Boot Scootin' Boogeyman

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Which means he was barely out of town,” Cooper surmised. “Do you think he left of his own volition or was taken?”

  “I’m not sure.” That was something else that had been bothering Tyler. “They wander away sometimes, but they usually do it as a group. I’ve never seen one of them do it by themselves.”

  “Have you found anything else?”

  “Just these.” Tyler gestured toward the two puncture wounds on the back of the goat’s neck. “He seems to be missing all his blood and he looks to have been bitten.”

  Something occurred to Hannah and she raised her hand as if she was in school, causing Tyler to smirk and nod. “Go ahead, Hannah,” he teased.

  “Maybe it’s the Chupacabra,” she suggested.

  Cooper blinked several times in rapid succession before responding. “I’m sorry but ... what?”

  She ignored his tone. “Maybe it’s the Chupacabra,” she continued. “I mean ... it’s a goat sucker, right? Maybe that’s what we’re dealing with.”

  “The Chupacabra isn’t real, though,” Cooper pointed out. “It’s a myth, a legend. It’s basically a folktale.”

  “I bet people would’ve said that about witches ... and demons ... and whatever other paranormal creatures are out there that I don’t know about.”

  Cooper hesitated and then shrugged. “I don’t know what we’re dealing with. We need to be careful until we figure it out, though. That means Jinx can’t run around the town on his own.”

  Hannah hadn’t even considered that. “I’ll take him to the saloon with me for my shift this afternoon.”

  “That’s a good idea.” Cooper moved his hand to her back to rub at the tension pooling there. “While you’re doing that, Tyler is going to take me back out to the scene so I can check it out myself.”

  “What do you think you’re going to find?” Tyler asked.

  Cooper shrugged. “I have no idea. I want a chance to look before we completely lose the opportunity, though.”

  “Okay.” Tyler removed the magnifying glass. “There’s nothing more I can do here anyway.”

  “I want you to stay here.” Cooper was firm when he saw that Hannah looked to be working up to suggesting something. “There’s a new bartender today, right? That’s the first step to you being able to do other things. You have to help train him. That’s your responsibility.”

  Hannah let loose a sigh, the sound long and drawn out. She knew he was right. Still, she hated being cut out of the investigation. “You’ll keep me updated, right?”

  “Always.”

  “Okay.” She was resigned to her fate. “I guess it’s time to get into that uniform, even though I hate it.”

  Cooper’s lips quirked. “Every man here feels the exact opposite.”

  “That’s true,” Tyler offered. “I’m gay and still can’t get enough of you in that outfit.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to lay it on so thick. I’m going.”

  “And we’ll update you as soon as we get back,” Cooper promised. “I need you to stay here, though. You’re safe here with all the tourists and other workers.”

  “Then I’ll stay here. You just need to watch your back. I felt as if someone was watching me out there.”

  “I’ll watch my back.” Cooper squeezed her hand before releasing it. “You won’t even realize we’re gone.”

  “Oh, I’ll know.” She forced a smile for his benefit. “I’ll be fine, though. I’ll probably have barely started my shift by the time you get back.”

  “Exactly.”

  HANNAH HADN’T BEEN AT CASPER CREEK all that long, but she was already familiar with the routine at the saloon. She was all smiles when she hit the main floor and saw Rick Solomon behind the counter. He had on his costume and was busy wiping things down before the first rush of tourists arrived for the day.

  “Hey, Rick,” she grinned as she moved to join him. “How are you today?”

  “I’m just fine, Boss.” He winked at her. “We got a new shipment of sarsaparilla in, I noticed. That’s probably good because we were getting dangerously low. I thought I would head back to the storage room and stock that before we get too busy.”

  “That’s fine.” Hannah’s gaze was keen as she glanced around the saloon. “Where’s the new guy?”

  Rick snorted. “You just can’t wait to abandon me, can you?”

  “No, that’s not it,” Hannah protested quickly. “It’s just ... I want to try out different things and I can’t do that if you don’t have backup. Let’s face it, you do the heavy lifting here anyway. I just help you when things get to be too much.”

  “You’re more help than you think,” Rick reassured her. He’d always been a calming force when she was feeling frustrated with her new job. “Still, I get that you want to try other things. Abigail always jumped around from job to job and had a ball. As for the new guy, he’s getting his costume from Jackie and he’ll be right over.”

  That was enough to placate Hannah, at least marginally. In addition to being the seamstress for Casper Creek, Jackie Metcalf was also the head witch in the local coven. She’d been teaching Hannah a thing or two about her new powers, and Hannah was extremely fond of the woman.

  “That’s good.” She blew out a sigh as she flicked her eyes to the clock on the wall. “The first round of tourists shouldn’t be here for another hour. The timing is good.”

  “Yeah.” Rick took a moment to look Hannah up and down. “You seem agitated this morning,” he said after a beat. “Is everything okay?”

  “It is.” She sent him a reassuring smile. “It’s just been one of those mornings. I helped Tyler look for a missing goat and it turned out to be dead, so it’s just been a bummer of a day already.”

  “That’s too bad,” Rick tsked. “The goats are always funny, the way they butt each other with their heads and stuff. I hate to see anything happen to an animal. It makes it somehow worse.”

  “It does,” Hannah agreed. “That’s why we’re keeping Jinx here with us today,” she explained. “I don’t want him running around when there’s a predator out there.”

  “It will be fine,” Rick reassured her. “Jinx is only excitable for the first few minutes and then he crashes out for the afternoon. He won’t be a problem.”

  “Yeah.” Hannah tugged on her bottom lip. She was distracted but knew she needed to focus on her work. “What’s the new guy’s name again?”

  “Nick French,” Rick replied. “He’s got previous bartending experience so he should be easy to mold.”

  “I’ll worry about that. You take care of the sarsaparilla. We should be ready and raring to go by the time the tourists arrive.”

  “ARE YOU SURE THIS IS THE SPOT?”

  Cooper’s gaze was keen as he scanned the ground in the area where Tyler led him.

  Tyler nodded, morose. He was feeling sad given what happened to the goat. He couldn’t help but blame himself. “Maybe I shouldn’t let the goats hang out in the paddock at night.”

  “You can’t blame yourself,” Cooper countered, shaking his head as he studied various patches of dirt and grass. “You couldn’t have known that this was going to happen.”

  “No, but he’s still gone and those goats are my responsibility.” Tyler was adamant. “I mean ... this is really bad. He was a good goat. He was funny with Jinx, liked to terrorize him, and he chased the guests around, too. The kids loved him.”

  Cooper took pity on his friend. “I know you’re attached to all the animals,” he started.

  “And?” Tyler prodded when he didn’t finish.

  “And I just realized I have no idea what to say.” Cooper turned rueful. “I’m sorry about the goat. I know you think of all the animals as yours. Well, except for Jinx because he’s obviously Hannah’s dog. You get what I’m saying, though.”

  “I do,” Tyler agreed. “You’re saying I can’t blame myself for this.”

  “You can’t.” Cooper was firm. “This isn’t your fault. If we have so
me sort of predator out here, we need to know it, though.” He narrowed his eyes when he caught sight of specific marks in the dirt, frowning as he knelt.

  “Do you see something?” Tyler asked, curious. “Do you see paw prints or something? I might be able to identify them if you point me to where to look. I don’t see anything.”

  “They’re not paw prints,” Cooper said after a beat, his eyes shifting to Tyler’s boots. “Are those the same shoes you were wearing when you were out here earlier?”

  Tyler nodded, baffled. “Why?”

  “Let me see the tracks on the bottom.”

  Tyler was confused, but he did as his friend asked, lifting up a shoe so he could study the bottom. “Why is this important?”

  “Because there are tracks right there,” Cooper replied, digging for his phone as he inclined his head. “Someone was in this specific area, and the tracks on your boots don’t match the ones right there.”

  Tyler’s forehead wrinkled in concentration. “What about Hannah? I think she had on boots this morning.”

  “She did, but the tracks are too big to belong to a woman. She has big feet for a woman, but those tracks are still a few inches too large.”

  “Ah.” Tyler bobbed his head in understanding ... and then stilled. “Wait. Are you saying that a human killed my goat? How is that possible?”

  “I don’t know. I’m going to see if I can photograph these treads, though. Then we’re heading back.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Hannah is right. I feel as if someone is watching me out here and it’s giving me the creeps.”

  “What’s our next avenue of attack? Where do we look next for clues?”

  “I honestly have no idea. I need to think about it. First things first, though.” Cooper started snapping photos of the print from various angles. “Once I’m done with this, we’ll head back. There’s something very weird going on here.”

  “Was the dead goat your first clue?”

  “For today.”

  7

  Seven

  Cooper was bothered enough by the turn of events that he decided to leave Casper Creek on a mission. He stopped in front of the saloon long enough to check on Hannah, grinning when he saw her explaining how to make drinks to the new guy — a young individual who some might describe as handsome (although Cooper thought the opposite) — and sliding into her role as boss very effectively. The new guy seemed enamored with the way the saloon costume fit her, which was something Cooper wasn’t pleased with, but she seemed happy and safe.

  That meant he could go on his excursion without guilt, and focus on a different sort of problem … for at least a few hours.

  He knew exactly where he was going. He’d been to the small store on the highway so many times he’d lost count. He was grim when he walked inside and fixed the trio of witches sitting at a table with a dark look. “I need to speak to Astra.” He didn’t stand on preamble. There was no reason. He had things to do, and he was going to do them.

  One of the witches, a redhead he didn’t recognize, cocked an eyebrow and put her attitude on display. “And who should we tell her is calling?”

  Cooper rolled his eyes and fixed his gaze on the witch he did recognize. Garnet Jessup. She was one of Astra’s favored sidekicks and had been around for several years. “Tell her I’m here,” he instructed. There was no request in his tone, only demand.

  Garnet leaned back in her chair, a lazy smile on her face. She didn’t appear to be in a hurry to do his bidding. “What makes you think she wants to see you?”

  “I don’t really care what she wants.” Cooper had been in this position numerous times. Astra and her coven of trouble had been responsible for more instances of distress at Casper Creek than he could count. “I’m not playing games, and I don’t have a lot of time. I want to talk to her.”

  “Geez.” The brunette witch, also a new face, offered up an exaggerated expression. “You’re like no fun, huh? You would think you’d be more fun to hang around with given how hot you are.”

  Cooper’s face remained expressionless. “Get Astra, or I’ll just head back and interrupt her myself. I’m guessing that she’s up to something in her office — because she always is — and she’d prefer I not see it. Frankly, I’d prefer it, too. Get her and we can avoid that uncomfortable situation, for which you’ll be blamed.”

  Garnet stirred. She recognized the truth in Cooper’s words and clearly wasn’t comfortable with the prospect of him interrupting the head witch. “I’ll get her.”

  “That would be great. Thanks.” He turned to study the paintings on the wall as he waited, doing his best to ignore the other witches. Apparently they were as dumb as they looked because the brunette sidled up to him — even though he had an invisible “do not disturb” sign affixed to his forehead — and offered him a flirty smile.

  “I’m new in this area,” she announced, as if he should care.

  “Good for you.”

  She ignored his tone and pushed forward. “I’ve only been here two weeks. I’m looking for someone who might be able to show me around the town. You’re not perfect, but you are the best specimen I’ve stumbled across since I arrived in this podunk town, so ... I’m nominating you.”

  “I would rather brush my teeth with steel wool and gargle with acid.” He turned when he heard footsteps on the hardwood floor, his eyes seeking — and finding — the white-haired witch who had been the cause of so much heartache. “Astra. We need to talk.”

  There had been a time when they were close. Or, well, a time when he thought they were close ... thought being the operative word. They dated, spent an inordinate amount of time together, and the entire time she was playing him. He didn’t like to think about how she’d managed to bamboozle him — and Abigail in the process — but it was always at the back of his mind. He knew without a shadow of a doubt he didn’t have to worry about that with Hannah. She was as direct as they come. Still, though, part of him had trouble trusting.

  Thanks to Astra.

  “You know my door is always open for you, lover,” she teased, her eyes going wicked. “I can’t tell you how it warms my heart that you’re still willing to visit, keep contact. That tells me you know how this is all going to go.”

  “I definitely know how it’s going to go,” Cooper agreed. “You don’t seem to realize it, but that’s not really my concern, though. I need to know if you’ve been out on Casper Creek property.”

  If Astra found the conversational switch jarring, she didn’t show it. “Why would you think that?”

  “That wasn’t an answer.”

  “You know as well as I do that I’ve been banned from that property,” she said sweetly. “I always follow the rules, and the rules say I can’t cross the border.”

  Cooper snorted and let loose an exaggerated eye roll. “Are you trying to fool them or me? It’s not going to work on me, which you know, so that means you’re doing it for them. I don’t really care what sort of persona you’re trying to project these days. There’s something going on at Casper Creek, though, and I want to know if you’re aware of it.”

  Even though it was obvious she was annoyed by his tone, Astra was intrigued enough at the prospect of something happening on the land she believed was hers that she cocked her head to the side, considering. “Let’s move to the outdoor patio,” she said finally. “You can tell me what’s going on and I can reassure you that I’m not the reason for it.”

  “How can you say that when you don’t even know what it is? Or so you purport.”

  “Because I’ve had other things going on,” Astra replied simply, pointing toward her ankle. “I’m just back on my feet after the last time I got involved in Casper Creek business. Surely you haven’t forgotten about that so quickly.”

  Even though he didn’t trust her, Cooper felt a small tug of shame. Astra had been involved in an incident at Casper Creek, one where she actually helped Hannah during a demon encounter. She hadn’t been evil that day. Er
, well, not overtly evil.

  “I’m sorry,” he said after a beat. “How are you feeling after your fall?”

  She snickered at his shift, genuinely amused. “I’m fine. Come on. I have some fresh iced tea in the refrigerator. We can drink and talk.”

  “Don’t bother with the iced tea for me,” he supplied. “We both know I’m not going to drink anything you supply.”

  “Because you’re worried I’ll poison you?”

  Honestly, that wasn’t Cooper’s chief concern. Giving voice to his real fear wasn’t wise under these circumstances. “I’m not thirsty. Let’s just do this.”

  “Sure. I just love the way you talk to me. It’s always so respectful.”

  “I stopped respecting you when you turned on Abigail.”

  “There are two sides to every story.”

  “I know all I need to know about this particular story. Let’s go.”

  HANNAH FOUND NICK FRENCH FUNNY. He was young, in his mid-twenties, and he had a lot of gregarious energy. He was always “on,” which meant he was cracking jokes at every turn and going out of his way to make her laugh. She figured most of that was nerves. He would settle down eventually. Since she was relatively new herself, she understood about the nerves.

  “Did you really dress up like a clown to scare your friends?” she asked as she mixed a gin and tonic. She preferred the easy drinks. When she had to look up the harder ones on the Rolodex she felt like a bit of an idiot.

  “I did.” Nick was solemn. “One of them still hasn’t forgiven me. To this day, when we’re at a festival as a group and there’s a clown making balloon animals, she crosses herself and insists we go to church to repent for our sins.”

  Hannah smirked. “Catholic, huh?”

  “According to my mother. That’s the church I was raised in.”

  She chuckled and shook her head. “Well, mothers are like that. Just make her happy as long as you can. You’ll find that, once she’s gone, you’ll miss her making you miserable.”