Pour it into pan and let it cool off. This will take about one to two hours. Take a knife and cut it into small pieces. Wrap each piece with parchment paper. Keep them in the refrigerator until ready to serve and eat.
Chapter 4
I bent down over Haley to see if she was okay. She wasn’t moving. Her eyes were closed and I assumed she passed out until I looked further and realized she wasn’t passed out. She was frozen. Just like Sheriff Tucker had fallen into a deep frozen trance. It wasn’t something that I did. It was the magic of another, which. I panicked. Haley was one of my closest friends and I didn’t know what I would do if something happened to her. But I knew the answer lied in my spell book. I just had to find it.
I stood up, walked back over to the book and tried to focus. Her body cold and rigid was laying there. It really bothered me, but I couldn’t think about that right now. I needed answers and I needed them fast. The police were gathering outside and more of them are coming. I could hear the sirens and in the bullhorn trying to convince me to come out. With a couple clicks of my wrists, I put a spell on the door so that it locked all the entryways. I didn’t have a lot of time. I needed to find out who was doing this and why they wanted to frame me for it.
I flipped through another spell book that I had that was popular spells of St. Augustine history and the witches who lived here in the past. Something became clear. There was a familiar face that was shown in several pictures and various states throughout various different ages. The Victorian age at the Flagler Museum, which used to be the Flagler Hotel. There was a man who was dressed in white pants and a nice jacket holding hands with a woman whose face I didn’t recognize.
I flipped through the pages and saw him again. This time the picture dated somewhere in the 1960s. He was holding a peace sign pose for the picture. His hair was a little different, but it was still him. A name flashed in my mind and suddenly I knew who it was. It was Whitaker McGregor. I was shocked. I thought he had been vanquished hundreds of years ago.
I closed my book slowly and stared out into the distance. How can this be? Before I could think any further, another strong wind blew and the bright light formed in front of me. I couldn’t look straight at it. The light dimmed down until it eventually disappeared and what replaced it was Whitaker McGregor himself standing right in front of me.
“Pretty clever, don’t you think?” He said. “I bet you didn’t expect to see me around here, did you, Tabatha?”
“What are you doing here Whitaker?” It was the only thing I could get out of my mouth.
“Oh, I just wanted to see your face before I set you up forever. You’ll never be able to stay in this town after you’re accused for the murder of Mayor Schmidt. They love that guy. And they think you’re a freak.” He said.
“Why do you even care? What are you doing here?” I said.
“Isn’t it obvious? Revenge.” His eyes bore into me with a sneer on his mouth. He looked to be getting immense pleasure from this confrontation.
“For what?” I knew what his answer would be but I thought I’d ask the question anyway. Maybe you could buy me some time so I can think of how to get rid of him.
“You know why. You were one of the main committee leaders that got me vanquished from this place all those years ago. Thanks to you, I’ve had to run most of the time since then to be able to find a place to settle in. It’s been horrible.”
He materialized a wand from a small spell and pointed it at me. A bolt of lightning shot out of it and knocked me back against my bookshelf. I raised my hands clasping them together before moving them apart in giant circles and generated an energy boost that knocked him back.
“Whitaker, there’s no need for this. That was so long ago.” I said.
“Oh, but I believe it is very necessary. Once I finish you off, I’m going after your assistant. You’re the one who’s gonna be blamed for killing the mayor and I’m going to see to it that you and your little friend over there are set up for life behind bars.”
I looked around the room, trying to find anything that might help me distract him so that I could cast a spell. His magic had grown strong since I last knew him.
“I’ve been watching you for a while. How else did I know that you were in the candy making business and would be bringing your famous candy canes to the party tonight? It was the perfect cover. All I had to do was sit in the background and wait for Mayor Schmidt to take a bite.” He smiled a big toothy grin.
“How did he get poisoned?” I asked.
“I cast a poisonous tell at the very last second, just as he was about to eat it.” He said.
“And you wonder why we banned you?” I said.
“It doesn’t matter anymore because when you’re gone, I’ll materialize myself into some sweet old lady takes over your shop and then that’s when my real magic and began.”
I gave him a look of suspicion.
“Oh, don’t act like you don’t cast spells in your candy to make them sell well.” He said.
The truth about that was sometimes I did it. They were harmless little spells and some even packed more nutrients and minerals in them to cut down on the unhealthy effects that most candies had in them. And maybe I did to get sales going, but I soon realized it was more gratifying to make the myself from scratch and come up with the ideas.
I knew Whitaker from a long time ago. I also remembered what vanquished him in the first place. Although I wasn’t clear on how he was able to come back, I knew that my spell book may have the answer. I just had to get to it.
With one swift move, I jerked back over to the desk for my book. He saw me and used his want to shoot me again with another bolt of lightning knocking me back. But, I countered just as quickly and bought the second I needed.
I hid under the desk and opened to the right page. I read the spell in my head, allowing myself to remember how to say it. Then I closed the book. I stood up and recited it out loud while pushing my hands out toward him. It was a spell that would put him in the parallel universe, a kind of a purgatory until I could bring him back and figure out what to do with him permanently.
It was something I was gonna have to ask the council about but they were scattered across the world and that would take some time. He was going to have to stay where he was for now, as there was no way to get out. I flipped through the pages. My legs grew wobbly and I had to sit down. I hadn’t realized how much stress that this whole ordeal was causing on my body. I recovered my breathing and then said the spell and unfroze Haley.
“What happened?” She asked.
“You passed out.” I helped her to her feet.
“Where is Whitaker?” She asked.
“I vanquished him. It’s over.” I said.
We walked into the back room where Sheriff Tucker was still frozen. I recited the same spell that unfroze Haley and he began to move.
“What happened to me?” He asked.
“You’re going to be okay, Sheriff. You just passed out.” I said.
He looked around completely confused. I saw him staring at me for a minute before it all seemed to come back to him.
“Wait, I was here to arrest you, right?” He asked.
“Claronasti frionauta” I waived my hands in front of him.
He stopped and looked around again.
“Hi Tabitha, I’m sorry. I forgot why I was here.” He said.
Satisfied that I had successfully wiped his mind clean of any memory of the murder, I smiled.
“Sheriff, you told me that you wanted an extra order of the peppermint bark as Christmas gifts for your deputies, remember?” I held my breath hoping he would agree. I held out a piece of paper that was folded in half hoping that my bluff was enough to convince him without having to actually show him.
“Oh okay, that’s right.” He seemed bewildered.
“Haley, can you help me with something in the front of the store please?” I gave her a stern look and started heading towards the candy shop.
“
We’ll be right back, Sheriff Tucker.” Haley said.
He looked at us with a blank expression and then scratched his head. I was confident he would stay where he was. Haley followed me, knowing that I wanted to talk to her alone.
“I need to keep Sheriff Tucker busy for a minute. Just keep him busy in the back until I come back.” I said.
“Okay what for?” She asked.
We don’t have time for explanations, Haley. Please, just do it, okay?” Haley headed to the back to engage in conversation,
“Haley, why don’t you fill that order for the sheriff and I’ll be right back.” I said loud enough for the Sheriff to hear me.
I headed to the front of the store. I could see the SWAT team out there waiting for me. I shifted my hands around and said the spell that would erase the memories of why they were there. I noticed the effect almost immediately. They lowered their guns, looked around at each other with confused expressions on their faces. I could tell they were wondering what they were doing there. After a few minutes, they scattered and left.
There was one more thing left to do.
I lifted the spell on all the doors so that they would unlock. I walked outside and around to the back of my building where the old Oak tree stood. I lifted my head and my hands to the heavens, closed my eyes and conjured a spell that would send Mayor Schmidt’s body into the next world and erase the minds of everyone who knew him. It was a sad thought to wipe him out of everyone's memory, but when something like this happened and a witch was involved, it was necessary to protect the coven and the order.
Many will never remember that they knew him. Others will never know what a kind man he was. But I would. I would remember.
At least Whitaker would never bother these mortals again. I would notify the council and they would determine which parallel universe he would spend his immortality in.
I walked back into the shop just in time to see Haley walking Sheriff Tucker out. He held a white paper bag of the peppermint bark.
“Thanks for stopping by, Sheriff.” I said.
We waved until he was in his car and out of sight.
“What happened to Whitaker and a better question would be who was he and why did he want to frame you?” Haley asked.
“Whitaker is a warlock. I knew him in the 1500s. He was exiled from the group for practicing black magic. He was told never to return. He did return and caused havoc so the coven cast a spell to vanquish him but it was only good for a couple hundred years. Most of us had completely forgotten about it. I know that I had. Without renewing that spell, it would wear out and he would be able to come back which is exactly what had happened.”
We saw Sheriff Tucker’s police car pull back up to my shop. He rolled down the window and yelled out to us.
“I wanted to thank you for the peppermint bark, Tabitha.”
Haley and I looked at each other. “You’re welcome, Sheriff. It was a pleasure to see you again. Please feel free to stop by again.”
He still looked a little out of it and took a minute before he spoke again. You know what you should make for the Christmas party? Your delicious candy canes.”
Haley and I looked at each other in shock.
“Maybe I will.” I said.
He drove off and we both realized we were holding our breath.
“That was close.” Haley said.
“Yeah. Now let’s get inside. We have more candy to make.” I said.
“Merry Christmas, Tabitha.” Haley said.
“Merry magical Christmas to you, Haley.” I followed her back in the shop and thanked my lucky stars that this Christmas was going to be the only one where my candy canes would be the prime suspect in a murder.
After all, magic is sweet. But staying out of jail was much, much sweeter.
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Strawberry Cheesecake Murder Sample
CHAPTER 1
Abigail Moore cautiously took one step down the curved mahogany staircase. Nervously, she paused listening for the sound that startled her earlier, before hesitantly continuing. Ringlets from her long blonde hair wisped across the top of her flowing pink satin nightgown. The moonlight struggled with the cloudy night to peek in through the window, shining down on her locks as she continued down the staircase. She moved her head slowly from side to side as she surveyed the dark mansion.
Abigail’s blue eyes searched to find the sound of the noise. The house was supposed to be empty. Her husband Roger had left after they returned from dinner to attend a business meeting, giving her the perfect opportunity to relax. She didn’t expect him home for hours.
Had Roger come home early?
A bolt of lightning stretched across the night sky. The storm had knocked out the power. Unable to find a flashlight, she clutched the candle she kept on her nightstand to guide her through the darkness.
She pushed it out in front of her to light her way. The last thing she needed was to trip and fall with no one home to help her. The slippers on her feet held her steady as she paused once more at the bottom of the staircase and listened again for the noise.
A creak echoed out into the large room causing Abigail to jump. She jerked her head to the right and squinted to see into the blackness. Her steps came quicker as she dismounted the staircase and tiptoed quietly across the black and white checkered floor to the drawing room. The drawing room was rarely used when Abigail and Robert were not entertaining and since there were no servants tonight, the unfamiliar noises were making her increasingly scared.
Another streak of lightning bolted across the sky, illuminating the portraits in the great room and caused Abigail to jump. The massive oil paintings adorned the walls in the great room. They appeared to stare at her; the eyes of the artist’s subjects boring into her soul. She never liked them. In fact, she had asked her husband a thousand times to move them to the attic, but Roger refused. He told her they were expensive pieces and part of the house’s charm. Now, they were fast becoming part of her nightmare.
Another burst of lightning and rumble of thunder echoed through the empty house.
“Roger?” Abigail said, louder than she had intended.
She had a strong feeling he would not answer, but she wanted to believe for a second that it was only Roger who was just playing a prank.
“Roger!” She shouted, this time more forceful. Still no answer.
Abigail tensed as another noise came from the same area of the house. She took a deep breath, mustered all the strength she had then headed toward then noise. She walked through the drawing room doors and toward the large hall closet. She wished this was another one of those nights full of parties, pleasantries and good fun. Not this uncertainty and dread.
“Roger?” Her voice squeaked like a skittish mouse. She stood outside the closet, willing herself to open the door despite every part of her body urging her to run away.
Like ripping off a band aid fast, Abigail decided to get this over with. The stress of not knowing was building. She knew she couldn’t dismiss the noise although she desperately wanted to do just that. She debated with herself that she could just turn right around and run back upstairs, slip under her plump down comforter, pull it up over her head and pretend everything was fine.
Never one to pretend, Abigail shook that thought from her mind and opened the closet door. She expected to see a couple pairs of Roger’s old riding boots and some winter jackets and feel a huge relief. Instead, her eyes widened with terror as she froze. Standing inside the closet was a mysterious man in a black leather mask holding an axe.
Abigail release a blood-curdling scream and fell to the floor, the candle extinguished. The man’s murderous gaze bo
re down on her as he raised the heavy ax over his head.
She saw the psychotic madness in his eyes and knew she was about to die. She would never see her mother again. Never see Roger.
Her scream rang out as he raised the axe over his head.
CHAPTER 2
“Cut!” A voice echoed through the room. A man stood up from the tenth row of the Pot Belly’s Playhouse Theater and walked toward the stage.
“Cut! Cut! Cut!” He continued to yell.
A loud click echoed and the lights came on. Workers walked onto the stage and began rearranging props. The man with the axe lowered it, and the woman known as Abigail stopped screaming. Both of them had curious expressions on their faces as they waiting for him to tell them why he had stopped their performance.
Witch Way to Candy Cane Murder (Holiday Helpings Book 1) Page 3
