Practically Angels

by Melanie James

  How could I say no with a kiss like that?

  Why can I never say no to that man? How does he have such a sway over me?

  I am a complete fool when it comes to him.

  So, what if I am? Can’t there be love at first sight?

  Love? What the hell? Don’t even think the word.

  “Putty in his hands.” Jade’s voice interrupted my silent debate.

  Apparently, she and Chloe had been spying through an open window.

  “You guys probably think I’m an idiot. I probably am.” I was mortified they’d witnessed how easily I’d given into Zane.

  “Nah. You just have to be sure to keep the upper hand with him.” Jade shifted from peering through the window to standing at the front door.

  “And how do I do that?”

  Chloe stepped onto the porch. “With knowledge, and you know what they say: knowledge is power. You have to find out if he’s a werewolf or not. Zane is the key to learning about the biker gang and the witch.”

  “That’ll take some time. It’s not like I can just interrogate him.” I tried reasoning with them.

  “That’s exactly what you’re going to do.” Jade joined us on the porch.

  “Emmy, we have to use the truth serum. We need to put it in the water supply and get our answers. Your life could depend on it,” Chloe added.

  “My life?” What the heck had they been talking about?

  “Think about it, Emmy. An angel seduced by a werewolf who is controlled by a witch. It’s like the perfect storm. We have to do this,” she pleaded.

  “I…I don’t know. Are you sure it’s temporary?” This did not sit right with me—at all.

  “I’ve read it over a dozen times. What could go wrong?” Jade shrugged off any concern that her plan could have lasting consequences.

  “We’re talking about dumping an unknown magical concoction in the town’s water supply. Don’t ask what could go wrong.” I swear my voice rose three octaves.

  “If we’re going to save you, we need to do this now. You’ll have to be sure Zane takes a drink of water right away.”

  I think they’ve lost their minds.

  I couldn’t say that out loud without hurting their feelings, so I said the next logical thing.

  “You can lead a werewolf to water, but you can’t make him drink.” I laughed uneasily.

  Jade patted my shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ve got it covered. Right, Chloe?”

  “Sure.” Her voice was anything but sure. She was obviously puzzled by yet another of Jade’s unknown plans.

  Chloe quickly moved on to the next item they had planned to discuss. “Ready to vote? Remember, it has to be anonymous.”

  “I think she means unanimous, but whatever. Let’s vote,” Jade clarified.

  I left my decision hanging. I still wasn’t sure we should do this. “Let me think about it.”

  By mid-morning, I was completely undecided on my vote. There was only one thing left to do, run it by Harry Flopper.

  It was something Chloe had recently come up with—of course. She’d ask the bearded dragon a question like, “Should we order pizza?” And if Harry raised his left foot, it was a yes, a right foot meant no, and a back foot meant maybe. A reptilian magic eight-ball I suppose you could say.

  “Harry, I hate to disturb you, but I need your help. I have an important decision to make. In order to find out if my new boyfriend—well, maybe not my boyfriend exactly—if Zane is indeed a werewolf, and to hopefully solve some other mysteries. We are thinking about polluting the town’s water supply with truth serum. It could work, or it could fail spectacularly. On the other hand, if we do nothing…maybe nothing happens. Or I could become a human sacrifice, or perhaps a werewolf concubine. What should we do? Truth serum mimosas all around, or no?”

  The lizard stared at me, in disbelief—I’m sure. After listening to a lunatic and her insane rantings, who wouldn’t?

  Then he closed his eyes.

  “Wait! Harry! Don’t go to sleep! Raise a foot or something. Come on, buddy. Help me out here.”

  In slow motion, his left foot wiggled and rose. The great and wise Harry Flopper had dished out his sage advice once again. His answer was a yes.

  “Oh crap. I’m talking to lizards now. I’ve turned into Chloe,” I mumbled.

  “Let’s do this!” I shouted, locking the door and flipping the sign over to “Closed, Please Come Again.”

  When I stepped into the back room, Chloe and Jade were waiting for me and had begun mixing the necessary ingredients.

  “Hey! How did you know I would agree to this?”

  “Please. We know you well enough. Besides, you want to know more. Who wouldn’t?” Jade smiled.

  The spell—what we’d come to call these things—was quite simple. The more challenging part was finding a way to sneak into the water treatment building near the water tower.

  “Don’t worry about getting into the building. I’ve got something for that,” Jade said, holding a charm made from an old skeleton key.

  I imagined it was something she’d made that could be used for opening up just about any lock.

  With three bottles of the formula tucked safely in our backpacks, we rode to the water treatment facility at the edge of town. Just as we parked our bikes, a middle-aged man in coveralls was locking the padlock that secured the gate of a chain link fence.

  Removing her newly minted key charm, Jade walked directly up to the man, and without hesitation, placed the key on his forehead.

  He collapsed like a discarded marionette.

  “Oh my god, Jade! What did you do?” I screamed. “Is he okay?” I rushed to his side.

  “Don’t sweat it. He’s fine.” She dismissed my concern with a wave of her hand.

  “Let’s hurry, we have about ten minutes before he wakes up,” Chloe unclipped the man’s keys from his beltloop.

  “Told you that key charm could be used to open the lock,” Jade added.

  We accessed the fenced perimeter and opened the building which housed the water treatment and filtration system. Once we found where fluoride was being added to the pipeline, it was easy enough to pour the bottles of truth serum directly into the water supply.

  Chloe quickly returned the keys to the fallen utility worker.

  I insisted we stay to observe him from the cover of the nearby woods. I had to make sure he was okay.

  Just like Jade promised, he regained consciousness in a few short minutes. He rubbed his head and went about his business like nothing happened.

  By mid-afternoon, I heard the bells jingling on the front door. Knowing Jade and Chloe were in the front, I continued to arrange the stockroom. By the time I stepped out, I noticed Jade and Chloe treating Daryl to a tall glass of ice water.

  “Hey, Emmy. Look who stopped by, Officer Guinea Pig, I mean, Officer Daryl,” Chloe joked.

  Inside, I cringed as he gulped down a glass full of the tainted water. At the same time, I was intensely curious. I knew the time had come to put the potion to the test.

  “Hey, Daryl. What brings you by? Work or just shopping?”

  “Actually…” He paused, rubbing his forehead. “I…I wanted to talk to Chloe.”

  “Me? Why me?” Confusion shadowed her face.

  “Well, because I’ve been wanting to meet you since the first day you all moved in and I saw you on the porch.”

  “Ding, ding, ding! That would be the BS alarm. From day one, you’ve been all about Emmy.” Jade arched an eyebrow.

  “Yeah. So, what’s up with that? Hmm?” Chloe huffed, her tiny arms crisscrossing her chest.

  “Oh, well, I was still investigating Midge’s disappearance and I had to learn more about the three of you. I really was acting undercover I suppose…on my own. Just to get a feel if you three knew something I didn’t.”

  “Still doesn’t make sense, Daryl. If you’re so interested in Chloe, then why question me? You could’ve hung out with her at the party or taken her sailing.”
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  “Oh, no way. Going on a date with her under false pretenses—even if it is police work, is no way to kick off a future romantic relationship with a girl like Chloe.”

  “A future romantic relationship? Why with me?” Chloe stepped back, clearly astonished.

  “You’re beautiful. You’re funny. I loved how you were flirting with me last time I was in here to see Emmy. You’re irresistible, like an angel who just fell from Heaven.”

  “You have no idea.” Jade mumbled.

  While Chloe was busy making weird clucking sounds and trying to find words, I had more questions. “And what did you find out about Midge’s disappearance so far? We deserve to know everything you know, so spill it,” I demanded.

  “The whole case is strange. I knew Midge. She wasn’t a careless woman, nor was she suicidal. So, I’ve ruled out mishap and suicide. I honestly think she was murdered, and someone wanted to make it look like she’d drowned in Angel Bay—on purpose or accidentally. I was quickly convinced the three of you didn’t know anything about Midge’s disappearance, and it was pretty easy to see that you girls are not the criminal type. Anyway, I only suspect it was our first real homicide in Angel Falls. I have zero leads, zero proof, zero anything. It’s just a hunch.”

  I thought about what he’d said, but something didn’t add up.

  “Daryl, why didn’t you tell me this when you took me sailing? Why did you act like I’d made up our conversation the night before at the park?”

  “Oh, good question!” Chloe nodded.

  “I—I don’t know. I can’t remember.”

  Daryl looked as if his brain was about to explode—like he was in actual pain. It had to be a side effect of the truth serum. I was more convinced than ever that he’d been under some sort of spell that day.

  “It’s okay, Daryl. Don’t worry about it.”

  He calmed down instantly.

  I eyed Jade suspiciously. Did she know this would happen?

  She shrugged it off.

  “Daryl. Let’s promise to work together and share whatever information we find. It’s the only way we’ll learn the truth,” I suggested.

  “I think that’s a great idea,” he replied.

  “Hey, Daryl. So, you said you really like Chloe. Have you ever thought about her? You know, kissing her…or anything like that?” Jade’s arm was the immediate recipient of Chloe’s closed fist.

  “Oh yeah. Definitely. I’ve wanted to kiss her. I’ve imagined how I would do it. And I’ve thought about all kinds of things…you know what I mean.” Daryl blushed at his admission.

  Chloe gasped for air like she was stuck in a vacuum.

  “Nice!” Jade replied. “Now I want to be honest with you. Before you think about doing any of that, you need to get to know her, take her out on a few romantic dates. But be warned, if you break her heart, Angel Bay will have an honest-to-god homicide. Are we clear?” She stepped toe to toe with him, like a growling guard dog.

  “Crystal,” he said.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I found myself strategically located at the top of the stairs, creating the perfect opportunity for Jade and Chloe to enact our plan. Their job was pretty easy. All they had to do was persuade Zane into taking a sip of a drink laced with our truth serum.

  “Hi, Zane.” Jade answered the door and greeted my date.

  “Emmy will be down in a few minutes. Would you like a glass of lemonade while you wait? I just made it.” Jade brushed up on her hostess skills.

  “Or iced tea. Sweetened or unsweetened?” Chloe offered.

  “No. I’m fine, thanks,” he politely refused.

  “How about a tall, cold glass of water?” Jade clearly wasn’t giving up on her mission.

  “You know what? Sure. A glass of water would be fine. If that’s what it takes for the two of you to stop pestering me.” He eyed my friends suspiciously.

  “We’re just trying to be courteous.” Jade felt the need to defend their stranger than normal behavior.

  Peeking over the banister, I spotted Chloe as she dashed to the sink by our little coffee and tea service area. She tiptoed carefully back to Zane with the glass of water, trying not to spill the drink.

  “Here you go. One glass of thirst-quenching H2O.” She was so enthusiastic about her task, she nearly threw the glass of water at him.

  I shook my head in disbelief. Did they really think this act was going to work? Still, I decided to give them another minute to see if the results of their over-the-top behavior paid off.

  Resting their elbows next to the cash register, Jade and Chloe stared silently at Zane as they waited for him to take a drink.

  Good lord.

  Zane shifted the glass around in his hand, silently observing his audience, my roommates. It was a weird stand-off.

  “Fine. Cheers, ladies.” He slowly lifted the glass to his lips.

  I held my breath, waiting to see if Zane would actually drink the water.

  Much to Jade and Chloe’s dismay, he set the glass down on the counter without taking a sip. “Something’s up with you two. What’s in the water, rat poison?”

  I’d seen enough. “Hi, Zane.” I cheerfully descended the stairs, acting as if nothing was amiss.

  “Hey, Emmy. We should get out of here. I think your friends might be trying to kill me.”

  “Those two? Nah, they wouldn’t hurt a fly,” I said with a nervous laugh.

  Looking back at my doe-eyed felonious friends, I wasn’t even convinced by my obvious lie. After all, we’d knocked out a maintenance worker, stolen his keys and dumped an unpredictable magic elixir into the town’s water supply—and the day wasn’t even over.

  Some angels we were turning out to be.

  Just before we made it out the door, Jade rushed behind me and slipped a glass vial into my purse. “Sneak this into his drink. Get the answers we need from him. Chloe and I will hit the town, getting the truth from everyone we meet.”

  “Got it.” I nodded.

  Settling onto the motorcycle seat behind Zane, I acted like I had forgotten about the handles he told me about. I wanted the excuse to put my arms around his hard body and lean into him as we sped away from the curb.

  With the sun setting behind us, we traveled inland. I felt like I was soaking in his spirit. To be honest, I didn’t care where we were going. I wouldn’t have cared if we were just going to ride all night long.

  Our destination stood alone on the country road; a weathered old barn converted into a bar-restaurant-dance hall sort of place. Dozens of motorcycles and probably half as many pickup trucks were parked out front. A crudely painted sign hung on the front door.

  The Hellhole

  Hellions Only-No Exceptions

  Once we stepped inside, I felt like I’d lost my hearing. The loud music and rowdy voices seemed to be competing for airspace. Every now and then, a motorcycle or truck would fire up outside, adding to the tormenting cacophony.

  I gripped Zane’s hand like it was my lifeline. He towed me through the raucous crowd, settling into a tall, but small, table with two barstools.

  A waitress, although she didn’t look like any waitress I’d seen before, leaned between us—her long ponytail flopping across Zane’s shoulder. She was definitely pretty and confident. I could tell by the way she wore her cutoff tank top, no bra for her big boobs—obviously, and a blue crystal gem in her belly button.

  So, this was the kind of girl Zane knew. And a guy like him would know them all.

  I couldn’t help but feel suddenly simple and inadequate.

  Then she opened her mouth and I felt exponentially better. “Look at you two. You are so cute together! Nice to meet you,” she said, shaking my hand.

  “Emmy,” I replied.

  “I’m Angel. Ha-ha! Funny, right? Because this place is the Hellhole. Get it? It’s…it’s…iconic or something.”

  “Ironic. It’s ironic,” Zane said in a matter-of-fact voice.

  “You’ve always been such a smarty pants.” S
he smacked him across the face with her ponytail.

  “Your girlfriend sure is pretty, Zane. Now, what can I get you two? To drink that is. The food tonight is all you-can-eat Fire and Brimstone barbeque.”

  “A beer for me,” Zane replied.

  “Same,” I said. I’d never tasted beer. But I guessed it was time I tried it.

  Once Angel skipped away, I had to ask. “So, she seems nice. You know each other?”

  “Unfortunately. She’s my sister.” He tried to keep his face smooth, like it was no big deal, but I noticed the way his eyes lit up and his lips turned ever so slightly upward.

  I tried to act as cool and collected as Zane. It didn’t work out very well…

  “Oh. Well, how about that. I get to meet some of your family.” Inside, I let out huge sighs of relief that I hadn’t just met one of Zane’s sexy little ex-tramps, which I assumed were slithering under every rock.

  “She’s a good kid. Total airhead, but you get used to it. I look out for her. Keep her out of trouble, you know.”

  “Do the men bother her here or something?” I glanced around at the customers.

  “Here? Never. They know who she is and who I am. She’s one of us. I’m one of them,” Zane said, glancing around the room.

  Aha! Pack mentality, check.

  Loyalty, check.

  Protective instincts, check!

  He very well could be a werewolf. Is that bad for me to hope he is? Sexy. Hot. Werewolf. Sexy ass werewolf. Did I already say that?

  My mind was spinning with possibilities.

  “Zane!” a man’s voice called out, a somewhat familiar voice. He broke through the crowd and approached the table. He was older than Zane, and I suppose, handsome in his own way with a thick head of dark hair and a full beard. Like all of the other men, he wore a leather vest with the Hellions patch on the back. “So, this is what has been distracting you for the last week? A pretty girl.”

  “Emmy, this is Rocky,” Zane introduced us.

  “Hello, Rocky.”

  “Emmy? Aren’t you one of the girls who just reopened Midge’s store?”

  “Yes. One of three,” I replied.

  As he spoke, I suddenly realized why his voice was so familiar. He was the man who we overheard talking to Eve on the farm.