Shadow Witch (27 page)

Carl scratched his chin and glanced at the folder in his hand. “I don’t know what he did right after that, but he eventually started working as a bounty hunter, and he did that for several years. I called the last bail bondsman that he worked for, and he told me that Gundy was good at catching guys who jumped bail, but a little too heavy-handed sometimes. When he put the last guy in the hospital, the bonding company had to cut him loose. I already told you he’s been arrested at least a couple of times for assault, but those charges didn’t stick.”

Carl opened up the folder in his lap and glanced at it before continuing, “Gundy drives a black Trans Am, relatively new, so that should be easy to spot. If you see one on our street, call me right away. I printed some copies of his mug shot so you’ll know what he looks like, just in case he comes snooping around here.”

He handed one to each of them, and Rachel examined the photo in her hand. It was a head shot of a man with a square face and thrusting chin. His hair was medium-length and dark, and his brown eyes were small and menacing. He had a short, scraggly beard that didn’t quite cover the scar that curled from below his cheek to his neck.

“Ugly little cuss,” Larry said.

“He looks mean enough to eat nails,” Lisa said with a frown.

“He is,” Sammi said. “I should know.”

* * *

Jamie took Rachel, Evelyn, Aunt Connie, and Sammie to the Rivershire School the next morning, and waiting out front for them were two families, one with two young boys and another with a girl named Daisy who was Sammi’s age. They all wanted to tour the school, but were especially eager to see
the magic box —
the television.

Jamie gave them a brief demonstration of the electronic wonder and they gawked at it like stunned statues. Then Rachel showed them the rest of the facility and escorted them to the front door.

“And it’s all free?” Daisy’s father asked. “Even the magic box?”

“Yes, even the magic box.” Rachel fought the urge to roll her eyes and said, “The kids are going to watch something on it this Friday afternoon. You’re welcome to join us, if you can.”

Both families said they would come, and would register their kids for school then. Not long after Jamie left, the regular children arrived, Aiven, Blane, Milly, and the others. Three more families stopped by that morning to see the school, and by the time Jamie came back in the late afternoon to take Rachel and the others home, several more visitors had come, bringing the possible total of new students to twelve. Jamie seemed pleased, but Rachel was concerned.

As they stood out front of the school and waved goodbye to Aiven, the last to leave that day, Rachel said, “Jamie, I think it’s time to look for a another teacher. I can only help out here for another five or six weeks before I have to go back to work at my regular school. And your grandmother and your aunt could use the help. They’re retired, after all.”

“I don’t mind the work,” Evelyn said, “but I’m not a real teacher. We need someone who knows what they’re doing.”

“I think so, too,” Aunt Connie said.

“It would be great if we could find someone locally. They would know the kids and the customs, and we wouldn’t have to worry about making magic doorways for them every day.”

Jamie scratched one ear and said, “How do we go about finding somebody like that?”

“I’ll talk to Mrs. Tully in the morning,” Evelyn said. “She’s bringing Aiven on her way to the market. She might know where to start.”

“This is a good time to be breaking in new people, too,” Aunt Connie said, “while we’re still working the kinks out of our system. Nobody’s ever started a school like this one before, and the sooner we hire somebody, the sooner we can get our act together before classes start in September.”

Jamie rested his hands loosely on his hips and smiled. “But it seems like it’s going to work, doesn’t it? Kids are already coming, and word’s getting around.” He nodded. “I was afraid it would be a flop, and this building would sit here empty, day after day.”

“It will work, Jamie,” Rachel said, “despite the town council’s meddling.”

Jamie frowned and turned to Sammi. “Have you overheard them plotting anything, lately?”

Sammi shook her head. “But that doesn’t mean they’re not. They could be talking in the light and I wouldn’t be able to hear them.”

“I spoke with Milly’s parents about it today when they came to pick her up,” Evelyn said. “They don’t think the council will try. They said only a fool would defy a sorcerer.”

“Maybe.” Jamie nodded. “Or someone who thinks they’re sneaky enough to get away with it.”

* * *

Sammi lay awake in her bed long after Mrs. Callahan had finished reading to her. Before she’d left, Mrs. Callahan had asked Sammi what she wanted for her birthday, and Sammi blurted out the first thing that came to mind: “A Barbie! A brand new one!”

Mrs. Callahan smiled and said “We’ll see. Anything else?”

“No, Just that. I want one more than anything in the whole world.”

Sammi had never gotten a new Barbie doll, not for her birthday, not for Christmas, not for anything. Mrs. Gundy had gotten Sammi one from the thrift store once, an old one with no clothes, with the promise of making an outfit for it when she had time, but somehow had never gotten around to it. Sammi was embarrassed by it and had hidden it in the bottom of her closet so that Libby wouldn’t see it when she came over. Not that she ever did much, since she was afraid of Mr. Gundy.

Libby had three Barbies, including one of the Barbie Fashionistas, with the long pink dress and matching heels, so glamorous and beautiful, so...
everything
. Sammi had lain in bed many nights wishing for one of those glittering dolls.

Now she was curled on her side, staring at her nightlight, having second thoughts.

The children at the Rivershire School had hardly any toys at all, except homemade ones, and it didn’t seem to bother them. Leora had one that she called a pocket doll, a tiny figure barely bigger than her hand, which her mother had sewn for her out of scrap fabric and yarn. Leora brought it to school every day, and had dedicated a special pocket for it in her new blue backpack. She’d proudly shown it to Sammi on the playground the first day she’d come. Sammi almost laughed at it — it wasn’t Barbie, after all. It wasn’t made of plastic, with gorgeous, colorful clothes and matching shoes, it was only made of old cloth, with stitches for its eyes and red smiley lips.

But Sammi somehow stifled her laugh when she saw the look on Leora’s face, how much she loved that little fabric doll. “Oh...it’s nice,” Sammi struggled to say, hoping she sounded convincing. “I, uh, wish I had one just like it.” Leora seemed to believe her.

Now Sammi felt guilty for wanting the stupid Barbie. She didn’t have anybody to share it with, anyway. There was no way she could take it to the Rivershire School,
no way
. The girls there could never have anything like it, and Sammi would feel like she was one of those kids at her old school, kids who had everything, new clothes and new toys, some even with cell phones, who made it a point to show them off to everybody, just to make the other kids jealous.

Sammi rolled onto her back and stared at the dark ceiling.
Those kids at the Rivershire School are my friends. I don’t want to make them feel bad
. She decided that she was going to get up early again the next morning, before Mrs. Callahan went to work, and tell her that she’d changed her mind about her birthday present.

Chapter 12

The next morning, when Evelyn, Rachel, and Sammi followed Jamie through the magic doorway, they found Mrs. Tully waiting for them, sitting in the carriage with Aiven in front of the school.

“Good morning, Mrs. Tully,” Evelyn said as she unlocked the door. “Are you on your way to the market?”

“I’ve a few things to buy.” Mrs. Tully smiled at Aiven as he hopped down from the seat, waved goodbye, and went inside with Sammi and Rachel, his lunch sack in one hand. Mrs. Tully waited until the door closed behind them before taking a deep breath and saying, “I have another errand to run, first. I am going to the courthouse to put up an official notice of my intention to adopt Aiven.”

“Wonderful!” Evelyn felt a smile spread across her face. “It’s about time.”

“Yes, it is. I have been too busy to do it, but I do not want to put it off any longer.”

“I’m sure you won’t regret it.” Evelyn nodded firmly. “While I’ve got you here, I need to ask you about something. Do you know how we could go about finding another teacher for the school? One from around here?”

“I can ask at the market this morning, if you’d like. Some of the servants from the big houses may be there, and they can spread the word.” She shrugged. “If there is a tutor on their household staff, they may know of someone.”

“Thank you. That would be helpful. We’re not in a big hurry, but we need to find somebody before school officially starts. We’ve had quite a few families stop by lately.”

“I heard about the television that Jamie brought. It is all Aiven seems to talk about.”

Evelyn sighed. “I hope that these people will bring their children to school for reasons besides the
magic box
.”

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Wallace, they will. The families around here want their children to have the same advantages that the rich ones do. And now they can have the most important one, a good education.”

She clucked at Sugar and started to pull away, but Evelyn called to her, “Are you still coming to Sammi and Rollie’s birthday party on Saturday?”

“Of course,” she said over her shoulder. “Aiven would never forgive me if I didn’t.”

* * *

Fred pressed the remote and the big television in her basement flicked off. “That was it. That was our show in Asheville for the Young American Talent Search.”

“Wow,” Nova said, sitting between Fred and Melanie on the couch. “That was incredible. You can dance, Fred. I mean really, really move it.”

“They’re all great, don’t you think?” Melanie asked.

“Sure, but Jamie’s magic act was kinda...um, ordinary. Didn’t look like he was doing anything special.”

“I think he was holding back that night so I could win,” Fred said. “Though he won’t admit it.”

“I dunno.” Nova shook her head and the tiny bells in her dreadlocks tinkled brightly. “I’ve never seen anybody tap dance like that before. How long have you been doing that?”

“Since I was little. Jamie and Rollie have been doing their acts a long time, too.”

“Rollie.” Nova chuckled and nodded. “Funny guy. He made that dummy seem like it was really talking, like it was
alive
. Did he use magic to do that?”

“That was just good old-fashioned ventriloquism,” Fred said. “He doesn’t like to do much magic, really, ’cause his parents are uncomfortable with it.”

“Oh yeah, the Friend of the Devil and all that. You told me.” Nova chewed one corner of her lip and wrinkled her nose. “Does that mean they’re going to think I’m the Wicked Witch of the West or something?”

“They’ve sorta gotten used to the idea that we have magic, but they’d prefer that Rollie didn’t do any. So he only uses his super speed, pretty much.”

Nova nodded and laughed softly through her nose. “But really, that boy is funny! He didn’t seem like that when I met him on Sunday.”

“I think he was a little nervous.”

“Why?”

“Well...he just was.”

“Weren’t you?” Melanie asked.

“Yeah.” Nova shrugged. “It was awkward as hell. You guys show up out of the blue and start telling me about all this wild magic and demons and stuff, and how Sammi already knew me and overheard me talkin’ with my mom and everything.” She threw one hand in the air. “’Course I was nervous. Who wouldn’t be?”

“Sammi wasn’t.”

“Sammi.” Nova inhaled slowly through her nose. “Poor kid. Must be tough being an orphan, and not even seven years old yet.” Nova nodded again. “That’s really cool of your folks to become foster parents for her, Fred. That girl needs a break, and this seems like a pretty good place for her.”

“My parents had their first class last night, and it was three hours long. They both came home looking really tired, especially since they had to work all day before they went. It’s going to be a tough two weeks for them, I think.”

“Your parents seem cool, especially your mom. I bet you get along really well with her.”

Melanie burst out laughing, bending over at the waist with one hand covering her mouth.

“What’s so funny?”

“Fred?” Melanie said. “Get along with her mom?” Then she laughed again.

Nova turned to Fred. “You don’t?”

“We fight all the time.” Fred pursed her lips and wrinkled her brow. “Except lately we haven’t. Maybe a couple of times when Sammi first got here, but....” She paused and rubbed her cheek with one hand. “Sammi gets upset when I fuss with my mom.” Fred sighed. “So I’ve been keeping a lid on it.”

“There’s something about that kid,” Nova said.

“We think so,” Melanie added. “And there’s something about you, too.” Melanie nodded firmly. “Sammi is convinced that we’re all going to be great friends.”

“Yeah?” Nova narrowed her eyes. “Well, I don’t make friends all that easy.” Nova pushed her mouth to one side and stared wordlessly at the blank television for what seemed like an eternity.

Melanie caught Fred’s eye and gave her a look that said
this is awkward
. Fred answered with a tiny shrug.

Melanie finally touched Nova on the arm and said, “So, um, do you have any talent? I don’t.”

“Melanie’s the smart one around here,” Fred said quickly, hoping to restart the conversation. “She was valedictorian at our school.”

Nova stretched her face in an exaggerated manner so that her eyes nearly bugged out, and she wagged her head. “Well
la—di—da!
Valedictorian. Aren’t you special? And I thought you were just Miss Blondie Cheerleader and all that.”

Melanie’s face turned red. “I needed good grades so that I could get enough scholarship money for college. And I only became a cheerleader because I thought it would help me make friends.”

“You? Need to make friends? You’re kidding me.”

“It’s hard to make friends when you’re the smartest kid in school,” Fred said, “and a cheerleader on top of that. We all thought she was snob.” Fred tilted her head toward Melanie. “We were wrong.”