by Fitz Molly
"Just sayin'," Clemmie shrugged. "Not like I don't know a good lawyer."
"Leave Vance out of this." I honestly wouldn't put it past Clemmie to erase the mayor's memory. I wasn't sure if I should be amused or alarmed at her suggestion.
"Any idea where she went to after here?" Diane asked.
"Not a clue, but I'm headed home before she can come back,” Luke replied.
* * *
"What did you find out?" Vance and Rocky joined us as we stepped back outside. The gargoyle looked content as could be next to Vance's side if his lolling tongue and goofy grin were any indication.
"That the twins cursed the cupcakes, or the candy that was on top of them anyway," I said.
"And that Mayor Parrish is still our bad guy," Clemmie said.
"Are you sure?" Vance asked.
"Well, she's the only suspect we can think of," Diane looked around the group to confirm she was right. We nodded.
"I can't think of anyone else," I agreed.
Vance's brow furrowed. "We better head to the bistro then. I just saw the mayor head inside."
"Mayor Prissy Pants better not do anything to the bistro," Clemmie said.
"Let her try." Vance's mom, Heather, owned the bistro. Heather could hold her own, but her son wouldn't let her. Vance withdrew his wand from his pocket. Rocky growled at his side. For Mayor Parrish's sake, I hope she wasn't up to something fishy.
The bistro was next door to the bookstore. On a typical day, I loved to grab lunch from the bistro and sit outside the bookstore with a good book, but nothing about tonight was typical. A chill traveled up my spine when I stepped inside the restaurant. I looked over my shoulder to gauge where the feeling had originated from. My eyes locked with Amber. I swear I felt like sticking my tongue out at the deputy. It was ridiculous how immature the woman made me act. Amber walked into the bistro behind us. I tried to ignore her. After all, we had a mayor to hunt down.
"I thought I told you to wait for me by that tree," Amber snapped at me.
"Last I checked, I wasn't under arrest." With the intonation of my voice, I might as well had added na-na na-na boo-boo after it.
"You still should have waited."
"Listen, waiting under that tree wouldn't have done any of us any good. I'm trying to find out what's going on, too. Trying to help you," I clarified. "You could make both of our lives easier if you'd accept that."
"I'll do no such thing. You think you're so smart, waltzing in here, solving crime. You might have the rest of this town under your spell, but I'm watching you."
While I continued to go back-and-forth with Amber, Vance inquired after his mom's whereabouts. "Where did they go?" Vance's voice held an edge to it.
I turned away from Amber. "What's wrong?"
"Betty says she saw the mayor talking to my mom back here in the hallway, and she hasn't seen either one of them since."
"Where did they go?" I repeated Vance's question to the waitress.
"I don't know. I was busy with my tables." Betty looked around the restaurant for Heather and shook her head as if she didn't have a clue.
"I'll check the bathrooms," Clemmie said.
"I'll go look in the kitchen," Vance replied.
"I'll head out front. Maybe they slipped outside, and nobody saw them," Diane offered.
"What's going on?" Amber asked.
"Have you seen Mayor Parrish?" I replied.
"No, some of us have been busy working, why?"
I was careful in my response. "She has her thumb on the pulse of this town. She might be able to help solve tonight's mystery."
"Oh, well... No, I haven't."
I turned away from Amber and left her to her own thoughts. If she was any sort of deputy, she'd put two and two together and start looking for the mayor herself, but I wasn't holding my breath.
I copied Diane's suggestion and walked out front, turning to the right and walking down the sidewalk. I spotted Diane behind, walking in the opposite direction. A small alleyway separated the bistro from the bookstore. Because of the layout of the shops, trash receptacles and dumpsters were kept on the side of buildings as opposed to behind them. Most of the shops had fountains or gardens that ran behind them in addition to walkways, or seating areas, like the bookstore had. The bistro's outdoor dining area was in front while the bookstore’s was in the back. I followed my intuition and snuck into the alleyway.
Mayor Parrish’s voice echoed off the brick wall. "Just this way. A little further," she coaxed.
"I don't see anything," came Heather's voice.
"Trust me," the mayor replied.
I didn't trust that woman any further than I could throw her.
With my back pressed against the wall, I moved slowly, while listening intently.
“Don’t mind the darkness. Your eyes will adjust,” Mayor Parrish said.
At that remark, I did two things simultaneously -- took out my wand and my cell phone. As quietly as possible, I turned the video recording function on my cell phone. I needed hard proof that Mayor Parrish was behind the wrongdoings tonight. Video evidence was the best chance I had. But I wasn't going to let her hurt Heather either. I had to be prepared to act, which is where my wand came into play.
"Down here, by the dumpster. That's it, just a little further. You have to get down real close to the ground," Mayor Parrish was saying.
What is she playing that? I thought to myself. Was she going to throw Heather into a dumpster? Or curse her behind one?
"I'm sorry, I have to get back." Heather stepped back from the mayor.
In the darkness, the mayor grabbed Heather by her wrist and pulled her forward. "No, you must stay."
"The bistro’s busy. I don't have time for this."
"No, look." The mayor yanked Heather down to the ground behind the dumpster and out of my view.
That was it, I sprang into action, sprinting the fifty yards that separated us. Wand out, I was ready to make the mayor spit ice cubes. Glacio was, in fact, one of my favorite spells.
"Oh, they're adorable," Heather cooed. I slid to a stop, wand raised above my head like a witch ready to strike.
"Good heavens, Angelica." Mayor Parrish slapped her hand over her heart. "What on earth are you doing?"
"What am I doing? What are you doing dragging Heather down a dark alley?”
"I wanted her help feeding these adorable little kittens. Look at them." Nestled behind the dumpster were four little black fluff balls. "The mother's under here somewhere. I was trying to coax her out and was hoping that Heather had some roasted chicken or salmon I could tempt the little sweethearts out with."
"ROWR," came the most pitiful meow from under the dumpster.
I lowered my wand. "I think I know the mom. She stopped in at the bookstore this afternoon when I was decorating." I recalled the black cat under the ladder.
At that moment, I did what any good witch does when she finds a cat trapped under a dumpster. I got down on my hands and knees and pleaded with the kitty to come out.
"Here, kitty, kitty. Come out, sweetheart. Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?" I followed it up with kissing noises. The mama cat replied with another pitiful meow. Heather had already backtracked to the bistro and was back within a minute, some freshly shredded chicken at hand. Heather set the container down. The kittens were too young to eat it, but that didn't mean they didn't want to try. Mayor Parrish scooped a kitten up in each hand. Heather did the same, holding the kittens to her chest.
"Yowch, you've got some sharp nails," Heather remarked as the kittens clawed through her black sweater.
I took a couple pieces of the chicken and tossed them under the dumpster a little bit. Two yellow eyes reflected back at me. I watched as the cat cautiously sniffed the chicken before eventually taking a nibble. The cat must not have been entirely feral because, within minutes, it came out from behind the dumpster and was ready for a second helping. I let the cat have free rein of the bowl. She scarfed down the meal.
/> "Now, what should we do with these guys?" I asked.
"I can't keep him at the bistro, but I can give you some more chicken," Heather said.
"I don't want to leave him here. But as mayor, duty calls. I can't very well disappear with a litter of kittens on tonight of all nights."
Both Heather and Mayor Parrish looked to me. "I suppose I can see if Misty can keep them at the bookstore until I'm ready to go home." I wasn't sure what I was going to do with a litter of kittens, either, but I could take care of them for a few days until we figured that out. "Do you have a box?" I asked Heather. If not, I could sprint back to the pet store, but I was really tired of running all over Village Square.
"I'm sure I have something. I'll be right back." Heather handed me her two kittens and jogged back to the bistro.
"You know," Mayor Parrish said when it was just the two of us. "I think we can give Hendersonville a run for its money." I knew what the mayor meant. Silverlake had really outdone itself. "That is if we don’t scare away all the tourists tonight.”
"I thought you didn't like all of this Halloween mumble jumble."
"Well, a person has a right to change their mind. And, it appears I have been overruled." Heather came back with the box. Even though it was chilly, I unfastened my cloak and used it to line the box. We tucked the kittens safely inside first. Shockingly, the mama cat climbed in the box too. A chorus of purrs filled the alley.
"Now, I need to figure out what's going on with that maze once and for all," Mayor Parrish announced.
"Let me talk with Misty," I referenced the large box between my arms, "and then I'll meet you over there."
Vance looked ready to lose it when he spotted us walk out of the alley. But it was Rocky who lurched forward. His animal instincts were on point. The gargoyle was curious to know what I was carrying. "They're kittens. Mayor Parrish wanted your mom to help her get them out from behind the dumpster. I'm going to see if Misty can keep them at the bookstore and then head over to the maze."
I did just that while Heather talked to her son and tried to calm him down.
Chapter Nine
"I'm almost scared to ask," Misty said as I walked in. My red velvet cloak dangled over the box's edge.
"They're kittens. A mama cat, too. Do you mind if I keep them here in the back until I'm ready to go home?"
"You want to keep a box of kittens in a bookstore?" Misty looked at me like I was a bit nutty.
"It'll be for less than an hour. I'll put them in your office. Under the desk. I'm sure they'll be perfect little angels."
Misty looked at me like she didn't believe that for a second. "Fine, but you will be cleaning up any accidents they have. And believe me, there will be accidents." Misty gave me a look that said, know what I'm saying?
I hadn't considered the whole letterbox situation. I had better help figure out the maze and solve this case fast.
"Hey, I meant to ask you, what happened with the caramel apples and pumpkin truffles?" Misty asked as we tucked the kitchen safely in their box under her desk.
"What do you mean?" I stood up.
"Where did they go? I sent you off to pick them up and never saw them."
"That's odd. I give them to a vampire."
"A real vampire?"
"No, thank heavens. There was a guy coming into the bookstore. He said he was going to your party. I asked him to give them to you."
Misty shook her head no.
"No?" I repeated.
"I never saw him or the treats."
"Well, that's odd. Maybe he decided to keep them all for himself?" It was really the only thing I could think of. What a single vampire would do with a couple dozen apples and pumpkin truffles was beyond me. "I guess I'll keep an eye out for him. In the meantime, I'm going to meet Mayor Parrish back at the maze."
"You two are working together now?"
"I'm just as surprised as you are."
* * *
If I thought the fog was thick before, it was nothing to how it was outside now. I could barely see my hand in front of my face, let alone the maze entrance. Vance was waiting for me under the pecan tree that Amber originally asked us to stay at. He let out a big yawn that summarized how I felt.
"Yeah, it's been a long night," I remarked.
"I swear I was wide awake two minutes ago," Vance confessed.
"Well, I wasn't," I laughed and then copied Vance's yawn. But even I had to admit my fatigue had gotten exponentially worse since coming closer to the maze.
"Is Mayor Parrish here?" I asked.
"I think so. It's hard to make out who's who." Vance yawned again.
I leaned my head back against the tree and felt like closing my eyes and taking a rest. Just a five-minute nap. I was sure that was all I needed. Rocky barked and jostled me awake.
"What in the heck is going on?" My eyelids fought to stay open.
"Hmmm?" Vance said. His eyes were closing too.
"Wake up." I swatted at Vance, but even my arm felt heavy.
"Huh, what?"
"Why are we so tired?" Even as I asked, I yawned again. I had to fight the urge not to rest my head back against the tree.
Rocky barked two more times. The booming sound helped clear my head. "It's the fog. Vance, wake up." He had fallen asleep against the tree. 'Vance, come on. You have to wake up."
"Just five more minutes, Mom."
"You're right. Five minutes. That's all we need." It was sad how easily I fell to Vance’s suggestion. Sleep tugged at my consciousness. I wanted to cave into it so badly. Rocky was the only one impervious to the spell. He licked my hand. The sensation brought me back to my senses.
"Come on, Vance, walk with me." My voice floated away with the fog. I felt like I was walking through water. My body was just so tired. It took a Herculean effort to get close to the maze, and when I did, I saw that Mr. McCormick and Mayor Parrish were snoozing soundly on bales of hay.
I jostled Mr. McCormick. "Hey, wake up." He snorted a couple times before soft snores took back over.
I tried the mayor instead. "Mayor Parrish. Wake up," I clapped my hands, but they sounded weak to my ears. Like I was clapping with a pair of mittens on. Rocky came up behind me and barked his thunderous warning. The noise worked wonders.
"Molly?" Mr. McCormick asked.
"I'm here. Duty calls. Mayor Parrish is here."
"Guys, listen, it's the fog. It's making everyone sleep. We have to get away from it." I yawned. The hay bales did look awfully comfortable.
"What? What are you talking about?" Mayor Parrish's eyes were closed. She would be back to snoozing in another second. Rocky tugged on her pant leg. Mayor Parrish looked down through half-closed lids and saw that it was a gargoyle. She let out a shriek. "Help! What is this beast?"
Rocky's tail wagged back and forth. Mr. McCormick was trying to stand up, but his balance was off. He was dead on his feet. Rocky walked over to his side to help stabilize him. I didn't know where Vance was. I assumed he was back sleeping by the tree.
"We need to get away from the fog," I reiterated. "C'mon, follow me." I shuffled forward, away from the maze. Just keep walking, I told myself. With each step, my footsteps became lighter. My eyelids no longer fluttered shut. The air felt cooler and lighter.
"Well, that was the strangest thing," Mayor Parrish said, looking back to the maze once we were in the clear.
"Someone's bewitched it. I bet everyone is asleep inside," I said.
"Well, just bulldoze the thing down," Mayor Parrish said.
"You can't do that! My daughter's inside there!" Mr. McCormick replied.
“Oh, right,” Mayor Parrish said.
"We need to get everyone out safely," Vance said, coming up behind us, Rocky at his side. The gargoyle must've gone back for him. And I thought dogs were man's best friend. Vance rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"Anyone have any ideas?" I asked.
"We could try to blow it away with a wind spell," Mayor Parrish suggested.
"
That's not a bad idea." Although, given how thick the fog was, we'd need a community effort to dissipate it.
"It's too thick. That will take too long," Vance replied, reading my thoughts.
"That's true, but if we don't act fast, all of Silverlake will be deep asleep," I remarked.
"What are we going to do? I can't let my constituents all fall asleep! This will be the worst Halloween ever, and it's on my watch!"
"Okay, calm down. Let's think. How are we going to get everyone out of there and then get rid of the fog?" I asked.
"What we need is for someone to rescue them," Vance said.
"Can this guy get everyone out?" Mr. McCormick pointed down to Rocky.
"He could try." Vance looked skeptical. Rocky cocked his head to the side, mirroring Vance’s expression.
I knew what Vance was thinking--Rocky was a good boy, but we needed something on a larger scale. Call in the cavalry, so to speak. "Wait a minute, that's it. I think I know what to do. Mayor Parrish, call Fire Chief Grady and get the fire department here. They have oxygen tanks they can wear. That way they won't breathe in the fog."
"And they'll be able to pull everyone out of the maze," Mayor Parrish filled in.
"The fog is just like smoke," Mr. McCormick said.
"Exactly. They're the most qualified. Then once everyone is out, we can figure out how to get rid of the fog."
"And arrest the culprit. This foolishness has gone on for far too long," Mayor Parrish took out her cell phone. "Leave it to me," she said, and surprisingly, I knew I could.
Chapter Ten
The firetrucks rolled in within minutes. In no time, the firefighters were able to pull out the maze goers without a problem. Most of them looked like zombies, completely out of it, but once people got away from the fog they came to.
Fire chief Grady trailed after them, holding a chunk of ice glowing neon purple. "Draught of the Dead, if I'm not mistaken."
"I'll take that," Amber said. She walked right up to the fire chief with an evidence bag in hand and proceeded to pass out cold. The fire chief dropped the ice and caught Amber by the arm as she swayed on her feet.
