“Cat?” he asked. “What cat?”
“The black one that just ran past.”
Mr. Reyes shook his head. “At my age, my eyes aren’t what they used to be.”
She wasn’t sure how anyone could have missed the cat, but it was apparent Mr. Reyes had. She bent near the armoire and looked underneath, expecting to find Artemis there. Nothing.
“Here, kitty, kitty,” she said before standing.
When she turned, Mr. Reyes was gone.
She walked through the rooms upstairs and the aisles within them, but found no sign of the older gentleman.
“This town is so weird that I’m actually starting to believe Petey’s crazy tall tales.” She looked around for the cat for another fifteen minutes before she heard Wil calling her name. When she got downstairs, she found him near the front counter, looking flushed. Penelope was close to him, obviously disobeying his orders to nap.
“Wil?” she asked, worried about him. “I can’t find Artemis anywhere. I’m sorry she got in here. I didn’t mean to leave the door open…or, um, not propped up correctly.”
He waved a hand dismissively. “No worries. Artemis tends to come and go as she pleases. You don’t need to worry about her. She’s much more resilient than you’d think. By chance did you hear the bell ring to the shop again?”
She glanced at the door. “No, but I was upstairs. Why?”
“After that gentleman left, I went into my house—which is adjacent to the shop here, through that door—to grab a cup of tea, and when I came back out, one of the rings was missing,” he said matter-of-factly.
Kelsey approached, and when she realized the ring that was missing was the one that looked like her pendant, she gasped and ran around Wil, straight to her bags. She ripped open her backpack and pulled out the velvet pouch, opening it at once to reveal the pendant.
It was still there.
She sighed and clutched it close to her chest before replacing it in her bag.
The shop door opened, and Mrs. Mays entered. She walked with purpose through the store and came to a stop right in front of Penelope. She was dressed all in light pink today from her head to her toes. The hat she wore was even bigger than the last one Kelsey had seen her in. Her light pink coat was lined with pink fur. She also had on pearls that looked pink-ish. “I’ll have you know that husband of yours—”
Wil held a hand up, silencing the woman instantly. “Now, Trudy. We’ve had this talk before. You can’t just come in here yelling about Hugh.”
Mrs. Mays drew back slightly, looking offended. “Wil, he’s just so, so…irritating!”
Penelope snorted. “Grandpa would probably agree.”
Wil nodded. “But he’s family now, so I’ll thank you kindly not to drag my granddaughter into this. If you’ve got a bone to pick with Hugh, take it up with him.”
“I heard you got him a good one with an umbrella the other day,” said Penelope, laughing softly before touching her stomach and paling. “I swear, all I want to eat are pickles or I’m sick. And I normally hate pickles.”
Mrs. Mays’s expression softened. “Try some ginger in your tea. It will help calm your stomach.”
Penelope grinned. “Thank you. Grandpa, want me to call Jake and let him know we had a theft?”
Mrs. Mays grabbed her chest as if she were having heart palpitations. She didn’t look shocked by the news so much as she appeared thrilled. A certain gleam shone in her eyes that told Kelsey the woman lived for moments such as this. “A theft? Oh, really? You don’t say?”
The woman’s gaze snapped to Kelsey and filled with suspicion.
Kelsey gawked. “I didn’t take the ring.”
“So it was a ring that was stolen?” pressed Mrs. Mays, leaning in as if worried she’d miss a juicy tidbit.
Wil let out a long, slow breath. “Trudy, we may have had a ring stolen. I’m not so sure just yet.”
“Well, it’s either been stolen or it hasn’t,” she said, fanning herself with one hand. “The crime in Everlasting is out of control. I can’t believe the sheriff went on vacation after everything we’ve had happening around here as of late. The whole town is headed to H-E-double-hockey-sticks in a handbag.”
“The crime is no different than it’s always been. You know our issues aren’t like those of most towns,” stressed Wil as he set about putting the remaining rings on a tray and putting it on the shelf in the glass-front display case that doubled as a counter for checking out.
Mrs. Mays turned her attention to Kelsey. “Who are you? I saw you getting off the bus the other day. You’re not one of those big-city folks, are you? We don’t need any more of those. All they do is bring trouble.”
“Taking offense here,” said Penelope. “I came from a big city.”
“Oh nonsense, you were born here. That doesn’t count,” said Mrs. Mays, still zeroed in on Kelsey.
“This here is Kelsey,” said Wil. “She just started working for us. She’ll be here for good, so be nice to her.”
Here for good?
“Oh no, I don’t think I’ll be staying in Everlasting for long. I’m here through the holiday season, and then I’ll be on my way.” At least she assumed she’d be. It wasn’t as if she had a life plan. She was only in town long enough to try to figure out who sent her the pendant and bus ticket to Everlasting.
Wil chuckled as he walked around from behind the counter. “We’ll see. Now, Trudy, isn’t that women’s group you’re part of meeting over at the library about now?”
She glanced at the giant grandfather clock against the far wall. “Oh heavens! Yes. I’m off. Penelope, do your best to keep your husband on a leash. Please!”
SEVEN
JAKE PULLED up outside of the sheriff’s station and parked his SUV. The day had been relatively uneventful, and he was thankful for that. He’d responded to a call about a suspicious character seen walking on the highway that led out toward Wilber Messing’s old hunting cabin—the very one Jake had been held hostage in for a day—but the call hadn’t panned out. There had been no man in a green army coat to be found.
He’d then responded to a complaint about high school kids partying in the woods where an old homestead used to be. That too turned out to be nothing. He’d not found one sign of a party occurring there. Now he was thankful the day was winding down.
He stepped out of his SUV and within seconds, Buster Goodman was there, rushing toward him, his face flushed. The were-rat wore one of his signature sweater vests with a bow tie. The plaid shirt he had on under the sweater clashed significantly with the pattern on the sweater. While Jake wasn’t exactly an expert on fashion, he knew enough to know Buster’s outfit was an eyesore.
The short, plump man came to a stop in front of Jake. “Deputy March, I’d like to report a crime.”
Jake sighed. “How many bodies this time?”
“Bodies?” asked Buster, his nose twitching slightly.
As a were-rat, he tended to come off somewhat rat-like while in his human form as well. Every once in a while, Jake would run across a shifter who had tendencies similar to his animal form. This was one of those times.
Buster’s eyes widened. “Someone else was murdered?”
“I assumed as much. I swear the per-capita death rate in Everlasting might make it the murder capital of the state.”
If only he were kidding.
Buster shrugged. He’d been a lifelong resident of the seaside town full of supernaturals. “They tell me it isn’t out of the range of normal for towns like ours.”
Jake knew as much. Everlasting wasn’t his first predominantly supernatural town. “What crime was it you wanted to report?”
“I’d much rather report it to Sheriff Bull, but since she’s on vacation, you’ll have to do.” Buster twitched once more.
Annoyed, Jake stared down at the man. “Thanks. What’s the crime?”
“As you know, the general store has a display case featuring the history of witches here in Everlasting. It’s
back near the herb section under lock and key.” Buster tugged at his sweater vest that seemed to be at least two sizes too small.
“No. I wasn’t aware. I’d sure love to know how everyone expects to keep our town secret an actual secret when people think displays like that are smart,” he said, meaning every word. For a town wanting to keep the fact it was comprised mostly of supernaturals a secret, it had a funny way of going about it.
Buster appeared annoyed with the logic. “You’re missing the point here, Deputy.”
“Actually, I’m still waiting for the point,” returned Jake.
“One of the gemstones from the display is missing. Gone. Poof. Vanished!” Buster used his hands to mimic an explosion, but it lacked dramatic effect as the man was wearing a bow tie.
Jake tipped his head. “Was there any sign that someone broke into the case?”
“No. It was locked. I’m the only one with a key, since Sigmund is otherwise occupied, because the items are on loan from the town council, and were entrusted to Sigmund,” Buster said, lowering his voice as if Sigmund being away learning to control his shifter side was a national secret, but the history of witches in town was a topic for all.
“I’ll come by the store in just a bit to take a look at it,” said Jake, attempting to head into the station.
Buster threw himself into Jake’s path and tossed his arms open wide. “As in later? This is an emergency, Deputy! Grand theft or aiding and abiding, erm, abetting, or something.”
Jake rubbed the bridge of his nose, his patience with the man at its breaking point. “How about you leave the police work up to me?”
“I would, but it’s clear you aren’t taking this seriously,” said Buster, attempting to fold his arms over his chest, but with his gut, they didn’t quite reach all the way. He had a tendency to try to pretend he was alpha. In reality, he was anything but. So far it had gotten him into more trouble than Jake could even count. At last check, Buster was still on Hugh’s eat-first-ask-questions-later list. Seemed to be a permanent fixture there as of late.
“This gemstone, what was it? And was it valuable?” asked Jake, pulling his notepad from his breast pocket. He didn’t much care for all the new technologies and found that good old-fashioned pen and paper still worked best for him.
Buster’s cheeks heated. “Monetarily, it’s not worth much, but it’s the fact someone stole it. It’s the principle of it all. If someone is willing to steal that, what else will they take? Not to mention, it’s from a powerful line of witches who used to inhabit Everlasting. That family line ended years ago. Their possessions wound up with the town council members. It just so happens it’s been nearly a hundred years since that line was active here.”
Jake lifted a brow, doing his best to look as though he was interested in the impromptu history lesson the man was giving. Over the course of his life, Jake had dealt with more than his fair share of witches, and it always ended poorly for him. He did his best to avoid entanglements with them and left them to their own devices. “Describe the gemstone for me.”
“It’s a black obsidian. You might know it better as the stone of truth,” he said with an air of superiority.
“Oh, the stone of truth? Why didn’t you lead with that?” asked Jake snidely.
“You’ve heard of it?” Buster appeared impressed.
Jake snorted. “No.”
“Deputy, this is serious. The gemstone is missing…and…someone stole my bike,” he said, the last part coming out quickly. He squared his shoulders. “Crime is simply out of control around here.”
Jake nearly laughed. He’d never once seen Buster riding a bike. “Really? Where did you last see this bike of yours?”
Buster tugged at his bow tie. “I set it out for trash pickup.”
Jake lifted a hand. “To be clear, you want to report that someone stole your trash?”
“No! Someone stole my bike that just happened to be set out for trash pickup. It’s bulky item day, you know.” Buster managed to keep a straight face, but Jake wasn’t sure how.
Jake seriously missed being a homicide detective at the moment. “No. I wasn’t aware, and also, I don’t care. Were your trash and bike set out near the edge of the street and did you want the bike hauled away?”
“Yes.”
“Buster, do you have a real crime to report or do you just like wasting my time?” asked Jake, losing his patience with the man. “Because reporting your bike as stolen when it was put out for trash pickup, and you wanted it gone, is a total waste of my time and taxpayer’s dollars. Figured you’d know that, seeing as you do the town books and all.”
Buster huffed. “We’re in the middle of a crime wave, and you think I’m wasting your time. Some deputy you are. Next thing you know there will be dead bodies piling up everywhere. It won’t be safe to walk the streets. Everlasting will get a reputation.”
Jake put his notebook back in his pocket. “I can get Deputy August to help you if you’d rather.”
Detective (if you asked him) Bart August was basically worthless. He ran around pretending to be Sherlock Holmes when in reality he was more of a Barney Fife. He’d gotten the month of August in the calendar because of his last name.
When Sheriff Bull had tried to hire Jake on as a detective, he’d politely declined the offer because he’d wanted a change of pace. Had he known he’d end up doing the same duties he had in the big city, along with having to deal with small-town eccentrics, he’d have accepted, but demanded four weeks of vacation a year.
Buster’s eyes widened. “No! You’ll be fine. I guess. No need to get August involved. Tell me he’s not on today, is he?”
“Oh, he’s on. Glad I’ll do.” Jake nearly laughed. No one in town found August to be competent.
“On my way over here, I heard someone mention a ring went missing from Wilber’s shop,” said Buster, nodding and pointing in the direction of Wilber’s antiques shop. “See, crime wave. I told you.”
Jake’s interest piqued. “This is the first I’m hearing of it.”
“Bet he knows that with Sheriff Bull gone, there isn’t any point in calling to make a report.” Buster looked pleased with himself. “Between that worthless dispatcher Randall who hung up on me when I tried to call in to make a complaint and you lot, we’re pretty much left with no protection from crime.”
Jake crowded the space between them and the man began to sweat. “Oh really?”
“No! Um, uh, I should be going now. I’ve taken up enough of your day.” He scurried off in the other direction. Had Buster been in shifted form, Jake was positive his tail would have been between his legs.
“Some days it doesn’t pay to get out of bed,” said Jake, as he climbed back into his SUV.
EIGHT
KELSEY FOLLOWED behind Wil as he led her through the labyrinth beneath his shop. She couldn’t be certain, but the basement of the antiques shop felt as if it were at least three times larger than the shop itself. Maybe it extended under other buildings above as well.
Wil opened another door and held it for her. “This here is a special room. Nothing in here is to be sold. Ever. And inventory needs to be done in here at least monthly. If something goes missing, consult the books locked in the room we were just in. Got it?”
Nodding, Kelsey entered the room—and drew up short as she saw how huge it was. She spun around to face Wil. “How?”
He grinned. “This extends under Main Street.”
“Oh.” She looked around at the seemingly endless rows of shelves with item after item on them. A shelf full of what could only be described as crystal balls caught her attention. She walked toward them, curious as to why they weren’t to be sold, and why anyone would collect them. Unless someone had a thing for old carnival pieces, she couldn’t see much interest.
Wil remained near the door, nodding to her as she glanced back at him.
Kelsey read the sign mounted near the items. It said “Crystal Balls” plain as day. Reaching up, she touched one, sti
ll a little lost as to why an antiques shop owner would want any of them, let alone so many. And why were they tucked away in the not-for-sale giant storeroom?
The moment her finger made contact with the glass, a fog swirled in the ball.
Freaked out, Kelsey jerked her hand back and then laughed softly. “Oh, they’re some sort of motion-activated thing? Cute.”
Wil clucked his tongue against his cheek and then made a point to pull out a pocketknife. He flipped it open and began to clean under his nails. “Sure. We can go with that. What do you see?”
She shrugged. “Fog. Wait…”
The swirling fog began to take shape and she leaned in, totally in awe of the device. A figure formed in the crystal ball. At first it was hard to make out, and when it became clearer, she smiled wide. Whatever the device was, it was obviously programmed to show a movie of some kind. The computer-generated effects were amazing. Lifelike even. It showed what could only be called a horse-man. The head and upper body of a man, and the lower portion of a horse. She couldn’t see the man’s face because he was turned, his profile showing. But the details were amazing. “This is so neat! Awesome effects.”
Wil snorted. “Yeah. Awesome. So, what do you see?”
“It’s showing me the horse-man clip,” she said, smiling from ear to ear. “It’s so lifelike. I can’t believe how great it looks. Hollywood should really hire this CG team. Don’t you think?”
Wil kept cleaning under his nails with the knife. “Actually, I haven’t seen that clip. Is it showing you anything else?”
She glanced back to see the horse-man still there. “No.”
“Ask it a question,” said Wil, calmly putting one shoulder to the doorframe as he watched her.
Kelsey faced the crystal balls but leaned closer to the one that was showing her the horse-man. “Is it voice activated too?”
“Sure. We’ll go with that.”
Strange response.
“Okay, why am I in Everlasting?” asked Kelsey.
The ball fogged once more and then the horse-man re-formed. “Bummer. It’s stuck on the horse-man loop.”
Total Eclipse of The Hunt Page 6
