When Jin returned to the police station later that afternoon, he was certain something unexplainable was going on, though what remained a mystery.
Apart from making sure they’d get a copy of the autopsy report done on the animals, there was no more useful information to be found at the farm. There’d been no witnesses to the cattle being attacked, nor had there been any signs of foul play.
The investigation was a complete dead end, at least until he saw a copy of that report.
It’d been a week since the witches had banished the spirit of his corrupted ex-lover, and he was already exhausted. That spelt trouble for an immortal vampire.
“There’s a guy here to see you,” Sergeant Waters said.
“What guy?”
The sergeant shrugged. “Just a guy.”
Jin narrowed his eyes at Waters, his throat constricting. He was getting hungry, but it was the promise he’d made Holly—to be a good boy within town limits—that stopped him fantasising about a certain annoying police officer’s blood.
Sometimes his vampiric side almost got the better of him. After the chaos since his awakening, it was easy to forget he was still rather new to the whole vampire thing—and that one-hundred-and-seventy-year hiatus didn’t count.
Instead of giving in to his hunger, Jin pushed through the door and stepped into the foyer. It was empty, save for one human man, the inclement weather keeping most people at home…even the criminals.
When he saw Jin, the man stood. His grey T-shirt had the slogan ‘PPA - Paranormal Podcast Association’ printed on the front in neon purple lettering. Jin didn’t know what a podcast was, but the word paranormal had his hackles rising. There’d been enough phone calls about the increase in supernatural strangeness, and the last thing any of them needed was some random guy ‘rubbernecking.’
There was nothing else remarkable that stood out to Jin about the man—he looked like a regular human.
Better get this over with.
“I’m Detective Jin Xu. You wanted to see me?” He looked the man over. “Do you have a report you want to make?”
“I’m Grayson Musgrave,” he said. “I’m a journalist of sorts.”
“Journalist?” Jin eyed his bedraggled appearance. “You look real professional.”
Grayson chuckled and tugged at his T-shirt. “I present a podcast that delves into exposing the truth behind conspiracies and paranormal occurrences.”
“Good for you. If you want a quote for your whatever it is, the quote factory went out of business years ago.” He was so done for the day. Compelling town officials, chasing leads on mutilated cattle, reading about blight and rotten potatoes, mapping the anomaly were tiring enough, but now ‘journalists’ were poking their noses into unsubstantiated crackpot theories. Ironically, they were all true, but his and Holly’s happily ever after was constantly being pushed aside for yet another magical malady. It was maddening.
But Grayson wasn’t taking Jin’s smart-arse no for an answer. He took out his mobile phone and thrust it at him. “Is it true that several mutilated cattle have been found in recent days?”
He snorted as he saw the phone was recording, but he said nothing.
“Is it also true that multiple local crops have had to be destroyed because of an unknown, never seen before, disease?”
Jin scowled. “Who let you in here?”
“There’s also been an unusual spike in the death rate in the last six months. Can you comment on that?”
“Public record.”
“Oh, c’mon. Kate Doyle? Miranda Ryan? The entire Dunne family? Do you really expect me to believe that all those deaths were accidental? What did the reports say about Samantha Dunne? Broken heart syndrome?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t believe you,” he stated. “Something else is going on here, detective. Something more. Why won’t you admit it?”
“More than what?”
“More than human,” Grayson replied, lowering his voice ominously.
Jin laughed and rolled his eyes. “Now I’ve really had enough.” He snatched Grayson’s phone from his hand and deleted the voice recording.
“Hey! You can’t touch my property!”
“I didn’t give you permission to record me,” Jin drawled, slapping the phone against the ‘podcaster’s’ chest, then fixed his gaze to his. It was time to send this clown back to where he came from, minus a few memories. “Whatever you’re doing here, drop it. Go back to wherever you came from and leave them be. Contrary to baseless rumours and idle gossip, there isn’t any grand conspiracy going on here. The people in this town have been through enough in the past year, and the last thing they need is for outsiders to continuously drag it up in the name of cheap entertainment.”
“I’m sure they have,” Grayson declared, his scowl deepening. “Which is why I believe they deserve the truth, no matter how hard it may be to hear. And the last thing my podcast stands for is cheap entertainment.”
Jin blinked. His compulsion should’ve worked, yet the guy was still running his mouth. The only people he couldn’t use his ability on were other supernatural creatures.
The man curled his lip. “You can’t keep sweeping things under the rug, detective. Soon there won’t be enough room under there.”
“There is nothing under the metaphorical rug, Musgrave,” Jin said, his patience wearing thin. “If you’re done trying to poke holes in the integrity of local law enforcement, then I suggest you leave before you’re arrested for obstruction of justice. That’s a thing, you know.”
“Oh, I know,” Grayson drawled, his lips curving into a knowing smile. “Considering there’s no criminal case to obstruct, I don’t see how arresting me for asking a few questions could be considered a proper use of police time.”
“How many times has that attitude seen you thrown in a cell, Musgrave? Quite a few, I assume.”
He laughed and pocketed his phone. “I’ll see you around, Detective Xu. I can already tell our relationship is going to be a spicy one.”
Jin scowled as Grayson left the station, the door swinging closed behind him.
Sergeant Waters appeared next to him and bit loudly into an apple. “What a twat,” he said through an annoyingly full mouth. “You’ve got more patience than me, Xu.”
Jin glared at him. “Haven’t you got somewhere to be?”
Waters mock saluted and scurried into the office, leaving Jin to glance after the irritating Grayson Musgrave.
The guy thought he had something, which meant it wasn’t the last he’d be seeing of the ‘podcaster.’
Yet another thing to add to the growing list.
* * *
By the time Jin returned home that night, Holly was still fuming about her visit to Town Hall.
Now that Samantha had apparently passed on the baton of community spirit to her, she suddenly became more than just the supernatural guardian of Dunloe. After everything they’d been through, after all they’d discovered about their pasts…how did it all equate to her paying for a Ferris Wheel and a bunch of marquees?
When Jin saw her expression, he raised his eyebrows. “I’d ask you how your day was, but I think it’s already written on your face.”
“Where did you live before?”
He frowned. “Before what?”
“Before here.” She gestured at the cottage.
“I had a place. Well, I still have a place, but there isn’t much in it.”
“And your car?”
“Property of the Victoria Police Force.” He smirked. “It’s one of the perks of the job. Why all the questions?”
“I’m just trying to figure something out.”
“Like what?”
“If we live together.”
“I suppose we do. Are you annoyed?”
“Well, I certainly didn’t ask you to move in.” When he recoiled slightly, she reached out of him. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just…” She groaned. “I’ve never lived with anyone else before, let alone a boyfriend.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Believe it.” She screwed up her face. “I’m tragic.”
Jin scoffed. “Have you seen yourself?”
“Every day when I look in the mirror.”
“Holly, you’re beautiful, intelligent, and you’ve got magical powers,” he told her. “Even so, I don’t want to leave you alone for longer than I have to, especially not with all this new nonsense hanging about.” He looked her over, his concern clear. “What’s brought all this on?”
Holly rolled her eyes. She couldn’t even take a compliment without getting annoyed.
The last week had felt like an age, and even though a whole swathe of new problems had arisen in the wake of Hazel’s vortex being destroyed, she hadn’t had a single moment to simply be. It hadn’t even sunk in that Samantha was gone, and that their relationship had done a complete one eighty in under four days. And now Ian MacIntosh, mayor of Dunloe and council member of the Goldfields Shire, was asking for money she hadn’t even acknowledged she had.
“Holly, what’s wrong?”
“Your friend, the mayor, called me in for a meeting today,” she replied. “It was a thinly veiled ruse to guilt me into giving him some of Samantha’s money.”
Jin rolled his eyes. “I can mind control him to use his own credit card if you like.”
“No,” she said with a sigh. “I’m just riled up. I’ll get over it.”
“You have a right to be annoyed. It’s a bold request.” He held out his hand. “C’mon. I’ve asked Patrick and Fiona to meet us at the pub.”
“You have?”
“You obviously need a distraction, and there are things we need to discuss.”
Holly swallowed hard. “What things?”
“I had my own visitor today…and I’m not entirely sure they’re human.”
* * *
When Holly and Jin arrived at the Union Reef Arms, Fiona and Patrick were waiting for them at a table in the far corner of the bistro.
The faint sounds of music and electronic beeping came from the pokie machines in the next room, while the low hum of patrons at other tables floated through the air.
“Well, aren’t we a cheerful lot,” Patrick declared as they sat down. “Luckily for you guys, I got a jug of beer. Help yourselves.”
“I think I need the hard stuff tonight,” Jin said, though he poured a glass for Holly and himself.
“Hell, it’s like that, hey?” the vampire asked with a chuckle.
“The mayor found out about Samantha’s will and is trying to hit Holly up for money.”
“Seriously?” Patrick snorted. “That’s bold.”
“That’s what I told him,” Holly declared. “He wants me to sponsor a winter-themed carnival to help boost tourism…in Samantha’s memory, of course.”
“Maybe it isn’t such a bad idea,” Fiona said, her gaze lowered. She ran her fingers across the condensation on the outside of her glass. “The people in this town have suffered more than they’re aware of.”
“She’s right,” Jin said. “I compelled them all to be human shields…and they were possessed by the spirits from the diggings.”
“They may not remember it, but some part of them is aware,” the witch added. “Actions have consequences.”
“A carnival isn’t going to fix it,” Holly said. “Only time can.”
“A carnival won’t do shit, but it’s a start.” Fiona shrugged. “I think you should sponsor it.”
Patrick leaned forwards across the table, edging closer to the witch. “It might not be a bad idea. The last thing anyone wants is for the town to slowly die because of financial struggles. Attracting some tourist dollars is a start, so is lifting the morale of those still here.”
Holly frowned as she noticed something unspoken pass between Fiona and Patrick. Whatever it was, it didn’t stop her from the pang of guilt that stabbed her right where it hurt the most. The hardest lesson she was learning was that happily ever afters didn’t always come so easily.
“I’ll think about it,” she managed to say.
Patrick coughed, then said, “Carnivals aside, I think we’ve got other pressing things at the moment.”
“Did you hear back about the autopsy already?” Fiona asked, lifting her chin.
“No, not yet,” Jin replied. “I had a visitor at the station today. A man who referred to himself as a ‘podcaster’. Apparently, he has some kind of internet radio show.”
“A podcast,” Patrick corrected.
Jin scowled at the vampire. “Podcast. Called himself Grayson Musgrave. Came in asking all kinds of questions we don’t want or need.”
“Grayson Musgrave?” Fiona snorted. “He sounds like a reality TV wannabe.”
“If he’s been asking questions, maybe it’s worse,” Patrick said.
“What’s worse than reality TV?” Holly asked.
“He has a paranormal conspiracy theory podcast,” Jin stated. “And he’s here to research his latest ‘season.’” The vampire shrugged. “I’m not down with all the lingo the kids speak these days, but that’s the way he put it.”
“I’d say you’re doing a great job of catching up,” Patrick said with a chuckle.
“He must have listeners who live in Dunloe,” Fiona mused, her brow creasing. “They probably sent in tips.”
The hair on the back of Holly’s neck prickled. “How much does he know?”
“Nothing that’s not already common knowledge,” Jin told them. “But that’s not what I’m worried about.”
“It gets worse?” Fiona exclaimed.
“I tried to compel him to drop the story, but it didn’t work.”
“What?” Holly asked. “Is that even possible?”
“They can’t compel other supernaturals,” Fiona reminded her. “Which begs the question…what is he?”
Jin shrugged. “I don’t know…and I don’t think he does, either. If he understood the supernatural world, he wouldn’t be looking to expose it.”
Holly glanced at the bistro, but no one was paying attention to them. Strange blight, hollow cows, lights in the diggings, shadow creature sightings, and now a stranger with a paranormal podcast who didn’t seem to know he was paranormal himself? She didn’t like where any of this was going.
“What if the anomaly is attracting stuff?” she murmured. “What if, now that the vortex is gone, whatever hole Hazel punched into that pocket of magic is leaking everywhere?”
Fiona shook her head. “A pocket of magic wouldn’t do that.”
“How do you know?”
“Because it’s not the first anomaly and it won’t be the last,” the witch told her. “They’re common knowledge for our kind, even as rare as they are.”
“But what if we’re wrong?” she went on. “What if Hazel was right? She said she woke—”
“Why, if it isn’t Detective Xu,” a male voice declared.
Holly turned to find a man standing behind her. He looked about thirty years old, with messy brown hair, a stubbled jaw, and wearing a black leather jacket with a grey T-shirt underneath, printed with a logo that read ‘PPA - Paranormal Podcast Association.’ This must be the annoying Grayson Musgrave, though he looked more like a punk rocker who desperately needed to brush his hair than a supernatural conspiracy theorist.
“If you’re looking for unidentifiable forms of life, you’ve come to the right place,” Jin declared with a fake smile. “There’s at least five different species in here tonight.”
“You missed your calling,” Grayson said, his eyes sparkling. “You should’ve been a comedian.”
“Yeah, nah. I think I’ll stick with law enforcement…it pays better.”
The man chuckled and glanced at the two witches before his gaze lingered on Patrick. “Well, just so you’re aware, detective, I’ll be staying in town a little while longer.”
Jin raised his eyebrows. “Looking for little green men?”
“Something like that.” The man’s smile widened, and he took a step back. “Don’t let me keep you from your drinks, detective. I’m sure we’ll catch up another time.”
“Musgrave,” Jin snapped, stopping the man in his tracks. “Just so you’re aware, if I get any complaints about you trespassing or harassing residents, there’ll be zero tolerance.”
“Oh, this ain’t my first rodeo. But, detective, I also know my rights.” He smiled at Holly and Fiona before making his way towards the bar.
“Well, he sounds fun,” Holly drawled, glaring after him.
“Did either of you pick anything up?” Patrick asked. “He smelt weird.”
“He smelt weird?” Holly exclaimed. “What does that mean?”
“It means he pongs like something crawled up his nose and died,” Fiona told her, a smile returning to her face.
“Ponged like nothing I’ve ever smelt before,” Jin said, sitting back down.
“Well, I couldn’t sense anything but the aura of arrogant a-hole,” Holly muttered. “But I’m still figuring that stuff out.”
Fiona looked past them to the bar, where Grayson was talking to the bartender. “He felt distant.” She blinked and shook her head. “Whatever that means. If he’s supernatural, I don’t know.”
“We’ll just have to keep an eye on him,” Patrick murmured, reaching for his beer, “and make sure he doesn’t ask the wrong questions.”
“Or look in the wrong places,” Jin added, then looked at Holly. “How is your barrier spell coming?”
“I think I’ve cracked it. Or at least, enough to give it a try, but I need more crystals.”
“There ought to be enough at Samantha’s,” Patrick told her. “The house might look pristinely human, but there are plenty of hiding places where she kept all kinds of magical objects.”
Holly sank back in her chair. The moment she’d been avoiding was finally here, forced upon her by some random podcaster. How utterly random was that?
She’d have to acknowledge that Samantha was gone and open the orange envelope. It wasn’t just about the money or the house, it was about the Trine’s secrets. The full truth of their two centuries rule of Dunloe now belonged to the last Burke witch.
“We can go with you if you want,” Fiona said, resting her hand on Holly’s arm. “If you just need crystals…”
“No, it’s fine,” she said. “I think this is something I need to do on my own. The last stroke of the pen on the page of the past…” The Trine was broken, never to reappear, and as the last of the Burke bloodline, it was left to her to carry their Legacy into the future.
Samantha’s worldly belongings were simply the last physical memory of all they’d been through. Deciding what to do with it would finally close the book and allow them all to move on to the next volume—Dunloe now belonged to the descendants of spirit and earth.
“Anyway, that’s something I’ll worry about tomorrow,” Holly declared. “For tonight, let’s forget about all that. Dinner, and drinks, are on me.”