Almost Charmed

by Rose Pressey

  “I just wanted to get your attention,” she said.

  “You could’ve just called my name,” I said.

  “I wasn’t sure what to do.” She looked down at her shiny silver shoes.

  “Are you all right?” I asked.

  She looked a bit afraid. I hoped she wasn’t afraid of me.

  “It’s just that you’re the leader of the Underworld and I didn’t know what to say.”

  Pretty much anything would’ve been better than psst. But I didn’t want to embarrass her so I wouldn’t tell her that.

  “Do you need help with something?” I asked.

  She looked around as if someone might overhear us. “I have some information for you.”

  “What kind of information?” I asked.

  “Something I overheard,” she said.

  Now I was intrigued. She seemed fearful of something or someone.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” I asked. “Is someone trying to harm you?”

  “It could be dangerous, yes, but I think I’m okay right now.”

  “Who is trying to hurt you?” I asked. “We can put a stop to that. I’ll call the police to have them arrested right now.”

  “I don’t think it’s that easy. I told the police about this before and they said there was nothing they could do about it if this person hadn’t threatened me in any way.”

  “And the person hasn’t threatened you?” I asked.

  “Not directly, no, but I’m scared.”

  “Okay, why don’t you tell me what it is that you need to tell me and maybe I can help you from there. Don’t be scared. We’ll take care of it.” I smiled. “It can’t be that bad, right?”

  “Someone is trying to get the book from you. I don’t know what book it is, I just overheard them saying ‘the book.’ And it’s very important—the book, that is.”

  Okay, maybe it was bad after all.

  “You overheard this?” I asked.

  She nodded. “Yes, I did.”

  “Well, who is this person?” I pressed.

  “I don’t know.”

  “You’re kidding, right? Then why are you here if you don’t know who it is?”

  Maybe I sounded a bit too harsh. I didn’t want to scare her away. I would try a gentler approach.

  “It’s certainly not much information,” I added in a calmer tone.

  “I just thought it would be better to warn you. I can tell you what the person looks like.”

  “I suppose that helps,” I said.

  “She is tall and slender with long dark hair.”

  “She?” I asked. “Interesting.”

  I couldn’t think of anyone who fit that description that I’d seen lately.

  “Where did you overhear this? Where were you at the time?” I asked.

  “I was at a house with a friend,” she said.

  She didn’t seem confident in her answer. As if maybe she was making this up as she went along.

  “Where is this house?” I asked.

  “Well, I’m not sure of the address. I could probably find it again if you need me to.”

  “Does the person live there? The one who wants the book?”

  “I think she was only visiting too.”

  “In that case it would be helpful if you could take me to this address,” I said.

  “I don’t know if I can do that,” she said.

  “Why not?” I asked. “You came all this way to find me and tell me about someone wanting the book, but you can’t take me to the house?”

  She shook her head. “I’m just too afraid.”

  “Like I said, there’s nothing to be afraid of.” I tried to sound comforting, but I wasn’t sure if it was working.

  She pointed over my shoulder. I whipped around to see who was behind me. No one was there. When I turned back around to face her, she was gone.

  “Where’d you go?” I yelled.

  There were parked cars around, so I started looking behind them for any sign of her. She was nowhere around. How could she have gotten away so quickly? I checked behind all the cars nearby with no sign of her. This was extremely odd. What did I do now? I had no idea who she was or who the person was that she was trying to warn me about. I stood there for a moment, confused, trying to figure out what had just happened. I supposed she was long gone now. But at least she had warned me that someone was indeed planning to come after the book. Even if I had no idea who it was.

  What would I do now? I supposed I would continue with my original plan and go into the Bubbling Cauldron. I turned around and headed back toward the entrance. I kept glancing over my shoulder wondering if the woman would appear. I wished I had her name. How in the world could I track her down? I supposed it was impossible. Although I wondered if the Bubbling Cauldron had any surveillance outside that would have picked up her image. Not that that would help in any way. I still wouldn’t have her name. Maybe someone would recognize her. It was worth a shot to ask. I’d almost made it to the door when my phone alerted me to a text message. When I checked I saw that it was Annabelle.

  Are you okay?

  No, I wasn’t, but I couldn’t answer that way to her.

  I typed back a message that I would call her soon. I told her I was at the Bubbling Cauldron. She had no idea of the turn of events. She would be shocked. Though if she went in to work soon she would hear it all from my mother. I hoped to tell her before that happened. I reached the Bubbling Cauldron and pulled on the door.

  Luckily it was unlocked so I stepped inside. The lights were on and it wasn’t nearly as dark as it normally was at night when the place was packed full of people. But with the lack of windows the place was always somewhat dim. No one was around so I wasn’t sure if they were really having a meeting here or if they had moved to a different location.

  “Hello?” I called out.

  Unfortunately, I got no response.

  Maybe they were back in the office. Yes, that must be it. I headed across the room toward the back area. I hoped I could get surveillance video from them. Of course they would want to help me, right? A perk of being the leader of the Underground, right? Now I was wondering if there were any true perks to the job at all.

  I passed by the huge cauldron that sat in the middle of the floor. It brought back memories of all the good times that we’d had in this place. I really hoped that it didn’t change now that Paul was buying it. I also had lots of memories of the good times dancing with Nicolas. Now was not the time for tears. I had to push them back. No sound of voices came from the back area, so it wasn’t looking good that I would find anyone. It felt kind of creepy being in here all alone.

  Chapter 14

  I was at the back now by the hallway that led to the office door.

  “Hello?” I called out.

  Someone had to be in the place since the door was open. The click of the door made my heart beat a bit faster. Out from the shadow Paul appeared.

  “Hello,” I said.

  He looked creepy as he walked closer to me. The dark concealed most of his expression. Once out of the hallway, he was more visible and less spooky.

  “Fancy meeting you here,” he said with a smile.

  I chuckled. “I just came by to check on everything and see how it’s going.”

  That was a bit of a stretch of the truth, but I thought it made sense.

  “Is everything all right?” I looked around. “It’s awfully dark in here. Are you the only one here?”

  “They just stepped out for a moment. They’ll be back.”

  “Oh, okay, so are you all finished? Are you the owner now?”

  “All done,” he said.

  “Congratulations.” I stretched my hand toward him.

  “Thank you,” he said, taking my hand. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

  “I was in the area and like I said, I thought I would stop by and check things out.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “So you just wanted to make sure everything was on the up and up?�
��

  “Well, it is kind of my job,” I said.

  He chuckled. “I completely understand.”

  “There is one other thing,” I said.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “I just had someone stop me outside and she took off before I could find out her name. It’s kind of important that I find her. I just thought maybe I could check the video from outside the club to see if it captured her. Maybe it would offer some clue to her identity.”

  “Well, as soon as the previous owners get back.” He smiled. “I’m sure they would be happy to help with that. I don’t have access to that just yet.”

  “I totally understand that,” I said.

  My phone rang, cutting off the conversation. I checked the screen and saw Thomas’ picture pop up. It was of him as a cat, so it looked as if the cat was calling me.

  “I need to take this call,” I said.

  He flashed a gorgeous smile again. “Of course.”

  I stepped away just a bit so that I could take the call and Paul wouldn’t overhear. There was no telling what kind of craziness Thomas would say and Paul might actually be able to hear because Thomas talked so loudly.

  “What’s up, Thomas?” I asked. “Any news for me?”

  “Actually, yes, a little, I suppose. There was a tall, slender woman there and I think she’s renting a room. She was talking with a petite woman.”

  Hmm. This was sounding familiar. A petite woman? Well, there was certainly more than one petite woman in Enchantment Pointe. It was more than likely just a coincidence.

  “Are they there now?” I asked.

  “I assume they’re still there. I left and came back to the manor,” he said. “Would you like me to go back over there and check?”

  “No, that won’t be necessary,” I said. “I’m coming back to the manor. I’m going over there.”

  “Wow, did something else happen?” Thomas asked.

  “Yes, I saw a woman. She approached me and said that somebody was trying to take the book. She said it was a tall woman.”

  “That is interesting. Maybe I should go back over there and talk to the woman at the neighbor’s. Could the tall woman there be the one trying to get the book?”

  “Not without me,” I said. “This could be dangerous. Stay there and don’t let anyone near the manor.”

  “I won’t,” he said, ending the call.

  “Is everything all right?” Paul asked.

  “Everything will be fine,” I said. “I can’t stay. I have to go back to the manor.”

  “Should I come with you?” he asked.

  “Oh, no, you have business here. I’m fine. I’ll see you there later.”

  Paul stared at me for a moment. “If you’re sure.”

  “I’m positive,” I said. “I’ll see you then.”

  “See you then,” he said as he waved goodbye.

  I hurried across the dance floor for the exit. I wished I could go out the back door. It would be closer to my car and I was in a hurry. But I didn’t want Paul to know that I was in that much of a hurry. He would think there was nothing but total chaos at the manor. Which typically there was total chaos, but he didn’t have to know that. I quickened my step and reached the door, spilling out onto the sidewalk. I hurried toward the car.

  When had Thomas seen the women talking? If the one talking to me was here, then how could she have been there at the neighbor’s talking with the other woman? It just didn’t seem like there was enough time for her to get there. And even if Thomas had just seen them and she had gone back to the manor after talking with me, I didn’t quite think there was enough time. But maybe there was a logical explanation. I would just have to figure out the timeline from Thomas.

  I buckled my seatbelt and started the ignition. When I glanced in the rearview mirror though I spotted someone down the sidewalk a bit. I thought for sure it was the woman who had stopped me when I arrived at the club. What the heck was going on around here? I quickly shut off the car, unbuckled the seat belt, and jumped out, racing down the sidewalk. The woman darted to the right. I hoped to catch up to her this time before she got away.

  When I reached the building and looked around the side I saw a car speeding away. She had to be in that vehicle. Now I had to catch up with it. I raced back down the sidewalk to my car, jumped in and cranked the ignition one more time. I punched the gas and pulled away from the curb hoping that I would hit every green light. I swiftly made a left and raced down the next street.

  Luckily traffic was light and there were no cars in front of me at the moment. I raced on to the next street and down to the light. When I glanced to the left on that street I saw the car down at the red light. This was my lucky break. As soon as the light turned green I made a quick left and zoomed down the road, falling behind the car. There was only one woman in there and I could barely see her head above the steering wheel. That was definitely her.

  When the light turned green she took off and so did I. She made a left turn. I was almost positive she knew that I was following her. We raced down the road, avoiding other cars. I kept up with her there. There was no way she would get away from me now. We were nearing my mother’s beauty shop now. Little did my mother know I was in a car chase. Though it wouldn’t surprise her at all.

  We were right in front of my mother’s shop now. The woman pulled up to the curb and then jumped out of the car. She did all of this before I could even find a place to park my car. I couldn’t park in the street because there were cars behind me. I somehow managed to find a spot right up ahead and I jumped out as quickly as possible, racing down the sidewalk.

  The woman went into my mother’s shop. This was bizarre. She had to know where she was headed. This had to be on purpose. What was her game anyway? I just didn’t want my mother or Annabelle in danger. I was running as fast as I could to get there. Unfortunately, I had to wait for cars to pass before I crossed the street. I was risking getting hit by a car just to get over there, but I had to do what I had to do.

  Thank goodness I made it across the street and to Bewitching Bath and Beauty’s door. A white sign with beautiful black script letters with the shop’s name hung above the door. My mother had selected an all-white color scheme. Tables with beautiful white cloths draped over them sat in the middle of the room. Bottles of lotions, bars of soap, and perfumes were displayed everywhere. Beautiful white roses in crystal vases were in the middle of the tables.

  On the walls were shelves with every imaginable beauty product anyone could want. The products included spells to order. If someone wanted to help their complexion, my mother had a lotion just for that. If a customer needed a little help in the love department, she had a spell for that too. The smell was intoxicating upon stepping through the door. It was hard to put a finger on exactly what the great smell was, but it was probably a combination of scents. Patchouli, roses, peonies, and coco powder.

  After opening the door, I burst inside. My mother screamed and tossed the bars of soap she’d been holding up in the air when I stormed through the door.

  “What in the world is wrong with you?” she asked.

  I looked around the room. “Where did she go?”

  “Where did who go?” My mother picked up the soap.

  “The woman who just came in here.”

  “There is no woman in here,” my mother said.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, I saw her come in here.”

  I raced across the room to the counter and looked behind it. There was no sign of a woman back there. I darted into the back area and checked back there. She wasn’t there either. I went back out into the shop.

  “She has to be here,” I said.

  “Who is this you’re looking for?” my mother asked.

  “Well, I don’t know her name, but I think she’s playing tricks on me. She’s shorter than me. Petite with blonde hair, cute with big blue eyes and a button nose.”

  “Well, she sounds adorable, but she didn’t come in here,” my mot
her said.

  I raced back out to the sidewalk, looking to the left and to the right. Maybe she’d gone into another shop. I stepped over to the bakery and went inside.

  The woman behind the counter waved. “Hello, Hallie. How are you? What can I get for you today?”

  “I wish I was here for something delicious to eat, but I’m actually looking for someone who may have come in just now.”

  I scanned the room, but no one was in there.

  “We haven’t had a customer for a while now. It’s slow this time of day, you know,” she said.

  “Yes, I understand,” I said. “And you’re sure no one came in here?”

  “I’m absolutely positive,” she said with a smile.

  I couldn’t believe this woman had disappeared like that again. How was she doing that? I guessed she was using magic.

  Chapter 15

  I stepped back into my mother’s shop.

  “Are you all right?” my mother asked. “I know you have strange behavior anyway, but this is out of the norm even for you.”

  “Thanks a lot,” I said sarcastically. “I had a woman approach me a while ago and warn me that someone was trying to take the book. Then Thomas saw the same woman talking to another woman at almost the same time that I had supposedly been talking to her. She just up and disappeared. Now I saw her come in here and she disappeared again. I think she’s using magic.”

  “Well, you better get to the bottom of this,” my mother said. “The last thing we need is something else crazy going on here. Do you think that Paul guy who’s staying with you is involved? I don’t trust him.”

  My mother had taken an instant dislike to Paul. And I wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was just because she was mad at Nicolas.

  “Nevertheless, I need to get back to the manor and see if I can figure out what’s going on. I’m going over to the neighbor’s house to confront these women.”

  “I don’t know if you should do that,” my mother said. “It could be dangerous.”

  “I have to go,” I said. “It’s my job. I can’t let anyone have the book.”