Back Room Bookstore Cozy Mystery Boxed Set: Books 1 - 12 Read online

  “I sometimes wish I was more knowledgeable on that subject,” Mona said.

  “What do you need potions for with the type of magic you’ve got flowing through you?” Monica asked.

  “Do I detect a bit of hostility in that statement?” Mona asked.

  “No, of course not,” Monica insisted. “I’m the potions girl, though.”

  “Oh, no doubt about that,” Mona said. “But, a confidence potion? Awfully rudimentary for you. You’ve been doing emotion potions since you were a tot. You’re not up to something, are you?”

  “Of course not,” Monica said.

  Abigail huffed slightly, and Monica gave her a slight shove with her shoe, having forgotten the usually talkative cat had followed her to the other side. “You can just take the book to your side of the shop and return it when you’re done with it,” Mona said.

  “Thanks, Mona,” Monica said, and she and Abigail scurried through the back door. A flash of light, and they were back on their side of the shop. Monica unlocked the front door and removed the Back in Five sign.

  “You’re going to make a potion for your cop buddy, aren’t you?” Abigail asked.

  “What’s wrong with a little confidence boost? Emotion potions are perfectly safe for mortals, and you can mix them into other drinks without affecting the outcome,” Monica said. “It’ll be good for him while he’s working this case.”

  “If you say so,” Abigail said. “Although you know you left your cauldron back in Wysteria, right?”

  Monica shrugged. “It’s a very simple potion. I’ll use the shop’s microwave and a mug.”

  “Um…you really think that’ll be okay?” Abigail asked.

  “I’m a potions expert,” Monica said. “And emotion potions are perfectly stable so long as you’ve got the ingredients right.” Monica flipped open her book, laying it out on the counter. “Confidence potion, let’s see… Oh, wonderful. These will be easy to gather. Half this I could probably buy at a supermarket here in Bankstown. The rest I could pick up in a shop in Wysteria. Garlic, sage, lavender, and lemon balm…all that can be found here in Bankstown. I think I have some unicorn milk in my purse…oh, great, I don’t think I’ll have to go to Wysteria after all. I just need a little cat hair to top it off.”

  “Seriously?” Abigail asked, and Monica tugged some hair from her back before she had a chance to protest.

  “What’s more confident than a cat?” Monica laughed, mixing all the ingredients together in a coffee mug, adding the unicorn milk from her purse last, before popping the mug in the microwave. Soon the whole shop smelled like lavender and sugary milk. “Mmm…this smells amazing.” Monica took a sip of the potion to test it out on herself first, and she instantly felt a huge boost in self-love that left her bouncing about the shop very happily for the rest of the day. None of Abigail’s comments about her being an unnatural witch bothered her in the slightest, and for once, she almost felt proud by the title. It meant she was a hard worker and had earned every bit of magic she had, after all!

  “Wow, I have to say, Moncia, I’m impressed you were able to pull a potion off using a coffee mug and a microwave,” Abigail said. “And it’s not too strong, so I think you’re good.”

  Monica smiled proudly. “I knew I’d be good,” she said.

  “Is that you or the potion talking?” Abigail asked.

  “Probably a little of both,” she admitted. “But you’re right. It’s perfect. Next time Brian comes in for coffee, I’ll give him a bit to help him out with his case.”

  “You sure you want to start meddling in mortal affairs like that?”

  “It’s just a little emotion potion,” Monica said. “What could possibly happen?”

  6

  Monica arrived at the shop bright and early that following morning. She wanted to check on the potion she had left in the shop’s mini fridge overnight. She had poured the purplish concoction into a water bottle, not having had her usual decorative bottles. “I really need to grab some more stuff from my sister’s house in Wysteria if I’m going to be living in Bankstown,” Monica said, and she heard Abigail huff. “Get over it. We’re living in my aunt’s old cottage. I have no intentions of going anywhere. Believe it or not, I like it here.”

  “You only like it here because it’s a nice change of pace for you to be the most magical person in the room,” Abigail grunted as she jumped onto the checkout counter.

  “You’re just so mean,” Monica complained. “You know, most witches get along with their familiars.”

  “Most witches are actual witches,” Abigail said snidely.

  “And most familiars are actual familiars,” Monica popped back. “Not former witches who got themselves stuck serving a sentence as a pussy-cat.”

  “I hate you,” Abigail huffed, laying out flat on the counter.

  Monica laughed. “I’ll win you over sooner or later, you grumpy cat.”

  The front door to the shop opened, and Monica grinned ear to ear to see that Brian had decided to return that morning—likely in search of his morning coffee. “Hey, Monica,” he said, practically dragging his feet toward the back of the shop. She could tell he had been working hard since she had last seen him; there was a look of exhaustion written all over his face.

  “Hey, Brian!” Monica said perkily. “Missed you yesterday. You didn’t come in for your morning coffee.”

  “Yeah,” he said, rubbing himself between the eyes. “Yesterday was pretty crazy. I definitely needed coffee yesterday…decided not to make that mistake again today.” He smiled at her. “You up for trying something more complicated today? I could definitely use an espresso shot in my coffee.”

  “I’m on it,” she said. “And I got a little something special for you to try today, if you don’t mind. I’d like someone to taste-test a special creamer I made from a recipe I found offline. It’s got a slight honey-lavender taste going on.”

  “Offline?” he asked.

  “Online,” Monica corrected.

  “Lavender and honey? That’s…interesting. Sure, I’ll give it a go.”

  “Okay, give me just a second to fix your coffee!” she exclaimed, hurrying over to the coffee machines to get going on his drink. She worked hard to make sure the coffee and the espresso was done correctly, and then she scurried to the mini fridge where she removed her water bottle holding the potion. She poured a generous amount into his coffee and stirred it with a spoon, turning the coffee a slightly purplish-milky tone. “Okay, here is your coffee, Officer Brian,” she said, handing him the to-go mug.

  “Thanks, Monica,” he said, taking a slow slip. “Whoa… That’s amazing.”

  “Glad you like it,” Monica said, watching him closely. The potion had worked rather quickly for her when she had tested it out, so she imagined it would only take a moment. She decided to test the waters. “So…you mentioned the case… How are you feeling about it? You think you and your fellow officers are going to find out what happened soon?”

  Brian perked up, and before he even said a word, she knew the concoction was working. “Are you kidding? I totally got this. I work for one of the best stations in the area. It’s been a rough couple of days, but I’m feeling certain that today is going to bring some results.”

  “That’s so great to hear, Brian!” Monica said, feeling as though Brian had just gotten the boost he needed to take the day head on.

  Suddenly, he propped his elbows on the counter, leaning over and smiling brightly at her after taking a second sip of his coffee. “Say, I know you and I have only just met, but I really like you. You seem like a fun, smart woman. It’s probably pretty obvious I feel that way with the way I’ve been coming into the shop for coffee every morning…”

  Monica blushed slightly. It seemed Abigail had been quite right.

  “I don’t know how you feel about me, but I’d like to see if this could go somewhere. How would you feel about going out sometime? Dinner? I could take you somewhere local. Let you get a taste of Bankstown?” h
e asked.

  Monica smiled. “You know what, Brian? I think I would really like that.”

  “Perfect!” he exclaimed, standing upright. He glanced up at the large cuckoo clock hanging on a nearby wall. “Ooh, looks like I got to get going! I’ll call you.” He winked at her and strutted out the door.

  Monica stared at him as he left. “Hmm… He sure seemed…off…”

  Abigail stood upright on the counter, staring at her. “Okay, he does not need to finish drinking that coffee. How much did you put in his drink?”

  “No more than what I took yesterday,” Monica said, and she saw Abigail’s eyes widen.

  “For crying out loud! You don’t know anything about mortals, do you?” Abigail hissed. “Monica, mortals are very susceptible to potions! You’re only supposed to give them about half of what you would a witch!”

  “Oh no!” Monica yelped. “I have to stop him from drinking the rest of that coffee!” She darted out the front door, but it was too late. She saw his patrol car zipping off down the road. “Oh… Oh, that’s not good. This is very bad! Very, very bad!”

  Monica hurried back into the shop. Abigail was still standing up in anticipation. “Well?” she asked, jumping down from the counter. “Did you knock the coffee out of his hands?”

  “He’s already gone!” Monica exclaimed. “What am I going to do, Abs?”

  “If he drinks all of that coffee, he’s going to be a nightmare. A big-headed nightmare of confidence, self-assurance, and poise!”

  “Oh, geez, I broke him!” Monica yelped, practically pulling her hair out at the thought of what sort of monster she had just released on the Bankstown Police Department. She saw a slight flash of light from under the back door of the shop. The door opened, and out stepped Mona.

  “Morning, sis!” Mona called. “I went to the Cookey Cauldron last night. I know it’s your favorite, so I brought you my leftovers for lunch today.” Mona paused as she set a Tupperware bowl on the back counter. She crossed her arms and glared at Monica. “Okay, what did you do? You have the most panicked look on your face.”

  “I…I didn’t know mortals couldn’t handle their potions…” she said.

  “Huh?” Mona asked. “You know I don’t know potions that well. What’s going on?”

  “Mortals are only supposed to have half of what witches can handle, and she gave a local cop an espresso shot worth!” Abigail exclaimed.

  “What?” Mona yelped. “I didn’t know you were supposed to cut the portions in half for mortals.”

  “I should have known that!” Monica exclaimed. “I’m the potion’s expert.”

  Mona shook her head. “Okay, let’s try not to panic. How long will it take for the potion to wear off?”

  “I do know that the potions can last about twelve hours for both witch and mortal,” Monica said. “But with Brian having as much as a witch is supposed to have… Well, it might last a little longer. This isn’t good. What do you think could happen with a confidence potion?”

  “I don’t know,” Mona said. “But we can’t just leave him running loose if he’s had too much of it. Overdosing on potions can lead to some very alarming side-effects. Double the amount equals double the confidence, right?”

  “Right…so we’re far beyond a normal amount of confidence,” Monica said.

  “You need to go check in on him and see how bad it is,” Mona said.

  Monica frowned. “I don’t have anyone else working the shop.”

  Mona waved her hand. “I got this. I just hired someone the other day to help with my side of the shop. Between the two of us, we can probably watch both shops for now. I’ll hang out over here for you while you go fix this little problem you’ve created.”

  “You’re a life-saver, Mona!” Monica said. “I really messed up this time. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Don’t rush back. Make sure that your friend is okay and not causing trouble. You might have to keep an eye on him,” Mona said, shooing her out the door.

  “You coming with me, Abigail?” Monica asked.

  “I’d really rather just stay here and nap,” Abigail insisted, curling up on the counter.

  “You’re the worst familiar ever,” Monica said, hurrying out the door. She stood on the sidewalk, contemplating where to go. She figured her best bet was to start by heading to the station, so she began her long walk. It wasn’t like she could take her broom during the day. Maybe I should consider getting another form of transportation, she thought with a slight bit of horror. Her sister would have a field day making fun of her for driving a mortal transportation vehicle, but all of this walking around was getting to be a little much.

  7

  After arriving at the police station, Monica was disappointed to learn that Brian had already left to go conduct interviews for the case. The other officers all seemed incredibly annoyed the moment she mentioned Brian’s name, and they gave Monica the impression that Brian had been exceptionally obnoxious that morning—obviously due to the potent potion she had given him.

  One of the officers informed her that he was going to interview Janice, Darren’s girlfriend, and that Brian was meeting the woman at a nearby café. Monica thanked the man for the information and headed out. She found herself becoming quite tired. The sun was beating down hard on her back, and even though the café was fairly close to the station, she had already done quite a bit of walking that morning. “This is getting ridiculous,” she said under her breath. She didn’t like the idea of a car. In fact, the thought terrified her a bit. Those giant contraptions looked dangerous, and apparently, you had to get some sort of licensing to drive them. A bicycle seemed more her speed, but it seemed like a very strange thing to ride. Plus, she much preferred the comfort of her broom in the evenings and taking a broom and bike to and from work just didn’t make much sense. “I’ll figure something out,” she grumbled.

  She spotted the café up ahead, and she breathed a sigh of relief once she realized she was nearly there. Officer Brian was sitting outside the café at one of the patio tables along with Janice, who seemed to have just arrived as she was putting her purse over the back of her chair. Monica frowned as she studied Officer Brian’s body language. He was leaned forward, grinning at Janice with a blatant look of flirtation. “Seriously?” Monica griped as she approached.

  “I imagine this has been a very difficult time for you, Janice,” Brian was saying as he touched the top of her hand.

  Janice blushed and yanked her hand back. “Yes, very much so.”

  “Mind if I join you two?” Monica said loudly so that Brian would turn around.

  He was not at all phased that Monica had obviously caught him flirting with someone else after having just asked her out on a date. He perked up, in fact, to see her. “Monica! We’d love to,” Brian said. “Janice, you remember Monica, right?”

  “Yes,” Janice said, looking a bit relieved that Monica was joining them.

  “What are you doing away from the shop?” Brian asked.

  “My sister is hanging around today and offered to watch the shop to give me a little break,” Monica said.

  “That’s right! You have a twin sister! I didn’t realize she was in town too,” Brian said.

  “Well, she hasn’t moved out this way,” Monica said. “She’s just visiting.”

  “Sweet! Is she as adorable as you?” Brian asked.

  “Aren’t we supposed to be talking about Darren?” Janice muttered.

  “Of course!” Brian said, turning his attention back to Janice. “I’d like to start by asking about your father’s relationship with Darren. I apologize if that seems rather forward, but it has come to my attention that the two of them had a rather rocky relationship?”

  “Yes,” Janice said. “I suppose you knew that long before he was hurt, am I right?”

  “It wasn’t exactly a town secret,” Brian said.

  “Dad didn’t want me dating him. I mean, he was a literal clown,” Janice said. “Doing events and ch
ildren’s birthday parties. But it’s not like that was his end goal or anything. He was just paying his dues. He had an audition coming up for a play. He wanted to act, and I think he could have been great.” Janice wiped a tear that was threatening to trickle down her cheek. “I mean, I understand where my father was coming from, of course. Telling your father that you’re dating a children’s party clown is not exactly the same as telling your father you’re in love with a doctor or a lawyer. He thought I could do better, and he never really bothered to get to know Darren. It was very disheartening. But my dad is not a violent man. He would never hurt Darren, or anyone for that matter.”

  “Other than your father, does Darren have anyone he has had problems with in the past?” Brian asked.

  Janice thought for a moment. “Not really… I mean, he and Lauren did get into it one time pretty bad.”

  “Lauren?” Monica asked. “The woman who owns the taco food truck?”

  “That’s the one,” Janice said. “Him and Lauren got into some kind of argument back in the day. I’m not sure what it was about, but it was around the time she first bought the food truck. Then afterward, he spray-painted the side of it with ridiculous graffiti.”

  “That’s awfully over the top,” Brian said. “But you don’t know what it was about?”

  “No, not really. It was a long time ago, but she never really liked him too much after that. I guess you can’t really blame her as it was pretty childish of Darren. He has grown up a lot since then,” Janice said. “I don’t know if I could think of anyone else, though. He got along with most people. Very friendly man.”

  “Well, if you think of anything else, you just let me know, okay?” Brian said perkily.

  He asked a few more questions, but eventually, Janice had to leave to meet Darren’s family for a meeting with the funeral director. Once Janice was gone, Brian turned his complete attention to Monica. “So, do you have the afternoon off? Want to hang out? I mean, I have to work, but I’d love to give you a ride in my patrol car.” He grinned at her.