A Witch's Curse by Paul Martin Read Free Book Online Page A

I’d like to take your statement.”
    “ Yes, of course, Chief. Would you like some coffee?”
    “ Yes, I would, I am surprised you would drink any, though.”
    Carolyn smiled weakly. “Why? Because coffee isn’t good for you?”
    “ Yes, but also because caffeine doesn’t quite fit with the health conscience motif of Herbs and More .”
    “ No,” Carolyn admitted, “But aren’t I allowed one small vice?”
    “ As long as the vice is legal, I’ve no objection what-so-ever. And, please, call me Eric.”
    After a few attempts to separate the coffee filters, she ended up using several. Her hand shook as she measured the coffee, managing to get most of it in the machine and not on the counter. Taking a deep breath, she told Eric all she remembered, starting with when she retired for the night. Carolyn did leave out the fact she and Sarah had been reading her grandmother's Book of Shadow earlier. When a knock came at the door, Eric stood, motioning for Carolyn to remain seated. “That will be Herman. I’ll let him in.”
    Chief Rose let Herman in and told him what he knew about the break-in before returning to the living room. “Herman’s good at his job,” he told her. “He’ll find out how your mystery woman got in and where she went.”
    “ I hope so. I know I locked all the doors and windows before I went upstairs for the night. I also remember hearing a crash, like breaking glass. Did she break a window to get in?”
    “ No, they’re all fine. I did find a broken vase in the foyer though. That’s probably what you heard.”
    Carolyn reflected a moment. “I suppose--.”
    “ Hey, Chief. You better come see this,” Herman interrupted from the kitchen.
    Carolyn followed Chief Rose to where Herman held the back door open. On the outside portion, ‘GET OUT’, had been written in large letters with what she hoped was red paint. Even though the porch light was off, she still saw the dark shape swaying from the rafters in the darkness, light reflecting off its open eyes.
    “ Chester!” she screamed.
    “ Is Chester your cat, ma’am?” Herman asked.
    Holding back her tears, Carolyn answered, “Yes.”
    “ I saw him a minute ago, he sure was heading for the hills,” he said, pointing toward the foyer. Then, jerking his thumb at the swinging animal, he added, “This here's a raccoon.”
    Relief and anger swept over Carolyn. “Why is a raccoon hanging from my back porch?”
    “ Probably put there to scare you,” Chief Rose offered.
    “ Whoever did this also cut the animal's throat and used the blood to write this filth on your door,” Herman added.
    “ Who would do something so evil?” she demanded.
    The chief took Carolyn by the arm and led her back into the living room. “At first, I thought this might be teenagers doing a prank of some sort. Halloween is not far off and sometimes they like to get an early start.”
    “ But?”
    “ But, now I’m not so sure. They’ve never done anything quite this bad before. This house has been a favorite target of teenagers over the years. The house's reputation draws them more than any other reason, I suppose. Usually, they toilet paper the front porch or leave a lighted bag of dog poop by the door. Nothing quite this bad though. We’ll know better once Herman finishes his investigation.”
    “ I can tell you this much, Chief, they didn’t come in through the front or back doors. You said you heard the lady slide back the bolt on the front door to let you in, and I noted the back door dead bolted as well. All the windows are locked,” Herman said.
    “ So how did she get in?” Carolyn asked.
    Herman shook his head. “Don’t know, but I will before I’m done.” Herman turned around and went back into the kitchen.
    “ He will too,” Chief Rose said. “He’s like a pit bull when it comes to the unexplained. He won‘t sleep until he figures out all the answers.”
    By morning, Herman found, to Carolyn's embarrassment, Ester’s altar room,