A Witch's Curse (12 page)

Cutting her bath short, Carolyn dried off quickly and went to search for Chester, hoping she
might get him to show her how he managed to get into locked rooms. She found him in his favorite spot, the windowsill in the library. She tried talking to him, tried coaxing him to show her where the secret door might be. All she got in return was his,
Stupid human, do you really think I can talk,
stare.

“
Some familiar you turned out to be. Okay, you asked for it. I didn’t want to resort to this, however, you leave me no choice, buster.”

Picking Chester up, she carried him upstairs, locked him in the spare bedroom she found him in before, and then rushed back to the library. Not knowing where he might pop out, her head kept swinging back and forth, trying to look everywhere at once.

Looking toward the front, a slow, groaning noise from a bookcase behind the desk alerted her to Chester’s entrance. Carolyn raced around the desk in time to notice Chester nosing open the bookcase, but once he passed through the opening, the bookcase started to close behind him. Carolyn jumped to grab the door before it closed completely, and propped a desk chair in the doorway to keep it ajar.

With flashlight in hand, she inspected the black hole on the other side of the door. Cautiously stepping inside, Carolyn started to follow the narrow passage. A second later, she flew back out, frantically brushing at her hair and clothes, her feet stomping madly as if the floor was on fire.

“
Fucking cobwebs are everywhere in this damned house!”

Armed with her trusty broom, Carolyn re-entered and inched her way sideways down the passage in a fruitless effort to avoid touching the walls and the multitude of spider webs. Coming to the end of the passage, she noticed slats nailed across two studs to form a ladder.

“
Well, the bedroom is on the second floor.” Tossing the broom up first, Carolyn climbed the ladder and found herself in another maze. Forcing herself to move slowly, Carolyn began tapping on the walls with the butt end of the broom in an effort to detect a hidden door.

When she heard Chester’s muffled cries from the other side, she tried pushing and banging, but the wall wouldn’t budge. Pointing the flashlight at the wall, she inspected the section closely, finally finding a latch, which, when released, allowed the door to swing open. Carolyn stepped into her own bedroom closet.

“
Chester! Good boy! You did it.” She picked him up and gave him a big hug. “I’ll bet every room has access to these passages. This is how Ellie was able to get into the library and proves she set Caleb up. I can’t wait to tell Sarah. Before I do though, I need another bath,” she said, brushing more sticky cobwebs from her hair.

Carolyn shed her clothes faster than a whore on a Saturday night and jumped into the shower. Minutes later, her hair still damp, she was knocking on Sarah’s door. Carolyn tried containing her enthusiasm by shifting her weight from foot to foot, as if standing in line at the ladies room, and clamping her hands behind her back so she wouldn’t be tempted to beat on the door too often. Finally, Sarah opened the door. “Sweetie, I didn’t expect you today. Should I?”

The words gushed from Carolyn’s mouth. “Sarah, you’re not going to believe this! I found how Ellie got into the library. She used a secret passageway. They’re all over the place. We can free Caleb now!”

“
Slow down, child. What’s all this about secret passages?”

Carolyn inhaled deeply; spicy scents wafting from Sarah’s kitchen filled her nose. “Mmm. What smells so heavenly? What are you baking?”

“
Thank you, dear. I’m baking peach, cinnamon pies. Would you like a slice? We can talk while we eat.”

Carolyn's stomach growled.
How can I possibly be hungry after eating such a huge breakfast?
She chuckled.
“You’ve convinced my stomach, at least.”

Sarah’s unhurried, methodical pace annoyed Carolyn at first. However, once seated with a large wedge of pie and a glass of ice-cold milk in front of her, she felt calmer and took up her story again. “I found how Ellie managed to get into the library without a key. I discovered a whole bunch of hidden passageways. Every room in the house is connected one way or another to all the rest. Ellie would have easy access from the passage in her room and be able to enter the library without anyone observing her.”

“
How marvelous, my dear. Ester used to wonder if her drafty old house hid a secret passage or two, only we never did find any. How did you find them? Did you use a spell?”

“
No. I used Chester, my familiar.”

“
Oh, how very clever of you. Why didn’t we try using one of our familiars?”

Carolyn shrugged.
“Chester's the one who's clever. What do we do now? Do we still need to call Ellie in a séance?”

Sarah thought for a minute before answering. “No, I don’t think we need to now. I believe we should summon Caroline instead and present her with the evidence you’ve discovered. Adele said she will help at the séance.”

“
Maggie did too. Will four people be enough?”

“
Yes, four will be plenty, especially since three of us are witches.”

“
Oh, that reminds me. Maggie wanted me to ask, since she and I are related, does that mean she’s a witch also?”

“
There is a good possibility she is. I knew all about your lineage, of course, so I never had a doubt in my mind you were one of us. If you like, I can test her for you?”

“
I don’t care one way or the other if Maggie is a witch. I’ll love her no matter what. Although, I think she likes the idea of being a witch. For her sake, I would appreciate if you would.”

“
Then I will. You do know there isn’t any room in the coven for any more new members?”

“
Why not?”

“
Our coven holds thirteen members only. No more and no less.”

“
You mean, after Grandmother died and you took me into the coven, I filled the vacancy she left?”

“
That’s right, my dear. I’m sorry to say, but there is the only one way we can take in a new member, when one of us passes on.”

“
Then I hope Maggie will settle for just knowing she’s a witch, provided she is one.”

Sarah said proudly, “Being a witch is not such a bad thing.”

“
No, it’s not,” Carolyn said, just as proud.

* * * *

Carolyn went to work early the next day. Maggie hadn’t arrived yet, so
Carolyn went to her workshop in the back and began harvesting leaves from her current herb crop. Using artificial lights and a controlled temperature, she grew herbs and certain fruits all year long. Her workshop had always been her fortress of solitude, and to Carolyn, getting her hands dirty in the rich, earthy loam was only part of the fun.

The pungent aromas
of herbs and spices never failed to transport her to a magical forest where anything could happen. People always told her all of her fingers were green, not just her thumbs. Some even referred to her as the Plant Doctor. If they had a sick favorite plant, she's the one they came to.

Today, doing what she loved the most in life, only served to increase her happiness. Soon, her beloved Caleb would be free from the spell Caroline unjustly placed on him, and they would be together forever and ever. Nothing would be able to keep them apart then.

The front door's
tinkling
alerted Carolyn to someone entering the store. Brushing dirt from her hands, she went to greet whoever arrived, expecting to find Maggie, and was surprised to find Chief Rose, hat in hand, standing at the front counter.

“
Good morning, Chief.”

“
Morning, Miss Waters. You’re looking very chipper today.”

“
Thank you, Chief. I am. How can I help you?”

“
I received some news this afternoon I thought I should deliver in person.”

“
Sounds ominous.”

“
Nothing to cause alarm, however, I doubt if you will like what I’m going to say. The judge ruled Hargrove isn’t competent to stand trial and ordered him to a psychiatric center for treatment. Only when, or if, he’s ever found competent again, will he stand trial for embezzlement, breaking and entering, attempted murder, and several other charges.”

“
Actually, Chief, I feel sorry for the poor man. I hope he gets better. I do thank you for stopping by to tell me. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“
You are much too forgiving, Miss Waters. I don’t know if I would be as charitable in a reversed situation. Have a good day,” he said with a tip of his hat.

“
Thank you again, Chief,” she called to him as he left the store.

A moment later, the bell chimed again as Maggie came in. “Hi, Cuz. What did the fuzz want?”

“
Hi, Mags. Chief Rose isn’t fuzz. He’s a nice man. He came to tell me Mr. Hargrove has been put into an asylum.”

“
Serves him right.”

“
No, he shouldn‘t be in an asylum. Jail? Yes, but not an asylum. It is my fault he’s in there. If I hadn’t called Caleb-”

“
You’d be dead, just like your grandmother. Maybe he killed her too?” Maggie said.

“
I highly doubt he did. Grandmother died from cancer. All Hargrove tried to do is scare me to make me want to move out.”

“
So why were his hands around your throat? Don‘t blame yourself, Cuz. He asked for everything he got when he tried to kill you.”

“
Let’s not talk about him anymore. I want to tell you what I found yesterday.”

Maggie’s eyes lit.
“What?”

“
I found out how Ellie got into the library without needing a key.”

“
You did? How?”

“
She used a secret passageway.”

“
Cool. And you found one?”

“
Actually, I found them all. The house is practically the Catacombs. There are secret doors and passageways all through the house.”

Disappointment laced Maggie’s reply, “I guess you won’t be having a séance then?”

“
Yes, we will. We decided not to call Ellie, we’re going to summon Caroline directly and make her remove Caleb’s spell since we discovered the evidence we need to prove his innocence.”

“
Do you think she will?”

“
She better,” Carolyn said firmly.

“
So, when is this big event?”

“
Midnight on Halloween, All Hallows Eve. Why don’t you come home with me after work that night and I’ll make dinner for us?”

“
Okay. Good thing the costume party is the night before. I bought a killer outfit and I’d hate missing the look on all the guy’s faces when I come strutting in,” Maggie said, swinging her hips in a provocative manner.

Carolyn laughed. “Maggie you’re terrible!”

“
As Mae West once said, ‘When I’m good, I’m good, when I’m bad, I’m even better’.”

“
No arguments here.”

Chapter Seven

Waiting for the next few days to pass took a toll on Carolyn. She truly felt Caleb’s nightly visits saved her from becoming a complete basket case. Not even her workshop helped sooth the uneasy feeling
s plaguing her.

“
Good night, Mags. Have fun at the party tonight.”