by K P Stafford
She slowly made her way into the room, creeping quietly. Halfway to the woman, she took a step and heard a loud creak. Crap! She muttered to herself. She forgot about the one creaky floorboard in Grams’ house. Decatur turned around and spotted her. Lexi almost froze in her steps, but instead, rushed forward. The thought of tackling an old woman caused her heart to pinch, but it had to be done before the woman killed anyone else or unleashed any evil she’d find in that old estate if she discovered where the Cryptex was.
The woman side-stepped as Lexi tripped over books lying on the floor, falling towards the bookshelf. She pulled her hands up and caught herself. Mrs. Williams grabbed a large book and smacked Lexi over the back of the head. “Why are you trying to stop me? You’re a Danforth. We could run this town together! Don’t you want to reclaim what is rightfully ours?”
Lexi fell to the floor and quickly turned over, trying to get to her feet again. She looked up and saw the giant book coming towards her face. “You’re crazy lady! I have no intention of trying to unleash anything evil on this town.” She raised her leg and kicked the woman in the knee, a move Jake had taught her during their self-defense classes. The woman screamed in pain, but raised the book again.
Lexi heard a loud caw as Baxter and several other crows flew into the room and began swooping down, pecking the woman on the head with each pass. “Get off me you crazy birds. I’ve had enough of your kind pecking me.” She yelled as she tried to swing the book at them. They swooped and dodged her attempts to hit them.
Lexi got to her feet and spotted one of Grams’ table runners on the floor. It was long and hopefully thin enough to use as a rope. She grabbed it and flung it around the woman. With a quick jerk to her left she pulled the woman off her feet. The woman hit the floor with a thud. Lexi quickly sat on top of her, trying to wrangle the table runner around her. It wasn’t the best thing to use as a rope, but it did help.
Jake rushed into the room. “Lexi! Are you okay?”
“I’m okay. Help me tie this crazy woman up.”
Jake stepped over the piles of books on the floor and grabbed Decatur’s hands. “There’s some handcuffs in my back pocket.” He said to Lexi. “Get them out and put them on her.”
Lexi reached around to Jake’s back pocket and pulled out the handcuffs. The woman kept fighting, but Lexi finally got her hands bound.
They got her to her feet and headed to the front door. John was sitting on the steps holding a rag to the gash on his head, just as Grams and Ms. Jensen came barreling into the driveway. Grams’ car came to a screeching halt, kicking up dust when a tire left the pavement. Grams jumped out and ran to John. She’s very spry for her age, Lexi thought as her Grams ran straight for John and threw her arms around his neck. He had a good gash across his forehead, but relief washed over his face as he rubbed her back. It was clear that they did have feelings for each other. Maybe now they would stop trying to hide it from everyone, and just be together. There was nothing wrong with people their age becoming a couple. Maybe a marriage would be in their future too.
Ms. Jensen got out of the car, walked up to Decatur Williams and poked her in the chest. “You’ve got some nerve trying to pull a stunt like this on our town. I’m sure you don’t have the decency to be ashamed of yourself, but you should be.”
Decatur puffed up and started to speak just as Ms. Jensen shoved her scarf into the old ladies mouth. “Stuff it you crazy old bat. We don’t want to hear a thing you have to say. You can tell the judge your pathetic story.”
Jake grinned and shook his head as he grabbed Lexi’s hand and pulled her towards him and kissed her on the forehead. “You just can’t stay out of trouble, can you?”
Lexi started to speak but looked up and saw the playful smile on his face. “I guess I can’t.”
He pulled Lexi into a hug as they both looked over towards the porch. Grams was doting on John and inspecting the gash on his forehead. She looked at Lexi, “I don’t think it needs stitches, but it does need one of those butterfly bandages. Lexi would you grab the first aid kit?”
“Yes ma’am,” She said as she let go of Jake and headed into the house to grab the kit. She glanced into the living room on her way to the kitchen. She didn’t have time to think about how bad things could have been. She didn’t like seeing Grams’ home in such a mess, but she shook the thought off and hurried past the living room straight for the kitchen to grab Grams’ bag of first aid items. By the time she got back outside, the sheriff was there, loading Mrs. Williams into the back of his car. She was still struggling and would have been screaming if it wasn’t for the scarf still stuck in her mouth. Lexi giggled thinking the sheriff didn’t want to listen to her either, since he made no effort to remove it.
Another murder was solved, but there was still so much she didn’t know. She was ready to put the madness behind them. She looked at Jake and thought about wedding plans.
CHAPTER 29
Even though John didn’t need stitches, Grams insisted he go to the hospital, in case he had a concussion. He opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. The worry in Grams’ eyes softened his heart.
Jake excused himself as Lexi and Grams got John checked in, and by the time he was settled into his room, all of their friends were there. Jake came in with a man Lexi didn’t recognize, although most everyone else knew him. He stepped up and took Lexi’s hands as he looked into her eyes. The room grew noticeably quiet, so she looked around and saw that everyone was staring at her. “What’s going on Jake?” She whispered.
That infectious smile that she fell in love with, and still fell in love with every time she saw it, swept across his face. “I want to get married.”
She let out a soft giggle. “I know. We’ve been trying to plan a wedding, remember.”
“I don’t want to wait. I want to marry you right now, right here. That’s why all of our friends are here.”
“Oh? I wondered why they all showed up so quickly. You sneaky thing. You planned all of this didn’t you?”
“Well, I didn’t plan John getting hit over the head, but it seems like the perfect time to get married.”
Bobby and Paisley stepped up to announce they were the ring-bearer and flower girl, Peyton stepped in as maid of honor, of course, and Charlie was the best man. Lexi turned to look at John, one of the most treasured men in her life. It was only fitting that he give her away. He blushed and tears rolled down his cheeks. “Oh you sweet girl, I’d be honored.”
After they said I-Dos and everyone got a cupcake that Peyton had brought, Lexi looked at Jake, tears in her eyes. She couldn’t believe he was now her husband, or that she was a wife. A real wife. He pulled her close, and she snuggled in under his arm.
She looked around the room at her big family. These people were more than just friends, they were a part of who she was becoming. She finally had a real family. She missed her mom and dad, and she was still upset at all they’d hidden from her, but having all these people around her helped her get through it. She glanced over in the corner of the room where Charlie and Peyton were standing with Bobby and Paisley. It suddenly dawned on her that they were the perfect family. She nudged Jake to look over their way. He leaned into her ear. “Maybe you’ll get to plan a wedding after all.”
“I hope so. I know Peyton is still bothered by the incident a few months ago, but Charlie has really stepped in and helped her heal a lot.”
Lexi took in a deep breath. It was good to know that she and Peyton both had these people, and they could heal from all the past hurts surrounded by those who loved them.
CHAPTER 30
The next day, Ms. Jensen gave Lexi the old files she’d taken from the library before her retirement several years ago. Mostly old documents on how the forefathers had established the town after fleeing from Salem in the 1690s. None of them were clear about whether or not the early settlers were actually witches, or just disagreed with the whole witch trial ordeal and didn’t want any part of it.
Cl
ose to the bottom of the stack, Lexi found a file that mentioned a Danforth. He had been extremely wealthy and had a big part of setting the town up. He’d built a large estate on the outskirts of town. By the early 1700s, he’d fallen out of favor with the town’s people. She continued to read the story.
A notation in the margin close to the bottom of the page caught her eye. They had left Salem because of the burning of those accused of witchcraft, but had found themselves in a similar situation when they discovered that Danforth was practicing black magic. They’d raided his home, dragged him into the center of town and burned him alive. Afterwards, they’d made a pact to hide all evidence of his existence from the generations that followed.
Charlie had opened the Cryptex. It took him several hours to figure out the code, but he finally cracked it. Inside was an old key. The key must be important, but no one had a clue what door it would unlock or where the door was. It could be any old building in town, or any back room in the old buildings. Unfortunately, it was still a mystery, but at least they knew who killed Shirley and the woman would be brought to justice.
Lexi couldn’t believe that someone could hold a grudge as long as Decatur had. It had been hundreds of years ago when her ancestors set out to destroy anyone they thought was practicing witchcraft, but they’d had a traitor in their midst. Unfortunately, Decatur followed the life of the traitor. So many innocent people died back then. She couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that someone in this day and time had been burned to death because of witchcraft. It didn’t matter that the town’s people of today weren’t practicing the craft, and no one could be sure that their ancestors had either, although it did seem plausible. The early settlers fled Salem for a reason, and kept many secrets, some of which were still hidden today.
The whole truth may never be known, but it was true that many of the descendants of those early town builders did have special gifts, the gift of insight or intuitions. Lexi herself had little gut feelings that weren’t like normal gut feelings, and she dreamed of ghosts. She let out a long breath. She had absolutely no intention of trying to speak to the dead on purpose, but like finding dead bodies, if it happened that way, so be it.
The older town’s folk decided it was time to turn things over to the younger bunch. Discovering the mystery of the key would be interesting and keep them busy. Lexi and Peyton loved snooping into things. As the new secret keepers of the town, they decided there would be no secrets. Whatever they discovered would become town knowledge, even if the past was full of horrible things no one wanted to hear about. It was best to get things out in the open and hopefully avoid future revenge from Salem’s descendants. Since there had been one out there, there could be others, still digging and clinging to those old witch hunts. Some people held on to the past without learning from it.
John decided to step down as town constable and leave Jake as the appointed official. Lexi was excited for Jake and his new position, although she had her doubts about them spending all their time together at home and at work. How would she handle Jake being her husband and her boss.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
I strive to bring you enjoyable stories with characters you’ll love. I hope you’ve enjoyed this short mystery. Although each book goes through several rounds of edits and through several grammar and style checkers, sometimes we miss things—we are all human. If you find any glaring mistakes, please let us know so we can get them fixed and our files updated. Thank you.
Be sure to check out more of my cozy mysteries. You can find a listing at the back of this book.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
K.P. Stafford is a Mom, Nana and Musician’s wife!
She’s been writing crazy bits and pieces most of her life. In 2016, she took the plunge to become a full-time fiction author.
When she’s not writing, she’s thinking up things to write about, spending time with her family and sometimes she just relaxes.
In a name–Vincent Price!
That’s who started her on this road of wanting to be a writer—and lover of all things creepy and spooky and haunted–although she doesn’t necessarily write haunted tales.
www.kpstafford.com
ALSO BY K.P. STAFFORD
Cryptic Cove Cozy Mystery Series:
Murder and Mayhem - A Cryptic Cove Cozy Mystery (Book 1)
Murder and Menace - A Cryptic Cove Cozy Mystery (Book 2)
Murder & Mockery - A Cryptic Cove Cozy Mystery (Book 3)
Murder & Marriage - A Cryptic Cove Cozy Mystery (Book 4 - coming in 2020)
Mystery Theater Presents Cozy Mystery Series
Mrs. Pickles Perilous Parting - A Mystery Theater Presents Cozy Mystery
Coming in mid-2019:
A Red Hat Bookstore Cozy Mystery Series
The Honeydew Queen
PREVIEW: MRS. PICKLES PERILOUS PARTING
Mrs. Pickles Perilous Parting - A Mystery Theater Presents Cozy Mystery
Chapter One
“Cut!” Yelled Lewis Marble. “This is unacceptable! How can any of you call this acting? It’s absolutely atrocious.”
The cast on stage turned to look at him as he threw the manuscript down and stomped off towards the side door.
He almost plowed into Jess as she entered to see what all the commotion was about. The crew on stage bickered among themselves.
“Clara, I told you to work on that line. You miss it every time and Lewis throws a fit. If you can’t do any better than this, quit.” Carter Stewart, the lead man in the production, told her through clenched teeth.
Clara’s large chest heaved under the tight fabric of her costume and looked like it would rip at any minute from the pressure. Redness crept up from her neck to her face. Her breath was ragged, “That man is an idiot. You know good and well I am doing the line in a much better manner than he wants it done. I know this story inside and out and have seen it performed live on several occasions. The way I’m doing it works better.” She grabbed at her chest before storming off backstage. She was aware the costume was too tight on her, but she refused to let the alteration lady let it out. She’d been saying for weeks she’d just lose a few pounds and it’d be fine. But, with the number of dessert cakes she shoved into her mouth, everyone knew it wouldn’t happen.
Carter Stewart turned to face Jessica, “The woman is insane. There’s no way this will be ready for a live performance in two weeks if she keeps botching the lines and missing her cues. It’s pathetic. We need to replace her before she ruins the whole production.”
“It’s two weeks to opening night. There’s no way we can recast her part this late in the game.” Jess said.
“Rosie can step in and do it.” Carter rebuked.
Jess shook her head. “I don’t want to take the risk. Clara is just having a bad day.”
Carter rubbed the back of his neck and let out an audible sigh, “She has a bad day, every day. Why don’t you see it and do something about it?” He turned and stormed off backstage as Clara had done.
Jessica looked at the remaining crew and told them rehearsal was over for the day.
Lewis returned and stomped up behind her, “I haven’t called it a day. Rehearsal isn’t over until I say it’s over. I’m the director of this fiasco you call an acting crew.”
Jess whirled around, staring him in the eyes. “Well, as the owner of this theater,” she whirled her hands in the air, “I’m pulling rank and calling it a night. Since I have the keys to the place, it’s locked up when I say it is. I suggest you go home, have a drink or whatever and come back fresh tomorrow.”
His nostrils flared and a whoosh sound escaped them. Jess prepared herself for the backlash, but fortunately, he complied and stormed off, again. It had been one of the most trying days of her life since taking over the small community theater. A niggling in her gut told her the madness was just starting.
* * *
Two weeks away from pulling off the largest production Jessica had taken on since the death of her parents,
Henry and Mary James. Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong, almost all in one day. Nerves were on edge, the stage cast kept missing cues. Today was a dress rehearsal, as they called it. The costume designer was in a frenzy to see how the costumes moved and flowed before she did final alterations. Sound problems, set problems, actor problems and a whole list of other problems that could make or break this show and her little theater.
At 9:00 pm Jess did her nightly rounds, making sure everything was secure and ready to go for the following day. She’d dealt with complaints from everyone and she was ready to get home to her best companion, her cat.
Jess wearily walked down the main hallway, glancing at the photos enshrined to those who had made it on to bigger and better stages, and the ones who’d passed on before their time. Her parent’s photo hung as the newest entry. They had made it to Broadway, but after a few years of the hustle, they’d purchased the small, run-down theater and settled in Peculiar. It had only been two years since their deaths. In that time, Jess had put on several small productions that covered some of the expenses, but this was the largest undertaking she’d had the courage to tackle. Times seemed so much easier when she was growing up in the theater. Actors and stagehands were different when she was a kid. Everyone was like family. Some of them stayed on to help her, but others had decided it was time to call it quits. Her parents were the glue that held everyone together. There was no way she could ever take their place, and it showed in the attitudes of several of the cast and crew members. If this production wasn’t a success, she had no clue how many would stick out the struggles with her and try to get this theater back on solid ground. Local enthusiasm showed interest when they announced the production several months back, but that didn’t always mean it would be a success. The closer it got to curtain-call, the more everyone’s nerves were on edge. It was just par for the course.
