All Chapters of Esmerelda Sleuth: The Magic Box (Book 2): Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

I’d called the alarm company almost as soon as I’d realized that we’d had an intruder.  Other than sincere apologies and a suggestion that we change the code to the alarm system in our house, I got nothing of value from them.   It didn’t surprise me.  It’s far less intimidating and easy to be uncooperative over the telephone than in person.   The only reason that I even bothered to call in the first place was to use it as a means of venting some nervous energy while I waited for my business credentials to be available to me.  Besides, you never know, I could have gotten lucky with whoever answered the phone.Nora went to a same day printer and had a small batch of business cards made up right away.   Since I was only working on the one case and it was my own personal  case, she felt secure in sending me off with only a few cards in my wallet until the ones that she’d ordered over the interne

I could barely open my eyes, but the little I was able to showed me that my hospital room had only a faint nightlight and the small lights from my monitor illuminating it.  The shadowy figure of a tall male was standing next to my bed.  I could see that he was inserting a needle into my I.V. tube.“What are you doing?” I managed to say in a voice that was just above a whisper.“I want you relaxed, but not asleep,” he whispered back.I felt an immediate sense of euphoria spread through my body from the drug entering my bloodstream. He wasted no time in pulling the covers away from me.  The air felt cool and invigorating, yet invasive at the same time.  Whether it was because of what Agatha said or if it was my own gut telling me, but I knew, rather than saw, that it was Jason.“My head,” I whimpered.  &ldqu

I went straight to bed upon returning home, but  I had no intention of staying in bed the following day, so Nora set me up in the media room to binge on movies. The first movie that I selected from the enormous collection was “Gone With The Wind”.  After having gone back to a time just prior to when the story depicted, I wanted to view it with a new perspective.  The movie was still in the opening credits when she brought Killian Epps into the room.I found it interesting how easily I adapted to calling this stranger by his first name.  Not only that, but, when he eased his lean, muscular frame into the media recliner next to mine, it felt like we’d done it dozens of times.  Almost as if we were old friends.It was still fairly early in the morning, so Nora brought in a pot of coffee and some mugs.  She’d also grabbed the box of cheese Danish that she’d purchased as a treat for me for when I got h

I was coming downstairs when Killian rushed into the house and grabbed both my hands.  He wore a look of excited satisfaction.  “I have something for you.”“A present?” I said with childlike excitement. It was a few weeks since we’d all sat down for a lasagna dinner and Nora bonded with Roger.  Since then, she’d paid minimal attention to Killian; leaving him open for conversations with me about investigating, magic, the secret society, or a variety of other topics.  It turned out that we had a good deal in common.He gently pulled me down the steps without letting go of my hands.  His satisfied Cheshire cat grin made me giggle with anticipation.“What is it?” I asked with excitement.“In a minute,” he said.  “I want you seated before I show you.”“Will I like it?” I asked.“Oh, no you don’t,” he chu

The car was parked next to a weathered shed in a small clearing that was surrounded by trees.  I’d guessed right, the place was definitely hidden and secluded.  I assumed that the shed was my intended prison, had I not been fortunate to get free. I stole a quick glance at my abductors.  Although I’d put a sizable gash on the side of the larger one’s head, I was sure that he was still breathing.  Fred, on the other hand, was stone dead and lying in a pool of his own blood.  I longed for water to rinse the taste of his blood and the residue feel of his flesh from my mouth.I’d walked a few yards away from the car in the direction of a grove of trees to the east of the gravel drive when I heard the faint barking of a dog.  Was there a guard dog wandering about?I ran toward the trees for protection.  When the light from the floodlight dissipated, I stop to lean against a large tree trunk while I caugh