EYE OF THE WITCH (Detective Marcella Witch's Series)

by Dana Donovan

  I reeled back in utter disbelief. If what Rivera said was true, and if, as I believed, he was capable of murder, then I couldn’t imagine why he hadn’t already killed Mallory Edwards for what she did to Benny. I turned to Rivera with reservations and said, “All that being what it may, it still doesn’t explain why you hired Mallory and continue—”

  “I know,” he interrupted. “Why I hired her and continue paying extortion money. I told you, it’s because Bridget told her that Benny is my son. Can you believe it? Benny’s own mother. She’s the one that put her up to it. Bridget told Mallory about Benny, and even suggested she blackmail me into paying her so she wouldn’t tell him.”

  “But why?” said Carlos, his voice high pitched.

  “To distract me. Bridget figured that if I had a big enough distraction going on in my life, I would start screwing up at work, I would lose my concentration in court cases and derail my chances for that promotion.”

  “Guess it worked,” I said.

  He looked at me coldly. “I guess so.”

  Carlos tapped me on the shoulder and asked, “So, what now?”

  “I don’t know,” I answered, and to Rivera I said, “but you should go downtown and talk to the police about Mallory Edwards blackmailing you.”

  He scoffed. “Sure, then Benny will find out everything. I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  I shook my head. “Oh, trust me. Benny has greater issues to deal with right now. Maybe the truth will help him sort things out.”

  “And maybe not. I know my son, Detective. He’ll do fine if you just let me handle this my own way.”

  I looked again to Carlos. He shrugged and gave me a look like it was none of our business. He was probably right, but still, I felt uneasy about the whole affair. If Benny wasn’t our killer, then he certainly had the potential of causing trouble later on with an alter ego like Leo fighting for dominance. His need for professional help seemed clear and immediate. But for the more pressing issues before us, I bowed to Carlos’ inclinations and gave in to Rivera’s request.

  “Okay, fair enough,” I said. “If you feel you know what’s best for Benny, then we’ll let you work it out your way. Your secret shall remain safe with us—for now.”

  He smiled back modestly. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “So now, what do you need from me?”

  “Tell us where to find Mallory Edwards.”

  He pulled back with a jerk. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”

  “Don’t you?”

  “Should I?”

  Carlos said, “Her last known address on her driver’s license is listed here.”

  “At my house?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ha. Detectives, I assure you, Mallory Edwards doesn’t now, nor has she ever lived here in this house. I’m sure that’s just a pipe dream of hers.”

  “So, you don’t know where she lives?”

  “I’m not sure. Last I heard she was staying at the Rue Valley apartments on Concord.”

  “Do you know where Benjamin is now?”

  “No. I thought he was upstairs, but I looked a few minutes ago. He’s gone.”

  “I see.”

  “Great,” said Carlos. “What do we do now?”

  I glanced at my watch. It was nearing ten-thirty. “We have to go to Leona’s.”

  “She’s probably in bed sleeping by now.”

  “Let’s hope so.” I turned to Rivera. “If you hear from Benjamin, will you give us a call right away?”

  “Why? Do you think he’s in trouble?”

  “I still don’t know yet, but I think we’ll know by the end of tonight.”

  Carlos and I got back in the car and headed out, our tires spitting gravel all the way to the gate. I called Spinelli on the way and told him to have an officer meet us at Leona’s place for backup. Then I asked him to send somebody back to Rivera’s to watch for Benny or Piakowski to show up. I believed I could count on Ricardo to tell me if Benjamin returned, but he owed me no favors regarding Piakowski. “And while you’re at it,” I told Spinelli, “check the damn phone book and verify Mallory Edwards address, will you?”

  He told me to hang on, and within a minute came back, humbled as pie. “Yeah, looks like she lives down on Concord.”

  “Yes, I know. Can we get someone over there to talk to her?”

  He hesitated. “Not right now. We have all available resources committed elsewhere.”

  I shook my head. “Fine. Just make sure someone gets down to Leona’s then, okay?”

  “You got it.”

  I turned to Carlos. “See what all your high-tech toys got us?”

  I could tell he wanted to say something in defense of the new justice center, but he knew I didn’t really want to hear it. Lucky for me. The silence it bought us allowed for a nice quiet ride across town where I could think things through, something no fancy computer could provide. It helped me to connect the dots more clearly, establishing and prioritizing the possible motives the key players may have had. The only problem with that was, there were still too many people with way too many motives to come up with a definitive conclusion on anything.

  Officer Burke arrived at Leona’s place ahead of us. When we arrived, he explained that he observed the apartment for about ten minutes prior. “I’ve seen her silhouette pass by the window shade a few times,” he said, “so I know she’s home. But I haven’t seen anyone come or go since I got here.”

  “And you won’t,” I said. “But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t got a visitor already.” I turned to Carlos. “You ready?”

  He blinked a surprised expression. “For what?”

  “For whatever.” I slapped his chest with the back of my hand. “I thought you told me you were a Boy Scout.”

  “I was.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  He slapped Burke on the chest in a similar fashion. “You heard the man. Let’s roll.”

  We went up to the door and knocked. As we waited for Leona to answer, I said to Carlos and Burke, “We don’t want to scare her. After she lets us in, I’ll try to get her to sit on the couch and talk to me. Burke, you start checking out the other rooms, make sure no one’s gotten in without her noticing. Scope out under the bed, in the closets, that sort of thing. Carlos, you stand guard by the door. Keep your ears out for Burke’s call in case he needs you. Got it?”

  “Got it,” they both said, just as Leona opened the door. She seemed surprised to see us, understandably, and even gasped a little before she recognized me as the ringleader. I tried smiling to defuse the sudden impact of her seeing three large men the first thing after opening the door. But Leona probably hadn’t seen me smile much in the past, and I suppose I’d have done her better by maintaining my usual stone-faced expression. Regardless, she did recognize me, and that shaped a smile on her face more authentic than any I could muster.

  “Detective Marcella? What are you doing here?”

  “Hola, Leona. We need to talk. May we come in?”

  She opened the door wide. “Of course. Mi casa es su casa.”

  I crossed the threshold and stepped aside, allowing Carlos to pass upon entry. “You remember my associate, Detective Rodriquez, yes?”

  “Sí! Detective Carlos, ¿cómo estás?”

  Carlos and Leona hugged. “Bien, y tú?”

  “Muy bien, gracias. Que bueno verte otra vez.”

  Next, I introduced Burke, explaining that I hoped she wouldn’t mind if he checked out her apartment to assure it was safe.

  “Yes, officer,” she said, though now she appeared worried. “Please, look around.” She turned to me. “Is everything not all right? Do you believe someone to come to mí apartamento?”

  I pointed to the sofa. “Have a seat, Leona.” She sat at the end of the sofa closest to the door. I came around the coffee table and sat down beside her, our knees almost touching. She reached for my hand. Instinctively, I took it and held it tight. “Leona,
you don’t need to worry about a thing,” I told her. “The reason I’m here with Carlos and Officer Burke is because we believe that someone might want to get in here tonight, and we’re here to prevent that.”

  Her eyes widened. “Do you mean like a bugler?”

  I tried not to laugh, but it slipped out anyway. “It’s burglar, but no, not a burglar. Do you remember earlier when I asked you about your out-of-body experiences?”

  “Sí. You wanted to know if I killed Miss Webber, Miss Dean and Miss Davalos.”

  “Right,” I said, wincing, and feeling just a bit uncomfortable with that. The girl had an uncanny gift for bluntly stating the obvious without really meaning to. I lost eye contact for just a moment, but found it again when I felt her give my mine another squeeze. “Well…I hoped you wouldn’t remember it like that, exactly,” I said, “but anyway, we still think someone may have influenced the actions of those women through paranormal channels. It’s just one of several ideas we’re tossing around, and I want you to know that even though we suspect bilocation as a factor, we don’t consider you a suspect in the slightest.”

  She smiled, forgivingly. “It is okay if you do, Detective. I understand. I do not hold you for resentment. I believe you are a good man and you are only doing your job how you must.”

  I smiled back, humbled. “Thank you, Leona. And I believe that you’re a remarkable young woman.”

  She blushed and turned away. Burke emerged from the bedroom, shaking his head and giving the all’s clear thumbs up sign. I gave him a wink, and nodded for him to join Carlos by the front door. I turned to Leona again. Her cheeks had regained some of their mocha color, but her eyes still cut away shyly. I waited for her to look back at me before continuing. When she did, only her eyes moved my way and my heart damn near melted. I touched the bottom of her chin with just my fingertips and gently steered her face toward mine. “Are you okay?”

  She smiled thinly and giggled, “Sí.”

  “Good. As I was saying, we have come to a crossroad of possibilities regarding the deaths of Karen and the others. At this moment, we’re following the most promising lead, which brings me to your birthday. I hear you celebrated one yesterday?”

  “It is true,” she nodded, “though I did not celebrate so much. I stayed in mí apartamento and dreamed of home.”

  “Back in Honduras?”

  “Sí.”

  “You miss it, don’t you?”

  Her eyes trailed off to the corner of the room where they found a place to anchor. From there, I imagined she could see her homeland in vivid color, the spectacle of blue sky and green mountains flowing from the capital of Tegucigalpa to the beaches of Puerto Cortés y La Ceiba. “I miss my old home,” she said, coming back to me on a whisper. “But I love my new home more. I can go to Honduras in my dreams any time. That is enough for me.”

  “Someday,” I said, “if you like, I’ll go back with you for real, maybe spend a week there. You can show me the sights.”

  “Ooh, sí, I would very much like that.”

  “Then you got it.” I tapped her on the knee. “Before I forget. Until I can take this back from you.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the charm that Lilith gave me at the coffee shop. “I want you to wear this for a while.”

  She took it from me and held it up by the chain, allowing the ring to dangle freely. “This is my ring,” she said, looking puzzled. “I wanted you to have it.”

  “Yes, and I do want it. I’ll keep it and cherish it always. For now though, I want you to have it back. That chain it’s on, Lilith made it. It’s a sort of witch’s ladder. She made it to protect you.”

  “I do not understand.”

  “I know you don’t, but you see, Carlos and I fear you may be in danger. We don’t know if it has to do with your associations with Karen and Bridget, or whether your previous involvement in Doctor Lowell’s workshop has anything to do with it. But that you had a birthday yesterday may contribute to the problem. This charm is intended to protect you. Here, let me help you with it.”

  I took the charm and slipped it over her head. She seemed frightened of it at first, and I doubt she would have let me help her put it on if not for her absolute trust in me. She reached up, pressing her palm to the base of her neck, and she ran her fingers along the length of the braided chain down to the ring. Then she clasped the ring in her hand and squeezed it tightly, as if embracing its powers. “This will protect me?”

  “That’s what Lilith tells me, and I believe her. The way it works is simple. If you feel like someone or something is trying to make you act against your will, then you must pull the ring from the chain.”

  “Like this?” She slipped her finger into the ring and motioned a tug, as to pull the ring free.

  “Yes,” I said, touching her hand to assure she would not yet do it. “When you’re sure, just snap it off.”

  “Then what do I do?”

  I looked up at Carlos, who shrugged. “Then don’t do whatever it is that someone is trying to make you do.” It sounded simple enough. I only hoped it was. “After that, I want you to call me right away. Understand?”

  “Sí, I understand. You do not want me to kill myself. Do not worry. I will do my best.”

  “I know you will. So, I won’t worry. Now, if you will forgive us for this intrusion, we’ll get on our way.”

  I stood and offered Leona my hand to help her out of her seat. She accepted, and when our hands joined, I felt warmth in her touch beyond mere tepidness. I realized at once that the ring had radiated its energy through her. I couldn’t know if that meant it was working to protect her, or if something more ominous had begun to manifest paranormally. A flash of paranoia ran through my mind when the thought hit me. Had Lilith played me? For a moment, I imagined that she tricked me into giving Leona the charm so that she might control her actions through witchcraft. I looked to Carlos, remembering when he held the obsidian stone for himself and said that the only thing he saw was Lilith. ‘Doing what?’ I asked him. He didn’t know. I asked Leona, “Are you feeling okay?”

  “I am fine,” she answered. “Why do you ask?”

  “You’re not dizzy or disoriented?”

  “No. I am hungry a little bit.”

  “Hungry? Oh, right.” I felt suddenly flush with guilt. “Hey, about that. Listen, I’m sorry for spoiling your dinner date with Benjamin earlier. We didn’t—”

  “No. Detective, do not apologize. For to tell the truth, he made my feelings uncomfortable.”

  “What? Did he touch you inappropriately?”

  She shook her head emphatically. “He did not. But he said something bad to make me think I did not know him as I believed I did.”

  “What did he say?”

  She turned away in a blush. “A woman does not repeat such things, Detective. I will say only that you did me a favor when you came to the restaurant as you did.”

  “Okay, fair enough.” I had no need of knowing what Benjamin or Leo might have said to her. That he said anything offensive at all seemed enough to peel away the facade that masked his true intentions. I thought that if Benjamin co-possessed his victims for the purpose of killing them, then at least he wouldn’t gain Leona’s confidence by first appearing before her as a benign apparition. After everything that happened, I hoped she would act quickly and pull the ring the moment he or anyone else materialized in a specter state. I let go of Leona’s hand and said, “Aside from a little hunger, are you sure you’re well?”

  She tugged at my sleeve to turn me around. “Sí, Detective, I am very well.” I felt her petite fingers drilling into the small of my back as she pushed me toward the door. “Now go and let me fix supper so I can go to bed and sleep and wake up and go to my job with the op-tom-e-trist.”

  A mouthful, yes, but she said it laughing, and even pronounced optometrist like a pro—but she’d been practicing. I opened the door and waited for Carlos and Burke to step out before turning to Leona again. “You remember what I said, now? T
he moment you feel something, pull the ring from that chain and give me a call. You have my number?”

  “Sí, I have your number still in mí speedy dial. It is the same, yes?”

  “Yes. It’s the same number. I haven’t changed it.”

  “Then you see, I will call if trouble becomes to me. So, do not worry. Adiós?”

  I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Adiós, señorita. Stay well.”

  “Y tú, señor. Bye-bye.”

  We left her apartment and gathered in the parking lot out front. I asked Burke if he could go back to Rivera’s and watch for either Benjamin or Piakowski to show up.

  “Sure. You want me to approach either if I see him?”

  “Piakowski, yes. I think we have probable cause to question him downtown again. However, Benjamin is another story. After the exhibition down at the coffee shop, I’m expecting his brother will likely file a wrongful arrest suite against the department. So, no, if you see Benjamin, just watch him awhile.”

  “You got it.” He hopped into his patrol car and headed out.

  Carlos asked, “So, what do we do now?”

  “I hate to say this,” I told him, “but I think maybe we should go back to Lilith’s.”

  “Why there?”

  “It’s a gut feeling I got while up in Leona’s apartment. I’m probably wrong, and I hope I am, but the charm that Lilith gave me to give to her, I’m questioning its purpose now.”

  “You don’t think it’s to protect Leona?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know what to think anymore. That’s been my problem all along. My gut feelings are polarized. I used to go with my hunch and rely on instincts, but now I can’t decide which is which.”

  “What did your gut tell you up in the apartment?”

  “Up there, it told me that Leona’s new charm is an instrument of conduction that might possibly allow Lilith to manipulate Leona’s actions through witchcraft.”

  “But there’s a problem with that.”

  “You see it, too?”

  “Sure. If Lilith needs an instrument of conduction to manifest her will through witchcraft, then how—”