AH Fantasies Ch. 22

Magica nodded and introduced the sheriff to the group, ushering them all inside. It was going to be a very long day.

"Ms. Ungie, why don't we start with you? If you'll accompany me into the parlor?" Sev showed her into the back room. Magica noticed that DL scooted in with them before the door closed.

"Please, everyone, just have a seat. I'll make a pot of coffee. Would anyone care for tea? Is anyone hungry?"

No one was much interested in food but soon everyone was seated around with cups of hot liquid to dispel the chill of events and the morning. The hot weather had broken with the storm that passed through in the night and summer clothes were no longer sufficient.

"Who could have done this?" Rosie asked. She wrapped her arms around herself. "I wish Evan were here."

Slyc stood up to refill his coffee mug. "Well, I think it seems fairly obvious that the most likely suspect is one of us."

Dino and Remec nodded but Crim looked around. "Surely not! Most of us barely know each other in everyday life."

Now, what did that mean? Magica wondered. They certainly acted like they knew each other quite well.

"I just wish I could go be with Trom at the hospital. He shouldn't be there alone," Red said sadly.

Rob patted her hand. "I'm sure they'll let you go over as soon as we're done here."

Elizabeth West cleared her throat as she looked around. "Well, I think we're all going to have to establish our alibis, sooner or later so I might as well say, I was with Rob last night."

Rob looked a little startled but nodded his head in agreement. "That's true. We were in the small bedroom."

Remec looked to Red and she nodded. "We were together in the larger bedroom over the kitchen."

Dino and Dampy clasped hands. Magica raised an eyebrow. So that's how it was. "We were together in the bedroom over the backroom," Dino offered.

McKenna spoke up for Rosie, Ungie and herself. "We played cards until the middle of the night then sacked out on our bedrolls in the parlor."

"You all know where we were," Des said, his arm around Kiten, who looked rather small and fragile.

Slyc had gone to stand behind Crim's chair and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We were together through the night as well."

"I, unfortunately, went to bed alone and stayed there the whole night after I saw you in the kitchen," Magica said.

Everyone seemed to have someone corroborating their story except her. So who was lying?

The doorbell rang and Magica went to answer it.

A man stood there with an unlit cigar clamped in his jaw, "morning ma'am. I'm T. Fool, this is Bel and this is Sal. We're the crime scene investigators. Is Sev here?"

"He's interviewing people in the parlor. Would you like me to get him or would you like to come in?"

"Just tell him we're here, if you would. The crime scenes in the top of the barn?"

"Yes, do you want me to show you where?"

"We'll find our way."

The interviews had taken all morning but the police were finally gone from the house, with the admonishment that no one go far. Crime scene was still out in the barn and several people had gone off to the hospital to be with Trom. In a way, Magica wanted to be there but she felt like she didn't have the right after just one encounter with him.

Magica served a light lunch to the people still there and then they repaired to different locations to think. It was mid afternoon and Magica sat in the living room with DL in her lap and a cup of mint tea in hand. It was all a bit much for this simple country girl. The doorbell rang and DL jumped down so Magica could go answer it.

Magica opened the door to Tom Collins, who held up a string of fish. "Heard you had a bunch of unexpected company."

"Tom you are a life saver! Stay for dinner? I'll grill them."

She shook her auburn curls and grinned. "No thanks, I'm busy tonight."

Magica took the fish in and put them under water in a pan then stowed them in the fridge. The phone started ringing. Magica dreaded picking it up so she checked the caller ID display. It said GotWood49 so she answered.

"Hey Woody, what's up?"

"Oh, just checking whether you're gonna need a cord or two of firewood before fall."

"I am but now's probably not the best time, we've got kind of a mess over here right now and police have been crawling all over."

"Anything serious?"

"Yeah, but I don't think I should talk about it yet."

"Okay, no problem, just let me know when you're ready."

'Thanks." Magica hung up and decided to take a stroll out to the garden. Perhaps someone out there could offer some information on what had happened during the night.

She walked out to the garden with DL at her feet. Magica looked around but didn't see anyone.

"Rogue!" she hissed. "Rogue, are you here?"

"Right here," a lilting voice called from the pool of water. Magica walked over and saw a pair of green eyes ringed with blue in the water, as if they were being reflected.

"I was hoping you might be lurking around. Have you seen anything to do with what happened to Trom the other night in the barn?"

"Well, I didn't see it happen but I have seen some interesting things."

"Such as?"

"That couple in the barn, I spent a very enjoyable night watching them. They didn't leave that room once. He was spanking her and then he'd stand behind her while she was lying on the bed and..."

Magica cut her off. "I think I get the picture. So, they didn't leave the room all night. You're positive?"

"Absolutely, I didn't blink once."

Magica smiled. "Thanks Rogue, that's a help at least."

"No problem," she said, her eyes blinking and fading away.

As Magica turned to leave the garden a curvy brown haired imp with eyes that shifted between brown and green stepped out from a stand of lilacs.

"Magica," she whispered. It was the garden Imp who tended to the things there and was sustained by them.

"Hi Imp, is everything okay?" Magica didn't think Imp would be involved in this since she never left the garden. She thought wrong.

"Last night, after you and that man shared your pleasure in the garden, later on, a young woman came in and threw something into the pool."

She drew her hand from the folds of her dress and held out a small caliber handgun. Magica took it gingerly from her, using a fold of her skirt, and checked to make sure there were no bullets in it.

"I would have left it there and just told you but the anger attached to it was contaminating the pool."

"I understand, can you tell me anything else about the woman who threw this in the pool? Are you positive it was a woman?"

"Yes, it was a woman. She was much shorter than you but had longer hair. Other than that, I cannot say. The storm and rain held sway."

"Thank you Imp."

She faded back into the lilac stand.

Well, she now knew that it was a woman and that Des and Kiten hadn't left their bedroom the night before. Magica did a quick calculation. That cut the number of suspects down to eight. She sighed, way too many.

What to do with the gun? She should probably just toss it back into the pool then get someone from CSI in the barn. But what if they'd already looked there and didn't find it? She really didn't know where all they had searched. Damn! She'd have to take her chances.

Magica slipped the gun back in the pool where it could be seen at a shallow area and went out to the barn. A camera was flashing and the men were spread out.

"Excuse me," she called. All eyes turned to her. The red-headed man named Bel came toward her.

"Ma'am, you really shouldn't be up here."

"I know, I'm sorry but... I was out in my garden and saw something in the pool I think you should see."

Bel looked at his partners. "I'll go have a look."

He followed Magica out of the barn and down around the wall to the door. She led him in and over to the pool to point out the gun where it could just be seen in the water.

"That is not from my house," she said simply.

"I see, okay. We'll take care of that. I'll have to ask you not to come back to the garden until it's been cleared with us."

"Is it alright if I go in and take care of the horses now? They must be very hungry at this point."

"I think that should be fine."

Magica left him to survey the extended crime scene.

The CSI had finished their job and Magica fed the subdued group of people who had ended up on her doorstep the day before. They'd turned in early and Magica had said a little prayer that everyone would be alive in the morning as she turned the lock on her bedroom door. A scrabbling at her door during the night had heralded DL so she'd let him in to sleep on the end of her bed.

Magica woke early the next morning and lay in bed thinking. DL sat up and stretched then sat staring at her unblinkingly.

"So, what did you find out yesterday?" She waited while he transformed then reclined on the bed.

"It appears that they all knew each other from an Internet writer's board called the AH on a Web site named Literotica. Most deny knowing each other in real life, everyone denies having met Trom before."

Magica sat up in bed and propped herself up against the headboard. "Well, that explains the sexual vibe I felt from the group. I've read stories on that site. I've even posted one. Why? Why would someone try to kill him? Someone's got to be lying."

"Two women do admit coming from the same state he does, California. Rosie and Elizabeth are from there. The rest are from disparate places across the country and the world."

"I suppose that doesn't mean too much. People fly back and forth across the country every day. Everyone seems to be giving an alibi to everyone else." She filled him in on what people had said in the kitchen. "But that doesn't mean too much. Anyone could have snuck out, done the deed and snuck back in while their partner slept."

"I saw Rosie go out during the night around two am. She smelled of cigarette smoke when she returned. I also know that Rob and Elizabeth weren't together all night long. I saw him in the corridor at four in the morning. We went downstairs together just before I went out for a while."

"I keep wondering why, why would anyone shoot such a sweet guy?"

"Magica..." a voice called from a mirror on the wall.

She got up and walked over. Mist swirled in the glass, showing nothing really. This was a little unusual. "Good morning."

"I heard you were having some difficulties on the farm. Do you think you need a coven?" Inlovewithyourghost asked.

Magica demurred, " the cops are doing their job and I think we should let them before intervening."

"Um, honey, I'm losing the feeling in my right hand," Magica heard another voice say in the mirror.

"Whoops, better get back to what I was... doing."

"Is that Nosfertuness?" Magica asked suspiciously.

"Gotta go. Bye. Let me know if you need anything." She twiddled her fingers and disappeared.

Magica decided to dress and get the day started. A hearty breakfast could be very soothing and with the group under duress, they could probably use it.

The doorbell rang as the group sat around after breakfast, drinking coffee, at a loss for what to do. Magica went to answer it. She returned with Sev and a deputy to the kitchen. Sev looked around the room at the group and his eyes settled on Elizabeth West.

"Miss West, you're under arrest for the attempted murder of Trombonus Maximus." Sev's deputy, Kevin, made his way over to her chair and pulled her up to cuff her. A gasp went around the room.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?"

"Yeah, I understand. I'm not afraid, and I'm not sorry. I'd do it again, but I'd aim better this time." Elizabeth's face was red and belligerent.

"But why?" Red cried, "why would you shoot Trom?"

"He broke my sister's heart. She killed herself because that jerk was cheating on her with someone else."

"Your sister?" Rosie asked, eyes narrowing.

"SelenaKittyn was my sister. I found her diary and it said she was gonna do it because TM cheated on her. I looked through her computer and her IM history. I saw her conversations with him and I joined Lit to get close to him so I could get revenge."

Rosie shook her head. "I knew your sister, but apparently you didn't, or not as well as you thought you did. TM stood for Theresa Minn. Your sister was gay and in love with a woman. Trom was just a friend."

Elizabeth's face was shocked. "No, that can't be true. She would have told me."

"Like you had to go looking through her diary to find out who she was involved with at all?" Slyc asked. "It was true. I knew her too."

"All right, that's enough," Sev said. "Take her away Kevin."

Kevin led a white faced Elizabeth out the door.

"Sev," Magica asked, "how did you find out?"

"Just simple police work and a little bit of luck, she was in the system for breaking and entering when we ran people's names. When we called for further info, the cop who was involved pulled the file and got right back to us. She had broken into her sister's apartment after the suicide to search it. She told the cops her theory about this guy, even called him by name, but they advised her to seek counseling. No matter who might have made her feel desperate, it was still a suicide, not murder, and therefore out of their hands."

"That seems awfully simple."

"It often is. It's just a matter of making the connections."

Sev turned to go.

"Thanks Sev." Magica smiled, a little sadly.

"Wow, I never would have thought of that," McKenna said, speaking for most of the shocked group it would seem.

"Guess it proves you never really know a lot of people," Rob mused.

"Yeah, she's been online with us for a whole year and we never guessed." Rosie frowned. "It's so sad, if she'd just confided in someone, this might never have happened."

Late that night, everyone gathered in the kitchen. Rob put the phone down and looked at Magica across the dining room table. "Well, that takes care of that. We should be out your hair within twenty-four hours."

"I can't say it's all been wonderful," Magica smiled around at the group, "but I have enjoyed getting to know you folks. What about Trom?"

"Well, we've filled him in on everything and the doctor says he won't be released for at least another day. It's not too far to Abs' so we'll get everybody settled in there and come back for him."

"And the bus?"

"The mechanic you recommended, Lee Chambers, thinks he might be able to get it running in a few days, maybe. It really needs a complete overhaul."

Magica nodded and then couldn't help a little grin.

"So is this a writer's conference you're all going to?" she asked.

"Not exactly," Remec replied cautiously. "We're all writers but we're just getting together because we frequent the same Internet site."

"Literotica.com huh?" Magica asked.

A few eyebrows went up and Ungie began to smile. "That's right."

"I've posted a couple stories there myself," Magica said. "Maybe I'll have to visit the writer's board sometime."

At that point, everyone was smiling.

"It seems we found ourselves in the house of a kindred spirit," Dampy said, leaning into Dino's side.

"Well, since we're all of a like mind here..." Slyc stood up and his hand went to his pants zipper. "Why should I have to walk around with clothes on?"

"Because the cops might be back at any time?" McKenna suggested.

Slyc only paused for a moment and then started stripping down. "They'll ring the doorbell first."

The next morning, a horn in the driveway called people out of the house. A motley assortment of people tumbled out of a tour bus, led by a woman with an unlit cigar clamped in her jaw.

"I'm Abs. We're here to pick up the rest of the group."

The two groups converged with hellos and hugs. A woman with short, layered blond hair and extremely deep blue eyes was Fem. A Native American woman held out a hand to shake mine, "Hi, I'm Cloudy." A blond Amazon with an impish grin and a t-shirt that said "Beloved Meaniehead" introduced herself as Vella. A tough looking girl in a skateboarding t-shirt was Zade. Another woman emerged from the bus singing softly under her breath and sweetly introduced herself as Sarrah. A lovely Asian girl with long hair in front and spikes in the back was Grace.

"How was your trip?" Rob asked.

"Just Ducky," the lone man cheerfully answered.

"Hate to rush things but we've got Joe Wordsworth, Curt, El, Feee, Vana, Scarlett, Neonlyte, Sophia jane, and Rachlou waiting at the airport in Syracuse for us," Abs explained.

Thanks and good-byes were said as Magica's group joined the group on the bus and they were quickly gone. Magica had someplace to go and make some arrangements herself.

Magica stood outside the hospital room door looking in. Trom seemed to be resting and she wasn't even sure she should be here. It wasn't like she had any claim on him.

"Excuse me miss, were you going in?" a brusk voice asked.

Magica turned to see a white-coated doctor stepping around her into the room. She followed in his wake.

"Good afternoon Mr. Maxim, how are you feeling today?"

Trom's eyes opened groggily then focused on Magica and a grin crossed his face. She could feel an answering smile touch her own lips.

"Just fine now, Doc, just fine."

"Good, because I think we're ready to discharge you but you really shouldn't be traveling all the way back to California. Is there someone you can stay with locally for a few weeks?"

"Yes, there is," Magica answered for him.

Magica was just plumping Trom's pillows when the doorbell rang. She gave him a quick kiss as he lay back and then she went to answer it.

Mat and Min stood on the steps, Mat with their beautiful prize Egyptian cat under her arm.

"Where's that Lynx of yours?" Min demanded.

DL wound himself around her ankles as Magica looked down and raised an eyebrow. "DL? He's right here. What's he done now?"

Mat held out the cat in her arms, "Well, here's Mrs. DL now, he's gone and knocked her up."

Magica involuntarily took the female cat as she was thrust at her and the two women marched off. She looked down at DL as he sat washing his face with an expression that could only be interpreted as extreme satisfaction.

She set the cat down and looked at the both of them, "Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Magica waited as they transformed. Mrs. DL soon stood next to DL with a sheepish look on her face while DL smirked.

"Guess we've both got somebody moving in now," he replied.

Magica rolled her eyes and nodded.Heaven help us! Little DLs running around. She could just see it.