CHAPTER 7

C HAPTER 7

A t the Lodge, Mia was just glad she wasn't still at the academy. The tension between Christina and Levi was crazy-high. Abigail was focused on her husband's mistakes, and Trent was caught in the middle. About ten that morning, she got a text from him. Save me. Do you have lunch plans?

She giggled as she texted back, reminding him she was meeting Sabrina.

Her phone rang almost immediately. It was Trent. "I don't think bringing the coven into our lives by joining right now is a great idea."

"I agree with you, which is why I'm not joining the coven." Mia put Trent on speaker as she reviewed Friday's budget for the baby shower. Mrs. Davis had signed the contract and dropped off a sizeable deposit that morning. "We talked about this over breakfast."

"Then why are you"—Trent paused—"oh, you're checking into Carla's death. Mom's got me all messed up. She keeps asking me to call Dad and tell him it's a bad idea to judge the contest."

"Yes, I'm checking into Carla. And no, I don't think it's a good idea for you to call your dad. I'm sorry I mentioned it to Abigail in the first place. Maybe she wouldn't have found out until the night of the contest, and we could have been saved from all of this angst." She closed the folder and put it all in a scan basket. Someone would come by and grab the folders she'd worked on at the end of the day and scan them all into the computer. Having them accessible digitally gave everyone the information they needed. One of the truly helpful changes that Frank had implemented since his arrival. Maybe the only one. "Just calm down the house. Christina is leaving tonight to go stay with her mom for a few days. When she comes back, by then this will have blown totally over."

"Geez, I hope so." Trent hated all kinds of conflict. He'd rather be poked with a hot fire stick. "But if Mom had found out we knew and didn't tell her, that would have been worse."

"Just keep your focus on those walkways. I don't want anyone tripping in sky-high stilettos during the contest." A knock came at the door, and Mia waved James inside. "Look, I've got to run. Oh, would you tell Christina that there's a wedding present for Isaac on the downstairs table?"

"What did you get the happy couple? Knives?"

Mia giggled. "If I didn't know that Isaac only used a high-end expensive knife, that would have been an excellent gift. As it was, I spent way too much on an ex-fiancé and his new bride."

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" Trent asked.

Mia watched as James refilled her coffee mug from the carafe he'd brought with him. It was going to be a long meeting. "Not right now. I'll see you tonight. Tell your mom to pull out something from the freezer if she doesn't feel like cooking. Or if she's going home?"

"Oh, I don't see that happening. Dad showed up this morning, and they got into it again. I think she's planning on making a roast. She's been talking about the side dishes to go with it since he left." He lowered his voice. "And she's heading this way. I need to look busy."

Mia set the phone down on her desk after saying goodbye. James leaned back into his chair. "Things going well with the contest? The hotel has a food truck at the festival grounds next Saturday and Sunday. Frank told me not to bother you with the details."

"He's a butt." She pulled out her planner. "Do you need help planning the staffing?"

"Does a butterfly come from a caterpillar? Of course I need help. The restaurant is going to be crazy that week since all the families are staying in the hotel. Or at least the out-of-towners are. This is the biggest weekend of the year for Magic Springs, and Frank thinks it's just business as usual." He opened his notebook. "Now, who on your staff can I call in for the food truck? I need ideas on cooks, as well, since most of my staff will be working overtime at the hotel."

As they made plans for the next week's events, Mia wondered how they could beat Frank at this information-limiting game he was playing. She knew he was doing it to make her fail. Then he could fire her for cause. Working under these types of conditions wasn't helping her stress levels, but she couldn't keep the school if she didn't have the second income. She'd run the numbers last night before she went to bed. Even if she downsized to just her costs and no payroll, she needed the Lodge job to eat. It wasn't fair that Frank had the power to ruin her life. Of course, life wasn't fair.

"Are you okay?" James's question poked through the pity party she'd been having in her head. "You know, as long as we keep talking, Frank can't get away with these things."

"I know. It's just hard when you don't know when the next shoe is going to drop." She heard a text come over her phone. She checked, and it was Baldwin, wondering if she'd heard anything. She'd answer him after lunch. Maybe at least she'd be able to help him close this case, since from what Abigail was saying, Carla was just unlucky in her sabotage.

After they finished the food truck planning, Mia went over her schedule with James to make sure she wasn't missing any other events that would need her expertise for this month and the next three.

James stood as he checked his messages. "We need a standing planning meeting for just the two of us on our calendars every two weeks. And if I hear of any events, I'll mention them in the department heads meeting. Oh, and I'll go check with lodging and see if they have any big groups coming in. You know they usually book the events then too."

"Good idea. You're good at finding out information." Mia wished she could ask him about Carla's death and see what he'd heard, but that was Baldwin's side of the investigation. Talking to humans. Her phone buzzed again. "Good timing. My lunch appointment is here."

"Have fun. I'm going to go chat with the front desk staff before I go talk to any of the other department heads. I want to make sure they are all on our side with Frank. He can be a little sneaky with gathering followers to the cause." James paused at the doorway. "I feel like I'm a double agent."

"Well, we're kind of spying for our careers." Mia wondered what game Frank was playing with the hotel. Had he done this at other places he'd worked? Maybe she could call in some favors with people at his old hotel. "Know your enemy" was one of Grans's favorite sayings. Before she stood from her desk, she wrote a note. Call Grans .

Then she followed James out of her office and to the lobby area to find Sabrina Clay. She wasn't hard to spot. Sabrina loved the glamour of being a witch, and she used her spell craft wisely. Men and women found her hard to ignore with her long, straight, raven-black hair. Her body had just the right ratio of curves and lean for her six-foot frame. And she knew how to dress to accentuate her curves and her narrow waist.

Sabrina smiled and stood to hug Mia as she came out to the lobby. "I'm so glad you called for lunch. The Lodge has so many great memories for me. I got married the first time here in this lobby."

"I didn't know that." Mia wondered when that had been since the Lodge had always limited the lobby to receptions since they had a lot of walk-in traffic. At least that had been the policy for years. Mia had dreamed about getting married next to that fireplace, but Isaac had nixed the idea, wanting to use a popular church in North Boise instead.

Isaac, weddings. It all was getting in her head. She really needed a spirit cleansing soon. Her grandmother did a cleansing once a month, but Mia had always felt that was indulgent. Now she wished she'd accepted her grandmother's invitation last week. She might be more clear-headed now.

Luckily, Sabrina hadn't noticed Mia's lack of attention and was talking about her first husband and his unlucky death at his coven job. He'd been looking for signs of the Northern Idaho werewolf colony encroaching on Magic Springs's circle of protection. The power barrier went ten miles out from the town limits to keep other covens or tribes from getting too close for comfort. No melting pot for this group of townspeople. She didn't know why they were so stuck in their old ways, but that was one of the reasons Mia had been hesitant to join. Because they were wrong in some of their tightly held beliefs. Like how power only transferred to one sibling at a time in a magical family.

Mia must have nodded and grunted in the right places because Sabrina was still talking. When she started congratulating Mia on getting the queen contract, Mia focused on what she was saying.

"We're so lucky that you and Abigail agreed to host the competition this year. We've had issues in the past, and it's better if we can keep the problems internal in the coven." She opened her menu. "I do so love the restaurant here now since James took over. The last head chef was a little boring. He thought the food at the Lodge should be all meat and potatoes. It was like eating at a hunting lodge with a really bad cook."

"James is amazing." Mia set down her menu. She knew what she wanted. She'd planned on holding this discussion off until the end of the meal, but Sabrina had given her an opening. "I wanted to ask you about Carla Manson's death."

"It's a shame about Carla. The coven board has ruled it a suicide. So it won't affect the competition. Don't you worry about a thing." She tapped the menu with her bloodred nails. "I would think that if a person had a daughter in the running, she would be more careful with the traps she set for the competition."

"So you think she was trying to eliminate the competition?" Mia hadn't expected her to say the one possible theory that would explain the death with a quick answer to end the investigation. If Sabrina was a reputable knowledge source on one thing, it was Magic Springs's coven's rumors.

"Honey, I know she was. Although her techniques were a little old-fashioned. I think her mother must have used the same spells back in the day when Carla was one of the princesses. She never had the guts for the queen position, and she must have known it. Although Kristin, she's a little more competitive than her mom was. I hear she decided to stay in the competition. Her mom's ‘last wish' kind of thing. It's a terrific ace card to hold and pull out if she ever needs it."

"I hadn't heard that Kristin was continuing to compete. I would think being at the school where it happened would be hard on her." The waiter came and took their orders, then brought a bottle of wine. This lunch was definitely going on Sabrina's expense account.

"You know teenagers, it's all about them." Sabrina leaned in and smiled. "Now, tell me about you. The rumor is your ex is getting married this weekend. How are you doing?"

The good thing about the lunch was that Sabrina was more interested in what she perceived as Mia's broken heart about Isaac's new relationship status than in talking to her about joining the coven. Maybe Mia had said no enough times that they didn't think she would ever join. Or more likely, they were just biding their time until Mia needed a big favor. Then it would come at a cost.

When Mia got back to her office, she called Baldwin first. A baby was crying in the background. "You must be at home."

He chuckled. "Actually, no. Sarah and Elisa Marie stopped by to bring me lunch. Elisa Marie's not happy with the office. Sarah says she's reacting to negative vibes. Hold on a second, and I'll be right with you. Sarah's already up and leaving."

"Tell her I said hi," Mia said, then she booted up her computer and coded the lunch charges onto her marketing account with notes about the history of the festival, the appropriateness of the food trucks, and what had sold well last year. She'd decided to grab the bill during Sabrina's discussion on the spell to mend a broken heart.

The reason for coding the cost to marketing was more than just not wanting to pay for Sabrina's lunch—when Frank checked her expenses, it would tell him that she knew about the food truck event.

She was going to be in his face about every event he hid from her. And she was going to make them all successful. Just to spite him. Of course, that meant working with one hand tied behind her back, but she'd done that before.

Mark's voice blared at her from the speaker. "Are you still there?"

She focused on the call. "Sorry, yes. I was doing some work. How are the girls?"

"Elisa Marie and Sarah are fine. Sarah says she'll stop by soon and bring the baby. We're trying to keep her a little isolated until she gets better control of a few things. If Sarah hadn't explained her special whatever, I'd be freaking out right now. She floated her stuffed tiger out of the diaper bag just now." Mark seemed more amazed than concerned.

"I've never been around babies, so I wouldn't know what to expect. I'm glad Sarah's there to help you." Mia thought it sounded like Mr. Darcy's newfound magical skills since Dorian's essence was sharing his body. She underlined the words Call Grans on the stickie note she'd written that morning. She didn't need a human, besides Christina, seeing Mr. Darcy's parlor tricks. "Anyway, I was calling about Carla."

Mia explained that the prevailing theory in the magical community was that Carla was the victim of her own spell. She'd been trying to fix the queen competition in her daughter's favor.

Mark was silent for a while. "Well, then. I guess the coroner's report of an aneurysm will just hold. I don't know how to explain death by misfired spell."

"At least it wasn't a murder." Mia thought she knew what Mark was feeling. An unease about something he didn't understand. "Although I hear this competition can be a little dramatic, at least for the families. Maybe you should keep an open mind this week."

"Sarah's already given me the talk. I guess it's a way for the coven to add new council members. Each of the girl children who are born in a year goes into this competition during their eighteenth year. And the winner's family gets a board seat for five years." He coughed. "I guess it's better than an election. Or a lottery, which is how they used to do it. And worse, one of the girls was sacrificed when it first started. At least that's how Sarah described the festival. That part of the ritual has been ended."

After she talked to Mark, she thought about Carla's death. Maybe that part of the tradition hadn't changed. Maybe there had already been a sacrifice. Sabrina might have just been covering for what the board knew.

Mia called her grandmother but got her voice mail. "Hey, call me. I'm getting worried about you. I haven't heard from you in a few days. And I want to chat about this harvest pageant. At least the history of it. I'm concerned."

She thought about driving over and seeing what her grandmother was up to, but then her phone rang. Work had to come first today, and the first order of business was to make sure that tomorrow's baby shower went smoothly.

Determining whether the coven still offered up blood sacrifices would have to wait until she got home. And that wasn't even the weirdest thing she'd thought about today. Oh, the life of a kitchen witch in the modern world.