Spirited Blend

by Kennedy Layne

  Spirited Blend

  A Paramour Bay Mystery

  Book Nine

  KENNEDY LAYNE

  SPIRITED BLEND

  Copyright © 2019 by Kennedy Layne

  Kindle Edition

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-943420-87-2

  Print ISBN: 978-1-943420-88-9

  Cover Designer: Sweet ’N Spicy Designs

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  Dedication

  Jeffrey—Your homemade smoking cauldron for this year’s Halloween display should be sold in stores…I love you!

  Cole—You’re the best horror movie partner a mother could ask for!

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  About the Book

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  About Yuletide Blend

  Books by Kennedy Layne

  About the Author

  Get ready for a spine-tingling cozy mystery that has ghosts, ghouls, and goblins coming out of the woodwork in the next spirited installment of the Paramour Bay Mysteries by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne…

  Mounds of delicious candy corn, jack-o-lanterns, and spooky hayrides are all part of this year’s Halloween festivities in Paramour Bay. Raven Marigold plans to make the most out of this All Hallows’ Eve, which just so happens to be her birthday.

  Not everyone in town seems to have gotten the festive memo, though. One of the residents is claiming that the spirit of her dead husband has been paying her nocturnal visits, while other townsfolk are making similar claims about their deceased relatives. Is this someone’s version of a supernatural flash mob or has someone accidentally pierced the veil to the afterlife?

  It’s going to be a hauntingly good time in this quaint coastal town, so bring along your lanterns and flashlights as Raven and the gang take a midnight stroll through the local cemetery to try and solve this hair-raising mystery!

  Chapter One

  “Is there a reason that you and Leo both look like two of the walking dead?”

  I blinked rapidly, wondering if I had any eye drops in the junk drawer below the cash register. I’d gotten in the habit of keeping it full of useful items, though I never seemed to have on hand what I needed at the moment. The zombie guise wasn’t exactly what I was going for in the hair and makeup department for this All Hallows’ Eve.

  I called it All Hallows’ Eve and not Halloween in deference to the sacred holiday, and not the commercial boondoggle the sugar industry had made it in recent years. Not that I turned away any candy treats that were filled with one of my favorite substances. With that said, I was prepared as any self-respecting witch could be in this day and age.

  My tasteful witch’s costume was currently hanging in my closet, ready to wear tomorrow for the big social event—the town’s extravagant trick or treating shindig. What I needed more than anything right now was coffee, and copious amounts at that.

  Go ahead. Tell Heidi that doomsday has finally arrived with the vengeance of a comet streaking across the night sky. We might as well say our final goodbyes.

  “The cesaral spirit bell might have rung again last night,” I reluctantly shared with Heidi Connolly before walking over to the convenient coffee sampling station I’d set up inside the tea shop a few months ago.

  I couldn’t deny that I had ulterior motives with such an elaborate display of three different flavors prepared in pump still urns, odd as that condition might seem for someone who is in fact the owner of the town’s only tea and specialty gourmet tea shop.

  Bottom line?

  Coffee was my sanity.

  “That makes five times the bell has signaled the presence of a spirit since August. Does that mean one spirit has visited Paramour Bay five times, or does it mean that five spirits are roaming around town without anyone being the wiser? I don’t like it, Heidi. Not one bit.”

  You don’t like it? This cesaral spirit bell is ruining my life. Did you forget that it’s October? Skippy and his merry band of ninja squirrels are preparing for their winter hibernation, and I haven’t once put so much as a hitch into their well-thought out survival plans. What kind of nemesis does that make me? Pitiful.

  “Isn’t it possible that spirits who haven’t crossed through the veil roam around us every single day without any of us knowing they are an arm’s width away?” Heidi asked perceptively, tucking one of her many blonde curls behind her ears as she handed me a fresh cup of hot Columbian Supremo coffee. A best friend always knew what the other needed. “Nothing bad has happened since you came into possession of all those lost occult items that you and Leo discovered at the antique shop. It’s time for you to return to the land of the living…no pun intended.”

  Does my Heidi not understand the “point of no return” saying? You should jog her memory before we’re inundated with evil spirits bent on destroying the town. Possession is nothing to sneeze at, you know.

  The voice inside my head belonged to my one and only magical familiar—Leo, the cat. Technically, he used to be my grandmother’s familiar, but I’d sort of inherited him due to a necromancy spell gone awry. Don’t get me wrong. The spell worked, just with some rather inconvenient consequences.

  Now might be a good time to for me introduce myself.

  My name is Raven Lattice Marigold, and I’m a bona fide honest to goodness witch. I’ve had some growing pains in the spell department, but I was getting better with time and experience dealing with what I believed to be the illogical twists and turns of the craft.

  Honestly?

  I absolutely loved being a witch, and also knowing the existence of the supernatural.

  Thinking back over the past year since my Nan had passed away, I was really proud of how far I’d come both professionally and personally as an adult. I’d gone from being a naïve receptionist living in the Big Apple to becoming a small business owner creating a home here in the quaint, coastal town of Paramour Bay, Connecticut. I was no longer unattached, even though I had more confidence in who I was as an independent woman than ever before.

  We were currently inside my tea shop, given that it was a Wednesday at eight-thirty in the morning. Tea, Leaves, & Eves was the name of the charming store my Nan had established fifty-four years ago. The town itself was very Norman Rockwell-esque, reflected in the attractive cobblestone intersections and charming wrought iron café tables which sat in the shade of the numerous trees dotted along the wide sidewalk in front of various shops, including mine. In all actuality, the tables belonged to the town’s parks department and they were collected for storage when the fall weather turned, signaling the end of our summer tourism season.

  As for the tea shop itself, gold tassels hung from the awning outside, while the plate glass display window appeared to be a century old; the waves and bubbled appearance highlighting its unique, tiny imperfections. I had strategically placed a few high-top tables around the shop for my
customers to sample the specialty blends, with one specific area dedicated for my sanity-saving drink. The other four fifths of the shelves were lined with delicate porcelain teacups, light blue tinted glass containers of various tea leaves, and the accessories that went into the time-consuming task of making the most delicious brew for any tea lover. In the midst of all of the inventory were small keepsake trinkets however loosely related to the tea and coffee trade from various parts of the world. Truthfully, I couldn’t imagine doing anything or being anywhere else.

  As much as I appreciate getting nostalgic over your little trip down memory lane, could we get back to the problem of this doomsday bell? I get a facial tic every time this thing rings.

  “Heidi could be right, Leo,” I pointed out, walking back around the counter and hoisting myself up on the stool. “Technically, nothing bad has happened since we’ve come into possession of those wayward occult items.”

  I accidentally set off the small animated pumpkin that I’d set out on the counter. The lights inside the little porcelain decoration flickered on and off while playing a spooky tune. There were quite a few of these seasonal figurines strategically placed around the shop. As for the exterior, I’d used cornstalks, pumpkins, and had even strung a few rubber vampire bats from the awning to complete the ambiance.

  “What if we’re stressing ourselves out for nothing?” I asked, eyeing the candy corn in a dish that a skeleton held in his hand on the opposite side of the counter. Was the sugary treat any different than eating a donut first thing in the morning? I’m sure it had the same amount of calories. “We know for a fact that sometimes spirits have unfinished business here on our side of the veil. Maybe whatever they’re dealing with is private, and they don’t want us to intervene on their behalf.”

  First, could we please stop using the P word in connection with the evil objects you felt compelled to retrieve from the antique shop? You won’t be so nonchalant about saying it when a spirit inhabits your body. Wait. Maybe you would. You wouldn’t technically be you, would you? The new you would say anything to keep the old you at bay. You know what I mean? That’s a lot of yous to keep up with. I’ve lost track of who’s who, and now I’ve just confused myself.

  Leo’s ability to bewilder himself had a tad bit to do with those consequences I’d mentioned about the necromancy spell. He’d come out the other end of the incantation with a short-term memory loss issue. In full disclosure, it had affected his memory in general. It was as if Leo’s brain activity had an intermittent short-circuit that went haywire every now and then.

  Dark magic was nothing to sneeze at, and I stayed as far away from it as possible with good reason.

  I’ll have you know that I lost a pound. Technically, it was three-quarters of a pound, but it still counts if you round up.

  Leo’s appearance had also been affected by the spell, and by that I do mean quite drastically. His tail resembled a modern art masterpiece, his whiskers were pointed in odd directions all at once, tufts of black and orange hair stuck out every which away, and his left eye bulged out more than his right when he got excited. He looked so different from his previous self who had been my grandmother’s companion that the residents of the town assumed he was a rescue cat I’d found in some shelter on my way to town. We didn’t bother to correct them.

  “Exactly, you guys. You both are worrying over nothing,” Heidi concurred, carefully putting the lid on her travel mug. We’d been best friends practically our entire lives, so I had been beyond thrilled when she’d decided to follow me here and set up residence in Paramour Bay as the town’s new accountant. She also knew my secret, which made it easier to carry on a side conversation with Leo when she was present. “Tomorrow is Halloween. Not only are we going to celebrate the holiday with the town square’s trick or treating event, we’re ringing in your birthday with a costume party at the pub afterward. We’ve been murder and mystery free for nearly two months. As much as I love all the supernatural excitement, we can last another week or two living mundane yet carefree lives of the uninitiated.”

  Oh, I don’t think I mentioned that Leo and I had managed to get ourselves involved in numerous investigations over the past year. We’d solved a few murder mysteries, a kidnapping, an arson investigation, and even the case of an empty crypt with the help of my newfound talents. Residents of the afterlife had even dubbed us amateur sleuths in good standing. It was a plus that I dated the sheriff of Paramour Bay, who by the way only recently learned of my secret.

  You’re not the most orthodox witch on the planet, are you? And to set the record straight, my appearance is quite striking to those who bother to use a discerning eye…at least according to GQ Magazine.

  Technically, witches telling humans about our existence went against coven rules. So were a lot of other things I might or might not have done in the last year. Anyway, we took it upon ourselves to help ensure the safety of the town’s residents. Why wouldn’t we? We had the ability to protect those close to us, especially when it came to an impending supernatural disaster. I’d say the ringing of a cesaral spirit bell fell into that category.

  Agreed. Skippy and his mates rate pretty high on the doomsday scale, but a cesaral spirit bell takes the catnip.

  “Earth to Raven,” Heidi said with a laugh, though she may have repeated herself. I’d zoned out thinking about the bell’s significance. “No more talk of cesaral spirit bells, occult items, or anything to do with the supernatural. Right now, you are Raven Lattice Marigold who owns a tea shop and celebrates her thirty-first birthday tomorrow with the man of her dreams. Speaking of the handsome sheriff, where is he this morning?”

  I was going to take a page out of Heidi’s book and not the family grimoire. Spells, enchantments, and incantations could definitely wait a couple of days. Starting now, all the doomsday predictions that Leo kept spouting were being placed on the back burner along with the real significance of Samhain. Samhain was the Celtic pagan festival we now recognized as All Hallows’ Eve.

  A few days off?

  “Liam is getting things ready for the town’s trick or treating event,” I replied, matching her smile. Sheriff Liam Drake was not only attractive, kind, loyal and intelligent…he accepted me for what and who I am. He was everything I wanted wrapped up in a very big red bow. “I even got him to agree to wear a costume.”

  I could do with a few days off, provided I had the appropriate amount of catnip.

  “Let me guess.” Heidi held up a hand, fortifying herself with a sip of her coffee while Leo continued to ramble on about a mini-staycation. Her blue eyes sparkled with merriment, because she’d had the same problem with the man she was dating when it came to costumes. Neither Liam nor Detective Jack Swanson was the type of man to partake in dress-up games. “Liam has decided to go…as a sheriff!”

  You’ve convinced me, Raven. I’m now reevaluating my thoughts on this entire cesaral spirit bell thing. It would certainly put me out of my misery from listening to the two of you carry on about the men in your life. A few days of messing with Skippy and his ninja bandits are just what I need to get back on the right track.

  “Maybe we need to find you a sleek, magnificent feline who can handle your mood swings,” I countered, not in the least bit surprised when Leo jumped gracelessly from the counter with what sounded like a hiss of disapproval. His time of staring at the bell in question had come to an abrupt end. No doubt, he was going to curl up on his bed in the display window and take a nap. It was way too early for Leo to go traipsing around town. “Oh, come on. Would it be so bad for us to find you a friendly soulmate? You know, I heard Mindy rescued a tabby from a shelter last month.”

  “I heard that, too,” Heidi piped in, eyeing Leo as if he were her next project. “Her name is Cupcake. I’m a great matchmaker, Leo.”

  That alone is enough to make me stay far away from Mindy and her new dessert dish. Besides, Heidi is my soulmate. We just need to figure out how to turn her into a sleek feline who has a thing for handsome tomcats
such as myself.

  “Oh, you should also know that I didn’t want you to feel left out tomorrow,” Heidi exclaimed, causing Leo to trip over his two front paws. “Do you like unicorns?”

  Heidi slung her purse over her shoulder, adjusting the pink and grey scarf she’d expertly tied around her neck. Her sense of fashion was bar none, and she even wore a coordinating lipstick color to complete her ensemble. You can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the girl. Right now, I’m pretty sure Leo was rethinking his crush on Heidi. He’d come to a complete stop the moment she’d dropped that brick by hinting at a unicorn costume.

  Oh, this would successfully take my mind off the cesaral spirit bell. I was definitely taking pictures of Leo dressed for Halloween. I might even have to start a scrapbook.

  That works both ways, Raven. Both ways. You can tell Heidi right now that there is no way in Hades that I’m dressing up as a freaking unicorn for Halloween. Nope. Not gonna happen.

  “Leo, the baby pink and light blue horn even has glittery ribbons that stream down either side,” Heidi said with excitement. She winked playfully at me, knowing full well she’d have to wrestle Leo to the ground in order to get the elastic band around his head. I’d actually pay to see that. “You’re going to look fantastic. Trust me.”

  The bell above the tea shop’s door chimed before Leo could respond to Heidi. I wasn’t sure who jumped higher—me or Leo. Anything that sounded like a bell ringing recently seemed to spike our adrenaline in under a second. This instance was no different, and it was a wonder I hadn’t choked on my favorite beverage. As it stood, I was going to have to get some paper towels to wipe off my hand where my coffee had sloshed all over the place.

  Sweet angel of mercy, I think my nerves are frayed like they’ve been shredded with a cheese grater. Do cats get tachycardia? Is that a thing? We might need to call Dr. Jameson.