If the Curse Fits

by Kennedy Layne

  None of that mattered.

  John Cooper’s surrender was all I could focus on. It was in times like this that my anger for being put into a situation where I was confronting a killer instead of being in front of a class full of freshman college students teaching what I loved came through like a strike of lightning.

  Ammeline Letty Romilda was to blame, but these sick individuals who took lives as if they didn’t matter were even worse. They needed to be stopped.

  You’re beginning to sound like you’re going over the edge, darling. Orwin’s obsession with little green men is about all the conspiracy theories I can take, so let’s finish this murder mystery so that we can go about our lives, shall we?

  With a flick of my wrist, I easily moved the large, overfilled dumpster into the middle of the alleyway.

  Nicely done, my dear!

  Unfortunately, John Cooper hadn’t been hiding behind the huge steel container as I’d thought he’d been.

  I hate to admit it, but that was rather anticlimactic.

  The only other hiding place available to John Cooper was the small indented doorway that held a side entrance into one of the shops. Without hesitation, I flicked my wrist once more, all but ensuring anything or anyone in the small alcove would be thrown out and laid at my feet.

  “What the—”

  A knife clattered on the wet asphalt, and John Cooper wasn’t far behind. The weight of his backpack had him landing with a thud. Before the man could say another word, I’d moved the knife up and parallel with the ground and made sure the sharp blade hovered two feet from his chest.

  Uh, Miss Lilura, don’t you think you might be taking this a bit too far?

  “Weren’t you the one who suggested we eviscerate a certain someone not five minutes ago?” As usual, my anger receded just as quickly as it appeared. I didn’t wait for Pearl to answer me, but instead continued to walk forward until I could kneel at eye level with the knife.

  Oh, my. You do make quite the adversary.

  “Mr. Cooper, I’m only going to ask you this once.” I waited patiently for John to meet my gaze, though he was quite reluctant to look away from the sharp weapon hanging in midair and pointed in his direction. “Did you kill Cassie Grier?”

  Remind me never to have you interrogate me, Miss Lilura.

  “Who are you? How are you doing that?” John exclaimed in abstract horror as he scrambled back from the knife. I continued to move it forward, showing him there was no way out. “Stop! Just…fine, alright? I killed Cassie, but what she did to my Heather was wrong!”

  I can see why that confession didn’t take long. We might need to talk about the way you conduct your so-called debriefings before you drive out of town. I wouldn’t want it to be said that I didn’t give you the benefit of some sound advice. I do have my rather stellar reputation to uphold.

  “W-what are you?” John asked in a tone that was barely coming out as a whisper. He was clearly freaking out and not accepting what he was seeing with his own two eyes. “How are you d-doing that?”

  John was more concerned about who and what I was than anything else, but it didn’t matter. He’d committed murder, and it was time he pay for his crimes. I purposefully took my time standing there before advancing toward the broken man lying on the sidewalk, ensuring that the knife followed me until I was close enough to make sure he heard every word I said…and would follow my orders.

  It’s good to know that you take our need for secrecy seriously, Miss Lilura.

  “Listen to me very closely, Mr. Cooper. You are going to do exactly what I say, and you will never mention this to anyone. Trust me when I say you don’t want to know what will happen if you ever utter a single word of what occurred in this alleyway today.”

  Very well done, my dear. Very well done. I mean, you didn’t need to sound as if you’re in the mafia that Mr. Cornelia spoke of, but that’s neither here nor there. I shouldn’t nitpick how you do your job. Now, I’d say we both deserve a spot of tea after such a busy morning, don’t you?

  Chapter Seventeen

  “I think that’s everything,” Orwin said, slamming the back of the Jeep closed with a satisfying thud. “We managed to get one more checkmark in the win column, seeing as we saved Jamie Lehman before your vision came true. I’d call that a par, given that we fell short on our primary objective.”

  It certainly was a win for Jamie, but as far as I was concerned, we were still on the losing end of that tally if one combined all of our cases we’d worked over the last three months. It also didn’t help that Knox Emeric had skipped town before we could find out if there was any truth to what he’d said about Cassie knowing the Allifair family’s secret.

  “You always have to rain on my celebration, don’t you?” Orwin mumbled, having picked up my thoughts as if I’d spoken them aloud. “Did you manage to at least get us a late checkout from the motel manager?”

  I nodded my answer before checking the time on my cell phone. It was a little after eight o’clock at night. The storms had moved out of the area, leaving that damp chill in the air that for some reason had settled deep into my bones. It was an abysmal weariness that didn’t want to fade.

  It might have to do with the fact that Heather Coyle had found out how close to death she had come, especially in light of John Cooper’s confession. True to his word—not that he’d had any real choice of the matter—he’d gotten up off the wet asphalt in the alleyway and made his way back to the café, where he’d confessed to the murder of Cassie Grier.

  Michael Pierce had gotten his exclusive clip of the reluctant admission, Detective Jones had made his arrest, and I figured Heather might have to go into therapy for some trust issues after what had happened today.

  After her initial shock, disbelief, and anger that John Cooper had used her as an excuse to kill Cassie and harm others, she’d made it known how horrified she was at the thought—which had prompted John Cooper to lunge at her as if he’d lost what tenuous hold he had on his sanity. The only thing that had saved her from harm was the fact that he’d already been in cuffs. Detective Jones had controlled the situation with ease by yanking backward on the chain between the cuffs, and he eventually escorted John Cooper out of the café to what would hopefully be a life sentence in prison.

  “Orwin, what did you find out when you got close enough to Knox Emeric to read his thoughts?” I asked, opening the driver’s side door to the Jeep. Although Orwin was right that we’d had a win today, something still wasn’t setting well with me. “We never got a chance to talk about him, other than you saying he wasn’t a threat to Piper or her family. How can you be so sure?”

  I set my phone in the console, taking the time to remove my black leather jacket. It was always more comfortable for me to drive without the restriction of added layers. Orwin stayed on my side of the vehicle while I went through my routine of opening the back door and laying my jacket over a stack of books that he liked to have within arm’s reach.

  “Knox left the café the moment John Cooper confessed, but he’d definitely made a conscious decision of leaving things alone.” Orwin seemed to hesitate before adding in his two cents. He even waited to say anything on the subject until he’d closed the back door and rested his shoulder against the frame of the Jeep. “I can only assume that he’s got some ability to cloak his thoughts courtesy of the supernatural realm. He isn’t entirely human, but he isn’t a warlock, either. He knows who we are, which is how he was most likely able to steer his thoughts to meaningless things whenever I was within his vicinity.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  I also didn’t like that Knox Emeric had just simply vanished into thin air. We’d even taken a drive around town to make sure the Land Rover wasn’t parked in some odd place that could potentially mean he was here to stay, thus causing Piper and her family trouble that they hadn’t asked for.

  “There’s not much we can do about it, Lou.” Orwin shrugged before taking his glasses off and cleaning them with his swea
tshirt. He’d already stored his jacket in the back, along with his overnight bag. We’d be in Kecksburg soon, although I was still trying to figure a way out of that little side trip. “Don’t even think about it. We need to take a break anyway to research the witch who lives in Minnesota. There was a video posted on social media showing her holding a séance as a prank on a friend, but I know what I saw…and that woman has some level of true ability to speak with her ancestors.”

  If that was the case, there could be someone on the other side who could help me in my quest to either find Ammeline or break this curse. That was a road trip we just couldn’t pass up.

  “Do we still have the metal detector?” Orwin asked after having repositioned his glasses on the bridge of his nose. “I want to take a few hours at the UFO crash site to see if we can get some concrete proof that it wasn’t a satellite like those reports stated…you know, the same reports that were lost to a fire in the 1990s.”

  I reminded myself that Orwin put up with a lot on this quest, and the least I could give him was a bit of personal time to enjoy his bizarre hobby. Who was I to get in the way of his conspiracy theories and those UFOs?

  “I can still hear you,” Orwin replied wryly as he turned on the heel of his brown loafers to go digging in the back of the Jeep to ensure we had his metal detector. “It’s getting pretty cold out here. You said you’re driving first shift, so go ahead and climb in. I know the detector is in here somewhere.”

  It was a wonder we could find anything in the back of the Jeep with the way it was crammed with books, equipment, luggage, and the list went on. Even with leaving Piper and Pearl behind in the safety of Bedford, Pennsylvania, I’d made the decision to spend three quarters of my trust fund on the RV I’d been wanting to invest in. The company had offered to transport it to the closest major freight office as part of the closing, which was located in Pittsburgh. I’d drive there once Orwin was settled in Kecksburg. It only made sense, but we’d most likely have to watch every penny from this point on.

  The mere thought of leaving Piper and Pearl behind was now stuck in my mind.

  As I got comfortable behind the steering wheel, even starting the engine so that we could have some heat, a part of me had truly thought this trip would have ended differently. We hadn’t needed the use of Piper’s gift this trip, but I had no doubt that there would come a time when we would. She was a gem in the rough, and I had no doubt that she would leave her mark on the world.

  And Pearl? Well, that sleek white familiar was an untapped source of vital information that could probably have led me straight to Ammeline’s doorstep. Her vast reservoir of knowledge had seemed practically endless, but she belonged here with Piper.

  “Don’t forget that the dander from the Egyptian cotton ball would have been the death of me,” Orwin interjected, having shut the back of the Jeep and climbed into the passenger seat. He had his laptop and headphones in hand. He inhaled deeply with ease and a lopsided smile. “See? Clear as a bell.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want Piper to take care of that allergy problem for you before we leave town?” We’d discussed it thoroughly, but I still thought Orwin was being paranoid by refusing to lift the blocking spell he’d performed on himself against Ammeline. I understood that some of the components he needed to recreate the evocation might take a few months to gather, but we hadn’t seen Ammeline since that fateful day. “Last chance.”

  I grabbed one of my hair ties and gathered up the long strands to keep them off my shoulders while driving. It never ended up looking like those cute messy buns seen on television, but at least I could drive with that small distraction out of the way.

  “Oh, no,” Orwin protested rather profusely, confusing me as to if he was reinstating his denial of Piper’s help or warning me that my version of a messy bun had me looking as if I’d just survived sticking my finger into an electrical socket. “No. Absolutely not. We had this settled. Lou, don’t you dare give in.”

  Settled?

  Give in?

  “Orwin, what in the world are you talking about?” I asked, completely lost in this conversation.

  Had he picked up on some thoughts that hadn’t even made their way to my consciousness? I’d learned early on never to rule anything out when it came to his gift.

  “Curse,” Orwin muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose the way he did when he was frustrated. “I think I’m as cursed as you are.”

  The flash of headlights pulling into the parking lot alerted me to the fact that Orwin hadn’t been talking about me or his ability.

  Piper expertly navigated her Prius into the slot next to mine with a big smile on her face. Pearl was in the passenger seat appearing to be meowing at the top of her lungs. She was most likely giving a lecture about long, drawn-out goodbyes…which we’d already exchanged.

  “I don’t think they’re here to say goodbye.” Orwin set his headphones on top of his laptop, sighing in resignation. “You and I both know Piper isn’t cut out for this. We’re basically gypsies with no place to call home on a quest to bring down a Lich queen. Piper is just too…”

  “Innocent,” I murmured, in full agreement with Orwin. “We can’t just drive off without hearing what she has to say, though.”

  “I categorically and adamantly disagree.” Orwin pushed up his glasses as Piper opened her car door, frowning at something that Pearl was probably shouting at this point. “We really, really ought to drive off. I mean, we’ll give them a wave and all, but it would be in our best interest to leave right this second.”

  I wasn’t going to lie. There was a part of me that wanted to hear Piper say she’d changed her mind about joining us. I could teach her what she needed to know. After all, I’d had the three-month crash course in solving Scooby Doo mysteries. Why couldn’t she?

  “You don’t really want—”

  I’d already opened the driver’s side door, wincing when the cold wind blew inside. I didn’t allow the damp chilliness or Orwin’s loud protest to keep from exiting the Jeep.

  “Piper, is everything okay?” I asked, meeting her halfway at the back of our parked vehicles. Pearl used her ability to materialize on the trunk of the car, her whiskers a little askew. “Pearl, not even when we were dealing with John Cooper did you seem so out of sorts. What’s wrong? Has something else happened?”

  “We’re coming with you!”

  Now is when I expect you to talk some sense into her, Miss Lilura.

  I remained silent, digesting this news without showing any outward emotions. The right thing to do would be to tell Piper and Pearl that this wasn’t a good idea. Piper was too trusting and naïve, and Pearl was…well, Pearl.

  Then do the right thing, my dear hexed one. Tell my sweet Piper that she must stay here in the safety net of her coven.

  “Lou,” Orwin warned, joining us while keeping his distance from Pearl. “Think about what you’re doing.”

  “This is the right thing,” Piper exclaimed, shaking her head at all three of us in disappointment. “Shame on all of you. Pearl, you said it yourself that Lou and Orwin are on a dangerous path and needed all the help they can get. We can be the ones to help them.”

  I was speaking about their mental health, my sweet Piper…not that we should join them.

  “For once, I agree with the mangy feline.” Orwin frowned when Pearl directed a short hiss in his direction. “What? I’m agreeing with you. My mental health can’t deal with you on a daily basis. Look, we’ll come to visit you the next time we’re out this way. Okay?”

  “Lou, you came here specifically so that I could heal you,” Piper continued as if Pearl and Orwin hadn’t said a word. “I can’t do that, but even Orwin mentioned that having me with you in order to help others would be a benefit to your cause. Well, here I am. Cassie’s murder not only changed a lot of lives here in Bedford, but her death opened my eyes, too. Yes, I could stay with my coven and take my time in learning the ways of my craft, but I could also join you and Orwin on this adventure
of a lifetime by helping you save the people you see dying in your visions.”

  “You did say that,” I muttered out of the side of my mouth, reminding Orwin that he’d once thought it was a good idea to have them join us.

  “That was when I thought there was only one,” Orwin corrected in dismay, holding up his right hand in surrender when it looked as if Pearl might lunge at him. “Let’s just agree that we rub each other the wrong way. After all, your dander could literally kill me.”

  Don’t tempt me.

  Pearl settled back down on her haunches after having the last word, all of us knowing she truly wouldn’t do such a thing. At least, I don’t think she would resort to those extremes.

  Another gust of wind came through, all but warning us another storm was brewing. I wrapped my arms around my waist, needing to make a decision.

  Please don’t remind me that I could be at home near a warm fire after having a spot of cream brewed up to just the right temperature. Piper, my sweet, you need to listen to reason. You—

  “Pearl, you taught me that this gift I’ve been given can help humanity as a whole.” Piper spoke gently, stepping forward until she rested what must be very cold fingers on the trunk of her car. “Imagine all of the people we can save if we do this together. You’re always saying that fate puts obstacles, choices, and gifts in our paths. Well, this is all three. You know this is the right thing to do, and I need you by my side.”

  Well, when you put it like that…

  “Please tell me that you have enough money to cover that RV we’ve been talking about.” It appeared that Orwin could see where Piper and Pearl’s conversation was heading, because after that little speech, I wasn’t going to turn down the help. We’d been lucky that some of the mysteries we’d solved over the last three months had been relatively uncomplicated, but they wouldn’t always be like that. “And I want my own desk with shelves, an unlimited wireless hotspot plan, and a high-end desktop we can use as a server. I’m going to need something to take my mind off the fact that I can’t breathe.”