Mayhem in Jinx Cove Read online

  Mayhem in Jinx Cove

  Jinx Cove Mysteries Book One

  Savannah Mae

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

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  Chapter One

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “He’s dead.”

  “Should we bury him?” Ben’s hands shook as he looked down at the lifeless body.

  “We can’t leave him here. Someone will find him.” I continued digging a hole in the soil.

  “I won’t touch him.” Ben’s eyes grew wider as he spoke.

  “He’s dead. He won’t attack you. Let’s be humane about it and not leave him here for someone to find. You wouldn’t want to meander around town and run into a corpse along the way, would you?”

  “That’s not a corpse. It’s a vulture. One with friends waiting to attack us for killing him,” Ben reminded me of the potential danger we faced.

  I wasn’t inclined to want to feed into his nightmare scenario. “Dramatic much? The bird attacked us, remember? It wasn’t our fault it misjudged that nest you call hair and nosedived into the wall. We’re innocent. I’m sure there are no vultures waiting in the - excuse the pun - wings to attack us. This isn’t a horror movie,” I said as I used my sleeve to pick the departed up off the ground and drop it into its final resting place, next to the Abracajava Cafe - our home away from home.

  Before we had the chance to cover the body, one of the cafe owners barged out the front entrance and rushed toward us, waving her knobby finger at us. “What do you think you’re doing? You can’t leave that here. It’s bad luck and we don’t need any of that around here.”

  I paused and stood up slowly so as not to alarm the little woman. “It committed suicide. We’re burying it.”

  “It did no such thing. We saw what happened. If you two hooligans would have kept on walking instead of running like the Grim Reaper had called your names, this beautiful, black creature would still be alive. Now you should right the wrong and give it back to its flock,” she spoke as if she had some insider information about the vulture world. The Jinx sisters had a reputation for odd behavior in Jinx Cove, but this took it to another level.

  Ben’s voice shook as he spoke. “You want us to offer the bird as a sacrifice to other vultures?”

  She rolled her big gray eyes at him and said, “If I ever plan on offering anything as a sacrifice, you’d be my first choice.”

  I bit my lip to keep myself from laughing. Ben had been my best friend since preschool so I knew how he’d react even before he became fully aware of it himself. I’d spend the next few weeks consoling him and reassuring him that the Jinx sisters weren’t going to bring him any harm. Now, I didn’t know that for sure. I don’t think anyone in town could ever know that for sure, but I’d fool myself into believing it was true just to keep the peace.

  When the eldest Jinx sister tired of waiting for a response from Ben, she knelt and scooped the dead bird up and carried it back into the cafe with her.

  Ben’s breath hitched as he watched her.

  I waited until he took a deep breath and resumed normal breathing before I spoke. “Do you still want to get coffee?”

  He swallowed hard before answering in his normal jovial manner. “Of course, I can’t function without coffee. I haven’t had a good cup since you left. I’ve been drinking the instant crap they have at work. It’s horrible.” He grabbed my hand and led me to the cafe, without a concern in the world as to what had just happened. “Let’s go. Tell me all about what happened in Chicago.”

  We sat down at our usual table, right in front of the sign that read Abracadabra Cafe on the window. This had been our designated spot ever since our parents gave us permission to drink real cups of coffee. We thought we were big stuff. We’d walk in here so sure of ourselves at thirteen years of age and order our black coffees, because in our minds that’s what adults drank. The Jinx sister - I couldn’t remember which one - poured us two cups of the strongest coffee they had on the menu, The Cauldron, a house brewed special, and watched as we pretended to enjoy it. The thick, bitter coffee coated our throats as it made its descent down into our candy-filled bellies. Soon after gulping down the whole cup, we raced to the restrooms and became close, personal friends with the toilets. It wasn’t pretty, and we learned our lesson: don’t drink The Cauldron coffee.

  One of the servers came over to the table and poured two cups of French Roast coffee for us. We sat in silence for a few moments enjoying the first few sips.

  Ben concentrated on his cup, savoring every drop, but I hadn’t yet forgotten about the dead vulture and couldn’t help but wonder what the little Jinx sister had done with it. Because of all the stories I’d heard over the years about the sisters, twins Calliope and Calypso and their eldest sister Lyra, the one we’d encountered outside, my mind immediately conjured up images of the three of them encircling a big, black cauldron and casting spells on people. Now, I had no idea whether the rumors were true or just small-town gossip, but whatever the case, I had no intention of finding out. I was content with my ignorance in that department.

  One full cup of coffee down and another served, we were ready to dig into why I’d returned to Jinx Cove. Up until it became clear that I’d have to move back home, I’d kept certain elements of my life to myself. That was part of the reason why I’d left to study in Chicago to begin with; I wanted my own life. I wanted to make it on my own and find myself, as they say.

  “Are you ready to talk now that you have a few liters of caffeine rolling through your veins?” Ben flashed his perfect smile at me.

  I sighed. “Yes, I think so, but promise me you won’t try to talk me out of this. I think this is best for now.”

  Ben winked. “Do I have to say it out loud? Do you want me to pinky promise not to divulge your deepest, darkest secrets?”

  I grinned, knowing how silly I must have sounded to him. “Okay, well, I got laid off.”

  “And, that’s why you’re back?” He furrowed his eyebrows. “I thought you loved Chicago?”

  “I do. I did.” I sighed again. It was time to fess up. “I got laid off last year.”

  Ben’s hazel eyes went wide. “Last year? Why didn’t you tell me? How’d you survive all this time without a job?”

  I cringed. “I had money in my savings account and I took odd jobs to pay the rent. It was fine for a while, then it wasn’t. You know what I mean? I tried. I’m telling you, I tried everything, but no one was hiring and no one could pay me anything even remotely close to what I’d made at Soso.”

  “Couldn’t you start your own line or something? Isn’t that how it works?” Ben asked.

  I shook my head. “You need capital to start a design business. I had some in the bank but not enough to start a whole business. I had a lot of designs and clients asking for a dress for this or a blouse for that, but not enough to pay my rent and student loans and all that jazz. I had trunk shows and negotiated consignment deals with small boutiques but it wasn’t enough. And, anyway, who has the money to help me start my own design firm?”

  Ben sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have lent you money. I have some money in savings and investments I coul
d have drawn from for you.”

  “I wanted to make it on my own. After my parents took out all those loans to pay for school for me, I couldn’t ask them or anyone. I already owe everyone too much money as it is,” I explained.

  “Why come back here? What are you going to do? Work in your dad’s insurance business?” Ben asked the same questions I’d been asking myself since I’d decided to return home.

  “Maybe. I don’t know.” I sighed. “They don’t know I’m back yet. I haven’t told them.”

  Ben lunged forward almost spilling his coffee. “You didn’t tell them? Why not? We were walking around town. Don’t you think someone would have told them by now? You know people around here are chomping at the bit to have something to talk about.”

  I noticed movement behind the counter. “What do you think she did with the vulture?”

  “You’re changing the subject,” Ben said.

  “No, I’m not. I’m reminding you about the bird I murdered,” I challenged him.

  He took another sip of his coffee. “Again, with this? How many years have you been trying to convince me that you have mind control over people and animals? You do realize that it makes you sound crazy and, I’m sure, no man is his right mind would want to spend his life with a nut case.”

  I tossed my crumpled-up napkin at him. “Excuse me, but aren’t you still single? Explain that, Prince Grumpnoid.”

  We could go on like this for hours. He’d tease me, and I’d fire back a remark at him. Sometimes, his teasing was relentless, but it was always done in good fun. He was my oldest friend and my confidant through all the ups and downs in my life. I loved him like a brother.

  “Prince Grumpnoid? That’s the best you could come up with?” Ben tossed my napkin back at me.

  I shrugged. “I tried. Anyway, how can you sit there and talk about me being single when - the last I checked - you haven’t dated in months. What’s your hang-up? I mean, besides the ones I already know about, like your penchant for black coffee and that eye twitching thing. Oh, and let’s not forget, the way your eyes go dark at the mention of beets or Brussel sprouts.”

  Ben shot a glare at me. “Are you finished or is there more wrong with me than that, Miss Perfect?”

  I waved my hand. “I’m done… for now.”

  “Great. Thanks. You’re a barrel of laughs. I’m so glad you’re back in town,” he groaned before continuing with our previous conversation. “You still should have told me what was going on. I could have done something to help you.”

  “That’s just it. I didn’t want someone to jump in and save me. I thought I could do it on my own,” I started.

  The server returned for our third round of coffee.

  I held my hand over my mug. “Thanks, but I’m good.”

  Ben held his cup up for her to pour another cup full. “Thanks. Do you know what happened to the bird?” he asked.

  The server’s hand jerked, spilling boiling, hot coffee onto our table.

  We lunged back, pushing our chairs away from the table.

  “Sorry,” she offered. “I’m so sorry.”

  One of the other Jinx sisters - a twin - rushed over with a towel and a mop. “Watch out. I’ll get it. Is anyone hurt?”

  Ben and I both assessed the damage, save for some droplets of coffee on my sleeve and on Ben’s pant leg, we were relatively unscathed.

  “We’re fine,” I offered. “It was an accident.”

  The sister locked eyes with mine for a moment. I couldn’t move as she stared at me. My body went cold. It was as if she could see right into my thoughts.

  “Are you okay?” I heard a small voice say again.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out.

  What’s going on, I thought. Look away. Why can’t I look away?

  I heard Ben’s voice call out to me. “Melanie? Melanie? Hello? Answer me. Are you in a trance now? You are so weird.”

  Heat rose in my body suddenly. I blinked to clear the thoughts racing through my mind.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “You weirded out. Suddenly, you were gone. Vacant, like the lights were on but no one was home,” Ben said, reaching for my hand. “Are you sick? Why is your hand so cold?”

  The Jinx sister finished cleaning the spill from the table. “She looks fine to me. Let me get you another pot of coffee. That ought to warm her right up.”

  I didn’t respond. My eyes fixated on her name tag. It read: Calliope. I always had trouble telling one twin from the other. If she was Calliope, then the other one was Calypso.

  “Thank you, but I think we’re going to head out soon,” Ben said as he stared at me.

  I cleared my throat. “Yes, I should go home now.”

  Calliope smiled. “Yes, you should go home. I’m sure your family will be delighted to see you.”

  Something about the way she said it gave me pause. Of course, I understood that she knew who my parents were. Everyone knew everyone else in Jinx Cove. Everyone was especially familiar with the Jinx sisters. After all, this small community, nestled between prairies and small hills was named for their ancestors, but not as an homage. It was a warning.

  If you believed the stories passed down for generations, you’d believe that the sisters were witches. The legend had it that their great-great-great grandmother settled in this area with her family when she was a young girl. Soon after their arrival, strange things began to happen. An abundance of cats converged on the area. They were soon followed by birds of all kinds. Now, by today’s standards, that would be considered a result of global warming. Back then, all the blame immediately fell on the family. It didn’t help that they didn’t look like any of the original settlers either.

  While most people hailed from England, this family came from Spain, not unusual by any means, but different enough to make them seem more mysterious with their dark manes and light eyes. Gray eyes being the predominant color of their eyes, a trait carried down through the generations and given to the three Jinx sisters that still lived here today.

  “Are you ready?” Ben took my elbow after he paid for our coffees.

  “I think so,” I answered.

  We walked out and headed to his car.

  “You could have called me from the airport,” Ben said.

  “I know, but I needed time to think,” I answered, explaining why I’d chosen to ride the airport shuttle bus back to town.

  “What time did you actually get here? How long were you here before you called me?” Ben asked.

  “Only two or three hours,” I answered as we passed by the small shops that had been in business my entire life, even passing the Jinx Cove library, where my mother was not only the main librarian but the only librarian in the whole county.

  Ben stopped walking. “You were hanging out here for three hours before you bothered to call me? Why? Things can’t be that bad. I’m sure your parents will be glad you’re back. They love you.”

  I bit my lip, unsure of how to explain how big a deal this was to me. I felt like I’d failed them. They’d adopted what they thought was the perfect baby girl just hours after I was born and had visions of raising the perfect daughter, but I was anything but that. As my mother often reminded me, I tended to act without thinking first and had a habit of getting in over my head. Losing my job proved that. After all, I’d been the one who refused the scholarship to state college so I could pursue my dreams of being a fashion designer and working for one of the larger design houses in the world. My parents did everything they could to help me make my dream a reality and now I’d failed them.

  We climbed into the car to make the three-mile trip to my parents’ house. The weight of the world pressed down harder and harder onto my shoulders as we approached my family’s small five-acre farm.

  Ben patted my leg. “Breathe.”

  I offered him a small grin. “I’m trying.”

  “It will be fine. Just wait until you see their faces light up. All that worrying will have bee
n for nothing,” he assured me.

  He pulled the car to a stop. The curtains were still drawn, so it was safe to assume they weren’t awake yet. I found that odd because both of my parents were early risers. It was almost eleven in the morning. They had to be awake.

  “Looks like they’re home. Their cars are here,” Ben said before stepping out of the car.

  I slid out slowly, a sinking feeling in my stomach. “I wonder why the curtains are closed.”

  Ben shrugged. “You’ll find out when you go inside.”

  I walked up to the door. Ben followed. As I reached for the doorknob, the door opened suddenly.

  My parents stood, one behind the other, tears in their eyes.

  “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” I asked.

  Chapter Two

  “Oh, it will be fine. These things happen for a reason. There’s no need for you to worry.” My mother pulled me to her to hug me. I could feel her small frame trembling. Things were not okay.

  My father, the venerable optimist, Ned Abney, hugged me next. “Hi, honey. How nice of you to surprise us like this!” He used his shirt sleeve to wipe his tears.

  “Hi, Daddy. What’s going on? Why were you crying?” I asked both.

  My mom wiped a wayward tear from her face and addressed Ben. “Benjamin, it’s so nice to see you. I feel like we haven’t seen you in forever. How’s work? It must be so exciting to be a big-time professor, molding all those young minds.”

  He blushed. My parents adored him. He was like the son they never had. The way they fawned over him and gushed about every little thing he did, used to make me jealous, but now, it made me prouder of my best friend than I’d ever been. Who knew that the handsome boy with the sly grin would make good on his promise to return to Jinx Cove and teach at the local community college! He’d always talked about it, but with his lean, muscular frame and chiseled cheekbones, most in town assumed he’d pursue a career that put him in front of a wide audience of admirers. Apparently, we thought wrong. He wanted nothing to do with fame.

  Unlike some men, I’d met in Chicago, Benjamin Silva’s good looks were the bane of his existence. He did everything he could think of to take the focus off his hazel eyes and his devilishly handsome face by wearing caps on his head, baggy clothes and the dreaded socks and sandals look. Yep, Ben was in desperate need of a wardrobe intervention, and I knew just the person to save him.