Charmed Bones

by Carolyn Haines

  “Love is an elixir that brings tremendous good, but also much pain. Be careful, Sarah Booth.”

  I put my hands on my hips. “Listen to me. You’ve tortured me for months to get laid. By anyone. And now that I’m trying, you’re going to show up and tell me that I might be inviting disaster into my life? You can’t have it both ways.”

  “The only way to truly love is in the moment. Just remember that.”

  “You bet. Now scram.” I heard Coleman’s car pulling up in the front.

  Jitty did a twirl and disappeared in a little salvo of regal horns. I was alone in the kitchen with a bitter wind blowing in the open window and no sign of my haint or her stinky concoction. Coleman’s knock came at the front door and I ran through the house to open it wide. He stood in the opening, and I hurled myself into his arms. I couldn’t say if the pot had totally reduced my inhibitions or if I was so afraid that an army of invaders would arrive to destroy the moment that I felt we had no time to waste.

  He carried me inside and closed and locked the door. “Tinkie isn’t hiding in here, is she?”

  “No. We’re alone.”

  “I can’t believe it.”

  My heart was pounding. “Want a drink?”

  “No. Do you?”

  “Uh, no.” I had no intention of confessing why I didn’t need a drink. We had a bit of privacy and I wasn’t going to squander it. “No.” I took his hand and led him up the stairs to my bedroom. Another door was closed and locked.

  The midday sun came through the gauzy curtains and the room took on the glow of February sunlight. I’d daydreamed about our first time with champagne and flowers and romantic music, maybe a little dancing. None of that was important. I felt as if I’d stepped into a dream where the only thing that mattered was Coleman.

  He kissed me, and all other thoughts fled. The only thing I wanted was his skin against mine, his hands teasing out the secret places that made me moan with pleasure and desire. I kissed his neck and chest and drew him to me.

  He captured the small silk bag that hung between my breasts, the one Tinkie had given me. I hadn’t taken it off. I stayed his hand. “Leave it.”

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Tinkie gave it to me.” I didn’t want to mention that it was charmed—a love spell to bring him to my bed. I didn’t want to believe the Harringtons’ magic had anything to do with what was happening at this moment. But I also didn’t want to risk destroying this intimacy.

  “You should wear emeralds,” Coleman said. “Your birthstone.”

  I shook my head. “I’m very happy with this token of friendship. And the fact that you’re here with me. Jewels don’t capture my interest.”

  “You should have a diamond here.” Coleman kissed the hollow at the base of my throat. “And a sapphire here.” He kissed my belly button. “And a ruby here.” He moved slowly down my body, planting kisses on every inch and naming precious stones.

  At last, we made love. Slowly, careful of each other at first, until the intensity of our passion pushed us to the brink and over.

  11

  The day had advanced to afternoon when we faced each other, fully aware of where we were. I felt as if I were waking from the best dream ever, but a bit of lethargy still held me. Coleman pushed my hair back from my face. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for such a long time. And it was well worth the wait.”

  “No regrets?” We could never go back and undo the step we’d taken.

  “None. What about you?”

  “I can’t imagine living in Sunflower County without your friendship, Coleman. Whatever else happens, we can never become enemies.”

  “Love is a risk.”

  He sounded a lot like Jitty. “I’m a little risk-averse right now.” I traced his lips with my finger. He was an incredible kisser. Incredible, in fact, with every aspect of lovemaking.

  “I promise I’ll never intentionally hurt you. I won’t betray you or—”

  I put my finger on his lips to stop him. “A very wise person told me to love in the moment. We can’t predict what the future will hurl at us. Right now is all we can guarantee, and it’s enough.”

  “Your friend is wise. Was it Tinkie?”

  “No. An older friend.”

  “Will I meet her?”

  “Maybe.” I couldn’t tell. Would Jitty show herself to Coleman if he was part of my daily life? It would be interesting to see. Or maybe I was just a bit nuts, and Jitty was a delusion that only I could appreciate. “Coleman, do you believe in magic?”

  He drew me close against him. “This is magic, Sarah Booth. It’s really the only magic that humans are given. To love each other and share such pleasure and this deep bond. How can you not believe?”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t believe.” My hand went to the charm around my neck. Did I owe this fabulous episode to the Harringtons and their witchy power? I resisted that. I wanted Coleman in my bed for one reason only—because he loved me and wanted to be there. The idea that he’d been tricked made me want to cringe.

  Coleman lifted my chin so he could look into my eyes, blue into green. “I’ve loved you for such a long time, Sarah Booth. Since high school, though I couldn’t see it then. You were so … aloof. I know now it was because you’d lost so much so early. You were always there as a friend for me, but any time a guy tried to move closer, you edged backward. I saw it more than once, but I didn’t understand. I knew you were destined for a life outside Zinnia. I just assumed you knew it, too and were looking to the future. That you wanted to remain free to pursue acting.”

  I’d lost too much. Coleman was right about that. In high school, I’d had my share of fun and good times, but there’d been no going steady or dating one guy exclusively. I’d kept everyone at arm’s length. Even Coleman. “I never felt more secure than when I was with you. Never. I see that in hindsight. But I did have to leave Mississippi.” I’d wrapped myself in the dream of being a Broadway star. I had to try, or I would have regretted it the rest of my life. It hadn’t worked, but it had led me to my career as a private investigator. “It was the path I had to travel to get here.”

  “And God knows I’m glad you’re here.” Coleman delivered another searing kiss, followed by a wicked grin. “I have to get back to work.”

  “Me, too.” This was the tragedy of a nooner. The rest of the day required adult, responsible conduct. It was going to be very hard to leave the warm bed and Coleman’s body. The reality of day-to-day life was like being splashed with cold water. Not pleasant.

  Instead of moving to get out of bed, we snuggled closer.

  When our cell phones began to ring, we both sighed. The real world demanded our attention whether we wanted to give it or not.

  “DeWayne,” Coleman said, looking at his phone.

  “Tinkie,” I said, looking at mine. But even though her call forced me out of my warm bed and Coleman’s arms, I was glad to see my partner participating in life again. “We should get up before they storm the front door. Tinkie’s put aside her baby fanaticism to aggravate us.”

  “By the way,” Coleman said as he slipped into his pants, “Esmeralda has invited me to dinner tonight.”

  My head popped through the sweatshirt I’d chosen to wear. “Dinner? Are you going?”

  “Of course,” Coleman said with a wicked grin. “I’m working a case.”

  “What case?”

  “Trevor’s death.”

  That calmed me considerably. “You think Esmeralda is involved in the murder?” Having dinner with a murder suspect came under the heading of Job Description for my favorite sheriff. I’d done the same a few times, hoping to elicit leads.

  “Esmeralda had sued Trevor over a nude painting. She wanted to buy it and he refused to sell it to her. She took him to court and lost. That’s when she and Kitten Fontana became thick as thieves.”

  “Kitten was a model, too. Any leads on how Trevor died?”

  “Doc still believes he had to be poisoned, and h
e’s working to identify the substance used and how it was administered.” He turned away to slip into his pants. I’d never imagined Coleman would be so modest.

  True to my predictions, I heard a loud pounding on the front door. Sweetie Pie began to howl and Pluto rushed into the bedroom and hurled himself at the bed. Our respite was over.

  Still zipping my jeans, I raced down the stairs and to the front door to let Tinkie in. Instead of my partner, Esmeralda Grimes stood in my doorway. She wore five-inch stilettos, what looked to be a tiger-skin coat, and a black miniskirt that almost showed possible, as Aunt Loulane sometimes referred to the female anatomy.

  “We have to talk.” She tried to push past me.

  “Is that real tiger skin?” Her answer would determine her fate. I might have to wring her neck and bury her in the back pasture if she said yes.

  “Fake. It’s fake. For heaven’s sake, you bleeding heart. I can’t afford tiger skin.”

  “You’d wear it if you could afford it?”

  Perhaps she heard the edge of mayhem in my voice because she really looked at me. “It’s a moot issue. I’m here to talk about those witches. They’re dangerous and you need to put a stop to them.”

  “Me?”

  “Is there someone else here that I’m talking to?”

  Coleman stepped out of the shadows. He was in full uniform. “Yes, I’m here. Care to explain what you’re accusing the Harrington sisters of?”

  Esmeralda looked from Coleman to me and back to Coleman. I swear, green shot from her eyes. “The sisters told me they put a spell on the sheriff so he’d view you romantically. They are powerful, aren’t they? He certainly wouldn’t be here unless someone had cast a big mojo on him. How does it feel to be controlled by outside influences?”

  “Oooooh. I love it that you’re jealous!” I couldn’t stop myself.

  Coleman took Esmeralda’s arm and walked her out onto the porch. “Close the door, Sarah Booth. I’ll be in touch.”

  I did as he asked, but I peered out from the sidelight to watch the expressions on their faces. If only I could lip-read.

  I heard those regal bugles, ta-da-da-DAAAAAA.

  Suddenly, I could understand everything Esmeralda was saying by watching her lips. I’d been given the power to read lips—or else the marijuana was playing with my reality. I couldn’t see Coleman’s lips, only the back of his head. But his posture told me he was intense.

  “Don’t tell me you’ve hooked up with that Sarah Booth. I’ve never seen her in a dress. Does she even shave her legs?” Esmeralda asked. “Is she really even a girl?”

  My fists clenched on the curtains. I really wanted to show a little girl power and kick her butt down the steps. Whatever Coleman said, she laughed.

  “I heard you’d been mooning after her. Too bad. You could do so much better.” Esmeralda wore red, red lipstick, which actually made it easier for me to follow what she was saying.

  Coleman pointed to her car.

  “Are we still on for dinner?” Esmeralda asked. “Give me a chance to show you a romantic alternative.”

  Coleman gently took her arm and walked her down the steps to her car. At last he turned so I could see his lips—and what lips they were. The thought of what they could do to my body made me flush.

  “I’ll see you tonight, Esmeralda. At the Prince Albert. At eight.”

  She stood on tiptoe, which was damn hard to do in five-inch stilettos, and kissed his cheek. “It’s a date,” she said. In a moment she was gone, tearing down the driveway and sending dead sycamore leaves out behind her in a whirlwind.

  Coleman came back to the front door.

  “I may have to kill her,” I said. “Just on principle.”

  “I may have to help.” He kissed me. “But until we find Trevor’s killer, let’s just let it all play out. I’ll see you when I finish my date with Esmeralda.”

  “If you find what killed Trevor, let me know. I might have need of it.”

  He only laughed as he got in the cruiser and drove away.

  * * *

  “How was it, Sarah Booth?” Tinkie asked when I called her back.

  “How was what?”

  “Oh for crying out loud. Stop acting like a silly virgin. We all know you and Coleman got it on. We’re all dying for the details.”

  She’d accomplished their goal, because blood rushed to my face. And I wasn’t even dealing with Tinkie and my friends in person. “I don’t kiss and tell.”

  “Either it was very, very good, or so awful you can’t deal with it.” Tinkie’s charming laugh tinkled like silver bells.

  “It was good.” I couldn’t help it. She was my best friend, and who else would I share the glorious details with? “Actually, it was magnificent.”

  “Oh, Sarah Booth, I’m so happy for you.”

  “Me, too. Now let’s get to business.” I couldn’t talk about it anymore. It was just too intensely personal. I’d suffer at the hands of my friends—because I’d certainly tormented them about their personal lives. But it was all done in love, and I would survive.

  “I think we need to dig into Bob Fontana’s real estate developments,” Tinkie said. “Meet me at the bank.”

  “Only if you promise not to take Oscar down on his desk.”

  “I make no promises,” Tinkie said with a naughty wink in her voice. “Maybe you could give me some tips. You know, different positions, what do you say when you’re excited. ‘Oh, cuff me, Coleman. I’ve been a very bad prisoner.’”

  “Goodbye.” I hung up before the blush shot out the top of my head and left me a vegetable. Tinkie really knew how to get me going. Before I picked her up, I needed to find a defense mechanism that would keep her from making me blush. Once she got hold of the fact she could do that, I’d be dead.

  “Come on, Sweetie Pie, Pluto. Let’s hit the road. It’s almost time for something to eat.” And I had to admit, I’d worked up an appetite with Coleman. Whoever said making love didn’t qualify as a high-intensity workout had never made love with Coleman Peters.

  * * *

  Tinkie and I sat across the desk from Harold Erkwell. Tinkie might want to tease me, but she wouldn’t risk Harold’s feelings. I’d been completely up-front with him about Coleman, but there was no sense rubbing his nose in it. I was safe from her teasing as long as we were working with him.

  “I can’t violate Bob Fontana’s privacy,” Harold said with a twinkle in his eye. “But I can give you some leads. It’s up to you to follow through.” He quickly wrote a list of former partners, contractors who’d worked for Fontana Construction and Development, homeowners, and one woman who had no job description by her name. Lisbet Bradley.

  “Who is she?” I asked.

  “Best to discover that on your own.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Thanks.” But when I realized how spoiled I sounded, I laughed. “I mean it. Thanks. Nothing like a little mystery to get me going.”

  Sweetie Pie had fallen asleep in a corner of Harold’s elegantly decorated office. Pluto sat on his desk staring at Tinkie as if he knew of her activity in Oscar’s nearby office. “Give me a break,” Tinkie finally said to the cat. “You can’t turn me to stone. Or a pillar of salt. I’m married. What I did was perfectly legal.”

  “Shame, shame, shame,” I muttered.

  Harold laughed. “What are the Harringtons up to?”

  “Spells, enchantments, strange men in black formal attire.”

  “I met Malvik. Quite the character. I have to say, I liked him.” Harold leaned back in his chair. “He was asking about Fontana Development, too.”

  “Really?” Malvik had been in Zinnia the night Trevor was killed. He’d called himself the leader of the Harrington Coven, but perhaps he merely did the sisters’ bidding.

  “He knows a lot about the Harringtons and their business. And he’s very talkative.”

  “Does he bite?” I asked.

  “He didn’t try me, but you and Tinkie may be far more tempting. I’d say he’s d
efinitely worth checking out.”

  While we were in town, it was worth a trip to the hotel to see if we could find Malvik when he wasn’t with the sister witches. If he had his own agenda, he might be willing to spill a few beans on what Faith, Hope, and Charity saw in their futures. Tinkie and I decided there was no time like the present.

  The hotel was only a block or two from the bank and we walked. The day had turned warmer with a bright sun. Walking was exhilarating. I loved the Prince Albert, which had been a storefront and warehouse, but had been remodeled into a boutique hotel. The staff members had the whitest, prettiest teeth I’d ever seen. And they smiled all the time. They made customer service into an art form.

  Before we could blink, Tinkie and I were seated on a plush sofa in the lobby sipping peach iced tea while the staff went to speak with Malvik and tell him he had guests.

  “Do you think he’ll come talk to us?” Tinkie asked. She was eating the lemon out of her tea—a move that made my mouth pucker in sympathy.

  “Why not? We can’t force him to talk and I get a sense that he’s very competitive with those witches. He might want to cast aspersions on them.”

  “That’s not my motivation.” The voice came from behind us and I felt a flush run up my neck. Not my finest moment.

  “Good to know,” Tinkie said smoothly. “So why are you willing to talk to us?”

  He signaled us up and over to the small and quiet bar area. When we were at a table, he ordered for us. “Three pomegranate and blood orange vodka cosmos.”

  Nothing like a shot of vodka to while away the rest of the afternoon, but I wasn’t about to object. Our drinks arrived and I tasted mine, which was excellent and a beautiful bloodred color that was perfectly suited to Malik’s vampiric look. He was still wearing his cape.

  “Why are you in town?” Tinkie asked him.