Crooks and Crystals (A Hocus Pocus Cozy Witch Mystery Series Book 3)

by Constance Barker

Celestial rolled her eyes and sighed. She helped Tamara to her feet and they moved further into the building looking for Nikoli.

  “Don’t move.” Nikoli snapped from somewhere in the dark. Celestial gripped Tamara’s hand and moved towards the sound.

  “I didn’t mean this. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen this way.” A sniveling voice pleaded with Nikoli.

  “I said, don’t move. You really shouldn’t keep talking without a lawyer, either.”

  There was a shuddering sigh, as if the person making it was completely wrecked and exhausted. Celestial inched forward with Tamara, peeking her head around the shelves.

  Nikoli had his gun pointed at George, who was trembling and looking for something to hold on to. He truly looked like a tortured man, with red rimmed eyes and messy, greasy hair. He seemed to have lost weight and couldn’t stop fidgeting. Nikoli shook the gun a little, pulling out cuffs with his other hand.

  “No.” George pleaded. “Don’t lock me up. I can’t take it. What will happen to mom?”

  “It can all be worked out, George.” Nikoli said soothingly. “Just come along quietly and we can work out all these details.”

  George looked Nikoli over, appraising him for truth. He was so broken it was clear that he couldn’t trust his own eyes.

  “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.” He whined pitifully. “I started gambling trying to win a nice sum, you know, something to set mom up for good and I could retire. I got some big scores but I kept going back, thinking if I spent enough, I could make even more.”

  He dropped his head into his hands, moaning. When he lifted his face, his cheeks were stained with tears.

  “I borrowed from loan sharks. More than one. They were coming after me! I had to do something. I started skimming, just a bit. Then I couldn’t catch up. I kept gambling but the money—”

  He made a hopeless gesture, shaking his head.

  “The money just kept disappearing. So, I had to move money out of the business. I had to! They were going to break my legs! Who would look after mom?”

  “So, Martin caught you, did he?” Nikoli asked quietly.

  “Yeah, he caught me.” George looked at the floor defeatedly. “He was angry. I had moved so much money and I couldn’t pay it back. He was going to turn me in. It was all over. Mom would have been left out in the cold.”

  “So, what happened?” Celestial asked. Nikoli spared a glance over his shoulder to glare at her.

  “I asked him if we could have a coffee and talk about it. You know, as business partners and friends.” He smiled, then laughed, shaking his head.

  “Friends and business partners. I loaded his coffee with sleeping pills. By the time he was halfway through he was giggling like a maniac and easy to manipulate. I just led him out into the woods like a little lamb. I shot him up with heroin and that was that. Well, almost.”

  He paused and Celestial leaned forward, waiting for the next part.

  “When he stopped breathing, I panicked. I didn’t know what to do. I acted out of desperation and I knew I couldn’t get away with it. The idea just hit me—there are a lot of witches around here and they have been linked to murders in the past. So, I threw together some rose petals, blood and burned out the circle.”

  Celestial made a small sound of disgust.

  What a coward.

  “I knew that plenty of people had it in for Martin. He often bragged to me about all the women that couldn’t get enough of him even though he was cheating with all of them.” George shrugged. “I thought it wouldn’t be too hard to frame one of them.”

  His eyes darted to Celestial. “You had to go and figure it out, didn’t you? I actually went to the shop looking for you. Poisoned some tamales while I was at it. I only kidnapped Tamara to draw you out. I forgot that you take your pet detective everywhere you go.”

  He looked down at the floor, gasping so hard it was almost sobbing.

  Celestial tried to be angry, but she was just sorry. He was a broken human being, suffering terribly. She couldn’t forgive him, but she couldn’t hate him either.

  Chapter 29

  George stood in front of them, chest heaving like a racehorse after a two-mile sprint. He looked at the floor, his fingers twitching like they had a life of their own.

  “Don’t move, George.” Nikoli said. “Just come along quietly.”

  “You can’t lock me up.” George’s face twisted. “You can’t. Please.”

  He started to cry, his whole body slumping forward. Nikoli started taking slow steps towards him, hoping to grab him before he ran or pulled a weapon.

  Celestial saw George’s hand twitch right next to his pocket. She tried to call out to Nikoli but it was too late. Whatever was in George’s pocket was already in his hand.

  When George suddenly stood up straight Nikoli stopped, waiting for George to show his weapon. When he raised his hand, it wasn’t a knife or a gun he had, but his weapon of choice.

  A syringe filled to the brim with heroin.

  “No!” Celestial cried. The word was echoed by Athena, Tamara and Nikoli, but no one was close enough to stop him. With a determined look, George raised the syringe and plunged it into his heart, pressing the end as hard as he could. With a deep, rattling moan, he hit the floor.

  Nikoli stuck his gun in his pocket and ran to George. He turned him over and pulled out the needle, starting CPR. Celestial called an ambulance as Nikoli tried to save George’s life.

  Tamara and Athena watched the scene. Tamara’s eyes were wide with horror as she watched Nikoli try to keep George alive.

  “Let’s go outside.” Celestial whispered, taking Tamara’s arm. They walked quickly out into the parking lot where the air was starting to get brisk. Soon, the loud blaring of the siren signified the ambulance getting closer.

  When it roared into the parking lot Celestial quickly pointed the way to the paramedics. A few minutes later they came past with George laid out on a stretcher.

  He had tubes and cords all over him, but it didn’t look like he was alive. His skin was grey and loose on his face and he was stick thin. Celestial realized that he had been wearing bulky clothes so no one would see how wasted he had become. His body showed the truth of his drug abuse and gambling addiction, conditions worsened by terrible guilt.

  Celestial jumped in her car as Nikoli took off after the ambulance, his own siren on. Tamara and Athena were very quiet in the passenger seat, watching the scenery flow by as they headed towards the hospital.

  “Are you okay, Tamara?” Celestial asked.

  ‘Not really,” Tamara sighed. “I’m pretty upset, and angry. But I don’t want him to die, even if he is a dirtbag.”

  “He’s dug himself into a hole, that’s for sure,” Celestial muttered.

  “And now he’ll bury himself,” Athena whispered.

  They arrived at the hospital and hurried straight into emergency. They got there just in time to see a doctor in scrubs talking to Nikoli. They didn’t need to overhear the conversation, the doctor’s expression and shaking head were enough to tell them what they wanted to know.

  Nikoli turned around and saw them, his eyes warming up as he looked at Celestial. It was definitely not the time for flirting or daydreams of love, but it was obvious his mood lifted around Celestial and he couldn’t hide it.

  “He’s dead then?” Celestial asked.

  “DOA.” Nikoli said gruffly. “He put a massive dose straight into his heart. He was probably dead before he hit the ground.”

  “But you still tried to save him.” Celestial shook her head, amazed at Nikoli’s spirit. Nikoli just shrugged.

  “It’s my job.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

  “His poor mother,” Celestial said sadly. “She’s going to be so broken.”

  “I know,” Nikoli said quietly. “It’s just a terrible situation all around. I wonder how much she knew about all of this.”

  “Nothing at all, probably.” Celestial replied. “He was
so protective of her.”

  Nikoli nodded, sighing. “I should thank you again, Celestial. You helped us solve the crime, even though we didn't actually get our man.”

  “Oh, that’s okay Nikoli. Any time.”

  Nikoli stepped towards her and Celestial was drawn towards him. They put their arms around each other and came together for a hug.

  Celestial lost herself in the embrace, feeling his strong, warm arms around her. She felt him lean his head towards her and wrap his arms around her even tighter.

  The hug went on a beat or two longer than it should have for just a ‘friendly’ hug. When Nikoli pulled away his face was a mess of confusion.

  “I better go and speak to George’s mother.” he said, hurrying away.

  Tamara tapped Celestial on the arm, the beginning of a smile playing on her lips.

  “He loves you, you know.” She might have had a hard morning, but she was quickly recovering.

  “Shush your gossiping mouth,” Celestial whispered. Tamara made a zipping gesture across her lips and they both laughed.

  Celestial put her arm around her friend as they headed out of the ER. The sky was dark as they went into the parking lot, a breeze gaining strength around them, ruffling their hair. Athena hovered by Celestial's ear, uncharacteristically silent.

  The air itself seemed unsettled. Celestial couldn’t believe the dark underbelly of her small town, drugs and murder lurking behind the innocent, bright mask.

  She thought about Nikoli and how she would love to make him dinner sometime. If they were very lucky, they might get a break between murders so they could pursue this feeling between them, whatever it may be.

  Chapter 30

  Tamara and Dakota sat in front of Celestial’s shop, Athena flitting around their heads. Celestial came out with tea and fairy cakes, sitting down in the bright afternoon sunlight to share afternoon tea with her friends.

  It had been several days since George had committed suicide and the town was still recovering. Much of the case was not public knowledge but a newspaper reporter had gone to some effort digging up George’s past. Almost everyone knew about his gambling and drug use.

  “So, the life insurance really isn’t going to pay out?” Dakota asked, picking up a fairy cake. Celestial shook her head.

  “Nikoli told me that because it’s a suicide, the life insurance company won’t honor the contract.”

  Dakota whistled. “That’s harsh, isn’t it? I mean, dead is dead.”

  Celestial shrugged, sipping her tea. “Some policies will pay out for any reason. I guess George didn’t have that option.”

  “It’s a real mess, isn’t it?” Tamara took a cake for herself, wrapping her cardigan around her shoulders against the chill sneaking up in the afternoon.

  “It’s all getting straightened out.” Celestial said. “Nikoli is getting it all together. Now that we know it was George, he’s been able to put all the evidence together to close the case.”

  “But George’s poor mother!” Tamara cried. “What will she do? Can’t the cops or the state appeal to the insurance company?”

  “No such luck. The law is clearly on the company’s side. The policy is clear. No one can fight it.”

  “So, what will happen?” Dakota wrapped his hands around his cup as he frowned, unable to avoid his dark thoughts.

  “Well.” Celestial smiled, glad to have something positive to talk about. “Martin’s life insurance was fully paid up. Because he was murdered, it paid out. It was on hold for a while because if he killed himself with heroin on purpose or accidently, they wouldn’t pay. Now that it is a murder case confirmed by police, they can pay out the full amount.”

  “Who’s the beneficiary?” Dakota asked.

  “George.” Celestial grinned.

  “What?” Tamara put her cup down to give Celestial a firm glare.

  “Martin made George his beneficiary so that if anything happened to him George would still be able to save the business. Because George is dead and he was never charged with any crime, his next of kin gets the money.”

  “George’s mom!” Tamara exclaimed. “That’s fantastic. I’m glad she doesn’t have to live in poverty as well as losing her son.”

  “Yeah.” Celestial kept her eyes down. She had a lot of regret over this case. The ongoing viciousness in this town was starting to have an effect on her.

  Would it get so bad that she wouldn’t be able to trust anyone? She hoped not.

  “So, the money is enough to last for the rest of her life?” Dakota asked.

  “Yes, it is.” Celestial confirmed. “It’s a hefty amount. I don’t know the exact number, but it's in the millions.”

  Tamara let out a low whistle. At the same time, Athena called out from above.

  “Incoming.”

  They all braced themselves but it was only Stella and Bella, floating through the nearby walls to mill around the table.

  “I’m surprised to see you two here.” Celestial smiled at her ghostly friends. “Aren’t you hanging out with your boyfriends exclusively these days?”

  “Huh!” Stella shook her head. “Nope. They got old, very quickly.”

  “Ghosts don’t get old.” Athena quipped. Celestial laughed.

  “No, no.” Bella flapped her hands as if she could actually affect physical matter. “They were just very old-fashioned, you know? They always wanted attention, wouldn’t leave us alone. I need a confident man.”

  “Me too,” Bella huffed, crossing her arms. “They were always seeking reassurance. I think it might have been poor confidence that killed them.”

  Celestial held in a laugh. “Really?”

  “Well I don’t know, do I?” Bella exclaimed. “It’s rude to ask a ghost how they died.”

  Everyone laughed, imagining the etiquette that might be facing them on the other side.

  “It doesn’t matter, anyway.” Stella announced. “I’m happy to be on the prowl again. I’m going to find myself a tough guy. Someone really confident that knows what he wants.”

  “Me too.” Bella said eagerly.

  “Do you always have to copy what I do?” Stella asked with exasperation.

  “I try not to.” Bella said, indignantly.

  “So, what is happening with George’s mom?” Tamara asked. “I mean, I know she got the money and she’ll be looked after okay, I just mean how has all this hit her?”

  “She’s in therapy.” Celestial said carefully. “They have a full medical unit at her retirement village. She has appointments there most days. It’s really helping her.”

  Dakota raised an eyebrow. “How do you know so much about it?” Dakota wondered aloud.

  Celestial smiled. “Because I go and see her a few times a week. I went to see if she liked the soap and lotion and she liked it so much, she asked for some more. When I brought it, she asked if I wanted to play scrabble.” Celestial shrugged. “I did. She’s a really nice lady. She didn’t deserve any of this.”

  “That’s sweet of you, Celestial.” Tamara said. Celestial shrugged again.

  “I didn’t do it for anyone else, I did it for me. She’s an excellent scrabble player and a great conversationalist. I like hanging out with her.”

  “That’s what counts.” Dakota said, smiling.

  Silence fell over the group, except for Stella and Bella, who were discussing the locations where they might find a real man. Everything was peaceful, from the birds playing in the warm sun to the hazy light of the day.

  Celestial wanted it to last forever. She wished for it, that she would never see evil like this in her life ever again.

  She knew, she most likely wouldn’t get her wish. Evil was everywhere. The only thing she could do was stand before it and try to drive it back with light.

  She smiled at both her friends, then Stella and Bella. Athena fluttered down to land on her shoulder.

  At least if there were more murders to be solved, Celestial wasn’t alone in the fight.

  *****

>   Don’t miss the next book in the Hocus Pocus Cozy Witch Mystery Series:

  Graves and Goons

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  Catalog of Books

  Witches Be Crazy Cozy Witch Mystery Series

  Down the Hatch

  Down But Not Dead

  Down and Out

  The Hocus Pocus Cozy Witch Mystery Series

  Spooks and Spells

  Freaks and Felons

  Crooks and Crystals

  Graves and Goons

  Brooms and Brains

  Moons and Magic

  The Happy Blendings Cozy Witch Mystery Series

  The Potion Commotion

  A Pumpkin Potion Explosion

  A Drop in the Potion

  A Notion of a Potion

  A Deceptive Potion

  A Formidable Potion

  A Risky Potion

  Calamity Corners Cozy Witch Mystery Series

  Calm Before the Witch Storm

  The Witch is in the Details

  Better the Witch You Know