Marriages and Murders Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Epilogue

  “Marriages and Murders”

  A Supernatural Witch Cozy Mystery

  Lainswich Witches Series Book 13

  Raven Snow

  © 2017

  Raven Snow

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner & are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Products or brand names mentioned are trademarks of their respective holders or companies. The cover uses licensed images & are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any person(s) that may be depicted on the cover are simply models.

  Edition v1.02 (2017.09.24)

  http://www.ravensnowauthor.com

  Special thanks to the following volunteer readers who helped with proofreading: Debbie Young-Danis, Michele Beschen, Jim T., Dick B, Renee Arthur and those who assisted but wished to be anonymous. Thank you so much for your support.

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  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Epilogue

  Authors Note

  Books by Raven Snow

  Chapter One

  It would have been a nice day had Rowen not been stuck doing manual labor. The sun was out and there was a light breeze coming through the trees. The air itself was cool and easy to breathe. There was a nearby waterfall that made it that way. It was just a small thing near the mouth of a stream, but it still cooled the air tremendously. It would be the perfect sort of day to just lounge back. Rowen yawned, fighting the urge to plop down on the ground and close her eyes for a quick nap. Even the nearest patch of grass was looking exceptionally tempting right about now.

  “Pick up the pace,” said Rowen’s husband, Eric. He gave her bottom a discreet slap as he walked past. “If we finish up before it gets dark, we won’t have to come back tomorrow.”

  Rowen shot her husband’s back a dirty look. “Yeah, yeah.” She leaned down and picked up one end of a large limb. She dragged it deeper into the woods while Eric helped Ben move a log.

  Lydia’s aunt Nadine had chosen to get married right here in the woods. It was her favorite spot in all of Lainswich, she had said. Well… her favorite spot after the Greensmith household. She had used that particular venue for her first wedding, though. She couldn’t very well use it again. Now she was busy with the dress and deciding what foods would be served. That meant leaving some menial tasks to other family members.

  “This really is a pretty spot for a wedding,” said Rowen’s cousin, Rose. She was holding a broom. For the last thirty minutes or so, she had been sweeping away fallen branches and leaves. She should have been at the Lainswich Inquirer today. They were doing some stories about the rising price of real estate in town. It was pretty boring news, but that was the sort the Inquirer excelled in. It was a good day if the little paper Rose and her cousins ran didn’t have anything meatier to report.

  “It’s a pretty spot,” Rowen agreed, not picking up another limb. “It’s going to be a hassle getting all of the guests out here, though.”

  Rose shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s not a very long hike. And it’s not like that many people are going to come. I love Aunt Nadine, but she doesn’t exactly have many friends.”

  “Fair enough,” Rowen conceded. “I’m still waiting for something to go wrong, though.”

  “Don’t say that! It’s not funny.”

  “I didn’t say it to be funny. It’s what I’m guessing is going to happen.”

  “What are you two talking about?” asked Eric as he emerged from the woods.

  “We were talking about how pretty this place is for a wedding,” said Rowen, leaving out the rest.

  “Do you think so?” asked Ben. He was Rose’s boyfriend and Lainswich’s Chief of Police. Rowen had dated him once years and years ago. He was a good guy, if a little too serious.

  A smile tugged at the corner of Rose’s mouth. “You never did have an eye for natural beauty.”

  Ben took a lengthier look around. “I guess not.”

  “You missed an opportunity there,” Eric pointed out.

  “What opportunity?” asked Ben.

  “Too late. I’m taking it.” Eric went to his wife. He nudged her chin and gave her a quick kiss on the mouth. “I certainly have an eye for natural beauty.”

  “Oh, please.” Rowen rolled her eyes and gave Eric a playful punch on the arm. She felt herself smiling anyway. He looked like a towering Adonis with a good sense of humor to boot. How could you be mad at that?

  “I’ve just never been a big fan of nature,” Ben pointed out.

  “It’s true.” Rose sighed. “He never ever wants to go camping.”

  Ben frowned at his girlfriend. “It’s not like I wouldn’t do it for you, if I ever had the time. Work just doesn’t permit it. I’m already taking time off for this. Not sure when I’ll get this kind of opportunity again.”

  “You work too much,” Rose muttered. “It’s not healthy.”

  “It’s part of the job. Besides, you’re one to talk.”

  “Fair enough.” Rose really couldn’t argue with him there. They both loved their jobs very much. Rowen imagined that was part of what had pulled them together. They were both people who could buckle down and really get something done when they had to. Even so, Rose was much more willing to put work on the backburner if it meant helping out friends or family. Her priorities were probably much more sensible than Ben’s.

  “I kind of wish we had gotten married her
e,” said Rowen, changing the subject on purpose.

  “Because it’s pretty or because it’s so out of the way that Lainswich’s citizens aren’t going to pelt you with food and yell horrible things?” asked Eric.

  “A little bit of both, I think.”

  “I agree,” said Rose. “I’d like to get married in a place like this.” She paled as soon as the words had left her mouth. “Not that I’m in any hurry to get married,” she sputtered, barely glancing in Ben’s direction.

  “Come on,” Rowen said quickly, grabbing the end of a very large limb. “Help me with this, will you?”

  Rose readily agreed, taking the end that Rowen had offered her. She grabbed her end of the limb and hurried deeper into the woods with her cousin. “Thanks,” she breathed once they were out of earshot.

  “Don’t mention it.” Rowen dropped the branch, forcing Rose to do the same. “Got marriage on your mind, or something?”

  “No,” said Rose. After a moment, she sighed. “Well, maybe a little.”

  “Why is that?” asked Rowen. Her cousin wasn’t one to rush into things. Not that this marriage would be rushing. They had been dating each other for quite some time now. They even lived together.

  Rose shrugged. “I really don’t know,” she admitted. “I guess it’s because Aunt Nadine is getting married. It feels like Lydia got married right before that. It’s put marriage on my mind lately.”

  “Do you want Ben to propose?” Rowen asked, lowering her voice even more than it was already.

  “Shh!” Rose hissed anyway. She bit the inside of her mouth. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “Maybe. I mean… I wouldn’t say ‘no,’ to it.”

  Rowen gave her cousin a slap on the back. “I’m happy for you! Have you been dropping any hints?”

  “What? No! Of course not. I can’t just… drop hints.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s something that has to just sort of happen organically. I can’t rush it.”

  “That’s sort of true. You don’t want to rush this kind of thing, sure, but I don’t think you would be. And, I mean, you can propose to him. There’s no rule that says a lady can’t propose to her man.”

  Rose shook her head quickly. “That would be too much. I couldn’t do that.”

  “You don’t have to,” Rowen said quickly, worried she was frightening Rose away from the subject. “But, if you’re not willing to ask him yourself or bring up some kind of mutual discussion about it, you’ll just have to wait. Sometimes these things take time. Besides, it’s not like it’s all that different being married to someone. You’re already living together. Being married and living together feels about the same.”

  That did get a smile from Rose. “Thanks. I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately. I know I’m being silly, but-”

  “You’re not being silly,” Rowen assured her. “For all you know, he’s fretting over this stuff too. One day, you’ll look back on it and laugh.”

  “He doesn’t really laugh about many things.”

  “Well, then you’ll just mutually smile for a few seconds over cranberry juice and plain toast.” Rowen gave her cousin a light shove toward the stream-side space they were clearing out. “Let’s just get this over with."

  ***

  As it turned out, they did indeed get finished in time. They made it back to the Greensmith household just in time for dinner. There were a bunch of cars parked out front. Of course, Aunt Lydia and Aunt Nadine would be there. Lydia’s husband Reginald would be there, as would Nadine’s soon to be husband, Peter. Rowen expected all of her cousins to be there. There would be the eldest, Margo, Willow, and Willow’s sister, Peony who still lived at the Greensmith household. It was difficult to tell if Margo and Willow’s boyfriends would be there. They didn’t always show up for these bi-weekly family dinners.

  Rowen parked out front and headed toward the porch. She hadn’t even made it up the stairs before the doors burst open and out came Lydia and Nadine. “You’re home so early!” sang Lydia, even though it was already dark out. “Did you get finished?”

  “Yep,” Rowen confirmed with a smile. “All cleared out and ready to go.”

  Nadine smiled and pulled both her niece and nephew-in-law into a tight hug—well, tight for her. Aunt Nadine had the skinny arms of a school child. “I appreciate you doing this.”

  “No problem at all,” Eric assured her, even though it had been.

  “And we even have Ben here!” Lydia smiled down the steps at Ben. “What a nice surprise.”

  “It’s my day off,” said Ben with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. This clearly wasn’t his idea of an ideal day off.

  Lydia didn’t seem to notice. “Well, we all appreciate the effort.”

  “I know I do,” Nadine added. “I appreciate it so much. So does Peter.”

  Ben nodded. “Do you mind if we have a word?” he asked, looking at Nadine.

  Nadine’s eyes widened slightly, but she nodded. “Of course,” she said, lingering on the porch with Ben and Rose as everyone else headed inside.

  Eric looked at Rowen. She shrugged. Whatever those three needed to discuss, it wasn’t any of her business… She’d just ask Rose later.

  ***

  Inside the Greensmith home, the environment was familiar and the smells were delicious. Her childhood home never changed much. It was such a warm place to be. The old wood beneath her feet, the way you could see the strong bones of the house sloping along the ceiling. The scent in the air was fried chicken, no doubt homemade. Lydia and Nadine loved to cook for their family. These sorts of get togethers were what they lived for ever since Rowen and all her cousins had moved out… Well, almost all her cousins. Stepping into the dining room, Rowen spotted Peony setting the table. Her cousin’s faded purple hair was pulled back in a ponytail. It was back to a dirty blond around the roots and a few inches down past her hair tie. She was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, like she had been kicking around the house until throwing on a last minute outfit for company. Rowen was feeling her cousin in the carefree fashion department. Heck, after a day of manual labor she was about ready to shove her thick, auburn hair into a ponytail of her own and snip it off at the nape of her neck.

  Nearby, Willow was wearing a skirt and tank top that complemented her figure—even if it did hearken back to some of the outfits she had worn in high school. “You’ve just got to meet the right man. Then the two of you can live together.”

  “And what if I don’t want to live with a man?” Peony grumbled.

  “Well, you can’t live with me again,” said Willow. “I’ve gotten a taste of freedom, and I’m not giving it up. Sorry, Sis.”

  “Like I’d want to live with you again,” Peony glared at her sister, her face turning a little red. Rowen knew Peony missed the days when she and her sister shared a room in the Greensmith household. Being the only adult left couldn’t be fun. Well, the only adult aside from their freeloading Uncle Norman, but he wasn’t always around. He didn’t really count.

  Rowen cleared her throat to announce that she was there. Her cousins both jumped and looked in her direction. “Oh, hey,” said Peony.

  “How’s it going?” asked Willow.

  “It’s going,” said Rowen. That was about the truth of it. Things had been fairly mundane for a while now. She knew she should be grateful. Still, if she was being honest with herself, it was a tad boring. “Do you guys need any help setting the table?”

  “If you don’t mind,” Willow offered her a basket of bread. “There’s a couple of things in the oven, too. You just need to grab that stuff and, like, the salt and pepper and stuff.”

  Rowen watched Willow take a seat at the table. She sighed. Of course Willow was shirking her work onto Rowen. Oh, well. It wasn’t like there was a whole lot left anyway. “C’mon,” she said, nudging Eric’s shoulder. He followed her into the kitchen. “So, you’re giving Peony a hard time about her love life?”

  Rowen shrugged. “She keeps complainin
g that she’s the only one left living here.”

  “I stayed at Tina’s for a while, but it’s not like I can keep imposing,” Peony snapped. “And it’s not like I can afford to live alone.”

  “She doesn’t like it here since Peter and Reginald moved in,” Willow explained as Rowen returned from the kitchen with a green bean casserole. “So, I keep telling her she should get a man. You can split the rent.”

  “There’s probably an easier way to move out,” Eric suggested.

  Willow raised a well-shaped eyebrow. “And what’s that?” she asked.

  Eric shrugged. “I dunno. The first time I moved out, it was with my brother.”

  “I can’t move in with her,” Willow pointed out, like it should be obvious. “I already live with Benji. He’d be sad if I moved out… And so would I. I like his apartment.”

  “And Benji?” Rowen asked.

  “Huh? Oh, yeah. And Benji,” Willow added.

  “I’m just saying that it doesn’t have to be a boyfriend,” Eric said, addressing Peony. “You have friends, don’t you?”

  Peony shrugged. “Outside of my family? Not many, honestly. They’re all married.”

  “What about Tina?” asked Rowen.

  Again, Peony shrugged. “She’s got her own apartment.”

  “Maybe she wants to move into a bigger one,” Rowen offered. “It’s worth bringing up if the two of you get along.”

  “I guess.” Peony still seemed more than a little down in the dumps. There wasn’t much point in trying to cheer her up. It was just going to take some time for her to get over this latest bout of depression.

  “Rowen!” Margo came into the room, diverting all attention to herself. That’s how she liked to enter most rooms. “I was wondering if you were going to make it tonight.”

  “Don’t I always?” Rowen smiled at her cousin. Unlike Peony, Margo was completely overdressed for the occasion. She had a little black dress on her rail thin body and was even wearing designer shades despite the sun having already gone down.