by Rose Pressey
I nodded. “Unfortunately, yes. We haven’t spoken with him and the person who was with him last night said she wasn’t with him. We know for sure that she was.”
“What can I do to help?” the woman asked.
“Well, for one thing you could give us his address and we’ll go by and check his place.”
“Certainly,” she said as she rushed over and got on her computer.
I couldn’t believe she’d agreed so easily. We could be killers or burglars for all she knew. She jotted down the address for us and handed me the paper.
“Thank you. We’ll let you know if we find out anything.”
Before stepping out of the office, Jennifer asked, “Is there anything else strange that might be going on with him?”
Jennifer was getting into this detective thing.
The woman shook her head. “Not that I can think of. Wait. Now that I think of it, there was a guy here the other day. He was kind of snooping around. Tim noticed him. He seemed to have his sights set on Tim.”
“That’s definitely scary,” I said. “Do you know what the guy looked like?”
“He was muscular and good-looking, that’s for sure. With dark hair.”
Jennifer and I exchanged a look. That was strange. His description matched motorcycle guy. Why would he follow Tim? Was there some kind of connection that I wasn’t aware of? Why wasn’t I solving the puzzle? Things just kept getting more twisted by the minute.
“Well, thanks again. We’ll let you know and if you think of anything else please give me a call.” I wrote down my number.
“I’ll do that,” she said.
Jennifer and I left and headed over to her car. The address was a little bit farther than we wanted to walk. We got in and started in that direction.
“You’re being awfully quiet,” she said.
I leaned my head back on the seat. “I’m just worried because I feel like this is my responsibility. I did this. I’m the one who fixed him up with Gracie.”
“You don’t know that anything is wrong yet, so don’t panic,” Jennifer said, making the next left.
For the sake of my sanity so that I could actually find Tim, I had to tell myself that was the truth.
Finally we reached his house. It was a small white house that sat close to the sidewalk with other similar homes lining the street. We walked through the gate and up to the front door. Jennifer knocked, but just as I suspected, no one answered. I peeked in the windows, but all was dark.
“Well, it was worth a shot,” Jennifer said. “What do we do now?”
It looked as if my only answer would have to be to give up, but that just wasn’t in me. Werewolves never gave up. Okay, werewolves gave up on some things like when it came to finding a good razor. That was a never-ending battle.
“Maybe if we take a look around the house we can find something.” I eased over to the end of the porch and peeking around the side of the house.
“I wish we could get in,” Jennifer said.
I waved my hands. “I’m definitely not going to break and enter. The restaurant was bad enough, impersonating a police officer. That is bad news.”
“Okay, we’ll snoop around outside.”
“Fair enough,” I said.
Jennifer and I walked around the house, but saw nothing unusual. She checked the back door just in case it was unlocked and we could go in. It wouldn’t be breaking in if the door was unlocked, right?
Just as we came around to the front of the house again, a neighbor was standing next to the fence. He was staring right at us, so I knew he wanted to know why we were walking around.
“May I help you?” He eyed us up and down.
“We’re friends of Tim’s. We’re just looking for him. Have you seen him?”
The man studied my face. “Haven’t seen him, which is unusual. He always tells me if he’s going out of town.”
Jennifer and I stepped over to the fence so we could talk for a moment without yelling across the lawn.
“Actually, that’s why we’re here looking for him. He didn’t show up to work today and we’re concerned. Is there anything you’ve noticed going on with him lately?” I asked.
“There was someone strange around here the other day. She was standing on the sidewalk staring at the house for the longest time. The sight of her made my skin crawl,” the neighbor said.
“Who was it?” I asked. “What did she look like?”
“She had glowing green eyes.” He gestured toward his eyes. “I would have sworn it was just my imagination, but it seemed so real.”
It felt as if someone had smacked me. Now I knew there had to be a connection if motorcycle guy had been seen at Tim’s work and the witch was at Tim’s house. Then Gracie had to be involved in this somehow too. That was a scary thought.
“Thank you for the information,” I said.
“No problem. I’m sure Tim will show up soon.” His voice sounded about as confident as I felt.
Jennifer and I took off toward the car.
“We have to go to Gracie’s house right now.” I opened the car door.
“Give me the address.” Jennifer started the car and pulled away from the curb, squealing the tires.
Jennifer navigated the streets to Gracie’s house. I would demand answers from her. Unfortunately, we’d barely gotten out of the car and up the driveway when we were zapped with an overwhelming energy, as if unseen hands had knocked us to the ground. Gracie stood at the door. I was flat on my back on her driveway. She’d hit us with magic. That was playing dirty, but if that was the way she wanted it, then I would have to shift. She was no match for a werewolf.
“Go to the car, Jennifer,” I said. “This could get dangerous.”
“I’m not leaving you here,” she said as we managed to get up from the driveway.
Gracie was glaring at us. I knew she was just waiting for the right moment to hit us with a spell again. If Jennifer wouldn’t leave me, then I’d have to back away from the situation. I didn’t want to her to get hurt. I would just have to come back without her. We got in the car and started to back away, but that was when I noticed the motorcycle guy. He was leaving around the side of Gracie’s house, as if he was sneaking out the back door.
“Look, it’s him.” I pointed.
“I’ll get him.”
We raced to the car as he jumped on his motorcycle and took off. I’d barely gotten the door shut when Jennifer sped down the road after him. When he made a sharp right turn there was no way her car could manage that kind of maneuver. We turned on the next street over. By the time we got to the end, he was gone. There was no way we would know the direction he’d taken. I couldn’t believe I’d lost him again. I supposed we could have gone back to the address where I’d first seen him, but it seemed as if he had moved for good. The best thing we could do right now was go home and regroup.
As we pulled up to the apartment building Jack called.
“What’s my gorgeous up to today?” he asked.
He used a sweet nickname for me, but his voice hinted at suspicion again.
“Not much,” I said, trying to sound casual.
“You’re not a very good liar,” he said.
“What makes you think I’m lying?”
“I can tell by your voice,” he said.
“Well, if you’re not going to trust me…”
‘Oh, I trust you, but…”
“But what?” I couldn’t hide my frustration.
Jennifer was pretending to study her fingernails.
“Never mind that now. I just wanted to let you know that I’m on my way home.”
I’d accept that he’d changed the subject this time because I didn’t want him asking more questions about what I was doing.
“I can’t wait to see you,” I said.
“I’ll call you when I get there. Love you,” Jack said and then we clicked off the call.
Just as Jennifer and I got out of the car, Lily appeared from around the corner
. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail again. She wore a black tank and black yoga pants. I refused to believe Lily did yoga. She’d probably punch the yoga instructor in the face the first time she had to stretch in an awkward position.
“What are you doing? You look like crap,” she said.
“Thank you, Lily. I so needed that compliment right now. What do you want?”
She held up her hands. “That’s okay, if you don’t want the information that I have then I’ll just go home.” She turned around and hurried away.
I rushed after her. “Okay, all right, tell me what it is.”
I couldn’t believe I had chased Lily for a reason other than to pull her hair.
“I should charge you for my expertise.” She narrowed her amber-colored eyes.
“Don’t even think about it,” I said.
She sighed. “I learned that this magic that you’re doing, it’s really having an effect on your werewolf skills. So if you’re not careful you won’t be able to shift at all, and then you’ll be in trouble. Plus, you’ll look like a dog with the mange. Your witchcraft is terrible anyway, and your werewolf skills are questionable. Now they’ll be terrible too.”
Patchy fur? I’d already experienced that. Maybe Lily was right. Yuck. That left a bad taste in my mouth.
Chapter 19
How to Date a Witch Rule #19
Compliment her striped stockings.
I was walking down the street, trying to get home without anyone following me, when my phone rang. I managed to fish it out of my purse before it stopped. I didn’t recognize the number, but I had a strange feeling that I needed to answer it anyway.
“This is Rylie Cruz,” I said when I answered.
“I have some information for you,” the female voice whispered.
“Who is this?” I asked.
“The information is about the witch who’s been following you.”
I looked around to see if the witch was close by. Maybe she was playing some kind of trick on me. People walked up and down the sidewalk, but the witch was nowhere in sight. No one paid any attention to me. I certainly hoped this wasn’t a trick because I could really use a break right now. That would be a dream come true. But why did someone want to help me? And furthermore, who was this person?
“Who is this?” I repeated.
“That’s not important right now. What’s important is that you heed my message. It could save you.” Her voice became more agitated.
“I’m not sure if I can trust you. If I don’t know who this is maybe you’re giving me the wrong information.” I quickened my step in case the caller was nearby.
“Look, I don’t want to get involved by giving my name. I don’t want the witch coming after me.”
“I’m not going to tell her,” I said.
The mystery caller sighed. “It’s not you I’m worried about. Someone else might find out and tell her.”
“I don’t even know anyone else to tell.” Up ahead I thought I spotted Lily so I ducked behind a tall man for cover.
“Oh, you know a lot of people… I can’t give you my name, but I can give you the information. Do you want it or not?” she snapped.
“Yeah, sure, I guess I do,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant.
I really had to know what this woman wanted to tell me now. I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but she had to understand why I was skeptical. Why I had to keep my guard up.
“You can find the witch at the cemetery.” She rushed her words.
“Which cemetery?” I asked.
Again she released an audible breathe. “The St. Louis Cemetery, duh.”
“The one where the tour guide was missing from? Do you know anything about that or if the witch is connected to his disappearance?” I asked. “His name is Tim, and he’s a witch as well.”
“I don’t know anything about that, but if he’s been anywhere around the witch, then I suppose it could be related.”
“What makes you think she’s at the cemetery?” I asked.
“She’s taking the hallowed ground as her own. It probably has something to do with the energy of the spirits there, but I’m not sure. I just know that she likes to spend a lot of time at the place.”
This was interesting information and a little scary at the same time.
“Can you tell me anything else?” I asked.
“That’s all I know. I’ve already said enough. Good luck.” She hung up the phone.
There was something familiar about her voice, but I couldn’t place it. I wondered if I had talked to her before. I was close by the cemetery now—I’d ended up walking right by. I had to take a look around and see if there was any truth to her claim. The witch just liked to hang around in the cemetery? What did she want to do with the souls that roamed the graves? I hurried my steps so that I could get there before dark. The sun would set soon and I didn’t want to be in that place after dark. I might be a paranormal, but that didn’t mean I didn’t get scared too.
I paused before stepping inside when I reached the gates. Before actually going through with this I had to work up enough nerve. The place was scary, and I knew that ghosts were lurking, especially at night. No other living souls were around. It was just me and the dearly departed. The tour had already ended for the evening. The gates would be locked soon, so I had to get out of there before I was stuck inside all night. I didn’t want to scale the fence like I had in the past to break free. If I was going to keep up with all this strenuous activity I really needed to hit the gym more. Maybe some lunges and squats to build the muscle in my legs.
Releasing a deep breath, I stepped through the gates and inched down the path straight through the middle of the graveyard. The uneven pavement made me watch every step so that I wouldn’t fall and bust my butt. Headstones and tombs surrounded me—a maze that I’d never gotten used to no matter how many times I came to this place.
As I worked my way through, so far there were no signs of the living or the dead. I wanted to find the witch, and then again, I didn’t. My feelings were conflicted. I’d almost reached the back of the cemetery now with no sign of the witch. When I came up to a large oak tree I paused to take a break. As I stood there I looked out over the graves. Peace settled over the area even though action and movement sounded on the other side of the fence.
Leaning against the tree, I peered down. A dark blue canvas messenger-style bag was propped up against the tree’s trunk. On the front was a stitched symbol. I recognized it right away. It was for the glowing-eyed witch’s coven. I looked around again, but didn’t see her. I almost felt as if this was a trap. This was some kind of trick. She was trying to lure me, but I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to know what was inside the bag.
Movement caught my attention so I spun around. No one was there, but it was getting dark. I was getting antsy, but I still had to know what was in the bag. I reached down and picked it up for a closer look. Whatever was in there was kind of heavy. I was pretty sure it had books.
I examined the symbol on the front closer. With green thread, it was embroidered on the fabric. There was no doubt this bag belonged to the witch. I had to get out of there.
I caught movement out of the corner of my eye again. When I looked I didn’t see anything. I was pretty sure that the ghosts were coming out to play now. They must have sensed something that I didn’t know about yet, as if something bad was about to happen. That was all that I needed to know. I had to get out of there. Out of the corner of my eye I caught another fleeting glimpse of a shadowy mist. Soon I would be surrounded by the ghosts.
After grabbing the bag and draping the strap around my neck, I took off down the pathway toward the exit. I felt strange taking the bag out of there. Plus, I knew that stealing her things would totally set her off, but if there was some kind of information in there that led me to her and how to stop her then I absolutely had to do it. No matter what the risk. It couldn’t be any greater than the danger was already, right? Okay, sure… yes, it could b
e worse. I didn’t know how, but she would probably find a way. As quickly as possible I headed out of there with the bag around my neck, as if it belonged to me. The air felt heavier and I knew that the ghosts were lurking around the corners. I expected the witch to jump out at any moment. I would just have to fight her off.
Movement came from the corner of my eye again. The ghosts were closing in on me. When I reached the gates I rushed out onto the sidewalk. Luckily, the ghosts hadn’t gotten me. The witch was nowhere around either. I clutched the bag close to my chest as I ran down the sidewalk. I had to get home with this bag so that I could find out what was inside. I hoped that the witch wasn’t waiting there for me. Anywhere I went she might be looking for me and waiting to cast a spell. I was running so fast that I almost fell, but I managed to remain upright. My place came into view. I’d almost made it. Just a short distance more and I’d be home.
Of course that didn’t necessarily mean that I would be safe.
When I arrived at the building, I ran up the steps to the apartment. After rushing home and then carrying the heavy bag up there, I was out of breath. A beef snack was definitely in order. I shoved the key in the lock and turned the knob. No sound came from the apartment, so I assumed Jennifer wasn’t home yet. I dumped the bag on the floor and immediately started sifting through the contents. Bottles with potions and spices that I assumed the witch had been using for her spells filled the bag. She’d probably been using the spirits at the cemetery to help her too. At least now she wouldn’t have this stuff to do spells for the time being. She would have to find more and maybe that would slow her down for a bit.
She had a strange-looking charm with symbols and other items that I didn’t recognize. I probably didn’t even want to know what exactly they were. When I looked through the books I saw one that was handwritten, like some kind of journal. Unfortunately, it was written in a language that I didn’t understand. I would have to find out what it said, but first I’d have to figure out which language. Then possibly I could find someone who could read it. That seemed like an almost impossible task, but I was willing to give it a shot. My options were limited.
