Luck of the Witch (Crypt Witch Cozy Mystery Series Book 1)

by K. E. O'Connor

  Brogan Costin was Romanian and came with a flair for magic and a hint of the undead. He wasn’t a full-on vampire but had a liking for prowling around at night and seducing virginal maidens in long floaty dresses. At least, that’s what he said he did. Personally, I thought he was more into star gazing than cleavage leering, but we all had reputations to uphold.

  He was behind the counter as I entered. He wore a white apron over his black outfit and flashed me a bright smile when he saw me. “What will it be, Chickadee?” His deep voice always sent a pleasant shiver down my spine.

  “I’m looking for a killer dessert for lunch. What have you got on offer?”

  “For you, anything. I was hoping you might be here for something hot and spicy.” His grin widened. His teeth were slightly sharper than the average warlock.

  “Just the dessert today.” I grinned at him. “Something sweet and moreish.”

  “You could be describing me.”

  “I’m sure Auntie Queenie would be happy if I served you up as the dessert.”

  He chuckled. “She is a sweet lady. I can offer you fudge cake. A warm, sticky, sweet cake that will melt in the mouth. Or I have a caramel jam cake. Sweet, fluffy and a treat in your mouth. Or how about a peanut butter fudge pie? I promise you, when you take a bite, it will make you moan with pleasure.”

  Every dessert he described sounded a little more delicious than the last. “I could take them all.”

  “My favorite is the peanut butter fudge pie. It’s sweet with a slightly salty aftertaste. It goes perfectly with vanilla ice cream.”

  I licked my lips. “That sounds ideal. I’ll take the biggest one you have.”

  “I will be with you in one moment.” Brogan disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a box in his hand. “I was most sorry to hear about Deacon and your sister’s alleged involvement in his demise. I trust everything is being resolved?”

  “She’s been questioned but released. The angels are figuring things out as am I.”

  “Aurora is such a charming girl. I knew Deacon was interested in her.”

  “He spoke to you about her?”

  “No, but you can always tell when someone is infatuated with a person.” Brogan flashed me a smile. “Deacon used to watch when she walked past here. He had coffee here most mornings. He would hum under his breath as he watched her walk.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “That’s a bit creepy.”

  “These half-angels, they have issues. Human urges and heavenly urges conflicting. Maybe he was torn between his primal urge to devour your sweet sister and his angelic longings to do the right thing.”

  I nodded. That was the trouble when angels had children with non-magicals; the resulting offspring were often stunning to look at but came with dubious morals. “Deacon never mentioned he was having trouble with anybody?”

  “Not to me,” Brogan said. “He spent most of his time discussing the upcoming campaign. He thought he was in with a chance.”

  “Did you like him for our new mayor?”

  “I was undecided. He had his plus points, but he was too ambitious for my taste.”

  I held out some money, but Brogan shook his head. “A gift from me to your lovely family. I ask you just one thing in return.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “What’s that?”

  “You think of me every time you take a bite.”

  “I’d rather just pay.”

  He laughed. “I insist. Having a family persecuted for no reason is something I am familiar with. You have a friend here. Every time you need something sweet, just think of me.”

  I reluctantly put away my money. Brogan was hot, and he knew it. I looked but didn’t touch. He was an outrageous flirt but had a good heart.

  “Thanks. Aurora will appreciate this.”

  “As I hope, you do too.”

  I nodded a quick goodbye and hurried out of the Unicorn’s Trough where Wiggles waited for me.

  Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to spend some down time with a gorgeous warlock. Brogan was a charmer, but I saw him as more of a friend, someone I could talk to without any fear of being judged.

  I turned left at Lula’s hairdressers and walked along the lane to Mom’s house. She owned a large detached plot, set back from the road and surrounded by large evergreens. The grounds of the house had a wild, untamed feel to them. As a powerful witch, who drew her energy from nature, she loved surrounding herself with it.

  My whole family was descended from a particular type of witch. They got their energy from the earth and anything that lived, and died, in it, which was why they enjoyed living away from other houses and the bustle of the village.

  The front door opened before I’d reached it, and Mom ushered me in and hugged me. “We’ve been discussing matters. We’ve got some ideas you need to hear.”

  Wiggles bounded through the door, already on the hunt for food.

  “I knew you’d figure this out without me being involved.”

  Mom tutted as she took the dessert box, lifted the lid, and gave an appreciative nod. “We haven’t. We still need you. Go on through. Everybody is in the kitchen.”

  I wandered along the warm, cluttered hallway, full of childhood knickknacks and bookshelves piled high with thumbed paperbacks.

  The kitchen was a handmade affair, built when my dad was still around. Some shelves sat at different heights, and a large worn wooden table dominated the center of the kitchen.

  Aurora sat at the table, flanked by Auntie Queenie and Granny Dottie.

  Aurora looked up and smiled at me, her eyes still looking red. “I’m glad you came.”

  I looked at the steaming mug of chamomile, cookies, and the box of tissues on the table. “You look like you’re doing okay. You don’t need my help.”

  “I do. You know everyone in the village. I don’t think there’s a single person you don’t do business with.”

  “I take their money. It doesn’t mean I know them.” I settled in a seat at the table and leaned back, taking a moment to see how Frank felt about being so close to Aurora. So far, so good.

  “That gives you a good in,” Auntie Queenie said. “If they refuse to talk, you can withhold the goodies.”

  I shook my head. “It doesn’t work like that. It’s not like I’m planning to put sanctions in place if people refuse to talk to me about Deacon’s death.”

  Mom placed the dessert on the counter. “Your sister is innocent. We all know that.”

  “What we need to figure out is who wanted Deacon dead.” Grandpa Lucius wandered into the kitchen, sniffing the air as he did so. “Did someone call me down for lunch?”

  “No, you old rogue. While you’re standing, help me lay out the plates,” Mom said.

  Grandpa Lucius and Granny Dottie had lived with Mom for five years, ever since she’d gotten worried about their magic becoming unstable. It wasn’t; she just loved having them around and needed an excuse to keep them close, especially after I’d moved out and Aurora had moved into the apartment over Heaven’s Door.

  After Grandpa Lucius had laid out the plates and cutlery, he sat in a seat and rested his hands on the table. “Perhaps Deacon has a jealous ex-girlfriend. Since he set his sights on our Aurora, he could have let someone down. They wouldn’t have been happy about that.”

  “He was seeing Petra for a while,” Aurora said. “Deacon said it wasn’t anything serious, but maybe it was.”

  “Petra never takes relationships seriously,” I said.

  “A jealous, spurned woman is a dangerous thing.” Grandpa Lucius helped himself to a large piece of quiche and ignored the salad Mom offered him.

  “As if you’d know anything about that,” Granny Dottie said. “You’ve only ever dated me.”

  He chuckled. “That doesn’t mean I didn’t leave behind lots of broken hearts when I accepted you.”

  Granny Dottie caught my eye and shook her head. “Petra is worth talking to. She might have considered their relationship serious. Then she got wind t
hat Deacon was dating Aurora and things turned sour.”

  “I was wondering about the other candidates running for mayor,” I said. “Professional rivalry turned bad could mean someone needed Deacon out of the running.”

  “He was a handsome beast,” Auntie Queenie said. “Lots of women would have voted for him because of that chiseled jaw. And did anyone else dream about his abs?”

  Aurora blushed. “He was lovely to look at.”

  I filled my plate with quiche and salad. “Another candidate might have thought Deacon had an unfair advantage, especially when you compare him to Mannie Winter.”

  “Some people find chubby dwarves with beards attractive,” Mom said as she sat at the table, checking everyone’s plates to make sure they had enough food.

  “If we’re considering other candidates, we should also have Axel Shadowsoul in the mix,” Granny Dottie said. “I know you have a soft spot for him, Tempest, but he’s a candidate and a half-demon. He’ll have evil intentions running through his veins.”

  I glowered at her. “Axel is as evil as a chocolate frog. He’s all talk and no action.”

  “He’d like some action with you,” Aurora said. “He always asks about you when he comes into Heaven’s Door.”

  “He does not.” I shoved a piece of quiche in my mouth. “Even if he is interested, he’s wasting his time.”

  “He is sort of gorgeous,” Aurora said, “if you like the smooth and rich type.”

  “Then you date him.” I’d had enough of my sister trying to fix me up. She always chose decent but boring guys. There was no spark when I went out with them.

  “There’s also Rhett Blackthorn and his gang to add to the list of suspects,” Auntie Queenie said.

  “What makes you think he’s involved?” I asked.

  “He’s a shady biker. He runs with a bad crowd.”

  “He’s a fallen angel, he sort of has to.” If I was going to date anybody, it would be somebody like Rhett. He was hotter than the hell he’d dragged himself out of and made leather pants look so good I sometimes drooled when I saw him in them.

  Still, I’d been there and done that and gotten too close to being burned.

  “Being part of a bad crowd doesn’t automatically make you a killer,” Mom said.

  “I’m sure I saw his bike parked outside of Deacon’s house,” Auntie Queenie said. “I remember because I sat on it for a while. That’s a sexy beast of a machine. It’s a V-twin, four-stroke, with overhead valves and self-adjusting lifters.”

  I grinned. Auntie Queenie had been in the Dead Tree Witch biker gang. The biker witches were ousted by the fallen angels a long time ago. It was something nobody talked about unless Auntie Queenie had one too many and started trash talking the fallen angels. That was always fun.

  “I favor the jilted girlfriend,” Grandpa Lucius said. “Women are beautiful, but they can be terrifying.”

  He should know since he was surrounded by them. As the only man in the household, I felt sorry for Grandpa Lucius. Not that he had anything to be sorry about. He was waited on hand and foot most of the time and even got his laundry done when Granny Dottie was in a good mood. Still, it must be tough when he needed some guy time and had to contend with Mom and her sister discussing the best way to seal a crypt crack and what kind of pot roast to have at the weekend.

  “I’ll talk to Petra,” I said. “See what she knows.”

  “I can guarantee a strong woman is involved,” Grandpa Lucius said.

  “I just don’t see Petra doing it. Earth witches are usually benign. You need someone with a dark streak in them. Someone who’ll hold a grudge.”

  “A woman scorned,” Grandpa Lucius said. “I’m telling you jealousy is a strong motive.”

  “Petra can hold her own in a fight,” I said. “She’s got powers, so maybe you’re right.”

  “And I saw Deacon arguing with Petra a few weeks ago,” Aurora said. “It was just as I arrived for our first date. I didn’t hear what they were fighting about. Maybe she got mad about me dating him.”

  I scooped up the last of my quiche and hopped up to unbox the dessert. It looked like Petra was my number one suspect. Grandpa Lucius was right; jealousy turned people into monsters.

  “I’ll head over to talk to Petra after lunch. If I get her to confess, this will be sorted by the end of the day.”

  Mom reached over and patted my hand as she stood to clear the lunch plates. “You’re such a good girl.”

  I nodded as I sliced up the pie and plated it for everyone. It was a good job I was the only one who could hear Frank at that moment. His laugh echoed inside my head, making my temple throb and my spine tremble. Dark, unhappy thoughts bounced around my head. I tried to stay on the right side, but having a demon living inside you made being good a constant struggle.

  I stuffed a spoonful of peanut butter fudge pie into my mouth and urged Frank to stay quiet. He was content, for now, but wouldn’t stay that way for long. I had to hope he’d stay under my control for just a couple more days, so I could sort out Aurora and then get out of Willow Tree Falls fast.

  Chapter 5

  I left Mom’s house with a spring in my step as I walked with Wiggles along the lane. Lunch had been delicious, and Frank had behaved himself most of the time, which was not typical of him when I shared air with Aurora.

  This mess would easily be sorted. I’d have a quick chat with Petra, maybe twist her arm if she needed it, and she’d be singing to Angel Force in no time. My sister’s name would be cleared, and I could get back to being careful about not spending too much time with her and exciting Frank.

  I needed to swing by Cloven Hoof before wringing a confession out of Petra. There were packages that needed dropping off. Since I was heading past half of the drop-off sites, it would do no harm to go in and catch up on all the gossip. And I’d be happy to set anyone straight if I caught them badmouthing Aurora.

  As I pushed open the main door to Cloven Hoof, I heard laughter.

  My eyes widened. Petra sat at the bar with a bowl in front of her and a half-drunk glass of red wine. She was starting early. Maybe she was hiding a guilty conscience and needed a distraction.

  I strode over and sat next to Petra. Merrie nodded at me from behind the bar before moving away. Wiggles sniffed around for a bit before laying down at my feet.

  “Is there something wrong with the wine at Ancient Imp?” I asked Petra.

  She shook her head as she chewed on a piece of dried mushroom. “It always tastes better here, and I’m sampling your new produce. Patti said you had a new supply of Mystic Tail mushrooms. It’s good quality stuff.”

  “It always is.”

  She nodded, her eyes glazed from the natural power she absorbed from my special variety of mushrooms. Mystic Tail mushrooms were rare, expensive, and exquisite on the tongue.

  “I was coming to see you,” I said.

  “What about?”

  “How were things between you and Deacon before he died?”

  She slid me a sideways glance as she carried on munching. “I haven’t spoken to that loser for a long time.”

  “You used to date?”

  “Sort of. It was casual. He was a good-looking guy. I enjoyed his company.”

  “Word on the street is that he wasn’t all that into you, especially not when he got my sister to agree to go on a date with him.”

  Petra whistled air through her teeth. “I can’t say I noticed who he dated after me. We were never exclusive.”

  “You cared enough to fight with him a few weeks ago.”

  She turned in her seat. “What are you talking about? We never fought.”

  “Are you sure about that? I know from a reliable source that you did. What got you so angry?”

  Petra glanced at me before stirring her finger through the bowl of mushrooms. “He was unreliable. It irritated me. It must have been his non-magical side.”

  “He stopped taking you out, and you didn’t like it?”

  “I lik
ed the free meals. I loved having a hot guy on my arm. It was nothing. I’d already moved on.”

  “You’re dating somebody else?”

  Petra grinned and fluttered her lashes. “Of course. How can somebody who looks this good stay single for long?”

  I suppressed a snort of laughter. She was hot in a brassy kind of way. I got the impression most guys were terrified of Petra. “Who are you seeing?”

  “Different guys. No one special.” She glanced at me. “Are you looking for recommendations? You’re dating again?”

  “No, and not anyone you want to set me up with.”

  Petra shifted in her seat. “I’m guessing all these questions have to do with your perfect little sister. You’re looking for someone else to blame Deacon’s death on?”

  I nodded. There was no point in concealing the truth. “She didn’t do it. It has to be somebody else. What were you doing the night Deacon died?”

  Petra eyed me suspiciously. “Like I have to tell you.”

  I thought about what Granny Dottie had said about withholding supplies. Petra bought from me at least twice a week. She loved her mushrooms. “You will if you want to keep getting your hands on my products.”

  Petra huffed out an angry breath. “I’ll find another supplier.”

  “In Willow Tree Falls?”

  “You’re not the only seller. I can import.”

  “For double the price and half the quality.”

  Petra grimaced. “Fine, I have nothing to hide. If you must know, I was home alone eating pizza.”

  “Where did you get the pizza?”

  “Mystic Mushroom, same as always. Tate makes the best double cheese and pineapple pizza in the village. I get the same order once a week. I’ve been doing so for years. Ask him; he only has to hear my voice, and he knows what I want.”

  “I might do that.” A quick stop at Mystic Mushroom was never a hardship. Petra was right. Tate did make amazing pizzas. I could check her order and maybe get something for dinner.

  “I ate pizza, chilled out, then went to bed. The exciting life of a bar owner. I’m too tired to do anything else.” Petra sighed. “I’m thinking it’s time I got into a new business and am hoping something established will come up for sale. Something with more regular hours and fewer bar fights.”