spies and spells 02 - betting off dead (5 page)

“On the Churchill Downs case?” Mick’s sweet cowboy voice had suddenly turned to business. I stood up next to the chair in front of the wall of glass.

I turned around and looked at them gathered around Burt’s chair at his desk where he had sat down. He dragged a file off the stack and opened it. I ran my hand across my necklace so I could feel to see if my intuition was right and this had to do with my life’s journey. The heat beneath my fingertips told me I was right.

“Yes.” Sherry’s arms flailed up and then down to her side. “Can you believe that? She has no knowledge of horse racing or anything horse related. She could go in there and blow up the entire investigation that I’ve been working on for months.”

“Sir, I’m going to have to agree with Sherry on this one. I mean, we got lucky with Ms. Parks the first time around. She was a little sloppy, but got better, but she clearly didn’t follow protocol and her judgment was more on the side of whatever felt good to her at the moment.”

“She did her job and who knew she could fly a helicopter.” Burt shuffled through a file that I could see had my name on it. He looked up at me and waved. I waved back. “She doesn’t have to know horses and all that. She simply needs to play the part that Sherry was going to play, only no agent techniques.”

“You mean there are no other agents that are qualified out there?” Mick put his hands on the desk and leaned in.

“All the women are being used on other cases. Besides Mick. She’s right up your alley. Twenty-eight, thin, kind, and very pretty.” Burt shut the file and pushed it to the side.

“I’m so glad you think I’m so shallow.” Mick let out a heavy sigh.

“This is ridiculous.” Sherry wasn’t about to let me take the case without a fight.

“I’m afraid you are going to have to work with Ms. Parks again.” Burt waved me in before the two could protest further.

He stood up and walked between Mick and Sherry. Mick looked at me but Sherry kept her eyes trained on the floor.

“Ms. Parks, are you ready for another fun investigation using your everyday sense of skills?” Burt asked.

“Well, sir,” I clasped my hands in front of me. “It depends on what the assignment is.”

I acted as if I really cared, I didn’t. All I knew was that I was going to be doing something with cowboy Mick and it thrilled me to death.

“We are asking you to play Mick’s wife in an undercover investigation we have going on over at Churchill Downs.” The word wife gonged in my head. I gulped and tried to wipe any and all expression off my face.

Sherry wasn’t so good at doing that. She looked as mad as a mule chewing bumblebees.

“There have been some reports of insider doping among the wealthiest of owners and trainers,” Burt said.

“Doping horses?” My jaw dropped. I’d never heard a like. Who on earth would hurt a beautiful horse? Now I was more interested in the horses then Mick.

“Yes,” Mick took a step forward. “As you know as a native Kentuckian yourself,” he looked at me as if I was hiding something. Which I was. My heritage, my witchy heritage. I was not born in Kentucky. I was born in the coven and Mom moved us to Kentucky when I was a small girl. “Horse racing is big business around here. Especially with the Kentucky Derby in our backyard. It seems that there are no limits to what these wealthy horse owners will do to secure their spot in the Derby.”

“You mean by killing off the competition?” I asked, dumbfounded.

The more of the mortal world I was becoming engrained in, the more I didn’t like it. My double shift at The Brew was looking pretty good.

“Sherry was Mick’s partner, but after a few checks on some of the people we are investigating, we found that Sherry had gone to high school with one of them and we just couldn’t take the chance of her being recognized,” Burt said.

“That’s where you come in.” Mick smiled, but it wasn’t one of the smiles that knotted my stomach. It was a fake smile that alerted me that the snide spy was back. “We need you to play my wife so I can get in there and do some looking around. Maybe you can get us into the circle by befriending the wealthy wives.”

“It would help if you had knowledge of horses.” Sherry’s nose snarled along with one corner of her lip.

“We need you to start tomorrow morning.” Burt grabbed a file off of his desk and held it out to me.

“Oh, sir, I’d love to but I can’t do that. Now that Lilith, that’s my sister, got her Wit. . .”  I corrected myself, “Um. . .new job and so I’ve been working two shifts. Hers and mine until Auntie Meme hires a new employee.”

“Auntie Meme?” Burt questioned.

“Oh yes, sir. She’s the patriarch of our family, sir. And no one, not even SKUL is a match for Auntie Meme.” I shrugged.

Sherry rolled her eyes and chirped a chuckle.

“It’s true, sir.” Mick finally came to my defense. “I’ve met and seen Auntie Meme in action.”

Burt looked between us before he paced back and forth as we all stood in silence waiting for his reply.

He rubbed his chin. He looked up to the ceiling. He tapped his temple and spoke, “Sherry can work your shift. She’s worked undercover in diners many times. She’s an old pro.”

“Oh, I don’t think so, sir.” Sherry stepped up to the plate to give her best bat at getting out of this. “I have plenty of paperwork to catch up on and I’m just. . .”

Burt put his hand up to stop her from talking.

“Sherry will take over your shift first thing in the morning,” Burt’s voice was stern and non-wavering.

I swear Sherry looked as if she was going to throw a big hissy fit right there. I even prayed for it. I’d given anything to see her cry, in hopes she had one of those ugly cry faces. It would’ve been the best way to make my day, other than playing Mick Jasper’s wife! My insides jumped with glee.

“Well.” One thing popped up in my head when my pendant warmed my chest. “I’m not sure how well Auntie Meme will take this news and all. She doesn’t know Sherry and I just can’t leave my family high and dry.”

“That’s easy. Mick had mentioned that your family eats supper every night at 5 o’clock on the dot.” He pointed to Sherry. “Sherry will be your guest and you can introduce her then.”

“But, sir,” Sherry protested. I swear the water works were on the way. I bit my lip in anticipation. Somehow she recovered and fast. She shrugged her shoulders back and her body was straight as a line drawn with a ruler. “I’ll be over at your house at five.”

“That does it then.” Burt handed me the file. “Here are the particulars you need to know on the case. We look forward to working again with you, Ms. Parks.”

He ushered me out of the office, but kept Mick and Sherry in there. I took the elevator up to the undercover dental office.

“Here you go,” Patsy’s hand flung toward me when I walked back into the lobby, my new badge in her grip.

“Thank you, Patsy. I’m looking forward to seeing your smiling face every day.” I flicked my finger at her as if I was flinging off a booger.

Instantly her mouth widened into the widest smile you’d ever seen. It sort of reminded me of the Joker from the Batman movies. It was an instant smile spell that would happen to her every time she saw me.

“Goodbye.” Patsy’s lips tried to jerk down. Her teeth gritted, her jaw tensed, her brows formed a V as she used her hand to try to pull the now slightly deranged smile down.

I walked out of the office with the file tucked in my arms.

“Well?” Vinnie asked when I got inside my familiar and he drove out of the parking lot.

“What can you tell me about Churchill Downs, horse doping, and pretending to be a wife?” I put the file down on the seat.

I nearly went head first through the windshield as Vinnie skidded to a stop.

Chapter Four

Living in Old Historic Louisville was Mom’s way of having us blend in with the mortals. Specifically Belgravia Court. Belgravia Court was old. The houses were old and in the historic register. The tree-lined courtyard in the middle of Belgravia Court was amazing. Especially this time of the year. We were very lucky to have seasonal changes in Kentucky and fall just so happened to be the prettiest. The mums planted along each side of the sidewalk were vibrant colors of orange, reds, and yellows. Of course Mom had the flower boxes that hung outside the windows and on the railing of the porch filled with pansies, garden pansies, and ladies delight.

“Don’t you just love how the white seems to frame the purples, yellow, and reds as if they are the only thing that matters to the delightful flower?” Mom’s face lit up as she talked about her gardens.

Recently, Mom had planted bushes along the sides of our walkway leading up to our house and that threw the garden club up in a tizzy. In fact, tomorrow night there was going to be an emergency meeting held in the courtyard over what was acceptable and not acceptable.

Mom moved us to Kentucky shortly after I was born. I didn’t know the coven from which we came nor did I know what it was like outside of the mortal world. The only thing I knew was what Mom and Auntie Meme had taught me about my powers and how it had to be kept a secret.

It was a lot of fun to play pretend and hold secrets as a child, but it was much harder as we’d become more and more engrained with the mortal world. Going to school was a lot of fun because I was around other children. But every so often I’d be called into the principal’s office because I’d let a little slip of the wrist punish another kid for not picking me first at the game four-square or dodgeball. It was a cruel world for us witches. Well, it was a cruel world for me. Mom had expected me to be home every night for supper at five o’clock on the dot, not a minute late.

Unfortunately, my time at SKUL had made me five minutes late and the look on her face told me of her distaste.

“Something smells good,” I said when I walked into the kitchen.

Mom was standing by the stove and Auntie Meme and Lilith were already sitting at the table. I kissed Mom on the cheek. She swung around with the casserole in her hands and glided over to the table, putting it down in the middle.

“Oh.” I tried to be as chipper as I could. “All the decorations look nice.” I pulled my shoulders to my ears. “Our favorite time of the year.”

True southerners loved to decorate with the seasons and a true southern witch was no different. Mom had exchanged the bright sunny window treatments with brown valences. The summer rugs had been switched out to rugs and throws with colorful floating leaves. The candles had gone from beach smell to pumpkin spiced and the tablescape had changed from pinks and greens to oranges and deep reds. Mom didn’t stop there; even the bed linens were switched out. The comforters were a little heavier and the sheets were no longer silk, they were plaid and flannel.

Lilith lifted a perfectly plucked brow when I sat down.

“Okay,” I finally gave in. “I’m sorry for being late.”

“I understand that you are an adult.” Mom began her scolding and I just had to sit there and take it. “You can do whatever it is you please.” She scooped out some of the casserole and flung it on each plate. Everyone bit their lips. “But you have shamed our family by not showing up for your afternoon date with Abram.” Mom twirled her hand in the air. A bread basket floated down in the center of the table. “So, when I called Auntie concerned about your whereabouts,” Mom’s face tightened, her eyes dropped. One brow lowered while the other cocked up. “She informs me that you had a visitor today. A visitor that you told us was no longer in your life.”

She planted both hands on the edge of the table and eased herself down.

“I . . .” I tried to speak, but she lifted a hand.

“I was so upset that I couldn’t even work on my gardens and barely got the house in order with all the fall decorations.” She glared at me. “I had to use magic to prepare this meal and that is not acceptable.”

“Mom, Mick showed up this morning.” I grabbed a piece of bread and ripped it in half before sopping up some of the casserole. “I had no idea he was coming by. He wanted to meet with me and discuss what has been going on in his life.”

“His life? You mean your life’s journey?” Mom wasn’t buying it. “I can accept that you have an attraction to this man.”

“Who wouldn’t.” Lilith grinned. “He
is
hot.”

Mom shot her a look.

“What?” Lilith shrugged and took a bite of her bread. “He is,” she muttered around a mouthful.

“Regardless of his outward appearance, there is danger that surrounds him and I’m sure that’s not your life’s journey.” Mom lifted her chin. “Auntie’s Spell Circle has graciously accepted my offer for them to come tonight to do a special ceremony for you.”

“But…,” I protested, only to be shushed again.

The back screen door flung open. Pixie, Flora, Charmary, and Glinda walked through the back door in a single file line. Each of them had a leather handled oversized cloth bag with a zipper across the top. Pixie stood four feet tall and four feet wide. I was never sure of her hair color because she kept it in a buzz cut so close to her head, it shimmered different colors depending on the light.

Flora stood five feet, five inches, but five-foot-seven if you included her hair that was long, brown and uncombed. It was how she always wore her hair, so I assumed it was her style. She was average and if I saw her on the streets, I’d probably think she was homeless.