A Charming Crime

by Tonya Kappes

  “They get rid of them?” My voice quivered.

  “Yes, June. They get rid of them. And that is what the village did to me. They got rid of me, making my family hate me. Shun me.” He swayed the gun towards Whispering Falls. “And now I’m going to get rid of all of them.”

  “But Oscar and I love you.” It was worth trying every emotional tactic I could to get him to let me go.

  “You did, until you found out the truth.” He plopped down in the grass with the gun pointed straight at me. “Your father heard I left the village out west from my brother and his crazy fairy wife. They came looking for me and I used my best magic on them.” He held his gun up and dropped his head between his legs. “This gun is my magic.”

  A tear fell down my cheek. He had killed my father.

  I reached down while he wasn’t looking, dug in the mud and untied my shoes. The truth serum was setting in. He was spilling his guts. I slipped my hand into my bag and turned on the record button. He might kill me, but there was a chance that someone could find my phone.

  I slipped the phone into the grass right before he looked up.

  “It was priceless. They all came ‘to talk,’ but I knew better. They wanted to kill me.” He stood up and came closer. He held the gun to his chest. The mole between his thumb and finger was exactly like the one from my nightmare. I knew what fate had in store for me.

  “The fat one, Ann, she was Oscar’s nanny. She ran and I couldn’t find her. I had no idea where Whispering Falls was until dear sweet Oscar wanted to move here.”

  “Did you kill my mother?” I had to ask before he killed me. She was so young to die of a heart attack.

  “Darla. Beautiful Darla.” His fists clinched. “I had no idea who she was when you moved into Locust Grove. By the time she moved in, Oscar was settled. He had so much promise.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I thought he was like me. You know. . .the runt.”

  “I had no intentions of hurting anyone else until Darla found my little box of voodoo dolls.”

  I gasped. All this time I thought it was Oscar who made them.

  “What? Do you think I could let her live after she knew exactly what they were?” He threw his head back and laughed. “I let her live until you were older, then you could take care of yourself. So I watched you mix all those remedies, only you could never get them right. I figured you could live because you weren’t a crazy one. And Oscar is too dumb to be a police officer so when he wanted to move here, I let him.”

  “Seeing Ann was icing on the cake. So I stole your charm bracelet because we both know you sleep heavy when you are dreaming and after I killed her, I put your bracelet in her hand.”

  “It was all too easy. I made sure everything was done at night so no one saw me.”

  He was wrong! My eyes darted back and forth looking for the fireflies. Of all nights the teenagers decided to go to bed early? They were nowhere to be found.

  “That smudging thing with Gerald was priceless.” His laughter rang out. “I didn’t have a hand in that, but that was great.”

  “I’m glad you find it amusing.” The adrenaline rushed through my body. I tapped my leg with my fingertips. There had to be a good time to run. “Why me? What did I do to you? Are you going to kill Oscar?”

  His breathing deepened. His jaw line flexed and became rigid, as he chose his words carefully. “Oscar is dumb. If he did have powers, which he doesn’t, he would screw it up. You…” he pointed the gun towards me again, “you are a smart one. Without you around, I can keep Oscar. He won’t last long here. Especially after I pick them off one-by-one.”

  He was crazy if he didn’t think one of the spiritualists was going to figure out it was him. And to think that I thought Gerald or Oscar had something to do with this.

  Jordan put his gun back in the waist of his pants and slowly walked towards me. “It’s time, June. Now you be a good girl.”

  I jumped out of my shoes and ran. His footsteps were thunderous behind me.

  “Help! Help me!” I screamed into the night air. I felt his hands grab at me. I flung my wrist when I felt his touch. My bracelet snapped and flew into the lake. Without hesitation I ran faster, but not fast enough.

  Ouch! I crumbled to the ground as Jordan grabbed a handful of my hair. He thrust my helpless body to the edge of the lake and in one swoop he had my head under water just like my nightmare, only this time I was living it.

  I reached behind me smacking the air hoping I would make contact, but come up with air every time. I grabbed his hands that were holding me underneath. My nightmare played in my head as I flailed about. Something was different. I didn’t have on the bracelet on like I did in my nightmare.

  I flailed more, kicking my legs. With every kick, my head bobbled above the water. I gasped for more air. Just as I was about to give up, I felt a rough tongue on my foot, and then Jordan’s hands released me.

  Without looking, I dragged myself out of the water and gulped for air.

  Hiss, hissssss. Mr. Prince Charming had jumped up on Jordan’s back and stuck to him like glue. Jordan was running in circles trying to get him off.

  “Get him!” The glowing green ball from afar was making its way across the meadow. The moonlight shown on Eloise and Madame Torres.

  “He has a gun!” I mustered up every ounce of energy in my body.

  Eloise sat Madame Torres on the ground. A clap of thunder rolled over Whispering Falls as Eloise drew her hands together and blew. Lime green dust shot like a bee out of her hands and into Jordan’s eyes.

  He let out a blood-curdling scream and fell to the ground.

  “Over here!” Petunia called out into the darkness. I watched as the fireflies led the pack of spiritualists.

  They did go for help. The teenagers went to get help.

  “Oh my God. June?” Oscar ran over to me and brushed my wet bangs out of my eyes. He glanced over at Jordan who appeared lifeless just a few feet away.

  “My phone.” I pointed in the direction of where it was. “Get my phone.”

  Oscar reached into the deep brush and got the phone. He handed it to me before he saw Jordan lying in the thicket.

  “Oh my God, Uncle Jordan?” Oscar ran to his side. “What happened?”

  Oscar grabbed Uncle Jordan and placed him in his lap. Streaks of light shot from his eyes, “What did you do?” He glared at me.

  “I didn’t do anything. He is the killer! He has a gun!” I screamed, and pushed the button on my phone to play back everything that happened.

  Jordan’s words twisted and curled into the night air. He sat with his shoulders slumped, completely silent.

  I looked around at Izzy, Gerald, Petunia, Chandra, and Oscar as the recording rang in the dark. Jordan was only able to move his eyes. They darted from side to side.

  “You killed my parents?” Oscar pulled the gun from Jordan’s waistband, and jumped to his feet. His anger became a raging fury. “I should kill you with my bare hands!”

  “No.” I stood up next to Oscar and put my hand on his bicep. “You are better than him. Ann was your nanny. You are a spiritualist. Eloise put some kind of spell on Jordan. He can’t move.”

  Out of the moon’s shadow and into the light, Eloise appeared with Madame Torres in her hand.

  “Eloise is your aunt.” I gestured for her to come forward. I took Madame Torres from her.

  A little hesitant from all of the stares, she enclosed Oscar in her cloak. “I can’t wait to tell you all about your mom and dad,” she whispered in his ear.

  Mr. Prince Charming danced around their ankles.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The day was dawning.

  The Karmina sister’s hearse barreled up the hill. The lights flashed, lighting up the starry sky. Constance jumped out, velcro curlers all over her hair. “Who’s next?” She shined a flashlight in everyone’s face.

  Patience wasn’t too far behind. “Who’s next?” she chirped and shuffled over in her pink
house slippers. She picked up a stick and poked Jordan. “He’s a fresh one.”

  Jordan jerked his shoulders back and glared at Patience. “Don’t poke the bear or he just might bite.”

  Patience jumped and held the stick like a gun. “He’s not dead.”

  “I’ll get you all!” Jordan scowled as Oscar cuffed him. Oscar jerked him up by the cuffs and hauled him off to the police station.

  Eloise started to slip out of the daylight and into the woods, but Izzy stopped her.

  “Wait, Eloise.” Izzy turned to the council. “Come have some tea at the Gathering Grove.”

  With Eloise smiling, we all walked in silence with Mr. Prince Charming trotting ahead.

  Bella and Axelrod had the tea and muffins ready when we got there. Oscar joined us once he got Jordan situated in his cell.

  “I’m so sorry, June.” Oscar sat in the seat next to me. He took my wrist and clasped my turtle charm bracelet around it. “We will drag the lake and look for your other one.”

  I opened my bag and pulled out two Ding Dongs. I handed him one. “You’re forgiven.”

  “How did you find my aunt?” His eyes clouded over. It was the first time I had ever seen Oscar brought to tears.

  “Hold on a second.” I stood up on the chair to gather everyone’s attention. “I have something to say.”

  The Gathering Grove became silent. Everyone looked at me.

  “There are a lot of rules in this village. And a lot I have to learn. Eloise saved us today. She and Ann were banned from Whispering Falls because they are Fairiwicks. I think it’s time that the village changes the rules to include anyone in the spiritual realm. We are much better as a collective whole than apart. Eloise has so much to offer our village with her potions. Without the truth serum, Jordan probably wouldn’t have spilled the beans and I would be dead.” Mr. Prince Charming caught my eye as he danced around the table where Petunia was sitting. I tried to concentrate on what I was saying, but I couldn’t. Petunia was whispering in his ear.

  “I. . ..um. . .” Snap out of it, there was no way Mr. Prince Charming was. . .oh my God! “I . . .I would like to take a vote at the next village meeting to incorporate the Fairiwicks into the Whispering Falls village.”

  A round of applause rang out. Even Izzy got up and hugged Eloise, but this was going to have to go through Oscar. He wasn’t letting go.

  Gerald and Petunia were behind the counter making sure everyone had what they needed.

  “Gerald, remember when you were reading my tea leaves?” There were some things he had mentioned that I didn’t understand.

  He nodded and handed a muffin over the counter to Oscar.

  “What did my reading say?” I asked.

  “Are you giving me permission to tell you from one spiritualist to another?”

  “Yes.” No matter what my leaves said, I still wanted to know.

  He took his hat off and placed it on top the counter. He leaned over and proceeded with a low whisper, “The O represented your father, Otto. He is always with you. As is your grandfather.”

  Mr. Prince Charming jumped up on the counter.

  “No. That’s naughty.” I scolded him and put him back on the ground. He might be able to jump up on the counters at home, but not here. “Go on.”

  “The wavy lines told me you were in for a rocky future. Which I don’t believe is over.” He drew back, took in a deep breath, and closed his eyes. “Madame Torres had warned the village of a powerful psychic coming to town and that her nightmares would prove innocence.” His shoulders slumped a little bit.

  “Are you okay?” I reached over the counter to pat his hand.

  Petunia grabbed a chair and eased him into it. “He gets this way when he reads the leaves. Sometimes the spirit takes over.”

  Cough, cough. “I’m fine.” Gerald held his fist to his mouth. “You are on a path to discovering your gifts. Don’t limit yourself.” He stood up. “I must get some rest now.”

  Without another word, Gerald went to the back of the shop.

  “That was weird,” I said to Oscar and shrugged my shoulders. “Let’s go sit.”

  Oscar nabbed the closest table and sat down. He pointed to himself. “I’m a sorcerer.”

  “No, you are a police officer.” I could feel the excited, renewed energy he had. “You worry about keeping our village safe.”

  “I think it’s cool. According to Eloise, I will begin my lessons soon with the new Fairiwicks moving into town.” His features became more animated. He acted like he was a kid at Christmas.

  “They already heard that Whispering Falls is going to make it official at the next council meeting?” I looked over at Eloise and Izzy.

  “It doesn’t take long for a spiritualist to listen to the winds.” Izzy smiled.

  I pulled Eloise aside. I was still having a hard time and questioning my entire existence. “Was my dad a medium?” My eyes darted between her eyes searching for an answer.

  The shadowy figure could have been Jordan watching me all this time, or it could be a spirit.

  “Darla and I never made it that far.” Eloise took both my hands. “She asked me about it hours before he was found dead. Why?”

  “She wrote something about it in the journal.” I wasn’t going to tell her that I had seen a shadow or two. There was no need to jump to any conclusion. I had plenty of time to explore my village. Today was for celebrating.

  “So, do you love us or what?” Bella smiled and hugged me. “You realize you own the cottage you are living in.”

  “Patience kind of let the cat out of the bag.” Even though I didn’t remember it from my childhood, the cottage did feel like home.

  “Darla always knew you’d find out, but we had hoped she would’ve shared the experience with you.” Bella wiped a tear from her eye. “Welcome home.”

  We embraced.

  There was a lot to learn about Whispering Falls. There was a lot to learn about being a spiritualist. And I had the rest of my life to do it.

  I opened my bag and took out Darla’s journal and rubbed my hands across the beat up leather cover. I took a good long look around the Gathering Grove. My first few days in Whispering Falls had been rocky, at best, but each one of these people held a special bond. They were a part of me. They were a part of my past. And I was embracing who I really was.

  I held the journal close to my heart. My instincts told me there was a lot in there to learn, and I couldn’t wait to savor every word.

  Quietly, Mr. Prince Charming and I headed to our cottage. Once we reached our front door, we turned around and looked over Whispering Falls.

  Mewl, mewl. His long white tail danced in the air.

  I looked down at the ornery cat. He dropped something out of his mouth. I bent down to pick it up. He did figure eights around my ankles.

  I held the small charm in the palm of my hand. “Mr. Prince Charming, what does this mean?” I dangled the metal, in the shape of a hand, in the air to get a good look.

  I made a mental note to visit Bella in the morning to return it. I was too tired to even think about opening the shop. Besides, it was my shop now and I needed to have the sign redone for the grand opening of Charming Cures.

  After all, there was going to be a big line of customers and I had to be ready for them. At least that was what my intuition told me.

  About The Author

  International bestselling author Tonya Kappes believes that targeted and smart promotion and marketing can take a book from lackluster sales to the world of bestseller. She pooled her resources and knowledge to write The Tricked Out Toolbox: Promotion and Marketing Tools Every Writer Needs. When not touting marketing and promotion through her workshops, she writes cozy mysteries, romantic suspense, and women’s fiction. She’s addicted to coffee, McDonald's Diet Coke, and Red Hots Candy!

  When she’s not writing about quirky characters and even quirkier situations, she’s busy being the princess, queen and jester of her domain which includes her BFF hu
sband, her four teenage boys and two dogs.

  For more information, check out Tonya’s website, Tonyakappes.blogspot.com.

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