Piety looked at the salt scattered, and smell of the candles blown out. It was the hot wax scent hung in the air overpowering the herbs and incense. She walked into the kitchen and reached for the cupboard above there refrigerator. Piety pulled down the bottle of Captain Morgan and poured two fingers in a water glass then downed it. Piety paused, considered and then refilled the glass again and drank.  The rum  was a slow burn and heat in her belly she set the glass down , Glenda who had watched her, said “A bit much tonight?”

Piety opened her mouth to say something, then shut it, then said, “I am going to bed I can take you home in the morning.” .

“If you need to talk my dear…” Glenda started awkwardly. 

Piety said nothing as she went down the hall and to her room with Finnegan at her heels. She had conversed with a dead man and discovered that her life was not quite…real? No, it was real enough, however the participants in her life had hidden things from her.

Chapter 3

Riley kissed his gold crucifix and laced up his boots. The locker room was that  stink of ax body spray, BO, bleach and Irish spring soap. It didn’t matter if it was the army or the police force, change rooms were the same smells, jokes and tacky calendars in lockers. Riley noticed Another man entered and without asking , he sat next to him. Karl said quietly, “So Jack, what do you think about that Amish  hit and run?” The conspiratorial tone was like something from a spy movie he thought with a grin.

Jack replied, “Not sure Karl, it's just weird.” Jack knew this non answer would bug Karl and make him want more information. He liked Karl who was starting to get soft about the middle and his locker door had more pictures of his kids then anything else. The one "girly" picture Karl had was of his wife Carol in a swimsuit.

“Word is that there were claw marks, I know you was first on the scene and I wanted to know…” he trailed off hoping Jack would take up the narrative.

“Karl you believe everything you hear? It was a hit and run.”

Karl gave Jack a look of disgust at the minimalist description, he scratched at his cheek and stood up, “C’mon Jack the EMT said it looked like…”

Jack cut him off, "Do you believe everything EMT’s say. Remember when they convinced you there was such a thing as a hypnotoad?” Karl made a noise of dismay and went back to his locker. 

With that officer Riley took his hat and left not saying anything else. Karl was a noisy old lady cleverly disguised as a state trooper, telling him anything would result in everyone and their mom knowing whatever had been said within an hour. 

Sliding into his cruiser the cell phone on his hip buzzed and Riley seeing the number took it.

“Hello Jack” a sultry voice said over the speaker. He smiled this was friend he always had time for.

“Hello Melody, what can I do for you or more importantly what can I do for David?”

“David wants to know if you know anything more about the that unfortunate killing?” she replied, and he could hear her rustling papers in the background.

“Gosh, Mell it’s been 18 hours and I just got on shift at work. Tell David I am working on it.”

Melody laughed, only Jack got away with called her Mell, “He is the boss for a reason, throw me a bone and give me something to tell him. What’s your plan of action? He didn’t become top dog due to his stunning looks”

“I plan on checking in on the woman who was the first person to find Yoder. Maybe she saw something or heard something that will help be figure this out.”

“Well it’s something. Call me…” she was interrupted by Jack

“If I find anything, oh second in command I will call” And with that he hung up. Riley had plenty to do and chattering to Mell wasn’t high on his list of crap to do. Then again offending his leader’s wife was a bad idea she could go from sweet and loving to a rage beast in 9 seconds.

The morning came with the stupid rooster making his calls. Piety yawned, she hadn’t slept well, Finnegan the dog ratcheted up his annoying incessant whining to be fed,  and hopefully convince Glenda to feed him again. The dog used every trick in the husky mutt play book to wheedle more food out of Piety, only to be told to forget it. No one wanted a fat husky. 

 She opened the curtains in the kitchen window and slider allowing the autumn sun to flood in and reflect off the honey colored logs that made up the wall. She inhaled smelling the subtle scent of Murphy’s oil soap and lemon pledge she for a second expected to hear her aunt call from her room, “ Is there coffee sweetie?” right, Aunt Charity was gone and that was how it was right? Piety didn't want to think about the dead , she could occupy herself making breakfast for Glenda. "There we go!" Piety thought , " I can distract myself cooking."

  Piety got down the coffee tin and scooped the coffee into the filter. Pressing a button, the machine gurgled and started to life.

Glenda walked in stretching, “ I smell coffee! Piety dear let me cook, I can make you an omelet?.” Glenda was in an over sized t shirt and sweatpants. The t shirt was a well-loved on with Garfield the cat on it. It said in faded letters “I’m not overweight I’m under tall.” She had always had an emergency stash of clothing here and would often spend weekends here even before Aunt charity had gotten sick. Piety didn’t know what she would have done without Glenda helping her care for her aunt. The cancer at times seemed as if was responding to the chemo and then suddenly it had sped up. Glenda did all of woo woo new age crap she could, and nothing helped. In the end it was Glenda in the small hours before dawn holding Charity’s hand watched her best friend pass not waking Piety who had been exhausted.

Piety had initially been angry and hurt to not have been there at that moment of Charity’s death, but something in Glenda’s eyes cooled her anger. The loss mirrored there was decades old and Piety realized it had not been intended as Glenda selfishly keep those last moments only for herself but rather those seconds were so fleeting that Glenda didn’t want to risk Charity’s passing to the next world in the moments she would have left to get Piety.

No, Glenda had wanted her old friend to die knowing she was not alone and hearing the recitation of a chant about passive over. Piety was jarred back to current time by Peabody bustled about the kitchen getting out the yellow Pyrex mixing bowl and pulling out ingredients. The older woman hummed and was in her element making omelets, orange juice and toast. Finding bacon in the fridge the older woman set to putting it in the oven and Piety knew she would have to keep an eye on the old woman or half of that bacon would be in the dog.

Twice Piety asked to help, and Glenda gave her the task of setting the table. When Piety saw that she had been handed an extra plate she said, “Finnigan is eating at the table now?”

“No dear the nice policeman is coming.” Peabody set the coffee pot on the table and Piety said, “what??” Nice policeman?

Before piety could ask anymore questions the doorbell sounded and Finnegan raced to the door. He never barked, he just made a soft “ boof” sound and paced . Piety saw that indeed at the door was an officer and she did recognize him. He had been the officer who had responded in the blur that was the evening she had found the dead Amish man. Piety drew a blank on the officer’s name, what was his name…?

He stood the door he said, “Miss Jones, I talked to you day before last, about the accident.” She looked at him very tall square jawed and his dark hair cut very short. His eyes were an intense blue. He had paused presumably for her to answer and she stood in the doorway, in a ratty terrycloth bathrobe staring at him. Then as if the moment couldn’t get any more awkward Piety blurted out

“Oh yes , I blanked on your name.” then Piety saw it was on his uniform and she felt her cheeks redden." Great he will think I am an idiot." She thought. 

Officer Riley had to work to keep the grin off his face. Her hair was tousled, and he could tell she had not been awake that long. His wolf who had been giving him that feeling of pacing and wanting to chase prey and hunt suddenly settled. The aroma of bacon and other foods wafted at him and his wolf agreed with him that second breakfast was not a bad idea. He answered Piety about his name.

“ My name is Officer Jack Riley, may I come in?” the husky sat squarely in front of the state trooper a slow growl that surprised Piety. She said to her dog, “Finnegan what’s wrong with you?! Move it.”

She stepped aside, pulling the dog. Jack entered “Thank you mam, I have a few more questions.”

He said stepping in eyeing the doorway cautiously. He was a little over 6’2 and who ever had built the cabin back in the day did not have tall people in mind. It was why her aunt had called the place her hobbit hall. With more grace than she would ever possess Piety watched him navigate the living room with the dog blankets on the floor and her stack of books from the library that leaned precariously on the end table. Jack's lips gave quirk as he saw the amount of historical romance novels interspersed with cookbooks and fantasy novels.

She lead the officer to the kitchen table and gave her dog a stern look. Finnegan was still slinking about his ears back.

Officer Riley looked surprised at Glenda seated and her pouring him coffee, “Sit Riley, I have coffee for you, I know cops rarely like tea. I also have breakfast made.”

“I am not here to socialize mam.” He said trying to sound sincere, but the bacon looked crisp and done just right. A steaming omelette was on a plate waiting for him.

“Pffttt” the old woman said, “Listen wolf you’re not here for the state of New York , I’m betting your alpha sent you. So, sit eat and we can talk. Piety and I did some magic and I bet you would like to know what we know.” She said reaching for the plate of toast to pass to him.

“You’re both witches?” he asked, and Piety and Glenda responded at the say time but with different answers.

“Yes” said Peabody

“No!” said Piety, “My Aunt Mercy was a witch and her friend Glenda here…” she was interrupted by Glenda.

“Piety is a hereditary witch she is just fighting her calling.” Glenda replied as if Pity was a recalcitrant grade schooler refusing to perform in the school play.

Piety gave her pseudo aunt a glare that made the officer quickly look away and pretend to have an interest in his coffee mug that was steaming next to him. Piety said in a tight voice, “ I am not a witch, I don’t do all that woo woo BS.”

“You sure did last night dear.” Glenda brushed over what Piety said making the younger woman angry. 

 Officer Riley, seeing that if he did get this conversation on track these two would bicker all day. “Ladies what can you tell me?”

“I can tell you I am not a witch.” Piety answered tartly. spearing bacon for her plate.

He rolled his eyes, “ Look as much as I don’t want to wade into this ,I have to tell you that you smell like a witch.”

“Thank you!” Mrs. Peabody said smugly triumphant and that just irritated Piety more. Then what he said registered on her and Piety asked , “ Hold up, I smell like a witch? What the hell does that mean?”

“ It’s not bad , sort of like fresh earth after the rain and bit like Jasmine , however you did magic recently so a mix like clove and dragons blood, the incense I mean , is mixed in there too.”

“You smell people?” Piety said in a voice dripping with disbelief and wary condescension.

“ I can’t help it, even in this form I scent things way better than any human.” He took the proffered plate of bacon and speared several forgetting his denial of the offered breakfast from a few seconds earlier.

Piety opened her mouth , then closed it and Peabody said, “ He is a werewolf, no he isn’t only a wolf on the full moon. Jack can change at will but it’s not pleasant and it’s rude to ask him to change to prove he can.”

Riley sipped his coffee, “ How could you not know? I’m sure I have that lycanthrope tinge to my aura.” He reached for the sugar bowl

“She is being rather stubborn about her gifts. I suspect her mother colored her views on being a witch, since her mother denied her powers and became a stick up the butt evangelical Christian.”

“I'M sitting right here.” Piety replied tersely not wanting to be talked about, while she was right here.

“ So what kind of name is Piety?” he asked attacking the omlette , he appreciated that it was heavy on the cheese, sausage and mushrooms. His wolf snorted at the alarming amount of vegetables they ate.

“ It comes from the English word meaning " devoutness". It was a virtue name used by the Puritans in the 17th century. Stupid old names are a family tradition.” she had said it from rout as if she has had to repeat it over and over.

Riley nodded and asked, “So what did you get, from what I presume was a summoning?”

Glenda answered, "This was the description from Yoder's ghost. It was like a man, yet furry clawed and yellow evil eyes.” She added more coffee to her cup and nudged Piety to pass the sugar.

“Nothing to differentiate if it’s wolf, cat, bear or fox?” the officer asked while eyeing the last of the bacon his wolf encouraging him to snag that last crispy slice.

“I had to dismiss him when he became agitated. Holding a spirit that is turning angry is a good recipe for making a poltergeist.” Replied Glenda

“I will take your word for it.”

Piety rubbed at her eyes she was in the twilight zone , this was truly crazy yet she had seen a ghost… twice and an officer of the law was accepting the story while also calming to be a werewolf??

She stood up, “Look I am not into this Alice in Wonderland breakfast of bullshit. Maybe you two want to play werewolf and witch, go ahead but ..."

Jack cleared his throat dramatically interrupting Piety. She glanced up to see  his eyes had turned honey amber color. Jack opened his mouth slightly his teeth were pointing and elongating. She gasped backing away and Glenda stood touching her shoulder, “Wait , don’t let fear rule you.”

The cop’s eyebrows furrowed in concentration and Piety stared in horrid fascination as the process reversed, in a minute or two his face was human.

Jack sucked in breath and said, “I don’t know about her” he nodded at Peabody, “but I am not playing at anything.” Sweat had accumulated on his forehead. Jack hated doing a partial change it was in many ways worse than a full shift.

Glenda made a dismissive motion with her hand, “I know what I am.”

Piety still stared at him and yet came no closer to the table. Her breakfast sat in her guts hard like a stone.

He looked at his watch, “I’m sorry, I have to get back to work. I will come back. “He stood and finishing the coffee he nodded at Glenda, “I take it you can fill her in while I am at work?”

“I will try,” replied Glenda.

He nodded and as he strode out the door, he placed his hat on. Glenda closed it and with a forced smile said, “That went well.”