Charmed to Death (A Farmer's Market Witch Mystery Series Book 1)

by Constance Barker

  I’m in position, Gus said. Car’s still here.

  He’ll be leaving soon. He’s going to see his fiancé.

  I don’t like waiting.

  Don’t be a baby.

  I didn’t have to wait long. Within minutes, Gus sent me another message.

  He’s leaving. The house is empty.

  I’m coming.

  I put the chalk into my pocket and stepped into the circle and whispered the spell.

  “There are places that I know.

  “Take me there. I need to go.”

  Traveling by magic wasn’t like some sci-fi movie. I didn’t break into particles and then reform. It was more as if I slipped into another dimension, a magical dimension that allowed me to pass by and over and around and through objects as if they weren’t there. I could see them faintly, but they had no substance. And in moments, I was standing in the small living room of James’ house.

  Gus, I’m here.

  And I’m on guard. Be quick.

  I will.

  The house was a mess, which didn’t surprise me. James was not a neat person. I looked about the living room, with its array of dated and frayed furniture. I didn’t bother looking there. I hurried down a short hall that led to the bedrooms.

  James’ bedroom was boxes and an unmade bed. I wondered how anyone could live like that. What did it take to make a bed? I considered going through the closet and bureau, but that didn’t look promising. James didn’t organize. How was I to find anything at all?

  I left the master bedroom and moved to the second one. It held a few boxes and a workstation. Atop the workstation was a computer. It was obvious that this was where James spent his time. It was slightly more organized than the rest of the house. I sat in his chair and tapped a key, hoping that the computer would unlock.

  It didn’t.

  At that moment, I was thankful for magic. I knew a spell that would unlock a computer—as long as the password wasn’t protected by magic. A quick whisper, and the screen came to life. I smiled at my own ingenuity. For a moment, I wondered what to do next. It wasn’t as if I knew his file system. That would take more time than I wanted to spend. So, I clicked on the camera icon. Up popped pictures, lots of pictures. While the pictures filled the screen, they were all of the same thing.

  Larson, and what I took to be Anna, walking in and out of motel rooms.

  I stared. James had over twenty pictures proving that his fiancé had been unfaithful. No wonder he was upset and angry. I guessed that James sat as I was sitting, staring at those pictures and growing more livid by the minute. Did the pictures make him irate enough to kill? I guessed there were more than enough, especially the ones where Anna was all smiles, lovey-dovey with Larson. That would infuriate any man—or woman.

  I looked around for a printer, as I wanted to take the pics with me and show Jason I knew what I was doing. But there didn’t seem to be a printer about. Perhaps, it was in one of the boxes strewn about. I was about to try sending the pics to my email account, when Gus appeared in the room.

  “He’s coming in,” Gus said.

  “I thought you were watching.”

  “I was, but nature called.”

  “You’re a dog. You can go anywhere.”

  “That’s easy for you to say.”

  I ran from the room without a second thought. I barely made it to kitchen, when I heard James plod down the hall.

  CHAPTER 10

  I looked around the kitchen and noticed the back porch, an enclosed area between the kitchen door and the yard. I hurried to the porch and drew the portal circle as fast as I could. I knew Gus was still somewhere in the house, and I also knew he could teleport himself out of the house whenever he wanted. I wasn’t worried about him. I was worried about James. I hadn’t had time to change the computer screen, so he would know someone had been in his house. My salvation rested on using the portal circle correctly—on the first try.

  Shaking, I stepped into the circle and flew through the spell. Even as I entered the alter-universe, I spotted James entering the kitchen and looking around. A moment later, I was outside the house, wondering if James had seen any trace of me. I hoped not. Of course, he wouldn’t be able to figure out what was happening. I was certain of that. It would be just an anomaly he couldn’t explain.

  I was still shaking when I set down in my own kitchen. The close call was too close for my comfort. I poured myself a glass of wine and sat, letting my nerves return to normal. I was also waiting for Gus. I knew that if he had been captured somehow, I would have a difficult time explaining his presence. I didn’t think James would buy some lame excuse. I was halfway through the glass when Gus appeared.

  “Welcome home, Gus.”

  “Good to be here. You should have hung around.”

  “Yeah, right. I don't think James would have liked that much.”

  “He knows someone was in his house.”

  “I couldn’t help that. I had to run. I barely made it.”

  “He found the portal circle also.”

  “And that means?”

  “He knows what it is. He knows there was a witch involved.”

  “You’re kidding. How could he know that? Do you think his fiancé is a witch?”

  “No, he wasn’t clear. He muttered something about knowing the witch who was snooping around. You’ve met, right?”

  “Yes, but just that once. He couldn’t mean me, could he?”

  “He didn’t give me a name.”

  “Well, I have to thank you for the warning. I would have been caught for sure otherwise.”

  “I apologize for not giving you more time. When nature calls it's best to answer.”

  “Those things happen. And all’s well that ends well.”

  “You know, you should heed the deputy’s advice. Stay out of murder investigations.”

  “I’m not sure I can. I mean, Vera can’t be railroaded to prison. Percy could use a real scoop for his book. And killers need to pay for their crimes.”

  As I finished my wine, I wondered what I needed to do. Waiting for the shoe to drop didn’t feel like a good strategy, but I wasn’t sure James meant me when he said he knew a nosey witch. I certainly hadn’t told him. And I didn’t know any other witch that would tell him. Yet, I couldn’t ignore the fact that he would be looking for a witch.

  I also couldn’t ignore the possibility that he was a murderer.

  If I didn’t wait, if I approached him, then he would know who was in his house, and he would be certain that I was a witch. So, I thought my best bet was to deny, deny, deny. If he couldn’t prove I had been in his house, then I might get away with it. It seemed like the sensible thing to do. But then, I needed more input. I had the idea that I needed to tell Jason about the pictures. They would go a long way to explaining James’ motive—if he hadn’t already deleted them. I didn’t know if that would matter. I supposed the motels would have cameras that had recorded Larson and Anna. Jason could find the pics.

  Yet, I wasn’t sure I should tell Jason. If he was really a thorough investigator, he would have already canvassed the motels. He might have found pics of not just Anna but of Martha and the other women Larson had seduced. He might have a scrapbook by now.

  What to do?

  When in doubt, I generally liked to call upon fresh minds and perspectives. I called Millie and Percy and asked them to come over. They agreed. I poured out two more glasses of wine and waited. I didn’t wait long. Within minutes, they were sitting in my family room, wine in hand. They were both eager to know why I had called them.

  “I may have done something really stupid,” I said.

  “Welcome to the club,” Millie said. “I do at least one stupid thing every day.”

  “Me too,” Percy added. If it weren’t for doing dumb things, I wouldn’t do anything.”

  I laughed. “You two are too kind. I know better. But I have to tell you that I paid a visit to James’ house, and I found out some things.”

  I to
ld them about teleporting to the house and opening up James’ computer. I described the pics I had found, the telltale evidence that James was fully aware of Anna’s affair with Larson. There was no doubt that James was probably angry enough to kill.

  “I think it’s pretty clear,” Percy said. “James was full cognizant of the affair, and he had likely killed Larson. That’s what happens to men who seduce another man’s wife.”

  “I agree,” Millie said. “It wouldn’t take much to push a hothead like James over the edge. And when you add the fact that he needed a new ice pick, well, the handwriting is on the wall. James looks really guilty.”

  “You both make sense,” I said. “James has moved into the first chair for this murder. Yet, I’m stuck on the amulet angle. What does it have to do with the murder?”

  “Nothing,” Percy said. “It’s a red herring, just a distraction. Larson was obsessed with it, but that doesn’t mean it had a bearing on his death.”

  “Percy makes sense,” Millie said. “Vera thinks the amulet has some meaning, but she’s upset because Larson spent so much money trying to get the amulet. I suppose the amulet was like another woman to Larson. He had to have it, which made Vera jealous.”

  “Don’t forget that Larson also fired James,” Percy said. “That adds another log to the motive fire. No wonder James wanted revenge.”

  I knew that Percy and Millie made sense. James had several reasons to kill Larson.

  But what of the amulet?

  Something about the amulet was hinky. I couldn’t quite agree that it was nothing more than a distraction.

  “Trouble, Elle.”

  “What kind of trouble, Gus?”

  “Someone is coming to the door.”

  “Who?”

  “James.”

  CHAPTER 11

  I was halfway to the door when James rapped hard. I hesitated, as I didn’t want him to think I had been waiting for him. When I opened the door, I acted surprised.

  “Mr. Jefferson, what are you doing here?”

  “May I come in?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “Not until you tell me what you want.”

  “You know what I want.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t”

  “Don’t play stupid. You were in my house tonight. You saw the pictures on my computer.”

  “Your house? What are you talking about?” I crossed my fingers to ward off the bad karma that came with telling lies. While I hadn’t actually said a lie, I was too close for comfort.

  “You think you’re so clever. You think using one of your special circles will fool me. I’m not fooled, Missy I know what you are.”

  “What’s going on?” Percy asked.

  “Stay out of this,” James told Percy. “It’s between me and Elle.”

  “I think you might wish to leave,” Percy said.

  “So, you’re in on this too? She’s feeding you the lies you put in your blog?”

  “I don’t write lies, and I think you know that.”

  “Well, did you know she’s a witch? Did you know she broke into my house tonight? Did she tell you about the pictures?”

  Want me to chomp his crotch?

  No, Gus, let me handle this. But stay close.

  “You’re talking gibberish,” Percy said.

  James looked from Percy to me. “I get it, I get it. You two are working together. What is it, the amulet? Is that what you’re looking for? Or are you trying to pin Larson’s murder on me? Well, it won’t work. You’re messing with the wrong guy.”

  “I think you had better leave,” I said. “Before I call the police.”

  “Oh, I’ll leave. But not before I give you some very good advice. Stay away from me, my house, my life. Remember that Larson is dead. That shows you just how easy it is to get rid of people who don’t mind their own business.”

  “Is that a threat?” I asked.

  “A word to the wise, witch.”

  James turned and marched away, leaving me a bit shaky. I knew a threat when I heard it. I closed the door and leaned against it.

  “That was not subtle,” Percy said.

  “No, he means what he says. I need my wine.”

  Millie waited for us in the family room. “I heard all that,” she said. “He’s dangerous.”

  “I think he’s more smoke than fire,” I said. “Big talk.”

  “Not if he killed Larson,” Millie said. “Perhaps I should stay with you tonight.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” I said. “The house is well protected, and I have Gus as a guard.”

  “Hey, I have to sleep too.”

  “Hush.”

  “Do you have a gun?” Percy asked.

  I shook my head. “I don’t believe in them. I prefer a good spell.”

  “I can lend you one.”

  “Not necessary.”

  “Well, no matter what,” Millie said. “We should tell the police all we know.”

  “I agree,” Percy said. “They should know about James’ threat.”

  “If I do that,” Elle said. “I have to admit to breaking and entering. I’m pretty sure the police won’t look kindly on that.”

  “You can say the door was unlocked,” Percy said. “And you were there to say hi.”

  I looked at Percy, and he shrugged. “You’re right. The police will not look kindly on your actions.”

  “Unless you find the right policeman,” Millie said. “What if you tell Deputy Hart? You have some sort of friendly relationship with him, right?”

  “I don’t know what I have with him,” I said. “There’s something between us, but what it is remains unknown.”

  “He wouldn’t arrest you, would he?” Millie asked.

  “I don’t think so, but he’s sworn to uphold the law. I don’t think there’s a clause that says ‘half-friends excluded.’”

  “It’s worth a try,” Percy said. “I mean, it’s not like you took anything. And he might be grateful for the information about the pics.”

  I thought a moment, letting my infatuation with Jason overwhelm my good sense. “I’ll call.”

  Jason answered on the first ring. “Hello, Elle, what can I do for you?”

  “Do you mind coming over? I’m here with Percy and Millie, and there’s some information I need to share.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  I turned to Percy and Millie, and they finished their wine.

  “I think this is one you should take alone,” Percy said.

  “I agree with Percy,” Millie said. “If we’re not here, he can’t question us about what we know.”

  “But you will come forward if he doesn’t believe me about James, right?”

  “You betcha,” Percy said. “I’ll be happy to attest to the threat.”

  “Me too,” Millie added.

  I was soon alone, but not for long. Minutes after Percy and Millie wished me good luck, someone knocked. I opened the door and found Jason in civilian clothes.

  “Come in,” I said. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  He shook his head and followed me to the family room. “So, what is it you have to share?”

  “It’s about James’ Jefferson,” I began. “I was in his house earlier this evening.”

  “How did you manage that.”

  “I managed to get into his computer,” I said, ignoring his question. “And I found a number of pictures of Larson with James’ fiancé, Anna. They showed the two of them coming out of several motel rooms.”

  “So, James was spying on Anna and caught her with Larson more than once?”

  “It would appear so. And that gives James a solid motive for murder.”

  “It does. It says that Larson couldn’t lie his way out of it.”

  “Neither could Anna. More, James discovered that I had been in his house. So, he came here, and he wasn’t pleasant.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He said that Larson proved that bad things happen to people who can’t
keep their noses out of his business.”

  “A threat?”

  “Exactly. Oh, he didn’t say ‘I’ll kill you’, but the implication was there. It was a warning in no uncertain terms.”

  “I see. That puts the spotlight on James, doesn’t it. But you still haven’t answered my question. How did you get inside his house? Was he home?”

  “No, he wasn’t home. And how I got inside isn’t important. What’s important are the pics, because he’s probably deleting them right now.”

  “He can try. We have methods to recover deleted files. And there’s always the cloud. So, don’t avoid the question. Did you break into his house?”

  I knew that Jason wasn’t about to leave without knowing how I managed to get into James’ house. But I could hardly tell him the truth.

  “You wouldn’t believe me, if I told you.”

  “Try me. I’ve heard a lot of strange things in my life.”

  “I suppose you’ll find out sooner or later. The fact is, Jason, I’m a witch. I used a circle portal to get into James’ house.”

  Jason smiled. “You know I do believe you. And I’ll tell you why.”

  CHAPTER 12

  “I’m a change shifter,” Jason said.

  “You’re what?”

  “A panther. And you know exactly what I am.”

  I nodded. “I do, and I suspected you were something like that.”

  “Just as I suspected you were some magical too.”

  We looked at each other, and I felt a kinship, a connection I didn’t get with non-magicals. Finding someone like Jason was almost impossible.

  “That, that’s wonderful,” I said. “You're someone who can understand me, who can understand what I do and why I do it.”

  “That goes for me too, Elle. If you’re willing, I’d like to tell you the things I can’t tell anyone else.”

  I felt as if I had found a new best friend. His grin said he felt the same way. It was so rare to find a panther-shifter, that I could hardly believe it. I supposed he felt the same way about discovering a witch.