by Iris Kincaid
They fumed. But they packed. They ranted. But they packed. They griped. But they made the reservations and packed some more. Wanda watched it all with great satisfaction. And then she remembered a message that she needed to deliver that couldn’t be accomplished by phone.
One of Lydia’s roommates showed Wanda to Lydia’s bedroom door. There were four girls in the apartment, but none of the others was deaf. They were chattering away, discussing what type of pizza to order for their favorite cable show, which was about to start. Wanda remembered that Lydia always had to remind them to put on the closed captioning for her. Sometimes, she just got tired of reminding them and would watch something in her own room.
Lydia was certainly surprised to find Wanda at her door. By mutual agreement, neither of their home situations being particularly appealing, they always met in the outside world.
“What you doing here?” Lydia signed. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything is beyond okay. My stepfamily is moving to Orlando. How’d you like to move into my house with me?”
Lydia’s big hug said it all. Teresa and Wanda weren’t the only ones who had been feeling trapped by their lives. It was a new beginning for all.
CHAPTER FOUR
Lydia was not the only additional new resident. For days, a beautiful gray striped cat had been following Wanda. It looked so healthy that it couldn’t possibly be a stray. And yet there was no collar.
“You’re such a beauty,” Wanda would say, giving its head a satisfying scratch. “Someone must be taking care of you, because you look great.”
Apparently, even the animal kingdom was not immune to the charms of Wanda’s new voice. It followed her home and sat patiently on the porch for several hours before Wanda and Lydia decided, sure, why not?
They couldn’t quite decide on a name for the cat. In the meantime, he seemed as happy as a clam, and particularly attached to Wanda. Wanda knew that Lydia couldn’t hear her voice, and it was difficult to explain to her what a strong effect it seemed to have on everyone around her. Not to mention the cat.
She was more than a bit curious about the whole witch thing. And there was really only one person who could answer questions. On an afternoon when Lydia was going to be out tutoring at the signing class, Wanda invited Delphine over for tea.
“What a lovely place you have, Wanda. Particularly since it’s not as crowded as it used to be?”
“Oh, you know about that?”
“I know about a lot of things. I keep my ears very close to the ground, so to speak. I know that you have a furry little addition to your household.”
“Yes. And here he is. He’s a really good cat.”
“Oh, more than good, I think. A very promising familiar. You do realize that this cat will obey every command.”
Wanda scoffed. “How is that even possible? There’s not a whole lot of things that cats can do.”
“You’d be surprised. Oh, I’m not saying it can paint your house. But within a cat’s capabilities, your orders will be obeyed.”
The cat was actually sitting very upright, expectantly, almost as if it was waiting for a good order.
“Go fetch my slippers,” Wanda said. It was a silly request, but doable. The cat took off immediately and was back in just under a minute with one of her slippers, which was dropped right at Wanda’s feet. The cat left again, presumably for the other slipper.
“That could very well be the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. He just fetched my slippers. It’s like having a butler. Hey. That’s the name I’ve been looking for. Butler. What do you think?”
“It’s a fine name. But you do realize that your cat is a girl.”
“No, I did not,” Wanda had to laugh at herself. “I guess I haven’t spent a lot of time around cats. I didn’t really give that matter any thought. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
The cat came back and delivered the second slipper. They were both a little soggy from the cat’s mouth.
“That’s okay. Good effort.” Wanda cuddled the cat close. She smiled at Delphine. “I’ve always wanted one.”
“A cat?”
“No. A butler. I mean, it was just a fantasy. But growing up, I was the one who always had to do the dishes, get dinner ready, cook breakfast, do the vacuuming, and clean the bathroom, even though everyone else was older. I always dreamed of having someone I could order around, who would do things for me, anything I wanted. Is that terrible?”
“Not only is it not terrible, but it is precisely the situation that you find yourself in. You can order anyone to do anything, and you will be obeyed.”
“That is something I really wanted to talk to you about. It’s not really right, isn’t it? To force people to do things that they don’t want to do? I mean, don’t get me wrong. I just sent a wife beater packing and I have absolutely no regrets. I also got rid of my stepfamily. But I hope that being forced to join the work force will be a character building experience for them. And it’s what my father would have wanted, I think. He would have wanted me to be surrounded by people who like me. But it feels as if that should be it. I don’t think that I should use this power anymore.”
“Delphine, you need to talk some sense into this girl immediately,” Lilith fumed. “Of all of my powers, the ability to compel others was by far my greatest asset. There are no other recipients of my body who are in a better position than this girl to get to the bottom of who killed me. You have to let her know what utter nonsense she’s talking. Not use the powers? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Go ahead. Do something.”
“She shows admirable restraint. It is a power that lends itself to easy abuse. Which you may not have had a problem with, but clearly, she has. Agreed, however, that she cannot simply turn her back on it. It’s now part of her. She simply has to see the good of it.”
“Then make her see. And be quick about it.”
“You’re right not to reproach yourself for the manner in which you have used this power. It is often said that the ends justify the means. But having seen such a good use of it, don’t you think it’s bit early to retire it? After all, there’s no telling what lies ahead, or when your powers may turn into a veritable lifejacket.”
“I suppose. I guess I need to keep an open mind. I just don’t want to . . . hurt anyone. Take away anyone’s freedom.” She flipped Butler over and stroked her tummy to a loud, purring appreciation. “Except you, Butler. Which I realize may sound a bit hypocritical. But I’m going to be a very good employer. You’re going to get tuna and a half for any overtime. Full healthcare and retirement benefits. And five weeks of vacation every year. Just like the French.”
Delphine looked on with approval.
Lilith was appalled. “If I weren’t dead, this would make me ill.”
“You want her to embrace the life, all of it. Having a familiar will strengthen her comfort with the powers of command. And you have to admit, they are pretty darn cute together.”
“As you will know, I abhor cute.”
Delphine sighed. How could a dead woman be so irritating?
*****
Across town, the mayor’s wife, Heather Kelton, was enjoying a rare Tuesday off. She had just come back from Boston and spent the morning with her favorite hairdresser. He was so sought after that when an opening occurred, she jumped on it. He just had a way with highlights that couldn’t be believed. And no point in going to Boston without stopping for a fabulous mani-pedi.
Normally, she would have been tempted to hit up her Beantown social circle and indulge in some fine dining, but she had to be back in time for a VIP dinner with the governor’s family. It was one of the perks of being the mayor’s wife—a gratifying reminder that she and her husband were probably the most important family in town. Not even Misty Chandler’s newfound wealth could rival her own social status.
There was a knock at the door. Perhaps it was Federal Express. She did so much online shopping that she got at least four or five packages a week. But this tu
rned out be something special. It was a gift-wrapped package on the front steps, and oddly enough, no deliveryman in sight.
But how delightful. And what was behind it? It wasn’t her birthday, nor her anniversary. Could it be something from Misty? She had certainly gone on quite a spending spree of late.
The box was rather heavy. Which meant that it couldn’t be jewelry, her favorite kind of gift. In size, it was more likely to be a jewelry box. She shook it eagerly. Anticipation is always a little fun. Until the point when impatience takes over. Heather ripped off the pretty wrap and absently noted the artistically pinholed white box, of which she gleefully tore the top off.
No one likes being shaken up and down. Certainly not a four-pound eastern diamondback rattlesnake. It leaped out of the box, straight for Heather, in punishment for this careless treatment. She fell to the floor, screaming from the shock. The numbness set in immediately. Just as well, since the diamondback gave her one more bite for good measure. As Heather drifted off, she could only wonder who would do such a terrible thing to her? It was like counting sheep—the number was endless, and the final result was sleep.
*****
It was probably the largest crime scene that Oyster Cove had ever experienced. It seemed that almost every police officer in town was gathered in the front yard. After all, it was the mayor’s residence. The distraught husband needed to be treated with the sensitivity of any recent widower. But he was also someone who had a hand in determining the police department’s budget, ergo, their salaries could be riding on a competent and satisfactory handling of this case.
The mayor had come home to find a note on the front door that read, “Killer snake inside. Enter at your own risk.” He frantically ran from one window to another, seeing his wife’s prone body from every possible angle and not being able to enter the house.
Nor could the police. At least, it was pretty hard to encourage any volunteers. What were they supposed to do? Shoot the snake? As confident and cocky as many of them were, no one felt that confident about their shooting abilities. This was a matter they were willing to leave to the experts.
A wide variety of professions were represented in the Oyster Cove population, but snake wrangler was not among them. They were able to locate a gentleman in Connecticut who was willing to provide his expertise and catch the darn thing. But it was a good twelve hours until he was able to get there. Mayor Kelton kept running from window to window in distraught fashion. If his wife wasn’t already dead, the twelve-hour delay was surely going to do her in.
By the time the snake wrangler arrived, it was five o’clock in the morning. The snake handler fairinsisted on waiting another hour until it was full daylight. He was, after all, entering a strange house with a deadly snake inside. No one questioned his need for full visibility. He was also wearing a virtual hazmat suit. So, not so much a snake whisperer as a well-informed and well-prepared animal handler.
He must have brought in some yummy treat for the snake. The capture was over in just twenty minutes. The note at the front door had only mentioned one snake, so there really shouldn’t be any other snakes. The cops weren’t falling over themselves to go inside and examine the crime scene. Nobody really likes snakes.
Apparently, nobody really liked Heather Kelton either. The news of her demise quickly spread through the town. It was so bizarre, so gruesome, so . . . so . . . fitting? After all, was there anyone in Oyster Cove who treated others with more disdain? Who was so annoyingly superior? And who seemed to have a sadistic streak a mile long? It would have been a somber tragedy had it happened to almost any other person. But Heather Kelton?
No one was surprised when Harley Osborne, a disgruntled former employee from Heather’s workplace, was taken into custody. It wasn’t difficult to imagine her enraging an employee. But what kind of twisted mind must Harley have come up with this ruthless means of killing his boss?
Oyster Cove was hit with an epidemic of bad snake jokes.
“If it was a snake, it woulda bit ya.”
“And she said, how could you, after I saved your life? And he said to her, but you knew I was a snake.”
Call it gallows humor. Call it indifference. Heather Kelton’s death was hardly receiving the dignity and respectful grief which she would have anticipated. Her husband and her BFF, Misty Chandler, seemed to be the only ones exhibiting appropriate sadness.
Wanda had, of course, not really known the woman. She had been the recipient of several glares and irritated rants from Heather at Holloways if a desired shopping item was out of stock. She also seemed to be inconvenienced by Wanda’s inability to talk, when the truth of the matter was, she was the sort of person that Heather would never have bothered to listen to. So, while generally being taken aback by the tragedy, Wanda was not overly affected by it.
She was busy trying to dedicate herself to her new career path. Becoming a shift supervisor at Holloways was a great opportunity. Granted, it wasn’t the grand vision she had held for herself in her younger days. But she was grateful for it, and at least it felt good to become more engaged with the world around her than she’d previously been able to.
She was training at the cash register, and fast becoming the most popular employee in the store. It was that voice. It turned heads and made everyone eager for an opportunity to speak with her, just to hear that beautiful resonant speech. The line at her register was often two to three times longer than the others.
What many of the customers appreciated, albeit unconsciously, was how good they felt when they left her. They had no idea that it was related to Wanda’s innocent and obligatory, “Have a nice day.” They would typically respond, “I will. I will.” and proceed to rush out of the store, filled with the inexplicable zeal to have a nice day. After all, they had little choice but to obey Wanda’s command.
Only one person really seemed immune to Wanda’s upbeat command, and that was Fiona Skretting. Wanda’s exhortation to have a nice day was met with, “My day will unfold at my command, not yours. Do not delude yourself that you have any influence with me.”
Okay, Wanda was pretty sure that she had been informally introduced to a senior member of Oyster Cove’s witch population. They certainly weren’t all as nice as Delphine. And this one didn’t hesitate to flaunt her eccentricities.
The next time that Wanda saw Fiona, she had a lovely red and green boa constrictor wrapped around her neck, and the other shoppers fled the parking lot as soon as they possibly could. She was wearing it as if it were an accessory, again delighting in the general panic that she was causing. She continued to wear that snake for several weeks after the murder.
*****
Delphine stopped by Wanda’s house again to see how she was getting on. Wanda proudly showed off all the new tricks that she had taught Butler.
“You do realize, don’t you, that even though you and Butler share a very special bond, your power of command generally extends to most members of the animal world.”
“You mean, like dogs?”
“Oh, more than dogs. Even insects. I find that skill to come in particularly handy.”
“You mean, that colony of ants that keeps parading through my kitchen, and I don’t want to put any insecticide down because of Butler—are you saying that I can just tell them to leave?”
“I am, and that is precisely what I would advise.”
“Wait just one minute.” Wanda ran to the kitchen and saw the ants marching across the kitchen floor. What on earth were they doing there? She had completely swept up every crumb so there was nothing for them to feast on. “Get out. Everyone get out, and don’t come back.”
In amazement, she watched as the stream of ants did a one-eighty and started flowing in the direction from whence they’d originated. Woo-hoo! While she had qualms about ordering human beings about, she rather enjoyed this kind of power.
She went back to rejoin Delphine. “That’s got to be one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.”
Lilith, not one t
o miss an opportunity to officiate over the interaction between Delphine and her transplant beneficiaries, hovered nearby.
“She gets excited over trifles. It’s time to show her the full extent of the power of my voice. She could rule this town. Have as much wealth as she wanted. As much status, as much deference as she wanted. She could vanquish any adversary, provided they were a commoner. And here, she rejoices over ant removal. You must encourage her to raise her expectations.”
“Ants can be very irritating, Lilith. As I argued before, she must become comfortable with command before it becomes second nature to her. Although she has her reservations, you and I both know that situations arise where nothing comes more naturally than to tap into our abilities. But those judgment calls must be left in her hands.”
“And what of me? It is high time that these girls give up their silly distractions—”
“And by that, you mean their lives?”
Lilith continued, unrepentant, “You are the one who neglect your duties. You should tell them that the resolution of my murder should take precedence over all other priorities in their lives. I hold you responsible, Delphine Sykes.”
“I should have thought you’d be able to see for yourself that they’re not ready, least of all this young woman. They must acquire experience in comprehending evil and darkness and getting to the truth. Isn’t that what will serve your needs best?”
“Bah! Ants! When I see you next, I hope you will have moved on to lessons of greater substance.” And then she was gone.
Delphine was used to Lilith’s rough and selfish ways. But she really did want to protect Wanda and the others from being rushed into a strange new world that they weren’t quite ready for.
*****
For Wanda, the ability to speak and be heard was a gift that never got old. It opened up new doors of glittering possibility. Perhaps mundane to those who had never experienced the loss of speech. But Wanda was ever mindful of the miracle she was living through. The trajectory of her life was about to take an exciting new turn.
