Page 8 of Cursed (Witchbane #8)

“I just emailed you the address,” Caden said. “Funny thing—I checked for drone or aerial photos and nothing usable showed up. Anything in the search results fuzzed or fizzled in that section over the plant and only in that section.”

Evan sighed. “I’m not surprised. We’ve talked about whether it would make sense to get a drone for surveillance or recon, and that’s the problem—magic isn’t always camera friendly.” He grinned. “But we still bought one and I’m itching to give it a try.”

“There are old photos from about sixty years ago,” Caden said. “I copied them from the archive and emailed them to you. It doesn’t seem like the building itself has changed much. It’s sat empty since it closed in the late 1960s, but it hasn’t fallen into disrepair, so someone is taking care of it.”

“Thank you,” Seth said. “It’s a huge help to have someone familiar with the territory.”

“What’s the plan from here?” Nash asked. Evan noticed that the bar was getting busier, and he knew that Nash wouldn’t be able to spare time for them much longer.

“We’re going to try out the food truck tomorrow, see if Tony is playing nearby, and chat them up,” Evan said. “Get the lay of the land.”

“It might help to accidentally-on-purpose run into them here tonight and talk to Pax while Tony plays,” Seth mused. “Wouldn’t hurt to meet up in a neutral safe space and have Nash recognize us—builds trust. After that, we’ll play it by ear.”

“We’re here if you need backup.” Caden dug several business cards from his wallet, which he handed to Seth. “You know how to reach us.”

They shook hands and Nash went back to the bar, with Caden following, taking an open stool to hang out.

“Let’s just get dinner here,” Seth suggested. “I’m tired from the drive, and I don’t feel like cooking. And then we’ll be here when Tony plays.”

“Suits me,” Evan agreed.

He went up to the bar and came back with menus. “Nash says that the music starts in about half an hour,” he reported. “Tony is the second one up, so we can chill for a while and snack on appetizers and then dinner.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Seth scanned the menu. “Get any recommendations from Nash?”

“I know burgers aren’t original, but I saw one on someone’s plate, and it looked really good.”

“You want to do the ordering? You know how I like mine.” Seth handed back the menu. Evan took them back up front and talked to Nash, then returned with another beer and sat.

“Figured I’d take one for the team since you’re driving.” He lifted his glass in a mock toast to Seth. “Nash is on board with the plan, and he’s fine with us just hanging out and munching.”

The crowd at Mystic seemed laid back, a mix of ages. From their clothes, Evan guessed they ranged from business colleagues dropping in after work to locals and tourists.

A server brought a plate of fried green tomatoes and blue crab dip with house-made chips along with soft drinks. Evan hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he smelled the food.

“Wow, that’s really good,” Evan said after trying some of both dishes.

“Definitely better than the standard bar food,” Seth agreed.

They paced themselves so that they could be finishing up when it was Tony’s turn to play. That would allow them to bump into Pax on their way out without seeming contrived.

Their burgers came just as the first musician stepped up to introduce himself. His playlist of mellow folk tunes had the patrons nodding agreeably and clapping between songs.

“This is dangerously awesome.” Seth nodded toward his burger. “I’d be in trouble if we could eat here regularly.”

Evan agreed, even though he usually ordered something a little lighter. “I’m glad I went for it. When it looks that good, it’s worth trying.”

Since they were waiting for Tony to play, dinner was a leisurely affair, something rare that felt almost decadent. They often ate quickly on the road or made a hurried dinner in the RV after a busy day. Evan loved the change, even if it was part of working the case.

“Almost like a date,” Evan remarked.

“I was thinking the same thing.” Seth paid the bill, and they waited for Tony to take the stage next.

The first guitarist wrapped up his set to appreciative applause from the diners. Evan had spotted Tony coming in about fifteen minutes earlier and hanging out in a corner near the front. Just like his photo, he had shaggy brown hair and a trimmed beard.

When the first musician cleared the stage, Tony took his place with his guitar and music. The way he hooked up to the bar’s sound system made it clear he had performed there before.

“There’s Pax,” Seth said.

Evan recognized the man from his photo—tall, slender, clean-shaven, with short ginger hair. Pax had taken a seat at the bar where he could cheer on his partner.

“Hi, everyone. I’m Tony, and I hope my songs make your evening a little brighter.” He sat and began to play. His first two songs were soft rock favorites, a comfortable background for dining.

“Come on.” Seth plucked at Evan’s sleeve. They got up and made their way toward the front but paused at the bar behind Pax like they wanted to hear at least one more song before leaving.

“He’s really good,” Evan commented to Pax, just a friendly comment to a stranger.

Pax grinned. “Tony’s freaking fantastic. Is this the first you’ve heard him?”

“Yeah, we just got to town,” Evan replied. Seth stayed close behind him, ostensibly focused on the music but tuned into the conversation.

“You picked a great bar to start with.” Pax never took his eyes off Tony.

“The food is terrific, and I’m pretty partial to the music.

” While he didn’t come out and admit that Tony was his partner, his encouraging smile made it clear that they were at least close friends.

Evan understood the need to maintain plausible deniability for safety’s sake.

“Guess our friend gave us a good tip,” Evan said. “Got any suggestions for us?”

Pax pulled a card from his wallet and handed it to Evan.

“I run the Peachy-Cue food truck over at the Market. It’s barbecue with my signature peach sauce.

There are a bunch of trucks with pretty much everything anyone could want, but I’m biased about mine being the best.” Pax gave a broad grin.

“Plus Tony and other musicians play at lunch.”

“That just went on the must-do list.” Evan saw Seth nod out of the corner of his eye. “By the way, I’m Evan and this is Seth.”

Pax turned enough to shake hands before returning his attention to Tony and clapping as a song came to an end. “Great to meet you. I hope you have fun in Savannah and come by the truck.”

“Please tell Tony we enjoyed his music,” Evan replied. “And we’ll definitely try out the barbecue.”

Evan didn’t have a good excuse to chat longer and didn’t want to set off any stalker vibes, so they slipped out at the end of the next song.

He and Seth headed outside. They made a check of the area around Mystic to make sure no one might be lying in wait for Pax or Tony, but didn’t see anyone suspicious.

“Well, that accomplished more than I expected,” Seth said as they walked to the truck.

“Our cases don’t usually have such good food,” Evan agreed, deliberately misunderstanding and bumping Seth’s arm.

Once they were on the road, Evan looked at Seth while his partner drove. “Thoughts?”

Seth shrugged. “That went well. I like Caden and Nash. Got good vibes—not that I’m surprised considering who recommended them.

Definitely helps to have local boots on the ground.

Between Caden’s connections and knowing who to ask, he saved us at least a day’s work and gave us a possible ritual site.

” He paused. “Doesn’t hurt to have someone who can help cover our tracks, if we need it. ”

“I liked them too,” Evan replied. “Nash’s ability with the ghosts is real. I’d love to see Caden’s psychometry in action, but I don’t envy anyone that gift. I wouldn’t want to hear the gossip from every antique. I don’t know how Cassidy manages.”

“Running an antique shop as a psychometric has to be tough, but it’s her family business, so I guess she’s figured out how to make it work,” Evan added.

“I imagine Caden has figured out how to tamp it down to do his job with the police,” Seth said. “I would think that’s one of the first things someone learns with an ability like that.”

“How about Pax and Tony? At least now when we stop by the food truck, it’s not a cold call,” Evan said.

“They seem nice and unguarded. They’ve really got no idea what’s coming at them.” Seth sounded tired, like the danger weighed on him. “I hate to spoil that, but it’s the price of saving their lives.”

“I know what you mean. And once you know, you can’t ‘un-know.’” Evan sighed. “It’s been a long day. Let’s get a good night’s sleep and start fresh tomorrow.”

“Can we stop for donuts and coffee in the morning? I want donuts.”

Evan laughed. “Absolutely. Sugar and caffeine are required for saving the world.”

By the time Seth was out of the shower the next morning, Evan had located a local coffee shop whose pastries had a devoted following, according to the online reviews.

“These are even better than I expected,” Seth moaned as he bit into his second donut.

“The coffee is better than average too,” Evan agreed. “And I like the vibe of the place.” The Coffee Spot had a kitschy décor showcasing everything coffee-related, including posters, vintage mugs, china cups, grinders, and photos.

They chose a table in the back where they wouldn’t be in the way and spent time planning where to go next.

“I figured we’d drive around and get the lay of the land before we hit the food truck for lunch,” Seth said. “At some point, I’d like to see Vernon’s restaurants.”

“Do you think we can go inside and look around?” Evan asked. “Either of the restaurants might be a hiding place for his anchor.”

Seth thought for a moment and shook his head. “Seems like a big risk. We can’t be sure whether or not he knows who we are. If he does, we’d be walking right into his hands.”