Page 16

Keyes to the Kingdom (of Darkness)

T andy Keyes slipped into Evangelina Coal's office with the practiced ease of someone accustomed to viewing properties without permission.

Knowing how to ‘let yourself in’ was a professional necessity.

She was dressed in what she'd mentally labeled her "sneaky but professional" outfit---a black pantsuit with gold buttons that unfortunately reflected light like tiny beacons with every movement.

Her chunky gold earrings swung violently as she tiptoed through the darkened office, creating periodic flashes that briefly illuminated her progress.

"Stealth mode activated," she whispered to herself, while her clicking heels echoed loudly on the wooden floor. She tried walking on her tiptoes but nearly toppled over. "Note to self: develop vampire-ninja real estate training program for Fangtasia Falls staff."

The building stood unnaturally quiet in the wake of its owner's death, the artifacts that had once hummed with Evangelina's centuries-old energy now subdued, as if in mourning.

A silver pendulum that had continuously swung on Evangelina's desk had stopped mid-arc, frozen at the precise moment of her death.

"Creepy," Tandy muttered, feeling a momentary chill despite herself. "But also, potentially valuable! Mental note: ask Ronald if vampires collect antique magical items. Could be a whole new market segment!"

She moved through the shadowed consultation room, passing shelves of ancient tomes whose spines seemed to turn away from her touch, as if the books themselves recognized her betrayal.

Several protective amulets on the wall began to glow with faint warning light as she approached, their enchantments still active even with their caster gone.

"Oh, shush," she told a particularly bright amulet, attempting to cover it with her scarf. "I'm just browsing! Like an after-hours open house!"

Tandy was searching for anything the expert might have accumulated before her untimely "accident.

" Her gaze darted to the antique clock on the wall---she had perhaps twenty minutes before the town meeting where Leahnora would announce next steps.

Evangelina's death had thrown Cauldron Falls into even deeper chaos, and Tandy needed to ensure no damning evidence remained.

She found the center drawer of Evangelina's oak desk locked. Her fingers hovered over the brass pull, which radiated with midnight blue protective magic.

"Of course there's a spell," she sighed dramatically. "Couldn't just use a normal lock like regular property owners."

Drawing a small vial from her pocket labeled "Ronald's Super Secret Vampire Formula (NOT Just Spray Tan With Glitter)" in her own handwriting, she carefully applied three drops to the pull. It hissed and evaporated, though not without leaving a small burn mark on Tandy's finger.

"Clever old witch," she muttered, sucking her injured finger while using her other hand to open the folder. "Also, ow! This better not affect my ability to point dramatically at properties! It's a key part of my sales technique!"

Inside were detailed accounts of vampire attempts to establish territories in magical communities, including Ronald's failed Florida resort.

Evangelina had compiled cross-references from multiple sources, creating a comprehensive picture of vampire tactics---especially their use of human collaborators.

One page even listed warning signs of potential vampire allies in a community.

Tandy scanned down the list with growing unease:

· Sudden interest in properties near great sources of power

· Unusual questions about town defenses

· Unexplained travel or communications

· Acquisition of anti-magical devices or substances

She had done all these things in the past month. Had Evangelina suspected her before today? Evangelina knew all this before she went to the archives?

"I knew I should've dealt with her sooner," she whispered, stuffing the folder into her oversized handbag decorated with miniature house keys.

"Also, this checklist is way too obvious.

They should really make these harder to identify.

Maybe include some red herrings like 'sudden interest in kale farming' or 'excessive hat-wearing. '"

A noise from the outer office made her freeze.

Moving silently to the door (or as silently as possible in three-inch heels), she peered through the crack to see Tiffany, Evangelina's teenage assistant, collecting her things.

The girl's eyes were red from crying, her usual bored demeanor replaced by genuine grief.

"I can't believe she's gone," Tiffany sniffled to herself, running her fingers over a small crystal ball on her desk. "Who's going to train me now?"

Tandy watched, calculating her options. Tiffany had access to Evangelina's records, appointment book, and possibly her private correspondence. She could be a liability.

"Oh, Tiffany, you frightened me," Tandy declared, flinging open the office door with a dramatic gasp, her hand pressed to her chest. "I'm so sorry about Ms. Coal. So, so, SO sorry. Just devastating. A tragedy! Absolutely nobody could have predicted that cross would fall at that EXACT moment!"

The teenager looked up, startled. "Ms. Keyes? What are you doing here?"

"I had an appointment scheduled with Evangelina," Tandy explained, her expression shifting seamlessly from overly dramatic grief to sympathetic concern.

"I came to... well, to offer my condolences and cancel, of course.

When I couldn't find you. Well," She gestured around the office.

"You must be devastated. She was your only mentor.

Your guiding light! Your magical North Star!

Your professional lighthouse in the stormy seas of dark creature expertise! "

Tiffany's shoulders slumped, giving Tandy a weird look at the excessive metaphors.

"Yeah. She was teaching me about dark creature identification.

Said I had a natural talent for it." Her voice cracked slightly.

"Now I'll probably end up doing retail magic at Witchy Wear & Hair like everyone else with no connections. "

Tandy sensed an opportunity. "You know, I've always thought you were wasted as just an assistant.

Someone with your observational skills should be doing more substantial work.

" She lowered her voice conspiratorially.

"In fact, I might have a position opening up soon in my, uh, expanded business operations.

Something that requires discretion and attention to detail. "

The flattery landed perfectly. Tiffany straightened slightly, her tearful eyes brightening. "You think so?"

"Absolutely," Tandy nodded earnestly. "I can already see you handling all the scheduling for the Vamp--- I mean, for the Very Important People who will be my future clients.

The elite clientele of tomorrow's Cauldron Falls!

Not that there's any major change coming to Cauldron Falls! That would be crazy!"

She laughed too loudly, then cleared her throat. "Out of curiosity, did Evangelina keep records of her recent consultations? For liability reasons, I should probably ensure my appointment is officially canceled."

Tiffany hesitated, her grief momentarily battling with the potential opportunity Tandy had dangled. "She kept everything in her appointment crystal. It's in her desk, but I'm not supposed to access it without permission."

"Of course, of course," Tandy backed off smoothly. "I wouldn't want to put you in an awkward position. Though I imagine Leahnora will want all of Evangelina's recent work, given the circumstances of her death."

"You think it wasn't an accident?" Tiffany asked, leaning forward with the macabre interest typical of teenagers.

"Between us," Tandy lowered her voice conspiratorially, "Detective O'Reilly is treating it as suspicious.

The rope was deliberately messed with, I think.

They think the vampires did it!" She gasped dramatically, then added: "Not that I have any inside information about vampire schemes!

I'm just repeating gossip! Regular old town gossip that anyone might have heard! "

"They think the vampires did it?" Tiffany asked, suddenly wide-eyed.

"That's the obvious conclusion," Tandy agreed.

"Though some are questioning why vampires would use such a mundane method rather than their own abilities.

" She shrugged elegantly. "But that's for the professionals to determine.

I'm just a humble real estate agent. With no vampire connections whatsoever!

None! Zero! Perfectly normal real estate witch here! "

The self-deprecation worked. Tiffany's gaze softened with trust. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to check the appointment crystal. Just to help the investigation."

As the girl turned to open Evangelina's desk, Tandy allowed herself a small smile of triumph. She had effectively diverted Tiffany's attention from her presence in Evangelina's private office while gaining access to potentially damaging records.

When Tiffany returned with the crystal, a small pyramid-shaped object that glowed with a soft blue light, Tandy made a show of concern for the girl's emotional state.

"Are you sure you're all right being here alone?" she asked. "After such a shocking event, you really should have company. Why don't you let me handle canceling my appointment, and you can take some time for yourself?"

Tiffany looked relieved at the suggestion. "Maybe I should go home. My mom's been calling nonstop anyway."

"Excellent idea," Tandy encouraged. "Family is so important in times like these.

I can lock up when I'm done. You know, I'll be listing the place, anyway.

Nobody wants a ghost haunting their business!

Not that I've thought about this property's future market value during this tragic time. That would be highly inappropriate!"

After Tiffany left, Tandy waited until the door closed before turning her attention to the appointment crystal. Unlike the folder, this wouldn't fit in her handbag. She'd need to either destroy it or alter the records.

She found the crystal, still glowing faintly with an unsent message. Picking it up carefully, she activated it to display the contents.

"Roam---Ronald's tried this before. Florida, 1987. Failed vampire resort. Tandy working with them. Beware the cross. Water only works if freely given---"

The message cut off there, never completed or sent. Tandy gasped in indignation.

"She spelled my name right! That is so unfair! Why does the evil villain always get proper name recognition when half my clients still call me 'Candy'?"

After a moment of vanity-based outrage, the actual content of the message sank in.

"Wait, this is bad. This is very bad. This is career-endingly bad! Reputation-destroyingly bad! Corner-office-with-name-plaque-revokingly bad!"

She crushed the crystal in her hand, ignoring the sharp edges cutting into her palm.

"Too late, Evangelina," she whispered. "But nice try."

Blood from her cut hand dripped onto the appointment crystal, which absorbed it with an ominous hiss. The blue glow turned briefly red before fading completely, the records corrupted beyond recovery.

Tandy examined her bleeding palm with a pout. "Great. The things I do for eternal commission. This better not leave a scar---how am I supposed to dramatically point at property features with a scarred hand? Clients expect perfect hand modeling in this business!"

She slipped out through the back door of Evangelina's office, leaving no trace of her presence except a single business card deliberately placed on the desk---a little professional touch she couldn't resist.

The card read: "Tandy Keyes, Vampire Real Estate Queen" with the tagline "Selling Cauldron Falls Properties For Centuries To Come!" in tiny print at the bottom.

"Oops, wrong card," she muttered, noticing too late that she'd left one of her prototype vampire realtor cards. "Oh well, nobody will connect the dots. That would require actual detective work!"

As she walked away, the magical instruments in Evangelina's office began to stir again, as if disturbed by some unseen force. The pendulum that had stopped at her death began to swing once more, but erratically, its rhythm disrupted by the dark magic that now tainted the space.

Back in her car, Tandy checked her reflection in the mirror, practicing different facial expressions.

"Shocked about vampire arrival!" she gasped, widening her eyes dramatically. "Concerned about community welfare!" she frowned, furrowing her brow. "Innocent of all wrongdoing!" she declared with an unconvincing look of virtue.

She finally settled on what she considered her most professional expression---a practiced smile that revealed just the right amount of teeth without looking predatory. Perfect for greeting both her current witch clients and her future vampire ones.

"Soon," she whispered to her reflection. "Very soon."