Rags to Witches

by Colleen Cross

  But I had conjured up a few small things. My results often had unintended consequences, but at least they amounted to something. It was worth a shot.

  I massaged my temples as I tried to recall the exact words of the Small Objects spell I had learned in lesson two. Fragments of the spell slowly came back to me as I pictured the words in my mind.

  I changed direction and headed back to the hotel. I could practice in my bedroom in the suite without Mom or Aunt Pearl’s knowledge. At least they would be nearby if I ran into trouble.

  One, two, three,

  Cell phone come to me...

  No, that didn’t seem right. My pace slowed to a crawl.

  One, two, three,

  Cell phone make it be...

  A one-word mix-up could have disastrous results, so trial and error wasn’t really an option. If only I had an example to refer to.

  I entered the lobby and headed for the elevator. I was so lost in thought that I ran smack into a man’s chest.

  A muscular, hard chest.

  And stared straight into the intense blue eyes of a man I hadn’t seen in a very long time.

  Chapter 11

  I pulled back and started to apologize, suddenly embarrassed.

  “Cendrine West! I’d know you anywhere.” Rocco Racatelli stared at my chest before slowly raising his gaze to my face.

  “Fancy meeting you here.” I resented the ogling, until I realized that I had done the exact same thing. I studied his expression, unsure if he was joking or serious. According to Aunt Pearl, Rocco not only knew we were here but had arranged our fancy high-roller suite. The last person I wanted to owe favors to was Rocco Racatelli.

  “You’re surprised to see me?” I flashed back to the lobby shootout. He had definitely noticed me this morning, though in the hours since then, I was slightly more disheveled and noticeably tipsy.

  Based on Aunt Pearl’s claims, our meetup could hardly be considered a coincidence if he was expecting us. But Aunt Pearl told a lot of white lies, so it was impossible to know for sure. I kept my mouth shut, just in case.

  “Of course.” His blue eyes twinkled. “How long has it been? Ten years?”

  I met his gaze and nodded, speechless at this handsome stranger who looked nothing like the Rocco I remembered. Gone was the chubby pimple-faced teenager I had known in Westwick Corners. A decade and time at the gym had dramatically transformed Rocco’s appearance. He had changed into casual attire since the lobby shoot-out, but still looked sharp. Muscles rippled under a tight white t-shirt that was almost as bright as his brilliant smile. He wore faded blue jeans and cowboy boots. His tanned face already sported a touch of five o’clock shadow.

  And those piercing blue eyes. I couldn’t quite meet his gaze, but I couldn’t turn away either. I felt completely under his spell.

  I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. It wasn’t just his handsome appearance that had me speechless. He seemed to have an aura that attracted me like a magnet. My heart fluttered in my chest and I flushed all over.

  I fought the strange urge to pull him closer and burrow my face into his well-defined chest. My common sense held me back, but just barely. This was definitely not the same Rocco I grew up with in Westwick Corners.

  Wow.

  What the hell was going on? It was like I was under a spell or something.

  Or under the influence of Aunt Pearl’s witchery.

  If Rocco noticed my awkward silence, he didn’t let on.

  “Let’s grab a drink and catch up.” Rocco’s eyes darted back and forth as he checked out the crowded street.

  “Uh, I can’t right now, Rocco. I was just on my way out to buy a cell phone.” My heart pounded in my chest as a thin sheen of sweat broke out on my forehead. “Know where I can get one?”

  “You need to call someone? Here, use mine.” He unlocked the screen and passed it to me.

  I almost handed his phone back before I thought better of it. It could take me hours to either buy or conjure up a phone. Using his phone immediately solved my problem. The sooner I called Tyler, the better. “Sure, thanks. I’ll just be a minute.”

  I walked a few feet away to a garden seating area and punched in Tyler’s number. Rocco walked back towards the hotel entrance and motioned for me to follow. I trailed behind him as he headed towards a bar just off the lobby. I pretty much had to follow him, now that I had his phone.

  Tyler answered on the first ring. “I figured something must have happened. Where are you?”

  It felt so good just to hear his voice, and he didn’t seem angry at all. Instead, he sounded concerned. Very sweet considering I had stood him up.

  “Uh, Las Vegas.” I glanced at Rocco, who was a few feet away and out of earshot. He was in the bar, flagging down a server. “I guess Aunt Pearl wasn’t kidding about the trip.” I omitted my missed job interview and Aunt Pearl’s winning lottery ticket. All that was far too hard to explain, and I didn’t have much time to talk since I was on Rocco’s phone. “I’m really sorry about our date. I don’t blame you if you’re mad at me.”

  Tyler chuckled softly. “Things happen. Especially with that aunt of yours. We’ll just reschedule. When will you be back in town?”

  “Uh...I’m not sure yet. We’re here for a funeral, only Aunt Pearl won’t tell me how long we’re here for.” I omitted all mention of Aunt Pearl’s Project Vegas Vendetta and the lobby shootout. The former was unexplainable, and the latter was bound to freak him out.

  “Oh? Who died?”

  “Carla Racatelli, an old friend of Aunt Pearl’s. Her death was rather sudden.” It sounded better than saying she was murdered.

  Tyler sucked in his breath, and then the line went silent.

  Doubt crept into my thoughts. Maybe Tyler was mad after all. What if he didn’t want another date? “Are you still there?”

  Tyler cleared his throat. “Racatelli? As in Tommy and Carla Racatelli?”

  “Uh-huh. You know them?”

  “No, but I know of them. You must know them well, to travel all the way to Vegas for the funeral.”

  “They lived in Westwick Corners about ten years ago. I went to school with their grandson, Rocco. He was raised by Carla and Tommy after his parents died in a car accident when he was a toddler.” Of course, Tyler wouldn’t know that, since he had only moved to Westwick Corners a few months ago when he accepted the sheriff’s job.

  Only he did know. He knew more about them than I did, and spent the next ten minutes telling me.

  “Rocco’s parents didn’t die in a car accident, Cen. They were shot in their car. They were murdered, execution-style.”

  My pulse quickened. “You’re sure about that?”

  “Of course I’m sure. It was a mob hit. I’m surprised you didn’t know already. Westwick Corners is so small. I wouldn’t have thought it would stay secret for long.”

  “I guess it did.” Small towns were notoriously bad for keeping secrets, except for the few that could tear people apart. Those tended to stay hidden forever. Mob business apparently fit into that category. I wondered what else my family hadn’t told me.

  My face flushed as I glanced over at Rocco, oblivious to my conversation about his family. Luckily, he didn’t meet my gaze, or I wouldn’t have been able to think straight. The strange hold he had over me seemed to weaken with a little distance. Another sign that it was witchcraft at work.

  “Cen?”

  “Huh?”

  “Please be careful. You know about their family business, right?”

  I nodded, which was silly because Tyler was miles away and couldn’t see me. “The Racatellis had a bootlegging business during Prohibition, and Tommy was involved in some political scandal and kickbacks and stuff. All that ended with his accidental death ten years ago.”

  “There’s a lot more to it than that, Cen. You remember how Tommy Racatelli died?”

  “Car accident. He missed a hairpin turn and went over a cliff.” I frowned. “Either the Racatellis are really
bad drivers or they have the worst luck with cars.”

  “Tommy’s accident was a hit ordered by a rival crime boss. Twinkletoes Racatelli was a powerful man.”

  “Twinkletoes? Never heard that nickname before.” I vaguely remembered the single car accident that took Rocco’s grandfather. It had seemed strange at the time since Mr. Racatelli had cataracts and never drove after dark.

  “Racatelli kept his business and personal life very separate. That’s why he lived in a sleepy town like Westwick Corners. These wise guys are dangerous, Cen.”

  “Not anymore, since he’s dead.”

  “No, but his associates are alive and kicking. You know Carla was part of the family business too, right? Her son Rocco almost certainly is too.”

  “Rocco?” It felt weird to be talking about him while using his phone. “I doubt it.”

  “Just be very careful if you’re around him. Better yet, stay away. If someone takes him out, you could be collateral damage.”

  I flashed back to the lobby shootout. Tyler had a point. With Carla gone, Rocco was the sole surviving Racatelli. I didn’t know for certain Rocco was a criminal, but it begged a little fact-checking. “I’ll be careful, but there’s really nothing to worry about.” I was secretly pleased by Tyler’s concern.

  “They’re mobsters, Cen. Carla ran a pretty big organization. If she’s gone, you can bet there’s a power struggle already underway to gain control of the business.”

  “How do you know so much about them?”

  “I’m a cop, remember? I also worked undercover. The Racatellis were—and are—a pretty big deal. Keep away if you can.”

  Despite Tyler’s warnings, I didn’t have much choice in the matter. I omitted any mention of Rocco and the lobby shootout as I debated the logic of borrowing Rocco’s phone. “I’ll be fine. Our families aren’t all that close. Aunt Pearl was friends with Carla, so she just wants to pay her respects.”

  “Just be careful. Call me if you have any worries at all.”

  “Okay.” I promised to call Tyler after the funeral. Aunt Pearl’s commitments would be wrapped up and we could head back home.

  Suddenly everything made sense. A small town like Westwick Corners was the perfect place to operate a criminal enterprise. Nobody could come and go without the whole town knowing. It was like an early warning system, though in the end it had failed the Racatellis. Even the sheriff could be bought, or if not, scared off.

  Another shattered illusion from childhood.

  How much did Mom and Pearl know that they weren’t letting on? If Aunt Pearl knew any of Carla’s business secrets, she could be a target too. Knowledge could be a very dangerous thing.

  Chapter 12

  I said goodbye to Tyler just as Rocco waved me over to his corner table. He sat with his back to the wall, giving him a clear view of anyone entering or exiting the bar. He nodded at two burly twenty-something guys in dark suits who sat at the next table.

  The guy that faced me had a shaved head that glistened with sweat, despite the casino’s blasting a/c. He seemed to be the more senior of the two men. He nodded at Rocco as I sat down.

  I hadn’t noticed the men before, but they were clearly Rocco’s bodyguards.

  They had apparently noticed me, judging from the way they eyed me up and down.

  I scowled at them and sat down across from Rocco. “I’m so sorry to hear about your grandma, Rocco.”

  I was a little short on the details from Aunt Pearl, so I didn’t know what else to say. “What happened, exactly?”

  “She got hit.” Rocco’s voice was flat, and he was surprisingly calm considering his grandmother had been murdered.

  “She was hit by a car?” I flashed back to Tyler’s comments. Maybe it was another accident that wasn’t so accidental after all. I still couldn’t believe that someone might have killed Carla, despite what Aunt Pearl claimed.

  He shook his head. “Not literally.”

  “Uh...how exactly did she die?” I sipped my beer and steeled myself for the grisly details. I felt terrible asking at a time like this, but I had to know if Aunt Pearl’s account was true.

  “I found her in the lap pool, floating face up. At first, I just thought she was floating with her eyes closed. But she never woke up.” Rocco’s voice broke. “The police said it was an accident—that she drowned.”

  “But you said someone...”

  He nodded. “Somebody took her out. I’m sure of it. I just don’t know how to prove it.”

  I shuddered. I had covered a few accidental drownings for the Westwick Corners Weekly. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something didn’t add up. “How soon after did you find her?”

  “We had eaten lunch together less than an hour before that. I only came back to her place because I had forgotten my wallet.”

  “You were the last person to see her alive?”

  He nodded. “I was suspicious as soon as I saw her in the pool. She never ever even went within ten feet of that pool. She was deathly afraid of water.”

  Since I was stuck here in town until after the funeral, it wouldn’t hurt to do a little sleuthing. “Did the medical examiner do an autopsy yet?”

  “No. I don’t think they will either. Word is that they consider it an accident.”

  I was surprised that they wouldn’t do at least a cursory investigation, considering the Racatelli name. A crime boss’s accidental drowning should raise all sorts of red flags. “Maybe the medical examiner will do an autopsy anyway. Despite what the police say.”

  I could think of only one reason for the police to conclude it was an accident without any sort of investigation.

  A cover-up.

  I refocused on Rocco, trying to make sense of it all.

  Rocco wrung one hand inside the other. “I really need your talents to get to the bottom of this, Cen.”

  “Why me? I wouldn’t know the first thing about how to help. I don’t see how—” We didn’t exactly advertise our supernatural abilities but as a long-time Westwick Corners resident, Rocco was well aware of at least some of the West family talents.

  “Pearl already gave me her word. She said you were a bit rusty and all, but that she’d give you a hand.”

  “She did?” I was furious at Aunt Pearl’s constant pushing, though I felt bad for Rocco. Strangely enough, my preoccupation with returning home had been replaced by sympathy for Rocco. I wanted to do whatever I could to avenge his grandmother’s death. But everything about our encounter struck me as a little strange. Rocco acted surprised to see me, yet he and Aunt Pearl had already been talking about me. Maybe it had all been an act.

  Rocco nodded. “Whoever did this is gonna pay. Everybody wants our business because Grandma built such a lucrative empire. Bones Battilana is no exception. He wants a piece of the action without doing any of the work.”

  The larger of the two wise guys at the next table swore and punched his fist into the table at the mention of Carla’s husband, now a widower.

  “They ain’t getting in on the action, not if I can help it.” Rocco frowned. “But first, I’ve got to stop them. That’s where you come in.”

  “Oh?” If Rocco’s suspicions were founded, he really should be talking to the police, not an incompetent witch. “Have you raised your suspicions with the police?”

  “I didn’t push it. They wouldn’t have done much anyway. They’re happy if we knock each other off. That makes less work for them. As far as they’re concerned, these turf wars are just a cost of doing business. Grandma built a very successful money laundering operation. She runs—I mean ran—everything through this casino. Battilana’s boys have threatened me, telling me I’m next. Once I’m gone, the business is theirs.”

  While I felt sorry for Rocco, I wasn’t about to join forces with a crime syndicate.

  I covered my ears. “Why are you telling me all this? The more I know, the more I’m in danger too.” Now I was doubly mad at Aunt Pearl. The free hotel suite pretty much obligated us to help Rocco
out.

  “I’m now the sole Racatelli survivor, so the business falls to me. That means that I’m next on the hit list.” Rocco frowned and thought for a moment. “Don’t worry though. Since you’re not in the business, you’ll be left alone.”

  “What makes you so sure about that?” My pulse quickened as I leaned across the table. Getting involved was a bad idea. My heart said yes, even if my brain said no. In the end, my emotions won out. I wanted to help him.

  “It’s an unwritten rule. Now that you know, we’ve got no time to waste. Let me tell you about Grandma.” Rocco signaled the waiter for another round and leaned forward.

  As a journalist, part of me was dying to know the behind-the-scenes story. The risk-averse side of me wanted to remain in the dark. I downed the remaining liquid in my beer mug. “I’m listening.”

  Chapter 13

  “You know I’d do anything for you. Just tell me what you need.” I leaned forward across the table and stared into Rocco Racatelli’s beautiful blues. Maybe Aunt Pearl was right after all. We both had family secrets, so it seemed like a natural partnership. We were destined to be together.

  “I’m so glad you and your family came out for the funeral.” Rocco patted my hand. “I’m still in shock over what’s happened, but this morning was a close call. I came pretty close to getting crossed off Bones Battilana’s hit list.”

  “The guys in the lobby this morning?”

  Rocco nodded. “He plans to kill me and scare away the customers at the same time. Then he’ll be free to muscle in on the Racatelli business without anyone getting in his way. Either I get him, or he gets me.”

  “Maybe there’s another way to handle it. We could cast a spell to immobilize him or something.” I was uncertain about Aunt Pearl’s plans, except that they almost certainly included witchcraft. Now her bad idea sounded good. A spell avoided the likelihood of violence.