The Pink Pumpkin Party Read online

  The Pink Pumpkin Party

  A Witch’s Cove Mystery

  Book 7

  Vella Day

  The Pink Pumpkin Party

  Copyright © 2020 by Vella Day

  Kindle Edition

  www.velladay.com

  [email protected]

  Cover Art by Jaycee DeLorenzo

  Edited by Rebecca Cartee and Carol Adcock-Bezzo

  Published in the United States of America

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-951430-21-4

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief questions embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Book

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Excerpt from Mistletoe and the Pink Bow

  Other Books by the Author

  About the Author

  How can a perfectly planned Halloween party go really, really wrong? Easy. A dead body shows up in my decorated coffin. Welcome to my witchy world.

  Hi, I’m Glinda Goodall, the good witch from the south, who is a hopeless snoop turned amateur sleuth. I had one job this October, and that was to decorate for the annual Halloween fest at my aunt’s restaurant. It was organized to the max: ghosts floating on the ceiling, a coffin with a vampire, and a small cemetery surrounded by pink painted pumpkins. Spooky yet festive.

  Just my luck, someone was murdered at the party. I might not have inserted myself into the investigation had the corpse not been a very important person to our family. At first, it seemed like an open and was whether our friend was the intended victim or not.

  With the help from my psychic cousin and my talented computer expert business partner, we’re sure to get to the bottom of this. So, stop in at the Tiki Hut Grill for a cup of java, and you just might see me.

  Chapter One

  “You want all of the pumpkins painted pink?” Rihanna asked.

  I chuckled at her horror. “Are you suggesting a few get a splash of black?”

  “You know that Halloween should have more representation than just pink,” my cousin said with a teenage rebellious tone.

  I understood where she was coming from. Halloween was synonymous with orange and black. “Fine. We can have some unpainted orange ones and a few black ones.”

  Rihanna grinned. “You are the best.”

  I chuckled. “Keep painting.”

  Let me explain my cousin’s comment—and my response. First of all, my name is Glinda Goodall, named after the movie character Glinda, the Good Witch from the South, and I live in Witch’s Cove, Florida, a small beach town full of witches, psychics, fortune tellers, and a few werewolves tossed in for good measure.

  After deciding that being a math teacher wasn’t my thing, I moved home and took a job as a waitress in my aunt’s restaurant, the Tiki Hut Grill. All was well for a few years until Jaxson Harrison, the brother of my best male friend, Drake, returned to town. Jaxson was not only hot—as in great to look at—he was hot-headed. No doubt about it, our newcomer was definitely trouble.

  When our deputy was murdered, Jaxson became our number one suspect since he’d just finished serving three years in jail for supposedly robbing a liquor store. Naturally, I had to help Drake prove his brother wasn’t the killer.

  That intervention led to a series of events that ended with me and Jaxson starting The Pink Iguana Sleuths. Shock, I know. To be honest, I can’t keep my nose out of anything, and as it turns out, I’m actually quite good at solving murder cases—with the help of our sheriff’s department, of course. I lucked out, because Jaxson is a genius when it comes to doing research. I swear the man can find anything on the computer. Oh, yeah. If you haven’t guessed, Jaxson wasn’t guilty of any crime. He’d been framed.

  So, what did this history lesson have to do with painting Halloween pumpkins pink? And why was my eighteen-year old cousin helping me?

  That’s easy. Except when duty calls—that is, when I’m on a case—I only wear pink, which was why I was painting the pumpkins that distinctive color. However, Rihanna only wears black since she has a need to express herself, too. As for why my eighteen-year old cousin was helping me instead of being back in Tallahassee where she lived? That was simple, too. After years of drug abuse, Rihanna’s mother finally decided to enter rehab, which meant my cousin needed a place to stay for a few months. After some debate, she moved here. She’s now living in a room off of our office. And by our office, I mean the one I share with my business partner—turned potential boyfriend—Jaxson. Can you understand why I had to fill you in? My life is complicated.

  I’m glad she’s here, because Rihanna is quite a talented psychic. In fact, in the two months since her arrival, my cousin has helped solve a few crimes.

  “Did you finish the vampire for the coffin?” she asked.

  “Almost.” My parents own the funeral home that sits next to the Tiki Hut Grill where tomorrow night’s party will be held. “I’m still working on the face. I’ve made it out of papier-mâché, and I just need to paint the fangs and eyes.”

  “Cool. And the graveyard?”

  I was impressed that my cousin had been listening to my plans to make this the best Halloween party ever. “I’m using the same gravestones we used last year. They’re made out of Styrofoam, but they look real.”

  Rihanna grabbed a pink pumpkin whose paint had dried and added black eyeliner, long eyelashes, and black lips. I—the woman who loved pink—was willing to admit that her artwork improved the pink pumpkin greatly.

  My cell rang. “It’s Jaxson.”

  He and his brother, Drake, were in charge of renting and then setting up the projector that would splash the image of ghosts on the restaurant ceiling. Tomorrow, my father’s crew would carry over the coffin with the vampire inside.

  My body sagged at all that needed to be done by then. I don’t know why I allowed my Aunt Fern to talk me into doing this event this year. Sure, Halloween—and maybe Christmas—were my favorite holidays, but it took a lot out of me to make this the big happening of the year.

  Thankfully—or not so thankfully—no one had been murdered in Witch’s Cove since the beginning of September, which meant I had the time to devote to this endeavor.

  That didn’t mean Jaxson and I had no clients. We’d been hired to follow one husband to see why he came home late two days a week. Naturally, the wife was convinced he was having an affair. Was he? No. Turns out, he was taking dance lessons to surprise her on their anniversary. Was that sweet or what?

  And then there was the case of the stolen wedding gown. In that instance, the woman’s twenty-two-year-old daughter had forgotten to tell her mother that she needed to lend it to her best friend for her wedding.

  As much as these small jobs brought in some needed cash, it didn’t give me the rush that a goo
d old-fashioned murder did. However, if too many people died in Witch’s Cove, our tourism rate might go down.

  “I’m done,” Rihanna announced.

  “Great.” We were sitting in the alley between the Tiki Hut Grill and The Cove Mortuary. Not wanting anyone to come by and steal our fine artwork, I’d waited until the pumpkins had almost dried before moving them inside. “I’m going to carry the rest of these to the storage room.”

  “I’ll wait here.”

  “Thanks.” One by one, I placed the finished masterpieces on one of the cleared storage room shelves.

  After the last delivery, Rihanna gathered the remaining supplies. “What did you finally decide to wear for the party?” she asked.

  I had gone back and forth many times, but the costume shop in town had limited choices, and I didn’t want to ask my Aunt Fern to make me one. I’d done that too many times in the past. “I’m going as Supergirl, and Jaxson will be Superman.”

  “Ooh. I’d like to see that man in a tight outfit.”

  “Rihanna Samuels. No lustful thoughts. Besides, you have your own cutie to watch.”

  Heat raced up her face. “I do at that.”

  “What are you and Gavin going as?”

  She shrugged. “I thought about wearing a Fairy costume with blue wings and all, but then I couldn’t bring myself to put it on. I caved and gave into my need for black.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re going as a vampire?”

  “Guilty. Not original, I know, but if I can’t drink, I want to be comfortable.”

  I chuckled. “And Gavin?”

  “His sense of humor seriously deteriorated once he started working for his mom in the morgue—or so he says. Gavin is going as a zombie, and I, for one, am looking forward to doing his makeup.”

  “I thought you’d go as a couple. As in, you’d match.”

  “Matching is tacky. I mean, it is except for someone your age.”

  “Seriously? I’m only eight years older than you.”

  “Just saying.”

  I understood her concern, but Jaxson was okay with it. “Let’s finish putting these supplies away. Then I want to check with Aunt Fern to make sure there isn’t something else she needs me to do.”

  After donning my costume the next evening, I kind of felt silly when I looked in the mirror. Supergirl? What had I been thinking? I wore a costume when I waitressed, but going as my Glinda the Good Witch persona wouldn’t be in the Halloween spirit. Picking a super hero didn’t fit my personality either, but Jaxson had suggested it. Why I listened to him, I don’t know, though it could have been because I was always calling him my superman.

  Iggy waddled into the bedroom and looked up at me. “Can I come to the party?”

  Iggy was my pink, super sleuth iguana. He’s also my familiar, and we’ve been together about fifteen years. “There will be food, music, and alcohol. To be honest, I don’t trust anyone to pay enough attention not to step on you.”

  “You know I can stay out of the way. And I have that camouflaged outfit that Aunt Fern made for me.”

  “That is a costume, for sure, but it will make you more susceptible to being hurt.” So what if he could stick to the wall?

  Before he could come up with another argument, a knock sounded on my door. “That’s Jaxson.” I rushed out of my bedroom, and when I answered it, I sucked in a breath. “Wow. You look great.”

  He grinned, stepped inside, and kissed me. “Let me see your costume.”

  I spun around, a bit self-conscious. I was chunky and probably should have gone as a ghost and worn a white sheet to cover my curves. “It’s a little tight.”

  “Are you kidding? You look great.” He looked over at Iggy. “Why aren’t you dressed, bud?”

  “See?” my sassy iguana tossed back. “Jaxson wants me to go.”

  I knew when I was defeated. “Okay, but don’t get in anyone’s way.”

  He did his circle dance of joy. “I won’t.”

  His costume was in my bedroom closet. Once I retrieved it, I put it on him. I had to admit, he looked cute. “Do you want some green face paint?”

  “Yes, please. I’d like to look normal at least one day a year.”

  “No one will think you’re special if you’re green, you know.” I loved the fact that he was pink.

  “I’m good with that. Maybe no one will recognize me.”

  “Sure, they will. How many other iguanas have you seen in this town?”

  “A lot. Okay, a few.”

  More like none. It didn’t matter. I just wanted Iggy to be happy. “And Aimee? Won’t she feel left out?”

  Iggy stared at me. “I guess, but she can’t get out of the way like I can.”

  Aimee was a cat that Aunt Fern had adopted. By mistake, this cat had been given the gift of speech. If I had to guess, Iggy used the idea she might be trampled on as an excuse not to invite her. My familiar loved to be the special one at a party.

  Someone knocked on my aunt’s door across the hall from my apartment. It probably was her new boyfriend, Peter Upton. I didn’t know much about the man, but he made my aunt happy, and that’s what was important.

  I turned to Jaxson. “We have the first shift. Ready?”

  “You bet.”

  I’d already checked that the decorations around the restaurant were all set to go. Aunt Fern had closed the Tiki Hut two hours ago to allow some service workers to clear out the tables and chairs, and I couldn’t wait for everyone to see what we’d accomplished.

  As promised, my dad’s crew had delivered the coffin. With the red light focused on the interior, I had to say the vampire looked so real it almost creeped me out.

  Jaxson and Drake had set up the projector that would shine the ghosts on the ceiling. Add in the pumpkins and the fans blowing dry ice over the cemetery, and the Tiki Hut Grill had been transformed into a scary but magical wonderland.

  To further enhance the ambiance, Aunt Fern insisted we buy a few mannequins and dress them in locally themed Halloween costumes. Since Witch’s Cove was situated on the Gulf of Mexico, she’d dressed one in a shark outfit. Yes, she has a warped sense of humor. Dave Sanders, the owner of the Witch’s Cove Dive Shop, lent us his mannequin who was wearing a diving suit. To make the evening even more fun, Aunt Fern had hired a live band.

  We’d set up two tables—one out in front of the restaurant and one in back—to collect the party fee of twenty dollars. The money covered one trip to the buffet and two drinks. The Fire Marshall said we had to keep total attendance to one hundred people or less, which meant we needed to communicate with the table in back to make sure we didn’t go over our limit.

  Jaxson and I had signed up to take the first shift in front, because it was the most hectic time. Jaxson would handle the money and place a white band on the person’s wrist, while I would hand out the food and drink tokens after checking the IDs, if necessary.

  I nudged him. “Here comes the sheriff. Or at least I think that is Steve.” He was wearing a Captain Hook costume, complete with a large hat, fake mustache, and an eyepatch. His date, who I believe was Misty Willows, the sheriff over in Liberty, came dressed as Peter Pan. They looked really cute together.

  “Glinda, Jaxson,” the sheriff said. “Forty for the two of us, right?”

  “That’s right.” Jaxson took the money, while I pressed my clicker twice and then handed them their tokens. “Enjoy the party.”

  I didn’t have to check their IDs since I knew who they were. The next group had costumes that covered their faces. One wore a Spiderman costume, another was Batman, and a third was Olaf from the movie Frozen. I checked their drivers’ licenses and had to assume they belonged to the person holding the card. Considering their rather muscled bodies, they weren’t high school kids. “Have fun.”

  “Thanks, little lady.” That deep voice definitely belonged to an adult male.

  Just as I turned to say something to Jaxson, a second wave of people arrived. First in line were Miriam and Maude Danie
ls, who were dressed as Raggedy Ann and Andy. They, too, looked adorable. Right behind them was Rihanna and Gavin. At five feet ten inches, my cousin made a rather imposing vampire.

  “The white face makeup and heavy black eye makeup are perfect,” I said. As was the black cape and red vest over the white shirt.

  “Thanks. I had fun with it.” She flashed me her fangs.

  “Sweet.”

  I checked out Gavin. His outfit made him almost unrecognizable. Rihanna had done a great job making him look like he had real cuts and bruises on his face. I handed them their buffet and soft drink tokens and told them to enjoy the party.

  For the next forty-five minutes, we had a non-stop flow of people. While I had thought Deputy Nash Solano would dress up as a werewolf, since he was one in real life, he chose to come as a vampire, too. While his costume matched Rihanna’s, he didn’t have nearly the same amount of black eyeliner that she did. “I like the fangs, but you might have a hard time enjoying our buffet with them in.”

  He winked. “Trust me, I’ll take them out.” Nash fished out his money, and I gave him the tokens in exchange.

  Once he stepped inside, two of our evening servers came outside. “You guys can go in and have some fun. We’ll take over.”

  I handed her the clicker. “Just let the person at the back know when you reach fifty.”

  “Will do.”

  We both stood. I couldn’t wait for my first dance with Jaxson. Tonight was going to be epic.

  Chapter Two

  The ghosts floating on the ceiling of the Tiki Hut Grill, the red lights that bathed the coffin, and the dry ice surrounding the small cemetery created an otherworldly feeling. The restaurant never looked better.

  “You and your aunt really pulled out all of the stops.”

  “Thanks.”

  Jaxson nodded to the couple across the room. “Speaking of your aunt, she and her date sure look happy.”

  Peter was in the same vampire costume as Rihanna. Ten bucks said she did his makeup since it looked like hers. As for Aunt Fern, she was wearing a 1920’s flapper outfit. The Mary Jane heels and the headband with attached feather added the perfect touch.