The Spiritist: A Aerilyn Mathew Novel (Aerilyn Mathew Novels Book 1) Read online

  “I’m happy. Of course, I am. But we can’t leave the display window empty. Another fountain?”

  “It might be a good idea to make a change,” Selina said as she inspected her nails. “I mean, I know you always arrange the display yourself but I was…I had this idea…”

  “Come on, spit it out.” Aerilyn pressed the send button on the email she’d been writing before Selina came in. “I would appreciate your input.”

  A quick flush of pleasure flashed in Selina’s eyes. “Why don’t we do an eclectic mix of things? I could put up that white table, cover it with red cloth that I could buy in Suzy’s shop down the street, and place a pewter cup on it. Beside it, we could put up some candles, a bowl of crystal stones, a couple of books…you know, jazz it up. It would retain the flavor of our shop and give a good idea of the kind of merchandise we carry.”

  Aerilyn mulled it over. She would not have done it the same way, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t open to new idea. “It sounds fantastic. Why don’t you do it? Go take ten minutes to buy the cloth you want. I will mind the shop.”

  Selina clapped her hands as she straightened. “Really? Great.” She followed Aerilyn out of the storeroom where Aerilyn had set up a table for her own computer. Cole was working in the backroom. “Do you think I should pop over to Phillip’s shop to say hello?”

  “Ah!” Aerilyn sat behind the counter. So that accounted for the bloom in Selina’s face. Taking out some cash, she handed it over to Selina to buy the cloth. “Phillip? So what happened that night when he walked you home? Tell all.”

  “He kissed me.” Selina all but giggled.

  “He kissed you?” Aerilyn shrieked. “How was it?”

  “Mind-blowing. Stupendous. The man’s got some moves. He told me that he had been building up the courage to ask me out for months.” Selina’s eyes got all dewy and soft. “So we decided to go out tonight. You know, on a date.”

  “That’s amazing. I like Phillip. He’s a good guy.”

  “He is, isn’t he?” Selina tossed her hair, looking all dreamy-eyed. Cole appeared from the backroom. “I think I am going to let him score a homerun on the first date. What do you think?”

  “You have known him all your life,” Aerilyn commented. “If it clicks, it clicks.”

  “Yeah. Hmm. So true.” She stuffed the money in her purse and slung it over her shoulder. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”

  Cole watched Selina glide out of the shop, her head obviously in the clouds. “Who the hell is lucky enough to score a homerun with her on the first date? Am I correct to assume that means sex? It took me a while to get you into bed.”

  “Yes, you’re right. And we were talking about Phillip.” She smothered a laugh.

  He scratched his cheek. “Phillip. I’ll be damned. That guy has sharper moves than me. Maybe I should ask him for pointers.”

  “You do that, and it will be all over town that Aerilyn gave Cole a hard time getting her into bed. So talk at your own peril,” said Aerilyn.

  Two middle aged women pressed the buzzer on the shop. Tourists, Aerilyn pegged them. She opened the door. To her delight, the ladies were new practicing wiccans and wanted two complete sets of magical tools. Bless their heart and wallets.

  She showed them her selection. “I’ve several you can choose from. What do you prefer? Wood, iron, steel, or bone?” said Aerilyn as she drew them towards the shelf that contained tools used in magical rituals.

  “Human bone or animal bone?”

  “Animal bone. All tools carved from bones are authentic and manufactured by bones obtained from animals that have died due to natural causes,” she elaborated and took out a foot long athame, a ritual knife. “It’s a part of a set of three, and includes a wand and a pentacle. The chalice is wooden.”

  One lady took the athame from her hand. Aerilyn saw Cole inch closer. She sent him a warning glare. The lady peered at the athame, inspecting the handle with great care. She hefted it in her hand, judging the weight. “I’ll take this one.”

  “I’ll take a wooden set,” said the other as she picked up a wooden pentacle on which was carved a perfect five-point form, the Seal of Solomon.

  “Anything else? A few new books on Wicca arrived a couple of days ago. Would you like to take a look?” Aerilyn enjoyed the aspect of selling; connecting the buyer with the exact thing she may or may not have realized she wanted. Though she didn’t get to do it often enough now, she took pleasure in selling the women not only the ritual tools, and three books on Wicca, but also two sets of crystal stones meant to open one’s chakras and two identical pewter cups that one of them wanted for her living room.

  She boxed the items. “I’ve included two complimentary sets of mini-bottled herbal medicines,” she told them as she rang up the purchases. “Come back soon.”

  After the ladies left, she turned to Cole, one hand on her hip. “Did you really think she was going to spear me with that ritual knife?”

  “That thought crossed my mind,” he admitted.

  “That little, old lady? You thought she was a hired assassin?” She shook her head, baffled by his over protectiveness.

  “It’s…” He rubbed his forehead. “I got a call from Damon a couple of hours ago. It seems the Zing brothers were called to the police station on the basis of the notes found in Thomas’s tablet. They have denied all allegations regarding drug dealing on campus, or recruiting someone for selling drugs. Robin claimed he saw Thomas in the club, but had no personal contact with him. There wasn’t any evidence to charge them so they got off…”

  “But…”

  “Damon’s source says they knew that the accusations had been based by a ‘nutty, self-proclaimed witch.’ Their words, not mine.”

  “So they are aware of my connection to the case. We already knew that. Why else would they send a killer after me?”

  He paced the shop. “It’s more of a feeling I have. They are not going to leave this alone. Both the brothers have never had a hint of trouble. There has never been anything that links them to drug dealings. They are not going to like this investigation, the questioning by police. And as far as they are concerned, you’re the one who has targeted them.”

  “So you think they will come after me again?”

  “They have no reason to fear you. You don’t have a shred of proof to back up your claims, but they don’t know that. Look at it from their point of view; they killed two men and got away with it. No one suspected a murder. And then suddenly, out of nowhere, someone accused them of two murders, and described the events that led to those murders in great and perfect detail.” He paused. His eyes met hers across the aisles that separated them. “They probably think that you’ve some evidence to back up your claims. How else could you have known about it?”

  “Because obviously, in their mind, I could not have actually talked to the spirits to get this information.” Aerilyn followed his line of reasoning easily enough. “They believe I am not a real witch, and therefore, I must have evidence, which is why I know what I know.”

  “Right. So they can’t wait for you to decide to share that information with the police. They must be thinking that you are toying with them,” he added.

  “And if they remove me, I will not be able to give all that evidence that I supposedly have to the police.”

  “You’re their next murder victim.”

  A cold chill enveloped Aerilyn. She shuddered. Cole walked over. He hugged her, holding her close. His hand caressed her back, moved up to cup the back of her neck. Lifting her chin, he dove in for a warm, hard kiss. Need met heat. A fire leapt in her belly and swooshed right to the tip of her toes. Lifting his head, he took a deep breath. Aerilyn put her head on his chest. He rested his chin on the top of her blonde hair while they both stood still.

  A rap on the door made them jump apart. “Mrs. Becker,” Aerilyn groaned. She reached across the counter to slap the button that made the door open.

  “Took you long enough,” said the lady
as she strode inside.

  “It’s a new security alarm…”

  “Wasn’t talking about that, but this young, handsome fellow. Heard he has been around some time now.”

  “Mrs. Becker, this is Cole. Cole, Mrs. Becker.”

  “Heard you are from Chicago?” Mrs. Becker peered up at him.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She sniffed. “City folks. Well, you best take care of our girl. We look after our own now, don’t we, Aerilyn?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Becker.”

  “Since her mother is not here, and I have known Aerilyn since she was a babe in her mama’s arms, let me tell you that she is a prize. That she is.”

  “I will keep that in mind, ma’am,” said Cole with a straight face.

  “See that you do.” Mrs. Becker turned to face Aerilyn. “I heard you got new crystals?”

  Aerilyn nearly groaned. “You already have too many crystals, Mrs. Becker.”

  “One simply can’t have enough crystal stones, Aerilyn. My cats like the pretty, shiny baubles.” She put her hand on Aerilyn’s arm and drew her aside. “Did you start that spell already? The one meant to banish my neighbor,” she said in a hushed voice.

  “It’s nearly ready. I was waiting for the new moon to put it into effect. Makes it more powerful, you see,” Aerilyn whispered back.

  Mrs. Becker touched her stiff, gray hair. “Well, good thing I caught you in time. I was thinking to wait a while…see if that boy has any merit.”

  “You’ve changed your mind?” Aerilyn’s tone was suitably disappointed.

  “I’m sorry, dear, to have put you to so much trouble, but just this morning that boy came over with a blueberry cheesecake. Walked right up to my house, a plate in his hand, and rang the bell. Of course, I was of a mind to not open the door…but courtesy has always been my strongest suit.”

  “Of course.” Cole inched closer, openly eavesdropping on their conversation. She glared at him but he refused to budge.

  “Well, one thing led to another and turned out he had heard about my father, Charles Becker. Said there was a plaque in the Savoy kitchen in Paris with the names of all the chefs who had served there. He told me that they still serve a few delicacies that my father created while he worked there.”

  “Wow. That’s wonderful.”

  “His cheesecake was delicious, too,” she added, eying the shelf that contained the new shipment of crystals. “That boy might have some potential.”

  “So you won’t need that spell after all.” Aerilyn patted her shoulder.

  “Hold on to that, dear. We’ll see how it goes. Now, which one of these are the new crystal stones?”

  Aerilyn guided her to the stones and managed to convince her to buy only one new set. Cole went back inside the backroom. After she’d boxed the purchases and sent Mrs. Becker home, she dealt with two other customers. Selina came back and busied herself with the new display.

  “I’m going over to Phillip’s shop to set up his alarm.” Cole came out, holding a hefty box in one hand. “It won’t take more than an hour.”

  “Ok. We’re fine here.”

  He hovered near the counter. “Just be careful before opening the door. Make sure Selina stays with you. Don’t send her on any errand until I am back, and…”

  She covered his hand with hers. “I’ll be fine,” she repeated. “Go on now.”

  “That man has got it bad for you,” Selina commented after he’d left. She carried two pewter cups to the display.

  “Hush, now. Don’t you start!”

  “And he’s yum! Sexy, and that body is to die for.”

  Aerilyn tapped her fingers on the counter. “I thought you were mooning over Phillip.”

  “I am not dead. I can look, can’t I?”

  “Things between Cole and I are not as simple.” And they weren’t. No matter how many times he assured her, she expected him to walk out after this job was done. Why would he stay here, in this small town, when he could have the world? And why would she move out, traipsing with him across the globe as he shifted from job to job?

  “Everything worth having is complicated.”

  “And so says the Queen of wisdom.”

  “You can bow down later.” Selina inspected the cups, added a bowl of crystal stones to the mix and stood back to watch with a critical eye. Walking over, she picked up a ceramic figure of a witch holding a broomstick off a shelf, and put it next to the bowl. She shook her head, picked up the witch and put her on the stool that was covered with red cloth.

  “What do you think?”

  Aerilyn walked over to take a closer look. “Looks good.” Selina had a good eye for details. The new display was much more fun that the one she usually created, and showcased the variety available in the shop to a great advantage. “Why don’t you add two of those ceramic goblins?”

  “Good call!”

  While Selina fixed the display case, Aerilyn rearranged the shelves, moving some things to the front so they were better displayed. Customers walked in and out, many of them buying something or the other. The shop was doing brisk business, and she enjoyed the hustle and bustle even as a part of her brain tried to deal with the fact that someone out there had put a murder contract out on her.

  It was a scary thought. She should have been petrified, but instead she was annoyed. Angry. No one had the right to decide that her time had come to an end. No one had the right to put a full stop on her life. Was she in shock? Or could it be that Cole’s presence made her feel safe?

  He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

  Not that she needed his help. She was fully capable of taking care of herself, but still it was nice to be protected. It was nice to have someone nearby who was looking out for her.

  Cole whizzed back into the backroom. She felt sorry for him. He’d put his life on hold for her. It wasn’t fair. How long was he supposed to stay cloistered in her backroom? They would have to take charge of things and wrap up this case soon so he could go back to his busy life.

  While the daylight dwindled to a close outside, Aerilyn wandered into the back room and watched Cole as he gave crisp, clear instructions to someone on the other end of the phone.

  “The building has to be monitored 24/7. I’ve emailed a copy of the layout with the exact locations of the cameras. Make sure they are mounted high up and the view is clear. For a good measure, I’ve added six cameras to the gardens and back-yard, also. Four men will be on rotating duty, and one of them has to be in the control room at all times. Once everything is set up, I might come up there for a personal visit,” he said. His gaze met her as she walked over to touch her emerald.

  Aerilyn ran a hand over its smooth, faceted surface, feeling the energy bubbling within. How was he managing an entire organization from this backroom? How much he was sacrificing to ensure her safety? Cole was a successful, important man – and she felt bad about imprisoning him in this small town.

  The sooner Thomas’s case was wrapped up, the sooner he could go back home. Pain erupted in her heart at the thought of his departure. But it would happen sooner or later.

  Cole caught her hand as he gave more instructions. “Send your team for a visual inspection tomorrow morning. They will be expecting you. Right. Thank you, Vishal.”

  “Busy?” she said as he deposited a kiss on her palm. “We could head home if you like. Selina can close the shop.”

  “Whatever you want.” He let go of her hand. After closing his laptop, he put it back in the bag. “Care to tell me what’s on your mind?”

  “How did you…” She shook her head. She’d thought to ply him with good food and wine before broaching the topic, but it wasn’t meant to be. Perhaps it was better this way.

  “I think we need to set a trap for these men, James and Robin. We need to find a way to get a confession from one or both of them.”

  “What did you have in mind? We could try marching right up to them and demand they confess?” He smiled as he gathered the papers on the table and
slid them in a red folder. Opening the outside pocket of his bag, he slipped the folder inside and zipped it.

  “The other way around, actually. We could nudge them here, to me, and get them to confess.” Aerilyn ran a finger on the edge of the table.

  His head snapped up. His eyes narrowed. “What? You think we should lure them right here, to you. Offer you up as a bait?”

  It sounded deadly when he said. It sounded like a hunt, with her as prey. “You said yourself that they believe I have proof against them. What if we were to send word to the police that I was willing to offer this proof, that I had access to something that could connect them to Thomas’s death? It might make them drop caution and rush here.”

  “If it worked, if they took the bait, they would come here to kill you. Do you even realize what you’re suggesting?”

  “Don’t tell me that you have not done this kind of thing in your line of work?”

  “This kind of thing.” He ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. “Yes, I have done it a few times, and it doesn’t always go as well as planned. Once, I nearly lost…” He took a deep breath to calm himself. “You know what, let’s just drop this idea. It’s not happening.” He picked up the bag. “Let’s go.”

  She wasn’t willing to give up so easily. She stepped into his path. “We have to end this. The longer it goes on, the greater will be the danger to me. You can’t stay here forever. Sooner or later they will get their chance, and they will try to finish me off. Isn’t it better if we decide the time and place?”

  “Do you know what you’re asking me to do?”

  Aerilyn took his hand. She raised it to her lips. “I’m asking you to trust me as I trust you. I know you will do everything to protect me. But we need to finish it on our terms. Don’t let them make us prisoners. Free us.”

  He drew her close, and put his other arm around her. Aerilyn breathed in the familiar spicy, masculine scent. Enjoying the way his arms fit around her, and the consistent thump of his heart, she lay her head on his chest. She felt safe, secure, and loved.