I was just about to reach for the box I wanted when Karen approached. “Can I help you find something?”
“Oh, I think I’m going to buy this computer. I’m just going to grab it, and then you can check me out.”
“A computer is a pretty big investment. You just walked in. Are you sure that’s the one you want?”
“Pretty sure. I wanted to use it to look at some photos I took with my phone. This one is more than I need, but maybe I’ll take up video games.”
“You should try it out first. You can send one of the photos you want to look at to the display computer over the store’s Wi-Fi.”
“That’s a good idea. The little card says the laptop has a good graphics card, but it doesn’t hurt to find out for myself. How do I send it to the computer?” I asked as I connected to the store Wi-Fi.
“Here,” she said and took my phone, “let me show you.”
She didn’t really show me, though, and I felt myself prickle a little at her just snatching my phone.
“Thanks,” I said and took my phone back as she started to look through my phone’s photo album.
She typed some things into the display computer next. “Okay, just click on the photo you want to send.”
I randomly scrolled to a photo and clicked on it. Seconds later, the photo appeared on the laptop screen.
“Oh, it’s the old cemetery,” she said. “I’d heard you were doing some work in there. That’s the Lord’s work for sure.”
“Yeah,” I said, but I wasn’t really listening. “Do you see that?” I asked and pointed at the picture.
“See what?”
“It looks like I got a picture of someone in the tree line. I didn’t know anyone was there when I was. I can’t see who they are, though. They might be walking away.”
“Looks like a bush to me,” Karen said.
“Maybe. I need to get this computer home so I can go over these photos.”
“You sure you want this one? You could get a cheaper one just to look at photos. Especially since you said you don’t play games.”
“No, I want this one. I’m sure. I need a good computer to blow up the pictures. There could be clues in here.”
“Oh, in that case, perhaps you should wait. When the truck comes in, we’re going to have an even better model.”
“No, I don’t want to wait. I’m sure I’ll take this one. Thank you so much for your help, Karen.”
“You are so welcome, Brighton. Let’s get you checked out so you can go look at those photos.”
Chapter Sixteen
I took the laptop home and got it set up at my kitchen table. It came with a cord I could use to transfer photos, which was good because it was faster, and I didn’t have Wi-Fi at the house.
“You could have just used magic to transfer the photos. Best Wi-Fi in the world” Meri said as I unplugged the cord.
“Why didn’t you tell me that sooner?”
“Because it was too fun watching you try to figure it out,” he said with what had to be the cat version of a snort.
“Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
Once that little exchange was over, I set to work going through every photo. I didn’t realize how many pictures I’d taken until I tried to go through all of them.
So far, the only one that might have had a clue was the one that I’d looked at before in the store. I hadn’t wanted Karen to be right, but even when I blew the picture up, it still looked like the thing I’d seen could be a person or a bush.
I was about to go over to the cemetery and see if there was a bush there when my doorbell rang. It was Ralph standing on my porch looking sour.
“I thought I’d find you over in the cemetery doing the work we paid you for,” he said as I stepped out onto the front porch.
It probably would have been more polite to invite him in, but I still wasn’t sure that I trusted him. Some people in Coventry seemed to think it was okay to just break into Hangman’s House and take what they wanted, and I didn’t know if Ralph was one of those people.
“What can I do for you, Ralph?”
“I wanted an update on the work at the cemetery. Thought that perhaps since you’re now on my payroll, you could give me a timeframe for completion. I’d like to use photographs of the completed work in an article that I could submit to news organizations.”
“Ah, that’s why you agreed to me doing the job. You want to use it as publicity for your store. Now that Langoria is out of the way, you’re free to use the Coventry Paranormal Society’s funds as a way to enrich your business, eh?”
“I do not appreciate such implications given that I was kind enough to give you a job,” he said with a haughty sniff.
“It was Remy’s idea to give me the job. You just went along with it because you thought you could get some advertising out of it. Well, Ralph, no, I’m not done. You probably saw that when you went over there looking for me. I’ve made progress, though. And no, I’m not going to sell you any of the Tuttlesmith book collection either. I bet that’s on your mind too, but you can forget about it.”
“You witches are all the same. I get one out of my way, and another one of you pops up like a weed. Good day,” he said and stomped off to his car.
I went back into the house and made sure to lock the door. The thing he said about getting a witch out of his way troubled me. I was almost certain he’d just said it because he was frustrated and angry, but the words couldn’t be dismissed entirely.
My next visitor was Remy. He rang the doorbell a few minutes after Ralph left. I was in the process of making tea when he arrived, but I did not hesitate to invite Remy in.
“Hello,” I said when I opened the door and found him standing on my porch.
I was happy to see him but also a bit concerned because he’d just shown up. Ralph had done the same thing. I figured it must have been a Coventry thing because back in the city, people rarely turned up at your door unannounced.
“I thought I’d come by and see how the cemetery was coming along, but you weren’t there,” he said stiffly.
“Huh, that’s the second time I’ve heard that today.” I tried to keep my tone light, but it did strike me as odd. “In fact, that’s the second time I’ve heard that in an hour.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, Ralph was just here. He was upset because I’m not done and he can’t use the cemetery project as advertising fodder for his book shop just yet. Would you like tea, Remy? I’m making tea.”
“Sure,” he said and followed me into the kitchen. “So about the cemetery.”
“I think it’s coming along well considering all of the struggles I’m having with paranormal activity.”
“If you and Meri need some magical assistance, I could help.” His offer sounded flat.
I wasn’t sure what it was, but something about Remy wasn’t sitting right with me. He was normally so sweet and kind, but lately he’d taken on a different demeanor. Things that I’d found endearing about him before suddenly seemed… I didn’t want to think sinister, but that’s where my head went.
Before, I knew that he had feelings for me. At first, they’d been more intense than any feelings I’d had for him, but that had been all right with me. I kinda liked that he’d had a hard crush on me, and it was one of the things that had made me like him back. He’d been so dedicated and adoring.
Now, even having him in my kitchen felt overbearing. I felt a wash of relief when Meri walked into the kitchen and stood between us. It was as if my familiar could sense it too, and that made me feel a little less crazy.
“I was going to ask you about that,” I said as I poured the tea.
“You were going to ask for my help with the ghosts? Good. I’m more than happy to oblige.”
“No, not that magic specifically. I mean, I do appreciate the offer, but it was something else.”
“I’m more than happy to help you with anything, Brighton,” he said with a smile that didn’t quite meet his ey
es.
I stifled a shiver. “No, I mean I wanted to ask you about your magic. Specifically, what you did to me the night you told me that Thorn would break my heart. The whole night seems fuzzy, and after you left, I don’t remember anything. I just woke up the next morning. I’d almost convinced myself it was a dream, but the pizza and wine bottle were here.”
“I was just trying to ease the anxiety of what I was saying,” he said.
“I don’t understand why you would think that you needed to do that, though. I’m more than capable of handling my own emotions without interference from the outside.”
“Is that what you see it as?” he said and set the cup of tea I’d handed him down. “I guess that’s probably how you see me too. I’m just interference. I told you that he’d hurt you, and yet you still let him in. You still have him spending the night at your house and making a spectacle of yourself.”
“There was someone here watching us.” It came out barely above a whisper. “Was that you?”
“I don’t need to stand here and be accused like this. I’ll talk to you later, Brighton. Maybe call me when you’ve finally got your head on straight.”
Remy stormed past me and out the front door. He slammed it hard, and I hurried behind him to lock the deadbolt, but the darn doorbell rang again.
I thought that perhaps he’d come back to give me more of a piece of his mind. Or perhaps he wanted to apologize for being a jerk.
But what I wasn’t expecting was Karen. With a pallet of flowers from Nailed It.
“Let me guess. You were expecting to find me in the cemetery,” I said a little more rudely than I meant.
“How did you know, dear?” she asked with a smile.
“It’s a common theme today.” I took a deep breath to collect myself. “Let me help you with those.”
“We should take them across the street,” she said. “They’re for you to plant.”
“Oh, well, thank you,” I said and picked up one case of the flowers.
“Will you be able to plant them soon?” Karen asked as we set the last boxes down in the old section of the cemetery.
“I should be able to get to that in the next day or so. The newer section still needs some work, but I can plant them here.”
“That’s good, then. If we leave them in the shade and you plant them soon, you shouldn’t need to worry about watering them.”
“Thank you so much for this,” I said.
“Well, it wasn’t just me. My ladies’ group at church pitched in too. We appreciate what you’re doing for the community,” Karen said. “I also wanted to ask you how the new computer is working out.”
“Oh, it’s great. Thank you.”
“Did you find anything in the pictures? I know you were so excited about being able to have a look.”
“No, nothing yet. It might have just been my imagination after all.”
“Well, that’s too bad, Brighton. I do hope they catch the person who killed her soon. It gave me quite a fright that she was murdered. It’s a tragedy when such a well-respected member of the community is cut down like that.”
“I wouldn’t be scared,” I said and patted her on the arm. “I doubt you have anything to worry about.”
“I mean it happened so close to home,” she said wistfully.
“It did. For all of us.”
“No, I mean for me. She was my next-door neighbor after all. Oh, but I guess you didn’t know that since you’re so new in town.”
“I didn’t,” I said. “Were you two close?”
“Not as close as I would have liked, but I tell you. We all started making sure our doors and windows were locked at night.”
“I can understand that.”
“It was good to see you, Brighton. My invitation to church on Sunday still stands, but I have to be going. I have to get to work, and I don’t want to be late.”
“Thank you again,” I said and waved as Karen left for her shift at Nailed It.
As soon as she was gone, my thoughts turned back to Remy and our strange encounter. I took my phone out of my pocket and dialed as I crossed the street back to my house.
Chapter Seventeen
I tried to call Thorn twice. I wanted to tell him that it was possible I’d been wrong about Remy the whole time, but I got his voicemail. Since telling him that someone I’d considered my friend might be a murderer wasn’t something I wanted to do over voicemail, I just asked him to call me back when I could.
“I want salmon,” Meri said as soon as I hung up the phone.
“We have tuna and hamburger.”
“I would really like some salmon. Do you think we could get some?”
“You’re in luck because I want ice cream,” I said. “I could probably just check the freezer for it, but some fresh air might be nice. Plus, if I stay here, only the universe knows how many more people are going to show up on my doorstep.”
“I’m going to take a nap,” Meri said and retreated to the sofa.
“You’re not coming with me?”
“To the grocery store?” Meri asked before licking his paw and cleaning his ear. “I think you can handle that one on your own.”
“You’re such a spoiled brat.”
“Yeah, well, you’re a hussy with no class,” Meri said.
“See you in about a half hour then,” I said and grabbed my purse.
Mann’s Gas and Grocery wasn’t busy when I arrived, so I parked up front and made my way through the sliding glass entry doors. The ice cream was my priority, and then I’d grab a package of salmon from the cooler shelves next to the meat counter on my way out.
While I was perusing the ice cream flavors in the freezer case, a man I’d seen around the store a few times approached me. While I hadn’t met him yet, I knew he was Bob Mann.
“Mr. Mann,” I said and turned from the case.
He stopped a few feet back from me. His distance wasn’t unexpected as I’d been informed he was a bit on the paranoid side.
“Hello, Ms. Longfield. I hope you don’t think I’m rude, but I just read on the web that there is a new bird flu epidemic gripping South America. Better safe than sorry. But I did want to finally introduce myself.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I hadn’t heard about the bird flu, so thank you for the heads-up.”
My acknowledgement of the bird flu thing seemed to make him brighten. He smiled and took a half step closer to me.
“It’s good to know there is someone else who cares in the community. Most people think my preparations are just paranoia.”
“I don’t think that at all,” I said. “It’s always good to be prepared.”
His talk of bird flu and preparations gave me the distinct feeling that Bob Mann was one of those prepper people. I wondered if he had a stash of food and guns under his store.
“Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and say thank you,” he said.
“Thank you?” I had no idea what Bob was thanking me for.
“Word around town was that you might have killed Langoria. I don’t really think you murdered her.” He gave me a wink and a nod. “But I’d be mighty grateful to whoever did, ya see. She was trying to use some zoning law to get my shop closed down.”
“Oh,” was all I could think to say.
“Anyway, I’ve got to get back to what I was doing. You have a great day, Brighton.” And with that, he was gone.
That had definitely been a strange exchange. Bob was a character for sure, and I was certain I’d only gotten a glimpse of his true personality.
What made me pause was that he seemed to be hinting at something. Was he hinting that he’d killed Langoria?
Chapter Eighteen
I went home to find Thorn’s car parked in my driveway. He jumped out as soon as I pulled in.
“What’s going on?” I asked as I stumbled out of the car and dropped my grocery bag.
“What’s going on with you?” He rushed to me.
“What do you mean?”
>
“Well, you called me twice and didn’t leave much of a message. I tried to call back three times, but you didn’t answer. I thought something was wrong. I just had a bad feeling.”
“I’m fine,” I said and retrieved my grocery bag from the ground. “You tried to call?”
“Three times.”
I pulled my phone from my purse and looked at it. “That’s weird. The battery is dead. I’m sorry, Thorn. I didn’t know you were trying to call. Are you all right? I don’t think I’ve seen you this rattled before.”
“Let’s go inside.”
“I’d offer you a beer, but it’s a little early,” I said. “How about some tea? Or coffee if you think your nerves are up for it?”
“Iced tea would be better,” he said.
“Let me check.”
Sure enough, there was a pitcher of iced tea in the refrigerator. I took it out and poured some into a glass before taking a sip. It was sweet, but not too much so. The flavor was fresh and crisp with the barest hint of citrus.
“The tea is sweetened, is that okay?” I called into the living room before pouring him a glass.
“Yes, thank you,” he responded but did not join me in the kitchen.
I brought the glasses out and set them on little cork coasters on the coffee table. Thorn took his and gulped half of it down before I’d even had a chance to sit. He set the glass back down with a satisfied sigh.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize how parched I was. The tea is good. Do I have you or the house to thank for that?”
“The house,” I said and took a drink. “It is good. So what’s going on? I assume more than you just being worried because I didn’t answer my phone. Something got you rattled?”
“Well, the coroner called me. He found something, and I was hoping you could help. I know you haven’t lived here long, but you’re part of their community.”
“You mean witches?” I cocked one eyebrow.
“Yeah, witches.”
“I’m not really a part of their community. See, I’m a Tuttlesmith witch, and most of the witches in Coventry are Skeenbauers. There’s a whole feud thing. Never mind. That’s not important right now. What did the coroner find that you think might be tied to witches?”
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