Apparitions, Aerobics, and Arson: A Bewitcher's Beach Paranormal Cozy Mystery #3 (Bewitcher's Beach Paranormal Cozy Mysteries) by Emily Fluke

Author:Emily Fluke [Fluke, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-10-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

LIGHTEN UP

Exactly one hour later, Hattie, Crow, and I stood over a metal trash can behind Mockbuster. To an outsider, the three of us probably resembled troublemaking teenagers in a back alley. Crow held a fire extinguisher at the ready, I hugged The Swan Princess to my chest, and Hattie pursed her lips at me, impatient. The other tapes were already alight, melting and turning to ash in the shiny metal bin.

I’d yet to sacrifice the final tape. My favorite cartoon film. Relief rippled through me as Hattie shifted her attention to Crow, and I could cling to the movie a fraction longer.

Her gemstone eyes raked over him, a smirk at her perfectly ruby lips. “Awfully nice of you to come all the way back into Bewitcher’s Beach for this illegal little project.”

A single dark curl fell into his left eye and, after he shook his head to knock it away, he shrugged. “I’m all in for a good party.”

My gaze switched between them. As long as they chatted, Hattie wasn’t pressuring me to toss the tape into the fire. The Swan Princess had a precious memory attached to it. Popcorn and homemade cookies with Sett and the kids and a slew of cartoon movies.

“You call this a party? You need to get out more,” she said. Smoke billowed in her face and heat radiated in front of her, making it look as though her ghostly figure was underwater. Flames licked at her glittering gold dress, causing no harm, no interaction at all.

“Yeah?” Crow grinned and cocked his head. “Then you’ll have to show me a real party sometime. I bet a flapper girl knows all about illegal partying. Maybe a little bootlegging.”

“A little?” She snorted. “Listen, Mac⁠—”

“My name’s Crow.”

I elbowed him. “It’s slang from the 1920s.” Hattie went full flapper girl whenever a handsome man was around. But this was new. Apparently, she considered Crow rather dapper. Was it his affinity for parties? Either way, I wanted them to keep talking. I hugged the tape tighter, as if embracing it would bring back simpler times before the protection spell came down and murderers and arsonists arrived on Bewitcher’s Beach’s doorstep. Or, shore.

“As I was saying.” Hattie shot us both a sharp glare. “If we get this broad away from the fuzz one of these days, I’ll show you a party like you wouldn’t believe.”

Crow threw his head back and laughed. All that talk of illegal activity actually worked. I laughed too, relaxing enough to loosen my grip on the tape. Before Hattie could harass me to get it done and over with, I got it done and over with.

The Swan Princess fell into the metal can with a thud, and the flames poofed up. Sparks danced around, vanishing into tiny black specks as they floated to the concrete. The fire cracked, giving sound to how my heart felt as it devoured the tape. And destroyed Cliff’s tether. At least something good came of this. Cliff’s spirit would release, and we’d cross a suspect off the list.

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