Hallow Haven Cozy Mysteries Bundle Books 1-3 by Mara Webb (books to read fiction .txt) 📕

“Yeah, they must be waiting for us inside.”

“Do you know why they wanted us to come here?” I asked.

Miller shrugged. “I was just told that they wanted a meeting with the peacekeeper as soon as possible and that means that I come to, I have to make sure you’re safe.”

“So having us swim through shark infested water was part of your safety plan?” I teased.

“Listen, that’s only happened to me twice before. Who gets that unlucky with a rowboat three times, it’s unheard of!”

“Enough flirting, jeez. You are making me feel like a real third-wheel here!” Fitz said. I felt myself blush and suddenly couldn’t look over at Miller out of embarrassment. We were both dripping wet and our ride home was somewhere at the bottom of the water. I started walking in the direction of the house and Miller followed. Fitz bounded ahead and was sitting on the top step by the front door when we arrived.

“Did you open that?” I asked. The door was open just enough for us to peak into the hallway.

“No, it was like that when I got here. It is gonna be draft-city in there,” Fitz said.

“Hello?” I called out, knocking on the door loudly to attract the attention of anyone inside. “Can you hear anything?” I asked Miller. He shook his head.

“This doesn’t feel right to me,” he whispered back.

“Are your werewolf senses tingling?” Fitz asked. “If you are getting some sort of fifth sense about this place then I’m out. As your familiar, I strongly recommend that we get back to the mainland and eat a grilled cheese.”

“Fifth sense? Do you mean sixth sense?” I asked.

“No, fifth. Touch, taste, earth and fire… so werewolf tingles would be number five,” Fitz replied matter-of-factly.

“How are you also a dentist?” Miller mumbled.

I pushed the door open a little wider, but the wind blowing in from the beach rushed from behind me and pushed the door all the way open. I could see right through to a dining room and the curtains were waving wildly, like battle flags.

I stepped forward and felt a hand on my wrist.

“I should go first,” Miller said. He was pulling me back, away from the door. “We were called here, but now the place is deserted. It could be a trap.”

“He’s right,” a voice said. It was the ghostly form of my dead cousin, Greta.

“Greta! I swam in the sea!” Fitz shouted.

“Good job buddy,” she smiled. “Hey Miller.”

“It’s still weird that you’re a ghost,” he replied. “But hello to you too.”

“You think ghosts are weirder than werewolves?” she scoffed.

“Let’s not get into that debate right now,” I sighed. “What’s going on here, Greta? Isn’t this your parent’s house? Where is everyone?”

“I don’t know. It’s not like my dad to leave the house unlocked. My mom is usually out back gardening, maybe she’s the one that called you,” Greta replied.

“We should look there then,” I announced. “Lead the way.”

Greta floated along the paved path that wound around the outside of the house. I followed, peering through every window I passed to see if there was any sign of activity inside. The only movement was from the curtains.

“This house is huge!” Fitz gasped.

“You’ve been here before!” Greta replied.

“I know, but it still takes me by surprise. How many people even live here?” he said.

“Well, my parents obviously, and then—” Greta was cut off by the sound of a deep rumble of thunder. The sky was blue directly above us, but a dark storm was racing in our direction. The rain was drumming against the ocean in the distance.

“We should get inside,” Miller said. “If that’s okay with you?”

“Me?” Greta laughed. “I don’t live here anymore, I don’t live!” No one else thought her joke merited so much as a chuckle. “Wow, really? Tough crowd. Yeah, sure. Go on in. They are your family too!”

I let the thought wash over me as I was still coming to terms with the idea that I had any family at all. The idea that I might bump into some relatives in this building was too much to think about.

“There’s a spare key for the back door under that rock,” Greta pointed out. Miller lifted it up, grabbed the key and unlocked the door. We raced inside as the rain hit the island and by the time it was beating down on the roof of the house, we were safely indoors.

“Why is the universe out to get me today, I just want to stay dry!” Fitz complained.

“Yeah, it’s all about you,” Greta said sarcastically. “Oh shoot, the front door!”

The back door had opened into the kitchen, but I could hear the rain hitting the wooden floor of the hallway so followed the sound until I saw the open front entrance. The water was pooling where the rain was hitting the house at an angle and coming in. I ran over to shut the door and turned back to face Greta.

“So… is it normal to leave your door open like this? I know people in small communities usually feel safe and all, but I spent most of my life in Virginia and we lock doors over there,” I said.

“We do too. My dad has never left the house without checking the locks. My mom would have come in by now if she was gardening, she wouldn’t have stayed out in the rain,” Greta frowned.

“Hello?” a feeble voice called from upstairs. “Who’s there?”

“Say you’re the peacekeeper,” Greta urged. She reached over to give me a nudge with her elbow, but obviously didn’t make any physical contact as her arm simply passed through me.

“I’m the peacekeeper, Sadie Alden!” I shouted back. “Who are you?”

There was no reply.

“I’m going up,” I said to Greta. Miller had appeared at the sound of my voice and looked at me with a furrowed brow.

“Who is up there? What is up there?” he asked Greta. She shrugged.

“I didn’t come here all that much over the last few years. They could have