursting to get out. I needed to try to break the magic spell again.

  “What can I do to get rid of her, Larue?” Elvis asked.

  Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to help me.

  Mr. Fine and Candy Cherry appeared midway down the sidewalk. Maybe Elvis would draw some of their energy and fight off the bad spirit. When they neared, Candy and Mr. Fine took position behind Jane and smiled. That was when I knew they weren’t there to help me. I’d suspected it for some time, but it was still creepy to have the confirmation.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  “You betrayed me. I knew you were evil.” I glared at Candy Cherry. “But you, Mr. Fine, I thought better of you.”

  Candy Cherry snorted. “I was trapped in that ball. If helping Jane meant I could escape, then so be it.”

  Jane directed the attention back to her. “You must die because of your friendship with Karyn. You seem like such good friends, it’s a shame it has to end this way.”

  Whoa. Die? That was a bit drastic. Couldn’t we just agree to disagree? “We weren’t all that close, really. I’d only just met her.”

  No, no. I couldn’t throw Karyn under the bus. That wasn’t the type of person I ever intended on being. My mama raised me right.

  “Why come after me? You have the necklace. End of story… time to move on.” I gestured with my hands, hoping she’d follow my command.

  She scoffed. “I have to get rid of you first. I came after my sister, Karyn, but then I discovered you had the necklace.”

  “You came after your own sister?” Mindy asked.

  I shook my head at the nastiness that was Jane Howe. “Couldn’t you just have asked Karyn for the necklace?”

  “Do you really think she would have given it to me?” She shook her head as if I was the stupidest person ever born.

  “Well, no, but you could have at least asked,” I said.

  “Whatever. I’m tired of this conversation. I have to get rid of you in order to get the coven leader position. It’s my right and Karyn took it from me.” Her expression told me she was tiring of the conversation… and me.

  “So you’re willing to destroy me in order to get the coven leader position?”

  “Whatever it takes.” An evil grin spread across her face.

  I had a way of attracting all the bad witches. Lucky me. I had just about had it with the black magic. Enough was enough already.

  “Did you cast a spell that conjured up the demon?” I asked in a shaky voice.

  “How was I supposed to know you’d have a demon waiting to pounce on your ass? I should have known though. It wasn’t my fault you got involved in such evil things. I cast the spell so you would want to give up the magic and give up the necklace. If the necklace was gone, then the coven would fall apart. But that didn’t happen, so I guess I’ll have to kill you instead.” She shrugged her slender shoulders.

  I was not going to let that happen. “Well, you can’t control what other people do. And now look what you’ve done. I think deep down you really are evil.”

  “You take that back. You really are possessed by the devil.” Jane pointed.

  The ghosts stood in their guard positions—Elvis on my side and Mr. Fine and Candy Cherry on Jane’s.

  “Maybe you’re the possessed one. Why else would someone do something like this to their very own sister? You should be ashamed of yourself,” I scolded.

  She glared at me. Clearly no one had ever given her a piece of their mind before. Well, it was about time someone did and I was glad to be that someone. I wouldn’t let her get by with this evil.

  “I’m only doing this to help my sister. She can’t handle the coven leader position.”

  Mindy stood to my right; I felt the tension shooting off her in waves. I hated that I’d involved her in more of this crazy world of mine.

  “I think she was doing just fine for a long time. You’re not supposed to hurt your family, and that’s exactly what you’re doing to Karyn.”

  “I suggest you stop right now. I won’t let you lay this guilt on me. I know what I’m doing.” She shook her fist.

  “My point exactly. You know what you’re doing and you don’t care if you hurt Karyn. All you’re worried about are your own feelings.”

  “You have no idea about me. I’m sick of hearing about sweet, precious Karyn. She can do no wrong.”

  Jane stepped forward, but froze after two steps. Her face turned to a scowl and she held her head.

  “Stop doing that,” she yelled.

  I looked to Mindy. She shrugged.

  “What are you talking about?” I asked.

  “Stop casting a spell against me. It won’t stop me. Ouch. Stop it.” She stepped away. Candy Cherry glared at me. Jane turned and ran. Then Candy Cherry and Mr. Fine followed after her.

  “What was that all about?” Mindy asked.

  “I don’t know, but I’m glad she left.” I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand.

  “We need to call the police,” Mindy said.

  Karyn stepped from behind the building. “There’s nothing the police can do to stop her right now.”

  “Karyn. What’s going on?” I asked.

  “That’s my sister. Isn’t she lovely? Apparently she’s come to Magnolia looking for trouble.” She folded her arms in front of her chest.

  “How did this happen, Karyn? How did your sister get to this level?”

  “About five years ago, the decision for coven leader came up. It was between the two of us. I don’t know why they decided to pit sisters against each other, but they did. Not that we’d ever gotten along well anyway. There was always a level of competition between us. She felt as if she always had to compete with her older sister. I tried to get along, but ultimately she didn’t want any part of it. When the coven decided to make me the leader, she kind of went off on a tangent, throwing black magic around everywhere on a whim. She was famous for casting spells to change her appearance. She loved doing that.”

  That was when it hit me. It made sense. Jane had changed her appearance to look like Karyn. She had been at my house that nig
ht. I knew something wasn’t right about that.

  “What else had she done?”

  “I never thought she’d be back. She changed her appearance so that when I went into High Fashion yesterday, I didn’t even recognize her.”

  “Wow, she’s good,” Mindy said.

  “Too good. That’s why they wouldn’t allow her to practice magic anymore.”

  “So what happened? Why is she back?” I asked.

  “I suppose she served her time. It wouldn’t have been my decision, although I guess they’ll rethink their decision now.”

  We walked back toward Book Nook as we talked.

  “Can I ask who are they?”

  “The Order of the Covens. They oversee all covens and keep order within the witchcraft world.”

  “Is that what happened to Brianna and Becky?”

  She nodded. “Yes. And I’m afraid they’ll take my sister back again. I wish it didn’t have to be that way, but there is no choice. She decided years ago that she wasn’t going to practice white magic. She went over to the dark side. When she cast spells on the entire coven, that was when they put a stop to her magic. I guess she came back for her revenge.”

  “I’m so sorry, Karyn,” I said as I opened the store’s door.

  “No, what are you sorry for? It’s my sister. I’m sorry that she did this to you.” Karyn followed toward the counter.

  Had Karyn known that her sister was coming back? Was that the real reason she’d left town and wanted me to be the coven leader? No one had wanted the necklace. It was as if they’d just wanted to get rid of the thing.

  “Did you give me the necklace because you knew that she would come back for it?”

  Karyn paused and looked out the window. I had my answer. I’d thought I could trust her. Obviously I had been wrong.

  Finally Karyn turned to me. “I didn’t think she would do anything. I figured if she knew a non-witch had the necklace that she wouldn’t bother you. After all, you weren’t the coven leader.”

  “But you asked me to be the coven leader.” I searched her eyes.

  “I knew you wouldn’t do it.” Karyn studied her high-heeled shoes.

  “So that was all a scam? What about that stuff about me having natural talent?”

  “If you had decided to be the leader I wouldn’t have let you keep the necklace. I would never put you in danger, Larue. I like you and I care about you. You’re a wonderful person and a great friend. I hope you won’t hate me.” She pleaded with her stare.

  I tried to process the revelation. My thoughts were muddled. I wasn’t sure what to think. Karyn seemed sincere, but I had no idea who I could trust anymore.

  “How did she find me?” I asked.

  “Jane cast the spell that would lead her to the necklace. Once she found you, she cast a spell that would draw upon any weakness or fear you might have. If a demon had been around or in the background, she opened the path for it to come through and attack you.”

  So the investigation for the TV show didn’t start with the demon, the demon came after. It had been trying to attract me to Jennie Blake’s home.

  “So if Jane hadn’t cast the spell the show wouldn’t have been that complicated? The demon wouldn’t have been there?”

  “No. I’m sure you can ask the woman and she’d tell you that things became a lot worse when the demon showed up. It would have been a few weeks or a month before the show actually called you. That demon is the one that made the other psychic sick in order to get you there.”

  “So I guess the letters from Callahan’s ex-girlfriend had nothing to do with the demon?” Mindy asked.

  Karyn shook her head. “No, I guess that was just a coincidence.”

  “What are the odds,” I said.

  “I made some calls before I came here. Anyway, apparently another bad witch gave Jane the witch’s ball and she sent it to you. She knew it had a bad spirit inside. Jane also knew she could get that bad spirit in your house to be the eyes and ears behind the scenes.”

  “A ghost spy?” Mindy said.

  “Yes. And Mr. Fine was involved too. They knew he was always looking for trouble. He never did anything really bad, but he liked to be mischievous. That’s why he broke the ball.”

  “I knew I didn’t like him. And I definitely knew I didn’t like Candy Cherry either. What a sneaky plan. They set us up.”

  “They like to think they’re clever,” Karyn said.

  “Did you cast a spell back there? Is Jane gone for good?” I asked.

  “I cast a spell to get rid of her for the time being, but I’m sure she’s not gone for good. It was only temporary. The spell is still on you, so you’ll have to break it.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of. How do we get rid of it?” Mindy asked.

  “That’s where it gets tricky.”

  “Our only other option is to get the necklace back from her. We need it for you to get rid of her spell,” Karyn said.

  Mindy stood. “I’m going to get that necklace back from that bitch right now. I’m tired of playing these games. Witchcraft or no witchcraft, she’s going down.”

  I pulled on Mindy’s arm as she moved toward the door. “Mindy, you can’t fight this by yourself. We have to think of a plan first.”

  Karyn nodded. “Larue’s right. We can’t go into this without a plan. But I think I have an idea. Since Jane has the necklace now, I’m not sure how we’ll be able to counteract any spell that she places. She obviously knows that we know what she’s doing.”

  My head was swimming with thoughts. I had to get rid of this demon or my life would be ruined—or worse.

  “Come on. I have a plan.” Karyn motioned for us to follow her. “I’ll drive.”

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Forty minutes later and we were parked in front of the charming bed-and-breakfast that Jane had made her home for the past few days. I felt so bad for the owner, not only for having to deal with Jane but for what was about to happen in her living room. I just hoped things didn’t get too violent.

  We paused, all staring up at the large Victorian home.

  “Do you think she’s in there?” Mindy asked.

  “Well, there’s only one way to find out. I know my sister and she’s vindictive. She’s probably up there sleeping off the spell that I cast against her. When she wakes she’ll be like a hornet.” Karyn climbed out of the car.

  Great. That was exactly what I’d wanted to hear.

  “Unless she is wreaking havoc with someone’s life, she’ll stay in bed to get her beauty sleep, as she calls it. That’s how she gets over a spell.” Karyn motioned for us to join her.

  I grabbed the bag containing the necessary ingredients and met Karyn on the sidewalk. “Too bad beauty sleep doesn’t help with beauty from within, because she truly needs it. Sorry.”

  ‘It’s okay. I know she’s my sister, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind to the fact that she’s a terrible person. I’ve known that since we were kids.”

  “Let’s do this,” Mindy said moving toward the house.

  I followed Mindy and Karyn, but I couldn’t deny the apprehension that was lodged in my throat like a large piece of hard candy. Soon it might choke me all together.

  We walked together up the path as if we were Charlie’s Angels… the paranormal version. We were on a mission. If this didn’t work, well, I didn’t want to think about it. The demon in my head was pulling me back. He wanted me to turn around and walk right out in the street. He’d love nothing more than if I just killed myself. I wasn’t going down without a fight though. I wouldn’t make his job easy.

  When we reached the door, Karyn knocked. Luckily, she knew the owner.

  Mrs. Ragland opened the door. “Karyn, what a lovely surprise.”

  Mrs. Ragland’s gray bun was drooping on one side of her head. Dark rings circled her eyes and she could barely muster a smile. Everywhere that Jane went she had the same effect on people. She was like a virus, turning stomachs everywhere she went.
>
  “Won’t you please come in?” She looked at us and stepped back so we could enter the foyer.

  The home was eerily quiet except for the tick-tock of the old grandfather clock in the corner of the room. I looked up at the staircase. Mrs. Ragland caught me looking and a worried expression spread across her face. It was as if she was saying, please don’t wake the beast. It was only going to get worse before it get better. I hated to tell her.

  “What brings you ladies by?” She looked at us inquisitively. “Won’t you please have a seat? Would you like lemonade and cookies?”

  “I could use some lemonade and cookies,” Mindy said.

  I poked her in the side. I knew she should have skipped the pole fitness class today. I’d heard her stomach growling in the car on the way over.

  “No, thank you. We need to see your guest,” Karyn said.

  Mrs. Ragland fidgeted and her hands shook. “Oh, no. She’s sleeping and we musn’t wake her. She isn’t very nice when she’s awoken.”

  Just as I’d thought. It was like waking a beast.

  “I really don’t care, Mrs. Ragland. Jane will be checking out today.”

  “She will?” The tone of her voice brightened. “Well, in that case, would you like to go up and wake her yourself?”

  “I’d love to.” Karyn stood, then moved back out into the foyer.

  “I’ll go get that lemonade and cookies just in case you want any,” Mrs. Ragland said before disappearing around the corner.

  This was so going to get ugly. I was glad I hadn’t worn my nice clothes. Karyn made her way up the stairs and Mindy and I stayed behind to set up our ingredients for the magic spell. Normally, the coven liked to perform these spells outside so that they could draw on Mother Nature’s energy, but that wasn’t part of our plan today.

  After pulling the ingredients out of the bag, Karyn and Jane bounded down the stairs. Jane looked like a mad hornet whose nest had just been disturbed. She would be even more pissed when she saw what was about to happen next.

  “What is all this about? You silly little bitches think you can come over here and do something to me. I can tell you now, it ain’t happening. You are weak. I have the power now.” She touched the pendant.