High harvest, p.1
High Harvest, page 1
HIGH HARVEST (A BROOKHAVEN COZY MYSTERY) Copyright © 2023 by S.E. Biglow.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
If you enjoy this work, please consider leaving a review.
For information contact; www.sarah-biglow.com
Edited by Under Wraps Publishing
Cover Design by: Deranged Doctor Design
Print ISBN: 978-1-955988-35-3
Published by S.E. Biglow: February 2024
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
Special Thanks
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
High Spirits Blurb
High Spirits Excerpt
A FREE Story For You…
About the Author
SPECIAL THANKS
I would like to thank all of the wonderful backers who supported this series on Kickstarter and made these books possible.
I need to give an extra special shout out to Jean Sitkei, Monica Kim, Anonymous Reader, Anonymous, Kathryn, Sara Vath, jeffrey.tristan.thyme, Ryan Scott James, GhostCat, Louisa, Rebecca Carter, Tory Penfield, Margaret M. St. John, Chloe Campbell, Heiko Koenig, Tom S., Alexandra Corrsin, Francesco Tehrani, maileguy, Rosie Pease, Sketch, Ernie Ridley, Amelia Pluck, Ayl, John Idlor, Sandy K., Brian D. Lambert, Michelle Kaye, Bonniejean Boettcher, Nicole Valdez, Eva S., Megan, Voldane Pelt, Diane Wagoner, Katrina, Rebecca Bock, Karin Baxter, Krista abd Barbara Griffiths, Jennifer Herschbach, Lisa Spalding, Sam, Isaac Dansicker, PippiMD, Brian, Rayne Sinclair, Mike Jones, Katie, Cheryl, Leslie, Nicole, Melissa, Vi Ta, Beth Caudill, Jennifer Preslar, Sasha Washburn, Matthew Walker, Jackie Ewing, Jenna N., Stephen Ballentine, Melissa Showers and Rob Steinberger
1
The seasons had shifted again, catapulting the small town of Brookhaven squarely into summer heat. Trees were lush with leaves and flowers bloomed everywhere I looked. For a hedge witch, this was practically paradise. To think only a year ago, this would have driven me mad. Oh, how far I’d come in such a short time. I’d made this place my home and created a comfortable existence for myself among its inhabitants.
“You look like you’re in a good mood, Darcy,” my co-worker Thomas noted as I stood in front of my locker in the break room of High Time, the town’s marijuana dispensary.
I had just finished the end of my shift tending the dispensary’s marijuana crop and I had plans. “Maggie and I are going away overnight. Well for the weekend, really,” I answered.
Thomas leaned against the open door of his locker, his dark dreads hanging in his eyes. “Your first vacation together? That’s a pretty big step. You learn a lot about people when you’re crammed into a hotel room.”
“It’s just an excursion to Haven Island. One of the rich blokes is renting their house out to vacationers and we decided we’d give it a try.” Besides, it wasn’t like we were moving in together.
Not that the topic hadn’t come up. A few months back, Maggie had made an offer that I could at the very least leave some clothes at her apartment, given that I was spending more time there. I hadn’t been ready for that level of commitment. And I still wasn’t quite there, yet.
“Darcy, you’re still here? I thought you guys were heading out?” Sage, the dispensary owner, said, appearing from the back office. Her vibrant aqua hairdo had transitioned to a more lime green to match the new glasses she’d gotten.
“It’s like you lot don’t want me here,” I said with a laugh. “I’m going, I’m going.”
In truth, I still needed to stop back at Tania’s B&B to get my bag before meeting Maggie at the hospital. She served as the town’s magical healer, but over the last few months, she’d taken an interest in more traditional medicine. One of the Emergency Room doctors had agreed to let her shadow some of his shifts.
I closed the door to my locker and bid my colleagues goodbye before heading out through the kitchen where the bakers were winding down for the day. I left the dispensary behind, making the short trek back to the B&B on Main Street. To my surprise, summertime wasn’t a big draw for the area. At least not for tourists looking to stay for more than day trips. Somehow, Tania got by in the interim and I couldn’t deny that I enjoyed the bit of peace and quiet in the house. I entered the front hall to find my landlord and friend, Tania standing at the foot of the stairs leading up to the second and third floors. She was talking to what appeared to be an empty spot on the railing.
“No, I haven’t noticed anything,” she told the seemingly empty air.
I watched as the wood’s smooth grain shifted, taking on the ripple of scales as Beau dropped his invisibility. Even after nearly a year in town, I still didn’t know how the chameleon had come to reside at Tania’s B&B. She’d never shared the details either, only assuring me he was a friend that he’d taken a shine to me.
His magic, and his guidance, had come in handy on a number of occasions when I’d found myself deep in the heart of a mystery.
“Am I interrupting?” I called, drawing their attention.
“No. Beau is just being overly cautious,” Tania answered.
Mundane people might ask how she could read a chameleon’s emotional state. Tania was an empath and her abilities extended to most living creatures in the same way that my plant magic connected me to the tiniest blade of grass all the way to the largest tree.
“He hasn’t mentioned anything to me,” I said, stepping up to stand beside Tania. “You holding out on me, mate?”
‘Something is hunting.’
Even I could feel the anxiety in his telepathic words. “Can you be more specific?”
Beau’s head waved side to side in a ‘no’ gesture. I turned to Tania. “And you haven’t noticed anything strange?”
“No. Everything has felt normal for once.”
“Try not to worry, Beau. I’m sure everything’s fine,” I said, giving him a gentle pat on the head. “I’ve got to get my bag and then meet Maggie.”
Tania’s lips quirked into a smile. “You’re excited. I’m so happy things are working out well with you two.”
“So am I,” I admitted. Sometimes I still felt nervous around Maggie, it being my first serious relationship in years.
‘Well suited together,’ Beau chimed in.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, mate. It really means a lot,” I said, giving the chameleon another stroke on the back. “But honestly, you don’t need to worry. We’re just going to Haven Island for a couple of days.”
“Oh, how quickly she forgets,” chirped Sam, materializing a few steps above Tania.
I glanced up at the B&B’s resident ghost, taking in his sequined jacket with velvet collar in a bright lime green. His eyeliner was thicker than usual. “I haven’t forgotten anything,” I retorted.
How could I have forgotten that not quite a year ago, my first trip to the small island off the coast of Brookhaven had sent me crashing into another murder mystery. But things had been quiet for months and there’d been no reports of anything suspicious on the island since Captain Merchant’s ill-fated attempt to get out of paying alimony.
“Both of you, behave,” Tania chided in a motherly tone, eyeing first Sam and then me. She gestured to me and then up the stairs. “Go on, get your things. You shouldn’t keep Maggie waiting.”
I bounded up the stairs and grabbed my already-packed overnight bag. I double checked that the tickets for the stay were secure in the front zipper compartment before I slung it over my shoulder and returned to the first floor. Sam had moved down to hover by the front desk where Tania kept the logbook of guests.
“Try to stay out of trouble while I’m gone,” I told him with a wink.
“And here I was going to tell you not to do anything I wouldn’t do,” he replied with a cheeky grin.
I left the B&B behind, shaking my head at his comment. For someone who could literally be in anyone’s business without many of them being the wiser, Sam was incredibly private about both his life and the circumstances surrounding his death. Plus, he was the only ghost I’d met since moving here. One day, I’d get him to spill all of the details. But not today.
I shifted my overnight bag to the other shoulder as I crossed Main Street and made my way toward the hospital. I’d been surprised to find the town had one. When I’d first moved to town, I’d assumed that Maggie’s clinic was the primary source of medical care for the residents. But my adventures with my cousin Piper four months ago had proved that Brookhaven did in fact boast a fully functioning hospital, complete with a robust Emergency Department.
Though I felt a little awkward walking in and approaching the nurse’s station. This was where I expected to find my girlfriend. Thankfully, it was relatively empty. The charge nurse looked up at me through thick-rimmed gl
“You need to check in at the front,” she said, gesturing back the way Id’ come.
“Sorry, I’m looking for Maggie Lawson. She’s been shadowing one of the doctors on rounds today,” I explained.
“Which doctor?”
“I’ve got it from here, Grace,” a semi-familiar male voice called from behind me.
I turned to find the doctor who’d taken care of Piper back in March. He was handsome, if a little pale, with vibrant green eyes and thick dark hair. He closed the distance and held out his hand. “Dr. Elijah Fitz.”
“Right. Sorry,” I said, shaking his hand.
“Maggie’s just changing out of her scrubs. She’ll be ready in a minute,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Thanks. I’ll just go wait in the lobby,” I said.
He reached out, faster than I would have thought possible, and grabbed my arm to keep me where I stood. “No need. Here she comes.”
I turned to look over my right shoulder to see Maggie leaving a back area, bag on her own shoulder. She’d exchanged the pale blue medical scrubs for a loose-fitting top and a pair of denim shorts. A pair of sunglasses sat perched atop her short-cropped auburn hair.
“You sure you don’t mind me ducking out early?” Maggie addressed Dr. Fitz.
“I’m about to go off the clock. You’re fine. Besides, you deserve a chance to have some fun.”
“What about the patient in four?” Maggie gestured to one of the curtained treatment bays.
“Just a few stitches. I’ll wrap it up. You two go. Enjoy your weekend,” Dr. Fitz insisted.
Her dedication to her patients was one of the many things I loved about Maggie. I would have expected nothing less than concern about leaving a patient not fully attended.
“If, you’re sure.” She still didn’t look convinced as I slid my hand into hers and tugged her toward the exit.
“We’re going to miss our boat,” I prompted her.
She gave me a sideways look and an arched brow. “Words I never thought you’d be saying.”
I was not the world’s biggest fan of water. In the last year, Maggie had insisted that I was suffering from a mild case of hydrophobia. Having come to blows with an elemental water witch last fall hadn’t helped matters. But I wanted to spend the weekend alone with her in a fancy mansion and if that meant enduring a half hour on the relatively calm waters between Brookhaven and Haven Island, I’d manage.
“Think of it as conquering my fear,” I said.
“I’m proud of you.” She gave my hand a squeeze as we made our way to the boardwalk and the waiting charter.
For a brief moment, I couldn’t help but flash back to the last time I’d gone on an excursion to the island. Nearly a year ago, I’d been on a day cruise that ended with one of the passengers turning up dead on the beach.
Get a grip, Darcy. That’s not going to happen twice.
Yet, I couldn’t’ shake Beau’s concern that something dangerous was lurking. Maybe I should have let him come along after all. I swallowed the lump in my throat as we boarded the charter boat and found seats below deck. I picked a spot near the window so I could see out. The water buoyed the hull with soft lapping sounds as we waited to pull anchor.
“I’m really glad we’re doing this,” Maggie murmured, resting her head on my shoulder. She still hadn’t released her grip on my hand.
I appreciated the support and turned to kiss her forehead. “Me, too.”
There were only a few other folks on the boat and as my phone showed the time ticking past two o’clock, the boat pulled away from the dock. Breath hitched in my throat momentarily as we hit a bit of rough water. The ride smoothed out after another few minutes and I felt myself beginning to relax. I shifted in my seat as the island came into view in the distance. From the last time I’d set foot there, I’d learned that it was under the jurisdiction of Brookhaven’s police force and that most of the residents were extremely rich and reclusive. The fact that someone was opening up their home for overnight guests felt like a big deal.
“Is this the first time they’re doing this getaway?” I asked, focusing on Maggie.
“Yeah, as far as I know. From what I’ve heard around town the owners aren’t as well off as they like people to think and they need the extra income.”
By around town, I had no doubt she meant someone had told Ginny Hayes that information and she’d heard it from her. Ginny was a witch like me and Maggie, but she trafficked information, specifically the truth. Just by being in her presence, people tended to admit things they might otherwise keep to themselves. Part of me wondered why anyone would frequent her café knowing that. But then, not everyone in town believed that magic was real.
“Well, even if that’s true, we get a nice weekend out of it,” I said. The shoreline grew larger as we closed the distance. I was ready for a drama-free weekend. I closed my eyes and put that desire out into the ether. I wasn’t above trying to manifest what I wanted.
The boat eased to a stop at the edge of the beach and the other patrons disembarked, leaving Maggie and I alone below deck. I stood first and shouldered my bag walking up the steps to the upper deck and the gangplank leading to the beach. Maggie trailed me a moment later and as our feet touched the sand, I spotted a face I wouldn’t have expected to see, Corinne.
The dead body on the beach a year ago had been her ex-husband’s attempt to scupper his need to pay alimony payments. I was glad to see her still employed. I noted she’d traded in her stilettos for more sensible flats this time around. She noticed me in the small knot of people and gave me a small nod of acknowledgement.
“All right everyone, welcome to Haven Island. Please follow me, I’ll take you up to your lodgings for the weekend.”
She led us past Ollie’s Oddities and The Tea Shoppe—both of which I was pleased to see were still open for business—and onto one of the designated walking paths to a cordoned off area. We stopped at the foot of a paved driveway, and I could make out a four-story house set back against a protective copse of trees.
“For the duration of the weekend, you will be hosted at Fairchild Manor. You’re welcome to come and go as you please, but meals will be provided on the premises. I do need to remind you that all of the other private residences are off-limits to the public,” Corrine announced before she undid the cordon and led us up the drive.
As I glanced around the area, I couldn’t help but feel a blanket of unease settle over me. I closed my eyes and tried to reach the greenery around me, urging them with my magic to give me a hint if something bad was on the horizon.
Nothing appeared to be out of place.
“You look worried,” Maggie whispered in my ear as she nudged my shoulder to keep me moving.
“Sorry. Being back here is more unnerving than I expected. Just trying to reacquaint myself with the local flora.”
“This trip is meant to be relaxing. No magic allowed. For either of us,” Maggie said as she tugged me along up the driveway and through the manor’s front doors.
2
I could have fit most of the first floor of Tania’s B&B in the entry hall of the Fairchild Manor. The flooring was polished grey and white marbled granite with two large, curved staircases ascending along the outer walls up to the second floor.
“I’m dreaming,” I whispered as Maggie took my hand and urged me deeper into the house.
“You’re not” she assured me.
Footsteps came ahead of us and Corinne appeared, waving us on. “I’m just starting the tour,” she called. Her voice echoed in the cavernous entry hall as Maggie and I followed her through the arch of the staircases.
She led us into a kitchen with three ovens and more gleaming counter space than I thought possible. In my mind’s eye, I pictured staff hustling and bustling in the space to prepare elaborate meals for the family that lived here. The vision popped like a bubble when I realized that the family who owned the manor was in financial straits.
