HGM02 A Witchy Mystery

by D. S. Butler

  I shook my head. “No. It’s only me who can hear you. But they know you’re here, and they want to help as well.”

  I turned away from Yvonne. Of course, it was very important to discuss our plan of action to find Yvonne’s killer, but first, I had something more important I wanted to ask Grandma Grant.

  “So, where’s my surprise?”

  Jess was setting the table and put a bowl in front of me.

  “You did say you’d let me have it before dinner,” I prompted.

  Grandma Grant nodded. “I did. Just a minute.”

  She ducked down behind the kitchen counter and pulled something out of one of the drawers. It was a huge, oblong parcel wrapped in fiery red paper.

  Although I was still a little anxious, this was a surprise from Grandma Grant, after all, I couldn’t stop the thrill of excitement that passed through me at the thought of getting a present.

  I took it from her eagerly and was surprised to find it was incredibly heavy.

  “Thank you,” I said beaming.

  “You haven’t opened it yet,” Jess muttered and Grandma Grant shot her a sharp look.

  I peeled back the paper, and straightaway, I realized it was a book. Usually, I loved books. I am a self-confessed bookaholic, but I had a sinking feeling as I pushed the paper further down the front of the book. It was huge, bound in dark green leather, and I could tell it wasn’t going to be a romance or mystery. Sure enough, when I looked at the title embossed in gold, I read, ‘The Second Comprehensive Book of Spells.'

  I stared at it for a moment, lost for words.

  I didn’t want to appear ungrateful, but I wasn’t able to muster up much enthusiasm. To me, spells were the most boring things in the world.

  I ran a finger over the gold title. “How can you have a second comprehensive book of spells? I mean, the first book couldn’t have been very comprehensive if a second book was needed.”

  Grandma Grant gave a little huffing sound. “Show a little gratitude, Harper. It wasn’t cheap, you know. You need to learn your spells. You’re going to become a real witch, even if it kills me.”

  I nodded somberly. “I’m sorry. You’re right. It was a very thoughtful surprise.”

  Yvonne hovered over me, invading my personal space, so she could get a look at the book. “So you’re not a proper witch yet?”

  I bristled at that comment. “I am a proper witch. I’m just not very good at spells,” I clarified.

  Grandma Grant began serving up the butternut squash stew. The smell was gorgeous, and my mouth watered in anticipation.

  “Harper will only be a proper witch when she can pass the basic spells 101 course,” Grandma Grant said, talking into space, obviously thinking she was addressing Yvonne even though she was looking in completely the wrong spot.

  “I see,” Yvonne said. “So it’s something you have to learn. You’re not just born with it?”

  “Well, we’re born with some abilities,” I replied. “The rest we’re supposed to learn.”

  “So, is your entire family magical? Did you inherit it from your mother?”

  I shook my head. “In our case, we inherited it through the paternal line. Our father, Grandma Grant’s son, was a warlock.”

  I said the words quietly as it was a touchy subject around here.

  Grandma Grant stiffened, and she shook her head. “Yes, he was a warlock, but he has turned to the dark side.”

  Yvonne was aghast. “Oh no! Not black magic?”

  I shook my head and said scornfully, “No, don’t be silly. Grandma Grant just means he’s trying to be pure human. He’s turned his back on magic. He wants to be normal.”

  “Normal is overrated,” Grandma Grant scoffed.

  Yvonne was quiet for a while then. I supposed she was processing all this information, and it was quite a lot to take in.

  Grandma Grant sat down at the table, and we were all about to dig into our steaming bowls of stew when Yvonne cleared her throat.

  “I don’t like to be rude. But I think your grandmother has forgotten about me. I don’t have a bowl.”

  I put my spoon back down and turned to face her. “Ah, yes, about that. There’s probably something I should tell you.”

  “Yes, what is it?”

  “Ghosts don’t need food. They don’t eat.”

  “Don’t eat?” Yvonne screeched. “You have got to be kidding me! I’ve spent my entire life watching what I eat, and when you told me that ghosts never change in appearance, I couldn’t wait to make a complete pig of myself. I thought I’d be able to eat whatever I wanted without putting on an ounce of weight. Now you tell me, I can’t eat anything!”

  I grimaced. “Yes, sorry about that.”

  “What’s wrong?” Jess asked, realizing Yvonne was having some issues.

  “I’ve just had to tell Yvonne that ghosts don’t eat food, and she is rather upset.”

  “Just wait until she sees the berry cheesecake,” Grandma Grant said. “If she is upset at not eating the stew, then she’ll be—”

  “Grandma! That’s not very nice,” Jess said. “Maybe we shouldn’t eat the cheesecake in front of her.”

  “I’m not giving up my cheesecake for anybody,” Grandma Grant said and then swallowed an extra-large spoonful of stew. “Yvonne will just have to get used to it.”

  “Sorry,” I whispered to Yvonne. “Loretta tells me it’s one of the hardest things about being a ghost. Especially for her because she lives in the diner and is around food all the time.”

  Yvonne’s shoulders slumped, and she looked very miserable.

  “If you’d rather I didn’t eat in front of you, I won’t. I don’t want to make things more difficult.”

  Yvonne waved her hand and looked glum. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve spent my entire life watching other people eat delicious things and going without. Why should I mind now?”

  I felt a little guilty as I tucked into the stew, but it really was delicious. I couldn’t be too angry with Grandma Grant for using the taste spell, not when this was the outcome.

  We finished up the stew and then Grandma Grant went to prepare dessert. She put the cheesecake on her special cake plate and brought it to the table. I got the plates, and Jess got the cutlery while Yvonne hovered beside the table.

  “Right,” I said. “It’s time to get down to business. We need to work out our list of suspects.”

  “I still think it’s probably some random person I didn’t know,” Yvonne said.

  I resisted rolling my eyes and thanked Grandma Grant as she passed me a large slice of cheesecake.

  “Let’s work on the theory that you did know the killer, Yvonne.” I held up my hand to stop her arguing. “Just for a moment. Humor me. Who would benefit from your death? Did you have a will?”

  Yvonne shook her head. “I didn’t. I wasn’t expecting to die so young. It was one of those things I kept putting off. I suppose my nearest living relative will inherit, which will be my sister, Carol.”

  “So, Yvonne’s sister will probably inherit after she dies,” I said for Grandma Grant and Jess’s benefit.

  “Oh, there you are then. The sister did it to get her hands on the money,” Grandma Grant said.

  Yvonne exploded in a volley of curses. I didn’t bother to pass on what she said to Grandma Grant. I didn’t have a death wish.

  Instead, I said, “Yvonne doesn’t think her sister is involved.”

  “Of course not. She was probably clever about it and covered her tracks,” Grandma Grant said. “She probably had it planned for ages.”

  Yvonne shook her head firmly. “That’s rubbish. Carol would never do anything to hurt me. She adored me. If it weren’t for me, she would have nothing. I’m telling you, she’ll be devastated over my death.”

  At that moment, Grandma Grant’s cat, Athena, strolled into the kitchen. She looked imperiously up at us all at the table and then walked off to settle on her favorite spot on the rug.

  “Okay, we will put Yvonne’s si
ster, Carol, at the bottom of the list for now,” I said. “Let’s try to think of who else could have had a motive. Your sister told Chief Wickham this morning you’d had a big row with your PA the night before you were murdered.”

  “Oh, Louise,” Yvonne said dismissively. “She is useless.”

  Jess took a big mouthful of cheesecake and then said, “Louise could have held a grudge.”

  I nodded, agreeing with Jess. “Well, maybe that is her motive. Maybe she was angry over your argument and—”

  “Don’t be absurd,” Yvonne said. “That little mouse wouldn’t hurt a fly. She wouldn’t have the gumption.”

  Athena’s ears perked up at the mention of the word mouse. She was one smart cat. I often thought she knew exactly what we were saying.

  I looked at Jess and Grandma Grant and then pushed my empty plate away. “Yvonne doesn’t think Louise could have killed her, either. So it looks like we have two suspects at the moment, and Yvonne doesn’t think either of them is capable of murder.”

  Grandma Grant scraped the last bit of the berry cheesecake from her plate and said, “It doesn’t sound as though you have much to go on.”

  I groaned. Grandma Grant was right. I had absolutely no idea where to start. Hopefully, Chief Wickham and Joe would be having more luck.

  Chapter 10

  After dinner, I walked home with Jess and Yvonne back to our cottage. I carried the heavy book of spells beneath my arm.

  “You can take the couch,” I told Yvonne as we reached the front garden.

  “Can ghosts sleep?”

  I nodded. “Yes, they can. Getting settled on the couch might take some getting used to, but you can always hover.”

  I had a strange feeling I was being watched again, and I turned around, half expecting to see my little stray cat, but there was nothing there.

  Jess fumbled in her pockets for the house keys, and I asked, “Do you get the feeling we are being watched?”

  Jess shivered. “No, I don’t. And don’t say things like that. It gives me the creeps when we are standing here outside in the dark.”

  I peered out into the dark shrubbery and suddenly saw a pair of green eyes flash in the bushes.

  I yelped in surprise, and Yvonne zoomed around to hide behind me.

  “What?” Jess demanded, looking around.

  “You didn’t see that?”

  Jess shook her head, and I could tell she was losing her temper. “I didn’t see anything, Harper. You’ve just got an overactive imagination.”

  “I thought it might be the stray cat.”

  Jess rolled her eyes as she shoved the key in the lock. “Honestly, Harper. Why are you making such a fuss over that cat? It’s just a stray. You’ll probably never see it again.”

  Despite what Jess said, I went to look amongst the bushes beside the house just to make sure the poor cat wasn’t there. I hated to think of the little thing being hungry and cold, but there was no sign of it.

  After giving up on my search, I went inside the cottage and made hot chocolate for Jess and me.

  I needed a lot of sugar tonight. It helped me deal with stress.

  I reached for the bag of marshmallows, about to add a second one to my mug, when Yvonne said, “A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.”

  I turned to glare at her and then added an extra marshmallow just to prove she couldn’t boss me around.

  It was still a little too early to go to bed, so Jess and I sat in the living room with Yvonne.

  I intended to bring up the subject of Yvonne’s killer again, because although Yvonne had been dismissive of my attempts to narrow down suspects so far, it was the only way we were going to make any progress.

  But instead of talking about who could have killed her, Yvonne wanted to talk about giving me a makeover.

  “No, absolutely not. You are not coming near me with lipstick or eyeshadow,” I said. “I’m perfectly happy with the way I look, thank you very much.”

  Jess, of course, thought it was hysterical. “You should give it a go,” she said. “What’s the worst that could happen? As long as it’s nothing permanent, it’s fun to experiment. You could do with changing your image. It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut.”

  Yvonne beamed, happy to have Jess on her side. She kept trying to push my hair around, but, of course, it didn’t move as her fingers floated right through it. It just made me shiver every time her hand passed through my head.

  “I’m fine, Yvonne. Please, let’s concentrate on finding your killer.”

  “But if you had a makeover, Harper, I’m sure Deputy McGrady would notice.”

  I swallowed hard, and my cheeks flushed scarlet. Although Jess couldn’t hear what Yvonne was saying, she did see my reaction.

  She leaned forward, smiling gleefully. “What is it? What did Yvonne say?”

  “Nothing,” I gritted out.

  Yvonne cackled happily. “Oh, I see I’ve touched a nerve there, haven’t I? You should let me help you, Harper. I’m sure I could get you two together if you would just listen to my advice.”

  “No!” I snapped. “I’m not even interested in him.”

  Jess gave me a knowing smile. “Oh, so you’re talking about Deputy McGrady?”

  “I have absolutely no idea why everyone thinks I’m interested in him. I’m not. I really couldn’t be less interested.”

  Jess nodded slowly. “Of course not, Harper. We believe you; thousands wouldn’t.”

  Honestly, dealing with these two was a nightmare. Each one was as bad as the other. It was like being back in high school.

  “I must say your sister is very intuitive,” Yvonne said.

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Why don’t you try it, Harper?” Jess said. “You can get Yvonne’s advice on some new outfits.”

  I was perfectly happy with my jeans and T-shirts, thank you very much.

  “You know,” Yvonne said. “Your sister has very nice bone structure. She really should cut her hair shorter. Maybe a pixie cut.”

  I grinned. My sister’s hair was long and fell past her shoulders. It was her crowning glory.

  “So you think makeovers are a good idea?” I asked Jess.

  She chuckled. “Why not? You only live once.”

  “I will if you will. Yvonne thinks you’d look good with a pixie cut.”

  The smile slid from Jess’s face. “Maybe it’s not such a good idea, after all.”

  I gave her a smug grin. One point for me.

  Jess wasn’t too eager to stick around with us after she found out Yvonne wanted to hack her hair off. I don’t know why she was so nervous, though. It wasn’t as if Yvonne could even pick up a pair of scissors at the moment. It took a lot of practice and experience for ghosts to be able to exert force on inanimate objects and pick things up. For the most part, they floated right through them.

  “Well, I think I better go to bed,” Jess said, standing up and yawning.

  I agreed and said goodnight to Yvonne. I did feel a little guilty about leaving her and hoped she would manage to get some sleep. It must be hard to be a ghost in the home of a stranger.

  She was certainly a prickly character, but I still felt sorry for her.

  I took the huge book of spells to bed with me and propped it up on my knees, turning to page one.

  It wasn’t exactly as easy to read in bed as my e-reader, but it did have one useful side-effect. I was asleep before I even got to page two.

  Chapter 11

  The following morning, I woke up with a heavy weight on my back. I had no idea what it was until I turned over and realized the spell book was still open and laying across me after I’d fallen asleep reading it last night.

  Despite having a massive book of spells sharing my bed, I’d slept quite well.

  I left my room, went out into the living area and saw that Yvonne was already up, and Jess was busily making breakfast in the kitchen.

  “Did you sleep okay, Yvonne?”

  She pulled a face. “
No, not really. Do you ever get that odd sensation just as you’re drifting off to sleep that you’re falling, and suddenly your body jerks awake?”

  I had experienced that, though not very often. I nodded.

  “Well, that’s how I felt, all night.”

  “Maybe it’s something to do with the transition. You’ll probably sleep better tonight.”

  Yvonne nodded glumly. “So, what do we do now? I suppose I’ve got to traipse all the way to the diner and spend the day there while you work.”

  I wasn’t exactly keen on having Yvonne around all the time either, but I decided not to say so. She’d been through a lot yesterday, and she’d had a bad night’s sleep. It wasn’t a good combination.

  “I don’t have to start at the diner until this afternoon, so I thought we could do some investigating this morning.”

  Yvonne perked up. “Investigating? You mean we are going to look for my killer? Isn’t that dangerous?”

  Jess walked in from the kitchen, holding two bright red smoothies and handed one to me.

  “Strawberry and banana,” she said to me and then said, “no better way to start the day.”

  “Er, hello? That was rude. We were talking,” Yvonne snapped.

  I thanked Jess for my smoothie and then said, “She can’t hear you, Yvonne. She didn’t know you were talking.”

  “Oh, sorry. Was I interrupting? Carry on.” Jess settled on the couch and took a sip of her smoothie.

  “I don’t think it will be dangerous if we are careful,” I said. “Besides, you’re already a ghost. I don’t think anyone can hurt you.”

  Yvonne shuddered a little at my words, and I felt guilty. It was mean of me to remind her of what had happened.

  I tried another tack. “Perhaps we should just go and talk to your sister this morning. Maybe she has some ideas. She might be able to clue us in on potential suspects.”

  “I very much doubt it,” Yvonne said. “But yes, I would like to see her. I know she won’t be able to see me, of course. But I’d feel better knowing she was coping okay.”

  I nodded. “That’s settled then. We’ll go and speak to Carol this morning, and then you can tag along to the diner with me this afternoon if you want. But you don’t have to stay with me. You can come and go as you please.”