Point Muse Cozy Paranormal Mystery Boxed Set: Books 1-3 Read online

  The door behind her back vibrated as someone knocked against it. Seriously? Please don’t let it be that annoying Braun man again. She flung the door open and frowned. “I thought you’d left?”

  Zachery Braun shoved a bag of cat biscuits and a folder of papers at Xandie. “Thanks for your warm greeting, but I had to give you the cat food. Essam, the lawyer, teed it up with me earlier. Plus, there're papers of Sera’s he left outside.”

  She stuffed her pride down around her knees and mumbled, “Thanks. Sorry. I wanted to get inside.”

  “If you need me, call.” Braun saluted and strode to his car.

  Xandie closed the door with care and turned around, hugging the cat food to her chest. Okay, now she was home. She dropped the bag on the floor and walked toward the cat cage. Chief Braun had a point. Someone had stuffed the poor animal in a cage for god knows how long. She just hoped he wouldn’t take a shot at her once he was free. Grabbing an umbrella with a wooden handle from a stand next to the side table she extended the point until it lay under the cage latch. With a quick push upward, the latch dropped, and the cat shot straight for the kitchen. She hefted the cat food into her arms and followed him. Theo stood near his bowl and meowed pitifully. Xandie filled the food and water container and stood back as the cat wolfed down the food and lapped at the water.

  With a sigh, she collapsed onto a kitchen stool and stared out at the garden. She should cut the animal some slack. Sera had died and now he had a stranger for an owner. She’d be annoyed too.

  Cat sorted for the moment, Xandie headed toward the front door. The lawyer had dumped her luggage on the side of the porch, and she’d forgotten them in the drama of breaking into the house. She grabbed the bags and dragged them into the hallway near the stairs. She’d carry them up later. For now, she wouldn’t mind checking out the house.

  Theo padded behind her as she explored. Xandie raced up the stairs and into the bedrooms. Every room was as simple and elegant as the one before. When she reached the master bedroom, Xandie let out a squeal of delight and took a running jump onto the queen-sized bed. Plump, soft blankets surrounded her as she stared up at the romantic four posts around the bed. The whole room screamed Xandie Meyers. Everything she’d ever wanted in a bedroom. A surge of contentment rolled over her and for a moment, Xandie wallowed in it. Then she felt the bay calling her. She scrambled off the bed and headed downstairs again. Theo mumbled and complained behind her as he followed. “Well, you shouldn’t eat so much. It’s not like I can steal the silver, it’s mine. So give me a break.”

  Xandie dodged the claw and accompanying hiss and covered the stairs at a breakneck speed, desperate to see her whole domain. There were two rooms downstairs, a sitting room and a lounge room/dining room, plus the kitchen and another bathroom. She wandered back through the large, white, pristine kitchen. The furniture fit the house. Simple, but elegant, even romantic. Perfect for her. From what she’d seen, the clean, functional lines of the house and furniture would’ve appealed to her great-aunt too.

  Xandie remembered a little of Sera from before her father had banned her from visiting. Sera loved to laugh and hug and kiss Xandie. She’d point out every little speck of dust and proclaim the fairies visited. Sera always regaled her with fairy tales and let her ferret around in her library. Theo, much nicer back then, would curl up with her for cuddles and pats. “Now he wants to slice me, piece by piece.” Xandie smiled at the thought of her great-aunt’s reaction to Theo’s nastiness. “She’d have taken your treats away until you played nice.”

  Theo hissed and took off outside into the garden. Xandie snickered and followed. The back garden was as picture worthy as the house. The white Grecian statues that crowded around a roofed gazebo turned out to be copies of the nine muses. A trellis of colorful flowers covered one side of the building. Leafy trees and shrubs dotted the landscape in groups of two or three, followed by curving flowerbeds interspersed by the old stone path that weaved in and out. An ornamental pond took up one corner of the grounds. The epitome of an English formal garden, only in Maine.

  Xandie followed the path and moved closer to the bluff. She found a set of stone stairs and paused for a moment, staring. The steps wound to the beach below. To the right was the bay and the town of Point Muse. At the foot of the stairs, another path led out to the dock and the mooring for an absent boat. Somewhere on the beach, her great-aunt had gone for a swim and never returned. Police found her clothing in a tidy pile, but no Sera until the next day when she washed ashore. With a verdict of accidental drowning, the council and the police department closed the case. Xandie shivered and stared out over the bay. So calm and inviting. The water didn’t look like a murderer at all.

  She turned to stare at the house. Her house. She followed another path that led straight up to the side door she’d tried earlier. Diverting from the walkway, she stood in front of a window that faced the bay and peered inside. Xandie remembered playing and snoozing in the library, taking it all in as Sera made up wonderful stories about the magical people who lived in Point Muse. The tales had kept a little girl entertained for hours.

  Xandie remembered combing the house for fairies and pretending a stray dog was a vicious werewolf. Her father had shattered her daydreams once she arrived home and declared everything his aunt had told her was nonsense. She grimaced. Her father considered facts to be an important foundation for a growing girl. He outlawed fiction and fairytales. Especially once her mother disappeared. Shaking off her maudlin thoughts, Xandie focused on the window in front of her. She peered in.

  The interior looked dusty but inviting. Light from the window showed off row after row of shelves lined with bound books. A heavy carved reading desk and chair sat in the middle of the room with various small chairs and tables dotted around. Books and papers covered every available inch of space. Floors, chairs, desk and shelves covered with pages of knowledge and learning. She couldn’t wait to get in there and tidy. Once a librarian, always a librarian. In fact, it was the family business. Her father, Russell Meyers, had informed her every family member in the past had a working attachment to a library and books. The same obsession passed through the line to her.

  Theo hissed and swiped at her legs while she drooled over the library. Cursing, Xandie spun around and tried to catch Theo as he ran back into the house. “I hope you spew all your lovely food up. And don’t think I’m cleaning up after you.” She started to follow the cat but stopped when she spotted someone in dark clothing dart from the bushes to the front of property. Xandie ran inside to the kitchen, but the figure had disappeared. Why trespass? Maybe they’d wanted a look-see, a teenager wanting to see where someone had died? She scanned the kitchen, but nothing seemed out of place except for a hissing Theo who jumped up and knocked over the police chief’s paperwork.

  Xandie gathered the papers and hissed when her finger pricked on a sharp point. Sucking the blood off her pinkie, she stared at a simple necklace with a pendent in the shape of a sun with an eye etched onto the gold. Sera’s necklace. She’d worn it every day. Called it her good luck charm. Had she taken it off to go for a swim? Xandie guessed it belonged to her now. She attached the necklace around her neck and piled the paperwork back on the bench.

  Theo mewled and brushed against her leg. “Now you approve of me? A cat who likes gold?” Xandie reached out and ran a hand along his spine. Theo arched and purred. Fickle animal. She straightened and made sure she’d locked the kitchen door behind her. Her great-aunt’s death might have been accidental, but Xandie was still a stranger in a strange town. Didn’t hurt to be careful. And speaking of Point Muse, she had to grab supplies before she was reduced to eating Theo’s cat biscuits.

  Neither one of them would survive that.

  Two

  Her bottom may never recover. Xandie adjusted her seat on Sera’s bicycle. Someone needed to design extra padding, because after this ride she wasn’t sitting anytime soon. If she hadn’t had a meeting with the agent who’d looked after Sera’s esta
te, Xandie would’ve avoided the bike like the plague. Exercise wasn’t her thing. But the woman had rung late last night, adamant she had to speak with Xandie. So here she was, cruising Main Street, Point Muse, and taking in the sights.

  The town had a mix of wood and brick buildings, with an abundance of gables, cute porches and bay windows. She’d also passed Mayweather Inn, near to Sera’s house. Now she was closing in on the joint council chambers and small police department.

  “Thanks to Chief Braun, I’ve no interest in dropping in for a chat with the local cop.” Xandie sniffed and concentrated on peddling. Okay, she may have been a tad grumpy, but you get defensive when made fun of. She slowed to a crawl to take in the charm of the small town. A group of people gathered near the real estate agent’s door distracted Xandie and she tilted. She directed her bike to the side of the street before a car took her out. At least Theo stayed at home, otherwise he’d be roadkill the way I’m handling this bicycle.

  “Watch out.”

  Xandie froze at the barked comment and touched her brakes. An older man jumped out of the way and she crashed into the ornate metal fence out the front of the real estate agency. Xandie winced as she scraped her leg. “Damn it.” She slid off the bike, resting it against the fence. The throng of people near the door shifted but were too engrossed peering through the agent’s windows to pay attention to her clumsiness.

  “You’re a danger on that contraption. I told Sera she needed to buy a scooter.” The older gentleman frowned at the bicycle before switching his disapproving gaze to Xandie.

  Xandie held her hands up in defense. “You were in the middle of the street.”

  “I was crossing. It’s not like we have traffic jams here. I assumed you’d notice me and adjust your course.”

  Okay, she’d possibly been sightseeing too much while riding the damn bike. “I’m sorry. Were you hurt?” God help her if he wanted to complain to Braun. He’d have a field day.

  “No, I’m fine. Apologies for yelling, it was a shock.” He gestured to her leg. “I think you’re the one hurt. Do you need help?”

  Xandie peered at her leg, but since she’d worn jeans and to look at it, she’d have to strip in Main Street, she was going with fine with a side of painful limping. At least, until she got home and inspected the damage. “It’s tender.”

  “Maybe you should take a seat? You must be still adjusting to your great-aunt’s death.”

  “I’m fine. Did everyone know my aunt Sera?”

  The older man smirked. “Occupational hazard for a small town.” He extended his hand. “I’m Professor Amoru. Here on a working vacation. I knew your aunt through her library. Will you continue her work?”

  Way to pin her to the spot. Xandie forced a smile and shook his hand. She winced when her necklace tightened around her neck. Must have caught on something. She tugged it away and rubbed her neck. “Not sure what I’m doing for the moment. I only arrived yesterday.”

  “I’ve petitioned Sera for access to her reference materials. I’m positive she was granting it. Can I still count on your approval for access?”

  His eyes flashed red for a moment and Xandie took a step back. Trick of the light? She focused on his words. “I’ll assess your paperwork and decide my course of action. You must have Sera’s home number? Call me in a few days. I should be up to speed by then.”

  “That’s fine. No rush. All the time in the world.” He smiled and raised a hand in farewell as he navigated back across the road.

  “Okay, strange. But I guess we aren’t in the city anymore.” Xandie checked her watch. She might as well head to her appointment, provided she could get past the crowd without inciting a riot. She pushed up to the front, apologizing, “Excuse me. Sorry. I have a meeting.”

  An older lady snorted and tapped on the door. “Not with her you don’t.”

  “Aren’t Point Muse residents known for their friendliness?” Xandie tried the handle, but it was locked.

  “Only when they want.” The other lady brushed her pink-dyed hair away from around her chubby face. “And I wasn’t rude. Workmen found a body, we think its Louise Maker, the agent.”

  “Oh, okay. I guess there’s no meeting then.” The agent had died? She’d only spoken to her last night. Xandie shivered. Welcome to Point Muse.

  “Who did you say you were?”

  “I didn’t. But I’m Xandie Meyers. Sera was my great-aunt.”

  Pink-haired lady nodded. “Sera’s little niece. She talked about you.”

  “Did she?” Xandie hadn’t seen Sera in years.

  “Yes, she came in as regular as clockwork for her rinse until she died. Sad to hear she’s gone, but glad you’re home now. We look forward to seeing you soon.”

  “Rinse? A few days?” Xandie shook her head. “I’m still playing catch up.”

  “We did Sera’s hair. But we saw her every month for our meetings.” She pointed at the hairdressing salon on the opposite side. “Hair Today Gone Tomorrow is our place.”

  Another lady with a matching purple coif nodded. “Of course, dear, we’re eager to look at your follicles. But my sister-in-law’s referring to the soon-to-be-held ceremony at your property in a few days. Don’t you worry, it’s all in under control, the mayor will be in contact with you to confirm. Now we must be going.” She dragged her sister-in-law back across the street and into a pastel-fronted building.

  Xandie peered in the agent’s door, but a group of dark-shirted men blocked whatever lay on the floor. Paint tins sat in one corner and a half-plastered wall in the other. If they were working on the office, why arrange a meeting there? Another figure moved into view and squatted. Police chief on the scene. She’d recognize those large black shoes anywhere. She shuffled away from the group. All he had to do was read the appointment book and he’d realize the agent was scheduled to see Xandie this morning. Braun would be on her case soon so she might as well be comfy when he interrogated her. She peered along the street and spotted a cute bakery close by. Ignoring the bike, she limped toward sugary heaven. Anyone who wanted the stupid machine could have the cursed thing. She was using her own two feet from here on out.

  The bakery had a lovely painted sign over the store titled ‘Heart’s Delight’ and ornate white tables and chairs on the front porch. She pushed open the door and stopped. A stone fireplace dominated the room; real old-fashioned hearth that come winter would pump out heat. Tables and booths along with comfy chairs dotted the room and a glass cabinet filled with pastries of goodness drew her.

  “What’s your poison?”

  Wha? Xandie opened her eyes wide. “Whatever the agent didn’t buy this morning.”

  The server smirked, then reassembled her expression into something more business-like one. “Anything catch your fancy? The blueberry sour cream coffee cake is great, or cinnamon butter puffs, shortbread cookies, bagels?”

  Sugar. Xandie’s resistance to calories melted away at the sound of a butter puff. “I’ll grab a puff and a hot chocolate.”

  “Busting out the sugar today. Overdose it is.”

  Xandie wandered over to a seat next to the window. Prime viewing position for when Braun stalked her down.

  “Here we go.” The woman handed Xandie her food and went back for the drink.

  She nibbled at the puff. Her eyes rolled back as the spiced sugar hit her taste buds. She mumbled her appreciation and kept eating.

  “Our best sellers.” The server slid the drink onto the table and plunked herself opposite. “How you enjoying our town so far?”

  Swallowing the delicious mouthful, Xandie focused on the person in front of her. A tall, curvy girl with mischief-filled amber eyes and brown hair in a wave of curls. “Everyone knows I inherited Sera’s home?”

  “Yep, no secrets here. Especially when fresh blood comes into our strange little town.”

  “Strange is the keyword. So far, I’ve met an annoying policeman, a runaway lawyer and two colorful-haired ladies who want to get hold of my follicles.”
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  “Oh, that’s nothing. Wait until you deal with the witches, bears, wolves, trolls and assorted weird and wacky characters that populate Point Muse. I’m Lila Harrow. Resident baker and owner of Heart’s Delight and a descendent of the original earth witch, Elizabeth Harrow.” She bobbed her head in a gracious introduction.

  Xandie snickered. That spiel sounded familiar. “Sera made up Point Muse stories. I loved it as a kid. I’d spend hours hoping to find a fairy ring or an ogre or two. The town has adopted the theme to encourage tourism, I guess.”

  Lila frowned. “Ah, no I’m serious. I’m descended from an earth witch. Didn’t Sera ever explain?”

  “I hardly saw her while growing up and once my mom disappeared, Dad refused to let me visit.” She hunched over her mug and sipped the chocolate froth. There may be more to this town than her father or her great-aunt had ever explained.

  “I forgot about your mom. But Point Muse isn’t a fairy-tale. Things that go bump in the night here actually bump or bite back.”

  Was everyone crazy here? For once in her life she had no words. But in the back of Xandie’s mind she had a weird feeling of déjà vu. Lila and Sera’s tales might not be so outlandish.

  Lila patted her on the back. “Don’t worry, sweetie. Once you get into the library Sera will explain everything. But listen to Theo too. He won’t steer you wrong.”

  “The cat?” And how was a dead woman supposed to explain? Xandie rubbed her forehead. A migraine was brewing.