Page 49 of Christmas Mittens Murder

“Watching you is more entertaining. So you’re going to attend a coven meeting?”

She grabbed more fries. Trent was frustrating. “You need to stop watching me. It’s creepy.”

“I don’t do it normally. I was just concerned about you pretending to be Christina. I wasn’t sure you could hold up the glamour. I wanted to give you an out by calling you if it started to slip.”

“Sure, all the stalker boyfriends say that.” She turned up the heat. The roads were clear since they hadn’t had any snow for a few days, but the temperature was bitter cold and dropping as the night got settled over the valley. From Boise to the road that took her up the mountain, the terrain was desert. Not something people thought of when they imagined Idaho. But that was why the potatoes grew so well. The arid climate. And the canal system of irrigation farmers had implemented years ago. “Have you heard from your mom? The guy Mother Adams set me up with doesn’t think Kate Brewer had anything to do with her husband’s death.”

“I relayed that information. Or actually, Levi did. Edward was very forthcoming about the murder and the Brewers’ marriage, don’t you think?”

Mia nodded. She’d been thinking the same thing. “He offered up the information quickly. I know the coven wants Grans and me to join, but Edward seemed ready to make a quick exchange. And yet he seemed surprised to hear about the upcoming visit from Sabrina and the National Office of Regrettable Events.”

“Mom said he’s part of the membership committee, so it could be they’ve been watching you and trying to gain an edge. Otherwise, well, she’s doing a deep dive into him and seeing what his relationship was to Geoffrey and Kate.”

“Good. At least we got more information tonight. It wasn’t a total waste of my time. Has Abigail said anything about Christina? Is she okay?” Mia could see Christina in the bathtub covered with goop, and it made her shiver. Or something did. She looked in the rearview mirror and her own eyes looked back at her. The glamour was wearing off. She still had Christina’s blond hair, but her own face looked back at her. At least if she got pulled over, she’d have a correct driver’s license.

“Don’t worry. Mom says she’s fine. Your grandmother is watching her. Just get home safe. You’ve had a long day.” He paused for a minute. “Do you want to talk about Isaac?”

Mia laughed. “I guess you got more than you expected when you listened in, didn’t you?”

Trent took in a breath. “He’s missing you.”

“I never expected him to say any of that. Either to me or Christina. Maybe he’s just getting cold feet. You know the grass is always greener. Jessica is nice. Not too bright, from what I’ve seen. She is dating Isaac. But maybe that’s what Isaac needed.” Mia thought about her ex-fiancé.

“Remember you dated Isaac. In fact, you were planning on marrying him,” Trent reminded her with a chuckle.

“I’ve never said I was smart. Especially when it comes to men,” Mia shot back, a smile on her face.

“Ouch, that hurt.” He laughed, and then the conversation stalled. Finally, he said, “I know you’re worried about Christina. We’ll figure this out. Should I come home early?”

Mia sighed as she focused on the road. “Not yet. I don’t think we’re at the point of throwing everything we have at her to try to save her, but it may come to that.”

“Have you thought about the Sleeping Beauty cure?”

Mia shook her head. “Grans says that’s a fairy tale. I already asked about bringing back Levi.”

“Your grandmother isn’t correct. It’s worked before, but it is a long shot. I’m not sure the power of love is enough to break the hold the mitten has on her. Our best bet is to reunite the mittens.”

“That’s your mother’s take too. I’ll go to the Lodge tomorrow. I need to chat with Frank and see why he wasn’t at the party. I’m wondering about his connections to Geoffrey. A lot of the hotel staff seemed convinced that Geoffrey was going to have my job.” Mia nodded, thinking about her less-than-friendly boss. “And we all know Frank loves to talk.”

“Well, I’ll leave that interview to you. I’d rather not chat with Frank Hines. I’d have to say a few things that might get you fired.” Trent murmured something she couldn’t hear. “Sorry, Levi just came in. Dad wants to head down to the bar and talk.”

“Sounds fun.” Mia knew that the older Majors was trying to bond with his sons. Thomas had been busy with work for years, and when he retired, he’d focused on building up this hunting and fishing guide business. Now with Abigail working, he needed to fill some empty hours so he’d turned to his sons. She just hoped the family bonding time wasn’t too late. “I’ll talk with you tomorrow. Stop tracking me.”

“I will as soon as you pull into the school’s parking lot,” he promised. “I want to know if you fall asleep at the wheel.”

“Lovely thought.” Mia took another handful of fries. “Anyway, I’m turning on a podcast about food and heading home. Have a good night.”

As she drove east toward home, she thought about the man she’d met at Mother Adams’s party. Had it been a coincidence that she’d found someone for Christina who lived in Magic Springs? Or had the coven just found another inlet into Mia’s life that they thought might push her into joining the coven?

She turned off worrying and focused on the podcast that was highlighting appetizers for parties. Now this was a subject that could keep her awake as she drove. And, bonus, there was a second podcast loaded on January comfort food that would take her all the way to her doorstep.

Chapter Six

Sunday morning, Mia checked on Christina before she made coffee. The girl looked like she was sleeping, but a worry line creased between her eyes.

“She’s been dreaming,” Grans said from behind Mia. She came around and moved Christina’s arm back into the green goop. “And from what I’ve seen, they’re not pleasant dreams. It’s a side effect from being under so long. All her negative thoughts are cramming in since there’s no conscious self to control them. I’m afraid if we keep her under too long, we might not get back the same Christina.”

Mia couldn’t bear the thought of not having her friend back. “What if we played music? Or turned on a movie?”

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