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  “I haven’t let this thing out of my site since the mayor gave it to me. I’ve never won a trophy before,” Sabrina revealed.

  Sabrina looked like a little kid on Christmas morning as she said that. Like most writers, she’d done a lot of toiling in obscurity before finally securing a hard-earned first break. After all the rejections, near misses, and long nights wondering if any of her writing would ever see publication, she appreciated the newfound spoils of her literary career even more. She wasn’t about to take anything for granted. Meg didn’t blame her. Even more, she was just excited to see her friend so happy.

  “Well, you sure earned it,” Meg said.

  Sabrina started to blush. She was not used to being in the spotlight, nor was she comfortable with the attention it brought her. That was part of the reason the interview she’d given with the local paper seemed so odd, considering the exposure it had given her. Meg was planning to get to that later. Right now, she was focused on reconnecting with her friend.

  Sabrina had other designs. She immediately put the focus on Meg.

  “Enough about me. How are things going with you?” Sabrina asked.

  Meg stopped her. “Not so fast. This is your moment, bask in it. I mean, look how far you’ve come. It’s hard to believe you were a maid five years ago.”

  Sabrina had a fairy tale-style rags to riches story. Like Meg, she’d grown up without a father. But while Meg’s mother successfully ran the family donut shop, Sabrina’s mother was a maid her entire life. College was out of Sabrina’s reach. Instead, it was no surprise when after high school, Sabrina became a maid herself.

  Where things got interesting was when Sabrina got a full-time position working at the Treadwell’s mansion. For nearly six years, Sabrina scrubbed the toilets, mopped the floors, and polished the antiques that lined rooms of the Treadwell family’s museum-like mansion, all the while writing and submitting manuscripts to literary agents in hopes of one day becoming a published author. At her low point, when the Treadwell’s were working her long hours and her writing rejections kept piling up, it seemed like she’d be a maid for life. Then, she got a fateful call from an agent looking to represent her, and the rest was history.

  Her first novel, a fictionalized account of her relationship with her high school sweetheart and their sad subsequent breakup, was a surprise smash hit. So much so that her days of scrubbing floors for a living were permanently behind her. She was able to purchase a place outside of San Francisco, and even gave her mother an early retirement. Things were going better than she ever expected, and that wasn’t even taking into account the buzz that was building for her yet-to-be published second novel.

  Sabrina stared off into the distance with wide eyes. “I know. Sometimes, I feel like this is all a dream.”

  “Just watch that it doesn’t turn into a nightmare,” Meg blurted out.

  Worry lines took over Sabrina’s face. “What do you mean? Did you not like the manuscript?”

  Meg didn’t intend to let her tongue slip like that. It was just that after her conversation with Connor earlier, his grave concerns over the explosive interview Sabrina had given had burrowed into Meg’s brain as well. At the same time, a writer’s ego was fragile.

  Meg addressed Sabrina’s concern first. “I loved it. The book was amazing.”

  Sabrina breathed a huge sigh of relief. “You scared me there. I worked really hard on that book. I’m really proud of how it turned out.”

  “You should be. I think it’ll be a huge hit. It’s not the writing that worries me.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “You completely eviscerated the Treadwell family in it,” Meg revealed.

  Sabrina corrected her. “The Wilson family, you mean.”

  “That’s the point I’m trying to make. You could not have used a thinner veil to rip into the Treadwell’s with.”

  “I know what you’re worried about, but I wrote a novel, not a memoir. Besides, it was cathartic to get all my feelings down on paper. If you remember, the Treadwell’s were pretty awful to me the whole time I worked for them.”

  “I can’t argue with that. Have you considered how awful they might be to you when they find out you’ve written down their most scandalous secrets? We’re talking meltdown city.”

  “I don’t have to consider it, I’ve been experiencing it all day,” Sabrina revealed.

  Meg raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve been getting a number of unexpected visits from members of the Treadwell family today. It’s safe to say they’re not happy about the book,” Sabrina said.

  Meg wasn’t used to hearing Sabrina be so understated when talking about the Treadwell’s. She used to go off on huge rants, sparing no words or bitterness, when worked for them. Perhaps she’d turned a corner and put all that behind her. Or, maybe through the cathartic writing of this novel, she’d gotten all the bitterness out of her system. Meg worried there was a third, more ominous option.

  “How unhappy are they?” Meg asked.

  “I think livid would be the right word. They have all been pressuring me to scrap the book entirely.”

  Uh oh. Just the trouble that Connor had sensed. Yet, strangely enough, Sabrina didn’t seem fazed by any of this.

  “Are you still going to submit it to your publisher?” Meg wondered.

  “Of course I am.”

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

  “For the last time, it’s a novel, a piece of fiction. Besides, do you know how many other people in this town have come up to me saying they can’t wait to get their hands on a copy? When this book is published, I’m going to get twenty-five thousand sales in Enchanted Bay alone, plus all the other copies I’ll sell throughout the rest of the country.”

  Meg hated playing the devil’s advocate, but it was hard not to in this case. “Aren’t you worried about the Treadwell’s? These are people that have a knack for always getting their way.”

  Sabrina’s opinion was unwavering. “That family pushed me around for years. I used to live in fear that they’d fire me for no good reason. Those days are over. At some point, you have to take a stand, and that point is now.”

  When Meg looked into Sabrina’s eyes, she could tell there was no deterring her friend. Sabrina had made up her mind, and nothing Meg nor anyone else could say would change it. Knowing that, there was no reason for Meg to belabor the point or convince her otherwise.

  Instead, considering the limited time they had together before Sabrina headed back to San Francisco the next morning, Meg decided to celebrate Sabrina’s success and have a good time.

  That’s just what they did. The two old friends had a blast, drinking, laughing, and catching up with each other. When the evening was through, they exchanged a heartfelt goodbye. Little did Meg realize their lives were about to change forever.

  Chapter Three

  The next day, Meg planned on sleeping in. It was a luxury that was rarely afforded to someone that ran a donut shop. The store opened up to the public at six every morning, which meant Meg had to arrive even earlier to get the place ready. Most mornings, she awoke before the sun even came up.

  Saturday and Sunday were the exceptions. Everyone looked forward to the weekend, but it held a special place in Meg’s heart because those were her two days off. She delighted at the idea that she could remain curled up in bed as long as she wanted. Or, at least until her cat got restless.

  That morning, Penelope the talking cat had plans of her own which centered around her stomach.

  “Rise and shine,” Penelope yelled.

  Unfortunately, unlike an alarm clock, Meg’s cat had no snooze button.

  Most people would think they were having a fever dream if they heard their cat talking to them. Not a witch like Meg. Penelope wasn’t just any old talking cat. She was also Meg’s grandma.

  Confused yet? Don’t be. Just before Penelope Walton’s body passed away, Meg and her mother cast a spell transferring her
grandma’s soul into the body of a kitten. Now Penelope was a walking, talking fur ball of sass.

  Meg tried to shrug Penelope off. “Not now, grandma. I’m trying to sleep.”

  “You can’t sleep at a time like this. It’s an emergency,” Penelope proclaimed.

  Until then, Meg had kept her groggy head firmly pressed against her pillow. With the mention of an emergency, she sat up. “What kind of emergency?”

  “Food 911. I have an empty belly that needs filling, ASAP.”

  Meg laughed, then plopped back down, ready to steal another hour of sleep. “I set out a whole bowl of dry food for you. Go nuts.”

  Penelope scoffed. “You expect me to eat dry food? I’d rather enter a ballroom dancing competition with a mouse as my partner.”

  There were times when being a witch came in especially handy. This was one of them. Meg had all manner of spells at her disposal, one of which was perfect for this situation.

  She closed her eyes and focused, casting a spell that opened the cupboard in the kitchen, pulled out a can of tuna, opened it, and set it down on the kitchen floor for Penelope, all from the comfort of her bed.

  “Breakfast is served, your highness,” Meg deadpanned.

  “See, was that so hard?” Penelope replied.

  Meg was anxious to get more shut eye. “Now, let me get my beauty rest.”

  She curled up in bed with another hour of sleep at the forefront of her mind. Unfortunately, the exchange with her cat had left her wide awake. It might take her half an hour to slowly drift back to sleep. Just when she wanted to turn her brain off, thoughts kept coming to her. There was no way she’d be able to fall back asleep until she quieted her mind.

  After a few minutes, she decided to take the lazy way out. She closed her eyes and got ready to cast a spell that would let her drift off into a quick slumber. That’s when another interruption came her way.

  Surprisingly, this time Penelope wasn’t the culprit.

  Instead, Meg’s doorbell rang.

  She groaned. “So much for a visit to slumber land.”

  Before Meg got out of bed, she briefly flirted with the thought that maybe whoever was at the door would just go away. That idea was dispensed of quickly when the doorbell rang a second time. Then, a third.

  Meg was still awfully groggy, and not feeling terribly active. She decided to rely on her powers once again, casting a spell that let her take a peek at who was outside from the comfort of her bed.

  Amazingly enough, it was her boyfriend, Connor, in police uniform. One thought immediately came to her mind; this must be important. The time to lounge around in her bed was over. She had to answer the door.

  As Meg got up, she caught her reflection in the mirror and noticed a new problem. She was in full sleep attire and had some seriously unflattering bedhead hair. Meg and Connor weren’t quite at the point in their relationship where she was ready for him to see her completely au natural. She wanted to look a little more presentable.

  Before she headed to the door, she cast one last spell that brushed her hair while swapping out her pajamas for a skirt and blouse. Finally, Meg approached the front door to see what was up.

  ***

  Meg greeted her boyfriend with a friendly face.

  “What an early, yet pleasant surprise. It’s good to see you,” Meg said.

  Connor did not reciprocate her smile. There was a solemn look on his face.

  Meg became concerned. “What’s the matter?”

  “Meg, you’re going to want to sit down.”

  That sentence never led anywhere good. No one said sit down; someone is coming over to deliver a big foam check worth millions of dollars. You’re going to want to sit down was the universal preface for bad news. The question became, how awful would this announcement be?

  Meg tried to get an answer. “What happened?”

  Connor didn’t waver. “Trust me, you’re going to want to sit down.”

  Oh, dear. The sense of dread just kept building.

  Meg took a seat, full of nervous energy. “Now tell me, what’s going on?”

  Her boyfriend then dropped a bombshell to which there was no preparing for.

  “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Sabrina Beckett is dead.”

  It took all the energy Meg had to keep her jaw from hitting the floor. As it was, she was completely speechless and in a state of disbelief. At the same time, there was no denying the somber look in Connor’s eyes. This was chilling and all too real. Suddenly, a tear streamed down Meg’s cheek. It was the first, but would be far from the last.

  Chapter Four

  When the shock of her friend’s death finally sunk in and her uncontrollable sobbing stopped, Meg’s mind peeled off in a different direction.

  Connor held her tight and kept whispering in her ear. “I’m so sorry.”

  When it came to police work, Connor tried to keep an even keel, but in this case, he was broken up as well.

  As the seconds ticked by, seemingly in slow motion, Meg’s mind kept circling back to the same question.

  “How could this have happened? She was only thirty-three. And she looked so alive yesterday. Everything in her life was looking up,” Meg said.

  She was rambling, but couldn’t keep the words from spilling out of her mouth. Mostly because this didn’t seem to make any sense. Not that it needed to. The universe didn’t have to answer to anyone. More often than not, it made decisive decisions that left people trying to make sense of for years.

  At the same time, while most of her questions were rhetorical, Connor seemed to have an explanation for at least one of her queries.

  “I know what happened,” Connor revealed.

  Strangely enough, his answer only led Meg to have more questions. Why would he know? How did he find out before Meg did? Was foul play involved? Her mind was buzzing with the terrifying possibilities.

  “Connor, how did this happen?”

  If the detective’s face was somber before, it reached a new level of sadness now. “She was killed during a robbery. It looks like she walked into her hotel room while the burglar was still there.

  Meg’s heart sank even more. It would have still been tragic if Sabrina had a freak brain aneurysm or sudden heart attack. At least then, it would have been quick and relatively painless. But for her life to be cut short in such a violent fashion was especially heartbreaking.

  Connor didn’t seem to want to say the words, so it looked like Meg would have to.

  “You mean she was murdered?” Meg replied.

  Connor tried to deflect. “You don’t need to hear the details. You’re upset enough already.”

  Meg tried to pull herself together. As much as she could at least, given the circumstances.

  “No, I need to hear this.”

  Connor knew his girlfriend well enough to recognize the stubborn look in her eyes. She had a dogged determination that would only be satiated by getting answers. So while he was trying to protect her, she was all too prepared to throw caution to the wind right now.

  He exhaled. “It is looking like a homicide case right now. I currently have my men trying to track down the burglar.”

  “What makes you think a burglar did it?”

  “It has all the makings of a robbery turned homicide. Her motel room was ransacked, she was killed with an object from the room, pointing to the murder not being premeditated, and the window was left open.”

  “When you say she was killed with an object from the room, do you mean a lamp, or--”

  Connor seemed reluctant to volunteer any other details. He looked eager to put a lid on this portion of the conversation. “Are you sure you really want to hear this? It is quite grim.”

  “It’s not that I want to. I need to.”

  “But none of these details will bring her back.”

  “Please, just tell me. For my own piece of mind, I need to piece together what happened.”

  “I understand that, but it will do you no good to try
and make sense of a senseless crime. You’re already grieving. You don’t need this added stress,” Connor said.

  “I’m not asking you as a detective. I’m asking you as my boyfriend. Will you please just answer my question?” she replied.

  Connor reluctantly revealed the murder weapon. “She was bludgeoned to death with her own award statuette.”

  Meg grimaced. She finally got the answer she was looking for. Although, as her boyfriend warned, the details made her stomach turn.

  Still, even with that knowledge, her curiosity was far from satiated. “How do you know that? Did the robber leave the statuette at the scene?”

  Connor nodded.

  Hmm. The wheels in her mind started spinning in a different direction.

  “Did the burglar take anything from the room?” she asked.

  “My men found a laptop bag, but no laptop in the room to go with it.”

  “Interesting. Did the burglar take anything else?”

  “It’s hard to tell. Her luggage was strewn all over the room. They might have grabbed something else,” Connor replied.

  Meg then made a request that sent a shiver down the detective’s spine.

  “I want to see her body,” she said.

  Connor stammered. “Wait, what? No.”

  Meg gazed deep into his eyes. “I just want to be able to say goodbye to her.”

  “You should wait for the funeral for that,” he cautioned.

  Meg didn’t give up. “I can’t wait that long.”

  “You say that, but the condition her body is in…” He had trouble finishing the sentence. Connor took a deep breath to regain his composure, then completed his thought. “It’s not a pretty sight.”

  “This isn’t about how she looks. It’s about closure. I know I’m asking a lot of you, but it would really mean a lot to me.”

  Connor looked into his girlfriend’s pleading eyes. It was so hard to say no to her. After a little more convincing, Meg reluctantly got him to say yes.