Dark Moon Magic (7 page)

Trace unclipped his cell phone and punched in the number to the State Police. He’d need a forensics tech to come and process the scene. The blood covering the handle of the knife in Keith’s chest could contain prints.

“State Police,” a female voice answered.

“Yes. This is sheriff Trace Langston from Groves. I have what appears to be a ritual killing. I’m going to need someone from forensics and maybe another, who deals in these types of killings, to come and help in the investigation.”

“All right, Sheriff. Give me your number, and I’ll have someone call you.”

In a voice he was struggling hard to control, he relayed the necessary digits.

Trace flipped his phone shut and tucked it back into the case at his hip. He took a staggering step toward his friend and squatted down next to his body, spotting something under him. Too bad he’d have to wait to find out what it was, since he didn’t have any latex gloves in his car. Up until now, he’d had no need for them. But he couldn’t contaminate the crime scene, so he’d have to wait until forensics arrived.

The motion of the ceiling fan above stirred the metallic smell in the air and had him swallowing convulsively.

His first murder in Groves. So much for no one getting killed on his watch.

There had been a lot of firsts lately. Ever since Regina Moon came to town.

Trace rubbed his chin. She lived directly across the street from Keith, and they’d gone their separate ways a little over an hour ago.

No way
. That wouldn’t have given her enough time. Maybe Keith had been dead a while. Perhaps she killed him
before
he picked her up for the dance.

This is crazy
. The woman was tiny. He doubted she could drag a two-hundred pound man across the living room floor to the bedroom. Hardly possible. Besides, she didn’t seem like the killer type, but then, Trace had worked homicide in Chicago, and nine times out of ten the murderer hadn’t looked the part.

Was he hoping it
wasn’t
Regina because he liked her?

Trace stood and left the room. It was so painful to see his friend lying there.

As he headed for the entrance, his cell phone rang. He pulled it out and flipped it open. “Sheriff Langston.”

“Sheriff, this is Sergeant Foley from the State Police. I have a tech and a detective familiar with ritual killings on the way to Groves. If you need anything else, you can call me directly at this number.”

“Thank you, Sergeant. I appreciate your help.”

Trace ended the call and walked to the door, looking out into the night. He’d left Chicago to get away from this kind of crap. Now he was going to have to investigate the murder of a friend, and he knew that was not only unethical, but hard as hell. He vowed he would use that pain to find a killer and put him behind bars where he belonged.

CHAPTER NINE

Regina woke to a loud banging. She turned toward the window and squinted, noting it was daylight. On her nightstand, the digital clock read a little after ten.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, grabbed her robe from the bottom, and wrapped it around her.

The banging became insistent and annoying.

“I’m coming,” she shouted, her throat feeling scratchy. Was she catching a cold? In the summer, no less?

She padded to the door, unsecured the locks, and opened it to find Trace standing outside. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. “Are you all right?”

“I need to talk to you.”

Regina sighed. “Yeah, I don’t want to rehash what happened last night.”

“I’m here on official business, Regina.”

Her gaze snapped to his. What did he mean by official?

“Can I come in?” His serious expression made her throat constrict.

The events from last night rushed back. The ambulance. Rayland Grimes. The strange breeze coming out of nowhere.

Regina stepped back and allowed him inside, then led him straight to the kitchen. “I’ll make some coffee.”

She hurried to get the coffeemaker ready, flipped it on, and faced Trace. “What’s the official business?” She braced herself for what she was about to hear.

He cleared his throat.

“What’s going on, Sheriff?”

“Keith Walsh was murdered in his home last night.”

Regina sucked in a ragged breath, the name for some reason sounding familiar. “Oh my heavens. Do you know who did it?”

He shook his head. “Not yet. But you can bet the farm I will. Keith was a good friend of mine.”

“Did I know him?” Regina tried hard to put a face to the name.

“He was the one who disposed of those dead birds. He stopped in that day to tell you it was safe to step out your side door.”

Regina remembered the man. He’d had a warm smile that touched his amber eyes and emerald-green aura, indicating a healer and a love-centered person.

“I’m so sorry, Trace. She reached out and touched his arm, realizing too late any contact with the man was a mistake. Electricity ricocheted across her body, centering low in her belly.

Regina stepped back and forced herself to ask, “Was his place the one you came from the night the rock was thrown through my window?”

“Yes.”

His brief answer had her studying him closely. He didn’t come here to tell her about the murder. He was here to ask where she was at the time it happened.

“I didn’t do it, Trace. If that’s why you’re here.”

“I know you didn’t, but a lot of strange events seemed to coincide with your coming to town.”

Regina had no idea what she was supposed to say to that. It did seem odd things had happened, but she didn’t know Groves’s history. Had the place been Shangri-La before she moved to town?

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“I don’t, either, but is there anything I don’t know that I should? I mean—what the hell was that statue you had up the first day we met? It looked like a cross between an eagle and a lion. Care to tell me what it stands for and why you removed the thing?”

Could she tell him the truth and trust he wouldn’t look at her as if she were evil?

A knock at the door gave her a reprieve. “Excuse me,” she said before walking to the living room and answering the door.

Tiah threw herself into Regina’s arms.

Regina pulled back, happy to see her friend. “Did you drive all night?”

“Yeah. I just packed a bag of essentials and rushed here. It was late, and I knew Rod wouldn’t be watching. The perfect time to come.” Tiah stopped to stare at Trace, who had followed Regina into the room. “Am I interrupting something?”

Was she ever, and thank goodness for that.

“Tiah, this is Sheriff Langston. Sheriff, this is my best-friend, Tiah. She’s from Little Rock.”

He nodded. “I’d like to finish this talk later, Regina. Come by the office when you get a chance.”

He walked out the door, and Regina released a labored breath. When they did speak, she needed to decide whether she was going to tell him
everything
or not.

Tiah threw her arms around her again. “I’m so glad to be here. I missed you terribly.”

“I missed you, too, but we have a big problem.”

“Problem?” Tiah repeated, scrunching up her forehead.

“I think someone in Groves is a very powerful force, and they’re trying to set me up for murder.”

* * *

Trace stepped into the office. Darla, his dispatcher, looked as grim as he was sure he did. Keith’s murder was going to send this quiet, little town into a panic, and life as they knew it would change. Trace would be busy responding to every noise the residents heard. He’d seen the paranoia in Chicago in a neighborhood that suddenly met with a killing. He’d see it here. But on a larger scale, and Regina Moon, being the new person in town, would be everyone’s choice suspect. After all, nothing bad had happened before she’d shown up. Trace was afraid for that reason only, her safety could be in jeopardy.

“You got something from the CDC.” Darla held out a manila envelope. “Also, I put Nathan Horn up in Sweeney’s Bed and Breakfast. You’ll need to show him how to get there when he comes in. I think he’s over at Caulders’ having breakfast right now.”

“Thanks, Darla. When Garrett shows up, tell him I need to talk to him right away.”

“Sure thing, Trace. Are you okay? You look like hell.”

He gave her a weak smile. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Trace dragged himself to the office and sat at his desk, memories of Keith bombarding him, causing his throat to tighten.

He shook it off and tore open the envelope from the CDC. At the bottom of the page, it said
results inconclusive. Great
. That wasn’t any help.

He tossed the paper and envelope down and sat back in his chair. Were all the events of the last couple of weeks related in some way? In his gut he sensed they were, and they all seemed to revolve around Regina. She didn’t look like the type to kill someone, and she certainly wasn’t strong enough. So, what was he missing? If he wasn’t so damned tired, he might be able to figure it out.

“Hey, boss,” Garrett said from the doorway. “You wanted to see me?” His deputy looked as bad as Trace felt. Almost immediately after he’d talked to the State Police last night, Garrett had showed up at Keith’s. He knew his death had hit the guy every bit as hard as it had him, and Trace could see by his red-rimmed eyes Garrett hadn’t gotten any rest, either. “I want you to go home and get some sleep. Tonight, you’ll be on duty. I’m going to need you to sit outside Regina Moon’s place.”

“What? Why? You don’t think she killed Keith, do you?”

“No, I don’t. But I’ll bet my life everyone else in town will.”

“But … oh,” he said, clearly catching on to what Trace was saying. “Because she’s new to town, and nothing like this has ever happened before.”

“Exactly. I expect trouble, and she’ll be the target.”

“All right, Trace. I’ll go home. I suggest you do the same. You look like hell.”

“So I’ve been told. I will later. Now go on. I want you back here by five. Oh, one of Regina’s friends just came in from Little Rock. She’s a curvy blonde. I don’t want you to try and accost her because she’s hanging around.”

Garrett nodded. “Okay. I’ll try and control myself.” He gave Trace a lopsided grin.

“Go. Get out of here.” Trace leaned back in his chair and rubbed at the stubble on his chin. He was missing something. But what was it? Why would someone want Keith dead? Did it have anything to do with the fact he lived directly behind Regina? Maybe he saw something. Perhaps when the rock had been thrown? No. It couldn’t be that. Trace had been there that night.

Damn it
. What wasn’t he seeing?

He closed his eyes and felt himself drifting off.

“What are you going to do, Trace?” an angry male voice bellowed, instantly waking him.

He found the town mayor, Ted Mueller, standing in the doorway, his round face as red as a male cardinal. The man was almost as wide as he was tall and would probably have a stroke if he didn’t calm down.

“I’m doing all I can, Ted.” Trace sighed deeply.

The mayor shook his head. “I think we know who killed Keith. Groves didn’t have one problem until that strange woman came to town. She has to be the one who murdered Keith.”

“You have no proof of that. I can’t go arresting her because our town hadn’t had a murder before she came to live here. Don’t you see how ridiculous that is?”

If possible, the man’s face flamed even redder. “You’re just protecting her because you want to get in her pants. Don’t think we didn’t all see how you looked at her last night at the dance. I want you to do your job, or you might just lose it.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Look at it the way you want, Trace, but I want you to do your job. Keith deserves that from you.”

“I am doing my job. Until I have evidence, I’m not arresting anyone. I
will
find Keith’s killer, and he or she will stand trial for his murder, and it’ll stick because I didn’t go off half-cocked because you wanted me to.”

Trace stood. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a killer to find.” He stormed past the mayor, angry the man didn’t trust him to do what he should. After all, that was what Groves paid him for.

CHAPTER TEN

Tiah lit the ceremonial white candle and placed it on the table next to the clear glass bowl. “Are you ready?” she asked Regina, who stood next to her.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Her friend picked up a photo of Regina and closed her eyes.

Regina did the same. After a few minutes of meditation, they both opened them again.

Tiah grabbed a piece of white ribbon, wrapped it around Regina’s picture, then looked at her and nodded. “I bind your soul from evil and protect you from all that harms,” they both repeated over and over until all the ribbon was looped around the picture.

When Tiah placed the wrapped photo over the candle, the flame suddenly went out.

Both sucked in a breath.

“Oh my goodness” Tiah eyes widened to the size of saucers. “Someone is determined to hurt you.”

Regina had never felt so vulnerable. Sure, Rod had tried to kill her, but he was flesh and blood. This was something supernatural, and she didn’t know who or what was behind it or how to protect herself.

“You want to try again? Tiah draped a hand on Regina’s shoulder. “Maybe it was a draft.”

“I don’t think so. It’s still as the dead in here.”

“Did you have to say dead?” Tiah visibly shivered.

“What am I going to do?” Regina looked questioningly at her friend.

“Let me do some research. Maybe I can find another way to shield you. Right now, let’s just try to get our minds off the whole mess.”

“How?”

“Tell me about that handsome sheriff of yours. I could feel the tension between you two. What happened?”

“Nothing,” Regina said.

Her friend’s gaze narrowed. “You’re lying. Now, tell me. Have you slept with him?”

“Of course not. I told you, Rod has me swearing off men forever.”