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WHEN JESSI WAS DROPPED off at the deli, she was less than enthused. The fact that more information came out than she’d hoped messed with her head. She hadn’t meant to say things aloud, but her buttons were pushed. And then the way her mother stared her down, after she defended her mother against Saraya’s attacks.
She knew Katy would be digging for details, but she’d already said enough. Jess pulled the front door open and went inside. She walked through the front of the deli without saying a word. Slipping to the back, she pulled out an apron and placed it over her outfit. “I’ll start the coleslaw.”
Katy leaned against the doorframe between the front and back of the deli and watched the girl. How had she grown up so fast? She remembered the pigtailed innocence of Jessi’s childhood. “Jess, care to talk?”
“I’ve talked enough,” she said, her voice sullen.
“Yep, it sounds that way. How about a friend?” she offered.
Jessi reached up and wiped a tear away. “I didn’t mean for everything to get like this. It turned into a tangled mess.”
Katy moved closer. She softened her stance. “What happened?”
Jessi looked away. “I can’t talk about it. I’m sorry, Auntie Kate.”
“A woman is dead and Tex may be involved,” she warned. She knew she was stepping out of bounds. She had to. It was a dear friend’s kid. She’d known her all her life.
Jessi drew in a deep breath and ran to the bathroom. “I can’t.”
Katy followed and knocked gently on the door. “Jessi?”
“Later, okay,” she said between sobs.
Katy wanted to give her space, yet she felt like she was on the verge of something. Jessi needed to talk. She just didn’t know how to get the words out. She was young, impressionable, and had apparently fallen harder for a guy than she let on. A married guy at that. Now she was dealing with the mix of emotions, and the possibility that the guy she fell in love with was a killer. It was a lot to absorb.
The jingle of bells from the front caught Katy’s attention. She went to greet her customer. “Good afternoon, what can I do for you today?”
The woman stood stiff and tall. “Good morning, Katamara.”
“Victoria,” Katy said. She forced a smile.
“I’d like to get a Cobb salad and a mango-pineapple smoothie to go,” she said. “Word is you’re thinking about going back to school?”
“Ah, I see Eve got in touch.”
“Lose track of your witching skills? Lacking witchcraft?”
Katy hated Victoria. She was a snob, a snoot, and always one to grind things in your face. Instead of denying it, she just went along. It was easier. “Actually, yes. I’ve gotten too comfortable after so many years, and it would be lovely to get in touch with my magic, freshen things up.”
“Good for you,” she said. Her face was tight, almost too tight, from the severe bun that was knotted at the back of her head. “When will you be coming by?”
“Still there, huh?” She knew this would be the biggest hurdle to getting back in the game. Victoria was teaching the classes.
“But of course,” she answered.
Katy opened the refrigerator and pulled out the ingredients for the smoothie. She had a Cobb Salad ready to go on the bottom shelf. She prepped a few early in the morning. Sandwiches she made on demand, but salads took more time. She scowled with her back to Victoria, then cleared her throat. “Fabulous. I’ll look forward to seeing more of you.”
After she served Victoria and the woman left, Katy went back to check on Jessi. She checked the bathroom, the pantry, but she was nowhere to be seen. Jessi was gone. Katy groaned. Between her reliability lately, and everything else, it was time to find new help.
Alex slipped through the mail slot and let himself back inside. “What’s with the young one? She’s out crying by the dumpster.”
“She’s still here? Mind the store!” Katy ran outside to see Jessi before it was too late. She wrapped her arm over her shoulder. “Jessi, come on, let’s talk.”
Jessi looked up at Katy with sad, wet, brown eyes. All Katy could see was the child she once knew.
“I made a really big mistake.”
“Mistake?” she nudged.
“Trusting...just...I’m in big trouble, really big trouble.”
The tiny hairs on the back of Katy’s neck stood up. Something changed.
Jess sobbed. “It’s too late for me. I was thinking of running out in traffic, but I lost my courage.”
“Oh, Jessica, whatever it is, we can work it out. Come back inside with me.” Why was it that when things got serious, she reverted to her friend’s full name? It reminded her of when she was little and her mother would call out to her, ‘Katamara.’ It was always a sign of trouble.
Jessi stood and didn’t move.
“Jess?” Katy cocked her head to the side. It suddenly became clear. Jessi was more involved than she’d first thought. Had she tampered with the marshmallow spread after all?
The young girl mumbled. “You wouldn’t understand.”
Katy played along. “Oh, you have no idea. I’ve been there, so in love, young and foolish...”
Jessi looked up and studied Katy’s face.
“Jessi, tell me what you did,” she guided.
She shook her head. “I can’t, Auntie Kate. If I did, I’d have to kill you, too.”
Katy snagged Jessi’s arm, refusing to let go. “Did you—”
“Let go of me,” Jess hissed, trying to shake the older woman off her arm.
“Not a chance.” Katy tightened her grip. Her heart broke, but she knew what she had to do.
“Don’t make me use my magic,” Jessi said. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Haven’t you done enough?” Katy shouted. “You’re the one. You tampered with it.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jessi said. “He said he’d take care of it. I only helped, but now my hands are dirtied. There’s no going back.”
“Jessi, talk to me. I’ll talk to Chip, have him go easy on you. Tell me what happened. If you come clean, confess to your part in it, he’ll offer a plea bargain. The weight will fall on Tex, and you’ll get off easier. We’ll say you were impressionable, didn’t know what you were doing.”
Jessi laughed. “Tex was the fool. He didn’t have a clue. It was so easy. He kept putting it off, but I was growing tired of it all. He said he’d leave Saraya after the kid was born. I warned him if he didn’t handle Crystal, I’d take out his wife.”
Katy’s eyes flew open in shock. She’d never heard Jess talk this way before.
The young girl laughed, almost lost in her own world. “All I did was give him the tainted marshmallow. A little Oleander injected into a heart shaped marshmallow was all we needed. How romantic, right? I told him to give it to her, like he was buying more time. When he told me how he slipped it to her, I have to admit, I was more impressed with him. And then he panicked. How can I love a man without a spine?”
“Wow...” In shock, Katy let go of Jessi’s arm.
In that instant, Jessi bolted and ran straight for the traffic.
Before Katy knew what she was doing, she waved her hands and chanted a spell. “The one who runs, don’t let her go, lift her up, nice and slow.”
Jessi’s feet left the ground. Her body drifted and floated above the car she almost ran in front of.
“Get me down,” she shouted.
“Alex,” Katy screamed. “Call the police.”
Katy held her in the air, and focused her intent on Jessi’s safety. She needed to alert Chip to pick up Tex before he slipped away. The dirty duo had more to confess. Katy kept her in the space above the cars, moving her cautiously back toward the deli. She’d never been so determined. Grateful the spell came to her when she needed it, she hoped she didn’t let go too soon.
As the sirens came closer, she started to lose her focus. Jessi sank closer to the ground. Once her feet touched base, the spell was broken. She dove into Katy and took her down. Katy’s head hit the concrete sidewalk. She blanked out. When she opened her eyes, Jessi was nowhere to be found.
Katy tried to regain her focus. There were people leaning over her, talking. Their voices were muffled. Alex floated in closer.
“What’s going on?” Katy mumbled, the words harder to get out than she expected.
Alex tucked in beside her, barely noticed, barely visible. “You took a fall.”
“Where am I?”
“In front of the deli. Do you remember anything? Hold on,” he said, and slipped around her wrist like a bracelet.
“Honey, do you know what year it is?” A voice came from above.
“What?” She was confused. Alex was there a moment ago, and there was a strange woman’s voice. She was so tired.
“I’m a paramedic. Stay with me here,” she said, trying to make sure Katy didn’t fall asleep. “Checking for a concussion. I’m going to look at your eyes. Look at my flashlight.”
“Alex?”
“There’s no Alex here. Your husband is here. He’ll be over in a second. He’s talking with one of the other officers.”
“Chip?”
“Chief Wallace,” the woman called out. “She’s coming around.”
Chip ran over. He pushed through and kissed her forehead. “Katy! I was so worried about you. Let this nice lady check you over. I’ll be right here with you.”
“Chip?” she started to drift off.
“No sweetie, you need to stay with us.”
Alex took the moment to slip from her wrist, make himself even smaller, and then settled into her earlobe. He whispered. “I’m here, Katy, but you have to stay awake. Keep talking.”
“I have a headache,” she said.
“I’ll bet you do.” Chip answered. “Looks like you took quite a spill.”
“Jessi?”
“We got her. I’ll fill you in once they finish with you here. They’re going to take you over to the hospital for observation, Sweetie. I’ll meet you there as soon as I can. I’m passing off our suspect to another officer. Once I sign off, I’ll be there.”
“There’s more...” Katy said, then started to drift again.
Alex spoke to her. “Come on, girl. Stay awake.”
“I’m awake,” she mumbled.
