Murder Kicks the Bucket Read online

  Murder Kicks the Bucket

  (The Witches of Hemlock Hotel Book 3)

  Diane Darcy

  Contents

  Books In The Series

  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

  Up Next!

  About the Author

  Also By Diane Darcy

  www.DianeDarcy.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Copyright: © 2020 by Diane Darcy

  The Witches of Hemlock Hotel series © 2018 Diane Darcy

  All rights reserved.

  Cover artist Kaylee Young

  Cover Art design by Kelli Ann Morgan

  Created with Vellum

  Books In The Series

  1. Murder Ties the Knot

  2. Murder Misses the Mark

  3. Murder Kicks the Bucket

  4. Murder Wakes the Dead (Dec, 2020)

  Book description

  Murder Kicks the Bucket

  It makes the hotel look bad when the guests are murdered … especially after a big win.

  Lena DeVille is immersed in a world that isn’t supposed to exist. She’d been perfectly happy telling fortunes and conning tourists, but as a newly inducted member of the local witch coven, she’s still trying to find her way around a spell.

  The Casino at The Hemlock is busier than ever, and when the grand prize, a Corvette Z06, is won by a visiting vampire, he and his friends crow with excitement. But when the winner is murdered and the car almost stolen, William Murray, head of security, is outraged and determined to find out who did it. And if Lena wants to help him solve it? So much the better.

  Lena can’t resist the new case. Who would want to kill the winner? And if they don’t find out, will the murderer strike again? And even though she’s still not sure a relationship with a werewolf is a good idea, she’s having a hard time resisting William.

  Sparks fly as a twitterpated gargoyle, a new suitor, and a jealous werewolf collide. The clock is ticking and it’s only a matter of time before someone else gets hurt.

  Chapter 1

  Lena DeVille thought she looked pretty good, if she did say so herself. She wore a long-sleeved white blouse, with a red, lace up bodice. A long black skirt, sandals, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and her long hair down and curly completed the ensemble.

  Classic Gypsy, which seemed appropriate to the situation as she almost felt like she was going to a job interview.

  Which was ridiculous, of course. They were the ones who wanted her. The job had already been offered, and the witches at The Hemlock Hotel seemed very invested in having her accept it.

  Or at least they had been.

  Maybe the fact that she’d canceled twice now made them rethink. After she’d been kidnapped, she’d rescheduled four days out and almost wished she hadn’t, as it would be over already.

  Maybe the reason she was so nervous was because she’d never worked for anyone other than her family. She was twelve-years-old when she’d set up her first shell game on Fremont Street.

  Thirteen when she’d started reading palms, and from the age of fourteen on, she’d been a full-fledged fortuneteller. Though she had to admit, her grandmother had always been a lenient boss.

  After checking herself in the mirror one last time, she left her bedroom to join her sister, who’d taken equal care with her appearance.

  “Ready to go?” Olivia asked as she tossed aside a magazine.

  “Sure.”

  Olivia’s husband, Sean, was watching four-year-old Tabitha this afternoon while the four DeVille ladies went to lunch.

  It was silly to feel nervous, but she did, and as she followed Olivia down the stairs to Pandora’s, the family psychic shop, she looked around with fresh eyes wondering what The Hemlock witches would think of their set up.

  There was a glass counter filled with the popular items their customers loved: healing stones, crystals, chakra posters, gemstones, jewelry, and other odds and ends.

  There were large candles, incense, and the dried herbs which were 100% Lena’s contribution. She’d obtained a degree in horticulture because she’d always been interested in plants. She grew or purchased everything from lavender, sage, and rosemary to chamomile, ginger, and peppermint.

  She even sold an assortment of home-grown aloe vera plants.

  She’d recently ordered books — that should be arriving any day — on psychic abilities, tarot cards, parapsychology, and more. She had high hopes they’d be another stream of income.

  Time would tell.

  All in all, she thought the place was pretty impressive.

  “Are you ready?” she asked her mother and grandmother.

  The two ladies exchanged a glance and smiled. “Oh, yes,” Grandma said, bubbling with anticipation.

  “Ready and willing,” Mom agreed.

  Lena wondered if she should worry about their obvious excitement.

  She’d like to say they’d taken extra effort with their appearance today, but it was par for the course for them to be in full costume and makeup. Her grandmother had her hair piled high on her head, as per usual, the red color a beacon and calling card wherever she went.

  Her mother, a very young-looking fifty-year-old, had her dark tresses curled around her shoulders, fake lashes, bright lipstick, and more jewelry than most women probably owned.

  “Shall we go?” Grandma asked.

  “Lead the way,” Mom agreed.

  Since Lena’s truck only fit three people, they took Mom’s Oldsmobile, a cherry red 1972 Cutlass supreme, and Mom’s pride and joy. It was a convertible and she’d owned it since she was twenty-five, so half her life now. A present from her erstwhile husband — Olivia and Lena’s father — back in the early, happier days.

  He’d purchased it in a grand gesture after Lena was born and, though husband and father were long gone, the car was kept in pristine condition.

  Kept in a garage attached to the shop, Mom pulled it out onto the street and waited while everyone climbed in.

  No one was ever allowed to drive it but her.

  Lena had, of course, tried a couple of times when she was in high school, much good it had done her. It was like her mother had a sixth sense where the thing was concerned, and had caught her both times.

  They were soon on the way to The Hemlock Hotel, the convertible top down, hair blowing in the slight breeze.

  Slight, because her mother took the back roads, and drove slowly, just like she usually did.

  Fifteen minutes later the imposing Gothic castle rose up in front of them and Lena started to wonder if this was a mistake.

  The Hemlock Hotel was a grandiose structure with stone ramparts, and ornate carvings lit up to showcase the place. Gargoyles perched on ledges, seeming to stare down accusingly at those who dared to enter.

  Her stomach tightened and a chill ran through her, almost like a premonition. “Should we be doing this?” Lena asked, as her family chatted, laughed, and seemed totally unaffected by the sudden dread consuming Lena.

  Olivia shot her a look. “What’s the matter?
It’s just lunch, and we don’t have to stay long if it doesn’t work out.”

  Grandma turned in her seat to look at Lena. “What’s the matter, sweetie? It’s just a meet and greet, scoping out the competition, so to speak.”

  Lena swallowed, nodded her head, and looked at the passing scenery: the older hotels, beauty shops, and high-rise condominiums. They drove through the gates and she was surprised when her mother turned right to self-park the car.

  She was getting a bit spoiled, and too big for her bloomers, apparently. They weren’t a valet parking kind of family, but she’d been getting used to it, as of late, because of William.

  She sighed. William, her boyfriend, who didn’t just think he was a werewolf, but who was, in actual fact, a big, scary, don’t-mess-with-me-or-I’ll-tear-you-apart-with-my-teeth, werewolf.

  She’d been questioning the relationship, again. But she had such a hard time resisting the guy, she was starting to think it was pointless.

  Mom went up several levels in the parking garage before finding a parking spot, then raised the retractable top, and waited while it slowly closed and locked.

  The four of them crossed the parking lot, took the elevator to the stone bridge and crossed into the back doors of The Hemlock, Lena taking up the rear.

  A low-pitched, croaking noise had her glancing up to see the cutest little gargoyle perched on a ledge above the entrance, but she didn’t see anything that might have made the sound.

  Visions of a deranged frog jumping down on her head made her walk faster until she was through the stone archway.

  The mall area was up above, and because of that, she didn’t expect to see William, but there he was, on the far edge of the casino, obviously awaiting their arrival.

  He strode forward to greet them, looking just as fabulous in a gray suit as he’d looked in jeans the last time she’d seen him. “Ladies,” he said, sparing them a quick glance, and then he only had eyes for Lena.

  Her heartbeat sped. “I didn’t expect to see you,” she said, a little uncomfortable with her family looking on, all of them smiling, and interested.

  “I’ll catch up,” she said to the other three, making them snort, chuckle, and roll their eyes in turn.

  Olivia lifted her phone and took a quick camera-shot of the two of them. Lena scowled, Olivia chuckled, but she did finally follow Mom and Grandma up the escalators, laughing, chatting, and glancing back at the two of them.

  “How’s it going?” Lena asked, before he could.

  “Lonely without ye.” His voice was deep, full of emotion, sincerity. “Ye look gorgeous.”

  She couldn’t help smiling as she looked down the stairs and into the casino. “Thank you. You’re lonely in that crowd?”

  William looked behind her and grunted. “Aye, tis busy, and sure tae get busier later tonight. Any chance ye’ll be around after yer luncheon?”

  If she met up with William, he could give her a ride home. She hadn’t planned to work today. But, of course, she was here with her family, so she didn’t want to make any plans until she knew theirs. “How about I call you afterward and I’ll let you know what’s in the works.”

  His smile was genuine, charming, and he gave her a slight bow. “I’ll look forward tae it.”

  With a smile and a wave, she headed up the escalators to join her family where they waited up top. Half-way there, her phone dinged and she checked to see Olivia had texted the picture she’d taken.

  William in a dark gray suit, big, gorgeous, strong. Her, petite next to him, all colorful clothes and wild curls. Both of them dark-haired, both smiling, they looked good together. Happy, and maybe even in love.

  With an exclamation, she stuck her phone back in her purse.

  Olivia was looking in a clothing shop window, and it struck Lena that it had been a while since they’d shopped together. And that was sad.

  Yes, Olivia was caught up in her own life, her family, but they needed to find more sister time. “Shall we go inside?”

  Olivia turned away from the jacket and shook her head. “Better not, it’s almost one o’clock. We don’t want to be late.”

  Lena was pretty sure she wouldn’t mind. She didn’t know why she was nervous about meeting up with the witches, but she was suddenly very grateful her family was there with her, presenting a united front.

  In fact, four against three. She liked those odds.

  Mom and Grandma led the way, and Olivia and Lena took up the rear, weaving their way along the cobblestone, past shoppers. It wasn’t long before they reached the thatched-roof shop, surrounded by an iron fence, with a hanging sign that proclaimed the place, Natural Magic.

  For roadside appeal, they definitely had Pandora’s beat. Though Lena was sort of fond of their Las Vegas sidewalk and picture window.

  Still, it wasn’t a competition. It wasn’t like the clienteles overlapped, so, what did it matter?

  A loud-croaking sounded again, and Lena glanced up to the lamppost on one side of the shop. Another little gargoyle sat there, short, squat, and very similar to the one outside. She hadn’t noticed it before. Maybe the little monsters were hooked up with a sound system?

  “Oooh.” Grandma’s exclamation had Lena following as her family looked around with interest.

  Esmeralda hurried forward to greet them.

  The young brunette, tall, beautiful, and with light brown eyes, looked genuinely delighted to see them. “Welcome! I’m glad you could all make it!”

  Introductions were made, and her family looked around in much the same way she had the first time she’d come: eyeing the competition, assessing, and getting ideas.

  Esmeralda chatted with Mom and Grandma, so Olivia was able to whisper, “Nice digs.”

  “You have no idea,” Lena whispered in return.

  They were ushered through the shop, empty of customers, and the door was locked behind them. They were led into the rear sitting room, with its fake fireplace, and throw rug with a black cat in exactly the same location it had been the last time.

  Scarlett sat on the couch, and Ava in the wingback chair, both looking beautiful, and while Scarlett radiated excitement, Ava appeared more calculating. They both stood as soon as everyone entered.

  “Please, have a seat,” Esmeralda gestured toward a table, the movement as elegant as the setup.

  A long, ivory-covered table was surrounded by white folding chairs. Small, star-shaped plates were settled atop larger square ones, with napkins folded into rosebuds on top. Silverware, wine glasses, water glasses, and tall candles completed the layout.

  A good-looking, buff waiter dressed in black slacks and a chef coat stood off to the side of two service-carts, with covered trays and slices of pie on a shelf below.

  More introductions were made, and all of them were soon sitting around the table, with Esmeralda at its head. “Well, then, this is more like it. We should’ve done this a long time ago.”

  “Only,” Ava said, “we thought you were frauds, so we didn’t bother.”

  “Ava!” Scarlett’s red curls shook when she whipped her head in the blonde’s direction. “Rude!”

  Mom and Grandma laughed. “It’s fine. It’s fine.” Grandma waved a hand. “We thought the same of you.”

  At that, Ava cracked up laughing, startling the cat on the rug, which ran off into another room, reminding Lena of her newly acquired vanishing kitty.

  She’d named the thing Shadow, because it had apparently adopted her, trailing her around, appearing and disappearing at the strangest moments. Just like a shadow.

  The waiter lifted a large silver lid off one cart and served each one of them a salad, rich with vegetables, and a light vinaigrette.

  “We’re glad we were finally able to get together,” Esmeralda continued. “Lena, I hope you’re quite recovered from your ordeal?”

  The kidnapping. Of course, it was bound to come up. “Yes, thank you. I’m doing just fine.”

  From what William told her, his community as a whole had expe
cted him to go berserk and kill Vince Ramsey for taking her.

  That he hadn’t destroyed the man, but rather, had sent him to Ohio with the Stansberry’s had left people thinking well of her.

  As if she’d calmed the savage beast, or something.

  William was happy to give her the credit, but all she could think was, if she never saw that particular beast again, it would be fine by her.

  Over the last four days, she’d had a couple of nightmares, only to realize upon waking, that monsters were actually real, and one of the biggest probably wanted to marry her.

  Yikes.

  But when she saw William, he was sweet, gentle, and concerned for her welfare. It was easy to forget he had a beast living inside him.

  “Have you thought anymore about the job offer?” Scarlett asked, looking at Lena expectantly.

  She glanced at her sister Olivia. They’d talked about her taking the job, and Olivia had advised against it.

  After the kidnapping, Olivia had been appalled by Lena’s delusions. She’d thought Vince had drugged her and scared her with a mask or something.

  Olivia wanted blood, but as no one was pressing charges, she’d had to settle for hovering protectively when she was at the shop.

  Lena had quickly dropped talk of paranormal beings at The Hemlock. She wasn’t going to insist it housed werewolves, vampires, witches, and more, while her sister tried to get her in to see a psychiatrist.

  It was easier to go along with the drug scenario.