Cornbread & Crossroads Page 9

  Mason barraged the other detective with a bunch of questions until he was satisfied. He ran his fingers through his hair, looking out over the cityscape again. “It would be amazing if we could find him and finally make him pay for all the damage he’s done.”

  For the first time, Detective Clarkson glanced around at the rooftop setting, his gaze settling on me. “My deepest apologies. I didn’t mean to crash your date. It’s just…this case was the one that has haunted me and him for a long time.”

  Although I tried to settle a sympathetic expression on my face, I couldn’t help the disappointment welling in my stomach. “My brother’s on the force back at home.”

  “Trust me, miss, what we’re talking about, I guarantee your small town has never seen the horrors this werewolf has inflicted,” the other detective said.

  The slight dismissal of Honeysuckle Hollow broke Mason out of his thoughts. “I wouldn’t be so quick to judge, Clarkson. Listen, I’m gonna need to think about this and discuss it with Charli as well as my boss back home first.”

  Mason’s former colleague frowned. “I figured you’d want to jump all over this. Don’t forget he killed several of the kids that your former friend worked with.”

  “And don’t you dare bring Marian into this in order to guilt me into action,” Mason challenged.

  Detective Clarkson’s expression of anger morphed into one of guilt. “I’m sorry, Clairmont. That was unprofessional of me. I just really want to close this case and get that menace off the streets at all costs.”

  Hearing how important the case was to both men, I couldn’t help but want to help. I pulled Mason aside and spoke in a low tone so only he could hear me. “If it’s that big of a deal, then I could help track this Mordecai down with you.”

  “Absolutely not,” Mason growled. “First of all, you and I have talked about keeping certain people related to you in the dark about your magic returning to full force. I won’t risk word about you getting back to them after our last encounter. And second of all, this is one time where I want you to hear me loud and clear. Mordecai is more dangerous than anything or anyone you’ve ever encountered. I will not put you in his path for anything.”

  “Okay,” I agreed, trusting his judgment.

  “That’s it? You mean, you’re actually going to heed my warning?” he asked in disbelief.

  “You make good points,” I admitted.

  Mason’s loud eruption of laughter broke the sudden tension. “Maybe I need to tell you I love you more often to keep you out of trouble.” He addressed his old friend. “I need time to make my decision, but I promise to call you in the morning first thing, okay?”

  The other detective did nothing to hide his displeasure, but he agreed with a grumble. When he made it to the door, he addressed Mason one last time. “We’re assembling the task force tomorrow. I’d sure like to count you among us.”

  Once the heavy metal slammed shut, Mason breathed easy again. “I don’t want to lie to you. I really would like to be a part of the team that captures the werewolf.”

  “Am I right in thinking this might be why you gave Dash such a hard time when you two first met?” I asked.

  Mason confirmed my suspicions. “It is. Mordecai kidnaps kids, turns them, and then raises them to be murdering thugs like him. His gang brought the city’s magical community too much attention when I was here. We’d managed to break up a few of the offshoots of his group but never cut off its main source. Too many kids died for that werewolf to live.”

  His explanation made me want to defy him and help anyway, but I knew better. The city was not my home, and I would be vulnerable in too many ways if I helped.

  “I’m sorry this has dampened our evening together, Charli.”

  I hugged him until he relaxed against me. “It’s okay. As Nana likes to say, it doesn’t matter how you support the ones you love as long as you do it in the good times and the bad.”

  The sparkle returned to his eyes. “Say that again.” I repeated myself, but he shook his head. “No, the part in the middle.”

  After thinking about it, I realized what he wanted. “You mean, the ones you love?”

  He brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “That’s the part.”

  If he needed reassurances, I’d give them to him all night long. “I love you, Mason Clairmont.”

  “And I love you, too, Charli.”

  Chapter Seven

  After talking things through together and getting permission from Big Willie, Mason stayed behind to work on the case with his old colleagues while I made the trip back home alone. Every time I got a little bummed about not having him with me, I thought about the big step our relationship took the night before and reveled in the excitement of it all.

  When I stopped for gas about an hour and a half away from Honeysuckle, I checked my spell phone, perturbed to not have even one message. With quick fingers, I typed out a message to Matt, asking him for an update on Nana, and waited until my patience ran out. I regretted leaving the charger with Mason since it left my phone with very little charge. I sent a quick text of worry to him, but all I got back was a quick apology. Knowing how the case might consume him, I didn’t want to bother him any further.

  I stewed the rest of the drive, and by the time I approached the Dead End sign that indicated the first guard spell, I’d brewed up enough anger to cause an explosion for ignoring my attempts at reaching out to them the second I saw my friends and family. I drove through the glamour and saw the guardhouse up ahead.

  With my protection spell tight around the car, I expected to reach the town entrance with no problem, but my arm hair stood on end while a strange sensation crawled over my skin as if tiny invisible insects attacked my body. The tingling passed as soon as it started, and I doubted my own senses as I reached the guardhouse.

  The car rolled to a stop, and a diminutive guard I didn’t recognize stuck his head out of the window. “Name and address of destination you are intending to visit.”

  Caught by surprise at the cold greeting, I read off his name from the nametag stuck on his stark black uniform. “Bagan, is it? I’m Charli Goodwin, and I live here in Honeysuckle Hollow.”

  “I’ll have to check that against the list.” He took out a clipboard and stuck his finger to the paper, scrolling down until he found my name. “Here it is. Permanent resident. Now, if you’ll present your ID, I can scan it before I examine your car.”

  Pulling my purse into my lap, I searched for my wallet and retrieved my identification. Bagan waved a wand over it and icons appeared floating above it. “This all checks out. Please put your car in park and turn it off, unlock the doors, keep your hands on the wheel, and pop open your trunk.”

  It took a massive amount of restraint to comply with his demands, but throwing a fit with someone who was new on the job wouldn’t get me very far. Instead, I decided on a different tactic.

  “How long have you been here?” I asked, adding a little honey to my tone. Inspecting his appearance, especially his long beard, I guessed he might be a gnome like Flint or maybe a dwarf. Asking him outright might be perceived as an insult.

  The guard opened the backdoor of my car and stuck his head inside while running the wand over every surface, his long, peppered beard brushing against the seat. “My shift started first thing this morning, so about five hours so far.”

  His literal take on my question amused me but I stifled a giggle. “No, I meant how long has it been since you moved here.”

  “Oh. My brother Findril and I arrived maybe a couple of weeks ago. He got employment working at the local pub. The back is clear,” he declared.

  Bagan disappeared around the back of my car and I pictured him tilting his entire body into the trunk to run the wand all the way to the back crevice of it. The heat of the day increased with every additional minute, and I waved a hand in front of my sweaty face, jealous of the strands of Spanish moss hanging above us waving in the slight breeze.

  An ap
proaching car from the other direction pulled into the little parking area nearby. Flint jumped out of the driver’s side and I sighed in relief. I waited for him to come over and reprimand his new employee, but the stern expression on his face riled up my nerves again.

  Instead of stopping to talk to me, he stormed past my unrolled window and addressed Bagan at the back of my car. The opened trunk blocked my view, but I could hear their conversation.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Flint asked without holding back.

  The new guard responded with confusion. “Sir, I don’t understand.”

  Flint pushed, “I asked you what you’re doing, Bagan! And where did you get that uniform?”

  “It was given to me to wear as part of the new security team. And I was only acting on the instructions I was given by the head lady,” the new guard replied.

  Flint slammed the trunk hard enough that it rocked my car a little. “Help me understand because what you’re saying doesn’t make sense. I’m the head of security.”

  “I know, sir,” Bagan replied, standing straighter to the point where I thought he might salute the gnome. “I thought the new instructions were sanctioned by you.”

  Flint pursed his lips for a moment and rubbed his forehead. “Show them to me.”

  Bagan hustled to the guardhouse and grabbed the clipboard, running it back to his boss and flipping through the pages until he pointed out what must be the new instructions.

  Taking his time, Flint read each point out loud. “‘Uniforms will be expected of all security personnel. Name or facial recognition alone will not be accepted as a form of entry. An identification scan will be required of all entrants. Residents will have their names matched with the approved list. Visitors must be registered no less than twenty-four hours prior in advance of visitation. All vehicles will be checked and scanned. All encounters shall be recorded and reported after both day and night shifts.’”

  “Did you come up with all of those new procedures?” I asked Flint.

  The gnome snorted. “As the supposed head of the whole operation, all of this should have gone through me, but it sounds like someone else stuck their nose in my business.”

  “Who?” I asked, curious to know who would dare to go over Flint’s head. Besides my grandmother, I considered him one of the most important people who helped keep our supernatural haven running smoothly.

  Bagan piped up, “The lady who’s in charge.”

  His answer caught me off guard. Nana would never approve of such formality. The guards at the entrance were there to help keep out any mortals who managed to slip through the protective charms and to record those who visited our town.

  As if reading my mind, Flint approached my window. “You’d better head on into town. I’m going to need more time to straighten things out here.” He poked his thumb in the poor new guy’s direction. Patting my arm, he backed away and waited for me to restart my car.

  “Good luck. He waved at me with a strange expression. “Oh, and congratulations,” he called out as I pulled away.

  Confused, I drove down the road under the canopy of live oaks with Spanish moss dripping off their long reaching branches. When I reached the edge of Main Street, my eyes darted back and forth for any clues that might explain such a weird encounter at the gate, but nothing seemed out of place or abnormal. The sign outside of the town hall announced a meeting for all permanent residents with the date only two days away. I didn’t remember a meeting being scheduled, and the unusual distinction of requested attendants niggled at the back of my mind.

  Although every particle of my being desired to go home for a quick snack, a shower, and a nap in my own bed, I turned down the street that led to Nana’s house. Parking in between Matt’s car and Doc Andrew’s, I bolted out of my vehicle and rushed into the house without knocking.

  Ada popped out of the kitchen and intercepted me. “Oh, honey. I’m so glad you’re back.”

  “What’s going on? What’s wrong?” I asked, fear squeezing my heart.

  Her eyes looked up the stairs where Mimsy took slow steps in our direction. Lavender and Lily’s grandmother nodded at her friend. “Let her up, Ada.”

  Without any answers to my questions, I hurtled up the stairs two at a time until I reached Nana’s bedroom. Doc sat on the edge of the bed, his weathered hands passing over my grandmother’s face and chest with his eyes closed. I’d witnessed the trained physician and healer perform magical examinations before, but the sweat trickling down his temple indicated the greater effort it was taking while checking out Nana.

  Matt stood at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed. It took him a second to register my presence, but as soon as he saw me, he unfolded his arms to capture me in an embrace.

  “Oh, Birdy. I’m so glad you’re home.”

  “What’s going on? What’s wrong with her?” Tears welled in my eyes, and I sniffed hard to keep from crying.

  My brother supported my shaking figure and patted my back. “To be honest, we don’t know. Ms. Mimsy said she’d been going to bed earlier and waking up later than usual, but tried to act like nothing was wrong. And then, she demanded everyone stop hovering over her one more time and came up here to take a nap.”

  Mimsy spoke from the doorway. “I thought all Vivi wanted was a few moments of peace, so it didn’t occur to me that anything was wrong. When we couldn’t wake her up, I called Doc and your brother.”

  “Did anyone try shaking her? That’s how Mason woke her up when he found her before.” I reached my hand out to touch her blanket-covered foot.

  “Of course we did,” he said, glancing at me with typical older brother arrogance. “Doc’s done everything he could to try and rouse her, and nothing’s worked so far.”

  The healer hushed us as he concentrated, and Matt and I clung to each other. We waited as the clock on Nana’s bedside table ticked out every excruciating second. After the painful eternity, Doc pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his moist brow.

  “I’m sorry, you two. I can’t find any trace of a magical reason for her to be knocked out like this.” He took off his wire-rimmed glasses and wiped them.

  I approached with hesitant steps until I could grasp my grandmother’s hand, finding comfort in its warmth. “She’s not…do you think she’s…” I couldn’t finish the question I dreaded getting the answer to and looked at Matt for him to give me some hope.

  He shook his head and shrugged. “Doc? What’s her status?”

  The healer stood and faced the two of us. “Her vital signs are good. Her airway’s clear. There’s no temperature. Physically, I can’t find anything wrong with her.”

  “Then the problem has to be metaphysical!” I roared, stomping my foot like a petulant child.

  “There’s absolutely no trace of a spell, charm, hex…nothing I could detect. Whatever has her passed out like this for so long has to be strong enough that I should be able to sense the threads of it.” The good doctor gazed at his patient with tangible frustration.

  “Wait. She was fine before I left with Mason. How long has she been like this?” My voice wavered from sheer panic.

  Doc Andrews pushed himself up from the bed and faced me. “It’s hard to say exactly when her symptoms got worse.”

  “Your grandmother was never good about letting others care for her. She always has to be the caretaker,” Ada said with quiet sympathy. “I think she didn’t want any of us to know she was struggling.”

  “Or she was in absolute denial,” Mimsy muttered under her breath.

  Ada hushed her friend. “Being mad at her isn’t going to help, Mims.” She addressed me again, “We were going to call you, but we knew there wasn’t anything you could do other than to worry.”

  Nobody gave me a direct answer, and I turned my agitation on my brother. “How long?”

  “They found her like this yesterday,” he answered, his face blank of any emotion.

  My heart pounded inside my chest, and I failed to contain
my anger. Closing the distance between us, I punched his arm. “Why am I just hearing about this now? Why didn’t you call me?”

  Instead of defending himself, my brother took the blow. “It’s like Ms. Ada said. Nana made us promise not to bother you on pain of being hexed. She said that something important was going to happen for you, and none of us were to ruin the moment.”

  Anger and regret cast a gray shadow over my time with Mason. It may have been a significant moment for me, but if it cost me precious moments with my grandmother that I could never get back, I would never forgive myself.

  Giving into rage, I pounded my fists against Matt’s chest. “You should have called. Why didn’t you call?”

  He let me aim my fury at him until my cries quieted down to sobs. Capturing my hands in his, my brother pulled me in tight and let me cry into his shirt. Once my wails subsided into whimpers, he let me go.

  “I’m sorry, Charli.” Matt closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. When he let it out and looked at me again, his shoulders slumped under the weight of the whole situation. “Maybe I should have defied Nana and contacted you sooner. But I agreed with her, that you deserved the time away. And really, nothing would be different.”

  I sniffled. “Except I would have been here sooner.” Once my tantrum evaporated, the rational side of my brain took over. “But you’re right. Whether it was a day earlier or not, we’d still be where we are right now.” Taking his hand in mine, I squeezed it three times.

  He breathed a little easier and offered a weak smile. “I did try calling you this morning, but you didn’t pick up.”

  Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I checked to see if I’d missed any calls. No record of my brother’s attempt. “I didn’t get it. I also texted you. Did you get that?”

  Matt checked his spell phone. “No. Weird.”

  I scrolled through my contacts, wanting to call Mason and share the problem with him. His support might help me, but it wouldn’t do much for my grandmother. We didn’t have time to waste if we wanted to find a way to help Nana.