A Spell Of Trouble (Silver Hollow Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) (5 page)

L
ouella lived
in an old red cottage that was deep in the forest near the parcel of land that was up for rezoning. Was that why Louella was opposed to the building of the mall? The parcel didn’t abut her land, but it still would impose on the tranquility of the forest.

Issy didn’t want to park her car in Louella’s driveway or on the road leading to her house, as that would make it obvious she was at Louella’s since there were no other houses on the road. Now that there was an investigation, the police were sure to search Louella’s house for clues. If they hadn’t already. Issy knew a shortcut through the woods, so she parked on one of the old logging roads and started through the woods. She’d grabbed Bella from the pet store at the last minute, and the little dog trotted obediently at her side.

Louella’s house was at the bottom of a steep hill. It was shrouded in the cloak of heavy emptiness that descends on a residence when the person is no longer living. A flush of sadness swept through Issy. Even though she hadn’t liked Louella, she hadn’t wished her dead.

The day was hot, nearing the nineties, but the shade of the forest cooled the air to a more palatable eighty-two. Issy’s flip-flops crunched through old fallen pine needles as she walked up the flagstone walkway to Louella’s front door.

Brimstone trotted out of nowhere. “Are you going in there?”

“I have to.”

Brimstone glanced at Bella. “I hardly see how your wet-behind-the-ears
familiar
is going to be able to alert you or help you. I think you need my help.”

Bella growled at Brimstone, and Brimstone arched his back and hissed.

“Cut it out, guys. You can both come in with me. Brimstone, you know Bella is still learning, and she’s coming along quite nicely.”

The Pomeranian smiled and wagged her tail profusely at the compliment.

Brimstone snorted and turned toward the house, his nose up in the air, sniffing. Bella mimicked the action. Issy did the same, focusing all her internal energy on her nose. A niggle of trepidation crept through her when she smelled the faint aroma of wax.

The waxy scent meant that someone else had already unlocked Louella’s door using magic. A witch, wizard, or warlock had already been here. Were they still inside?

“No one is here,” Brimstone said as if reading her mind.

“I knew that.” Issy stepped to the front door. Running her fingers lightly over the knob, she held her breath. Focusing her energy on unlocking it, she visualized the locking mechanism deep inside, using her mind to picture a key fitting into the lock and tumbling the mechanism that would unlock the door.

Her fingertips tingled.

“
Infero,
” she whispered.

Click.

A smile ghosted across Issy’s lips. She loved when magic worked easily. But her delight was soon replaced with nervousness as she stepped inside and was enveloped by the silence of the house, leaving the warmth of sunlight and cheerful sounds of twittering birds outside.

The house was neat as a pin. A thin layer of dust had already formed even though it had only been a couple of days since Louella had last lived in the house. The floorboard creaked as she walked through the living room, which was decorated simply with an old flowered couch on one wall and a blue fabric recliner with an avocado-and-orange afghan strewn across the arm on the other.

Behind the living room was the kitchen. Issy wondered if Lou had purchased the old-fashioned Formica table when she had originally moved in. The kitchen was bare of clutter. Mushroom-decor canisters sat on the tile countertops. The white cabinets were scrubbed clean. But Issy didn’t have time to admire the décor—she needed to get the camera, and she was pretty sure it wouldn’t be in the kitchen.

Brimstone and Bella turned toward the hallway, elbowing each other out of the way, juggling for dominance. They stopped in front of one of the rooms. Bella gave a soft bark then looked at Issy with eager brown eyes. Issy thought she registered the niggle of a telepathic thought from the dog, instructing her to search in that room. Pride swelled in her chest—Bella really was coming along with her abilities.

Brimstone looked back and forth between Bella and Issy, the charcoal fur between his eyes wrinkling. “Well, of course she would keep the camera in here. It’s an office.”

Louella’s office was as neat as the rest of the house. A large gray metal teacher’s desk that Issy assumed she must’ve gotten from one of the school auctions sat in the middle of the room. One wall held bookshelves that appeared to be filled with books on various nature subjects. Trees, birds, reptiles. Who knew Louella was such a nature lover?

Issy got right to work. She didn’t have time to dawdle. She couldn’t tell if the police had already been here, but she hurried over to the desk, searching the inbox on the top and then opening the side drawers. She didn’t find the camera.

She opened the middle drawer, and her heart turned to ice. Sitting inside was an object that she was very familiar with. It was an athame, a ritual knife used for magic.

She curled her hand around the cold, smooth obsidian handle. The double-edged blade glinted in the sunlight that dappled through the side window as she pulled it out for a closer look. A bloodred garnet stone winked from its place on the end of the hilt. On the side of the blade was etched a symbol—a shamrock. The knife was unique, possibly one-of-a-kind. She knew of only one person that had a knife like that—Gray.

Why would Gray’s knife be in Louella’s drawer?

Did he have some kind of connection with Louella that she didn’t know about? Was that why he’d been acting secretive about the full-moon ritual?

“
Hiss!
” Brimstone leaped down from the top of the desk where he’d been sitting and ran out into the hallway just as the scuffle of footsteps came from the direction of the front door.

Someone was here!

Issy scooped Bella up in her arms and ran for the back door, opening it quietly and spilling out onto the back steps just as she heard the front door open.

Brimstone was nowhere to be seen. Issy ran for the woods. When she reached the safety of the tree line, she ducked behind a thick oak and put Bella down.

Brimstone sauntered out from behind another tree. “You got out of there just in time.”

“Yeah, thanks for the warning.”

The cat sat on his haunches, his fur looking more black than grey in the shadows of the trees. “Hey, I can’t do everything. I was trying to let your fabulous familiar here warn you.”

Issy peeked out from behind the tree to see the sheriff’s car in Louella’s driveway. Owen was in Louella’s house, probably looking for the camera.

Well, at least she’d gotten the knife. She slipped it in her pocket, turned, and walked smack-dab into Dexter Nolan.

“
O
h
! I’m sor—” Issy raised her eyes slowly, her gaze traveling over his muscular chest, up his long, tanned throat, to meet Dex Nolan’s curious hazel eyes. Although, in the sunlight, she could definitely see more moss green than gold in their depths.

Wait. What?

The last thing she should be thinking about right now was the color of this man’s eyes.

He was the enemy, after all. The rumors about the FBPI and their shady interrogation tactics, not to mention the horror stories of what happened to paranormals once they disappeared inside the FBPI’s Area 59 prison, were the stuff of scary legend.

She swallowed hard and squared her shoulders. “What are you doing here?”

“Pretty sure that’s my line,” he said, his deep voice skimming over her like a cool stream in the afternoon heat. At five-seven, Issy wasn’t used to having to tip her head back to look at most people, but Dex Nolan was just tall, darn him. He gazed down at her, one side of his full lips quirked into a sarcastic grin. “I’m waiting.”

Part of her wanted to tell him he could continue waiting until the stars burned away. The other part of her, traitor that it was, wanted to cuddle up against his side and nuzzle his strong jaw, now covered by a hint of dark stubble. This close, he smelled of soap and fresh air and a hint of manly sweat.

Annoyed, she took a step back and glanced down at Bella, who was currently wrapping herself around the irritating man’s legs like a brazen hussy. The hilt of Gray’s knife rested heavy against her waist where she’d tucked it into the back pocket of her shorts, weighing her down like an anchor. At least she’d had the sense to cover it with her tank top so it wouldn’t be out there for the world to see. “I was just walking my dog.”

“
Woof!
” Bella barked, as if in agreement.

“Huh.” He stared down at her precious little ball of orange-and-white fluff and raised a brow. “Is that what you call it?”

“Bella’s a Pomeranian,” Issy said, snapping her fingers to try and get the dog away from Dex’s hiking boot, which she’d presently chosen to drape herself over, tummy up and available for rubs. Issy sensed her little doggy mind was filled with overwhelming thoughts of bliss and tranquility regarding Dex, along with a whole lot of starstruck infatuation. Issy managed to refrain from rolling her eyes, barely. So much for animal loyalty. Never mind if her canine familiar’s emotions mirrored her own more closely than Issy wanted to admit. “They’re a toy breed.”

“Well,” Dex said, crouching to comply with Bella’s shameless whines for attention. “She is cute. Aren’t you sweet, girl? Huh? Who’s a cutie? You are! Yes, you are.”

Issy couldn’t help but smile at the change in the tough FBPI detective’s demeanor. There was something about petting an animal that turned everyone into a baby-talking idiot. “She’s usually not this friendly with strangers. She must like you.”

“Yeah?” Dex looked up at her, and Issy’s heart somersaulted. “I seem to have a way with women.”

I bet you do.
Issy shook her head to clear it then checked her watch. She really should get back to the shop. Her assistant would be leaving in about an hour, and Issy had a new shipment of cat litter being delivered later that she needed to make room for in the stock room. She snapped her fingers and started walking back in the direction where she’d parked Brown Betty. “C’mon, Bella. Let’s go.”

Her little dog rolled over and leapt to her tiny paws, dancing around in circles excitedly before racing after Issy. Bella loved riding in the car almost as much as she loved tummy rubs.

“Wait!” Dex called from behind her. “You still haven’t told me what you’re doing skulking around a crime scene.”

Issy halted and took a deep, steadying breath before facing Dex again. It was wrong, really, for a man to be that appealing and be so off limits. “It’s not really a crime scene.”

“No.” He walked over to join her. “But it is a little suspicious, don’t you think? You hanging around the house of a recent homicide victim. Especially with you being there at the scene of the murder and all.”

“We’ve been over this already,” she said, continuing on her way, with him trailing along beside her and Bella yipping at her heels. “I had nothing to do with Louella Drummond’s death.” The knife tapped against her spine with each step, compelling her to add, “Neither did Gray.”

Their footfalls on the crackling underbrush melded with the sounds of birdsong and frogs croaking from the stream in the distance. It would’ve all been beautiful and peaceful, except for the tiny fact that this guy thought she’d killed someone.

They stopped in a small clearing, and Issy faced him once more. “And you never did answer my question.”

“What question’s that?”

“What you’re doing here lurking around in the woods?” The weird tug of awareness she always felt between them curled tighter around her, urging her closer to him. Issy held her ground and crossed her arms. Stupid tug. “This isn’t exactly your jurisdiction, is it?”

“It is now.” His warm gaze flickered to her lips before meeting her eyes again. He frowned, as if he was resisting this connection between them as well. “Since I’m lead investigator on this case.”

Issy’s breath caught. “Wait. You’re lead investigator? I thought your creepy buddy Stan was in charge of the murder.”

“We’re sharing responsibilities on this one.”

“I see.” Honestly, she didn’t see at all. Owen seemed to have been doing just fine on his own with Louella’s homicide. Why did the FBPI have to come in and take over and get all nosy into everyone’s affairs? And why did they have to send this man, who looked like a Greek god and made her feel all dreamy inside? It was enough to make a witch yearn for the Salem trials again. But Issy wasn’t one to run and hide when the going got tough. She was made of sterner stuff. All the Quinns were. Bravely, she held out her wrists, one strawberry-blond brow cocked at Dex. “So are you going to arrest me or what?”

He took a step closer to her, and for a brief terrifying moment, she wondered if he actually would take her into custody, or kiss her, or both. But he just stopped about a foot away and crossed his arms over his beefy chest, his expression contemplative. “I can’t figure you out, Issy Quinn.”

She let her arms fall back to her sides. “What’s to figure out?”

“You’re so protective of this town and its people, so protective of your family and your pets, yet you surrender yourself without a second thought.”

His perceptiveness made her chest pinch with the truth of it. “Silver Hollow is my home. I love it here, and I’d do anything to protect it.” She rubbed her arms and shrugged. “Don’t you feel that way about where you’re from?”

“No, not really. It isn’t nearly as spectacular as all this.” He gestured to the breathtaking nature around them. Of course he would be a nature lover too. The guy was practically custom-ordered just for her.

Except for the fact that he worked for the paranormal community’s greatest nemesis and he lived half a continent away and he kept squinting toward her back pocket as if he just knew she had Gray’s stupid athame hidden there. And, of course, there were her powers—and his lack of abilities. Human and paranormal matings rarely, if ever, worked, simply because the parties were too different. She shuffled her feet and did her best to ignore the telltale accusing poke of the knife’s hilt against her back. “Right. Well, I really have to get back to my shop now. Nice talking with you. I’ll let you get back to your investigation now.”

She turned on her heel and snapped her fingers for Bella to follow, sending up a silent prayer to the goddess that he’d take the hint and not follow her again.

* * *

D
ex followed
. Even though he knew he shouldn’t. Even though her body language clearly told him to
stay away
. Even though she was one of the top suspects in this whole topsy-turvy debacle of a case.

He caught up to her then kept pace at her side as they walked up the big hill behind Louella’s house. He ignored her little dog trying to gnaw at the laces of his hiking boots while he walked. “How long have you had your pet shop?”

“Is this part of your investigation?” she asked, giving him some serious side-eye.

“No. Just making small talk.” Dex wasn’t sure why, but there was something about her—with her huge sea-green eyes and soft, innocent face—that made him want to be near her, to protect her. Not to mention the fact that he’d spotted that knife in her pocket a ways back and wanted to see if she’d mention it to him. The outline of it was clear through her thin cotton tank top, but it was kind of cute the way she thought he wouldn’t notice.

He stumbled, scowled. Since when was a suspect concealing evidence cute?

“Watch your step there, Detective,” Issy said over her shoulder, her tone snarky.

“Answer my question,” he said, stepping over an old dead log then scooping up her tiny dog and carrying it under his arm, football-style. Poor little thing was probably exhausted by now with those impossibly small paws and skinny legs flying to keep up with them. The dog licked his hand and snuggled against him, content. “How long has Enchanted Pets been around? And why’d you pick that name?”

“My store’s been open for years. And I picked the name because I liked it.” She gave him a small, polite smile. “How about you, Detective Nolan? How’d a nice guy like you end up in a terrible place like the FBI?”

He chuckled. “Who says I’m nice?”

She glanced over at him, and he grinned.

“Okay. I try to be a nice guy whenever I can. And please, call me Dex.”

Issy regarded him with cool appraisal for a moment then gave a slight nod.

“Silver Hollow’s a strange place, I have to admit.”

“Why’s that?” Her expression shifted quickly from stoic to alarmed, her pretty green eyes nearly glowing from within, and not for the first time, Dex got the weird notion that maybe Stan’s insane tales were right. Maybe there was a bit of witchcraft hidden in this mysterious woman. She’d sure as heck bewitched him, it seemed.

“Well, most folks I know are happy to have law enforcement get involved. They appreciate the sense of order and peace that occurs when a higher authority is around, especially during, say, a murder.”

“And that’s not the vibe you get from Silver Hollow, huh?” Her voice was a bit breathless from the climb.

“Nope.” He shook his head, shoving a low-hanging branch from their path so she could pass through without getting scratched. “I mean, everyone is friendly enough on the surface, but they close up like clams the minute we start asking any probing questions.”

“What kind of probing questions?” Issy looked at Bella and smiled before blinking up at him again. Man, she was pretty. Pretty enough to make him all tongue tied and twisted and trip over his own feet, if he wasn’t careful. “You like animals, huh?”

“I do. Grew up on farm, so I spent a lot of time around them as a kid.” He adjusted Bella’s slight weight under his arm then climbed over another log. “And as far as probing questions, just the usual. Where were you at the time of the murder? How well do you know the suspect? Do you have anything incriminating you’d like to share with us that might help us solve this case?”

Issy stopped fast, and Dex had to dig in his heels to keep from running right over the top of her. He shifted his gaze from her back pocket to her face, but not fast enough, if her dark frown was any indication. She reached over and took her dog from him then stepped back. “I’m going now, Detective Nolan. My truck is parked right over that next hill. No need for you to tag along any farther. Good day.”

Well, then.

He watched her walk away, feeling bemused, then he turned in time to see Stan’s huge Crown Vic chug around the corner and pull into Louella’s driveway right next to Owen's police car.

Stan got out of the big old boat of a vehicle, looking gray and undertaker-ish and creepy, just as Issy had described. He might be Dex’s partner on this case, but the two of them were worlds apart when it came to their views—especially about paranormals. Dex was, after all, only here because of what had happened on that last kidnapping case, and Stan… Well, Stan seemed to have made it his personal vendetta to capture as many of these so-called paranormals as possible and make their lives a living hell.

The thought of him doing such a thing to sweet, kind, pretty, innocent-looking Issy Quinn made his skin crawl and his gut knot with tension. That same odd protectiveness he’d felt around her earlier returned with a vengeance, and he vowed to himself not to let another innocent life be lost, not let the real bad guy go free, like what had happened in that kidnapping. Not following his instincts, his gut, had cost him everything.

“Nolan?” Stan squinted, looking through the trees at him way up at the crest of the hill. “You just gonna stand out here all day? We’ve got a house to search and evidence to collect. The locals have already been in there for at least ten minutes.”

Dex started down the hill, images of that knife in Issy’s back pocket swirling in his mind. She wasn’t the weapons type, at least from what he’d seen, which meant it most likely came from the victim’s home. But why would she take it, and whom did it really belong to?