Dying to Break Free: The India Kirby Witch Mystery (Book 3) Read online

  Valerie held her head high as they walked up onto the huge porch. “Better than arguing, isn’t it?”

  They all stood in front of the huge heavy wood door, waiting for it to open. India took a glance around. Everything was finished with such precision and care, and there was no trace of dust or a single cobweb. The furniture on the porch looked expensive, and completely pristine, but there was something eerie about the place. It was clinical, and too clean. Almost like no one lived there. She imagined the Quinn family must have spent half their life cleaning with a house of that size. That’s why she loved her tiny little Key West bungalow. She could zip round that with a vacuum and duster in one hour flat, and it would all be sparkling clean.

  “They call everyone over, and make us wait a half hour before they open the door,” Xavier grumbled.

  A couple of seconds later, Jim came and pulled open the door. With an unnecessary flourish, he gestured for them to come in. “Welcome to my house. I expect you’re all excited to hear about my plans for the neighborhood.”

  India was in no doubt that absolutely nobody was excited.

  Jim clapped his hands, oblivious, and smiled. “Come on through. Anita’s got some drinks for us all. Plans, plans, plans!”

  Little did Jim Quinn know, his long dreamed of scheme would never come to fruition. Because a pesky little thing like death can get in the way of even the most carefully thought out plans.

  CHAPTER 2

  Jim Quinn was dwarfed by his oversized leather wingchair. He kept chugging back brandy and holding his glass out. His wife Anita huffed every time he did, then got to her feet and poured him another serving. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough, Jim?” she said, very quiet and discreet.

  His voice was loud, carrying across the elegant drawing room, and his tone was entirely dismissive. “I decide how much to drink. You do the pouring.”

  India shifted in her place on the sofa between Xavier and Nadine, dying of embarrassment for the poor woman. After pouring the brandy, Anita returned to her seat. Since she was so thin and had quite a hook in her nose she looked almost like a bird of some sort. Her blonde hair was quite sparse, but she was immaculately put together in a gold and gray shirt dress and delicate gold jewelry.

  At that moment, a middle aged white man blustered into the drawing room. “What in the blazes is this, Jim? You’d better hurry up and spit it out.” His stone colored shirt was open at the neck, and he’d rolled up the sleeves, while his dark gray jeans were tight above his smart brogue shoes. His face was creased up with annoyance under a thatch of blond hair.

  “That’s Maurice Bell,” Xavier whispered in India’s ear.

  “He’s like player of the century,” Nadine whispered from the other side. “Every time you see him it’s with a different woman.”

  “Wonderful, everyone’s here,” Jim said.

  All of the Bradfords, plus India, sat on a couple of long couches upholstered with dark beige pheasants and decorative swirls. The Quinn’s grown up son Rodney sat on the windowseat, looking miserably out at the world like a prisoner behind bars. His back was hunched over, and his brown hair straggled down over it down past his shoulder blades. Eric and Demetria sat together on a loveseat, clasping their hands together in the space between them. Maurice Bell stood behind a couch, jiggling up and down on his toes and forever checking his watch.

  “I’m going to cut right to the chase,” Jim said, unsteady on his feet as he got up. “You’re all gonna sell me your houses and the land they sit on.”

  “Oh, here we go,” Maurice said.

  Xavier’s dad laughed. “We won’t be doing that.”

  “Aha, that’s where you’re wrong,” Jim said, sticking his hand up in the air in victory. “Because I’ll pay you one and a half times the market price for your properties.” His eyes gleamed. “How could you resist that?”

  “We’re not going to move out of our homes,” Demetria said. “We’ve been here longer than you. Our whole lives are here.”

  Jim pulled a hideous face. “Pish tosh.” Then he looked sternly at Eric, Demetria’s husband, a big bear of a man with loose dark brown curls that matched his skin tone. “Don’t let your wife’s misguided sentimentality prevent you from making a killing on your house. Women don’t understand economics anyway.”

  India felt rage bubble up in her.

  “You’re unbelievable,” Nadine said.

  Jim made a little bow. “Thank you, dear. Anyhow, I can understand how some of you would be reluctant, but—”

  “What do you want all that for, though?” Valerie interrupted. “Isn’t this house enormous enough for you?”

  “I was hoping you’d ask that.” Jim rushed over to the wood panelled wall and turned a knob. The two chandeliers above them dimmed, dipping the room into a hazy half-light, the dim orange of the bulbs mixing with the cool blue dusk outside. Dark shadows appeared everywhere. “Now, isn’t this elegant?” he said. Creepy, more like, India thought, and a quick meaningful look between her and Xavier confirmed he felt the same. “Look around you,” Jim continued. “Who would not give their right arm to be in surroundings like this. To live in luxury. To vacation in style?”

  No one replied for a while and a streak of annoyance crossed his face.

  “Yes, dear, it sounds lovely,” Anita said, sounding weak and weary.

  He sat back in his chair, sitting up with a back so straight and manner so firm he could have been an army general. India wondered if he had a military background. “I will make this street into a vacation spot,” he said. “With your couple acres in back, Maurice, I’m going to put in a swimming pool and tennis court.”

  Maurice’s arms crossed his chest. “Over my dead body.”

  Jim gave a dismissive laugh. “Then each of your properties shall be upgraded and renovated to my standard, and then rented out to tourists. Any idiot can understand that. There’s no question. No way you’d want to refuse. I’ll pay you in full, one and a half times the worth of your property. Heck, if I was you, I’d be jumping all over me right now. Think about it, you could go live somewhere else in a nicer place. Not as nice as mine, of course, but nicer.”

  Mark got to his feet, and the Bradford family and India followed suit. “Thank you for your offer,” Mark said, “but we turn it down. It’s an unequivocal no, Jim.”

  “Think about it,” Jim said with a wink. “Rodney,” he barked. “Go upstairs and get the… no, don’t move. You’ll screw it up, as always. I’m going to go and get the proposal papers, and you can see how much of a wonderful opportunity this is. You just can’t pass this up!” His last sentence reminded India of one of those over enthusiastic infomercials about snuggie blankets or acne cream, and she stifled a giggle.

  As soon as he was out of the room, Anita looked out over them all with an apologetic expression. “I’ll just go and fetch the cookies and champagne,” she said. “I tried to be a good hostess, but… well, I’m not the one in charge, am I? Rodney, be a good little boy and come and help mama.” Rodney, who was at least 26, slid off the windowseat and followed his mother out into another room, his face like thunder.

  As soon as they were gone, Xavier grabbed India’s hand. “Oh, man, you probably think we’re the crazy neighbourhood now.”

  India laughed. “Oh, you haven’t met my neighbors in Wisconsin yet. Or my family, for that matter.”

  “I can’t believe the cheek of that man,” Eric said.

  Demetria looked less than pleased. “Why don’t you stand up to him then?”

  Eric shrugged, uncomfortable, and Demetria rolled her eyes and pressed her lips together.

  “I’m not sticking around for champagne and cookies,” Maurice said. “I’ve got some of my own sugar waiting for me, if you know what I mean.”

  Valerie groaned. “Everyone knows what you mean, Maurice. Go on then, go away and have your fun.”

  Maurice wasted no more time. “Bye, all,” he said, then strode right out.

  “I’m only st
aying for the cookies,” Nadine declared. “Otherwise I’d be right out of here, too.”

  Valerie nodded. “It’s better that we stay and hear this crotchety old man out. Otherwise he’ll get worse and worse, trying to get our attention. I say we act real serious when he hands us these documents, and say we’ll consider it seriously. That should shut him up for a few weeks.”

  “I see what you’re saying,” Mark said, “but giving him false hope might just make him blow up later. I say we tell him to his face, no way in hell is he getting any of these properties, right now. He’ll just have to deal with it.”

  Valerie put her hand on her husband’s knee. “I’m not really sure what’s best. Either could work.”

  “What the heck is this guy’s problem, anyways?” Xavier said. “I get that he wants to start a business, but isn’t there a better way to go about it?”

  India was suddenly curious, given the ostentatious show of wealth. “How did Mr Quinn make all his money?”

  “Trucking,” Nadine said. “Like dad.”

  “Except I have only three and he has about fifty all around the country,” Mark said, with a little bitterness.

  Valerie slapped his arm gently. “What do you want fifty trucks for? So you have to manage this huge fleet and spend even more time away from us? Our life is perfect just the way it is, thank you. And I want you home more, not less.”

  Mark’s face was serious but his eyes lit up and he moved a little closer to Valerie on the couch, so the sides of their bodies were touching. India smiled a bit as she watched them. They certainly were close, and supportive of each other. She hoped to emulate that with Xavier.

  A short while after, Rodney emerged sullen-faced, holding a large platter of cookies. India almost burst out laughing seeing him serve them to each person, as his manner looked so incongruous. “Here, take a cookie,” he said in a flat, dull voice to Demetria, then repeated himself as he went around each person.

  India was full up from the cupcakes, but when she saw the cookies, couldn’t resist taking one up. The chocolate chips were half melted, and the cream colored baked dough was still warm. “Share it with me,” she said to Xavier. “And let’s go for a run first thing tomorrow morning. I plan on having absolutely no self control while we’re staying with your mom.”

  “Running’s good,” Xavier said. “You know my mom and Nadine run together every morning anyway. We could join up with them.”

  Anita came in and laid a platter of full champagne flutes on a side table. She then took one up in each hand and proceeded to give them out. Soon the atmosphere was quite cheerful, with people clinking glasses together, proclaiming how heavenly the warm cookies were, and generally badmouthing Jim Quinn.

  When he returned, it was like a dark gray cloud hanging over a sunny day. “Here,” he said briskly, handing out papers to each and every person present, even India. “I’m offering you the deal of a lifetime.”

  Everyone rushed to swig back their champagne and hurry along with their cookie eating after that.

  Demetria faked a huge stretch and yawn. “Time to go now, I think,” she said. “Come along, Eric.”

  Eric, who seemed somewhat a pushover, was nodding and listening to Jim Quinn rattle on and on about something. “Yes, dear,” he said quietly, but couldn’t extract himself from the conversation.

  “Come along, Eric,” Demetria said again, hooking her large arm into his and pulling him away from the conversation. “Thank you, Anita. Thanks, Rodney. Bye, Jim!” she said firmly, then they were out of the door and gone.

  Everyone else followed suit, claiming tiredness and headaches and early morning responsibilities.

  As they stepped out, India saw the sky had darkened, and the moon had risen, large and bright though only showing half of itself. She took a breath of the cooler air. Nadine stood alongside her and did the same, then collapsed into giggles. “Wow, it feels good to be out of there.”

  “Absolutely,” Valerie said. “Now, I’m not an altogether woo person, but the energy in there just feels so terrible. Like something’s pinning you down. Like your whole body is heavy.”

  “I felt that!” India said. In the past she would have dismissed Valerie’s words out of hand – she had been the most skeptic of sceptics, always saying, “I need proof. If you can’t prove it, it’s not real.” Then crazy old Luis had come along, literally appearing out of thin air, and had shot that theory right out of the water. So far, she’d learned to design dresses in her head and conjure them out of nothing, plus how to project a false image of herself, almost like a hologram. Not only that, she was getting a bit better at a complex art known as psychosorcery, using magic to influence the mind. She could lift people’s spirits, plus follow a strange sequence of actions that she thought would get her punched in the face, but it actually made people like her and want to confide in her. All of these were useful, but she knew she hadn’t even scratched the surface yet. There was so much to learn.

  Valerie linked her arm in Mark’s again. “Are you gonna move the truck, honey?”

  “Nah,” he said with a flick of his hand. “I’m up early tomorrow, it won’t be in the way of anyone.”

  “I was more thinking about His Highness Sir Quinn,” Valerie said. “Worrying about it being too close to his precious castle.”

  Mark grinned. “See if I care.”

  Xavier took India’s hand and they trailed behind the rest of the family as they made their way back home. “Sorry about all this,” he said.

  “Sorry about what?” India said. “Your wonderful family or all this delicious food I’ve been eating?” She leaned in and kissed him. “You worry too much, babe.”

  They paused in the middle of the street and Xavier swung their hands, as they sometimes did. “You are the best girlfriend in the history of girlfriends. Scratch that, the best woman in the history of women.”

  India giggled. “I think you’ve had too much champagne, Xavier Bradford.”

  “Maybe,” he said. “But I could never get enough of you.”

  “Ooh, smooth line!”

  He grinned, just like his dad. “Shut up.”

  There in the moonlight, he leaned in, and she pressed her body up against him. Soon their lips were locked, and India felt like there was nowhere she’d rather be in the whole world.

  “Have some decency!” a scratchy voice hollered from way above them. They both jumped, and looked back to see Jim Quinn standing on the third floor balcony, looking down at them. “No one wants to see that.”

  “Sorry, Mr Quinn,” Xavier shouted back up.

  “And don’t shout in the neighborhood!”

  “But he’s shouting in the neighborhood right now?” India said too quietly for Jim to hear, and she and Xavier laughed together.

  Jim Quinn’s voice boomed out around the silent street. “And get your father to move his goddamned truck off my sidewalk.”

  “Okay,” Xavier said loudly.

  Then Xavier and India walked back to the Bradford home, holding hands and swinging their arms together. “Ugh,” India said. “That guy…”

  “But India, he’s my best friend!” Xavier protested in a whiny voice as they opened the front door.

  India pushed him playfully. “Oh get outta here.”

  The family were sitting inside watching TV. “Dad, Jim says move your truck.”

  Mark crossed one foot over the other and took a swig of beer. He didn’t take his eyes off the television. “Nope.”

  “He’s tied up with very important business,” Nadine said. “Star Trek.”

  India rolled her eyes and smiled. “You lot are Trekkies, too? I’ll have to get my parents down here. You guys would get right along.”

  Valerie clapped her hands. “We’d love that! Now, let me show you your room.”

  India followed Valerie up the stairs to see they’d put her in a sweet little spare room decorated in white wallpaper with a pale green leaf pattern. The room looked fresh and inviting. “Aww, thank
you,” India said.

  “I know these days boyfriends and girlfriends are usually in the same room,” Valerie said. “But we’re church going people, you know?”

  “Oh, it’s no problem,” India said, and smiled. “It’s so pretty in here.”

  After a few episodes of Star Trek and one more cupcake just because she couldn’t resist, India headed up to bed across the hall from Xavier. She snuggled down under the pale green quilt, feeling comfortable and warm inside. It really had been a special day, and she was looking forward to the rest of the week. Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, she found herself drifting away into gentle sleep.

  She awoke with a jerk, sitting up in bed, her heart pounding. She could have sworn she heard a loud bang, like someone was trying to get into the house. “Xavier?” she whispered loudly, hoping he could hear her through their open doorways. But there was no reply. She heard someone snoring gently, but couldn’t work out who it was.

  Though she was terrified, India decided to get out of bed and pad to the window. Perhaps she could open the curtains just enough to see out, but so that no one could see in. Then she heard a creak out on the upper landing, and her whole body froze. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for a weapon. She picked up the heavy lamp on the bedside table. “Who’s there?” she whispered loudly.

  “It’s me, Nadine,” another scared whisper came.

  India flopped down on the bed, breathing out with relief. “You scared the life out of me,” she said, as Nadine came into the room.

  Nadine looked genuinely scared. “Did you hear that noise, too? It sounded like… I don’t even…”

  “Maybe like someone was trying to get in?” India said. She hated to be so blunt, but needed to face her fear head on.

  Nadine nodded, terror in her eyes. “That’s what I thought, too.”

  India went over to the left side of the window, and pulled back the curtain ever so slightly.

  “Careful!” Nadine whispered. “They might see you!”

  But there seemed to be no one outside. All she could see was Mark’s truck parked on the sidewalk next to the Quinn mansion. Other than that, the street was empty, and the front lawn had no bushes to hide behind. “There’s no one there,” India whispered.