Bewitched, Bedeviled and Bewildered (Sister Witchcraft Book 1) Page 3

  “Oh!” Enough already. “See you around, cowboy,” I muttered, then started off down the street. He didn’t try to follow me. I was relieved…wasn’t I? I don’t know. I did keep looking back, but he was never in sight.

  Chapter 3

  I’d made it back and was about to walk into the shop when something made me look up into the Chinese pistachio tree outside our address, one of many that lined our street. There in among the leaves that were turning red and yellow in the autumn air, was the black cat, staring down at me. I hesitated, then hurried into the shop. There was something about that cat…

  I went inside to find my two sisters stocking the cupboard shelves with various packages of tea and laughing together as they worked. That brought a smile to my face. Suddenly, the Jiggs sisters and their awful clientele didn’t seem so overwhelming after all.

  “Oh, thanks!” I said. “You’ve done so much already. We may just be able to open day after tomorrow.”

  I knew the shelves were mostly empty, but there would be enough for a few customers, and we could bring in bakery items from the French Patisserie down the street to fill in until we got our oven cleared for action.

  “I’m going to make up ads to pass out on the street when we open our doors,” Lucy said. “That’ll be fun.”

  Tears threatened as I looked at the two of them. Nobody was complaining, nobody was trying to leave early. I wasn’t going to tell them about what I’d learned at the bank. I wasn’t going to repeat what that awful man had said to me. I wasn’t going to do anything to change this happy mood right now. So I turned away and cleared my throat.

  “Everything is so clean,” I said. “Thank you both so much.”

  “We did some vacuuming. And I had to chase that black cat out with a broom,” Sybil said.

  “Poor kitty,” Lucy said. “We should try to find out who he belongs to.”

  For some reason, that gave me a queasy feeling and I changed the subject.

  “Let’s go over to the shopping mall and get some lunch,” I suggested. “Cheeseburgers for all!”

  And we trooped out, one for all and all for one, like three sisters should be. If only that could last for awhile.

  The next morning I went in, expecting to put some last minute touches on the décor, do some final organizing, and prepare for our grand opening. Walking in, I knew right away something was wrong. There was a sense of disorder in the air, and when I went into the storeroom, I found every one of our packages of tea torn open and the leaves littering the ground.

  “Mice,” said Sybil when she stopped by.

  “Mice,” said Lucy when she came in to start passing out the flyers.

  “Must be mice,” said Martin Tanner when he poked his head in to say good morning.

  I didn’t think it was mice. I was afraid it was a couple of evil rats from the Shady Tree Coffee Shop. But what evidence did I have?

  Martin hung around as though he had something on his mind. I was too depressed about the so-called mice to give him much conversation. Finally he came out with it.

  “I…uh…I heard you had a run-in with Lenny Brewer yesterday.” He looked at me expectantly.

  I turned slowly, not sure exactly what he was hoping for. A blow-by-blow? A litany of victimhood? Tears and complaints?

  But when I met his gaze, all those suspicions melted away. All I saw was pure sympathy. And a little anger. As Sybil’s husband Gary would say, that seemed appropriate.

  “Something has got to be done about that guy,” he said, his hands clenched into fists. “I swear, the man’s a menace.”

  I raised an interested eyebrow. “So you’ve had your own run-ins with him, have you?”

  “You might say that. He used to come in to my game store and play with the others who gather there all the time. Until he started cheating and stealing valuable game pieces, and I had to kick him out. So the slime ball is suing me. Can you believe that?”

  Martin’s anger was burning hot and there was a throbbing at his temple. Suddenly I was afraid he was going to have a stroke.

  “Yes,” I said quickly. “Yes, I can believe it. The man is impossible.”

  “He’s more than that. He’s a crook and a liar. He’s suing me for thousands of dollars. Where does he think that I, a simple local businessman can get my hands on money like that? Just having him in the neighborhood makes my blood boil every time I see him.”

  I could understand that. “I don’t suppose there is any way to get him shanghaied to China or something?”

  At least that got a short laugh out of Martin and he began to relax a little.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “Somebody is going to have to do something about him. He’s just getting worse all the time.”

  I nodded. “Yes. I didn’t know him before but I can testify to that. He’s a real creep.”

  We talked a bit longer. I felt bad for Martin. I could tell he was really incensed by what Lenny was doing to him and didn’t know quite how to fight back without making everything that much worse. That was the trouble when you were basically a good guy and the person opposing you was a complete jerk. It was hard to know just how far you could go and get away with it.

  He finally left and I got back to my own problems. My sisters arrived to help and we had another day of hard work. We painted the trim on the building, freshening up the look. We went to the Thrift Store and bought small porcelain flower holders for the tables. I scoured the place for something cute that could be used as sugar packet holders, but the closest I came was a glass faceted model. I bought twelve of them—they were okay, but in no way comparable to the beautiful ones at Shady Tree. But then, there was no way I could hope to rival the gold foil packets they had there. Where had they found them? I was going to have to look into that.

  We did bring back various other items that were helpful, including a beautiful lacy table cloth that we cut into place mats and a huge box of dried flowers that we used for decorating. By evening, we had the place looking pretty special, if I did say so myself.

  Finally, I set traps and went to the storeroom and opened up more boxes of tea and restocked the shelves. I set up a security camera I borrowed from Martin, ready to catch whoever was doing this. Then I locked the shop for the night and hoped for the best.

  When I came in the next morning, the same disaster was waiting for me. Every mousetrap sat there with bait still cocked. Not a one had snapped. But the supplies were destroyed.

  “It’s not mice,” I whispered to myself. “And if it’s not mice, I don’t have a clue how I am supposed to deal with it.”

  I looked on the security recording. The quiet scene had been taped for about two hours, then everything went blank. I wasn’t surprised.

  Overwhelmed, I sank down at one of my cute little tables and tried to hold back tears. Someone knocked and I looked up. A man in a suit. I went to the door and he handed me a legal form.

  “We’ve had a report that you have had a rodent infestation. You have three days to take care of this or your permit to serve food will be rescinded.”

  I didn’t even try to argue. I pretty much knew when I was beat.

  Sybil showed up and took in the situation at a glance. She saw the form from city hall. She looked at me and glared. “You’re not going to just give up, are you?” she said, shocking me. “Come on. Call the exterminator.”

  I almost laughed, but I was afraid once I got started, could crying be far behind?

  “Sybil, I appreciate your supportive attitude. I love it. But this time, it’s misplaced.” I spread out my hands, palms up. “There’s no money. I spent it all on supplies. Those have all been ruined. I…I don’t have anything left.”

  She kicked my foot. Not really hard, but it was an unusual move for her to make. I stared at her.

  “I’ll pay for the exterminator, you silly goose. Come on. Call him. Red Ryder. Here’s the number. I know the man and he’s good. He’ll tell us what’s what.”

  I frowned, staring at her,
shaking my head. “Who are you?” I said.

  “Come on. Do it.”

  I nodded reluctantly. I didn’t think there was much hope. I picked up my cell and called the man, and we waited. He came right over.

  “Hey, nice to meet you,” he said, barely touching my hand as we shook. He was all business.

  “Let me see where the most damage was done,” he said, taking out some sort of monitor that buzzed like the wand on a Geiger counter. “I’ll give you my assessment in five minutes.”

  Sybil and I sat at a table and stared at each other, practically counting the seconds down. Meanwhile the buzzing rose and dropped at various intervals, but it never stopped.

  “Okay,” he said, coming back. “I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news.”

  “Good first,” I said.

  “You don’t have a rodent infestation.”

  “See!” I cried, jumping up. “I knew it!”

  Sybil wasn’t impressed. “What’s the bad news?”

  Red Ryder looked at her and made a grimace. “I have no idea what is tearing up your tea bags. Are you sure you don’t have an enemy with a key to the shop? Someone who comes in and does this while you’re gone?”

  I shook my head but I didn’t meet his gaze. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t have a program of witch extermination ready to go. “The important fact is that we don’t have rodents,” I said. “Can you make a statement to that effect down at city hall?”

  He started to say yes. I saw the word forming on his lips. But he stopped and looked at me as though he’d suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Then he swallowed hard and looked nervous. He looked out the front window and I could see him looking straight over toward the Shady Tree Coffee Shop. When he looked back at me, he’d realized exactly the same thing I had. This was no ordinary case of sabotage. This was tied to a pair of ladies with clout and magic. And he wanted no part of it. His eyes got shifty.

  “Uh, listen, I’m real sorry, but I don’t think there’s anything I can do to help you,” he said, edging toward the door.

  Sybil tried to argue, but I didn’t bother. I knew it was no use.

  Sybil came back in and I looked up. “You know it’s over, don’t you?” I said.

  She bit her lip and looked away. “This is the same thing that happened to Grand-Mere. It’s those women, isn’t it? They have magic.”

  I wasn’t so much surprised that she knew all about it. What shocked me was that she would admit it to me. Still, it was faint comfort.

  “I think so,” I said. “Do you know what kind of magic?”

  She shook her head. “I try to ignore anything supernatural,” she said firmly. “And you would be happier and healthier if you did the same.”

  I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter now. Even if I could use my powers better, they’d be too strong for me. Those two women seem to be powered by evil. I’d need a coven behind me to be able to do anything.”

  She picked up her purse and turned toward the door. “Well, that’s not going to happen,” she said. “You and Lucy come on over for dinner tonight. We’ll discuss what to do. With the house and the shop, I mean. If we can get enough for them, maybe you two can stay with us for awhile and then…”

  Her voice faded away.

  I nodded, too dispirited to look up. I heard the door close. Then I heard something else. Looking up, I saw the black cat padding sternly toward the kitchen.

  “Hey,” I called out to him. “You finally got in. Lucky you. Too bad it will probably be your last chance.”

  He threw me a disgusted look, flattened back his white tufted ears and kept going. He went by with an impressive strut, tail high, coat shining. Of course, he stopped to lick his shoulder before he got to his goal. Then he gave me a flick of his tail. I watched as he made his way through the torn tea packages and jumped up on the counter before turning to look at me.

  “If you’re asking to be fed, you’re barking up the wrong tree, so to speak. I don’t have anything you would like. You should probably try the fish store down the street.”

  I swear he looked disgusted with me again, as though he was giving me messages and I was just too dumb to figure that out. I was starting to feel a bit clueless.

  He jumped down and pawed at a low door in the broom closet.

  “What? You think there’s something in there?

  He looked up with bright eyes. Obviously, he did. I decided to humor him and leaned down to open the door. Inside a small cubby hole sort of space was a ceramic bowl—a cat food bowl. In the bowl was a nice handful of dried cat food. I frowned. I didn’t remember seeing that before. I pulled it out and placed it on the floor. A little brass plate on the front of the bowl said “Kashmir”.

  “Kashmir,” I read aloud.

  He seemed to nod and he walked up quickly and began eating the food.

  “Hmm,” I said. This all seemed rather strange, but I got down another bowl and filled it with fresh water for him. “Your name can’t be Kashmir, can it?” I said.

  He looked up and seemed to smile.

  Suddenly, his head snapped around as though he’d heard something. Listening hard, I began to hear it too. There was an ominous sound, a sort of rushing, and as it got louder, I saw mice. Lots of mice. They came running out of every nook and cranny, streaming over every counter, jumping from high cupboards, pouring out of cracks in the walls.

  I gasped, backing away. It was unbelievable. Mice everywhere, a sea of silver fur and white whiskers. Not to mention the teeth. My first thought was to grab the cat and carry him out with me. But when I looked at him, he was not just sitting around stunned, like I was. He was moving like lightning. One, two, three-- mouse heads began to roll across the floor. He was catching them, killing them, tossing them into the air, all at such speed I couldn’t really see him do it—only the results. There were so many mice, and yet—he was winning!

  The rushing noise was so loud, it was deafening, but something had changed. This time the mice were going in reverse. As quickly as they had come, they disappeared. And then the room was quiet again. Quiet, and empty. No mice.

  I looked at the cat. He was licking his paws and washing his face. Cool as a cucumber. And finally my fuzzy brain began to work again and I realized what had happened. Those mice weren’t real. Not what we would consider real flesh and blood real. They were ghost mice, conjured up by some witchy spell from some witchy woman who lived down the street, no doubt. And this cat had known just how to deal with them.

  “Who are you?” I said aloud, realizing I had said the same thing to my sister only half an hour before. So I added another question. “Who sent you?”

  He paused and smiled at me, then went back to washing. I shook my head and laughed. “I suppose I could have worked out a spell to take care of the nasty little things myself if I hadn’t been blindsided that way. But it would have taken me a few days to figure it out. Thank you, cat. Whoever you are.”

  He paused again and tapped his paw against the “Kashmir” nameplate on the ceramic bowl.

  “Kashmir?”

  He smiled.

  “You are on amazing cat. Did you belong to my Grand-Mere?”

  He stretched happily.

  “Well I’m glad to meet you, Kashmir.” I sighed. “I only wish we had met sooner. But it wouldn’t have been soon enough.” I looked around the tea shop. “All my supplies are gone and I have no money to start over again. I’m afraid you’ve come back to help me for nothing, Sweetie. If you really are Grand-Mere’s cat, I suppose you’re enchanted. Or maybe even a witch yourself. But even so, I don’t think all your powers are going to do me much good. I’ve been beaten by the witches of the Shady Tree Coffee Shop. Without money…..”

  Kashmir gave a low growl and jumped up on the top of the china cabinet in one bound. He began to scratch up there very much as he had scratched against the glass on the front door.

  “What are you doing?”

  I grabbed a small ladder and climbed to where I could see th
e top of the cabinet. The cat was tearing at a paper backing, and as it began to peel off, I saw an envelope inside.

  “Shall I pull it out?” I asked him. I definitely didn’t want to get in the way without his permission.

  He stood back. I reached in and pulled out a fat envelope, stuffed with money.

  “What…?”

  I climbed down, getting excited now. Inside were a lot of large denomination bills, and a folded piece of paper. I opened the paper. It was a letter from Grand-Mere.

  My darling Mimi,

  By rights, I should be writing this to your older sister, but she has turned her face so determinedly away from the powers that our family was born to use that I find I have no choice. I have to appeal to you, my dear. By now I am surely in another world from where I’ve lived my life. I’m looking forward to seeing your parents there.

  In the meantime, I hope you are working to reopen the tea shop. That’s what we always planned that you would do. Remember those long talks on summer evenings, watching the stars come out? I was so happy to know that you would carry on the work I’ve done for so long. You’ll find most of my best recipes in this envelope. They will be known to you as you’ve helped me to prepare every one of them at one time or another.

  I’ve hidden away some money to help you get started. I know you’ll have your problems. Things have turned a little more unfriendly toward our kind and you will have to deal with that. But I will send my black cat, Kashmir, to help you. I received him from a dying warlock a few years ago. He will be your familiar just as he has been mine. Treat him well and it will come back to you in blessings.

  Take care my darling.

  My love to Sybil and Lucy.

  Grand-Mere

  “Grand-Mere!” Tears filled my eyes. I’d always loved her so much and now she was saving me from beyond the grave. I held her letter to my heart and cried.

  When I’d calmed a bit, I looked at Kashmir. He was cleaning a leg and looking bored.

  “Hey,” I said with a sniffle. “Do you realize that you’re going to be mine now?”