The Chocolate Magic Cozy Mystery Box Set Books 1 to 7 Read online

  “They might be armed,” Jenni warned and then they heard the hard knocking at the front door. The howling stopped instantly.

  “Now!” Sam said and they all marched determinedly into the room. Branna flicked on the lights and Cameron faced them with Barbara at his side. They were holding onto each other and Magda could feel the pendant that she had put around her neck blazing with what felt like fury.

  The three intruders were masked like animals and one of them had horns on his head. They all wore long robes, tied at the waist and there was no way to identify them. The main figure was obviously a man and the other two could have been younger people or women because they were slightly built. Their movements were slower than the man in the middle and they didn’t seem to realize what was going on at first. Magda wondered if they had been drinking.

  “The Garda are on their way. Stop what you are doing. You’ve kidnapped these women and broken into a private house,” Cameron declared but the strong wind that they had conjured up was still swirling about the room and the lights went out again. Seamus, the butcher, was obviously causing mayhem above ground as well as below.

  “You killed my dad,” Ricky’s voice came from the front door and he rushed inside to head for the main person of the three intruders. Sam found a flashlight and saw that the man Ricky was heading for had Alison out of her chair with an arm around her neck and an ornate knife in his other hand.

  “All of you stop or her throat gets slit with one slash.” He waved the knife at his two accomplices who pulled out knives to stand beside Olive and Irene with their daggers raised in the air. Magda realized that they were drugged, not drunk, because their movements were like a slow-motion film sequence. The movements were slow but perhaps even more dangerous if they were out of control and didn’t know what they were doing.

  Ricky froze on the spot. Some of the others found lights on cell phones or their flashlights.

  Sam took a step forward.

  “If you hurt my aunt, I will guarantee that you will not leave this room. The devil won’t come and save you and you will never find what it is that you want.”

  “What is it that you want so badly?” Cameron asked. “My mother had no idea what you were making threats about. Believe me, she would have just handed it over.”

  “Is it the stone altar?” Magda asked. “Because we haven’t got it.” There was a short laugh from the man holding Alison by the neck. She was not struggling and was staying as still as she could.

  “Stone altar,” he repeated in a strange voice that was distorted by some sort of appliance on his mouth. “We have always had the stone altar. It was handed down from the ancestors.”

  “The one that was stolen?” Magda asked and he looked at her directly. She could see his eyes through the holes in the mask and they were vaguely familiar but had a piercing stare to them and she felt the pendant around her neck flare into a burning heat.

  “The papers are in the drawer, if it’s the newspaper cuttings that you were after,” Sam put in without looking at his wife. He knew Magda was feeling something but couldn’t guess what it was.

  “The papers can be found online. I can find anything online. I knew the first time you started looking at the history.” The man with the knife answered. “I think, our American friend,” he hissed and looked at Magda, “that you know what it is I want.” Magda’s hand went to the pendant involuntarily and the hideous mask with the horns nodded. “Yes,” he hissed.

  “The pendant is protection,” Barbara joined in. “It is not for the evil side. It will protect Magda against you.”

  “But if she sees the blood spurt from this neck, she will hand it over.” He pressed the point of the knife against Alison’s neck and a speck of blood appeared. Alison squeaked and Magda took the necklace from her neck. She took a step forward.

  “I have Belinda’s dagger. It is in the drawer right beside you. The dagger and this pendant are mine. They have power and will not come to you.” She felt Branna follow her and stand close. Branna reached out and held the pendant as well. Barbara stepped alongside and Jenni followed suit.

  “Go back to where you belong, Seamus. You are not strong enough. This man is using you. He is beaten. Go and leave him to his fate. He is not your master.” Instead of going away, the wind swirled and the drawer with the dagger flew open. The rusty dagger was thrown out and landed beside the man in the mask.

  “So, it won’t come to me? I think you are wrong. Seamus, use your power.”

  “Seamus go back where you belong,” Magda said, and the others started to repeat the instruction. They kept on repeating it over and over again and Magda stepped forward bit by bit along with the group of friends that gave her support.

  “Together, we are strong enough to banish the evil entity and then you are just a man who can be beaten and go to jail,” Barbara said steadily.

  “You will put down the knives,” Sam said, “all three of you.”

  “You cannot put me out of my own house,” the man howled. “I am the true descendant on both sides. I should own the cottage with the explosives and this house. They are mine by right, by inheritance, by the laws that govern the fires of hell. I own the altar and I am successful. The pendant makes it complete. The houses will be mine. The well will be mine and Belinda will have to bend to my will.” His two companions said nothing and gazed at their leader for guidance.

  “In your dreams,” Cameron said. “You are mad. The Garda will put you in a mental home. My works cottage is legally mine.”

  “Lucifer himself will help me.” The man called out in a chant to the essence of the devil that he loved so much. They felt the rise of the roaring wind. It howled round the edges of the room but did not disturb the four women who stood holding the pendant that glowed brightly in Magda’s hand. The entity avoided the women holding the pendant but did not go away.

  “You see. The power is with me,” the masked man goaded them. “Hand over the pendant. Accept that you are beaten.”

  “Never,” Magda said, and Cameron smiled at her.

  “You have help I think,” he said to the women. “Belinda has just made an appearance.” At the same time, little Jezebelle walked sedately towards the group as well.

  “Belinda,” Barbara called out. “Please come and lend your power to us. We have to send this evil away.”

  “She’s coming towards you,” Cameron said.

  “Belinda, this pendant was yours and it has been handed down to me. It will be stronger if you can help,” Magda said into thin air and felt the warmth of the woman brush over her face and neck. The heat traveled to the pendant and it shone like a star.

  Jezebelle rubbed against Magda’s legs and then stood and looked at the man in the mask. The hiss that came from her was hideous and frightening.

  The man in the mask hissed back and called on the evil one to blow his enemies away but a beam of light came from the pendant and directed itself to where the wind was blowing. There was an eerie howl. It happened again but the volume was less, and the wind died down. The air cleared and the lights came on. The man still held Alison around the neck. He laughed. “This one is still my passage out of here. One move from any of you and she gets it.”

  “No,” Magda said and held up the pendant. “This is more powerful than anything you can do.” She stepped forward towards him and the light from the pendant shone in his face. He was blinded for a second which allowed Sam to take him down with a tackle around the knees. Magda grabbed at Alison to pull her to safety.

  “It’s over,” Sam said. The other masked pair dropped their knives and just stood uncertain what to do. One of them was visibly shaking.

  Jezebelle sat down and started to groom herself as if it was just another normal day.

  “Belinda is fading,” Cameron said, and Magda called out a thank you and said that the pendant would be safe. There was a great feeling of relief in the room.

  Then the front door was flung open and the Garda led by Inspector Donnel
ly ran inside.

  Sam’s momentum had carried him and the man across the room. Magda had caught Alison as she crumpled to the floor. One of the officers called for an ambulance and went to help Magda. Branna rushed to take the ties and gag from Olive and Ricky released his mum and wrapped her in his arms. She sobbed and leaned against him.

  Cameron went over to where Sam was getting up and letting the officers take charge of the man with the mask and horns.

  “Who is this nutcase who thinks he owns my property?” Cameron said and roughly knocked the horns away, tugged down the mask and revealed the person underneath.

  The room was frozen in surprise as the man behind the mask was seen to be Jerry Carty, the artist, the computer genius and someone that everyone had apparently found pleasant. The pleasant expression and friendly persona were completely absent. The face showed someone furious and thwarted as the officers roughly put him into handcuffs. They found a gun when they frisked him. Olive said that he had threatened them with the gun when he arrived.

  The two helpers were his wife and daughter. They had the glazed, wide-eyed stare of people who were in the grip of drugs. His wife was shaking as if she was about to collapse and the daughter was looking vague and lost.

  “Some of those plants that witches grew give you hallucinations when you rub them on your skin,” Jenni observed.

  “So, they just thought they were flying on broomsticks?” Ricky laughed as he still held onto his mum. Everyone relaxed a bit.

  “Thanks for riding to the rescue,” Cameron said to Donnelly.

  “You were doing pretty well, by the look of things,” the inspector replied, “but I think the DNA we have from Patrick Carty’s killer will give us a match. He sent the three prisoners away with officers and welcomed the medics who came to examine the three ladies who had been captive. None of them wanted to go to hospital and said they would be fine with family.

  Then the inspector took a seat and told them to sit and do some explaining. “I was listening at the door for some time.”

  20

  “Well, it is a bit unbelievable,” Sam said, and the inspector smiled.

  “Try me. I’m Irish. I hear a lot of good stories.”

  “The man is delusional,” Sam said. “He seemed to think that because he was a descendant of both sides of the family that the houses should have passed on to him.”

  “He had the stone altar and I think he assumed that it gave him the right to everything else,” said Barbara.

  “He wanted this pendant,” Magda told them and showed it to Donnelly. “It has the power to protect but he thought he would have all sorts of satanic powers.”

  “What a waste of talent,” Cameron joined in. “The man sells his paintings world-wide and thought it was because he owned a stone bird bath. He must be truly crackers.”

  Between all of them, the Inspector and his assistant heard the whole story.

  “I am pretty sure that we will have proof that one of them killed Patrick Carty and also threatened your mother, Cameron. Maybe the others helped with dead chickens and paint. I would think they were used to his giving them lots of money to spend and would do everything he asked. If you can call tomorrow and arrange to come and give statements, it would be appreciated.” He stood. “We’ll go and question the devil worshipper. You don’t say that every day in police work.” Then he added that they would find and take as evidence the stone altar, or birdbath, or whatever it was.

  “I would get his computers,” Sam added. “He is very clever with them and he had spotted that we were searching the family history the first day we looked.”

  “He must have thought it was his chance to get this house,” Alison pondered.

  “I love this house, the well and the garden. Even though we did get locked in the well,” said Magda.

  “Well, we still have food and drink,” Alison said. “Let’s enjoy it.”

  There was a lot to talk about and it gradually occurred to all of them that they had probably solved the murder and caught the people who were causing such nastiness.

  “No more threats. I must ring my mum and tell her all about it. She will be so relieved,” Cameron said. Sam’s mind had already reverted to thinking about the cottage and when they would return to do the conversion.

  “There will be no need for secrecy when we come back,” he said, “Cameron, do you have a machine that could dig down so that the cave would be above ground again?” The man said it was no problem and Sam asked Magda if she thought that the whole thing could be turned into a rockery.

  “I do,” she answered, “and I would be worried about anyone staying here if the well was still just a hole in the ground. It will be better as a feature.”

  Barbara asked if she could see the pendant again and Magda handed it over. It was just a stone with a piece of crystal fused into it.

  “It is not vibrating anymore,” Magda remarked, and Barbara nodded.

  “It has done its work,” she handed it back.

  “And this little one helped,” Magda added as Jezebelle came and jumped on her knee.

  The group eventually broke up with everyone promising to keep in touch and Alison, Irene and the two visitors were left in a house that looked like a bomb had hit it.

  “The clearing up can wait until tomorrow,” Alison said.

  “And tomorrow, we will have a holiday day,” Magda remarked.

  “That is after we give statements to the Garda,” Sam added with a smile.

  They were all exhausted and glad to fall into bed that evening. Jezebelle didn’t come to sleep on the bed and Magda wondered if the cat actually knew that the job was done and that all was well in the house once more. Finally, sleep claimed her and when she awoke, wrapped in Sam’s arms, she found that her mind was already planning the new truffles she would make when she was back in the café.

  “You are planning something,” Sam smiled at her and brushed the plum colored hair out of his eyes.

  “Truffles,” she confessed.

  They gave statements, popped into the dendrochronologist to tell them what had happened, took a last look at the tiny stores on the Medieval Mile and strolled hand in hand into see Barbara.

  “I’ll look forward to you coming back,” Barbara told them.

  They said a fond farewell to Alison the next day after she drove them to Dublin International. Back on American soil, home was a wonderful sight and the four cats were overjoyed to see them but were a bit offended at them being away. Magda sat on the sofa and waited. All four felines came and sat on her lap. Crystal sniffed at her very suspiciously and Magda laughed. She pulled out her cell phone and showed the cat a picture of Jezebelle. Crystal took one swipe and knocked the phone onto the floor.

  “Little villain,” Magda said fondly.

  “You would like to rush to the café, I think,” Sam said, and she nodded. He started the big truck that he admitted he had missed roaring around. Arriving at the café, customers were slightly surprised when Rula screamed out loud and rushed to fling her arms around Magda. Mikey was helping as well, and Katie was stirring chocolate in the vat.

  “Oh, I have missed this place and each one of you!” Magda sighed.

  “Let’s call everyone and have a get together. We all want to hear the complete story of the devil worshipper,” Katie suggested, and they all pulled out phones.

  After the café was closed and Magda had time to walk around and check everything, she thanked them all. The place had obviously run like clockwork and Katie had the stock of truffles up to date. She brought out the crystals from Barbara and asked Katie how they would be best displayed.

  Declan, the carpenter who worked with Sam arrived as well as Branston and Merle from the dude ranch. Magda looked around.

  “It’s lovely to be home. Thanks to all of you for doing a brilliant job.”

  “Never mind that,” Declan said. “I want to see the big strong builder man do his dowsing,” He laughed at his friend.

  “And whe
re is this pendant that saved the day?” Katie asked.

  Sam pulled out the crystal and demonstrated that he could actually dowse. They sat around listening to every detail of the murder and the artist. Katie, who was an artist, knew the man’s work and said how sad that he had such talent but wanted to work with the devil.

  “He’ll not do much devil worship in jail,” Mikey observed. Sam had printed off photos of the cottage and garden from almost every possible angle and pointed out what he had in mind for the conversion.

  “Cameron says that he can easily dig out the cave and is looking forward to meeting somebody else who sees spirits like he does,” Sam told Declan.

  “This loft conversion, how can it be a separate house?” Katie asked and Sam said there would be a staircase outside of the house to a second-floor loft entrance and there would be a spiral staircase in the living room if the place was needed as one whole house.

  “Can we do that in two weeks?” Declan wondered but Magda said she was sure they could get temporary help over there.

  “And this Cameron was from the family you thought might be the crooks?” Rula asked and Magda added that his brother was pretty ghastly, but the parents were okay.

  “You’ll love Branna and Jonno and she showed them the trailer park pictures.

  “Merle, I told them that they should add luxuries like hot tubs such as you have on the ranch.”

  “They have space to do things. That is good,” Merle replied and touched her finger onto the picture of Branna. “She’ll be successful. I can feel it.”

  Magda grinned. “They are coming over for a visit and she can look at what you’ve done with the ranch.” She paused and hauled out the bags that she had stowed away. “Gifts from Ireland,” she added and handed out the beautiful things that she had bought at the traditional little stores. “You will all love the way they have made the city so lovely to walk around.” As she said that, she pulled up more pictures of the Medieval Mile.

  “I’ll sort out the crystal display tomorrow,” Katie said. “They are really beautiful. I bet they sell quickly.” Then she asked if she could try dowsing with one and Magda said to go ahead. As Barbara had given Sam some instruction with the crystal, he passed this on to the others and they all ended up trying to dowse.