Spooky Spider Read online

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Garbo, your wine case isn’t going to arrive until tomorrow,” said Blu, striding back.

  “Then why am I still talking to you?” Cookie asked.

  She slammed the door, stalked into the house, and bent down to open the package that said “Fragile.” I managed to get a glimpse of what was inside: candle wax, now mushed.

  I went to one of the windows to see if the Speedy Spider was still there. To my utter shock and disbelief, Blu was still standing in our driveway. But that wasn’t the most shocking part.

  The rear door of the truck was open, and since Blu had backed into the drive, I could see inside it. In the back of the truck was a spider almost the size of the truck, dressed in a delivery service uniform with extra armholes. Or something.

  I gulped.

  The visitors appeared to be disagreeing vehemently. Then they stopped talking and Blu stalked around to the driver’s side as one of the spider’s very long arms snaked out the back of the truck and pulled the doors closed. The next instant the truck sped away. I supposed they’d be back tomorrow with Cookie’s wine.

  I should have known it was wine she was after.

  On nights when most of the household was away and we didn’t have the haunted house open, Audrey didn’t bother making an elaborate dinner.

  Tonight it was Cobb salad, vegetable stew, rose mousse for dessert and bubblegum pancakes with icing syrup for the refreshments we’d have with coffee later in the evening.

  “Good thing you made the pancakes. Otherwise we’d all starve,” said Cookie to Audrey. Then she turned to Lark, Pep, and me and asked, “Have you three checked on the supernaturals?”

  There was always something to be done in the way of looking after the ghosts, vampires, le-haunts, and skeletons who resided at Haunted Bluff.

  Ghosts had stalls that needed repairs now and then. The skeleton carpentry shop usually took care of that. Construction work always had to be overseen by a witch, because the skeletons and the ghosts rarely got along.

  Vampire coffins had to be cleaned, though there were fewer of those now that the Root of All Evil had taken a lot of the vampires away.

  The le-haunts loved to break, smash, and generally destroy anything they could find, so there was cleaning up after them, and with them, to be done on a regular basis. Once all the work was done, they were free to roam for the evening.

  And we were free to sit down and eat a peaceful dinner.

  Except that Cookie was there.

  “All is quiet,” Pep confirmed.

  “No one has stolen the ice cream?” Cookie asked.

  “Just you,” said Lark. She had done a lot of work to open an ice cream parlor next to the gift shop, adding that work on top of her decorating duties with Meg. It was due to Meg’s brilliance and hard work that the haunted house was so authentic—besides the fact that the supernaturals were real, of course—and Lark was kept busy helping carry out Meg’s ideas.

  “What does the Spooky Times have to say about the robberies?” said Cookie.

  I exchanged looks with my cousins. Pep and Lark didn’t know what to say either.

  “Why are you acting so surprised? We all know Down Below produces it, and I’m well aware that you read it. That’s why you try to sneak into the mailroom so often,” said Cookie.

  Before we could defend ourselves or issue useless denials, Rose sauntered in. She was the beautiful white cat who kept the mansion mice in check, and she was my special friend.

  She came over and curled up at my feet. Audrey glared at her, but they both knew there was nothing Audrey could do. My aunt hated cats and always kicked Rose out of the kitchen, but this was the dining room, where we always ate dinner no matter how small a crew was on hand. If Audrey tried to kick Rose out of the dining room, there was no telling what Rose would do.

  I decided to deflect attention from Rose by sticking to Cookie’s subject.

  “The paper says they aren’t behind the robberies, but the new gang in town better watch out. Down Below thinks the robbers are operating on their turf,” I said.

  “Do the robberies have anything to do with the Root of All Evil?” asked Lark.

  “Probably. Mirrorz wouldn’t dirty his own hands,” said Cookie, “but he might contract the work out to other nefarious customers. Just be sure that everything is locked up tonight.” She turned to look at me and said, “Jane, it might help if you went and talked to that nice man down the road and warned him of the danger.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Are you talking about Grant? You know his name. You also know that he’s perfectly well aware of everything that’s happening around here. As the Supernatural Protection Force’s regional chief investigator, he is, in fact, in charge of all if it.”

  To this day I knew precious little about Grant. He never mentioned family, and I had no idea what his hobbies were, but I sure was hoping to find out more about him soon. How could I care so much about a person when I couldn’t answer the simplest questions about him? What did he like to eat? Did he enjoy sports? I knew none of these things.

  All the same, care deeply for him I did.

  Cookie gave a long sigh. “I don’t see why you insist on being so difficult. Just go let him know to keep an eye open.”

  “He’s already keeping both eyes open. He’s in charge of the investigation,” I said.

  “I’m trying to give you an excuse to go talk to him,” Cookie explained with pretend patience.

  “Yeah, go talk to Grant. He lives right down the road now,” Lark teased.

  I sighed and took a big spoonful of soup as a delaying tactic. I had barely seen Grant since he moved into the cottage down the street, and it seemed that I wasn’t the only one who had noticed that.

  It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but I hadn’t realized how much he’d be working once he was in charge of the northeast region. Not only did he have to oversee every investigation, but since he was still the most famous warlock in the world, he was also constantly being called away to special cases that ordinary investigators would not have been involved with.

  He was expected to solve the hardest cases. He was asked in when everyone else was stumped. His Majesty of Magic was a very busy and sought-after man. I tried to hold that up as a good thing, but I missed him when he wasn’t around.

  When I first went outside most mornings, I got butterflies wondering if I’d run into him. Maybe he’d be walking down the path and he’d see me and smile. I would imagine silly little scenarios where I was strolling past his cottage and he happened to glance out the window. He’d see me and be overcome with love. Then we would live happily ever after.

  I had gone down the road a couple of times with pies; I had even picked out the best pies. The one time I caught him, he didn’t comment at all on which pie I had picked. He had just been appreciative of my welcoming gift. If I was going to do the work of picking the best desserts, I wanted to know he was enjoying them. Instead I had to take what I could get.

  Then again, Grant was not the only one who was very busy.

  With everyone away trying to deal with the problems up and down the coast, we had difficulties aplenty at the mansion. Running a home the size of Haunted Bluff took a lot of work, and when we were short-staffed we all had to pitch in even more than usual.

  Chapter Three

  After dinner, we retreated to the kitchen to chat and clean up.

  “Did I hear someone pull in earlier?” Audrey asked. Her back was to us as she scraped the plates.

  “Cookie had a package delivered today,” I offered.

  Cookie’s eyes turned to slits. “Yeah, but then I broke it, so it doesn’t count,” she said.

  “Why did you have a package delivered to yourself, then break it?” Lark asked.

  “Because the package she really wants isn’t coming till tomorrow,” I said.

  “You can’t get those packages delivered anymore,” Audrey groaned.

  “What I told Jane’s mom was that she didn
’t have to worry about them being delivered anymore,” said Cookie. “She doesn’t have to worry because she doesn’t have to know. They’re only delivered when she’s out of town now.”

  “You knew Cookie ordered wine by the caseload?” I asked Aunt Audrey.

  “Of course I did. It’s the only way to get that much wine unless you have a truck. Since Cookie doesn’t drive, I knew she was ordering deliveries. She used to have cases arrive so often that she was on a first name basis with the mail carriers,” she said.

  “You mean the Spider Service?” I asked.

  Now Audrey looked really unhappy

  Cookie glared at me, obviously wondering why I’d had to bring up yet another thing that she hadn’t wanted me to tell Audrey. In fact, it was obvious—and I can’t say I didn’t realize it—that she hadn’t wanted me to tell Audrey anything at all.

  “I can’t believe you’re using that delivery service. Just because they’re fast doesn’t mean it’s a good idea,” Audrey muttered.

  “What’s wrong with the Spider Service?” I asked.

  “They’re known for shoddy service, that’s all,” Audrey said. I knew she was being evasive, but I didn’t want to push the issue at the moment.

  “I’ve never had a bottle broken,” said Cookie stiffly.

  “Excuse me. Are you done with these?” Mr. Blacksmith asked, having come quietly into the room while Cookie and Audrey were arguing. He was carrying a couple of serving dishes from the dinner table.

  Mr. Blacksmith was a new vampire, determined to make a good impression on the witches at Haunted Bluff. He had started taking over some of Mirrorz’s former duties when he noticed them going by the wayside. His first move had been to ask if he could sweep this rug or vacuum that one. When my mother looked at him in shock, he realized that there was no point in asking. He just started doing it.

  Now he was around for dinner service as well. He had said that he’d be there for breakfast, except that he wasn’t a fan of light.

  We understood.

  “Yes, we’re all set. Thank you, Mr. Blacksmith,” said Audrey.

  The vampire came forward and started stacking the dishes Audrey had scraped clean, perfectly competent as usual.

  He had yet to do a single thing wrong. Everybody was in love with him. They were so in love with him that they couldn’t help but be suspicious of his motives.

  Once he finished puttering and left the room Lark said, “I can’t see how anyone can be that good at everything.”

  “It’s downright untrustworthy,” said Pep.

  “I think he means well,” said Audrey. “He just doesn’t fit in with the other supernaturals, because they’re always causing trouble. He seems to prefer to be here in the mansion.”

  I thought about the fact that the same could be said of a lot of the supernaturals, but I didn’t say it out loud since everyone else in the room knew it as well as I did, so instead I asked, “Are you referring to what the ghosts did to the owls the other night?”

  Audrey nodded grimly. “They only did it because your mother wasn’t here. They try to get away with more when she’s gone. I’m going to tell her when she gets back, and maybe we can figure out a way to discourage them even when she’s not here.”

  The ghosts had gotten bored one night when the haunted house was closed. Their antics were more proof, as if we needed it, of why the haunted house needed to be open in the first place.

  They had laid a trap for the owls, who liked to come out at night. The birds had had the daylights scared out of them, and now the nighttime had turned into open war. In response to the ghost attack, the owls dive bombed the ghosts whenever possible. The ghosts, who had short memories, were always surprised to find the owls attacking them. Usually they would float away scared.

  Meanwhile the skeletons, bats, and other supernaturals noticed that there was a feud afoot and started watching and jeering at every opportunity. It would probably be more of the same tonight.

  “Anyhow, let’s not get distracted from the fact that you shouldn’t be using the Spider Service,” Audrey said, turning to Cookie.

  Audrey was the least serious amongst Meg, my mother, and herself, but when it came to Cookie and drinking wine she was pretty strict.

  “If I don’t order a case of wine now and then, you won’t have any to cook with,” Cookie said.

  “There are many ways to get wine. I don’t need it in the bulk you buy it in,” said Audrey, shrugging. “Besides, we already have enough to last for months for cooking purposes.”

  “Not if I start drinking it you don’t,” said Cookie.

  “If you insist on using the Spider Service, please, just make sure someone else is around tomorrow when they arrive,” Audrey insisted.

  “Now that everyone has gone and spilled my secret, there’s no point in hiding it anymore,” Cookie huffed. “Might as well have everybody here to greet them and offer them tea and cakes.”

  “That’ll hardly be necessary,” said Audrey, who never left the kitchen if she could help it. “Still, if one of the girls could find the time to be around, I’d appreciate it.”

  I nodded. It didn’t sound like that big a deal.

  Chapter Four

  The next day I met Lark and Pep in the kitchen for a mid-morning breakfast. We had already done a few chores around the mansion, and since we had a long list for the rest of the day, it was time for some sustenance. Muffins, egg sandwiches, and fruit juice sat out for us to choose from, so we filled our plates and sat around the island to eat. There was no sign of Audrey or Cookie.

  “So the Speedy Spider Delivery Service came by yesterday?” Lark asked. “I’ve heard of them, but I’ve never seen them here before. Mom hates them. She thinks they have a really poor business model or something.”

  I told them about the doorbell ringing and Cookie trying to get rid of me while she went to collect her package in peace. I also told them that there was an actual huge spider in the back of the truck.

  Pep gasped. “That sounds gross and terrifying. Were you terrified?”

  “It was pretty gross,” I agreed.

  “I’ll bet,” Lark agreed. “Are we going to keep an eye Cookie until the wine comes?”

  “Yes, for sure,” said Pep.

  “We should know when it arrives if we just keep working in the gift shop and the ice cream parlor,” I suggested. “We’ll hear the truck when it pulls up, and we can join Cookie when she opens the door. I don’t know what Audrey thinks is going to happen, but since she asked us to keep an eye out, we should probably do it.”

  I didn’t bother to add the obvious fact that I was intensely curious about what was going to happen when the delivery van arrived.

  After breakfast we set to work in the gift shop. Not an hour had gone by when we heard a truck trundling up the driveway. Cookie had holed up in the apartment set aside for her in her own dusty wing of the mansion, and we hadn’t seen her all day. I imagined her sitting in a window with binoculars, waiting for the truck to come.

  We all hurried out of the shop when the doorbell finally rang. As we rushed to the front door, we heard steps on the main staircase heading our way.

  We exchanged looks.

  “Showtime,” said Pep.

  Cookie gave us an annoyed glance when she saw us hurrying into the foyer right behind her. “Don’t you have anything else to do right now?” she said, shaking her head. “Nothing is going to happen! I’m just as capable of answering the door as the next witch. Whoever thought package delivery would cause such a fuss! I’ve been drinking wine for longer than you’ve been alive.”

  “You’ve probably been drinking wine for longer than the three of us combined have been alive,” said Lark.

  “Don’t get smart with me,” said Cookie.

  Our grandmother yanked the front door open with a big smile on her face. It disappeared quickly when she took in the scene.

  The Spooky Spider Delivery Service truck was sitting in the driveway in the exact same
spot it had been in the day before. The back doors were partly open, but there was no sign of Blu or anybody else.

  “Does he expect me to stand here and wait for him while he gets the package?” Cookie asked indignantly.

  “Is he in the back of the truck?” Pep asked.

  Given what I’d seen the day before, I highly doubted if he’d fit in the back of the truck if the spider was occupying it.

  “I don’t think so,” was all I said.

  “Hey, you there! Give me my wine! How else do you expect me to tolerate my family?” Cookie yelled.

  Nothing happened. Blu didn’t appear, and neither did anybody else. The truck was still idling.

  I started forward. No one, not even Cookie, tried to stop me. I heard Lark, Pep, and Cookie following, and I took some comfort from the fact that I wouldn’t be confronting whatever it was alone.

  Instead of heading for the back of the truck where the scary spider was, I made my way to the front. At first I didn’t see anything, so I continued on around to the driver’s door, which was open.

  When I saw what was inside it, I gasped.

  “Oh, no,” said Lark from right behind me. She had seen what I had seen.

  “Is he dead?” Pep asked.

  “Doesn’t he look dead?” Lark said.

  The delivery driver was upside down on the seat of his truck. He was most definitely dead. There was blood everywhere; it appeared as if he’d been stabbed. At least, the large kitchen knife protruding from his chest suggested as much. His eyes were open as if he was staring off into the distance.

  With a dead body in a truck in front of our house, the next few minutes became a blur.

  Pep was screaming her head off and hopping around on one foot, her face going a deep red.

  Lark, by contrast, went pale. She didn’t like the screaming, so she tried to calm Pep. A fool’s errand, but she kept at it.

  Cookie raised her eyebrows and muttered something that might have been “Oh dear,” but I couldn’t be sure.