From Bad to Curse (Moonglow Hollow Mysteries Book 3)(Paranormal Women's Midlife Fiction)

Copyright © 2023 by Maddie Smith Miller All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact Maddie Smith Miller at [email protected]. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. Book Cover by Mariah Sinclair First edition 2023 Contents From Bad to Curse 1. Chapter 1 2. Chapter 2 3. Chapter 3 4. Chapter 4 5. Chapter 5 6. Chapter 6 7. Chapter 7 8. Chapter 8 9. Chapter 9 10. Chapter 10 11. Chapter 11 12. Chapter 12 13. Chapter 13 14. Chapter 14 15. Chapter 15 16. Chapter 16 17. Chapter 17 18. Chapter 18 19. Chapter 19 20. Chapter 20 About the Author Welcome to Moonglow Hollow, where magic and mystery go hand in hand… When the Crypid Care teacher is found dead in her classroom, no one is shocked to learn it was murder. But when the prime suspect is Juniper Greenlee—wife to Sheriff Dex and Trixie’s ex-best friend—there is plenty of surprise to go around. Dex is placed on leave to keep him from influencing the investigation, so he enlists Trixie to prove Junie’s innocence. While it’s true the victim ruffled more than a few feathers in her life, Junie might not be as blameless as the sheriff wants to believe. When a second body turns up under similar circumstances, it seems the killer might be silencing those who get too close to the truth. Can Trixie unmask the perpetrator before she finds herself in the cross hairs? Sign up to learn about new releases: https://bit.ly/msm-signup Chapter 1 I watched Starla’s hands as she deftly tipped liquors from six separate bottles into a tall glass before topping it off with a generous pour of lavender lemonade. She grinned broadly as she set out a small, square napkin on the bar and placed the glass atop it. “And there it is: a Witch Island Iced Tea. Easy, see?” I consulted the small notepad in my hand where I’d hastily scribbled the ingredients for this drink and two dozen others the bartender took me through during today’s training session. Starla hadn’t given me any actual measurements, so my amounts were all guesses. According to Starla, I would get the feel for the amounts needed with practice. “Sure. Easy.” She nodded encouragingly. “You wanna take a sip? So you know how it’s supposed to taste?” “No!” The word came out with more force than I intended. When I arrived four hours earlier for my first day of training as a bartender at the Copper Cauldron, I didn’t know what to expect. We started with the on-tap beers, and even though I didn’t particularly care for beer, I tried each one as Starla suggested. When we began working on mixed drink recipes, I continued sipping each one as she made it. On the occasion she had me try to make one on my own, she had me try that one, too, and compare it to hers. To put it mildly, I’d had more to drink today than I ever had in my life. It was a good thing there were no cars on the island. Not that I would be driving myself anywhere. This morning before I left the house, my cousin Cress insisted she would pick me up from work. Now I knew why. If my tone offended Starla, she didn’t show it. She picked up the glass and took a long swig of the garnet colored beverage. “Aah,” she sighed, smacking her lips. “This one’s a crowd pleaser. I’ll show you how to make it by the pitcher. Gets ordered that way a lot—especially by the Ladies’ Night crowd. You’ve got to be careful with the ratios so the pitcher doesn’t come out sweeter than it does by the glass.” I gripped my notepad and pencil, steeling myself for another too-fast tutorial, when two welcome figures stepped up to the bar. Well, one of them stepped. The other sat atop his companion’s shoulder like a furry gargoyle. “How’s our girl doing on her first day?” asked my cousin Cressida Crow. She beamed at me before turning her attention to Starla. “Head of the class, I’ll bet.” “Really?” asked Sterling, the silver cat who claimed to be a dragon that became my familiar just before my return to Moonglow Hollow. “I would have pegged her as a middle-of-the-road pupil.” Good thing he wasn’t an emotional support animal. “She did just fine,” Starla said, setting down the pitcher she held. “The first few days are always the hardest. I’m sure today felt a little overwhelming, but by week’s end, she’ll be slinging drinks with the best of ’em.” The corners of my lips twisted at her encouragement, but the attempted smile felt more like a grimace. I couldn’t imagine ever pouring drinks with Starla’s confidence. But if she thought I could do it, I would have to believe her. “So, is she good to clock out?” Cress asked. “She said she was working till three and…” She glanced meaningfully at her wrist, despite the fact she wasn’t wearing a watch. “Oh, oh. Of course,” Starla said. “I guess the time got away from me. I’ve got to prepare for the dinner crowd.” She elbowed me. “Before long, I’ll have you to help during the rush.” “Can’t wait.” My stomach twisted as I forced out the words. When I walked out into the afternoon sunlight a minute later, I gulped down fresh air, willing it to cut through the edge of haziness around my brain. “I’m not sure I’m cut out to be a bartender,” I said as I zeroed in on Cress’s bike parked in the nearby