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WHEN EVE RETURNED FROM her family trip, she made plans to meet with Katy at The Cozy Cauldron. The tavern was a favorite hang-out in the Not-So-Normal Town community. Witches could be witches, vamps could order a pint of synthetic-blood, and werewolves could howl along to the jukebox all night long.
Nobody did a double-take, nobody stared, and everybody did their own thing. While the town was mostly witch territory, a few others had wandered in and stuck around over the years. The werewolves took some getting used to, but after making sure they understood good behavior in this neck of the woods, things worked themselves out. Nobody needed their pet disappearing overnight. Vampires adapted to the synthetic variety of blood which was surprisingly refreshing and safer for the residents.
Eve ran her finger along her beer bottle’s label and started to peel around the edges. She sported a tan from her family vacation. She pushed a strand of her golden-blond hair behind her ear and mindlessly went back to peeling her label. “I’m still trying to grasp the idea that she’s gone.”
Katy agreed. “Yeah, it’s going to be weird not having her at the deli. And honestly, another murder has me feeling edgy. Too many bad things have happened during the past year. By the way, you look refreshed. I mean, I know the mother-in-law thing wasn’t great, but you seem more relaxed than usual.”
“Eh, I drank my way through it, and stole Eddy away time to time for some one-on-one sanity. Remind me never to do that again. I must have been crazy to agree to it in the first place. Maybe if we’d stayed at separate places, but those close quarters, no thank-you. Yeah, weird about Valentine. The other odd part is there’s not going to be a funeral, since her body will be shipped to her family. Just weird is all, it seems lacking.”
“There’s a full moon tonight. We could sit on the beach and share memories in her honor,” Katy suggested. “We’ll grab a couple of drinks, settle in, watch the ocean, dig our feet into the sand, and talk about Valentine memories.”
“Oh, I like that. You and me, and a toast to Valentine. Absolutely. Let’s do it! If I ever mention a trip with the in-laws again, because I don’t know, maybe I’ve forgotten how miserable I was, please remind me it would be a grave mistake. I mean, not like I’ll forget his mother’s snide commentary or the way she’s always complaining, but who knows, time softens memories. And then, to be honest, it felt weird leaving town after what happened to Valentine, but the vacation was bought and paid for. Ed pressured me into going. Again, I’m drilling this in so you don’t forget...if over the years, I grow forgetful and the memories fade, smack me back to reality. Save my sanity!”
“That bad?” Katy cringed then started to laugh. “I wish I could have been a fly on the wall.”
“Ed’s mother is someone to deal with in small doses. Very small doses. At one point, I almost snapped a spell just to shut her up! I caught myself before I lost control, but just barely.”
Katy grinned. “Anything else?”
“Well, I promised Ed to keep it under wraps, but it’s not like they don’t know I’m a witch, they just don’t necessarily approve, even after all these years. The weird thing is they were fine with it earlier in our marriage, but as time wore on, his mom got weird about the entire thing. Really? Years later? What’s her problem? Oh, and the pressure to have babies, again. How many times do we have to tell them we’re not having kids?” Eve groaned and took a sip of her Witch’s Brew. She held up her glass. “Best small-brew ever.”
Witch’s Brew was the house special. It poured out like liquid gold from the tap and gave you just the right amount of tingle. They even bottled it and sold it in four-packs. It was hard to keep it on the shelves as people snapped it up quickly.
Katy groaned. “As for me, Chip read me the riot act the other day. I mean, I get it but still... I went to talk to Cheryl, Valentine’s friend, and when I wanted to tell him about it, he flipped out. What if I had good information? Didn’t he want it? It’s tough though. I’m trying really hard to stay out of things, but I’ve got the itch, like big time itch to keep snooping around. It’s just that they don’t have any more leads. What if I find something? Hey, by the way, do you know anything about a guy named Brody Price?”
Eve gave the name a run through her mind. “Brody, huh? That name rings a bell.”
“He was Valentine’s boyfriend for a while? They split up, fought over who got to keep the dog?”
“Oh! I knew I’d heard the name before. Right, Valentine mentioned him a time or two back when she was bartending at Bahama Barn.”
“Do you know anything about him?” Katy asked.
Eve cocked her head to the side and wrinkled her nose. “Why? Do you think he did it or something?”
Katy shrugged. “I don’t know what I think, but from what Cheryl said, the break-up wasn’t a good one and got pretty nasty.”
“Oh, right, especially when it came to Peanut! She loved that dog. It’s slowly coming back to me.”
“He apparently got the dog.”
“Yeah, she was so bummed. You should sick Fritz on the dog,” Eve said with a laugh. “Fritz could give Peanut a shake-down and get the goods on your guy. Fritz might get you that scoop you’ve been looking for.”
Katy’s eyes flew open wide. “That’s not a bad idea!”
“What? Oh, I was kidding.”
“No, seriously,” Katy said. “Think about it! Maybe he could see if Peanut knows anything.”
“Right, and how exactly are you going to introduce the two?”
Katy smiled. “I think I’ve got an idea.”
***
WITH A FOUR PACK OF Witch’s Brew, the women headed to the beach. It was time to have a toast to their lost friend, Valentine.
The moon was big and bright, and low in the sky. They kicked off their shoes at the top of the dunes and went to sit in the sand.
Eve plopped down and pulled her knees to her chest. “Do you remember when we used to come here back when we were in school? Chanting, witchcraft, trying to be better at spells than we were...”
Katy laughed. “I guess neither of us graduated at the top of our class. Either way, I’ve still got you in my life, so I’ll call it a win.”
“Best friends to the end,” Eve said. She grew quiet.
“What is it?” Katy asked.
Eve shrugged. “Life, I guess. Valentine, Crystal, Victoria, it’s overwhelming at times. This used to be such a quiet area, no crime. Now we’ve got three murders on our books in under a year’s time.”
“True. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I want it to go back to how it used to be,” Katy agreed. “It’s like the entire world went crazy.”
They popped the top off two bottles of Witch’s Brew and toasted to Valentine.
Katy leaned back on her elbows and recited a small spell into the universe. “Water’s edge, water’s flow, stardust sprinkled to and fro...Take our wish, make it right, send good healings in the night. To you, Valentine. Rest in peace.”
“That was nice,” Eve whispered. “By the way, there’s something I need to tell you. I’m not really sure how to say it.”
“Oh?” Katy turned toward her friend.
Eve closed her eyes. “I’m not sure how to start, so I’m just going to blurt it out. It will be easier that way. The thing is... Ed’s up for a promotion which is good news, but there’s bad news that goes along with it. The new position is in Atlanta.”
“No!” Katy gasped. “Atlanta? It’s so far away. I can’t stand the thought of not being nearby.”
“Yeah, it is far, but not that far. We’d still be able to see each other. On the other hand, I know how you’re feeling. I went through those emotions when he told me. He’s been so good to me over the years. How can I not support his decision if he takes the job? I don’t want him to overlook something and walk away from an opportunity that might be good for him. I’m torn, to be honest, over my own selfish emotions and what’s right for him.”
Katy sighed. “Right, I get it, but the thought of you being so far away...not dropping by the deli, hanging out, it’s heartbreaking. On the other hand, I do understand. Do what’s best for your family. I’d do the same. Has he said if he was leaning toward taking the job?”
“I think he is, but there are a few things up in the air. Would they pay for the move? Would it include more perks or a better salary? We know the basics, but he’d like to nail them down. The commute into work would be a huge change. Atlanta’s traffic is supposed to be a nightmare. Hardly Normal Town traffic.”
“When does he have until to decide?” Katy asked.
“Next week. It’s been tense. He heard toward the end of our trip. They called him on his cell phone. After he got the job offered to him... Anyway, I’ve been on edge ever since.” Eve stood and pushed her feet into the sand, playing with the soft, silky feel between her toes.
“What do you think he’ll do?” Katy asked, hoping to get a feel for the future.
“We’ve gone over the good and bad details. Honestly, I think he’s going to accept the position.” Eve couldn’t look at Katy. She felt horrible, knowing what it would mean.
Katy didn’t know what to say. It was good for her friend’s family, but losing her best friend to another city was huge. She knew time and distance changed things. “How do you feel about it?”
“Ed’s a good husband. I love him, Katy. While I’d rather stay here, if he decides to go, I’ll support him unconditionally. You’d do the same for Chip.”
“I suppose,” she answered somberly.
Eve held up her bottle. “To us.”
“To us.”
