Mystical Murder: A Whiskers and Witches Cozy Mystery, Book 1 (Whiskers and Witches Cozy Mysteries) Read online

  Chapter Three

  * * *

  Tess opened her eyes to soft jungle sounds. She prodded her alarm clock until the sounds shut off, then laid her head back on the pillow. The sounds of nature clock her mother had gotten her for Christmas was more pleasant to wake up to than the obnoxious beep that she was used to, but it could be disorienting, especially when she was pulled out of an especially vivid dream like the one she had just had.

  What had it been about, anyway? She tried to remember, but it was too late. Oddly enough, the dream had left her feeling energized and ready for the day to come. Or maybe that was just because it was her birthday. It was hard to believe she was thirty years old today. Did she feel any different? Not really. It was a day like any other, but with the promise of being able to leave work early and have a nice dinner with her friends.

  Don’t forget Aunt Loretta, she told herself as she slid out of bed. I need to remember to be back here by ten tonight. She had already spoken to her friends and told them about the unexpected visit, so the mystery date at the bar had been put on hold.

  A glance at the clock told Tess she had better start getting ready for work or else she would be late. She was glad that she would only have to go in for a few hours; it would be nice to have some time between work and dinner to relax and finish tidying up the house. The more she thought about playing host for her aunt for a few days, the odder the visit seemed. What in the world was Loretta doing in Elk Hill—heck, in northern Wisconsin—anyway? There was nothing up here but a few small towns and a lot of natural area—nothing to interest someone who had spent the better part of fifteen years moving around some of the most beautiful places in Europe with her husband.

  Tess was pleasantly surprised to find a gift basket full of wine, candles, chocolate, and bath bombs waiting for her on the desk at work. Dr. Morrow smiled at her as she walked by.

  “That’s from all of us,” she said. “I hope you enjoy it. Take some time to relax this weekend. You deserve it.”

  “Thanks so much, Vanessa,” Tess said. “This means a lot.”

  The rest of the work day went by quickly. She still felt oddly energized, just as she had when she had first woken up that morning. Could it be that she was more excited about her birthday than she had thought? No, she didn’t think even in her subconscious that she was excited to turn thirty.

  She clocked out a few minutes after two, and was left with a nice long stretch of a few hours to do whatever she wanted before the dinner with her friends that evening. She was planning on using at least some of that time to take a nice, relaxing bath with the stuff from the gift basket she had been given during work.

  Just as she was getting in the car, her phone rang and her mother’s photo appeared on the screen. Tess answered the phone cheerfully.

  “Happy Birthday, Tessie!” her mother said. “I would sing, but I think you’d rather I don’t.”

  “Oh, you’re not that bad, Mom,” Tess said, smiling. “And thanks.”

  “This is a big one. I remember turning thirty. The world was so different back then. Have you been having a nice day so far?”

  “It’s been wonderful. My coworkers got me a gift basket, and my boss even arranged the schedule so I could leave early. This evening, Deidre and Jackie are taking me out to dinner.” She suddenly remembered that there was something she wanted to ask her mother. “Mom, did you give Aunt Loretta my phone number?”

  “Loretta? No. I haven’t even spoken to her since Thanksgiving. Why? Did she call you?”

  “Yes, she did. She’s coming to Elk Hill this evening. She’s going to stay with me for a couple of days.”

  “I wonder why she didn’t call me?” her mother said, sounding hurt. “Where is she flying in to? Probably Chicago. She’ll be driving right past me to go up north.”

  “I’m sure she’s planning on visiting you while she’s in the country,” Tess said. “This sounds like a very last-minute trip. I don’t even know what she’s coming to town for. I guess I’ll find out tonight.”

  “I’m glad you’re going to get to see her. I know you used to love her visits when you were little. Ever since she married Jan and moved overseas, she’s hardly been a part of our lives.”

  Her mother still sounded sad. Tess was beginning to regret mentioning the visit at all. What if Loretta had a reason for not wanting anyone else to know she was there?

  “I’ll let her know you’d love for her to swing by,” she said. “Thanks for the birthday wishes. I should get going; I just got out of work, and I don’t want to be on the phone while I’m driving.”

  “All right, I’ll let you go. I hope the rest of your day is nice, sweetie. I want to hear all about your aunt’s visit. Call me tomorrow?”

  “Of course. Love you, Mom. Bye.”

  Tess had barely hung up when her phone rang again. This time it was a local number, but not one she recognized.

  “Hello?” she said.

  “Is this Tess Quinn? This is Linda from Meals on the Move.”

  “Yep, this is Tess,” she said.

  “I was supposed to call you earlier this week, but your name wasn’t on our phone tree list yet. There’s a Meals on the Move meeting at the library this evening at five. We’ll be going over delivery schedules for the next month, and since you’re new it would give you a chance to get to know everyone. I know it’s short notice, but it would be great if you could make it.”

  “Sorry, but I already have a commitment,” Tess said. “Is it all right if I just go to the next one?”

  “Of course. We’ll email you an updated delivery list and what the meals are for the next month sometime this weekend. It sounds like you’ve been doing wonderfully so far. Thank you so much for donating your time and cooking skills to people in need.”

  After hanging up, Tess was finally able to pull out of the parking lot and start on her way home without any more interruptions. She felt bad about not going to the Meals on the Move meeting, but she didn’t want to change plans around with her friends again. Besides, it wasn’t her fault that they hadn’t called her until just a few hours before the meeting. She enjoyed doing the deliveries, but she did have a life of her own to focus on, too.

  Chapter Four

  * * *

  Vanderbilt’s Steakhouse was packed when Tess got there that evening. She stomped the snow from her knee-high boots and looked around for her friends while the hostess spoke to the group of people in front of her.

  “Over here, Tess!”

  She turned to see Deidre waving at her from a booth near the back. Her best friend, Jackie Butler, was sitting beside her. She slipped around the group of people waiting to be seated and hurried over.

  “We’ve got reservations,” Jackie explained. “Vanderbilt’s is almost always busy after five.”

  “I’m glad you thought ahead,” Tess said. “It didn’t even cross my mind.”

  “Hey, it’s not your job to plan your own birthday party,” Deidre said. “Just sit back and relax. We’ve got it all covered.”

  “Thanks.” She grinned. “You guys are the best.”

  Vanderbilt’s Steakhouse was easily the nicest place to eat in town. It was a gem of a place, one of those rare restaurants that had phenomenal food, good service, a great atmosphere, and good prices all at once. Tess was looking forward to the meal. It would be the perfect end to her birthday.

  After their waiter took their drink order, Tess caught her friends up on her family history and her aunt’s unexpected visit. She was glad that they thought it was as weird as she did. She had felt a bit bad about not being more excited about seeing the older woman, but she just couldn’t get over how odd the whole thing was.

  “I talked to my mom earlier today, and she said she hadn’t given Aunt Loretta my phone number. She didn’t even know she was going to be in the country. I have no idea how she managed to get in touch with me, or even for how long she’s planning on staying.”

  “That is weird,” Jackie agreed. “
You don’t think she could be in trouble with the law or something, do you?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t think so, but I hardly know the woman. She got married when I was sixteen and moved to Europe with her husband, who plays some instrument in a traveling band. It’s a very alternative lifestyle, but it’s not surprising that she enjoys it. She’s always been the black sheep of the family from what my mom said. I haven’t seen her since she left, though I talk to her on holidays if she calls while I’m at my mother’s house.”

  “You’ve got to tell us when you find out what she’s doing here. Your family sounds so interesting. I’m jealous—my family is completely boring,” her friend said. She sighed. “I wish I had a cool aunt from Europe who would stop in and visit me unannounced. It would be more exciting than sitting around at home while Jeff watches football.”

  “At least you have a husband. It’s better than sitting around at home alone like I usually do,” Tess pointed out.

  “I’d kill for some alone time,” Deidre said, joining in. “I’ve got two kids, plus Thane. I love them all, but they drive me crazy sometimes.”

  “I think this is a case of the grass being greener on the other sides of the fence,” Jackie said, laughing. “I guess we’ve all got pretty good lives, maybe we shouldn’t complain too much. Now Tess, I know you can’t make it to the bar tonight, but you really should try to come out sometime this weekend. A friend of mine is moving to town, and I think you’d really like him. I’m sure he’d be happy to meet us for a snack and a few drinks. No pressure or anything, just a fun night out.”

  “It depends on how long my aunt wants to stay,” Tess said. “I do want to spend time with her while she’s here. For all I know, I might not see her for another fifteen years.”

  “Just text me if you have time. Hey, I think that’s our waiter coming back with the drinks. We should probably decide what we want to order.”

  Tess went with the chef’s special steak and potatoes with a raspberry walnut vinaigrette salad on the side. She figured she might as well enjoy a treat; it wasn’t every day that she hit the big three-oh. She didn’t think things would change very much now that she was officially in her third decade, but there was no denying that she was getting older.

  An hour later, Tess prodded the last bite of the mocha cheesecake on her plate and tried to decide whether or not she could manage to find room for it. She probably should have passed on dessert, but the cheesecake had looked too good to pass up.

  “Well, Happy Birthday, Tess,” Jackie said. She leaned back in the booth and covered her mouth as she yawned. “I must be getting old; I’m actually glad we aren’t going out for drinks after this. I want to go to bed.”

  “Me too. Overeating makes me feel so tired. Thank goodness the drive home isn’t long. Thanks, both of you. I had a great day.”

  After a flurry of goodbye hugs and promises to keep both of her friends up to date about what happened with her aunt, Tess tucked herself into the driver’s seat of her car and started the engine. She had enjoyed a wonderful birthday, now it was time to go home and finish preparing for her unexpected house guest.

  It wasn’t until ten minutes after ten with no sign of her aunt that Tess realized she had never given the woman her address. Worried and wondering what the older woman’s plan was, she tried calling her but gave up when the number rang through to voicemail twice. She was just about to call her mother to see what she should do when she heard a knock at the door. She pulled it open to find a vaguely familiar-looking middle-aged woman with dyed black hair standing on the porch.

  “Tessie!” Her aunt stepped forward to give her a hug. Tess returned it, then pulled back and looked over the woman’s shoulder. There was no car in the driveway, and no sign of a taxi at the curb.

  “Hi, Aunt Loretta,” she said. “I’m glad you made it okay. How did you get here? Will you need a ride somewhere when you leave?”

  “Oh, I’ve got it covered,” the older woman said. “I don’t want to put you out more than necessary. Don’t you worry about me, missy. I’m just here to spend some quality time with my niece.”

  Oookaay… Tess thought, feeling more confused by the second. She couldn’t imagine that Loretta had flown to another continent just to spend the weekend with a niece that she barely knew. Was Jackie right? Was her aunt in some sort of legal trouble? If so, Elk Hill was probably the perfect place to hide. Middle-of-nowhere Wisconsin wasn’t the sort of place anyone would think to look for a criminal.

  “Well, come on in,” she said a bit reluctantly. “My house is your house. I made the guest bedroom up for you. There are a few boxes in the corner with summer clothes and a few knick-knacks, but other than that the room is tidy. Do you want anything to eat or drink? I had dinner, but I’d be happy to pull together a snack if you’re hungry.”

  “I don’t need anything to eat, but a cup of tea would be nice. Thanks, dear.”

  While Aunt Loretta unpacked her bag in the guest room, Tess boiled water and began steeping their tea. All she had were some little bags of green tea that she didn’t even remember buying, but they would do. When she was finished getting settled in, Loretta and Tess sat down together in the living room with their tea and Tess was finally able to start trying to get some answers.

  “I’m glad you came, Aunt Loretta, but what brought you to town? I know it can’t be just for my birthday.”

  Her aunt’s lips twitched. “I guess I just thought it was high time I reconnected with my family. It feels nice to be back in the States.”

  “Are you going to visit Mom, too?”

  “Yes, yes, I know she wants to see me. We have a lot to talk about, her and I. Now, enough about me. Tell me about you. How was your birthday? I want to hear every single detail.”

  Giving a mental shrug, Tess gave up on trying to find the real reason for her aunt’s visit. She told her about the day, trying not to feel uncomfortable under the other woman’s intense gaze.

  “That’s it?” her aunt asked when she was done.

  “Well, yeah,” Tess said, a bit hurt. She thought it had been a pretty good day, all things considered. “I enjoyed the chance to spend time with my friends, and it was nice to be able to get off of work a bit early.”

  “Did anything unusual happen?”

  “No,” she said, wondering what in the world the woman was getting at. “Well, you came to visit. That counts as pretty unusual to me.” She smiled, trying to keep things light, and was glad when her aunt smiled back.

  “Well, I’m glad you had a good day, dear. Now, I’m beat. I’m going to turn in, if you don’t mind. Thanks for the tea.”

  Tess said goodnight and waited until her aunt had gone up the stairs and shut the guest room door before gathering up the tea supplies and taking them into the kitchen to be washed. She felt very unsure about what she had gotten herself into. Why was her aunt really here? And more importantly, why didn’t she want to share the reason with Tess?

  Chapter Five

  * * *

  The next morning, Tess woke up to the sound of dishes clinking in the kitchen. Her heart skipped a beat until she remembered her aunt was staying with her for a few days. She wasn’t used to having a house guest. She had better get up and see what was going on.

  “Good morning,” she said when she walked into the kitchen. It smelled wonderful, like all of her favorite breakfast foods. There were blueberry pancakes cooking on the stove, and a plate of bacon was sitting on the counter. Where had her aunt even found blueberries? Tess knew for a fact that she didn’t have any in the house.

  “Good morning. I hope you don’t mind, but I thought I’d whip us up something to eat. It’s the least I can do, since you’re letting me stay here.”

  “Well, it looks amazing,” Tess said. “Did you go shopping?”

  “I may have made a few extra ingredients appear. You’re low on milk, by the way.”

  That’s a weird way to put it, Tess thought. She shook her head and put her aunt’s od
d turn of phrase out of her mind. “I know. I’ll stop at the store after work today. If you want me to pick up anything special, just tell me.”

  “I don’t want to be a burden,” her aunt said. “If I need anything, I can pick it up myself. Now, you sit down and I’ll pour the orange juice.”

  Tess did as she was told, not liking how off balance her aunt made her feel. It was as if they came from two entirely different worlds. It’s probably just awkward because we haven’t seen each other for years, she thought. I just need to give it time.

  The table was already set—how early had her aunt gotten up to do all of this? —and there didn’t seem to be anything else that Tess could do to help. Loretta brought over the plate of bacon and a second plate with a stack of pancakes, along with a container of pure maple syrup that Tess didn’t remember buying. She brought the orange juice last. Just as she was starting to pour some into the first glass, she said “Oops,” and knocked the glass off the table with her elbow. Tess reached out to catch it reflexively, but didn’t even come close. It shattered on the floor, sending shards of glass and droplets of orange juice flying everywhere.

  Tess looked up, her lips already forming the words “Don’t worry about it,” but the look on her aunt’s face caught her by surprise and cut off the words before they began. The woman didn’t look shocked or apologetic, but almost disappointed. Her brows were drawn together and her lips pursed as she gave Tess a considering look. The expression only lasted for a second before her face cleared and she let out a gasp.