Meows, Magic & Missing (Lake Forest Witches Book 3)
Page 2
Petunia examined the shelves that housed the potions and tea leaves. Nothing was amiss. She then checked out the back. The door was secured, and nothing was out of place there either. It was obvious that wherever her aunt might be had nothing to do with the store.
Noah was leaning on the counter when Petunia surfaced from the back. “I think we’ll have to check her house. Wanda and Hazel seem to think she’s at a witches convention, but I didn’t even think she could go to one of those because she’s no longer part of the Witches Affairs.”
“Oh, she’s still affiliated with them,” Wanda declared.
“But I thought she had left when I wasn’t interested in becoming a member.”
“She told Estelle Hoodwink that, but once you’re in Witches Affairs, you’re in for life.”
“Why were you so sure Aunt Maxine has gone to this convention?”
“Estelle sent an official invitation, and no witch would dare refuse to go,” Hazel said.
“You make it sound like the mob.” Noah laughed.
Wanda and Hazel didn’t laugh with him, nor did Petunia. She was becoming more worried. “But did she tell either of you she was going?”
“No, but I assumed she would,” Hazel informed them. “Especially since she didn’t answer her door at home.”
“What’s up with the brooms?” Pansy asked. “Are you bats planning to fly a broom?”
Petunia didn’t respond to Pansy’s comment. All she was focused on was the fact that her aunt was missing. “I’d like to check out her house.”
“But how do you plan to get way out there with no car?” Hazel asked. “I know you’re afraid to drive.”
“Noah isn’t.”
“But my Camaro is too small for all of us to fit in comfortably.”
“We could take my Lincoln,” Hazel suggested.
“But I thought you just said you don’t have a license?”
“I did, didn’t I?”
“It’s a good thing she’s not a law-abiding citizen,” Wanda said with a grin.
Wanda and Hazel were the first out the door, giving Noah a chance to ask about the brooms, “Where did those come from?”
“Oh, Wanda and Hazel wanted to fly to that convention, but I wouldn’t let them.”
“Can they do that? Fly on an actual broom, I mean.”
“I have no clue, but I’m not willing to see them tumble to their death to find out," Petunia said. "If my aunt received an invitation, she might be at the convention.”
“Let’s check out her house before we jump to any conclusions,” Noah advised.
Chapter Three
Hazel brought her Lincoln around front, and Noah walked to the driver’s door, insisting that he drive. Hazel obliged, climbing into the back with Wanda, leaving Petunia to sit next to Noah with Pansy in her lap.
Petunia closed her eyes tightly. She hadn’t gotten over her phobia of riding in a car. She preferred to walk, but something told her that Witchataw wasn’t in walking distance.
The drive to her aunt’s big black house on the hill overlooking Lake Forest didn’t take long. Noah tapped her on the shoulder when he shut off the car’s engine. She stared up at her aunt’s house. It was creepier than normal, with two windows on the second floor glowing as if a light was on up there.
At the entrance, Petunia fished a key from her pocket and unlocked the door, leading the way inside. It was quite cold, and when Petunia checked the air conditioning it was on high. “The air is on high,” Petunia alerted them. “Very odd for a woman of eighty when most, including my aunt, tend to be cold all the time. It could be a sign.”
“A sign of what?” Noah asked. “She accidentally turned it on high?”
“No, that she’s been kidnapped.”
Noah shook his head in disbelief. “Kidnapped? We haven’t even established that she’s really missing yet.”
“I’m sorry, but I know the air turned on high is a sign that someone forced her to leave.”
“And her broom is still here,” Wanda observed. “That means she didn’t fly anywhere, including to that convention.”
“That’s another thing that bothers me,” Petunia said, “Why would she go to that convention without Hazel and Wanda? Has she ever done that before?” Wanda and Hazel both shook their heads.
“Let’s take a look around,” Noah suggested.
Petunia went to the spell books. Not one was out of place, but when she tried to remove one, she received quite the shock. “Ouch!” Petunia muttered. “I just got a shock!”
Hazel and Wanda rushed over and gingerly tried to remove a potion book, also receiving shocks from the way their eyes widened. “Maxine is quite smart. She’s put a spell on the potion books,” Hazel exclaimed.
“Spell?” Noah asked.
“Of course! She wouldn’t want anyone to take any of the potion and spell books. If anyone had gotten their hands on them there’s no telling what might happen,” Wanda said. “Anastasia Cuza was a very powerful witch, and her books contain spells and potion recipes that are quite magical. Some hide secrets that are unknown. Maxine respects magic enough to not want to delve into them.”
“It’s hard to close the door once it’s opened,” Hazel insisted.
“I think I have a headache,” Noah said. “I’ve only recently found out about the witches in Petunia’s family, and I thought they only made potions.”
“That is all we do,” Petunia insisted.
“Your aunt is capable of bigger things, but she’s never had an interest in tapping into her true abilities contained in one of these books,” Hazel said with a bob of her head.
“I’m having a hard time believing anything you’re saying,” Noah said. “Or that there’s any kind of spell that is cast over these books.” He grabbed a book on the shelf and lurched backward, collapsing to the floor.
“It appears we have a man down,” Pansy said with a swish of his tail.
“That’s not funny, Pansy. Noah could be dead!”
“Why don’t you check his pulse before you go into hysterics.”
Petunia knelt and checked Noah’s pulse; it beat rapidly under her fingers.
“Should we toss a pitcher of water on his face?” Hazel inquired.
“No, but perhaps a wet cloth might help. Wanda, please bring me one.” Petunia tapped gently on Noah’s handsome face. “Wake up, please?” He remained quite still.
Wanda brought a wet towel and Petunia wiped his brow gently.
“Perhaps he’s under a spell,” Wanda suggested. “You know, like one that needs a lovely young woman like Petunia to give him a kiss.”
“She’s right; kiss him Petunia,” Hazel encouraged.
Hazel and Wanda leaned forward in expectation as Pansy spit out, “You have to be kidding me. So you kiss the toad over there and he magically awakens and falls happily in love with you?”
“I believe that’s another story. A toad would be prince charming. In this scenario, he’s sleeping beauty, well, in reverse,” Petunia said.
“Kiss him and get it over with. We need to get a move on if we’re to find Aunt Maxine.”
“What’s your sudden interest in that?”
“Look, I’ve tolerated you changing me into a cat, but I see the importance in having Aunt Maxine around. You’ll be way less interesting if we sit home all day and do nothing, and I’m looking forward to finding out how you’ll develop as a witch. I don’t see that happening if we can’t find your aunt.” Pansy yawned, moving his head a fraction of an inch. “I don’t see Princess either.”
At the mention of Aunt Maxine’s once-human cat Princess, Petunia took a look of her own. “Princess never comes in the house. She’s an outside cat.”
“You mean the former love interest of your grandfather before the love potion changed her into a cat? She’s been sleeping in the house of late. I explained to her there was no sense in holding a grudge all of her life.”
“Why aren’t you doing anything?”” Hazel said.
Petunia knelt again and kissed Noah on the lips, slapping at him as he took hold of her head and kissed her passionately. When she finally was free from him and stumbled back to her feet, his laughter echoed in the room. “That’ll teach you to wait so long to kiss me. What were you waiting for?”
“How dare you fake something like that!”
Noah sat up. “I wasn’t exactly faking it. That jolt sent me to the floor, but I snapped out of it when you checked my pulse. I wondered how long you’d let me lay there before you tried a fairy tale kiss.”
“We don’t have time for this. I’m searching upstairs.”
Pansy followed Petunia up the stairs. “I’m beginning to like that Noah. He’s a real card.”
Petunia walked past the paintings of the witches in her family from the last one-hundred years. This house was home to them all. Petunia had often wondered if she’d also reside here someday, not that she thought it was a good place to raise children. Stop it Petunia, she told herself. One kiss from Noah and you’ve taken leave of your senses.
Her aunt’s room was at the end of the hall. She knocked tentatively before turning the doorknob. Noah came up behind her.
“The door’s locked.”
He tried the knob, and then tried to shoulder open the door with a grunt. “They certainly don’t make doors this solid anymore,” he said with a grimace. “Stand back.”
“Here we go. Mr. Macho will get it open this time,” Pansy smirked.
Noah gave the door a kick and it swung open. “Score one for Mr. Macho,” Petunia exclaimed.
Aunt Maxine’s canopied bed with the deep blue fabric showed no signs of being slept in. The drawers of her dressers were closed and nothing about the yellow wallpaper or wood floor gave the impression that a violent crime had occurred, which gave Petunia reason to release the breath she had been holding. She searched the drawers.
Noah went to the window and pulled back the heavy curtains. The window was open. ‘There’s a piece of fabric stuck in a crack in the frame,” he said.
Petunia raced to the window and glanced down. It was a drop of at least twenty feet. “There’s no way my aunt would be able to climb out this window. She’s eighty years old!”
“Perhaps she didn’t, but it might be her way of alerting you that something is wrong. I don’t have a good feeling about this at all. I have to agree with you. My gut says your aunt is missing, but let’s check the remainder of the house before we go to the sheriff’s department to file a missing person report.”
Petunia sniffled and left the room, checking the remainder of the second floor with Noah before trudging back downstairs.
“Did you find anything?” Hazel asked.
“No. Aunt Maxine isn’t here. Did either of you find anything?”
“No, and we even checked the cellar,” Wanda told them.
“Is there anywhere else Maxine would have gone?” Noah asked.
“No. I really can’t think of anywhere she’d have gone, but I think we need to leave for Witchataw,” Wanda insisted. “If she was taken, I’m sure that’s where she’ll be.”
“And you don’t think she’d have gone there without either of you knowing?” Petunia asked.
“We do everything together. You know that.”
“I do, but I suppose I don’t want to believe anyone would take my aunt. Is there any reason that you can think of anyone would kidnap her?”
“No, but if Estelle Hoodwink had her way, she’d find a way to bring your aunt in to be charged for insubordination.”
“Witches Affairs can’t have that much power, surely. Even if you were once a member, that doesn’t mean you have to be the rest of your life.”
“But we all knew going in that it would be a lifetime commitment. The only reason your aunt withdrew her membership was because of you, Petunia. She didn’t want you to be forced to do something you didn’t want to do.”
“I’m not a fan of Estelle or her daughter, and I didn’t see the importance in being involved in an organization like the Witches Affairs. If they have taken my aunt for leaving, then it’s my fault,” Petunia sniffled. “I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to her.”
“We’ll find her, Petunia,” Noah said. “Even if it takes us to that witches convention.”
“Should we go to the sheriff department to file a report now?”
“Actually, I think we should go back and talk to Lucy. I’m not sure the sheriff will file any kind of report this early unless you plan to claim Maxine is senile.”
“I don’t want to do that, but I wish we had pressed Lucy earlier for an explanation.”
* * *
Lucy walked out on the porch when they came up her driveway.
“I really need to know what you might know about my aunt. She’s not at her shop, and there’s no sign of her at home. I have to find her.”
“Inside,” Lucy directed. “We don’t need that snoopy Cora eavesdropping on us.”
Sure enough, Cora loitered on the sidewalk in front of Lucy’s house. Petunia walked down the driveway and confronted her. “Hello, Cora. When was the last time you saw my aunt?”
Cora raised her face a bit. “Well, as you know, we’re hardly friends. I’m sure you’re aware of how I feel about witches.”
“So you haven’t seen her recently.”
“No., I don’t go to that devil’s den she calls a store. If I see her on the street, I’d rather cross to the other side to avoid her.”
“Have you had to do that recently?”
“No. I’ve been at home the last few weeks nursing a sprained ankle, if you need to know.”
“Oh, well that explains why your lawn is so long.”
“You certainly are the snoopy one now, aren’t you?”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, Cora, but my aunt is missing. If you happen to see her, please tell her we’re worried about her.”
“Missing you say? Now that’s a leopard of a different stripe. We can’t have a resident of Lake Forest missing, even if it’s one of the witches.”
“Will you help me to convince Sheriff Pinkerton that she’s really missing?”
“Of course I will. I’ll head to the sheriff’s department now and meet you there.”
“Thank you. I’ll be right there after I speak with Lucy about an important matter.”
Petunia walked up the sidewalk and disappeared in Lucy’s house.”
“What did our resident snoop have to say today?” Lucy asked, handing out Diet Cokes to everyone.
“I asked her if she’s seen Maxine recently, but she’s been home the last few weeks nursing a sore ankle. She went from telling me how much she hates my aunt and witches to being concerned when I told her Maxine’s missing.”
“Really?” Lucy asked with her mouth dropping open. “I wish I would have heard that. Unbelievable!”
“She’s heading to the sheriff’s department to help me get a missing person report filed.”
Petunia took a sip of her Diet Coke and settled on the green sofa next to Noah. “What was it about Maxine that you were trying to hide from me, Lucy?”
Lucy sat opposite them and said, “She doesn’t want you to know where she’s going. She told me that if you came around asking questions not to tell you anything.”
Petunia glanced at Lucy’s vibrant skin exposed at the neck and sleeves of her yellow golfing outfit. For a woman of eighty, she had an unusual glow about her. “Has my aunt been giving you anything recently, or sold you something for your skin?”
“It is quite lovely,” Wanda exclaimed. “Is that her latest potion?”
Lucy sighed. “She’s been trying it out on me, but she warned me to not tell anyone. I believe that potion would be in danger of being stolen. I mean, just look at the results. My wrinkles diminished considerably.”
“Okay, so where did she go.”
“She planned to
head to that convention to clear up a few things, but after that she’ll be going forward with production of this cream. She’ll make a fortune if it ever hits the market.”
“And Aunt Maxine told you that?”
“Yes, why?”
“It just doesn’t sound like her. She’s never had an interest in making potions to make a fortune. She’s quite well off now.”
“I have to agree with that,” Wanda said. “When was the last time you spoke to her, Lucy?”
“Last night.”
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Pansy said pacing. “First her spell books have a spell prohibiting anyone from touching them, and now she planned to make a fortune off her face cream?”
“I agree. Something is wrong here.”
“So you’re saying my aunt came here in person to give you that miraculous face cream?”
“Yes, she delivered it personally.”
“I see. How strange that my aunt didn’t tell me about this potion. We usually share our new concoctions with one another.”
Lucy scratched her face. “Well, I don’t know what to tell you. Perhaps she wanted to make sure it worked before telling anyone.”
Petunia’s eyes widened as Lucy’s skin began to turn an odd color – an odd shade of green!
“How long have you used that lotion?”
“A couple days, but what great results.” She admired her hand, and her face quickly contorted as she saw that it was completely green. “Oh, no!” she screamed. She leapt up and glanced into the mirror and began to sob. “Look what your aunt did to me!”
Wanda and Hazel clapped their hands over their mouths in an effort to stop the laughter threatening to spill out.
“It’s not funny,” Petunia scolded them.
“It’s all your fault, and you’re taking me to that convention whether you want to or not. When I find that aunt of yours, it’s not going to go well for her.”
“Fine, you can go, but only because I want to see your skin condition reversed.” Petunia was fuming. How could her aunt do something like this to poor Lucy?
“Look out, the Jolly Green Giant,” Pansy muttered. “Come on, you know you’re thinking it.”