Chapter Two
1090 Words
My heart promptly sank again. I fell deadly silent, unsure how to react. How had he felt
that? Well there was one of two answers, witch or demon. Or maybe another supernatural.
Come to think of it, I didn’t know If the others could feel it or not. I never had found out. I
really hoped he wasn’t a demon. It would be just my luck to have taken a job from a demon.
“Miss Hawton?”
I considered my options. Talk, find out what was really going on or Hang up, send it all back
and forget about it. Two problems with the second option. The first I mentioned all ready,
not a lot of money, the second I had no return address. Also, I don’t let things go easily. I
wouldn’t be able to walk away from this. I took a deep breath, and with a slightly shaky
voice I replied.
“Yes, sorry. I’m still here”
“Miss Hawton, there is no need for concern. I mean you no harm, I assure you. Besides,
what harm could befall you at the end of a telephone? “
He had a point.
My mystery employer continued. “At least hear me out. You said yourself you had
questions.”
I thought about it. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. Against my better instincts, I
asked my question again.
“Who was the man who went missing at Rocky Ridge?”
“Thank you.” The man seemed almost relieved. “Thank you for trusting me.”
“Trust is a strong word” I said. “Trust you can earn. For now, I will settle for listening to
you”.
“That seems fair” The man said. “His name was Samuel Stockton. He was like you, a witch
and a Private Investigator, specialising in the Paranormal. But 25 years ago, it was tough.”
“It’s still tough now!” I said indignantly.
“I can believe that.” He laughed. “But at least now people know about the supernatural
world. They may not know who is what, or where. But it is there, and it has been exposed.
People know what they are hiring you for”
I wanted to interrupt. Tell him hardly anyone believed me when I tell them it’s a
Supernatural entity causing their problems, or their husband/son/wife left because they
became a werewolf. However, I had a feeling if I interrupted, he would never tell me the big
secret. So I swallowed my pride and let him continue.
“Back then people had no idea about the supernatural, refused to believe it even when no
other explanation existed. The Police were the worse, tried to discredit Mr Stockton at any
opportunity. If he had tried to out the Supernatural World, he would have been jailed,
thrown in a Mental Hospital, or worse killed.”
I didn’t feel like it was any different now. But I at least I had the backing of the Police, or at
least a couple in the Police Department knew about me, and would come to me for help if
they needed. It was better now, I didn’t want to, but had to admit it.
“Maybe it has changed, I do have some Police Support” I grudgingly admitted.
“Exactly. Mr Stockton wasn’t that lucky. He was looking into Rocky Ridge for a friend who
wanted to buy it, turn it into some kind of Western Enactment type place. No surprise he
found the same thing you did. Told his friend to walk away. Unfortunately, he couldn’t do
the same. Six months later he vanished.”
I was glad I listened. I was right about the PI part, and right about him being a witch. Like my
mystery man said, unlucky for him he couldn’t leave Rocky Ridge alone. I had also been right
about my phone buddy having answers, time to find out how.
“How do you know so much? The newspapers didn’t report any of this?” I wasn’t good at
subtle, always dived in head first. It got things done.
“Ah. Well” It was my phone buddies turn to quiet.
“Miss Hawton, there are a few factors you should now about this case. I thought I would
have more time before I had to tell you, but you are as good if not better than your
reputation”
I smiled to myself. He may just be trying to warm me to his cause, or even just to him. But I
took the compliment anyway. I didn’t get many.
“Thank you” I said gracefully
“You have to promise to hear me out. Promise not to interrupt, question or react. Not until I
have filled you in. Can you do that?”
“I will.” I had no choice.
“Firstly, I already knew you are a witch. I know what powers you have, and what powers you
could have. I needed you to show me them, I needed to know you were the person I was
looking for. All I had was a name a location, I don’t know anything else. Did you know there
is more than one Taylor Hawton in the Salem district?
I had a feeling it was a rhetorical question and let him continue.
“Not that that matters now. I needed you to be a witch, like Samuel is. To have the same
powers as Samuel, without them, you won’t be any help. I’ve felt your ability to bend my
will, I’m guessing you are looking for an opportunity to test Veritasitus”
“Veritas-what? I don’t speak Latin.”
“Veritasitus. Translates roughly to truth lie.”
“So that’s what that power is. I just called it an inbuilt lie detector. I did notice you were
skirting definitive statements. Or you have been. Now, I am following. What else can you tell
me?”
“My name is Sandy Stockton. I need you to help me get my father back”
I was in shock. That scenario had not been anywhere in the list of possibilities. At least he
has been right about the lie detector bit. (I wasn’t clever enough to know Latin. It was and
will always be my lie detector. Veritasitus! I mean really!) I had been able to tell he wasn’t
lying.
“So…your dad was a witch?” I asked carefully.
“Yes.”
“And I have the same powers as him?”
“Not yet. But you will.”
Strange, and mysterious yet again, but I guessed my powers could change.
“And you?” I asked that question even more carefully than before. I didn’t know what the
position was in polite society between witches. Could you ask what powers people have.
Was that rude? I had not met another witch before.
“My My, you do ask a lot of questions.”
I clearly had crossed a line. I tried to play it cool.
“I am PI. And a female one at that. We tend to be curious. Besides you know mine. Heck you
felt mine!” I had to have him on that. I knew there was no way to use my Will power again.
It was quite simple to block if you knew how.
“You are of course correct Miss Hawton. How about I show you mine as well?
- Writer
