The Monstrous Seven (A Hannah Hickok Witchy Mystery Book 4)

by Lily Harper Hart

  Hannah shook her head. “She caught me off guard. I was surprised. I might’ve said something, but Tyler took control of the situation really fast. He cut me off before I could even kick her off the property.”

  “That was smart,” Boone nodded, bobbing his head at the veterinarian. “Just for the record, if more reporters show up — and it’s a foregone conclusion that they will — don’t say anything to any of them.”

  “I thought she kind of had a good point,” Hannah hedged. She didn’t want to push the issue, but she also didn’t want to make a grave error when her business was riding on it. “She said everyone in town believes we might’ve purposely killed that man.”

  “And why would we do that?” Cooper challenged.

  Hannah shrugged. “I don’t know. Publicity ... or something. She said everyone in town is going to be afraid to come up here.”

  “While I don’t doubt there will be a fear factor, the bulk of your guests aren’t locals,” Boone reminded her. “Your guests are tourists, and in three days they’ll be gone from the area and nobody who comes in will have heard the story.”

  Hannah faltered. “Oh. I ... didn’t think of that.”

  “She was lying to you.” Cooper’s voice was gentle but also stern. “You can’t talk to reporters, baby. I know that you want to believe people are good, but that woman most likely would’ve taken anything you said and twisted it. Boone is right. Channel 4 doesn’t have the best reputation. You can’t risk your livelihood on anything that woman says.”

  Hannah nodded, morose. “I didn’t think. I just ... didn’t want people to think I would actually do something like that. I feel like a bit of an idiot now.”

  “You’re not an idiot,” Cooper reassured her, managing a smile, although it didn’t make it all the way to his eyes. “You’re just not used to stuff like this.”

  “I really don’t want to get used to stuff like this.”

  “I know.” He pulled her close for another hug. “It’s okay.”

  “Luckily Tyler was here to make sure I didn’t do anything we couldn’t take back.” Hannah flashed the man in question a smile. “My hero,” she cooed, making him grin.

  “Yes, I was a righteous hero,” Tyler agreed. “I definitely should’ve paid attention to how she left the property, though. If she comes back, I’ll make sure to watch.”

  “If she comes back, I want you to call me so I can handle her,” Cooper said darkly. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t try it again. I don’t care how mean I have to be.”

  “What about you?” Hannah asked, pulling back. “Did you find anything?” The way Cooper’s expression immediately shifted told Hannah that she wasn’t the only one who had overcome a rough afternoon. “That bad, huh? What is it?”

  “I need you to remain calm,” Cooper started.

  Hannah’s frown deepened. “That’s not the way to get me to remain calm. In fact, that’s like the worst thing you should say if you want me to be calm.” She wrung her hands. “Tell me.”

  He heaved out a sigh. “Justin is dead.”

  Whatever she was expecting, that wasn’t it. All the color drained from Hannah’s face. “How? Was it the dancing man?”

  Cooper exchanged a quick look with Boone and then held out his hands. “I don’t know. The scene in his apartment was set up like a suicide.”

  Hannah sucked in a sharp breath. “It was set up? Does that mean he was murdered?”

  Cooper didn’t answer. Honestly, he didn’t know what to say.

  “We’re not certain,” Boone replied, drawing Hannah’s attention to him. “It’s possible Justin blamed himself for what happened to Rob. He might’ve thought that he accidentally loaded a fatal bullet into that gun. If that’s the case, then whoever set Rob and Trent to fighting is to blame, but that’s not how it will go down in the books.”

  Hannah found she was inexplicably sad. “Is it possible that guy managed to get close enough to Justin to influence his mood? I mean, if he can make people fight, maybe he can make people feel other emotions.”

  “That’s a possibility,” Boone agreed. “We just don’t know. Right now, Agent Hoffman is overseeing the scene at Justin’s apartment. Unfortunately, he seems to think it’s an open-and-shut case. He thinks Justin somehow arranged for the gun to be loaded and then felt guilty after the fact, like maybe it was a prank gone wrong. I’ve told him I don’t believe that’s the case, but he’s not exactly listening to me right now.”

  “Is he coming back?” Tyler queried.

  Cooper nodded. “Oh, he’s coming back. He’s visiting the coroner right now. He wanted to see the report with his own eyes, just in case we missed something. Then he’ll be returning here.”

  “So ... what do we do?” Hannah asked. She felt lost.

  “We go about our chores as if it was a normal day ... except the town isn’t open,” Cooper replied. “We all have to look busy, as if we’re doing something. I think that’s the best way to keep Agent Hoffman from being suspicious of us.”

  “Right now, he’s completely focused on Justin,” Boone offered. “That’s not exactly fair to Justin, but it allows us time to figure out what’s really going on. That’s the most important thing right now.”

  Hannah recognized the truth in his words, but she wasn’t happy. “I don’t like this. What if people keep dying?”

  Boone held out his hands and shrugged. “I don’t know. All we can do now is watch and wait. Our hands are tied. Agent Hoffman is in charge. We need to watch each other’s backs and remain calm.”

  Watching out for her friends wasn’t Hannah’s concern. She had no idea how she was supposed to remain calm given everything that was happening. It felt like an insurmountable mountain ... and the climb was too steep to even attempt.

  7

  Seven

  Hannah did her best to appear busy for a good two hours before she gave up and went for a walk. Jacob was back in town, questioning the ragtag assortment of employees who had bothered to show up for work and searching the storage rooms for clues ... although he refused to give Boone and Cooper a heads-up as to what he was looking for. Eventually they left him to do his own thing and gathered in the paddock to watch and gossip. That’s where Hannah found them.

  “I’m going to take Jinx for a walk,” she announced, smiling at the dog as he cavorted with the goats. He didn’t look all that interested in leaving.

  Cooper arched an eyebrow from his place at the picnic table. “Why don’t you stay here with us instead?” He felt guilty making the suggestion, but he was antsy enough about the dancing man she described to want to keep her close.

  “Because then every time Jacob comes around I will feel as if he’s watching me,” Hannah replied. “It’s creepy ... and it makes me feel uncomfortable.”

  Cooper’s frown deepened. “Like in a sexual way?”

  “No. Like in a ‘he doesn’t believe me and wants to lock me up forever’ way. I’m doing my best to hold it together. I would say I’m doing a good job.”

  “You’re doing a great job,” Cooper confirmed without hesitation. “You’re doing an amazing job, in fact. I wanted to tell you how impressed I was by the way you handled him earlier, but I got sidetracked.”

  “Oh, that’s kind of sweet.” Hannah give her hips a little swish and tilted her head. “I’m glad you approve. I need a break, though. I can’t stay with him here in town another minute. I won’t go far. I’m just going to take Jinx over that hill so we can relax without him watching us.”

  Cooper wasn’t thrilled with the notion. “I’ll go with you.” He started to stand, but Hannah shaking her head stopped him.

  “If we both go, he’ll be suspicious. If you stay here, it looks as if you’re guying it up with Boone and Tyler and you’re not worried about me. If two of us go, he might try to follow, which defeats the purpose of me taking a break. I swear I’ll only be gone for an hour.”

  On the surface, Cooper understood that she needed a break. That didn’t stop him
from worrying. “Just ... be careful,” he said finally. “I know you can take care of yourself — I would never say otherwise — but we don’t know where that reporter disappeared to and there very well might be a monster with a human face out there.”

  Hannah smiled indulgently. “I promise to be safe.”

  “Good, because I would be extremely sad if something happened to you. Like ... wrecked. I’ll never get over it.”

  “Aw,” Boone and Tyler sang out in unison, earning a stern glare from Cooper.

  “Shut up,” the security chief snapped as he leaned over to give Hannah a quick kiss. He could feel the other men watching him, but he didn’t care. “Watch for the snakes. It’s warm enough that they might be out sunning themselves. They should give you a wide berth but watch Jinx to make sure he doesn’t go after them.”

  Hannah swallowed hard. She hated being reminded of the snakes. “Oh, right.”

  Reading her discomfort, Tyler got to his feet and moved inside the bar, returning about thirty seconds later with a small packet. “This is an anti-venom kit. If Jinx were to get bitten, all you would have to do is inject him with this.”

  “Really?” Hannah brightened when she saw the syringe in the sealed baggie. “That’s good to know.”

  Tyler tried to hide his smirk ... and failed. “If you were to get bitten, it would probably work on you, too. This is a dose for a medium-sized animal. You might need another dose, but you would easily make it back here on the one dose. Honestly, the snakes should avoid you.”

  “I’m not afraid of snakes,” Hannah reassured him. “In fact, there are certain snakes I like.” She didn’t recognize the fact that her words could be taken out of sorts until she saw the way Cooper’s cheeks colored under Boone’s watchful gaze. “Not those snakes!” she barked, mortified. “I was talking about the colorful ones at zoos and stuff.”

  It took everything Tyler had to maintain a straight face. “Of course. Just FYI, though, those colorful snakes are the sort that will kill you with one bite. Rattlers aren’t the same. You’re going to be fine.”

  Hannah nodded and shoved the snake-bite kit into her back pocket. “Come on, Jinx. We’re going for walkies.”

  The dog, who had had been happily nipping at a goat, straightened and raced toward his mistress without further prodding. As much as he loved the stimulating environment in the paddock, he loved Hannah more. He was completely devoted to her.

  “Just an hour,” Cooper called nervously to her back. “I’ll come looking for you after that so ... make sure it’s just an hour.”

  Hannah raised her hand and waved. She understood why he was worried, but she was an adult. She didn’t need to justify wanting to take a breather. She felt penned in at the town. She needed to breathe ... and that’s exactly what she planned to do.

  SHE ENDED UP AT THE CREEK. In hindsight, she figured that was inevitable. The creek was one of the first places she discovered upon moving to Casper Creek and she always felt relaxed when visiting. Technically she didn’t set out with the creek in mind as a destination, but she wasn’t surprised when she saw the familiar water. It felt right. It was the woman sitting next to the water who threw her for a loop.

  Astra Bishop was a witch, and not a naive one like Hannah. She was trained in dark magic and had made a name for herself in certain circles in the area. Long before Hannah inherited Casper Creek from her grandmother, Astra worked at the town and trained under Abigail. They were close for some time — and Astra and Cooper were even closer — and then they had a falling out. When Astra left, there were hard feelings. As far as Hannah could tell, they remained ... although Astra always made it a point to talk to Hannah whenever they crossed paths.

  Those meetings could hardly be described as friendly.

  “What are you doing down here?” Hannah grumbled as she removed her shoes and plopped her feet in the water. Even though she wasn’t surprised to see the white-haired witch, she hadn’t been lying to Cooper when she said she wanted time alone. Honestly, that’s all she could think about right now. Blissful silence. It was at the top of her shopping list for the day.

  “And a fine howdy-do to you, too,” Astra drawled, making a face as she caught Hannah’s steady gaze. The women were never going to be friends. Astra was convinced Casper Creek should’ve been hers following Abigail’s death, and that was on top of the lingering feelings she harbored for Cooper, and Hannah didn’t like the other witch’s attitude and had made no bones about it when they’d clashed during previous meetings. Despite that, they managed to coexist at the creek on a regular basis without coming to blows.

  “Hello, dog,” Astra said as Jinx sloshed through the water toward her. She didn’t look particularly happy to see the animal but there was no malice on her face either.

  “Jinx,” Hannah automatically corrected.

  Astra furrowed her brow. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand what you’re saying. I didn’t jinx anybody.”

  Hannah’s lips curved. “His name is Jinx.”

  “Oh.” Astra’s eyes drifted back to the dog, who was happily splashing around in search of frogs. He didn’t go to Astra for attention, but he didn’t shy away from her either. “He’s a nice dog.”

  That was as close to a compliment as Astra had ever gotten as far as Hannah was concerned and the blond witch decided to accept it at face value. “He is,” she agreed, pursing her lips. It was a nice day and the water felt heavenly on her feet. “How come you’re down here? I would’ve thought you’d be busy at your store in the middle of the day like this.”

  Astra owned a magic store one town over and only ventured out to the creek when she had an opening in her schedule. The magic line that the Casper Creek coven had drawn to keep Astra’s witches out ended at the water, which meant this was as close as the white-haired witch could come without risking an issue.

  “I’m just taking a breather,” Astra grumbled, rubbing her cheek. She seemed surlier than normal, which was saying something because Astra wasn’t known for her gregarious spirit.

  “You seem grumpy,” Hannah noted.

  “I am grumpy.” Astra finally wrenched up her eyes and glared at Hannah. “Does this have to be a talking day? Can’t we just sit here in silence and enjoy nature? I only have thirty minutes before I have to head back to the store and I don’t want to spend it talking to you.”

  Hannah’s eyebrow arched in amusement, but she held out her hands in a placating manner. “If you want silence, I’m totally fine with that. I’m not in the mood to talk either.”

  “Great.” Astra went back to staring at the water.

  “I came down here because I wanted to get a break from talking, and feeling uneasy,” Hannah continued, talking more to herself than the other woman. “There’s an FBI agent in town investigating a death. A random tourist shot another tourist for no reason yesterday and now we’re in trouble.”

  Astra remained silent.

  “I think whatever is happening is magical,” Hannah admitted. She was incapable of shutting her mouth right now. Astra’s knowledge of magic was impressive and Hannah was hopeful she might be able to offer up an explanation that would solve the deepening mystery. “I saw a man while they were fighting. He was in between buildings. He was ... dancing. He seemed gleeful.”

  Astra finally lifted her eyes. “Dancing?”

  Hannah nodded. “I think he was controlling the men. Tyler didn’t seem as affected as the others, but that could be because he came in late.”

  “Or it could be that he’s gay and doesn’t do the alpha thing,” Astra mused. She looked intrigued at the prospect.

  “He didn’t actually like that suggestion when I made it,” Hannah hedged. “You might not want to bring it up in front of him.”

  Astra snorted. “Where is it you think Tyler and I go to spend time together? He hates me. He always has.”

  “I don’t think Tyler hates anybody.”

  “Well, that’s not even remotely true.” Astra lips flattened into a g
rimace. “He’s always hated me, even though I tried to make inroads with him because he was Cooper’s best friend. I thought if Tyler trusted me more, that might relieve some of the pressure I was feeling.”

  She wasn’t one to express her feelings on a regular basis, especially to Hannah, who she considered an enemy. That meant Hannah was sitting up straighter and taking notice now that it was actually happening.

  “He didn’t think I was good enough for Cooper,” Astra sneered. “He was always giving me these disappointed looks.”

  “You weren’t good enough for Cooper,” Hannah argued. “I mean ... you’re really pretty and powerful, but you didn’t treat Cooper well. Everybody knows it.”

  “Cooper is not some delicate flower who constantly needs someone to kiss his ass,” Astra growled.

  “No, but there’s always a need for common decency,” Hannah pointed out. “You didn’t respect Cooper and Tyler picked up on that. He’s a good guy.”

  “If you say so.” Astra rolled her eyes and leaned back on her elbows. “Tell me about the dancing man.”

  Hannah did as instructed, although she wasn’t certain if Astra was digging for her own edification or because she wanted to help. When she was finished, Astra looked genuinely perplexed.

  “And he actually poofed when he disappeared?”

  Hannah frowned. “I don’t know if ‘poofed’ is the right word. He just kind of blinked out of existence. There wasn’t a cloud of smoke or anything, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Clouds of smoke only exist in movies.” Astra tapped her bottom lip and shifted so she could study the large expanse over Hannah’s shoulder. She couldn’t make out the town from her vantage point, but she could picture it in her mind. “It sounds like a magical nexus is forming. Seven lines to be exact. I’ve sensed it a few times myself when crossing along the highways over the past few days. I thought maybe I was imagining it ... but apparently not.”