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

  “You mean the colors?” she asked and he nodded.

  “I see them as well and so does Merle. You, I and Merle, all have roughly the same color around us.”

  “I know because I can see them as well.” She looked at Declan. “Like you, I never tell anyone.”

  “That is why you see the lights and the mist,” Merle said as she joined the conversation. “I get strong feelings about what is there, but I don’t see anything.”

  The two ladies came and thanked Merle for the chance to be part of the experiment.

  “Back to those lovely soft beds and modern gadgets,” she said. The two of them waved goodbye to everyone else and the two men excused themselves as well.

  “Dad, I have found people who see colors the same as I do,” Gina called across the room and the man smiled.

  “Told you it was okay. Your gran saw them all of the time.”

  “Can you turn it off?” Bart asked the girl who shook her head.

  “Can you?” He and Merle both nodded and explained how they closed off that part of the brain.

  “Oh, that will be wonderful. It drives me mad sometimes,” Gina said. “Thanks.”

  “You guys all coming to the hoedown?” Branston asked. “It’s always a good night.”

  Jeremy said that he should really go back and check his business but would come back again.

  Bart told them his boss was complaining about lack of copy and he would take a couple of days to catch up.

  “I’ll come back for the hoedown and would like to go on the trekking picnic as well.” He looked at Gina and asked if she would still be there the next week. She nodded. “Jeremy and Mikey don’t ride. We are having a gentle trek to get them started with a picnic thrown in.”

  Magda took pity on the reporter and joined in to ask if Gina would like to join them. Her dad said he preferred a lazy day on the deck and the girl said she would love to come along.

  “We are talking about a hoedown Friday night and a trek on Tuesday afternoon,” Merle told everyone. “Take your own picnic.”

  They stood up to go home and thanked Merle and Branston for having everyone at the ranch. Gina was still next to Bart and suddenly asked in a whisper if he had seen anything unusual about the auras at the séance. He stopped and looked at her.

  “What did you see?”

  “The tall man, not Bertram, I never got his name, his aura changed when the gunshot sounds started. I thought maybe it was just fear. We all jumped but the feeling that it had affected him never went away.”

  “Hang on a minute folks,” Bart said and repeated what Gina had told him. “The thing is, I saw that as well but just thought it was the sudden noise. Now I think about it, I did wonder if he had some sort of idea that the gunshot might be real.”

  The others came back into the room. Merle said that she had noted a change in the man as well.

  “I never thought about a real gunshot. That is a good point, Bart. What do the rest of you think?”

  “I never saw anything other than the lady and then the gold miner. The gold miner was not really a pleasant figure, but I don’t think he was dangerous,” Declan told them.

  “Did you get a feeling about the man’s character?” her dad asked Gina. He looked at the others. “My mother had what they call the sight and she often just felt something. Many times it turned out to be right.”

  Gina looked worried.

  “I know you feel responsible if people ask you things like that,” Merle told her. “Don’t worry. We won’t hold you to it.”

  “If it helps, I didn’t like him,” Rula added.

  Gina smiled at her and nodded. “I often think that if I don’t like someone I imagine all sorts of things.”

  “Tell us,” Magda said. “We’ll believe you.”

  “And that from the woman whose café has a ghost cat,” Katie smiled.

  “A ghost cat?” Gina was momentarily distracted.

  “Come and visit tomorrow,” Magda said. “Tell us what you thought about the man.”

  “I thought he had a sort of barrier around him. I felt he was hiding something. He didn’t really believe in what we were doing but wanted to watch anyway.”

  “Well done,” Magda said.

  “And you were right. I thought he was the one in the group who didn’t believe in ghosts,” Merle added.

  “Could be that was all it was,” Mikey remarked.

  “But you are concerned. Why?” Gina’s dad queried. Merle laughed.

  “Are you sure it was just your mother who had the sight?”

  “We had thought that the people the police are looking for might show up if we let it be known that we were looking at the ghost town site,” Branston answered.

  “Our houses have been searched but there was nothing to find anyway and the detectives found no prints or any clues,” Declan joined in.

  “What would they be looking for?” Gina’s dad, asked.

  “We did find an old holster and gun in the hole. It looked like it had been there a long time, but the forensics said that it had been shot three times. He must have been able to spin the barrel. The police have it. We called them when we found it. They found the second body of a man,” Branston told them.

  “The detective hasn’t said anything about that to us,” Sam added.

  “If the body was beside your cousin … sorry Rula … maybe it was put there at the same time,” Gina suggested.

  “All part of the same case and nothing to do with the ghost town,” Magda said. “I don’t think they’ve been able to identify him and whoever searched our houses left no prints.” She smiled at Gina. “Come and see the café tomorrow and try our new gold nugget truffle.”

  The girl responded with a smile and said it had been a great evening. “We’ll come and try your truffles in the morning.”

  She and her dad said goodbye to everyone and went off to their cabin.

  “Well,” Magda said, “now I am suspicious of the man.”

  “Bertram has always lived around here and not been in trouble as far as I know,” Branston observed.

  “We still need to set a trap,” Bart said. “I’ll work on it.” He waved a hand and left. The others followed him out and Branston asked if the hat and jacket designed by Jeremy would be there by Friday. The designer laughed.

  “I am hoping they arrive tomorrow. Gonna be a well-dressed hoedown.”

  “I know I always joke about Branston, but it is good fun to dress up sometimes.” Magda did a little skip and pulled Alison around in a circle. “We need you to get cowgirl clothes as well.”

  “Maybe I’ll go for the native American look. I always liked that,” Alison answered.

  “Now that would really suit you, Alison,” Jeremy told her. “I have some beautiful headbands. I’ll bring some back with me.”

  “I hope my Stetson and jacket arrive,” Branston said.

  “You are not going bare-chested like the model,” Merle warned him.

  “Aw shucks,” he replied and pretended to sulk.

  “Seen it before,” Magda laughed. “Keep it covered up.” They parted promising to keep in touch. Sam, Magda and Alison went back to the house to find all five cats on the floor at the bottom of the spiral staircase. There were sheets of torn paper scattered around and they had found a cardboard box to hide in and jump out at each other.

  Pushkin was doing his favorite run up and down the staircase. Magda went to pick up the torn paper.

  “I’ll let them keep the box. Cats love a cardboard hidey hole.” She swept the paper together and then stopped. “The little villains,” she added. In her hand was a watch of her own and one belonging to Sam. “Where did they get these from?”

  “Mine was on the chest of drawers,” Sam said as he took it from his wife. “I’m using the Apple one.”

  Magda glanced at the papers she had crushed in her hand and then straightened a piece out. She handed it to Sam with a raised eyebrow.

  “What is it?” Alison asked
.

  “A picture of a watch,” Sam answered from the sofa. “Why would they want to tell us about time and clocks?”

  “The other paper they had was about timelines,” Alison remembered.

  “Do they know we are going back in time to the ghost town days?” Magda wondered.

  Crystal came onto Sam’s knee and nudged the Apple watch with her nose. She rubbed herself against it and it told him he had a call.

  16

  Declan’s voice asked if the cats had done anything peculiar.

  “What have yours done?” Sam asked and listened as Declan told him that they had knocked a clock off the dresser and smashed it on the floor.

  “I would have taken that as an accident but now I find that the digital alarm in the bedroom is also on the floor.”

  “Oh, wow!” Sam answered. “When we arrived, the cats had paper and a cardboard box on the floor. Underneath the paper was my watch and one of Magda’s. The paper had a picture of a watch and Alison remembered that the other paper they had earlier had an article about timelines.”

  “Too many coincidences there,” Declan observed.

  “Nothing springs to mind that the clocks and watches mean anything,” Magda called out.

  “Nothing we can do but watch out - no pun intended,” Declan laughed. “See you tomorrow.”

  “How strange,” Alison remarked as she held Jezebelle on her knee. “Back in time. Time to move on. Who knows?”

  “Crystal has that look about her,” Magda said. “She is annoyed that I don’t know what she is telling me. Sorry, Crystal. I will look out for clocks and watches.” She picked up the Birman who purred and snuggled against her.

  Nothing unusual happened through the night. The next morning, Sam went off to his own work while Magda got ready to leave and told Alison to have an easy day.

  “I’ll call if the cats discover anything new,” Alison laughed.

  “I’ll find out how we go about renting the house for you,” Magda promised.

  “I can have the furniture shipped over if there is somewhere to send it,” Alison replied and waved goodbye.

  The Chocolate Magic Café always gave Magda a little shiver of pleasure as she came through the alleyway. Rula and Katie arrived as she was turning on lights and there was a faint flash of a black and white tail as it disappeared into thin air.

  “Morning, Pushkin,” Magda said. “Have you found any clocks or watches?” She saw Rula’s question coming and told her about the cats.

  “Declan’s as well?” Katie asked. “He will be upset about the clock. He carved it himself.”

  “Oh dear,” Magda replied. “He never mentioned it. We need to sort this out. I wonder if Bart has thought of a way to lay a trap.”

  Magda was mixing truffles and customers started to fill up the place.

  “I have Stetsons, pies and I wonder if we could make tumbleweed from spun sugar,” Magda mentioned to Katie. “How are the drawings coming along?”

  Katie said that she had a selection to show Magda when they were finished with the chocolate making.

  “When Jeremy comes back, I will ask him about scarves, hats, headbands and wrist decorations. I think they would all go well.”

  “The customers liked the jackets and tops he mentioned,” Rula added.

  “Expensive though,” Magda answered. “I’ll see what he says about price.”

  Bart arrived and took a seat at the counter. It seemed to be his favorite spot as he could use his tablet.

  “I started to research the history of the old west in this area. There are some good stories to relate which can be tied into the present as the Panhandle Ranch is a real ranch and then there is the police investigation.” His face brightened as he looked as Magda said hello to newcomers. It was Gina and her dad.

  “This is fabulous!” Gina looked at the list of chocolate and coffee drinks and asked for a full works hot chocolate topped with marshmallows, chocolate flakes and whipped cream. Rula smiled and set about making a very special one. Her dad had a plain Americano and Bart said that he had never tried the full works and asked Rula to do another.

  “I started with truffles and I try to keep thinking of new flavors. When Sam finishes the new extension, it will have a wild west theme.” Magda brought a plate across. “Try a gold nugget.”

  Bart managed to snatch one as well. “Weird putting gold in your mouth but they are delicious.” He stopped as he saw the look on Gina’s face and followed her gaze. “Magda,” he said and pointed with the half-eaten truffle.

  “You did see him,” Magda said with a smile. “We are very fond of the shadow of the past. He doesn’t show himself to everyone.”

  “Magda has a psychic cat at home - a real one,” Katie added. “The ghost cat seems to know if people like cats.”

  “And Crystal has been trying to tell me that there is something to do with watches, clocks and time I should know about. Can’t for the life of me think what she means,” Magda added.

  “Cats have senses that we don’t know about,” Webster said. “Have you had any thoughts about setting a trap? Maybe the cats are trying to point you in the right direction.”

  Bart nodded his head and said that he had been thinking about how to bring anything new to light. “I can make sure our local radio hears about anything we do. My very good friend there is always willing to help. I wonder if we could inform people about the hoedown and say there are a limited number of tickets available. It could be suggested that the people who discovered the bodies when looking for the ghost town will be there.”

  “What do we do at the hoedown though?” Katie asked.

  “Maybe let it be known that the things we found were just odd bits and pieces and were thrown away,” Magda added and then said that they would have to specify where they were thrown away so that they could keep a watch for anyone.

  “You don’t suppose it is anything to do with clocks and watches?” Gina asked and as she spoke, she smiled and pointed at the disappearing tail of Pushkin going back again through the imaginary doorway.

  “I’ll set this up and you can talk to Merle about what we say at the hoedown,” Bart said. Gina looked at the items for sale as Magda and the team served other customers. She brought over one of Katie’s pictures and paid for it.

  “It must be lovely to be able to paint and draw,” she said to Katie.

  “She is doing cowboy drawings for the new shop and when Declan described the spirit man, she drew that as well,” Bart told her.

  “What did the man look like?” Webster asked and Katie found the portfolio of drawings.

  “This is the gold miner with the hat that is not a Stetson, and this is how he described the hotel building.” She showed them the pictures and Gina’s dad said that when they were finished, he would like the hotel drawing.

  “It’s a connection to the ranch and the great times we have there.”

  Katie smiled and put a thick piece of paper in the copy machine and ran off a print of the picture.

  “Free copy,” she said. “Magda won’t mind.”

  “And they are still your pictures. I haven’t paid for anything yet,” Magda grinned. “I think Sam and Declan are going to try and get some work done on the extension in the next few days. He is planning a huge window so that you can see into the shop from the café in the hope that customers spot something they like.”

  “We only live about thirty miles away. I will come back when it is finished,” Gina told her.

  “With a credit card if we have lots of Jeremy Swanson items,” Rula remarked. The customer waiting for the coffees overheard and said they were dying to see the things from the designer.

  “I will have to give Sam a push to get the thing done,” Magda told her.

  “See you at the hoedown,” Gina said and smiled at Bart.

  “Gotta get to work in the meantime,” he said and the three of them left together. They passed Mikey on the way and he came and sat at the stool vacated by Bart. Rula hand
ed him his usual drink.

  “You okay?” he asked Rula.

  “Yes thanks,” she answered but not before Magda had caught the question.

  “What was wrong?” Magda asked.

  “Nothing gets past you,” Rula laughed it off. “Just since the place was broken into, I have been a bit on edge. I know that they found nothing, and they have no reason to come back. It’s just not very nice to know somebody has been poking around in your things.” She smiled at Mikey. “He calls through the night and did sleep on the sofa one night.”

  “Be interesting to see who turns up at the hoedown and if they ask questions,” Magda observed.

  “You don’t suppose that it could be dangerous?” Mikey worried. “We are talking about a murderer here - even if it was ten years ago.” It did make them stop and think.

  “Maybe we should tell the detective. He could put people undercover to watch out,” Magda suggested.

  “That sounds like a good idea,” Katie said. “Then we can just dress up and have a good time.” Magda called Merle and put forth the idea. Merle said that it was sensible, and she would call the detective. The rest of the day was normal. Magda had time to try some sugar work that might look like balls of tumbleweed. The girls tried them out. They were sticky, sweet and very delicate but did look like tumbleweed. Magda thought about how she could make them stronger.

  At home, she found Alison had been out and bought a native American dress. It was very beautiful and made Alison look tall and elegant.

  “With Jeremy’s headband, you will look sensational.”

  “Not bad for an old woman,” she answered with a laugh.

  “Rubbish,” Sam said and swung his aunt around in a circle. Then he said he was going back to the café to start on the extension.

  The time up until Friday evening did not produce any more unusual or frightening events and the cats seemed to have gotten over their obsession with all things time connected. They were left with treats in the living room as Sam took his two well-dressed ladies out for the evening. Magda was sporting her favorite buckskin jacket with a very short skirt, checkered shirt and a Stetson held with a cord around her neck. She decided to wear the scarf by Jeremy and wore flat shoes so that she could enjoy the dancing. Alison looked cool, elegant and sophisticated.