Witching in the Moonlight (Harper “Foxxy” Beck Series Book 11)

by Raven Snow

  The bell had already rung when we pulled up to his school, so I parked and prepared to play the bad guy for the hag in the front office. She didn’t like the way I dressed, and I didn’t like the way she treated my kid like a delinquent because of a couple tardy slips.

  “Don’t get into a fight with the front desk lady,” Cooper said as we walked across the front lawn.

  “No point to it. We both know I’d kick her butt into next week. But where’s the sportsmanship in that?”

  “Dad said—”

  “If you parrot your father’s words to me right now, we’re getting back in the car, and I’m sending you to boarding school. I’m operating on very little sleep and patience.”

  Cooper gave me a half hug once we were through the door, running off to his first class with his book bag bouncing every which way. That left me alone to deal with the Dragon Lady. Thanks a lot, Cooper.

  An older woman with piercing eyes and deep frown lines glanced up at me as I walked through the door to the office. She put on her glasses, and it was like a gladiator donning armor. It was about to go down.

  “Ms. Beck.” She smiled, and I swore I could hear her mouth muscles creaking from the effort. “Late again?”

  “Actually, Donna,” I said, leaning over the desk with my biggest smile. “I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see your bright and shining face.”

  “What is the boy’s excuse this time?”

  A little anger coursed through my veins. I was the only one allowed to call Cooper “boy”. But I held onto my temper, because I didn’t want to have to explain getting detention to Wyatt.

  “House fire.”

  Her eyebrows climbed sky high. “You’re telling me your house caught on fire?”

  I nodded gravely. “There were no survivors.”

  I waited for her to reluctantly write that down in the margins of the attendance roster, and then I was on my way.

  “Catch you on the flip side, Donna,” I called over my shoulder right before the door shut behind me.

  I could only imagine what obscene gestures she was making behind my back.

  After locating my car in the sea of minivans, I was back on track for solving the mystery. I drove over to Kosher’s house without delay, and when I walked up to the front door, Vic was the one who answered.

  She called up the stairs for him to get his pale butt down there.

  “You know,” she said, leaning against the doorframe. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with my man.”

  “We’re sleeping together. Haven’t you heard?”

  “Thank God.” She grinned. “Maybe he’ll leave me alone for a night or two.”

  Gross. Just gross.

  Kosher thankfully came down the stairs before I had to respond to that little nugget of disgustingness. He was wearing fishing boots and a tank hat that was usually only seen on senior citizens.

  I whistled. “Oh, baby.”

  I was rewarded with a glare from Kosher and a chuckle from Vic, and then we were off, speeding down the highway in my bug.

  When we passed Sawyer’s hut, the lights were still off, so we kept on driving down to the lake. I parked far away from the water, not having forgotten what happened that night. If that monster wanted to try something, I’d be safely on dry land.

  Unfortunately, Sawyer was sitting out at the edge of the dock in a lawn chair, his line dropping down into the water. He looked completely at ease there, nodding along and enjoying the warm day. There was a large cooler beside him.

  “Maybe we could come back later,” I said to Kosher.

  But neither of us wanted to look like chickens, so we went right up to the dock. My feet hesitated just before they would’ve stepped on wood instead of sand. Beside me, Kosher was in the same position.

  “Well, hey, Miss Beck,” Sawyer said, turning around waving. “Want a beer?”

  There was no turning back now. We’d been spotted.

  I kept one eye on the water for any sign of giant lake monsters while I made my way out to Sawyer. Kosher had to walk one step behind me, because we both wanted to be in the dead middle of the dock.

  Once we reached him, Sawyer opened a can and handed it to Kosher. I politely declined. I was more of a tequila girl.

  “So, you two saw Sabrina with your own eyes. Beautiful, isn’t she?”

  That was one way of seeing the creature, but I preferred the word scary. I knew better, though, than to say that to Sawyer.

  “She sure is,” I said, taking a seat on the wooden planks next to Sawyer’s chair. He offered me the seat, but I didn’t want to be so close to the edge of the dock.

  “Could you tell us more about her?” Kosher asked, remaining standing in a stoic sort of fashion.

  The difference between men and women was that a woman wouldn’t stand just so she could be taller than another woman.

  Sawyer nodded eagerly. “Gee, I don’t rightly know where to start.”

  “How long has she been in the lake?” I asked.

  “I’ve heard some pretty old stories about Sabrina. Some dating back to before the town’s settlement.”

  Waresville was founded over three hundred years ago after the Salem witch trials. A few witches had traveled with some friends and family as far south as they could to get away from anyone who might try and turn against them. The result was a tourist town that boasted of being the most supernatural town in America.

  If Sabrina had been around before the settlers, then that was one old snake.

  “So, a while,” I said, not quite sure I believed that timeline. But you could fill an encyclopedia with what I didn’t know about lake monsters.

  Sawyer laughed. “I think it’s safe to say that.”

  After a moment, Kosher spoke up. “But surely someone would’ve tried to…er…Well, I mean—”

  “Hunt her? Poison the lake?” Sawyer nodded. “Over the years people have tried to get rid of her, but it never works.”

  “Why?” I asked, thinking I knew the answer if the other night’s behavior was part of a pattern.

  I was wrong.

  “You could drain that lake bone dry right now, and you wouldn’t find her,” Sawyer said smugly. “Sabrina only appears when she wants to, or she’s needed.”

  “Needed?”

  “In the past, whenever the lake’s in trouble, she shows up. Then, people start giving it a wide berth.”

  I could imagine. A giant snake monster rising out of the water would be enough to scare me off. Or it would have been had I been born with any common sense or self-preservation.

  “One time, back in the 70s, there was a whole movement to fill in the lake. People wanted the space to build more cabins out here, bring in campers and help the economy.”

  “I’m guessing Sabrina didn’t like that,” I said.

  Sawyer took a swig from his beer, grinning. “You could say that. She ate one of the workers. Right in front of everyone, too.”

  Whatever I had expected him to say, it wasn’t that. My head was filled with graphic images that I didn’t really need. And what he said next made it even worse.

  “Slurped him up like a spaghetti noodle.”

  I looked over at Kosher, who was looking a little green. I discreetly scooted away from him. The last thing I needed today was to get puked on.

  “If Sabrina is showing up now,” I said slowly, “what’s wrong with the lake?”

  He shrugged. “Pollution, maybe. Lot of folks come out here and don’t respect the water. We get more tourists as of late, too. That could have something to do with her appearances.”

  “So, you don’t think Sabrina would have shown up if Chris hadn’t been disrespecting the lake?” Kosher said.

  I was quick to give my two cents. “Maybe she was hungry.”

  “Never seen her eat someone recreationally,” he said. “But I guess it’s possible.” Then, he laughed. “Must not have liked what she tasted, though.”

  I’d had enough black humor for one m
orning, so I stood. My good-byes to Sawyer were short. He asked if I’d come back to talk some more, and I told him I’d think about it. To be honest, I’d be more inclined if we could meet away from this damn lake.

  Just as we were headed back to the car, Skipper the environmentalist pulled up wearing rubber shoes like Kosher. He waved to us and Sawyer, grabbing a water testing kit and heading over to the shallow waters.

  He was a brave geek. I’d give him that.

  Chapter Ten

  On the way back into town, my stomach grumbled. Almost as if our bellies were talking to each other and agreeing, Kosher’s made a similar sound. We glanced at each other out of the corner of our eyes.

  Solving a mystery together was one thing. We were just two professionals combining forces as favors to people we loved. Eating lunch together? That was a step towards friendship. Or at least not actively hating each other.

  My stomach howled, and his answered.

  Sighing, I asked, “Wanna get lunch?”

  “Anything but Chinese.”

  “We’re getting Chinese.”

  Stepping into the buffet with Kosher was like walking down memory lane. Just a couple months ago, there’d been two bodies found in here. Vampire related killings. My, but my life had become so much more interesting after moving to Waresville.

  We filled our plates to the brim with noodles, fried dumplings, and spicy pork. One of the only booths available was right in the sun, but the heat actually felt nice on my skin.

  Not a word was said between us while we ate. Sharing a meal was one thing. There didn’t have to be meaningless chitchat between us. Besides, I had a feeling we were both thinking hard about the case. At least, I sure was.

  If it hadn’t been for the gunshot wound in Chris’s chest, I might have been tempted to label this murder an accident. Or at least murder by lake monster. But if Sabrina had showed up because Chris threatened the lake somehow, then maybe the murderer hadn’t fed him to the monster. Maybe that part was just a happy coincidence.

  But if that was true, I wasn’t sure what that said about the perpetrator. If it said anything at all. That he’d shoot someone in the chest in the heat of the moment but wouldn’t feed them to a giant beast in cold blood? Maybe.

  As much as I tried to rein in my thoughts, they immediately turned to the man sitting across from me. He was an officer of the law, would feel regret after shooting someone. It had never fit for me that he’d feed Chris’s corpse to a lake monster. It was just too cold and calculated.

  On the other hand, Kosher was a hothead and had been known to get violent with criminals in his line of work. Someone trying to take his girlfriend? Jealousy? Those were perfect motives to make him snap and shoot someone.

  As I picked at my pork, no longer hungry, I could picture it all. I could see Kosher getting onto Chris’s boat, confronting him about his behavior. I could see him shooting Chris in a violent moment of passion, Sabrina showing up right after and forcing Kosher to flee.

  These were not happy thoughts to be having when you’d spent a lot of time and effort on trying to prove a man innocent. I’d kind of staked my reputation on it. Not to mention what his conviction would do to Wyatt and Vic.

  “It doesn’t look good for me, does it?” Kosher said out of the blue, his thoughts apparently echoing mine.

  “No, it does not.” I shook my head.

  We sat in silence for a little while longer. Neither of us was eating anymore. Kosher just stared at his plate, while I looked out the window, running through every aspect of the case so far. It didn’t take long, and the process was depressing.

  My cell phone ringing snapped us both out of our little worlds. Kosher started back in on his food, sneaking a piece of my pork as I answered the phone.

  “Hello, lover,” I purred into the phone, expecting him to laugh and return the sentiment.

  Instead, his voice was cold and professional, like he was closed up tighter than a vintage bottle of wine. “Where are you?”

  A pause. “I’m not sure I should say.”

  This was the moment both Kosher and I had been dreading. Him, because it meant the end of his freedom. Even if we proved him innocent after this, a black cloud would follow him for the rest of his life. I was no stranger to that cloud.

  For me, as selfish as it sounded, it was about being wrong. My record as a mystery solver meant a lot to me. Maybe because it was the first thing in my life that I’d ever been really good at. So good people had noticed. Now, when I walked down the street, they didn’t think “criminal” or “former delinquent”. I was that girl who solved mysteries, and that was really nice.

  Wyatt took his time responding, and I could feel the tension behind the quiet. He didn’t want to do this anymore than we wanted to do this.

  Across from me, Kosher, who had figured out what was going on, slumped slightly in his seat.

  “I think it’s best… for everyone involved.”

  I nodded to myself and gave Wyatt our location. We hung up after that. There was nothing left to say.

  For the next few minutes, we waited in silence. There was no eating. There was no talking. And there was definitely no eye contact.

  When I saw Wyatt’s car pull up on the curb, I said to Kosher in a hushed voice, “Don’t say a single word. They’re not your friends right now, and you have nothing to say. Just go quietly.”

  He nodded, but I’m not sure how much of my message actually sank in.

  Wyatt didn’t cuff Kosher in front of all the townspeople in a show of respect. I had mixed feelings about it, because I could remember a time or two when Kosher had walked us to a more public place, so he could arrest me.

  I opted to ride in the front of the cruiser with Wyatt, leaving Kosher alone in the back. He wouldn’t want me to stare at him like a zoo animal right now. Though I couldn’t resist stealing glances in the rearview mirror. Seeing him back there was unsettling.

  Kosher’s good luck ran out when we walked through the station doors. At least a dozen cops were just standing around, watching as Wyatt walked Kosher back to the interrogation room. Their mouths were slightly agape.

  I stepped in front of them, holding out my hand as if collecting a cover charge. “This isn’t a free show, bozos. Get back to work.”

  Everyone dispersed after that, seemingly embarrassed that they’d been so transparent. I walked over and sat down at Wyatt’s desk, waiting for news of what had changed. Fiddling absently with some pens and a stapler, I kept one eye on the door to the interrogation room.

  After about a half an hour, Wyatt emerged with Kosher. He had an evidence bag in his hand, and inside it, was Kosher’s gun. My vision zeroed in on it like the gun was the only thing in the room.

  Please, let them have found someone else’s prints on it.

  But one look at Kosher’s pale, clammy face told me they hadn’t. They’d found the murder weapon, and not only did it belong to their prime suspect, he was the only one who had handled it. As least as far as could be proven.

  I found myself standing and following behind the two of them. I knew where they were going, though part of me couldn’t believe it. Usually, it was me in this position.

  “Some crime scene guys went over Sawyer’s house and found it out back,” Wyatt said quietly to me. “I don’t really have a choice here.”

  I placed a hand on his back, just showing him I was there. He didn’t have to explain himself to me. More than anyone else, I understood that he was just doing his duty. Anyone who didn’t get that could come talk to me personally.

  When we reached the cells in the back room, Wyatt opened up one of the cages and ushered Kosher in. He wasn’t handcuffed, but that would have been a little redundant at this point.

  After Wyatt closed the door, the latch locking, he had to leave. I knew seeing a fellow officer behind bars was hard for him, especially one he believed was innocent.

  I didn’t have any such problems. In fact, I’d fantasized about seeing Kosher in thi
s very position. Usually when I was behind bars because of his invention.

  But the reality didn’t feel as good as I thought it would. In fact, I felt sympathy for the guy. There he was, standing behind the bars, one hand lightly touching the metal like he couldn’t believe he was there.

  When I was in there, it was pretty much business as usual. I got the guards to give me cards. Sometimes it was someone’s birthday, and they shared the cake. Not a bad time, at all.

  “I know you want to say something,” Kosher said. “I’m sure you’ve been waiting for this moment for years.”

  He was right. And who knew when an opportunity like this would come along again?

  I stepped closer to the bars. “You’re right. There is something I want to say.” I blew a raspberry in his face. “Nanana booboo. You’re in there; I’m out here. Eat your heart out.”

  “Feel better?”

  “I don’t know about that, but dang it, I feel alive.”

  I grabbed a chair from the office portion of the station and put it down outside Kosher’s cell. Wyatt had already called Vic, so it wouldn’t be long until bail was posted, and he could leave. Since he was an upstanding member of the community—by their standards—I was sure the judge wouldn’t order remand.

  What was only an hour must have felt like an eternity for Kosher. I kept him entertained by chatting his ear off, but he strangely didn’t seem to like that. He kept asking me to “leave him to rot”. But I couldn’t do that. This was the most fun I’d had all week.

  Eventually, my fun was over, and they released him. Wyatt drove us back to the Chinese place and then had to race back to work. Apparently, there was a lot of paperwork involved in arresting someone you work with for murder.

  That left me with the task of driving Kosher home. And boy, was he in a mood. You would’ve thought he was looking at life in prison or something. I took it upon myself to cheer him up.

  “So,” I said, “now that you’re being charged with murder, do you think you can get your own fan club? Ted Bundy had one.”

  He got out of the car and practically ran into the house. I hadn’t even fully come to a stop in the driveway. From the window, I saw Vic waving at me. I nodded back and drove away, thinking about my next move.