Forest Outings (A Coffee and Crime Mystery Book 3)

by Nan Sampson

  Ellie’s heart was pounding as she tried to look as though she were just standing there, casually, by the desk. She hoped the woman hadn’t seen her crouched down. Trying to cover as best she could, she reached out quickly and took the tray from the older woman. “Please, let me help you. Where would you like it?”

  Alphie released it gratefully, giving no indication she’d noticed anything amiss. “Thank you, dear. Why is it that ordinary things seem to get heavier as we get older? Just put it there, on the tea cart, if you would. Then we can serve ourselves and take our coffee from the comfort of the davenport.”

  Ellie did as she was instructed, and soon found herself sitting on the hardest piece of furniture she’d ever had the displeasure of perching on. This was clearly not a couch one napped on. Sitting up, rigid, she was forced to rest the coffee cup and saucer on her lap, as there was nowhere else to put it.

  “I’m afraid this is just plain old grocery store coffee – certainly not that fancy stuff you serve in your shop.” The older woman withdrew a cigarette from the old-fashioned silver cigarette box on the side table at her end of the davenport then lit up using an ornate and equally old-fashioned silver table lighter.

  “Believe me, I love plain old coffee. The fancy stuff is for the tourists.”

  Alphie gave a tinkling little laugh. “Well, that’s good to hear.” She pulled a pack of cigarettes from her sweater pocket and used the ornate, paper weight-sized lighter on the end table to light up. Ellie did her best not to wrinkle her nose at the smell. “Now, dear, what is it that brings you all the way out here to Rockton. I certainly hope nothing bad has happened?”

  “No, nothing bad.” Well, that wasn’t precisely true. Josh had been arrested – and if that wasn’t bad she didn’t know what was. But she knew was Alphie meant. “No one’s hurt or sick. But I assume you’ve heard about Josh Mough?”

  Alphie tsked. “Such a shame. A lovely young man. Always came to church when he was in town.”

  “I understand you were related to the man that was killed, Link Fairweather.”

  Her face puckered. “That was my unfortunate luck, yes. He was my nephew – my sister Leonetta’s son. I don’t know why that nice young man killed Link, but if you ask me, it was God’s hand that struck the blow. Instead of being in jail, they ought to hold a celebration for him.” She put a hand to her mouth, as though the vehemence of her remark surprised even her. “You must think me a very unchristian woman.”

  “Not at all. From everything I’ve seen, Link was a waste of air.” She gave the older woman a conspiratorial wink. “Look, Ms. Mueller, I’d really like to help Josh. I know Josh rather well and I believe he’s innocent. I was hoping you could help me prove it.”

  “Me? However would I do that?” She tamped out her cigarette in a large art glass ashtray and lit up another.

  “I was hoping that since you knew Link, you might be able to tell me something, anything, that might point in the direction of another person. Someone who might have wanted Link dead.” Like yourself, she thought.

  Alphie set her coffee cup carefully into the center of her saucer, and looked down for a moment. When she met Ellie’s eyes again, there was a very ‘unchristian’ gleam in them. “Oh my dear. There are legions. My nephew was a very wicked man. Did you know that he’s swindled his mother out of everything she had? After Nettie gave him everything?”

  “Really? How did he do that?”

  “Nettie’s is not the brightest bulb in the marquee when it comes to money. Link took over paying her bills and such when he was still in high school. Eventually he had her sign a form that gave him control of her assets – allegedly so he could get her a better tax return.” She harrumphed in disgust. “Stupid woman signed it. Now, the old dingbat doesn’t even own her own home – he signed her up for one of those reverse mortgages – and lives hand to mouth on the monthly allowance he gives her.”

  “That’s awful!”

  “The worst part is, she should be using the money he gives her to pay her bills. But she’s such a ninny, she blows it on booze and I don’t know what else. Of course, she always was simple. And wicked too. Always getting into trouble. Pa used to try to beat the sin out of her, but it never worked.”

  Ellie kept her face neutral. “That’s very sad, about the money.” She paused, waiting for more, but Alphie lapsed into silence. “Well, surely she wouldn’t want to hurt her own son.”

  “Oh, no. She doted on the little snake.”

  “Can you think of anyone else who might have wanted to hurt Link?”

  “Earl and Patti Mough come to mind, although they’re such good people, I can’t imagine them doing anything.” She bent closer, and lowered her voice. “Link perverted their boy, you know, and now he’s one of them.”

  Ellie pressed her lips together before finally saying, “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “You know. One of those.” Then she whispered, “Queers.” She straightened and made a distasteful moue. “I warned Patti that she oughtn’t let those boys play together. But she didn’t listen. Said it was natural for two boys to go swimming in nothing but their skin. But I knew what they were doing down at that swimming hole. I saw it with my own two eyes and it was a shameful thing.”

  Had Alphie spied on the boys? If so, that might say as much about Alphie as it did about Link and Josh. But she wanted to get far away from that particular topic. “Well, I can’t imagine either Patti or Earl hurting anybody. Could there be anyone else?”

  Alphie considered that as she delicately sipped her coffee. Finally she gave a big sigh. “No one in particular. Although you have to imagine that he’s done nasty things to others, especially those folks he works with. I can’t imagine he treats anyone well. Look at the way he orders that boy around.”

  “You mean Matt Pace?”

  Alphie nodded. “Arabella Kemp told me he treats that boy like a slave.”

  “Well, Matt is an intern. They typically get the least attractive tasks while they learn the ropes.” Besides, Ellie thought, Matt clearly worshipped the ground Link walked on. The kid would probably wash and wax Link’s car, if he’d been asked to.

  The older woman shrugged her thin shoulders. “I’m sorry. I’m not being terribly helpful. Would you like another scone? They’re delicious.”

  “I’ll let Marg know. She’s the baker – I have no skills in the kitchen.”

  “Well, dear, you’d better learn, now that you have a young man to feed.”

  Good Goddess, did everyone in the county know about her personal affairs? Alphie didn’t even live in Horizon! Working hard to not roll her eyes, she stood up and set the coffee cup down on the tea cart. “Thank you so much for the coffee, Miss Mueller - and for all the information.”

  “It was my pleasure. I don’t get company too often.” Placing her cup next to Ellie’s on the tray, she rubbed her arms, as a sudden chill took her. “Must be someone walking across my grave.”

  Ellie shuddered. She’d always hated that superstition. It was just creepy. “Well, thank you again.”

  “If I think of anything else, I’ll be sure to call you.” She put her hand to her mouth again, trying to concealing a grin. “Oh, my. I sound like those people on the detective shows.”

  Making her exit as gracefully as she could, Ellie got back in her van and headed home, frowning in frustration. All she’d learned was that the information Charlie had gathered about Link’s mother was true, validating that he was even more of a bastard than they’d thought.

  A thought struck her just as she merged onto the highway. It was a thought she didn’t even want to consider, but one that nagged at her anyway. What if Patti – or even Earl – had really harbored a grudge against Link for encouraging Josh’s homosexual leanings. They might have accepted his choice of lifestyle, but that didn’t mean that in their hearts, they whole heartedly endorsed it. What if instead of finding Link’s body, Patti knew all along that it was there. That she’d arranged to meet Link there herself
and in a fit of anger or resentment or bitterness, bashed him over the head.

  The thought made her sick and she tried to push it away. She knew Patti, or at least, she thought she knew her, and the Patti Mough that she knew couldn’t kill anyone. She’d been a pacifist during the Vietnam War. It was unthinkable that she would change so drastically.

  Unless, said the little devil on her shoulder, she thought she was protecting her son from an unspeakable future. Or unless she thought it was the only way to save her farm. Or both.

  There was no denying the possibility, once it had presented itself. The only thing that she could do would be to find an even more likely suspect - and then somehow prove that the other person was the guilty party.

  She drove the rest of the way back to Horizon with a heavy heart, knowing how unlikely that was going to be.

  Main Street was nearly empty of traffic. The street lamps were on, and fairy lights in the shape of hearts and cupids hung from them along with Valentine’s Day banners. Most of the store fronts were also decorated for the holiday, although other than the Gilded Page and The Crock Pot, most of the shops were either closed or closing up. While she paused at the stop sign at Main and 2nd Street, she waved at Jon-Peter as he salted the walk outside The Jolly Green Grocer. Next door was the Rainbow Path, Harmony’s metaphysical shop and even as she glanced that way, she saw Harmony standing in the front window, smiling at her.

  The woman motioned to her, and Ellie crossed the intersection then pulled into a vacant parking spot a few store fronts down.

  She hurried over and in through the door Harmony unlocked and opened for her. “Hey there!”

  “I had a feeling you’d be coming by tonight, so I made sure I stayed a little later and I even put the electric kettle on. Come on into the back.”

  Ellie followed the vibrant, energetic seventy-something woman past racks of jewelry, shelves filled with various colored candles and bins packed with tumbled stones and crystals. It was like a New Ager’s dream store and Ellie had to stop herself from pausing in front of the jewelry case as she wended her way through the shop and through a curtained area in the back.

  Harmony Ravenstarr – who had surely not been born with that last name, although her given name might indeed have been Harmony – was dressed today in a colorful gypsy skirt and a peasant blouse. Her hair was tucked back in a bandana and dangling, chakra stone earrings matched a gorgeous sterling silver chakra stone necklace. She turned to face Ellie and pulled her into a fierce hug. “Oh, honey, I’m so glad you came. Your aura is completely unbalanced, there’s hardly anything left in reserve. What on earth have you been doing?”

  It took a moment to disentangle herself from Harmony’s hug. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Harmony’s daughter, Dusty, who was probably in her mid-fifties, but didn’t look a day over forty, grinning at her from a desk in the corner. “Hey, Ellie.”

  “Hey. You’re here late.” Dusty, she knew had two teenage grandkids at home that she helped watch, so she typically handled the early shift, leaving her mom to close.

  “Kids are hanging out at the farm with their grandpa tonight. Mom’s car didn’t want to start last night, so I thought I’d stay until she closed.”

  “Dusty, there are plenty of people who’d be happy to give me a ride home. You just stayed because you wanted to hear Ellie’s news.”

  Dusty gave Ellie an eye roll behind her mother’s back, but there was no malice in it. Mother and daughter were best friends.

  Ellie gave a shrug. “What news? You mean about the murders?”

  “No, dear. About your recent visitation.” The older woman sat down at a table covered in blue silk and picked up a deck of Tarot cards. “Come. Sit. Tell me about it. Have you been practicing the barrier techniques Dusty recommended?”

  Ellie nodded. “Although…”

  Dusty came over and sat down on an old bean bag chair, tucking her batik skirt under her legs. “Although…?”

  “Although they don’t seem to be as effective against some things as others.”

  Harmony’s eyes sought hers. “You’ve seen it again, then. The dark entity.”

  Ellie thought back to her experience in front of her porch almost a week before. “I wouldn’t say I saw it. Felt it, more like.”

  “Tell me everything.”

  Ellie told her tale to a rapt audience. When she was through, Harmony was frowning. “Ellie, I’m very concerned. Whatever, whoever this is, it seems to be targeting you. Waiting for you. You said the amethyst cracked, do you have it with you?”

  Ellie shook her head. “I left it at home.”

  “You need to bury it, let it rest, discharge any negative energy it might have absorbed back into the earth. You said you banished the entity – did you feel any lingering trace?”

  “No.” Then she asked a question that had been nagging at her. “Did it merely disguise itself as my mom? Do I now have to be afraid of even friendly spirits because they may not be who I think they are?”

  Harmony thought for a moment. “No, I don’t think that’s the case. I do believe, however, that it used your mother’s visitation as a doorway to reach you.” The woman reached for her tarot deck, passing it to Ellie. “Shuffle the cards, dear.”

  Ellie did as she was asked. Normally the querent thought about the question they wanted to ask, but right now she wasn’t sure what the question was – there were so many. Who was the entity? What did it want? Why was it seeking her? Feeling more than a little unsettled, she set the deck in front of Harmony.

  The woman laid out the cards in a Celtic Cross pattern and Ellie did her best not to try to read the layout herself, which was hard. Instead of staring at the cards, she looked over at Dusty, who had just answered her cell phone. It must have been on vibrate because Ellie hadn’t heard it ring.

  Dusty stood as she answered, strolled into the front of the shop to take the call. Ellie heard Dusty say, “Hey, AJ,” and then her voice faded. Ellie turned her attention back to Harmony, surprised to see the woman staring at the cards, her face blanched white.

  When the older woman looked up at her, her eyes were wide in fear. “Oh, it’s in your blood, dear.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “My blood? I’m not going to die, am I?” Ellie felt a moment of panic. Harmony was not an alarmist, so if something had frightened her in a reading, it must really be shocking.

  Harmony took a breath, scooped up the cards even before Ellie had a chance to register which ones they were. The only one she knew for sure had been in the layout was the nine of Swords – never a good card. When Harmony spoke, her tone was calm, measured. “We’re all going to die, dear. But no, that is not what I saw.”

  “Then what? You saw something bad, I can see it in your face.”

  The older woman stared at her hands for a moment before meeting Ellie’s gaze. “What do you know about your bloodline, Ellie?”

  “My what?”

  “Your bloodline. Your lineage. Your magickal lineage.”

  Ellie shrugged. “I didn’t know I had a ‘lineage’. My Grams always said we were hereditary witches. Wiccans. She called herself a hedge witch – she made herbal potions and such. Why?”

  “What about your mother?”

  Ellie shook her head. “She… she didn’t take the same path. She wanted nothing to do with the Craft.”

  “Nothing?”

  “Nothing.” She thought again about the huge blow out she and her mother had regarding Ellie’s choice to become Wiccan. “Trust me. She ran as far away from Wicca as she could get.”

  Harmony shook her head, clearly confused and/or frustrated. “There is something there that I cannot see.”

  Ellie was confused as well. “Well, what did you see?”

  The older woman chewed on her lower lip. “Ellie, your bloodline is connected to a darkness. It is… dangerous.”

  “Kind of already knew that – but what I think you’re implying is that it’s connected to my family in some way.”r />
  “To the women in your family, yes. Can you talk to your grandmother about this? She might be able to give you some insight.”

  “Grams is dead. Has been for years.”

  “Any other female relatives from that side?”

  “Just my Aunt Tabby.”

  Harmony nodded. “Then talk to her, as quickly as you can.”

  Ellie opened her mouth to say she couldn’t because she didn’t even know where Tabby was, but stopped short. “Okay. Was that all you saw?”

  Harmony squared up her deck and wrapped it in black silk before standing up. Moving to a small fountain on a table in the corner, she let the water from the fountain run over her hands, murmuring something under her breath as she did so. After a moment of this, she took a sage stick, lit it and smudged not only herself, but Ellie too.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just a quick cleansing.”

  Perhaps. Or perhaps not – the woman’s hands were trembling as she swept the sage bundle around Ellie’s body.

  “Harmony…”

  Harmony finished, then gave her a quick hug. “Talk to your aunt. She will have the answers you seek.”

  It wasn’t a satisfying result to the reading at all, but she could tell from the look in Harmony’s eyes that it was the only result she was going to get. “Thanks. I will.” Just as soon as I find her.

  “Here, wait, take this.” The woman handed Ellie a pointed rod of a dark, smoky almost coffee colored crystal about an inch and a half long and thicker around than a man’s thumb. “Keep it with you at all times.”

  Ellie examined it. “What is it?”

  “Some people call it Dravite, better known as Champagne Tourmaline. It will help remove negative attachments.” She closed Ellie’s hand over the crystal. “It won’t solve your problem. It likely won’t break the connection this entity has to you. But it may give you some respite.” She frowned. “At the moment, until we know more about what this entity is, what it wants, it’s the best I can do.”