Hex to Pay

by Stevie Day

  Aunt Penny fumbled with a stapler as it slipped from her hands and onto the floor. It popped open and staples flew about the entire office. Aunt Penny looked up to see if Alice had been watching and, when she saw she had, made a face of mock horror that was so exaggerated that Alice nearly spit out her Mountain Dew from laughter.

  Alice got up to help her aunt when she stopped dead in her tracks. A man had just entered the front office.

  Barry Lombardi.

  No longer dressed in shambles, he had actually managed to find the strength to pull together a sharp outfit, and his recent haircut made him look ready for a job interview.

  Aunt Penny noticed Alice’s reaction and stood up, turning to face him. Alice quickly opened her door and joined Aunt Penny.

  “Hi,” Barry said. He stood awkwardly, balancing his weight from one foot to the next.

  “Hi…” Alice said tentatively.

  “What are you doing here?” Aunt Penny asked for the both of them, her tone harsh.

  He put up his hands. “I came to apologize. And explain. Can I… Can I do that?”

  “I’m not sure we really need an explanation from you,” Aunt Penny said.

  He looked at Alice, his face sad but firm.

  “Please,” he said. “It’ll only take a minute.”

  Aunt Penny started to speak again, but Alice stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm. Aunt Penny unleashed her patented eye roll and sat down hard in her chair.

  “Go ahead, then,” Aunt Penny said, waving her hand at Barry. “Speak.”

  “Thank you,” Barry said, still looking only at Alice. “I’m sorry I misled you, Alice. I was only doing what my mother told me to do… which is kind of what I’ve always done. I can’t be sure, but I think that’s what led to Janet and I drifting apart in the first place. My mother.”

  Alice nodded. To her, that much was obvious, but he’d have to fully realize it in his own time.

  “It was a gradual thing,” he continued. “I didn’t realize she was that unhappy and, I suppose if I think about it hard enough, I didn’t know I was unhappy either.”

  “Not too uncommon in a marriage,” Aunt Penny said. “Though it rarely ends in murder.”

  Barry nodded, taking it without offense. “I was devastated when she told me she was leaving me. Truly devastated. Despite the slow drifting apart, I didn’t see it coming. And even when she was telling me she was going to divorce me, there were tears in her eyes. It was hard for her too…”

  He trailed off, inhaling deeply and fighting his own tears. “I know I’m weak. I know I’m a coward. And I know I’m a ‘momma’s boy.’ But Janet loved me despite all that. She saw past that and she saw past my mother’s influence and always saw the man I was capable of becoming. But it just never happened. I never could escape the hold my mother had over me. Maybe I was just too comfortable? I don’t know.”

  “That’s still no excuse for what you did, Barry,” Aunt Penny said. “You still need to take responsibility for your part in all this.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to do, ma’am,” Barry said. “That’s what I will do. My lawyer says they haven’t decided yet if they’re going to charge me as some kind of accessory, but he thinks if they do, he can get me off. Or at least plea it down to probation. But even if I do have to go to jail for my part… I’m ready to do that.”

  “What was your part?” Alice asked. “Did you know Gretchen planned to kill Janet?”

  “No,” he said emphatically. “I swear. My mother wanted me to go… I don’t know… beat up Able? And I wouldn’t. Not that I didn’t want to. I just… wouldn’t. So when she said she’d take care of things, I figured, ‘Fine. Let the pieces fall where they may.’”

  “That’s cold,” Aunt Penny said.

  “He took my wife,” Barry said, his voice suddenly raised. He put his hand over his eyes. “No. No, that’s my mother. That’s the hate and anger that my mother taught me, and it’s not who I want to be. I was wrong for not trying to stop her, and that’s part of what I’m going to pay for. But somewhere in my mother’s twisted brain, she decided killing Janet and framing Able for it was the better idea.”

  “Pretty crappy frame job, if you ask me,” Aunt Penny said. “She even used magic, according to Alice, yet she still failed in what she was trying to accomplish.”

  “I know. I stay away from the magic stuff. And I didn’t really ask many questions. Once the deed was done and Janet was gone, I just stepped aside. Again. And I let my mother do all the planning. I didn’t know how far she would go, and once it all happened… I was in too much of a shock to process most of it.”

  Alice nodded. Not that she approved of it, but she could see how his mother had ruined his life, and she at least pitied him for that much.

  “I don’t know what it’s like to have a mother like that in my life,” she began. “I lost mine when I was five and the people who raised me… my father and Aunt Penny… are nothing but loving and supportive. It’s good that you’re taking responsibility. I know it was your mother who killed Janet, and I believe you when you say you didn’t know she was going to do it, and that you were devastated after it happened. But you still kept it a secret. You still tried to frame an innocent man.”

  Barry lowered his head. “I know. And I’m sorry I lied to you.”

  “You used her,” Aunt Penny said. “Or tried to.”

  “I guess. Yeah.” He looked back at Alice and smiled. “Yet another thing my mother pushed me to do, when the police failed to pick up her planted evidence against Able. But you were too good at your job, and I’m grateful for that. I was too much of a coward to ever come clean. I would’ve covered for my mother. Gone to jail for her. But now she’s going to jail and for the first time in my life I feel like… I don’t know… Maybe it’s time for me to finally grow up.”

  Alice nodded. “I wish you well on your journey, Barry. I mean that.”

  “Thank you, Alice,” he said. “Well, I guess that’s it. I really just wanted to come cl—”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Aunt Penny said, getting up and walking to the door, opening it. “You cleared your conscience. Congratulations. Now hit the bricks, chief.”

  Barry looked at her, then at Alice one more time, then left. Aunt Penny slammed the door behind him.

  “Hit the bricks?” Alice laughed.

  “Yeah,” Aunt Penny said. “Now help me pick up these staples before the boss gets here.” She winked.

  26

  Aunt Penny put her hands on her hips after they had found every last staple. “Okay, kiddo. Time for me to go.”

  Alice knew Aunt Penny would be leaving soon, but it still stung. Aunt Penny stood from “her” desk and straightened out all the things she’d been fidgeting with since she’d taken it over from Alice’s imaginary receptionist. Alice smiled as she watched her, not the least bit upset at how far off her “straightening” was from how Alice had left it.

  “Aunt Penny, I can’t thank you enough,” Alice said, embracing her deeply. “When you got here—”

  “Yeah, I know,” Aunt Penny said. “You were a mess. Let’s not get into the ‘what family does for each other’ speech again, ‘kay? When I say it was my pleasure spending all this time with you, I mean it. Now get outta the way.” She strutted toward the door. “I got stuff to do.”

  “Hey, Aunt Penny?” Alice called after her. Aunt Penny stopped at the door, turned, and listened. “You could stay. Really. You could come live with me. I have plenty of room and I really loved having you around. I know it’d be a long commute to work and stuff, but… you could stay.”

  Aunt Penny tilted her head a little. “Alice. You’re a growing young woman. I’d just get in the way of all the things you want to do.”

  “I mean it,” Alice said. “I’d love it if you came to live with me.”

  “Alice…” Aunt Penny’s face took on a sad look.

  “Will you think about it?” Alice pleaded gently.

  Aunt Penny smiled. “Ok
ay, kiddo. I will most definitely think about it.” She smiled her warm and loving smile before shutting the door behind her.

  It was just past 5pm when Danny pulled into Dr. Dalton’s Real Estate Office. Alice had asked for a ride home, knowing full well she’d have to address Danny’s movie invite soon. She felt confident she knew what she was going to say to him, but she had something she needed to say to someone else first.

  “Thanks, Danny,” she said, getting out of the passenger side door. “I’ll just be about five minutes. You sure you don’t mind waiting?”

  “Nope,” Danny said with his awkward grin. “I don’t mind at all!”

  Alice walked into the entrance just as Dr. Dalton was locking the door to his personal office.

  “Sorry,” he said without looking up. “We were just closing for the night. But perhaps—”

  He stopped when he saw who it was. “Oh. Good evening Miss Munroe. If you’re here to talk to Able—”

  “No, sir,” she said. “I’d actually like just a minute of your time, if that’s okay?”

  “Well,” he said, putting his hands on his hips. “I hope it’s for an apology.”

  “Actually, it is. But not for the reason you think. You’ve really left an impression on me. You were… difficult to deal with, as I think you know. And at one point, I have to admit, you were my top suspect. But I think I may have judged you a little too harshly. And too quickly. Your attitude made that really easy.”

  Dr. Dalton nodded, ceding that much.

  “And there was the fact that all the indications I’d received looking into you were that you had an unhealthy obsession with Janet Lombardi.”

  “Now you just wait right there,” he started. Alice held up a hand.

  “Please, sir. Let me finish.”

  He sighed. Then nodded. Alice continued.

  “But I looked deeper. I don’t want to reveal sources, but I spoke with someone who had a different take on your relationship with Janet. And I did some research that confirmed what that person had told me. I know about your daughter, Dr. Dalton.”

  She watched as his face dropped and his hands fell to his sides.

  “Not every detail,” she continued, “but I confirmed a lot of it through my research. I know you haven’t spoken to her for years. And I know most of what happened wasn’t your fault. And that you’ve tried everything you could to get her back in your life, and that she just hasn’t budged.”

  He nodded wordlessly.

  “That’s a pain I know well. My mother died when I was five and… I wish every day I could speak to her. I’d give anything to just see her one more time, to tell her I love her and hold her for just one minute. But that’s not up to me; it’s outside my control. Just as it is outside of yours. And I can only imagine how hard it must be to have lost someone, in Janet, that you did your very best to protect. I’m not sure you went about it the right way, but I believe your heart was in the right place. So I did come here to say I’m sorry. Sorry for your loss.”

  Dr. Dalton stared at Alice, mouth open, lips trembling.

  “I’m going to go now, sir. I wish you nothing but the best and hope someday your daughter comes to her senses and remembers how important family is.”

  She turned to leave, but Dr. Dalton called after her. “Miss Munroe!”

  She looked at his face, which was pale and suddenly old and tired.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  Alice smiled, nodded, and left.

  “So, Danny,” Alice said, as they pulled into her driveway. He raised his eyebrows in anticipation. She knew it was about time she cleared the air, but that didn’t make what she had to say any easier.

  She continued, “I’m just going to get right to the point and not beat around the bush. I know it sucks to hear someone say, ‘I just want to be friends,’ but… I just want to be friends.”

  Alice watched the life drain from Danny’s face. He took off his black-rimmed glasses and started to clean them with a cloth, perhaps trying to keep busy because of his nerves.

  Feeling flustered, she started, “But I really want to be friends. I’m not just saying that to blow you off. I do like you and I do like having you around. So I was wondering… would you, as my friend, like to go out to a movie with me?”

  Danny looked at her hard for a very long moment, the tension thick in the air.

  Then he simply put on his glasses and smiled. “Sure. I’d love to.”

  27

  Mr. Ploppers was waiting in the entryway when Alice opened the front door to her home. The rotund cat had a peeved look about him, but Alice couldn’t know for sure how he was feeling without her powers.

  “Hey there, buddy,” Alice said, bending down to scratch behind his ears. He accepted the touch, but quickly headed for the kitchen, his expectation that she would follow and feed him clear.

  “Tuna okay?” she asked as she reached for the can opener. He meowed something in response, which she accepted as a, “Yes, please.”

  Heck, she figured. If I can’t understand him anymore, I might as well pretend he’s being polite.

  She put the wet food on a plate and turned to put it down… then promptly dropped it to the floor.

  “Janet!” Alice gasped, her hand over her pounding heart. “I know you’re a ghost, but do you have to scare me like that?”

  The spirit of Janet Lombardi stood in front of her, but she looked different. Softer, more transparent. Angelic, even.

  Mr. Ploppers cared little for the sudden drama and began licking at the food wherever it lay.

  “Oh,” Alice said once she had collected herself. “Are you… are you going now?”

  Janet smiled, and Alice understood. Whatever nightmare the initial conjuration had created had now fully faded. Janet was here to say goodbye to the only person capable of seeing her off.

  “Hey, Janet?” Alice asked softly as Janet’s form slowly became more and more transparent. “If you… if you see my mom out there, can you… can you tell her I miss her? And that I love her?”

  Janet’s form was almost completely gone now, barely a trick of the light. But she reached out her hand and lightly brushed Alice’s cheek and, for the briefest of seconds, Alice thought she saw a different face looking at her. A familiar, motherly face…

  And then she was gone completely, leaving Alice to wonder if she’d ever see either woman again. She doubted it. Janet’s earthly business, Alice sincerely hoped, was now complete, and she was free to move on.

  As for her mother… Alice accepted the small moment she’d just experienced as a tremendous gift, even if it might have all been in her imagination.

  She turned her attention to the kitchen floor, where a content Mr. Ploppers continued his duty of cleaning up the tuna strewn about the tiles. “Careful, dude. There could be some sharp plate parts. Let me get that picked up.”

  She was just finishing up when her phone started playing “Home Sweet Home” by Motley Crue. Aunt Penny had obviously left a parting gift with a change of her ringtone.

  Alice didn’t recognize the number but was expecting a call, so she gave it a shot and answered.

  “Hello?” she asked.

  “Alice!” came the deep voice on the other end.

  “Dad!” she cried. Despite being a strong, capable, independent woman, her eyes teared up at the sound of his voice. Aunt Penny would’ve told her that was okay. It’s family.

  “Can you hear me okay?” he asked.

  “I can hear you.” She smiled and looked up wistfully.

  “Good. This contraption… Well, I’ll just say I’m a bit baffled and leave it at that.”

  “Is it a phone?”

  “It looks like a phone,” he answered. “But it’s huge. Bigger than Michael Douglas’s Wall Street phone.”

  “Wow. That is big.” She grinned.

  “How are you, Alice? I’ve been going between worried sick and ‘there’s no need to worry, she can take care of herself.’ Which should I be?”

>   “I’m good, Dad,” Alice said. “Aunt Penny’s been with me most of the time, though she headed home earlier today. She’s helped keep me from going totally crazy.”

  “Really? I would’ve thought she’d have done the opposite.”

  Alice laughed and her father laughed with her. They were both big Aunt Penny fans.

  “And your magic?” he asked, his voice growing serious.

  “I can’t get to it, Dad. That’s the best way I can explain it.” She lowered her eyes to the floor, not wanting to explain further.

  “Because of the dark magic spell,” he stated, not asking.

  “Yeah,” she answered. “Aunt Penny told you?”

  “Yes, and I’m glad she did. Alice—”

  “Dad, there’s no need. I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t use dark magic ever again.”

  “Good,” he said. “I almost lost my sister to it, years ago. For many years she was lost. There’s no way I’m losing my daughter too.”

  “I wanted to talk to Mom,” Alice confessed. “I mean, I really did want to talk to Janet Lombardi and solve her case. But deep down I’d hoped, if contacting Janet worked, then it’d be just as easy to reach Mom.”

  “I understand,” he said. And the fact that he understood and didn’t instead go down a long road of chastising her for her poor decision was one of the biggest reasons they were able to maintain such a close adult relationship.

  “Were you ever tempted?” Alice asked. “You’re stronger in magic than I’ll ever be. I would think it’d be easy for you.”

  “Of course I was. I still am. I may be ‘strong in the force,’ but I’m still human. And I still miss her every day. I’d still love to reach out. To hear her voice one more time. Her touch.”

  “Janet’s ghost… or spirit, maybe… hung around here for a while after the spell. But she’s gone now. She kinda said goodbye earlier. And as she was going, I swear…”