"If only someone had checked those ropes more carefully," Tandy lamented loudly, dabbing at perfectly dry eyes with a monogrammed handkerchief. "Such a terrible accident. Absolutely no one could have predicted this completely random event that just happened to eliminate our town's only vampire expert right before the blood moon!"
Mrs. Wilson pushed through the crowd, her eyes locking with Tandy's. The elderly witch's expression made it clear that she suspected the truth, but in the chaos of the moment, her accusations would be lost amidst the general panic.
As Roam organized efforts to lift the cross and retrieve Evangelina's body, Tandy slipped away from the square, allowing herself a small smile of satisfaction.
"It's not betraying the town if I'm improving property values!" she whispered to herself. "Even if those properties will be owned by the undead! Besides, think of all the jobs the vampire resort will create! Vampire maids, vampire concierges, vampire tour guides... and one very, very rich vampire real estate agent!"
She ducked into an alley and pulled out her phone, sending a quick message to Ronald: "Obstacle removed. Now nothing stands between you and your claim on Cauldron Falls. P.S. Doyou still think Minister of Real Estate is a good title for me? How about Vampire Housing Czar? Either works!"
The response came almost immediately: "Beautiful! Tremendous! The best assassination! You're going to be so rich, Tandy. So rich. The richest real estate witch ever."
Tandy clutched the phone to her chest, already imagining her future office in Fangtasia Falls, complete with blood-red carpet and eternal clients who never haggled over her commission. Maybe Ronald would even let her try the spray tan.
As the blood moon approached, Tandy Keyes returned to her office to prepare for the final phase. Tomorrow night, Ronald Bitterhump would arrive to claim Cauldron Falls, and Tandy would finally have everything she'd ever wanted: wealth, power, and the respect that had always been denied to the witch who couldn't even light a candle without a match.
She practiced her greeting in front of her mirror: "Welcome to Cauldron Falls, your vampireness! No, too formal. Hey there, Ronald, ready to revolutionize undead real estate? Perfect!"
Behind her on the wall, her vision board glittered with promise in the fading light, the words "Eternal Commission" seeming to pulse with anticipation of the blood moon to come.
Bait and Witch
In his office, Roam methodically examined the broken ropes from the fallen cross, his panther-like eyes detecting details invisible to others. His nostrils flared occasionally, capturing scents that witches couldn't perceive. The rope fibers held traces of an unfamiliar smell---something chemical beneath the natural hemp, something that didn't belong.
"What do you think?" Honey asked, standing nearby as he worked. They had moved the cross fragments to a secure area behind the town hall, away from curious onlookers.
"Definitely sabotage," Roam confirmed, his slight southern accent more pronounced with concentration. "The rope was tainted with something that burnt it almost all the way through, add a little wind, maybe something else, and disaster."
He lifted a section to his nose, then quickly pulled back, his enhanced Shifter senses rebelling against the acrid scent. "Some kind of anti-magical compound too. That's why Evangelina's shield failed."
"Who in Cauldron Falls would have access to something like that?" Honey wondered.
Roam's expression darkened. "That's the concerning part. This isn't something you'd find at the local apothecary. It would have to be specially ordered or created."
He stood, brushing wood dust from his hands. His movements were purposeful but carried an underlying tension---the professional investigator battling with a personal concern for the town he protected and the people he cared about.
"We should check with Miles," he suggested. "He might recognize the compound. And we need to talk to Leahnora about increased security. If there's a traitor working with the vampires."
"I can't believe anyone from Cauldron Falls would do this," Honey said, though her voice lacked conviction. Her pink aura flickered with distress. "To kill Evangelina... to betray their own community..."
"Desperation makes people capable of terrible things," Roam replied grimly. "And vampires are skilled manipulators. They find weaknesses, exploit insecurities."
Outside, a hawk named Louie who delivered official announcements---swooped down to perch on a nearby post.
"Attention citizens!" Louie declared in his deep, resonant voice. "Emergency town meeting called by Mayor Loveridge! Town hall, thirty minutes! Attendance mandatory! Information regarding vampire threat and security measures to be discussed!"
The hawk repeated the message once more before flying off to another part of town. Already, people were beginning to move toward the town hall, their faces reflecting a mixture of fear, determination, and, in some cases, lingering skepticism.
"Leahnora must have made a decision," Honey noted.
"Let's hope it's the right one," Roam replied, gathering the rope evidence into a secure container. "With Evangelina gone, we've lost our best expert on vampires."
As they headed toward the town hall, neither noticed a small, folded note that had been slipped under the door of Roam's office. Written in elegant script was a simple message: "The hunter arrives at dawn. Prepare for his protection."
The note was signed with a small symbol---a crescent moon intersecting with a pentagram, Leahnora's personal seal.
Keyes to the Kingdom (of Darkness)
Tandy 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.
