Moonlight Murder: An Inept Witches Mystery (10 page)

She focused, and a scent of smoke filled the air. Goodbye recording, she thought. And probably very expensive recording equipment. The fire alarms should have gone off, but she didn
’
t want them to. She wasn
’
t finished.

She leaned up close to his face, and she said,
“
I think we both know how I feel about the phone call regarding Harrison
’
s death.
”

He closed his eyes as he said,
“
I have to be thorough to clear you.
”

She leaned close to him, running her teeth along his jaw and tiptoeing her fingers up the chest that she had slept on so many times.

“
That might be true, but it does not change how I feel.
”
Her words were soft and so very chill that the breath in her mouth came out in cool puffs of air, clouding his face and making him shiver.

“
This case needs to end.
”
She stepped back.
“
I am through with this.
”

“
You need to stay out of this, Ingrid.
”

“
Or you
’
ll what?
”
Her voice was angry this time, all control gone.
“
You
’
ll arrest me? Please. You can
’
t arrest me.
”

“
I
’
ll do what I need to do.
”

“
Oh, I didn
’
t say you won
’
t try. I said you cannot arrest me. You cannot do anything to me that I don
’
t like.
”

“
I think I have a pretty thorough understanding of your abilities,
”
he said. He sounded tired. He didn
’
t get to sound like that. Not after calling about Harrison
’
s death. Not after indulging those hateful idiots who thought they could just tromp through her past with their insinuations.

They did not need to discover her pain and her sorrow and the field of grief that accompanied losing someone she desperately loved and who was the worst possible aspect of her life. She did not need to return there in her mind.

“
You have a thorough understanding of the magic I can do when I am dabbling, Gabriel Tate. You have no idea what I can do when I am angry.
”

She lifted her fore finger in a slow upward motion.

“
Let me elucidate.
”
She spun him in a few circles and set him gently down.
“
But let
’
s pretend, just for a second, that I am as incapable as you seem to believe. That I
’
m nothing but what? An easy lay and a pretty face with a smidgen of magic abilities?
”

“
I did not say any of those things.
”

“
I have a sister, a mother, a coven, and a very good friend who would do anything to protect me from going to jail for a crime I did not commit.
”

“
Ingrid,
”
he started.

“
It
’
s true that Aunt Hazel works with you,
”
she answered his objection before he could even finish it,
“
but don
’
t be stupid. And don
’
t think that I won
’
t take care of myself before they need to step in. I choose to live my life the way that I do. I choose to not pursue witchcraft and to spend my time with those I love rather than working a job for the sake of puritan-induced American work ethic guilt trip that makes no sense when you are as wealthy as I am. Making that choice does not mean I am incapable or stupid.
”

“
I do not think those things. I didn
’
t say those things.
”

“
This case is infringing on my life. I object.
”

“
Let me handle it,
”
he said. There was almost a plea to what he said.

“
The only reason I can see that you want to clear my name is so that you don
’
t look like a moron for dating me.
”

“
I did not say that,
”
he said with fury. He grabbed her face and pressed his forehead against hers,
“
I did not say or think that. Just let me handle it.
”

She tilted her head and then stepped back. With her movement, his hands fell away, and she felt as though he
’
d stolen the essence of her. But she wasn
’
t some fainting flower and this was not how things were going to happen.

“
No,
”
she said.

“
Ingrid, I will arrest you for interfering in my investigation.
”

She laughed and said,
“
Go ahead. I dare you.
”

•••

Ingrid did not stop or wait for Emily. She slammed the door behind her and strode towards the exit of the police station. The anger burned so hot in her she felt like it left her in lightning arches.

“
I mean it, Ingrid,
”
Gabe yelled after her.

She flipped him the bird and left the building. Emily was already outside waiting, sitting on the hood of Ghosty the haunted Camaro. She looked like one of those car magazines with a hot girl posing on a car. Yeah, suck it, Gabe. We don
’
t need you. Bless Emily. It would have been sucky to storm out of the building and then stand there like an idiot waiting for her ride.

“
That was epic,
”
Emily said.
“
Did you want me to hex them? Or get Hazel to?
”

She rushed to the car, yanked it open, and felt the cool rush of a ghost
’
s finger down the back of her neck.

“
Ghost,
”
she said.
“
Get your evil dead dove fingers off of me.
”

She started the car, Emily hopped into the passenger seat, and Ingrid peeled out of the parking lot. With a glance at Emily, Ingrid said,
“
I think I might have hexed people already. If what I remember my mom saying about needing to control our anger or unfortunate things happen, blah, blah, blah.
”

“
What did you do?
”

“
I have no idea,
”
Ingrid replied. The station was only a couple of blocks from the apartment. She got out of the car, kicked the wheel, and said,
“
We have to do something about that ghost. He is creeping me out.
”

Emily let Ingrid ignore what had happened until they got on the elevator. Ingrid felt her lip quivering and Emily immediately noticed.

“
Ice cream?
”

“
Yes.
”

“
Pizza?
”

“
Calzone. Extra pepperoni.
”
Ingrid was breathing in through her nose and out like an owl, fighting tears with fury and losing.

“
Wine?
”

“
All of the wines.
”

When the door to her apartment closed, she squeezed her eyes tight and told the waiting Emily,
“
They called about Harrison
’
s death. Gabe broke up with me. And I probably hexed at least a half-dozen people.
”

“
They deserved it,
”
Emily said without missing a beat.

A long, silent moment passed.

“
Are you all right?
”
Emily
’
s voice was careful and quiet.

“
I
’
m going to cry in the shower, binge eat, and then solve this murder. Whereupon I am going to find a way to
…”

She wanted to say she would find a way to torture Gabe, but that wasn
’
t what she wanted. She wanted to go back to the night before the witch event and stay home with Gabe rather than going into the woods. She wanted this to have never happened.

She didn
’
t say anything else, just spun for her bathroom and her massive shower and washed her tears away with hot water, angry music and the wine Emily delivered to the bathroom.

Chapter 5

The Lion’s Den

Ingrid was fresh out the shower, her belly filled with calzone and wine and Emily was ready to roll.

Emily jingled the car keys, motioning for Ingrid to follow her.
“
Deputy Dumbass. Let
’
s hit his house first. Because, I hate him. And I
’
ll drive because, well, all the wines.
”

Ingrid smiled, looking like her old self. Sort of. Emily could see that there was an undercurrent of distress in Ingrid’s face, but she was joking and smiling again. She had purpose.

Emily spoke again.
“
We are totally going to solving Sheldon
’
s murder before Sheriff Jerk and Deputy Dumbass. He was worried about how he
’
d look dating you, imagine how dumb he
’
ll look when it turns out that his deputy murdered his girlfriend
’
s ex-boyfriend. Kevin will make Gabe look way more incompetent.
”

Ingrid grunted, and Emily checked her face to make sure she wasn
’
t mad. Nope. She was all smiles.

“
I
’
m going to enjoy punishing him. As soon as I
’
m not dying inside.
”

Emily opened her mouth to reply, but Ingrid kept going so Emily closed it again.

“
I hate that I let myself get the feels for him. He
’
s just so
…
.ugh. He
’
s so
…”

Emily patted Ingrid's leg as she drove the Camaro toward Kevin and Tia
’
s house.

“
I know, Ingrid. I get it. You hate him, but only because you love him and want to murder him, right? Maybe he
’
ll be our next murder investigation. Except it won
’
t take you long to solve it, because it will have been me. I
’
ll run him down with the Camaro. It
’
ll be double haunted. Then we
’
ll be on the run together. Maybe Jamaica this time? Do they extradite to the United States?
”

Ingrid raised an eyebrow. “
We
’
ll be sure to research that before we flee the country. But I
’
m gonna have to call dibs on executing the
…”
She left it hanging. She didn't want to call him bastard or jerk or whatnot. Oh man, she had it so very bad for him.
“
I
’
ll need the outlet for my emotions.
”

Emily changed the subject now that they were around the corner from their destination.
“
Should we just knock on the door. Obviously Deputy Dumbass is at the station, but his wife might be home.
”

“
No, I want out of this car. It
’
s giving me the creeps. I can feel the damn ghost breathing down my neck. Let
’
s park down the street and walk. If Tia is home, we
’
ll knock. If she isn
’
t, we
’
ll break in. Gabe is already furious. I might as well become an actual criminal.
”

“
I like it.
”

They parked the car and walked the short distance. It was cloudy and the wind was blowing. The weather matched the stormy look on Ingrid
’
s face. The cold rain drops felt good on Emily
’
s skin.