I hung up before the detective could protest, before he could ask who was calling. I was pretty certain he would come. Who wouldn’t want a solution to a murder?

  “Okay,” Tessa said. “Before we die of curiosity, who killed Jessica Jensen?”

  “If you can wait just a bit longer,” I said. “Until the police get here, I’ll explain it to everyone at the same time.”

  “Like when the waitress tells everyone at the table what the feature of the day is,” Mara said.

  “Exactly,” I said. “I don’t want to repeat myself over and over.”

  “You’re trying our patience, Sam,” Tessa said. “And I’m not known for an abundance of that particular virtue.”

  “I know, I know,” I said. “And I’m not trying to be coy. I just need one more piece of information before I explain things.”

  “I can wait,” Mara said. “You’ve always been right before. I trust you.”

  I knew that Tess and Mara deserved the solution, but I wasn’t yet absolutely sure. I needed just a bit more.

  “By the way,” Tessa said. “Are really going to write a book about the murder?”

  “And make a movie?” Mara added.

  I laughed. “No, that was just something to appeal to the owners. How many people do you know would turn down a chance to be in a movie?”

  “Pretty clever,” Mara said.

  “And,” I added. “You two look like you could star in a movie. They bought it because you look like Hollywood.”

  They laughed and forgot about the solution. I could tell that they were becoming attached to their more attractive selves.

  THE GALLAGHERS AND Detective Collier arrived at the same time.

  “You three,” Detective Collier said. “You visited the suspect.”

  “We did,” I said.

  “So, which one of you solved the murder?” Collier asked.

  Mara and Tessa pointed to me. “She’s our resident sleuth,” Mara said.

  “Follow me,” I said to the others. “Let’s find the real murderer.”

  I led them into the inn. Mr. and Mrs. Malis were behind the counter, and at the sight of Detective Collier and the Gallaghers, the couple paled.

  “The game is over,” I said. “You two are going to jail.”

  That was when the couple ducked down behind the counter. We waited half a minute before we realized that they weren’t going to pop up again.

  “What the hell,” Collier said.

  “Come on,” I said, and we all ran around the counter.

  And discovered that Mr. and Mrs. Malis had...

  Disappeared.

  “Wait,” Ethan said. “They were here just a minute ago.”

  “They couldn’t just vanish,” Ada added.

  “All right,” Tessa said to me. “What gives?”

  The others looked about, even as I started feeling around the counter.

  “You have to remember when this place was built,” I said. “Bootleggers were notorious for building tunnels and passageways and cubbyholes where they could hide their booze and themselves whenever the police came around. I’m guessing there are any number of passages in this old building. The passages explain how the owners were able to get in and out of Jessica Jensen’s room without being seen. It also explains how they managed to sneak up on her. It even explains how they managed to steal the scarf. We just have to find out how to access the passages.”

  “I think y’all will have to prove that,” Collier said.

  I found a button under the counter, and when I pressed it, a secret door opened in the floor.

  “Well, I’ll be bamboozled,” Collier said. “Right there in front of us.”

  “Come on,” I said. “We need to catch them.”

  “Now, hold on a moment,” Collier said. “We need a little backup. If they did kill Jessica Jensen, then they might not hesitate to kill us.”

  “There’s no time,” I said. “They’ve probably had a secret exit plan for years.”

  I dropped into the hole and found the narrow ladder. I knew the others would follow. I also knew that we couldn’t hesitate. The couple had a head start, and I was certain they were trying to get away. While I had expected the passageway to be narrow, I hadn’t counted on it being absolutely dark. I couldn’t see anything.

  “Let us go first,” Ethan said.

  “We see better than you,” Ada whispered. “Part of our vampire senses.”

  I yielded to the Gallaghers who moved to the front and sniffed, picking up the scent like bloodhounds. They didn’t run after the fleeing couple, but they did move quickly. I fell in behind, followed by Tessa and Mara.

  The passage twisted and turned. Narrow, it was something that could accommodate people and boxes, but that was all. The ceiling was low also, which gave it a claustrophobic feel. In a way, I was glad there wasn’t any light. The passage also smelled musty and dusty. No doubt, many sweaty bodies had passed that way before us. I could almost see the torches that must have been used at one time. Smuggling had been bountiful and plentiful when the passages were built.

  “This place is spooky,” Tessa said.

  “It’s not your usual tunnel,” I said.

  “It needs a good airing out,” Mara said.

  I had never seen the Gallaghers so intense as they were while chasing down Mr. and Mrs. Malis. They seemed to move faster all the time, zeroing in on the couple. Finally, they came to a locked door and stopped.

  “On the other side,” Ada said.

  “I can hear them,” Mara said.

  “So, can we,” Ethan said.

  “Should we bust in?” Tessa asked.

  “Not yet,” Collier said. “Let’s record them, if they’re talking about the murder.”

  “They are,” Mara said.

  Ada placed her phone against the keyhole, an old-fashioned keyhole that required a large key. That was when we all heard them.

  “You and your crazy ideas,” Mr. Malis said. “All we have to do is get rid of Jessica, and we can blame the Gambling Man, create a reason for people to come.”

  “It worked, didn’t it?” Mrs. Malis said. “If it weren’t for those nosy women, we would have a gold mine.”

  “Instead, we’re running for our lives,” he said. “The boat is ready, isn’t it?”

  “It is,” she said. “Thanks to me. If I left it to you, we’d run out of gas before we hit Florida.”

  “Don’t start with me,” he said. “You never should have stolen that scarf.”

  “If I hadn’t, they would have suspected us. And while these old passages are hidden, they’re not that secret. Any decent dog could find them.”

  “Are you ready? Those women are smart. They’ll be after us soon.”

  “I’m ready. You have the cash?”

  “Done.”

  Ada pulled away the phone. “Open it,” she said.

  Mara stepped up, and I was certain that Collier would wonder why she was moving forward. She whispered the spell, and a blast of wind whipped past us. The door blew open. Ethan and Ada rushed in, catching the couple with their bags in their hands, staring at the breach of the room.

  Collier stepped up, and he had his weapon drawn. “Y’all are under arrest,” he said.

  The couple dropped their bags and started to turn, but they were no match for the Gallaghers who stepped between them and the other door. I had never seen the Gallaghers move so fast. Their vampire blood was coming to the fore. I wondered for a moment how they would explain that to Detective Collier.

  It was over for Mr. and Mrs. Malis. They turned to face us, and for a moment, I thought they might try to get past us. That wasn’t going to happen.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Tessa said.

  “You have no idea who you’re facing,” Mara added.

  “Y’all better listen,” Collier said. “These women mean business.”

  That was when the couple put their hands in the air. The game was over.

  The couple was escorted to a police cruiser and whisked away to the station. The rest of us headed for Cassandra’s mansion. We used the firefly spell to light our way, and we laughed and talked the whole way. Nothing could be better than to be out of jail and out of harm’s way. We found Genevive and Allie waiting for us. They had made a batch of drinks for us. And we gathered together in the dining room to toast the successful solution to the murder. We came out of our glamour disguises. I was glad to see my old friends as my old friends. Paula seemed the most excited and pleased, as we laughed.

  “Once again, Sam solves it,” Tessa said. “The queen detective of Goodsprings is now the queen detective of Sunrise Beach. Let’s hear it for her!”

  Everyone cheered, which made me feel great, but I couldn’t take all the credit.

  “This was a group effort,” I said. “Everyone contributed, as they always do. I couldn’t have done it without the coven...and the Gallaghers.”

  We toasted again, and the Gallaghers beamed. Their newfound vampire senses had come in very handy.

  We drank and toasted and carried on for another hour before it was time to get some sleep. As I settled into my bed, I felt an incredible relief. I wouldn’t have to take my place in jail, because I would never let Cassandra go to trial in my stead. A joy rushed through me. I could finally sleep well. The sleep of the innocent was the best sleep of all.

  Detective Collier escorted Cassandra out of the station, where the rest of us waited. I was still in Glamour disguise, as we didn’t want the detective to see double. Cassandra, as me, grinned from ear to ear. This was the best day of the trip.

  “Y’all did me a great service,” Collier said. “We got the real killers, who were only too happy to blame the other for the murder. Not that it matters. They will both be tried for the killing. But I have to say that y’all have some rather special skills that I’ve never seen before. I suspect I’ll never see them again. But be that as it may, y’all are welcome to visit Sunrise Beach any time y’all want.”

  When Cassandra and I hugged, we shed our glamour disguises, as if we exchanged skins. I noticed that after, Collier stared at us, as if he couldn’t believe what he had seen. He couldn’t. I was certain that at some point, his logic would kick in, and he would blame his eyesight for the switch. People were incredibly efficient at creating reasons for what they didn’t believe could be true. In a way, I counted on that. All witches did.

  The scene outside the police station was joyous. We had come full circle. We were all free and whole, and that was enough. We decided that we should all return to the mansion and celebrate. No one was more thankful than I was. I had managed to avoid jail and a trial and perhaps something worse. I wondered, for a moment, if I could have lived the rest of my life in a glamour disguise, as Samantha Greene could have been a fugitive from justice. I shuddered at the thought. While being someone else was cool for a while, I didn’t think anyone would want to spend years as someone else. Well, perhaps a spy could live that way. But not me. I was going to be myself and thankful for that.

  We sang as we traipsed through the marsh. Genevive and Allie led the singing, and their songs were not exactly my generation’s favorites, but we struggled through—laughing all the way.

  We planned a feast at the mansion, and Tessa insisted on doing all the cooking. The rest of us helped as we could, decorating and setting up. I made festive smoothies, drinks guaranteed to add some energy to a step and smile to the face. We were like Santa’s elves, singing as we created the best feast possible. Incredibly savory smells filled the mansion, making us all more hungry than we could imagine. We were one big, happy family. I knew the coven had achieved some sort of synergy, a special orbit. I couldn’t imagine being happier.

  When the table was laden with food and drink, and we took our places, the first thing we did was toast our good fortune and our friendship. Cassandra seemed more than a bit pleased, Paula firmly attached to Cassandra’s shoulder. We were fortunate beyond compare. It was only after that, as the salad was passed around, that Allie spoke up.

  “Okay, Aunt Sam,” Allie said. “Tell us how you solved the mystery.”

  Chapter 10

  “It wasn’t just me,” I said. “Everyone helped. Ethan and Ada know as much as I do.”

  “We know a lot,” Ada said. “But you saw it first. Tell them how you knew.”

  “Well,” I said. “I guess it started with the lack of tourists. You know, the feeling that the whole town was suffering. The Drop Anchor wasn’t full. There were several empty shops. I had the feeling the town was dying, and I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Mr. and Mrs. Malis knew it too. Their reputation as a paranormal hotel wasn’t enough to keep them afloat. So, they worked out a plan to make the place popular again. All they needed was the right combination of visitors and circumstances.”

  “Their eyes must have lit up when you arrived,” Genevive said.

  “I don’t know about lighting up, but they no doubt saw an opportunity. Especially, when he heard the argument between Jessica Jensen and me. That was key for them. They needed someone with a motive.”

  “But why did you suspect them?” Tessa asked.

  “It started when they lied about what happened between Jessica and me. They didn’t need to lie. The police already had me. So, their lies started me thinking. If they were willing to lie to put me in jail, then they stood to gain by having a murder in the hotel. I guessed they had already decided on resurrecting the Gambling Man and using him to bring a different set of tourists to the town—paranormal tourists.”

  “But why did they steal your scarf?” Paula asked.

  “Because they knew the police would never accept the ghost explanation. And if they looked hard enough and long enough, the police would discover the smugglers’ passageways throughout the hotel. They needed a fall guy for the murder. They supposed a single woman on vacation would make the perfect patsy.”

  “Boy, were they wrong,” Cassandra said. “So, what did you think next?”

  “It was child’s play for them to steal my scarf, use it, and then partially burn it before they placed it in the dumpster. They knew the police would find it. Some DNA analysis, and I would be framed for the murder. And I would still be rotting in jail, if it hadn’t been for Cassandra and the glamour spells. In fact, Ethan and Ada provided invaluable information from the morgue. And Mara led a very telling séance. Everyone played a role. No one, not even the famed detectives of fiction, can solve a murder without help.”

  “Let me be the first to toast the unraveling of what must have struck the hotel owners as foolproof,” Cassandra said and stood. “Here’s to the most fun I’ve had in decades.”

  We toasted, and the mood in the room was bright and cheerful. Everyone was thankful for the friendships we possessed.

  We ate and drank for some time, not really willing to call it quits. Tessa and Mara took the opportunity to change into their glamour disguises, which made everyone laugh. They really were knockouts. I couldn’t help but wonder if they would employ their disguises back in Goodsprings.

  Yet, things did wind down, and darkness came. We would spend one more night as Cassandra’s house guests and leave in the morning. We all knew we had been absent too long already. Tessa and I had businesses to attend to, and the others wanted to slip back into familiar lives.

  Cassandra caught my sleeve as I was leaving the kitchen, and that was a signal for me to stay. As the others skipped to their rooms, I sat at the kitchen table, while Cassandra poured a last spot of wine. Paula perched on the table, twisting her head back and forth as we talked.

  “I have to thank you and the others for the best time I’ve had since, well, since before the coven broke apart. We were close once, as all covens must be. And I miss that familiarity. You have reminded me of what I’ve been missing.”

  “There is little better than a close-knit coven,” I said. “But don’t get the idea that the Goodsprings coven has been nothing but good times. We had a pair of water witches that made things very difficult at times. One is dead, and the other is stuck in her wildform. Genevive is our water witch in training, which leaves one area a bit understaffed. But we manage.”

  “I understand. My envy is real. And I’m afraid that I won’t enjoy the safety and anonymity I had before. Not with all the paranormal tourists that will arrive. I’m certain that more than a few will find the path through the marsh and wind up on my doorstep. That might prove most inconvenient for them and me. They might decide to search that ramshackle shack they see. And I don’t want to alter the path in any way. No, I don’t see my life getting better after you’re gone.”

  “Would you like to come to Goodsprings?” I asked.

  “Oh, I would love to, but you already have a full coven.”

  “We do, but I must confess that I could use some help in the earth witch department. I run a smoothie shop, and well, that takes up a lot of time. And I’m certain Paula would love to entertain the customers. I’m willing to bet none of them will ever guess she’s in wildform.”

  “I know you’re being kind,” Cassandra said. “But you don’t owe me anything for taking your place in the jail. I rather enjoyed playing mischief with the guards.”

  I didn’t want to know what sort of mischief Cassandra had played on the guards. I guessed they were wondering about their eyesight and their brains after a time.

  “But I do owe you,” I said. “We both know that.”

  “Well said, but you’re only one of the coven. What might others think?”

  “I won’t speak for them,” I said. “But I will broach the subject. They are good people, as well as accomplished witches. So, I would not expect any problems. But one never knows. I will speak with them in the morning and let you know what they say.”

  “That is truly kind,” Cassandra said. “But before you go to the trouble, could you tell me a bit more about Goodsprings? I mean, I would have to find some sort of gainful employment for my time. It wouldn’t be worth the move if I would still be wanting friendship.”

 

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