Body Bags & Blarney (16 page)

Clara’s image
returned to the screen. “It just looked like an ordinary penny to me. Who
knew?”

The voice of
Jonah returned as the image of the penny appeared back on the screen. “What she
found out when the coin was taken to an expert in Geneva was nothing short of
amazing. The lone penny, which just happened to be in exquisite condition, was
worth an estimated thirty-five thousand dollars.”

“I was
astounded.” The image of Clara speaking to Jonah returned to the screen. “I
would never had known that without Harold, so we’re going to sell it and split
the money in half.”

“This makes
the second windfall to happen in Cayuga Cove, as local residents Nathaniel
Schroeder and Tristan Carr won a million dollar multi-state Lotto drawing held
earlier this week.” Jonah noted. “Which I don’t need to tell you, adds up to a
lot of pennies indeed. Reporting from Cayuga Cove, Jonah Reed, Channel Six
news.”

The news
anchor returned. “Coming up after the break, a look ahead to a possible
late-winter storm that could bring heavy snow to the local area. News at Eleven
meteorologist Christina Harper has all the details and the seven day forecast
coming right up. Stay with us.”

Vivienne
turned the volume down on the television. “What time is it?”

Kathy looked
over at the wall clock near the doorway. “Quarter after eleven.”

“We missed the
top story.” Vivienne replied with a hint of annoyance. “Do you think they
mentioned anything about the death of Father William?”

“They pack a
lot of stories into those first few minutes.” Kathy grimaced. “I wasn’t paying
any attention.”

“Nor was I.”
Vivienne mentally kicked herself. “Damn.”

Kathy set her
magazine down. “Doesn’t it seem odd that we’re having all these things happen
in town all of a sudden?”

“Yes, it
does.” Vivienne agreed.

“Makes me
nervous that with all the good luck floating around, we’re in for a heaping of
bad luck to follow.”

“Father
William dying was certainly a big dose of bad luck.” Vivienne replied.

“My mother
used to say that bad things always happened in threes.” Kathy stood up from the
chair and stretched her legs.

“First Suzette
Powell’s catering business catches fire, then Father Williams drowns in the
baptismal pool at church.” Vivienne counted off.

“The rigging
collapse in the tent.” Kathy added.

“No.” Vivienne
shook her head. “If anything that was good luck that no one was seriously
injured or killed.”

Kathy thought
on the logic of her statement and was forced to agree. “I suppose you’re right
about that one.” She chuckled a little. “Listen to us, going on like a bunch of
superstitious old biddies. Next thing you know, we’ll be reading tea leaves to
see who will get married first.”

“Well, can you
really blame us for that?” Vivienne so desperately wanted to tell Kathy the
truth about what she knew. That their peaceful little town was riddled with
magic portals that could be responsible for the series of random events striking.
She was certain that given some time, her friend would actually believe that
she was a witch who worked the mysterious ways of spells and enchantments.
Although Joshua was aware of her true nature, she longed to share her journey
with her best friend. Yet, she knew the danger of revealing herself to mortals.
Should Kathy slip up, Vivienne and Joshua’s entire existence could be uprooted.
It was a gamble that just wasn’t worth taking. For now, she would have to keep
her in the dark.
  

“So, based on
our observations, we have at least one bad thing yet to happen.” Kathy reached
up and massaged her temples. “I just hope that it doesn’t involve us. I’ve had
enough craziness this month.”

“That’s what really
worries me.” Vivienne stifled a yawn. “That and the lack of sleep I’ve been
getting.”

“Why don’t we
go see if Joshua is ready to go home?” Kathy asked. “I can’t afford to burn the
midnight oil anymore.”

“Good idea.”
They stepped out of the waiting room and headed for the nurse’s station that
was in the center of the hall. “I’m really not liking the fact that some of the
staff here are getting to know me on a first name basis.”

One of the
nurses passed by and smiled at them both. “Hello Vivienne.”

“From your
lips to God’s ears.” Kathy replied and then put her hand over her mouth. “I
know. Bad choice of words.”

CHAPTER
TWELVE

Sunday
afternoon was usually spent relaxing on the sofa, clipping coupons out of the
newspaper while Joshua watched a game on the television. Having been given the
okay that Hunter was going to be fine, Joshua agreed to leave the hospital
shortly after one in the morning. Which meant that they both slept in well past
their usual wake up time, until both cats created such a ruckus about not being
fed breakfast that they had no other choice but to toss back the covers and
face the day.

Vivienne
skipped making breakfast and instead decided to use up some of the luncheon
meat in her fridge to make club sandwiches for lunch. She pulled out her trusty
non-stick skillet and plopped half a package of bacon strips in to fry up. As
the meat sizzled and popped, she was thankful that the automatic timer on the
coffee maker had brewed a pot without her having to do anything but find some
mugs to pour it into. It also happened to be one of the rare Christmas gifts
from Nora that she didn’t have to exchange or return after the holidays. After
all, who really needed a miniature donut maker that could turn into a pancake
griddle with the simple twist of a knob?

“Morning.”
Joshua padded into the kitchen wearing a pair of football-patterned sleep
pants, which also happened to be a holiday gift from Nora, and a simple white
tee shirt.

“You mean
afternoon.” Vivienne corrected him. “It’s twelve-thirty.”

He pulled out
a kitchen chair and sat down, sniffing the air. “What are you making?”

“Turkey and
bacon club sandwiches on sourdough.” Vivienne walked over to the toaster and
plopped four pieces of bread in. “You want them lightly toasted, right?”

“Yes.” Joshua
picked the newspaper off the table and pulled the sections apart until he found
the sports pages. “Thank you.”

Vivienne moved
back over the stove and gave the strips of bacon a poke with her cooking tongs.
“There isn’t anything mentioned about Father William in the paper today.”

“I’m not
surprised.” Joshua scratched at his full head of hair that wasn’t all that
terribly messy for having been tossed and turned on with a fitful sleep. “It
probably means that their still investigating.”

“Good.”
Vivienne added as she turned the bacon pieces over in the pan. “Because I have
some things to tell you, but I thought it best to wait until we both had a
clear head before doing so.”

“I had a
feeling you would.” He smiled at her. “But before we go into that, can we eat
first? I’m actually quite hungry.”

“Sure.” She
could smell the bread toasting away. “I could use something in my stomach
besides coffee anyway.” She poured a mug for Joshua and walked it over to the
table where he was reading an article under a picture of a player making a jump
shot in a local basketball game.

“Thanks,
honey.” He smiled back.

She leaned
down so he could give her a kiss. “Is there ever a month when there isn’t some
sports game going on?”

Joshua pointed
to the article. “Listen to this.” He pulled the paper up closer to his face.
“Cayuga Cove High School basketball team pulls miracle shot in last five
seconds to win game.”

“How big of a
miracle are we talking?” Vivienne asked, suddenly interested in a sports story
for possibly the first time in her life. But it wasn’t the game-winning
strategy that had her attention. It was the supposed miracle shot.

Joshua
continued to read the article in the local sports section. “Cayuga Cove senior,
Heath Ganton, pulled off an amazing full court shot after a heated home game
with rival, Ithaca High School, in the dazzling final seconds of the game.
Winning 66-63, Cayuga Cove advances into the final tournament with high hopes
for the first victory in over a decade.”

Vivienne
hurried over to the toaster and popped the bread out, lightly-browned just as
she had hoped for. “So tell me, how hard is that shot to make?”

Joshua paused
for a moment. “Well, I don’t know the exact odds, but if I had to guess I’d say
probably one in a hundred.”

“How often
does something like that happen in high school basketball?”

“It doesn’t
even happen that often in the NBA.” Joshua perked up, finally having a chance
to talk sports at the kitchen table. “So, you can see why it made the front
page of the sports section today.”

As she returned
to the pan to check on the bacon, she nearly tripped over Tommy who was curling
around her ankles begging for a taste. “Tommy, go into the living room and find
something to do.”

Joshua lowered
the paper and raised an eyebrow at her. “You don’t really expect him to follow
your orders, do you?”

Vivienne
carefully scooted around him and pulled the bacon onto a paper towel lined
plate to cool off. “No, but it makes me feel better to say it.”

Joshua
laughed. “Tommy, leave your mother alone.”

Vivienne placed
some more bread in the toaster and opened the plastic container that contained
the sliced deli turkey she had purchased a few days ago at the Monarch Grocery.
“Here, take this and go in peace.” She lowered a slice to his face.

Tommy Cat
snagged the turkey with his front paw and knocked it to the floor. With a
sudden swoop, he gobbled it into his mouth and pranced away with his hard-won
prize.

As if on cue,
Sammy Cat sauntered up from the basement and immediately let out a loud meow
that he knew he had missed something special.

“Here, take
this and join your brother.” Vivienne dangled a slice of turkey down in front
of him which he snagged into his mouth and darted away before she could change
her mind and try and get it back.

“You’re
setting something in motion here that isn’t good.” Joshua warned her as he
sipped some of his coffee. “I mean, how many people buy fresh deli meat for
their pets?”

“I can’t help
it.” Vivienne opened the refrigerator and pulled out a container of butter
lettuce. “I’m just a softie when it comes to furry things.”

Joshua paused
for a moment and smiled. “Does that include me?”

She closed the
refrigerator door and pointed to the calendar on the freezer section. Her
finger stopped on Sunday, March 16
^th
where she had penciled in ‘full
moon’. “Only on special occasions.”

He laughed and
went back to his newspaper. Putting the sports pages away, he opened the local
news section and whistled. “I’ll be damned.”

Vivienne
stacked the first sandwich together and swabbed the top slice of bread with
some mayonnaise. “I’m almost afraid to ask what you found.”

“Meteorologists
warn that a weather system could set up for a Nor’easter to strike the New
England coast next week. Potential for heavy snow in local area prompts town
services to prepare ahead for the worst case scenario.” Joshua finished
reading.

“How much
could we get from that?”

Joshua
shrugged. “I have no idea, but I’m pretty sure that means we’re going to have a
snow emergency familiarization meeting in the near future. Mayor Pembroke hates
the snow and she always wants to plan ahead if there is even a slim chance of
us getting hit.”

“She’s had a
ton of experience planning high society events in New York. She knows it’s best
to prepare for the worst.” Vivienne acknowledged. “I can’t say that I disagree
with her logic.”

“Would you
like to sit in on some of the meetings at the station?” Joshua groaned. “The
highlight is the PowerPoint presentations on proper snow removal techniques to
reduce workplace fatigue and accidents. Need I say more?”

“No, thank
you.” Vivienne replied as she brought a platter with two triple-decker club
sandwiches over to the table and sat down. “But if we have the misfortune of
getting hit with a ton of snow, I’d rather the town have a good plan in place
to deal with it.”

Joshua
grumbled as he took his sandwich off the platter and took a hearty bite out of
the corner. After chewing for a few moments, he nodded back happily.
“Tasty.”
  

After eating
their lunch, they each grabbed a hot shower and slipped into their comfortable
weekend clothing which consisted of well-worn denim jeans and sweatshirts.
Vivienne followed Joshua into the living room where he glanced one last time at
the game scores on television before turning it off to give her his full
attention.

“I’m ready to
hear what it is you want to talk about.” Joshua eased into the loveseat in the
living room.

Vivienne sat
down next to him. “I don’t think that all these random acts of luck are all
that random.”

“Are we
dealing with witchcraft?” Joshua’s posture stiffened lightly.

“I don’t
really know for sure.” Vivienne wished she had some sort of proof to show him,
but deep down all she really had was a gut instinct. “I don’t think this is the
work of another witch in town. The Council would be involved if that were the
case.”

Joshua shifted
uncomfortably in the loveseat. “So, what exactly can we do to investigate?”

“I’m glad you
asked because I think the place we should start would be with your brother.”

“Hunter? Why?”

Vivienne was pleased
to see that her suggestion hadn’t shut him down emotionally. His eyes hadn’t
narrowed, nor did he fidget with his thumbs. She had learned his subconscious
tell signs over their nearly six months together. “He’s one of the wild cards
in play with all this.”

“That’s true.”
Joshua nodded back. “Doctor Abrams is going to discharge him at three o’clock
today. You can come with me to the hospital.”

“That’s
perfect.” Vivienne let out a sigh of relief. “Is he staying at the Brass
Cricket Inn?”

“I don’t know.”
Joshua shrugged. “Given the high prices for a room, I doubt it.”

“Then where?”
Vivienne wondered.

“He probably
just camped out in the woods somewhere.”

“In this
weather?” Vivienne shuddered. “Is he crazy?”

“He has wolf
blood running through his veins.” Joshua reminded her. “He’s very comfortable
and quite capable of staying deep in the woods for a long period of time. If it
gets too cold, he’ll just shift into wolf form.”

Vivienne chose
that moment to probe just a tad deeper into the mystery of his lineage. She
knew virtually nothing about werewolf family or societal structure. Now seemed
as good as time as any to get some long burning questions answered. “Is
everyone in your family a werewolf?”

There was a
pause before he answered. He began to fiddle with his thumbs. “Yes, but it’s
rather complicated to explain to someone who isn’t.”

“I’m sure it
is.” Vivienne kept her voice soft. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,
but you know quite a bit about witchcraft and my lineage. I was hoping to know
a little bit about yours before meeting Hunter.”

“I can
understand that.” Joshua inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly. “We’re
just not used to talking about ourselves to others. Staying in the shadows is
what we do best.”

“But you’re
not like that.” Vivienne countered. “You are very outgoing, friendly, and make
friends quite easily in town.”

“It’s part of
my job.” Joshua replied. “But, you are right in that sense that I never quite
fit in with my own kind growing up. I was told that being too curious led to
people finding out about us, which in in turn could be dangerous for everyone
in the pack.”

Vivienne
reached out and grabbed his hands. “That’s one of the things that I love about
you.”

“Where you see
something good, the werewolves see weakness.” He spoke softly. “It’s partly the
reason why I haven’t had much contact with my family.”

“Well, that’s
their loss if you ask me.” Vivienne almost felt a bit sorry for bringing the
entire subject up. “I can’t imagine what it’s like not having a close
relationship with your family members.”

He gave her
hands a gentle squeeze. “That’s what I love about you. Even though you and Nora
have your differences, there is this bond between you that I never felt with my
own family. Being close to you, helps to fill that void.”

“You don’t
have to spill everything to me at once.” Vivienne smiled. “I’ll keep the
questions brief.”

He smiled
back. “Ask away.”

Vivienne felt
it best to start with general questions that avoided direct info about specific
family members. “What exactly is a pack family?”

“That’s our
group in the area where we live.” Joshua answered quite easily. “Each pack is
composed of families. There can be as few as a dozen to several hundred pack
members that each stay within their claimed territory.”

“Your pack has
claimed Indian Lake?”

Joshua’s
posture began to relax a bit more as he talked about his home. “It’s a very
rural place. Lots of woodlands and open spaces to run about in. It’s a small
town where people can leave each other alone and in peace.”