I have another witch on the scene. You might remember her from The Final Plunge. I designed all new covers and outlined four more stories for the series. This is book 2.
Detective Linda Cassidy is back! With another strange murder and a killer on the loose. She is definitely going to be busy. This story was actually based on an unsolved crime I found a few years ago. I can’t find the actual article, but in the true story, the woman was badly burned except for her face. It seemed like a perfect fit for a magical crime. The remaining books in the series use a mixture of true crimes and stories straight from my imagination. If the stories are really popular, I could always extend the series too.
Enough about me. Check out the snippet below!
“Do you have to live like that?” He asked.
“Like what?”
“Like the wicked witch,” Steve replied with his brow furrowed.
I had known Steve too long for him to be afraid of me, but he was definitely coming close.
“Steve you’re paranoid this is my regular laugh. Get it together. We have a murder to investigate.”
But Steve didn’t respond I looked over to see him wiping a hand across his brow repeatedly. This was new. He seemed to be in some sort of distress. He was quite red.
“Hey, buddy. You okay?”
“It’s so warm in here. To the heat on?”
“I don’t have the heat on. It’s too hot outside for heat.”
Steve struggled to get out of his suit jacket around the seatbelt. In his haste, he nearly bumped the steering wheel.
“Take it easy. Had rather not crash before we get this crime solved.”
“Could you pull over for a second? I think I need to take this coat off. Soon I can’t I can’t wait till you get somewhere just pull over on the fire wrote,” Steve said frantically.
I did as he requested, and Steve jumped out of the car before I even came to a stop. He tore off his suit jacket throwing in the car.
“Steve calm down. I don’t want to have to take you in for public indecency.”
“I can’t help it. I’m just so hot I feel like I’m —”
Before he could finish, Steve’s shirt burst into flames. I fumbled with my seatbelt and jumped out of the car I ran around the front while pulling my wand from my breast pocket. After a quick extinguishing spell the fire went out. Steve seemed mostly intact, but one of his hands was badly burned. He stared at his hand dumbfounded.
“You might have been right about the magic,” I said.
Steve looked up at me with his lip trembling.
“Don’t cry. I just want to check your pockets. Please hold still I don’t want to bump your burn.”
I gingerly gave Steve a pat down and felt something in the pocket of his pants.
I reached in and pulled out a rusty coffin nail. Definitely a cursed object. Should I touch it with my bare hands? Probably not. I couldn’t risk both of us being burned. I turned back to the car popped open the glove box and pulled out an evidence bag that contained salt and a penny. I kept a bag of pennies in my glove box for just such occasions. I dropped the coffin nail into the bag. That should hold it, at least until I get home to cleanse.
0 Comments