Spells A La Carte (Mystic Cafe Series Book 3) Page 14

  That wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear, but I guess he did have a point.

  We watched Ron and Meredith walk up to the house. They never looked over at us.

  “See, I told you they aren’t very smart. Anyone who thinks they can pull off a scheme like this should at least look around at their surroundings.”

  Ron and Meredith searched the yard and around the steps. She was looking for her phone, but she wouldn’t find it. After a few seconds, they walked into the house.

  “Okay, now’s our chance to go up there and check it out.” Tom opened the car door and motioned for me to do the same with a tilt of his head.

  I released a deep breath and then reluctantly opened the door. My stomach turned and my heart rate increased.

  We got out of the car and headed up to the door. I expected for Ron or Meredith to spot us right away, but so far we’d gone unnoticed still. Tom was right. They weren’t the best at this crime thing. Now if we could just get our hands on the spellbooks.

  That was when it hit me. What if she destroyed the books? Was that her reason for wanting them? But why would she want to get rid of all the magic in town? It wasn’t like it was hurting her at all.

  As we stood in front of the door, I said, “You aren’t just going to just knock on the door, are you?” I really wished we had more of a plan. This winging it really wasn’t my thing.

  After Tom peeked in the window, he turned to me and said, “They have the books. We can’t handle this ourselves though. We need backup.”

  “Can’t the Organization send people to help get the books?” I asked.

  “I doubt they can get here fast enough.”

  “We’ll call the police,” I said.

  “We can’t do that. The police won’t care if Meredith and Ron have our books. We have no way to prove that they took them.”

  I glanced out at Mary Jane’s car in the driveway. “But we do have a way to prove that they have a stolen car.”

  Tom smiled. “Good thinking.”

  Tom pulled out his phone to call the police and that was when the front door opened. Meredith and Ron stepped out onto the porch. They froze when they saw us. By the expressions on their faces I knew we were in for a fight. Before I even had a chance to think about what to do next, Meredith tossed a powdery substance our way.

  Oh, no, not again. I knew that I had just been hit with her magic.

  ***

  I woke up staring at the blue sky. A fly buzzed around my head. I swatted at it and then looked to my left and then my right. Tom was lying nearby. I scanned the scene and realized that we were on the front lawn. The magic had knocked us out again. How did she keep getting away with that? Every time it happened it left me with a headache and feeling like a complete fool. How could I continue to let her to get the best of me?

  I looked to the driveway and realized that the car was gone. Now what would we do? Tom roused and sat up. He rubbed his head. “Don’t tell me it happened again.”

  I pushed to my feet and stumbled a little before getting my balance. “Okay, I won’t tell you that it happened again and that they got away.”

  Tom looked at the driveway and cursed. I felt the same way. Tom raced up the steps and peeked inside the house.

  I ran after him. “Are the boxes there?”

  “No. They’re gone.” He leaned against the side of the house.

  Now we were starting all over again. We had no clue where Meredith and Ron were headed. I had no idea how we would even begin to find them. I was hoping that Tom would have a plan—after all, he was the detective. Didn’t he do this stuff all the time? I didn’t want to ask. I supposed he was already feeling enough pressure as it was. His silence had me worried though. Maybe he was out of ideas just as much as I was. If only there was some way I could figure out where Rory was. Would he be able to lead us to the stolen books?

  “We should go. Maybe we can catch up with them.”

  Tom and I ran toward the car. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that they were probably long gone by now. We had been out for several minutes. That was plenty of time for them to get a good distance through town.

  Tom pulled out his phone as we headed for the car. “I’m going to call the Organization. I’ll alert them that the books are gone. Maybe we can track them again somewhere out of the city.”

  I knew Tom didn’t like that he hadn’t gotten the books back. He was a perfectionist and in his eyes he had failed at his job. I supposed I was a bit like that too.

  I got in the car and fastened my seatbelt. Before Tom had even started the car, my phone rang.

  I looked at the screen. “It’s Grandma Imelda.”

  “You’d better talk to her. She’ll be worried.” Tom started the car.

  I sighed and then answered the phone.

  “I want to know what is going on, young lady.”

  Uh-oh. I was in trouble now. Tom glanced over at me and smiled. He must have heard her comment. I explained everything to her.

  “Why didn’t you call me sooner?” she asked.

  “I didn’t want to worry you,” I said. “Now all the books are gone.”

  “There is one book that you are forgetting,” Grandma Imelda said.

  “Which book? Where is it?” I asked.

  “It’s at the coffee house.”

  I couldn’t believe that I had forgotten all about the coffee shop. Instead of the two shops we thought that hadn’t had their books stolen, it had really been three. Grandma Imelda was right, the coffee shop still had a book. But would the book still be there now?

  Tom glanced at me as he drove down the road. “What’s wrong?”

  “Grandma Imelda, I’ll call you back as soon as I find out anything else. Thank you.”

  “Please be careful,” she said with worry in her voice.

  I wished I didn’t have to worry her like this. That was why I had avoided calling her. But now I was glad that she had called because we could go to the coffee shop.

  I hung up the phone. “We have to go to the coffee shop.”

  “You must really need a caffeine fix,” Tom said as he pulled up to a stop sign.

  “No, not that. I forgot about the spellbook there. It could possibly be the last book in town.”

  Tom punched the gas. “Tell me where to go.”

  “It’s right off Main Street. Turn left on Third Street. You’ll see the sign. I just hope we can get there in time,” I said.

  Tom pushed on the gas more. The car sped down the empty street as if we were on a racetrack.

  I held on to the side of the car door. “Don’t get a ticket.”

  We arrived in town without getting a ticket or getting into an accident.

  “You’re going to miss it. Turn left at the next street.” I pointed. “It’s just down the next block.”

  I wasn’t sure what to expect when we got there. Normally the street would have been full of traffic, but now it was practically a ghost town. The coffee house was probably closed. My anxiety was high and my stomach was twisted into giant knots.

  “You can park on the street. It’s just right up there.”

  Up ahead I noticed the car in front of the shop.

  “It looks like we’re going to have company there,” Tom said as he pulled up behind Mary Jane’s car.

  It was parked right in front of the coffee shop. But Meredith and Ron were nowhere in sight.

  “Do you think they’re inside?” I asked.

  Tom shut off the car. “I would be willing to bet on it.”

  “Yeah, me too,” I said with a sigh. “What should we do?” I asked as I took off my seatbelt.

  “We have to go inside,” Tom said.

  I knew that was the reality, but I wasn’t looking forward to the confrontation. And I wasn’t looking forward to getting hit with the magic again. “Is there any way we can avoid their magic?” I asked.

  Tom opened his car door. “Don’t let them hit you with it.”

  “That doesn’t
help,” I said as I climbed out of the car.

  I felt as if we were being watched as we walked down the sidewalk. It was almost as if they were in there waiting for us. Did they know that we were coming? They couldn’t have, but it sure felt that way. As we neared the shop, Tom motioned for me to pause.

  We stopped just at the edge of the window to the coffee shop. Tom peeked over the side and then immediately leaned back against the building.

  “Are they in there?” I whispered.

  He nodded. “Yes, they’re ripping the place up. I guess they’re looking for the book.”

  “The owner must not be there. I wonder how they got inside?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, but I have to go in there.”

  “What do you mean, you have to? Don’t you mean we have to?” I said.

  “They are dangerous. I don’t want you to get hurt,” Tom said with worry in his eyes.

  “That’s sweet of you to worry about me like that, but I can’t let you go in there by yourself,” I said.

  “I do this kind of thing all the time,” Tom said.

  “Yeah, but not when I’m around to see it. If I don’t know about it, then there’s nothing I can do, but right now I know what kind of situation you’re getting yourself into,” I said.

  “How about you help me by being my lookout on the outside of the building?” Tom said.

  “The lookout for what? The criminals are on the inside with you.” I gestured toward the building.

  “Okay, I’m going in,” Tom said.

  He marched toward the front door. I held my breath. I didn’t know what else to do. Would the door be open? Soon enough I found out because Tom opened the door and strolled into the coffee shop like he owned the place.

  I knew Tom was mad and he wasn’t going to take anything else off these two. I really wanted to see their faces when they saw Tom walk through the door. I just couldn’t stand there and do nothing. No matter what he said, I had to go in.

  I inched my way toward the front door. I was probably asking for trouble by going in there. Tom was right—if I stayed out here, I wouldn’t be subject to their magic. If they tried anything I could help Tom by calling for backup. If we were both hit with the magic it would be no help to either of us.

  I’d almost made it to the door when I heard lots of loud noise and bangs. It sounded as if they were fighting in there. Like with actual punches and throwing things. I had no idea how I would stop that.

  I made it to the door and swung it open. My adrenaline was flowing so quickly that I almost broke the door when I opened it. I rushed in to see that Tom was in fact fighting with Ron. Meredith was at the side cheering Ron on. When she spotted me her eyes narrowed. She was like a tiger ready to pounce. Tom looked back and spotted me. At first I thought he looked angry that I was there, but then it looked as if relief fell over him. I spotted the book in his hand. I looked at Meredith and she looked at Tom. I got the impression that she knew what was about to happen.

  “Elly, catch.” Tom raised his arm up and tossed the book at me.

  I had never felt as much pressure in my whole life. I knew that I had to catch the book before Meredith caught her greedy hands on it. The book flew through the air. I’d never been good with hand-eye coordination, so I figured that this wouldn’t end well. I watched the book and raised my arms. Somehow a miracle happened and the book fell into my hands. I almost dropped it, but managed to keep it in my grip.

  “No!” Meredith yelled. “Get back here.”

  I turned and ran. I didn’t know if Tom would be able to stop them from catching up to me. I didn’t know what would happen if they did. Right now my mission was to get the book away from them and keep it away. The book was big and heavy, so that didn’t make running any easier. My sides and feet hurt. I didn’t know where I was going. I was too afraid to look over my shoulder. I knew what I needed to do. I needed to hide.

  I didn’t have Tom’s car keys, so I couldn’t drive away with the book. I would have to find a place to hide. With most of the businesses closed today, there was no place for me to slip inside. Up ahead was a small alleyway that led to the parking lot behind some of the shops. It wasn’t wide enough for traffic. Only people could walk down there. I decided to go down the alley and hide around the back of the building. I couldn’t keep running at this pace. I would pass out on the sidewalk soon if I didn’t stop.

  Once I made it to the back of the alleyway, I turned to my left and slipped next to the building. There was a little spot where I would be out of sight of anyone who walked by. I didn’t want to put the book down, but I needed to call Mary Jane. While trying to hold the book with one arm, I reached in my pocket with the other and pulled out my phone. I dialed Mary Jane’s number while still balancing the book with one arm. I wasn’t sure how long my arm would be able to withstand the weight.

  I wasn’t sure why I was calling her. It wasn’t like she had a car and could come rescue me. I just didn’t know who else to call. After several rings she finally picked up.

  After I explained the story, she said, “Don’t you worry, I’ll find a way to get there.”

  I hung up the phone and released a deep breath. What would I do in the meantime? I wanted so badly to go back and check on Tom. I was worried that they might have done something to him. Actually, I was convinced that they’d done something to him, just like they had to Rory. Poor Rory.

  I’d told Mary Jane to meet me behind the buildings. Thank goodness no one had found me behind there yet. That was my biggest fear at the moment. As I stood there worried that I’d be caught at any moment, a roar came from the parking lot. Was an airplane landing nearby? What was it? My phone rang, but I wasn’t sure I would be able to hear with all the noise.

  “Hello,” I yelled.

  “I’m here. Where are you?”

  “Where are you?” I asked.

  “The parking lot.”

  I peeked my head out. I spotted an old green car that looked as if it would break down at any second. Mary Jane waved from the passenger seat. I slipped out from my hiding spot and ran as fast as I could toward the car. Who was behind the wheel? When I got closer, I spotted Grandma Imelda’s big white hair. Mary Jane motioned for me to hurry. When I neared the car, she opened the door and got out.

  “Where did you get this car?” I asked.

  “Imelda borrowed it,” Mary Jane said.

  “Wow. It’s going to be a fun ride.”

  “Hey, you!” I heard from somewhere behind me. When I looked over my shoulder, I spotted Meredith and Ron running toward me.

  Chapter 25

  Tom wasn’t with them. Of course I didn’t expect him to be since they were running. But what had happened to Tom? A chill ran down my spine at the thought. Now we had three people missing. I was angry and wanted to confront Meredith and Ron right then, but I couldn’t put Grandma Imelda and Mary Jane at risk by doing that. It would be a bad idea to take on the two of them by myself anyway. Now that I didn’t have Tom’s help I felt lost. Meredith yelled at me again.

  “Get in quick,” Grandma Imelda screamed.

  I jumped in the backseat of the car and slammed the door shut. Meredith and Ron had reached the back of the car. They slammed their hands on the truck and Grandma Imelda screeched away. When I looked back, Meredith and Ron had fallen onto the ground. Grandma Imelda sped out of the parking lot.

  “That was close,” Mary Jane said.

  I righted myself in the backseat and pushed the hair out of my eyes. “I can’t believe that they found me.”

  “They are a mean couple, aren’t they?” Grandma Imelda said as she sped down the street.

  “That’s probably an understatement.” I looked back to make sure they weren’t behind us.

  “Now what do we do?” Mary Jane asked.

  “I don’t know.” My mind raced with thoughts but none of them offered a good idea. Mary Jane looked to Grandma Imelda.

  “Don’t look at me. I may be old, but that doesn’
t mean I have the answer to everything.”

  I had gotten them in this mess and now I needed to be the one to get them safely out.

  “Okay, I need to calm down. If I clear my head I should be able to think of something,” I said. “As much as I hate to say this, I think we need to drive back to find Tom.”

  Grandma Imelda looked at me in the rear-view mirror. “You’re right. We can’t leave him back there.”

  “I don’t even know if he is still back there.”

  “Where do you think he would be?” Mary Jane asked.

  I sighed. “I think he might be in the same place as Rory and Reagan.”

  Mary Jane’s face darkened. She and I both knew that was a bad thing.

  “Well, at least they don’t have the last book,” Mary Jane said.

  “And we need to keep it that way,” Grandma Imelda said as she turned the car at the green light.

  We made it back to the street where the coffee shop was located. I hoped that Meredith and Ron didn’t think to come back here. They would probably figure out soon enough that I would come back to look for Tom though. When we neared the shop, I could see that his car wasn’t there.

  “He’s not there.” I leaned back in the seat.

  “Just because his car isn’t there doesn’t mean that he’s not there,” Mary Jane said.

  True. She did have a point, but it was highly unlikely. Where would they have taken his car?

  “Why would they have left him?” I asked.

  “Maybe he got away,” Grandma Imelda said.

  Mary Jane nodded. That did seem possible. If anyone could get away it would be Tom.

  I looked down at the book in my hands. “Someone has to go in there and check to see if he’s there.”

  “I’ll go,” Mary Jane offered.

  “No, I can’t let you do that. But you have to hold the book while I go look.” I couldn’t believe that I was letting go of the book. I’d had a firm grip on it since Tom had tossed it to me. “You can’t let anyone get it.”

  Mary Jane’s eyes widened. I knew she wasn’t so sure she wanted the book in her possession. I didn’t blame her.

  “I promise I won’t let anyone get it.”

  I released a deep breath and then handed her the book. She clutched it tight against her chest. I stepped out of the car. I looked around quickly to see if Meredith and Ron had caught up with us. So far I didn’t see them. I had to hurry. I ran over to the coffee shop and in the door. The place was a mess. Shelves were turned over and chairs and tables were smashed.