Christmas Witch List--A Westwick Witches Cozy Mystery Read online

  Christmas Witch List

  A Westwick Witches Cozy Mystery

  Colleen Cross

  Slice Mystery and Thriller books

  Christmas Witch List

  Copyright © 2018 by Colleen Cross, Colleen Tompkins

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written consent of the copyright holder and publisher. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law.

  Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Categories: cozy mysteries, witches wizards, paranormal cozy humorous mystery, cosy mystery, funny mysteries, female lead sleuth women amateur sleuths private investigators, cozy mystery books, suspense thrillers and mysteries best sellers, female detectives

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-988272-16-0

  Published by Slice Publishing

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Also by Colleen Cross

  Christmas Witch List

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Also by Colleen Cross

  Also by Colleen Cross

  Westwick Witches Cozy Mysteries

  Witch You Well

  Rags to Witches

  Witch and Famous

  Christmas Witch List

  Westwick Witches Magical Mystery Box set (books 1-3)

  * * *

  Katerina Carter Color of Money Mysteries

  Red Handed

  Blue Moon

  * * *

  Katerina Carter Fraud Legal Thrillers

  Exit Strategy

  Game Theory

  Blowout

  Greenwash

  Katerina Carter Fraud Thrillers (books 1-3)

  * * *

  Nonfiction

  Anatomy of a Ponzi Scheme

  * * *

  Get the latest list at www.colleencross.com

  Christmas Witch List

  Eat, Drink, and Be Poisoned…

  Cendrine West is looking forward to a cozy Christmas Eve dinner when a blizzard blows in, bringing with it a flurry of unexpected guests. But tipsy witches and mischievous magic spell a recipe for disaster, especially when a guest turns up dead. Cen’s sleuthing exposes a Santa-sized sack of trouble and everyone’s a suspect, even her hunky sheriff boyfriend.

  Is it a deadly accident by a drunken witch…or something more sinister? Murder is on the menu and only magic can uncover the truth in this witchy, wacky Yuletide thrill ride!

  Witch cozy mysteries are for fans of fun, cozy mystery books with a paranormal twist! If you haven’t already read the first 3 books in the series, Witch You Well, Rags to Witches, and Witch and Famous, get them now in a specially priced Westwick Witches Magical Mystery box set.

  “Five stars for my favorite combo of magic, mistletoe, and murder!”

  "...A bewitching, supernatural treat. If you love witch cozy mysteries you'll love Cendrine West and her wacky witch family!"

  "...One of the best paranormal mystery books I've read in awhile. An imaginative detective mystery that combines the best mysteries of an Agatha Christie whodunit novel with a Harry Potter fantasy book, this is magic for grown-ups!"

  Sign up for Colleen's new release notifications at http://eepurl.com/bkYx01 or visit http://www.colleencross.com

  It’s Christmas Eve with freshly fallen snow,

  Witches kiss loved ones under mistletoe,

  The Wests are hosting some unusual guests,

  At least one of whom is on a romantic quest.

  * * *

  The witches are up to old tricks again,

  Always looking for witch rules to bend,

  Until something makes their stomachs churn,

  That’s when things take a surprising turn.

  * * *

  The witches imbibe too much food and drink,

  Soon it is clear they are all on the brink,

  Of magic and mayhem out of control,

  That threatens to send them to the North Pole.

  * * *

  Despite all of the holiday good cheer,

  One of their guests will pay very dear.

  Meanwhile, a blizzard blows outside,

  Buckle up for a thrilling Yuletide ride!

  1

  Christmas is my favorite time of year. This year was extra special because it was my first holiday with Tyler. Just the thought of my tall, hunky boyfriend brought a smile to my lips. I couldn’t wait to see him. He was still at work and running a bit late because of the massive snowstorm that had enveloped Westwick Corners and cut us off from the rest of the world.

  His delayed arrival just made my anticipation sweeter. My pulse quickened as I imagined kissing him, his strong arms wrapped around my waist. Our first Christmas Eve would be a holiday we would both remember and cherish for a long, long time.

  As Westwick Corners sheriff and only law enforcement, Tyler Gates was always busy. Mostly because of Aunt Pearl, who repeatedly broke the law and generally made life rough for Tyler. Her number one priority was to drive him out of town as she had done to all of the sheriffs before him.

  I had expected tonight to be different, partly because Aunt Pearl wasn’t out stirring up trouble for him in the snowstorm. Instead, she had hung out around the house all day with the rest of my family. That was unusual for my anti-social aunt. But the strangest thing of all was that it was Aunt Pearl who had invited Tyler to join us for our traditional family Christmas Eve dinner in the first place.

  I had planned our holiday festivities for weeks, down to the tiniest detail. Christmas was the only time of year where we closed our family business and took a break from our busy lives.

  Being a witch doesn’t come with a paycheck, so we all needed jobs to make ends meet. We had converted our family mansion into the Westwick Corners Inn, a cozy boutique bed and breakfast. Also on our property was a small estate winery and the Witching Post Bar and Grill, a pub that catered mostly to locals.

  Our family home had been repurposed out of necessity because there weren’t any viable jobs in our almost-ghost town. All that changed for one short week at Christmastime when
we closed and repurposed the inn as our family gathering place once more.

  Aside from my duties at the inn, I also ran a newspaper, the Westwick Corners Weekly. I had just published the Christmas edition and even had my articles written for the following week. Nothing much ever happened in tiny Westwick Corners, so I could afford to shut down my one-woman newspaper operation over the holidays.

  I had looked forward to Christmas Eve dinner for weeks and wanted it to be the start of many holidays to remember with Tyler.

  Yet it wasn’t working out that way at all.

  I had the white Christmas I had been dreaming of, but the winter wonderland outside had morphed into a snowy prison. There were already several feet of snow on the ground and more fell by the hour. All that would be perfect if Tyler and I were snuggled in front of a roaring fire while snowflakes blanketed the grounds outside.

  Instead, Tyler was stuck out on the highway helping stranded motorists. I shut my eyes and sighed. If only the storm had held off for one more day. I shivered at the thought of Tyler possibly being stranded. The roads were treacherous. It was already dark outside, and I hadn’t heard from him all day. I worried that he wouldn’t make it in time for Christmas Eve dinner.

  Normally I loved the muffled quiet that came with a thick blanket of snow, but tonight was different. The winter storm had blown in quickly and unexpectedly this morning with strong winds and snowdrifts high enough to bury cars. If anything the snow fell harder now. I closed my eyes and imagined Tyler and me finally together and standing under the mistletoe. Now my anticipation was tinged with worry.

  I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and called him. It seemed like forever before he answered.

  “Cen…I meant to call you.” Tyler’s deep voice sounded distant and staticky. “I just finished dealing with a stalled semi-trailer. The road’s almost impassable now, but I’m on my way. I’ll be there soon. Miss you.”

  “I miss you too.” Just imagining Tyler’s warm brown eyes made me smile. We saw each other daily. In fact, it was hard not to constantly run into each other in our tiny little almost-ghost town. Lately though, we had both been working long hours so that we could enjoy some uninterrupted time off together. “I’ll tell Mom to hold off dinner, just get here as fast as you can.”

  I sighed as I disconnected. Then I remembered the other wrench in my plans.

  Merlinda.

  Aunt Pearl’s star student hadn’t gone home to Vanuatu for the holidays as planned. The flight back to her South Pacific tropical paradise had been canceled due to the snowstorm. Now, she was spending Christmas with us.

  Merlinda was an extremely powerful witch-in-training. Everything came to her effortlessly. Basically, she was everything that I wasn’t. It wasn’t that I didn’t like her. In fact, I barely knew her at all. She was always immersed in a spell book and mostly kept to herself. I only saw her in passing because she boarded at our family’s inn while Pearl’s Charm School was in session.

  Now Merlinda was part of our special family time and I didn’t like it one bit. I almost felt like a stranger in my own home with her here. Aunt Pearl doted on her pet student and basically ignored the rest of us. Even Mom and Aunt Amber seemed completely charmed by Merlinda. Next to her, I felt incompetent as a witch. I also felt invisible.

  Merlinda’s spellcasting rivaled the best in the business, and she wasn’t even finished with school yet. She was gorgeous too. Her dark exotic looks turned heads on the few occasions when she ventured into town. She never socialized, but that made her all the more alluring and mysterious to just about every male in Westwick Corners. They were captivated by both her beauty and her charming South Pacific accent.

  I should have been helping Mom and Aunt Amber in the kitchen with dinner but steered clear because they were sure to notice my sour mood. Instead, I glanced around the living room, hoping that the festive decor would lift my spirits.

  For witches, we were pretty traditional when it came to Christmas Eve. The living room was fully decorated with lights, decorations, and tinsel for the season. A seven-foot Christmas tree stood on one side of the fireplace, and Mom’s handcrafted Christmas stockings hung from the mantle. There was a hand-beaded felt stocking for each of us: Mom, Aunt Amber, Aunt Pearl, and me. And one extra that Mom had sewn for Merlinda this morning after Merlinda found out about her canceled flight home.

  Having Merlinda here just ruined everything. I felt guilty thinking that way, but I also had a feeling that her presence would bring out a lot of bad in Aunt Pearl. And, I had to admit, I was more than a little jealous of Merlinda. Witchcraft and everything else just came to her so effortlessly.

  As if on cue Merlinda and Aunt Pearl burst through the front door, laughing as they kicked off their snow-covered boots in the hallway.

  That was the other thing that annoyed me. My cranky, fire-setting aunt was normally a loner and a troublemaker, keen on stirring up trouble and driving sheriffs like Tyler out of town. Yet in Merlinda’s presence, she had morphed into a giggling do-gooder intent on spreading white magic far and wide. With Merlinda, of course, not with me.

  Aunt Pearl and Merlinda spilled out into the living room, seeming not to notice me as they laughed about an advanced spell that was far beyond my abilities. Heck, I couldn’t even understand what they were talking about. Within minutes they were spellcasting holograms of elves and reindeer, trying to outdo each other.

  Aunt Pearl had even dressed for dinner. She wore a green velvet pantsuit, probably chosen for practical reasons. It looked festive and dressy while still allowing unrestricted movement for her so-called athletic pursuits. What she called athletic pursuits I considered arson, as did most of the people in town who kept up a fire watch, or rather a Pearl watch, during better weather. Hopefully Christmas Eve dinner and the storm outside provided enough distraction to keep her out of trouble for one night.

  Tyler, as Westwick Corners’ only law enforcement, was already run off his feet with today’s snow-related events. He didn’t need to spend Christmas Eve on an Aunt Pearl crime watch. That is, once he finally made it here.

  My thoughts were interrupted by the jingle of Aunt Pearl’s charm bracelet as she waved her arm with a flourish.

  Merlinda laughed, exposing a brilliant white smile.

  Any jealousy I felt was solely my fault. Merlinda couldn’t help being beautiful. And I had only myself to blame for not studying my craft more. No wonder Aunt Pearl was so frustrated with me.

  Witchcraft was practically the West family business. It didn’t pay all that well, though. In fact, it didn’t pay at all. That was the reason we each had jobs running the inn. Paying guests brought in much-needed cash. Operating an inn wasn’t quite as glamorous as witchcraft, but at least it paid the bills.

  “Too bad Earl couldn’t make it.” It was vindictive of me, but I couldn’t help myself. Merlinda couldn’t stand Earl. He was either Aunt Pearl’s most ardent admirer or her secret boyfriend, depending on who you talked to. He was also competition for Merlinda.

  Earl was a sweet, harmless seventyish local, a retired farmer and widower who had recently sold his farm to move into town. I had no idea what an easygoing man like Earl saw in Aunt Pearl or why Merlinda despised him so much. They both constantly vied for Aunt Pearl’s attention. Merlinda’s jealousy of Earl was the only crack I saw in her otherwise perfect demeanor.

  “Earl’s not coming,” Aunt Pearl snapped. “The storm’s too much for him.”

  “What a shame.” That only reminded me that Tyler was still out in the elements dealing with the snowstorm. As the weather outside worsened, so did my hopes of a romantic, intimate Christmas.

  Aunt Pearl scowled. “Cen, pay attention! You might learn something. You’d be a better witch by now if you focused like Merlinda does.”

  Merlinda whispered something in a low voice as she swept her long black hair over her shoulder.

  The light in the room brightened like a sunny day. As it did, the sound of lapping water turned into crashin
g waves. A three-foot crystal glass ball floated several inches above Merlinda’s outstretched hands, pulsating with energy and light. Inside was a kaleidoscopic view of a tropical island complete with palm trees, cabanas, and a swim-up bar.

  A ukulele strummed softly.

  A tropical paradise under glass, complete with a theme song.

  How could I compete with that?

  Merlinda was at least as good a witch as Aunt Pearl. Or maybe even better. I had never even considered that possible because until now, Aunt Pearl was the most powerful witch I had ever seen.

  Not anymore.

  Needless to say, Merlinda’s abilities were beyond the realm of my talents by a long shot. I couldn’t even conjure up a glass of water if my life depended on it, let alone create a seaside paradise in the palm of my hand. I fake-smiled, hoping that the resentment burning inside me didn’t show.

  “Bravo!” Aunt Amber clapped as she stood in the dining room doorway, an amazed expression on her face. “That’s the best version of that spell I’ve ever seen.”

  No wonder Aunt Pearl adored Merlinda.

  She was the perfect student and protégé. Nice to a fault, eager to learn, and from what I could see, she pretty much exceled at everything. Merlinda didn’t stand up to Aunt Pearl’s tantrums or ever question her pyromaniac pranks either. In Aunt Pearl’s eyes, she was perfect.