Bobby Sparks Witch Detective: Pet Shop Puzzle ( A Paranormal Cozy Mystery) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1: Welcome to the Witch Council

  Chapter 2: Death in Perfectville

  Chapter 3: Welcome to Pinecreek

  Chapter 4: Everything isn’t What It Seems

  Chapter 5: Getting Settled In

  Chapter 6: Ready to Go

  Chapter 7: Meeting the Parents

  Chapter 8: Holly’s Not-So-Happy Pet Shop

  Chapter 9: Dogs, Cats, and Coffee—Black

  Chapter 10: Insults and Insight

  Chapter 11: The Report is In

  Chapter 12: Full-Fledged Panic in Pinecreek

  Chapter 13: Getting More Than They Bargained For

  Chapter 14: Friends For Life

  Chapter 15: New Leads, Renewed Focus

  Chapter 16: The Money Question

  Chapter 17: Meetings After Dark

  Chapter 18: The Stench of Grief

  Chapter 19: Returning to the Scene of the Crime

  Chapter 20: Inside the Home of the Grieving Widower

  Chapter 21: Clean Rooms and Protected Homes

  Chapter 22: Protection Spells, Stolen Goods, and One Key Suspect

  Chapter 23: It’s Not a Date

  Chapter 24: The Cave

  Chapter 25: A Chat with a Criminal

  Chapter 26: Wake-Up Call

  Chapter 27: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle

  Chapter 28: It Just Doesn’t Sit Right

  Chapter 29: Breaking Rules and Breaking In

  Chapter 30: A Walk Through The Woods

  Chapter 31: Back in Pinecreek

  Publishers Notes

  Bobby Sparks

  Pet Shop Puzzle

  Stacey Fields

  Chapter 1: Welcome to the Witch Council

  She was nervous. No, nervous was too light of a word for what she was feeling. She was terrified—in the most satisfyingly exciting sense. She had worked, hard, to get where she was. And, finally, it seemed like she was about to reap the rewards for all of that time and dedication.

  Her morning started off like most did, with a warm cup of coffee and a quick review of the Witch Council Principles of Conduct. It had been her life-long dream to become a Private Investigator. And, just two weeks prior, she had accomplished that dream. She had passed the Paranormal Private Investigator (P.P.I.) Exam with flying colors and today was going to be the day that she got officially instated on the Witches Board of Detectives and Investigators.

  Even though her months of sleepless nights, pouring over textbooks and reading and re-reading case files had ended, Bobby Sparks didn’t stop studying. She knew that if she wanted to not only excel at her job, but also impress her bosses, she needed to stay up to date on any and all Witch Council laws and proceedings.

  So, that’s what she did. Scanning the books that had piled up on her desk over the years had become part of her daily routine. That was followed by an hour or so of exercise and training. If she wanted to be on the top of her game, she had to stay fit—both physically and mentally. She practiced her spells and memorized her potions in addition to perfecting her wand technique. There was always room for improvement, and Bobby Sparks was not one to sit back and let that gap between her and her dream of becoming one of the top P.P.I. on the force grow any bigger.

  This morning, however, her personal training was cut short. She had a meeting with the Council at 11:00 sharp, and she intended to be there 15 minutes early, just so they could really see how truly eager she was.

  Her eagerness wouldn’t be noticed, however. Upon arriving at the Witch Council Headquarters, she was promptly informed that the entire Council had been called away to a meeting, and would themselves be a few moments late for their meeting with her.

  She kept a pleasant smile on her face as she slumped down in one of the, rather uncomfortable, leather chairs in the large waiting room. As the seconds slowly ticked by, she found herself becoming more anxious.

  Shifting her weight around on the chair, she heard the leather let out a loud, crackling squeak. Her cheeks flushed red as the secretary, sitting just ten feet away from her behind the large, mahogany wooden desk looked up and over at her.

  “It was the chair,” Bobby explained quickly.

  “Of course,” the woman said, smiling at her before turning her attention back to the computer screen on her desk.

  Now feeling the need to keep perfectly still, Bobby folded her arms, crossed her legs and watched the hands of the clock hanging on the wall in front of her as they slowly ticked off one minute after the next.

  After what felt like an eternity, she heard the phone on the secretary’s desk ring.

  “Yes, sir,” the woman said. After a short pause, she continued, “yes, she’s here. Of course, sir. I’ll send her in right away.”

  Bobby knew she was referring to her—there was no one else sitting in the waiting room with her. She was on her feet and standing attentively at the woman’s desk before she even had the chance to hang up the phone.

  “Mr. Spellman will see you now,” the woman said, hanging up the phone and looking up at her. “His office is…”

  “I know,” Bobby said, cutting her off. Perhaps it was rude to do so, but she was simply too excited to be quiet or still in that moment. She shot a quick smile at the woman and added, “I’ve met with him before.”

  “Of course,” the woman said again.

  Bobby leaned forward to retrieve her briefcase from the ground, her hair tumbling over her shoulders and into her face. What happened next was an embarrassingly awkward moment, as she grasped, almost blindly, at the air around her bag until she felt the soft leather handle.

  She had considered pulling her hair back for the interview. She should have pulled her hair back. The long, dark black curls were almost impossible to control unless restrained by a clip or some other form of hair accessory. When left to its own accord, her hair often found a way to cascade forward, covering her dark blue eyes, and inevitably leaving her without the benefit of sight when moments, such as the one she had just found herself in, arose.

  Standing up quickly, she let out a soft giggle before hurrying off in the direction of Mr. Spellman’s office. Her heels clicked on the polished tile floor as she walked determinedly down the long, regal looking hallway. There were large wooden doors on either side of her—each leading to a different realm.

  The Witch Council Headquarters was built at the very center of their magical universe. This was done by design. That way, if any emergencies arose, the ruling body would have quick and easy access to the realm in which the disturbance took place.

  There was the door leading to the land of the gnomes—it was a little place, and too brightly colored for Bobby's taste. There was another door that led to the ghost world, another leading to the vampire's kingdom, and yet another that opened up into the world of the paranormal shape-shifters' nothing-is-ever-what-it-seems realm.

  Each door represented one of the many kingdoms of unusual and unique beings that all lived under the ruling authority of the Witch Council. For the most part, the different groups kept to themselves. They enjoyed living among their own kind and didn't see the need to venture into one another's worlds.

  That was, except for one specific place—a little town called Pinecreek. Pinecreek was actually built in a world outside of the magical realm, in a land where mortals ruled, and anything magical was thought to be nothing more than the thing of stories and fairytales.

  It was there that a small group of individuals carved out a little space of their own—a
community in which witches, shifters, elves, and gnomes, ghosts, vampires, and any and every other magical-based creature could live in peace together. It was an interesting place. Bobby had always been slightly intrigued by the idea of the ideal, blended society. She had heard rumors that Pinecreek was a paradise. Quite literally, it was nothing short of a magical place, where everyone lived in harmony, free to be whoever they were, in the company of others, freely being whoever it was that they were.

  The door to Pinecreek was the last door on the left. She noted that it wasn’t wooden, like the others in the hall. It wasn’t actually a door in any sense. It was more like a portal—a swirling vortex of colors.

  Next to the portal to Pinecreek, at the very end of the hall was the door that led to Mr. Spellman's office. She took a moment to center herself, making sure that her excitement was in check and her appearance was presentable, before knocking softly on the door.

  “Enter,” a low, heavy voice called out from the other side.

  She pushed the door open and stepped into the room. It was a simple room—especially given that the room’s occupant was the most powerful man in the magical realm.

  Mr. Spellman pushed himself up from behind the large, dark wooden desk and walked towards her, his hand outstretched.

  Not only was his overall appearance impressive—a bespectacled older man with a long white beard and a head full of billowy white hair—but his size also left its mark on all those who were in his presence.

  Bobby wasn’t a short woman by any means. She wasn’t overly tall, either. She was average. But, standing next to Mr. Spellman, she suddenly had a very good idea of how the gnomes must feel when confronted with someone outside of their realm.

  “Bobby,” he said shaking her hand firmly, “it’s very good to see you again.”

  “You, too, sir,” she replied.

  She had met Mr. Spellman once before—at the very beginning of her P.P.I. training. He called each new recruit into his office to give them “the speech”. It was the same no matter who he was speaking to, and its basic purpose was to both motivate and terrify the perspective candidates.

  She followed him across the room and waited until he sat in his seat across the desk from her to take her own seat. She had expected more people to be present. In all honesty, she had expected some sort of small ceremony or celebration. Passing the P.P.I. exam was difficult—only one in ten candidates passed on their first try. Bobby was one of those.

  “I have to admit, Bobby,” Mr. Spellman began, “I was very impressed by your exam score.”

  “Thank you, sir,” she replied with a firm nod and a slight blush.

  “Normally, we like to have our new Investigators go through a sort of initiation period—a trial time in which they are shown the ropes by some more experienced individual.”

  “That makes sense,” she said.

  “Well, in this case, I’m afraid we don’t have that option.”

  “I’m sorry?” she asked, pushing herself forward in the chair slightly.

  “You see, all of our senior investigators are busy with their caseloads.”

  "Oh," she said, feeling a slight sinking in the pit of her stomach. He was going to tell her that it was going to be weeks, possibly months before she got any extensive field training—she just knew it.

  “However, given your test scores, and the reports I’ve gotten back from your instructors, I feel that you are more than qualified, and I have full confidence that you won’t have any problems.”

  “Problems? With what?” The sinking in her stomach quickly turned to butterflies—nervous, excited butterflies that darted back and forth at a surprising speed.

  He didn’t answer, not vocally at least. He pushed himself back from his desk slightly and pulled open the top right-hand drawer. He then proceeded to produce a bright, shiny new badge and yellow folder. Setting both down on the desk between them, he slid them towards her.

  Her hands shaking slightly, she reached for the badge. It had the Witches Council seal on it and across the bottom, it read in bold, etched letters, "Paranormal Private Investigator." And right there, on the very bottom of the miniature golden plaque was her name: "Bobby Sparks".

  “This is your first official case, Bobby,” Mr. Spellman said, tapping on the folder still sitting on the desk. “And I have full confidence that you will make us proud.”

  Chapter 2: Death in Perfectville

  “A murder?” she said, staring down at the file in her hand.

  “It still hasn’t been classified as such,” Mr. Spellman explained, “but we have our suspicions.”

  “It says here that the victim was found in her local shop,” Bobby said, reading the file out loud. “There are no suspects, and there are no signs of foul play. What makes you think it’s a murder?”

  “The cause of death has yet to be determined,” Mr. Spellman said. “But, I’ve just met with the Witch Council and we traveled to the scene of the crime, and I have to say, something in the air just didn’t feel right.”

  “The victim was a witch,” she said, looking up from the file at her boss. “So it happened right here in our realm?”

  "That's what makes this case so interesting," Mr. Spellman said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. "It was in Pinecreek."

  “Pinecreek?” she asked, her mouth dropping open slightly. “Perfect little Pinecreek?”

  Mr. Spellman nodded, waiting for the news to sink in before continuing. “This is why I believe you are the perfect candidate for this assignment. Your test scores regarding paranormal’s and other magical beings were some of the highest I’ve seen on the force. It’s clear that you are not only familiar with proceedings and protocol, but you also have a more than working knowledge of the various creatures we have living within our world. What better person to send to the place where they all live together than someone who excels in that area?”

  It was true that Bobby had taken a special interest in what the academy called “cultural studies” or the study of the different species of magical beings that the Witch Council was responsible for.

  “But Pinecreek?” she asked again, still not believing the news.

  “I’m sorry to say this, Bobby, but this assignment isn’t optional. We need someone out there—now.”

  “Now?”

  “Is that a problem?”

  “No,” she said quickly. “Not a problem at all, it’s just—sudden.”

  “You’ll have a few hours to get your things in order, and I’ll have an escort come to meet you here. He will be your guide while you’re over there.”

  “I don’t think that’s necessary,” she said quickly. Sure, she was still a rookie. Actually, she was even less than a rookie, if that were possible. She had only been given her badge five minutes before. But still, the idea of having a babysitter following her around on her first official case was slightly embarrassing. Surely this “escort” wasn’t even a certified Inspector—only witches and warlocks living within the Witch Realm were given that specific title.

  “Unfortunately, that is another thing that isn’t optional. Pinecreek is a very unique place. It’ll be good that you have someone in there to show you the ropes.”

  She wanted to object, but she knew it would be of no use. So, she took her leave to return to her quaint little house and begin packing a small suitcase of her most essential items—clothes, her wand, her spell book, and a few reference materials regarding different magical species.

  She was given clear instructions by Mr. Spellman that she was not to discuss the nature of her sudden departure with anyone. So, she made a few calls to her closest friends and family, explaining that she would be out of town for an undetermined period of time. She didn’t say anything else on the matter, and everyone knew well enough not to ask too many questions.

  The timeframe that Mr. Spellman gave her to prepare passed quickly, which was fine by Bobby. She was more than ready to get started. She had no idea what to
expect when she arrived in Pinecreek, but what she did know was that she was eager to get started.

  Returning to the Witch Council Headquarters, she lifted her chin with confidence as she smiled at the woman sitting behind the reception desk. She didn’t wait to be addressed. She knew where she was going, and she knew that Mr. Spellman would be waiting for her, with whoever it was that would serve as her escort during her time in Pinecreek.

  Rounding the corner, she already saw the two men waiting for her at the end of the hall, standing in front of the swirly vortex that served as the gateway between their world and the other. She kept her head held high as she passed the various doors, closing the distance between herself and the figures in front of her.

  Mr. Spellman stood tall, making the man standing to his right appear small. The closer Bobby got, however, she quickly realized that that was not the case. He was actually a very tall man himself and rather handsome at that.

  He had scruffy dark brown hair, so dark it almost looks black. His large brown eyes seemed to increase in size the closer she got. Perhaps they simply appeared larger because she was closer to him, or perhaps he was surprised to see her.

  “Sheriff Silverback,” Mr. Spellman said, “this will be your new partner, Investigator Bobby Sparks.”

  “Oh,” Sheriff Silverback said, eyeing her carefully.

  “Is there a problem, Mr. Silverback?” she asked, noting his stare.

  “It’s just that when Mr. Spellman said I would be working with a Bobby Sparks, I assumed…”

  “You assumed I’d be a man?” she asked, making sure the edge of offense came through clearly in her voice.

  “I just,” he stuttered.

  She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for his response. As she studied the man in front of her, she couldn't help but notice the flares of amber that surrounded his pupils.

  Mr. Spellman noted the very obvious tension in the air, however, and spoke up.

  “Very well then, introductions have been made,” he said quickly. “Bobby,” he said turning to give her his full attention, “I will be waiting for updates. I expect to be kept informed about any and all progress you make throughout your investigation.”