I scowled.
Aunt Pearl finally had the protégé she wanted. And probably a confidante too. Whether Merlinda’s slight was intentional or not, I took it that way, a veiled reference to witchcraft and that I was a lousy witch simply because I didn’t apply myself.
But that wasn’t the reason at all. I’ve just always felt that my witchy talents gave me such an unfair advantage since most people couldn’t cast spells. It felt like cheating somehow. At the same time, it seemed wrong to waste my natural talents. If I didn’t have faith in myself, why would anyone else?
I could have used witchcraft to help Tyler finish his workday. That is, if I had learned the necessary spellcraft in the first place. Maybe it wasn’t too late. I visualized Tyler on the highway, crouched against the wind as he grabbed the door handle of his Jeep. Then safely inside, turning the ignition…
“Cen?” Aunt Pearl’s voice cut through my daydream.
“Huh?”
“Can you imagine the motivation you’d have if you lived in Vanuatu?” Aunt Pearl said. “You’d have nothing to do all day but practice—”
I interrupted Aunt Pearl’s attempt to change the subject. I worried that she’d expose us all as witches. “Vanuatu sounds like paradise.”
“There are pros and cons. There’s really not much to do there other than spin stories,” Dominic said. “And drink and surf.”
“And maybe practice a little witchcraft.” Aunt Pearl batted her eyelashes in mock innocence.
Aunt Amber gasped, her fork poised in mid-air.
“Pearl!” Mom glared at her sister.
“I was just making small talk,” Aunt Pearl said. “What’s wrong with that?”
I noticed Aunt Pearl’s long fake eyelashes for the very first time. She also wore green eyeshadow in the exact shade of her green velvet pantsuit. She never wore eye makeup, ever.
The only time she ever cared about her appearance was when she shape-shifted into Carolyn Conroe, her Marilyn Monroe alter ego. And that was always with the intent to trick people. Now that I thought of it, she hadn’t shape-shifted in months. She seemed content, even happy, in her own skin.
It had to be the Earl effect. Aunt Pearl wouldn’t have invited him and encouraged his attentions if she hadn’t felt the same way he did. Maybe that was why Merlinda disliked him so much. Earl was Merlinda’s competition for Aunt Pearl’s affections. Kind of a weirdly unromantic love triangle.
Aunt Pearl suddenly dropped the mashed potatoes. But the dish didn’t crash onto the table. Instead, it floated toward me and drifted just out of reach.
We had a standing agreement not to practice magic or talk about it in front of ordinary people. Yet Aunt Pearl had purposely flaunted it tonight, as if she dared us to say something.
Well, I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of falling into her trap. Instead, I leaned forward and grabbed the dish. I pushed it down onto the table with a little more force than necessary. But dishes covered every inch of the table. Instead of landing on an empty spot, the dish hit the side of the gravy boat, tipping it over. Gravy spilled all over Mom’s white linen tablecloth.
“Oh no! I’ll grab a cloth.” Aunt Amber bolted from her seat and headed into the kitchen. She returned minutes later and mopped up the mess. “Tell us more about this cargo cult.”
“They really take the cargo cult seriously on Vanuatu,” Dominic added. “There’s a John Frum day every year. Locals dress like servicemen, complete with improvised U.S. Navy uniforms and fake weapons carved from wood. Most people just enjoy the celebration, but many others secretly believe that if they consistently perform the rituals, John Frum will return and bestow them with riches.”
Merlinda waved her fork for emphasis. “People on Vanuatu still believe—or half-believe—in the supernatural. But the believers are in the minority now. That’s a big problem for a few local leaders who claim to have a spiritual connection to John Frum. The myth is lucrative for them, so they scare people into following along. They keep their grip on power by making people believe that they have a special connection. They claim that when John Frum finally returns to Vanuatu, only the true believers will be rewarded.”
“Like a religious messiah?” The dinner conversation was a lot more interesting than I had expected.
Dominic laughed. “It’s hardly a religion. More like Santa Claus coming with presents for the kids than anything else, except John Frum day is on February 15th.”
“Ooh, what fun! Valentine’s Day and then John Frum day. Back to back holidays!” Aunt Amber downed her wine and placed her empty glass on the table.
Merlinda frowned but remained silent as she scooped mashed turnips onto her plate.
“What does all this have to do with you, Dominic?” I spooned out a generous helping of cranberry sauce onto my already-full plate.
“Nothing to do with me, but Merlinda is a real threat to them,” Dominic said. “They know she’s a witch. If she won’t cooperate, they will disable her so she’s not a threat to their lucrative existence.”
So Dominic knew of Merlinda’s supernatural abilities after all. Witches entrusted their secrets with only their closest friends and family, so their relationship must be serious.
“Cooperate how?” Mom asked.
Dominic sighed. “A couple of local leaders offered Merlinda a lot of money to conjure up some new trucks and computers.”
“That’s totally against WICCA rules.” Unlike Aunt Pearl, Aunt Amber did everything by the book—except when she had a little too much festive cheer. “I hope you didn’t take them up on that offer.”
“Of course not, Amber. I know the rules.” Merlinda seemed insulted by Aunt Amber’s insinuation.
Earl’s face remained expressionless. If he was puzzled by the WICCA reference he didn’t let on. He obviously had some inkling of our witchy ways but never asked questions. Maybe he didn’t care. Or maybe he knew everything.
6
“Tell us more about John Frum,” Aunt Pearl said.
Merlinda nodded. “The myths are so old that I don’t know much more than what I’ve already told you. The cult has been dying off in recent years.”
“That’s another reason they want Merlinda’s help—to resurrect the myth with a new John Frum sighting,” Dominic said. “Make everybody happy, and then politicians get re-elected. But we need to be the ones in charge. Merlinda keeps up the myth, and we can make some serious money too.”
“What do you mean by ‘we’?” I asked. “You’re going to fake John Frum’s return?” I liked Dominic even less now.
Dominic waved his hand in the air. “Nah. Just give the people what they want. Someone’s going to do it anyway, so it might as well be us.”
“But Merlinda’s female,” Aunt Amber protested. “She can’t pass for a man.”
“That’s where I come in,” Dominic said. “I’ll wear a disguise and pass myself off as Frum. I’ll distribute new trucks and TV’s while Merlinda conjures them up behind the scenes. We’ll sell them below market value and make a fortune.”
“That way you get all the credit. Yet Merlinda does all the work,” Aunt Amber said.
Merlinda shrugged. “I don’t care about that, Amber. I’d just as soon not have to deal with all the attention.”
“You would still profit from it, though. You just said that you wouldn’t misuse your powers with the local leaders. I don’t see how doing the same scheme with Dominic is any different.” I abandoned all pretense of hiding our witchy secret. Everyone else was already giving it away, so it was impossible for me to do more harm.
“I’m not misusing anything,” Merlinda said. “I’m just doing my own thing. There’s nothing wrong with fulfilling people’s wishes, is there? If Dominic wants to capitalize on it, I’m not going to stop him. I’m not doing that part, so I’m not breaking any WICCA rules. People can draw their own conclusions about John Frum.”
“That’s just a technicality.” No one seemed to hear me.
“But i
f fulfilling wishes is the very thing that makes people come after you, then why keep doing it? Doesn’t that just encourage them even more? No amount of money is worth fearing for your safety.” Aunt Amber’s innocent-sounding question was her way of getting to the details, to find an infraction, so she could shut the whole scheme down. Merlinda no longer seemed all that golden. Or maybe Dominic had her brainwashed.
“Gotta make a living somehow,” Dominic said. “There aren’t many jobs on Vanuatu. The dive shop barely breaks even. I could lose my job any day now.”
There weren’t a lot of jobs in Westwick Corners either. Yet we didn’t go around conjuring up consumer goods. Even Aunt Pearl rarely worked the system to that extent.
“Aren’t you just enriching yourselves at the expense of these poor people and their fantasies?” I asked. “They believe in something that’s never going to happen.”
“Not at all,” Dominic said. “We’re making their dreams a reality. We entertain them by giving them what they want. And if I pose as John Frum, it takes a lot of pressure off Merlinda.”
“How selfless of you,” Aunt Pearl snapped. She was jealous of Dominic. He had stolen the limelight, at least in her eyes.
“We give the local leaders what they want and everybody wins.” He patted Merlinda’s hand. “One of them is struggling to keep his grip on power. He doesn’t want to be upstaged by a woman, either. I think we found the perfect solution.”
And Pearl snorted. “Merlinda does all the work, and men take credit for it? You’re just the latest one. I don’t think so.”
Dominic rolled his eyes. “John Frum has to be a man according to all the stories. Who cares about credit if we get rich? People can get new trucks, TV’s, or whatever at a fraction of the price. Everybody’s happy. People get a deal, Merlinda and I make a little money, and the local leaders take credit for John Frum’s return. They can keep their grip on power.”
Merlinda remained silent, content to let Dominic do all the talking.
“That’s how it works, at least in theory. The leaders are dependent on Merlinda to stay in power. They need her to produce the luxury goods that keep everyone happy. But Merlinda isn’t just a huge opportunity to them.” Dominic took a deep breath. “She’s also a threat. The leaders will lose their competitive edge if they lose control of Merlinda’s talents to a rival. They can’t assume Merlinda’s continued loyalty. They plan to kidnap her to ensure an interrupted supply and a monopoly on the cargo cult.”
“The leaders can’t force Merlinda to work against her will. Don’t they have labor laws on Vanuatu?” Aunt Amber turned to Merlinda. “You can’t go back there, dear. You have to stay here for your own safety.”
Merlinda nodded but didn’t say anything.
For such a powerful witch, Merlinda was sure acting helpless. She seemed content to let Dominic make money off her and for the local leaders to use her magic. Even Aunt Pearl wanted to keep Merlinda at Pearl’s Charm School forever. Yet Merlinda had the power to stop it—if she really wanted to.
“Merlinda really is in a lot of trouble,” Dominic said. “The rivalry between the leaders is so great that one of them might even kill Merlinda just to prevent the other from harnessing her powers. That’s where I come in. I keep Merlinda safe and them happy at the same time.”
“It sounds so dangerous.” Mom gasped and her hand flew to her chest. “Why do you two have to go back there at all? You can both get jobs somewhere else.”
Aunt Pearl scratched her chin. “You can stand up to those bullies. Beat them at their own game.”
I shot a warning glance at Aunt Pearl. She was a little too ready to stir up trouble.
Aunt Amber sighed. “At least you’re safe here. I see why you want to go back though. Home is home, and your friends and family are all there. Speaking of family, does anyone else in your family have these special talents?”
Merlinda shrugged. “I’m an only child, the only one in my family with the powers. My mother had them, but she’s gone now.”
“Can’t the police protect you from these men?” I asked.
“I wish.” Merlinda shook her head slowly. “One of the leaders is the chief of police. The other is the mayor, so that doesn’t help me any. Both are perpetuating the John Frum legend. If I don’t help them, they risk me exposing their trickery. I can prove the cult is a sham.”
Mom sighed. “You poor thing. Isn’t there someone else in Vanuatu that can help you?”
“Not really,” Merlinda said. “The chief of police just happens to be my father.”
7
We were still discussing Merlinda’s cargo cult dilemma when the doorbell rang.
My heart skipped a beat. Tyler was finally here!
I raced to the front door and threw it open. Relief flooded over me as I stared into Tyler’s warm brown eyes. His damp ski jacket was unzipped, revealing his sheriff’s uniform underneath. His khaki pants were soaked to the knees from the snow, and he looked exhausted.
And drop dead sexy, even soaking wet.
As I pulled him close and kissed him, his five-o’clock shadow tickled my chin. “I was so worried about you. I tried calling and…thank goodness you made it.”
He grinned. “Sorry, my phone died. I thought I’d never get here. I’ve been looking forward to dinner all day. Is Pearl behaving so far?”
I nodded. “She’s preoccupied. Merlinda missed her flight today, and we also have an unexpected guest.” I filled him in as I took his coat and hung it on the coatrack. With all the distractions and the festive season, I hoped Aunt Pearl wouldn’t taunt Tyler like she usually did.
Tyler tilted his head toward the door. “That explains the Escalade. Anyone I know?”
I shook my head. “Merlinda’s boyfriend, Dominic, drove all the way from Shady Creek after flying in from Vanuatu for an unannounced visit. Aunt Pearl had invited him as a surprise for Merlinda, except she didn’t tell us, either. But the weird thing is that Merlinda wasn’t supposed to be here. Her flight was canceled at the last minute because of the storm.”
“Vanuatu’s in the South Pacific, right?”
I nodded. “Dominic is um…a regular guy.” Tyler knew we were witches. He had to know that Merlinda was one too since she attended Pearl’s Charm School. Like most locals, Tyler hadn’t interacted much with Merlinda because she kept to herself and rarely went into town.
Tyler chuckled. “Pearl really invited him? Since when does Pearl throw a party?”
“Since now.” I squeezed his arm and pulled him toward me for another kiss. “You’ll have to see it to believe it. Oh, and Earl’s here.”
Tyler grinned. “Oh good. Another normal guy so I’m not outnumbered.”
I jumped as a woman’s voice warbled behind me. “Woo-hoo! This hottie just made my night a whole lot better.” She let out a low whistle.
I had completely forgotten about ghostly Grandma Vi. It always disturbed me that she liked Tyler almost as much as I did.
Tyler felt me flinch. “Why are you so jumpy?”
I pulled back from Tyler’s embrace and shrugged. He couldn’t see or hear Grandma Vi, and explaining my ghostly grandma only invited more questions than answers. He knew we were witches but had no idea that our family matriarch lingered on as a ghost long after her passing. I hated keeping secrets from him. On the other hand, her silly crush and constant presence whenever he was around was a little disturbing to say the least.
“I was so worried about you out in the snowstorm,” I said. “And then Dominic arrived. To be honest, Merlinda’s boyfriend scares me. I guess I’m a little on edge.”
Grandma floated a few feet above us. “Tyler can protect us from that gangster. I still can’t believe you let that ruffian in here.”
“I had no choice—” I stopped mid-sentence.
“Huh?” Tyler frowned.
“Aunt Pearl is up to something,” I said. “She didn’t invite Dominic out of the goodness of her heart. She’s planning something. What exactly, I don�
��t know.”
I just hoped things didn’t spiral out of control.
Tyler chuckled. “I can’t wait to see what Pearl has in store. It could take the heat off me for a change.”
Aunt Pearl despised Tyler. She had stepped up her pyromania since he became sheriff. Her attempts to drive him out of town never worked. He always held her to account for her shenanigans with hefty fines, and occasionally, public shaming. No one else kept her in check the way he did, and she resented his power over her.
“You are the heat, sonny.” Grandma floated behind Tyler. She leered at his backside with approval. “If I was a little younger, I’d go for you myself.”
“Stop it!” I glared at Grandma Vi and made a zipping motion across my lips.
“Stop what? I’m not doing anything.” Tyler’s brows furrowed together. “Why are you acting so weird?”
“Sorry. It’s just been a long day.” Even with Tyler finally here, my hoped-for perfect Christmas Eve wasn’t going to happen. While I was relieved and happy at Tyler’s safe arrival, I didn’t want our time together to be full of distractions, entertaining guests, or anything else.
Grandma Vi puckered her lips and blew me a kiss, mocking me in a way that only ghosts can.
I ignored her, distracted by the howling wind that sprayed snow across the threshold. I had been so thrilled to see Tyler that I had forgotten to shut the door. I slammed it shut. “Forget about Aunt Pearl. I’m just glad you finally made it.”
He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into a long, slow kiss. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”
“Bravo.” Grandma Vi hovered a few feet away from us and clapped.
At least Tyler’s arrival had pulled Grandma Vi out of her depression. She always got a little melancholy around Christmastime. The holidays reminded her of days gone by, and that we were no longer flush with cash.
Operating the inn wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The bed and breakfast kept us all busy and out of trouble for the most part. We met new people and kept the town’s economy going. The income allowed us a comfortable existence without having to commute to jobs in bigger communities as many of our neighbors did. It was really the best of both worlds.
Christmas Witch List--A Westwick Witches Cozy Mystery Page 5
