Body Bags & Blarney (18 page)

“It’s a
werewolf thing. Everyone has a very particular scent.” Joshua added. “I can’t
explain it any better than that.”

“Couldn’t you
go down to the Sheriff’s office and track his cell phone?”

“He’s probably
left it somewhere as a ruse.” Joshua replied gruffly. “He’s far too smart to
get caught like that.”

“You’re
certain this scent tracking will work?” Vivienne asked but he didn’t answer.
She knew better than to try to break his stubborn streak. “Can you at least
tell me where you’re driving me to?”

“The
woodlands.” He turned another corner and headed for the community park that was
at the southern-most edge of town along the shore of Cayuga Lake.

“Do you sense
that he is in trouble?” Vivienne asked.

Joshua let out
a deep breath. “That’s what I’m going to find out.”

Vivienne held
tight to the hand grip above the window. “Okay.”

“You’re out of
questions?” Joshua spoke up as the entrance to the park appeared at the end of
the road they were speeding down.

“It’s a
werewolf thing.” She smiled back. “I get it.”

He gave her a
little wink and pulled into a spot at the far corner of the parking lot. As it
was still too cold for any activities, the parking lot and the adjoining
grounds itself were empty. He jumped out of the Jeep and grabbed a duffel bag
from under the driver seat. “Follow me.”

“Am I coming into
the woods with you?” She asked excitedly.

“Only far
enough so we can’t be seen.” He answered back as he slammed the door closed.

Vivienne
followed him as they walked along the empty parking lot. The wind off the lake
was cold and damp. It seemed to pass through her coat with no effort at all.

Joshua walked
briskly past the edge of the parking lot and held some branches back so they
wouldn’t whip back and hit Vivienne as she followed him into the still barren
woods. “Smells like we’re going to get some snow tonight.”

Vivienne
looked around at the trees, still leafless and plain. “So why would Hunter come
all the way out here?”

“Because I
think he’s hunting them in wolf form.” Joshua stopped for a moment to sniff the
air. “That’s what I would do.”

“Oddly enough,
that does make sense.” Vivienne agreed and walked with him another five minutes
into the woods until they couldn’t see the Jeep or community park anymore.

Joshua stopped
and gave her a kiss on the lips. “I just want you to know that I wasn’t keeping
you a secret from my family.”

“I
understand.” Vivienne gave him another kiss back. “Your family is very
protective of their privacy.”

Joshua unlaced
his boots and kicked them off his feet. He pulled of his shirt, jeans, and
boxers and stuffed them into a camouflage duffel bag along with his cell phone.
He hid it under a pile of leaves “As soon as I change form, I need you to go
back to the Jeep and drive it back home. Don’t hang out at the park because it
could draw attention.”

“I
understand.” Vivienne admired his nude form in the woodland setting. At first,
seeing him in his natural state took some getting used to. But, as the months
went on, she found herself quite at ease with the nudity. The graceful lines of
the musculature of his body almost made it seem a crime against nature to cover
it up with clothing. “Call me and I’ll be here as fast as I can.”

He stretched
his arms upward and took a deep breath. In a matter of seconds, his six
foot-five human form lowered to the ground into a much more sleek and compact
state. Soft gray fur raced all over his body as his hands and feet morphed into
paws. The wolf, with steel-blue eyes that seemed to glow from within with an
ethereal light, gave her a quick glance and then dashed away with unnaturally
fast speed into the deep woods.

Vivienne
watched him disappear into some thick brush and then started the lonely march
back to the Jeep. She wondered what it would be like to change form into an
animal. If she were allowed to experience it, she decided that she would most
likely choose a bird. The thought of spreading her wings and flying high above
the trees appealed to her. Oh, she had flown with Nana Mary to the great coven
gathering on Halloween. But flight upon their magically charged brooms was so
fast it was merely a blink of an eye before they reached their destination. To
be able to savor the feel of the wind, soaring with the currents, darting
around trees and buildings with skilled precision. That was something she would
probably never know.

As she emerged
from the woods, she tapped her jacket pocket to feel for her own cell phone. It
wasn’t there, but the keys to the vehicle were. She felt a momentary wave of
panic hit here before she recalled leaving it in her purse that was still
locked in the Jeep.

Once back
inside the vehicle, and with her cell phone safely in her possession, she was
surprised to see that she had missed a call. She pulled up the recent caller
display and discovered the last one had been from Kathy’s store. Her phone
beeped twice, indicating she also had a voicemail waiting for her attention.

She turned the
ignition on and let the heat from the vents warm her for a moment before
hitting the road. She put in the pin number for her voicemail and listened to
Kathy’s message.

“Vivienne,
it’s me again. I know it’s asking a big favor, but could you have Joshua come
over to the store and maybe look things over with his eyes? I don’t think that
rookie guy did a very thorough job, especially after you mentioned how the safe
wasn’t even touched.” Kathy’s voice crackled from the cell phone speaker. “It
doesn’t have to be today…” There was an ominous pause followed by a loud thud.
“Hello? Is someone there?” Kathy asked. “Hello?” There was another thud
followed by Kathy’s scream and then the voicemail ended.

Vivienne
nearly dropped the phone. “Kathy?” She yelled without thinking and then dialed
the Sheriff’s office. It seemed to take forever before her call was answered.
“Yes, this is Vivienne Finch. I need you to send a car to Trade Winds Clothier
on Main Street right away.”

“We have
already sent a car there earlier Ms. Finch.” The dispatch officer replied.

“No, not about
that.” Vivienne nearly screamed. “My friend just called me and it sounded like
something happened to her. I think she may have been attacked inside her store
just now.”

“Trade Winds
Clothier on Main Street?” The dispatcher asked again.

“Yes.”
Vivienne put the Jeep into drive and sped away. “Her name is Kathy Saunders and
she is the owner of the shop. I’m on my way right now.”

“Ms. Finch that
might not be a good idea.” The dispatch officer started to argue. “You should
remain on the line until the authorities arrive.”

Vivienne ended
the call and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. She had no time to get
into a debate whether or not her going to check on Kathy was a good idea. She
nearly took out a corner sign as she swerved the Jeep at high speed, unfamiliar
with the extra weight that her smaller vehicle did not have. “Keep it together,
girl.” She spoke to herself as she headed for Kathy’s store. “You’re no use to
anyone dead.”

The cell phone
rang and Vivienne grabbed it. She saw Kathy’s name on the caller display and
her heart leapt. She slowed down and answered the call. “I called the police
thinking you were in trouble.” Vivienne explained.

“Oh, Vivienne
thank God it’s you!” Kathy’s voice was shaky.
 
“I was in the stockroom looking to see if anything else was stolen when
I tripped over something.”

Vivienne did
not slow her speed. She turned onto Main Street and headed for Trade Winds Clothier.
“Are you hurt?”

“No.” Kathy’s
voice wavered. “But, I think the guy on the floor is hurt pretty bad. He’s
bleeding all over the place.”

“The police
are on the way.” Vivienne tried to reassure her.

“It gets worse.”
Kathy continued. “Vivienne, I think the guy in my stockroom is Joshua’s
brother.”

CHAPTER
FOURTEEN

Vivienne had
beaten the police to Trade Winds Clothier and rushed inside as fast as she
could. “Where are you?” She called out.

“Back here.”
Kathy called out from the rear stockroom.

Vivienne
rushed past the racks of clothing, propelled with a mixture of fear and
adrenaline. Once inside the stockroom, she found Kathy kneeling on the floor
with a tall man lying motionless at her side. She had taken some pastel-colored
tee shirts from one of the boxes of spring inventory and draped them over his
chest, where maroon-red blood soaked through and produced a gory pattern that
almost looked like something framed in a modern art show.

“Oh, Vivienne.
He looks bad.” Kathy looked up at her.

Vivienne
rushed over to her side to get a better look. She had hoped that Kathy was
wrong about the identity of the man in her stockroom, but there was no
mistaking him. It was Hunter Arkins. “What happened?”

“I don’t
know.” Kathy draped another shirt over Hunter. “I think he’s been stabbed.”

Vivienne knelt
down next to her. “Hunter? Can you hear me?” She asked.

There was no
response from him.

Vivienne put
her fingers on his neck and felt for a pulse. She was relieved to find one.
“He’s still alive.”

The sound of
sirens echoed from out front. “The police are here.” Relief washed over Kathy’s
face.

“You go and
bring them back. I’ll stay here with Hunter.” Vivienne instructed.

“Yes.” Kathy
jumped up from the floor, happy to have Vivienne assuming control of the chaos
around her. “I’ll go get them.” She ran into the store’s retail floor space to
meet the police.

Vivienne
pulled the bloody shirts and jacket off of Hunter’s chest and saw several deep
stab wounds. Given the massive amount of blood that had pooled on the floor
beneath him, she knew he didn’t have long. There was a gurgling sound as a
trickle of blood rolled out of his mouth.

He was
hovering in the gray area between life and death. It had been the tingle in her
fingertips as she passed her hands over his clammy skin that told her all she
needed to know. Over the past few months, during the course of her studies
deeper into the healing arts of Witchcraft, she had learned that the spirit had
a vibratory energy that was unmistakable. The faster the vibration, the closer
to death. It was as if the spirit were idling up an internal engine that would
propel it into the afterlife. As Vivienne concentrated on calming his spiritual
energy, her thoughts drifted back to ordinary people who had experienced near
death experiences. How they would report that this vibratory sound was not
unlike what one expected to hear from a chorus of angels singing. Given what
she felt at the moment, Hunter’s spirit was mere moments away from leaving his
body forever.

With time
running out, she had no choice but to cast a healing spell without the added
protection of casting a proper circle beforehand. Removing the blood soaked
shirts from his chest, she quickly paced around his body extending her right,
or protective hand as it was known in her grimoire, to draw the power she hoped
would create at least a basic energy field. With little time to spare, she
knelt down and placed her hands upon his wounds. “I call upon the powers of the
East, the bringer of dawn, to guide Hunter’s spirit away from the netherworld.
Illuminate the path that returns to hearth, home, and family.”

A sudden burst
of wind erupted in the stock room, slamming the door to the stockroom closed
with a loud thud.

Vivienne
thought back to what she had been studying in the grimoire. There were many
healing spells at her disposal, but she feared none of them were strong enough
to fix everything at once. Her only attempt at restoring life had been with a
squirrel she had witnessed getting struck by a car a few weeks ago outside her
home. Cradling the poor creature in her hands, she had somehow managed to make
a minor mending spell work which healed the creature’s wounds. Startled back to
life, it scampered away into a nearby tree without blinking an eye at the
little miracle that had just taken place. Here, in the Trade Winds Clothier’s
stockroom, she would have to improvise once again. “I call upon the forces of
primal chaos present within this town to empower my hands to close his wounds with
a touch. So be it, so mote it be.” She chanted.

The
fluorescent bulbs in the lights above the stockroom dimmed and then flashed
blindingly-bright as Vivienne felt her hands grow warmer. Her fingertips danced
with a primal electricity, glowing amber as healing energy transferred directly
into the wounds of Hunter Arkins. The jagged edges of the wounds in his flesh
pulled together, blood rolling upwards against the force of gravity back into
his body with a slight sucking sound.

Hunter’s eyes
fluttered as the spell reached its zenith, revealing a glimpse of only white.
With awkward movements, his body twitched, arms and legs flailing wildly as his
spirit once more secured itself within his body.

Vivienne
released her grip. For a brief moment, she thought she saw the ghostly image of
Hunter’s spirit hovering prone just above him, almost looking like a
double-exposure photograph. The overhead lights faded back down to their normal
level as the spell completed. The wind died away, leaving the two of them together
in a peaceful moment of tranquility.

Hunter gasped
and the pupils of his eyes were once again visible. He turned his head toward
Vivienne and tried to speak, but his voice failed.

The door of
the stockroom flew open as two police officers ran in with Kathy behind them.
“What’s going on in here?” One of them asked.

Vivienne
pointed to Hunter. “He’s been injured.”

Kathy stopped
in her tracks. “He was stabbed several times.” She looked again at Hunter who
now sported only a few superficial looking scrapes along a well-muscled and
quite hairy chest “I could have sworn that he had stab wounds.”

Vivienne
pointed to the tee shirts which still had some blood on them. “The wounds
weren’t as bad as we thought once I cleaned the blood off them.” She felt sorry
for making Kathy feel as if she were losing her mind, but it was small price to
pay for saving Hunter. “Sometimes the smallest scrapes gush like geysers in
Yellowstone Park.”

Hunter cleared
his throat and found his voice, although it was still quite raspy. “I saw two
men sort of hanging around and checking out the back door to your store here.”

“What men?”
Kathy asked.

Hunter pulled
himself up to a sitting position with Vivienne’s help. “I didn’t get a very
good look at them. They were wearing dark hoodies that they pulled up around
their heads.”

“Dark
hoodies?” Vivienne was intrigued. For a brief moment, she recalled Pastor
Kilpatrick’s memories of walking along the shore of the lake the morning Father
William was murdered and seeing an individual who matched that description.
“You’re sure about that?”

“I’m
positive.” Hunter replied.

“How did you
get inside this store?” The taller of the two officers asked him.

“I watched
them use a key and open the back door and I followed them in. I thought that I
could sneak up on them but they must have seen me. Next thing I know, I was
fighting off a pair of knives that were coming at me.” Hunter explained.

“Who are you
exactly?” The taller officer asked him.

“She knows
me.” Hunter pointed to Vivienne.

Vivienne
nodded. “He’s Hunter Arkins.”

“Deputy Arkins
brother?” The shorter officer asked.

“That’s me.”
Hunter nodded back in confirmation. “I’ve been tracking these guys for months.”
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “I’m a professional
bounty hunter, licensed to operate within the state of New York.” With a quick
flip through his wallet, he produced the documentation for the officers to
scrutinize.

“May I see
that please?” The taller officer snagged it away from Hunter.

Kathy looked
at Vivienne in disbelief. “What has all this have to do with my store?”

Hunter looked
at the officers. “I don’t know exactly.” He groaned as he tried to rise from
the floor.

Vivienne
assisted him to his feet. “Easy now.” Her eyes locked onto a white plastic box
that was mounted on the wall nearest the sales floor. “Is that a first aid
kit?”

Kathy nodded.
“Yes it is.”

Vivienne
scurried over to it. “I’m just going to get some antibiotic ointment and some
bandages to cover the wounds.”

“Ma’am, did
you notice anything missing from your business?” The shorter officer asked.

Kathy was
really beginning to hate all the men referring to her as ‘ma’am’. “Just for
once, do you think you guys could call me Miss?” She glared back at the officers.

“I’m sorry,
Miss Saunders.” The shorter officer replied as his cheeks reddened.

“Thank you.
And to answer your previous question, I have had some items stolen today.”
Kathy replied. “Officer Drexler was here earlier investigating that incident.”

Vivienne
returned to Hunter to patch him up. “This won’t hurt a bit.” She smiled at him
and squirted some ointment on the wounds which were already sealed over.

“Has anything
else been stolen this time?” The shorter officer asked.

“No.
Everything appears to be okay.” Kathy gave a quick glance around the stockroom.
“Do you really think the same people who broke in earlier returned again?”

“That would be
most unusual.” The taller officer replied as he took notes on a small writing
pad. “But, we will look at all the evidence very closely.”

Vivienne put
some adhesive strips over the wounds. “Now, these are going to hurt like crazy
when you pull them off that hair of yours.”

“Thanks for
the warning.” Hunter chuckled.

“Would you
like to press charges against this man for trespassing?” The shorter officer
asked her.

Kathy waved
her hands. “No. If anything, I’d say that he was acting like a real hero to
keep me safe from harm.”

Hunter gave
her a little smile. “Thank you.”

“Mister Arkins,
it would be helpful if you could come with us and give us a description of the
men you witnessed entering Miss Saunder’s business.” The taller officer handed
him his license back. “Would you be willing to do that?”

“I didn’t see
that much. But I’ll tell you what I can.” Hunter agreed. “Just one thing, my
tee shirt got sort of torn up during the attack. Do you have something I could
wear out?” He looked at Kathy.

Kathy couldn’t
help but admire the outlines of the muscles on his chest. He wasn’t over-blown
looking like the gym rats that trained non-stop. His frame was quite natural
looking, just defined in a way that was pleasing to the eye. She dug around
some of the boxes of stock and handed him a basic white tee-shirt that looked
like it would fit. “Try this.”

Hunter slipped
it on and was pleased to see it fit him like a glove. “Thank you again. I’ll
come back later and pay you for everything.”

‘I’m just glad
that you’re okay.” Kathy smiled back.

“If there’s
nothing more, we should go now.” The taller officer nodded.

“After you.”
Hunter smiled.

Kathy looked
at Vivienne. “Do we get to go too?”

Vivienne
shrugged and looked at the officers. “Can we come along too?”

“It would be
best if you left the investigating to the professionals.” The shorter officer
replied.

Vivienne
looked at Kathy. “I tried.”

“It’s my
business since all this involves my business.” Kathy marched over to the
shorter officer. “So, I’m coming along.”

“Fine.” The
taller officer replied. “But only you.”

Vivienne
nodded back to Kathy. “It’s probably better I not be seen down at the Sheriff’s
office.”

“I’ll call you
later.” Kathy smiled back. “Now let me lock up and let’s get to the bottom of
this.”

Vivienne
followed them outside and returned to Joshua’s Jeep. She had no way of letting
him know that his brother was safe and sound. That was the downside to dating a
werewolf. When things got hairy, everything was so much more complicated than
it had to be.

She returned
to her home, where Tommy and Sammy cat both greeted her with lots of curious
meows and leg rubs. She sat down on the comfortable sofa and wrapped a large
fleece blanket around herself as she enjoyed a moment of peaceful solitude.
Even though it was still afternoon, she was tired. Casting the healing spell on
Hunter left her feeling drained, as if she could curl up and sleep for two
days.

Her eyes
fluttered and then she drifted off for a much needed nap, with two cats
flanking her on both sides as they kneaded the blanket with their paws. She
could feel the soft warmth of the afternoon sun upon her face as she sank down
deeper into the overstuffed cushions of the sofa.