Miss Mage: Casino Witch Mysteries, #8

By Nikki Haverstock

Three things guaranteed to turn a Mage Pageant deadly:
_Contestants willing to do anything to win
_Beautiful outfits and dazzling performances
_A missing body
When Ella goes undercover as a contestant in one of the most renown pageants in the magicking world, she's expecting behind the scenes drama--but not a backstage murder scene. With Vanessa along as her trusty assistant and the dependable and handsome Vin watching her back as head of security, she has to navigate contestants with lots to hide and pageant staff with agendas of their own, all while maintaining her cover as a mage who wants to win the crown. Luckily, more surprise friends drop in to help. And she needs all the assistance she can get because while they know that someone was killed backstage...the body has disappeared.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ranch Dog Entertainment, LLC
• Release date: May 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223669111

Nikki Haverstock

Nikki Haverstock lives with her husband and dogs on a cattle ranch high in the Rocky Mountains. Before escaping the city, Nikki taught collegiate archery for ten years. She has competed on and off for fifteen in the USA Archery women’s recurve division. In the 2015, she finished the season ranked 14th nationally. Nikki has more college degrees than she has sense and hopefully one day she will put one to work.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

I bounded down the hallway, resisting the urge to whistle.

I was in such a great mood. Another pageant, another handsome payout at the end of the week, all while rubbing shoulders with some of the prettiest mages in the area.

I didn’t bother to disguise myself. If I was spotted and identified, who cared? I had a perfectly good reason to be at this pageant. Even if I was found backstage, I had a million excuses. I wasn’t going to do any magic unless it directly lined my own pocket, and hiding who I was didn’t cut the mustard.

For a split second, the thought drifted across my brain that I was getting sloppy or reckless, and rather than ignore the feeling, I double-checked that I hadn’t forgotten anything. I had my deposit at home. I had cash in my money clip to bribe anyone who asked too many questions. I had only communicated on a private email. And so far, not a single person at work suspected a thing.

And what if I was caught? It would be embarrassing, and I would be fired from my job and shunned by the community—if they found out. But the whole thing would likely be swept under the rug, and I would get a quiet retirement. It would be better for everyone involved, especially me.

Then I could retire to a nice safe island to ingest tropical fruit drinks and wear shorts year round. Or I could take up skiing. Or maybe even move to a city and run a theater. I had a million options, and the nest egg I had built would fund whatever my heart desired.

I slipped backstage and adjusted the bag under my shoulder so I could free up my hands for an illumination spell.

The bag had all the potions and instruction needed, though I would be there to help if necessary.

I slipped through the darkness, debating if I should call out or just wait. The thought of sheepishly whispering into the darkness felt emasculating, so instead, I crept forward, feeling along the wall when there was a barely perceptible click above me. Are you there? I whispered into the dark. I brought everything.

Silence greeted me, and I took a few steps forward. I’m going to need the rest of the money before—

There was noise I couldn’t place until it was too late to dodge the weight coming toward my face, then everything went black.

CHAPTER TWO

I poked my head in the door at Freeman Security on the second floor of the building I owned in Rambler, Nevada.

Hey, Samantha. Bear asked me to stop in when I had a few minutes. Is he free? I asked.

She batted her big blue eyes at me and pushed her blond hair out of her face. Hey, Ella. He was on the phone with Vin a few minutes ago, but I’ll check to see if he’s done.

She bounded out from behind her desk and disappeared down the hallway. I could have called ahead to check, but since my loft was on the third and top floor, it was easier to just walk down the ramp that wrapped around the building and pop in. Bear was more than a tenant—he was also my boss when I worked on cases with him.

You want a doughnut? Vanessa, my partner in crime fighting, popped out from the conference room with powdered sugar dusting her chest.

I wondered where you disappeared to. Any glazed doughnuts?

She came out to hand me one before flopping into a chair to devour a bear claw. She practically lived with me when cases were active, and we had been working all week for a store. I had been poring over their financial records and noting some concerning inconsistencies when I noticed that Vanessa was no longer on the couch, checking through the hiring reports for the employees we suspected might be stealing.

Samantha returned. He’s just finished up.

How is Vin doing? Vin was Vanessa’s brother. We’d had a tumultuous relationship over the years that actually got better after his wife attacked me. Vin also worked for Bear but had been on cases out of state for the past six months, I assumed because of all the bad memories here in town.

She shrugged. Okay, I guess. He’s calling more recently, but he never has time to talk. Frankly, he scares me.

I nodded. He scares a lot of people. He’s good at that.

Vanessa licked her fingers. He’s not talking to anyone in the family. It’s driving Mom crazy. I’m ready to go kick his butt.

I leaned back against the wall. Cut him a break. His wife betrayed him and then died. Either could ruin a person. Having both happen at once must be even worse.

Bear lumbered from the back hallway. He was tall and fierce, perfect qualities for the owner of a security firm. I also knew that he was kind and acted as a mentor to those he cared about, but there were few who fit that bill. Oh, good. Vanessa is also here. Can you come back to my office?

Suddenly, I felt a bit uncomfortable. Because of my gift, I could sense that something was a little off, and I braced for the news. I quickly mentally ran over the case we were working and wondered if we had missed something important.

You did double-check those numbers I put together, right? You promised, I hissed at Vanessa as we sat down.

Bear sat behind his desk, which was overflowing with case files. The numbers are fine. Perfect, in fact. I’m going to give the case to Richard’s team to take over because I have a case I need you two for.

I shook my head. I don’t know, Bear. I am literally right in the middle of the financials, and if someone takes over, they are going to have to start over. Maybe Richard’s team should take the new case.

He chuckled. Though I would love to see them try, that just wouldn’t work. Ella, have you heard of the Miss Mage competition?

I haven’t. They need me to do a financial audit? I was hoping.

They need you to go undercover. They have some concerns about the safety of the competitors.

Vanessa squealed next to me.

I looked over and glared. If there are security threats, they need a security team.

They have one. You would be working with them, but as a competitor, you would have access the regular security team wouldn’t. Vanessa can go as your assistant.

This time, she couldn’t contain herself. When I was a teenager, I went with my cousin Olivia to help. It was so fun. I styled her hair and helped her pick out clothing.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Great. Then Vanessa can compete, and I’ll assist her. That will free me up to watch the other competitors and keep my options free.

Bear shook his head. No, you don’t understand. You have to be the one to do it.

Why?

He smirked. Because of her. He pointed at my feet.

I looked down, and there was my feline familiar, Patagonia, nibbling the bits of doughnut that had crumbled onto the floor. She was an enormous black cat with far too much personality. I had left her sleeping in a sunbeam in my loft, but apparently, she had flashed on down to join me.

What about Patagonia?

This is a traditional mage competition. Feline familiars play a part in the competition. Since Vanessa’s familiar is more of a homebody, you are the best fit.

I sighed. Most mages’ familiars preferred to stay at home. A mage could still draw power through them when necessary, but most mages didn’t use enough magic to need their familiars. But not me. Maybe because I had come to my powers so late in life, I was obsessed with developing all my magical abilities. In the years since I had discovered I was a mage, I had managed to not only catch up with the average mage but to surpass many.

Maybe that was why Patagonia was often stuck to my side. We had bonded much later in life, almost a decade beyond the normal time. She was also extremely friendly with Vanessa, as Patagonia had hung around her until she found me. It really was destiny that I was friends with Vanessa.

Okay, I get why you thought of me, but we are so busy. In addition to work, we have, like, a dozen appointments. Has anyone been killed? I had a rather unique ability to read the emotional holograms left behind after a murder caused by magic. If the pageant organizers were investigating a case that involved murder, I could see how I might be the only option.

Bear shook his head. No, no murders yet. Hopefully none at all if you can get out there.

Why don’t you go?

I definitely wouldn’t be a convincing Miss Mage contestant, he said with a laugh.

You know what I meant.

I can’t. I have meetings over the next few days, and in fact, I wanted to talk to you about that. He got up and closed the door, which was surprising. I couldn’t imagine what he would need to hide from Samantha.

Bear sat back in the chair. I’ve been asked to consider getting into politics by some powerful mages.

Politics? I repeated.

Yeah, I’m not taking it too seriously, but I’ve agreed to the meetings as a courtesy to those asking. Your cousin Olivia is one of them. He gestured to Vanessa.

Olivia Santini owned several casinos in Rambler and had only grown more powerful in the years after her father was killed and she took over his empire.

Her eyes went big. She asked you?

He grumbled softly. Don’t look so surprised. You should know better than anyone that I have worked for many of the most powerful people in town, often with you in my stead. And those cases have been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction while staying mostly discreet. I’ve gained standing as someone who is trustworthy.

I nodded along. So you are going to do it? What would you even run for? Would you have to give up your business?

He held up a hand. Nothing has been decided. I’m taking the meetings. The mages feel they have some compelling arguments, and I am willing to listen. I don’t know exactly what they are going to pitch, so I can’t answer everything, but if I do decide to run, I would not give up my business, though I might scale back which jobs I personally take. You would be okay. He gestured to me.

Vanessa really didn’t need the money. She might not have a big stake in the casinos, like her cousin Olivia, but she had a small share that kept her accounts full and her dessert cravings satisfied, even if she didn’t work with me for Bear.

That sounds exciting, I said. Surely, you will need me around the office to help. Plus, Mac has been out in the desert for a few weeks, and I bet he will come back any time.

Mac was my dragon, though when he was with me, he appeared to be a dog. But then he would disappear for a few weeks to act as Rambler’s newest tourist attraction, the first free-range dragon spotted in the area in over a hundred years.

I can take care of him if he shows up, Bear countered.

I’m a Monza. Wouldn’t it be weird for me to compete?

Monza was a title that a female witch could claim that usually led to a life of celibacy and an esteemed place in the community. The details of what it meant were shrouded in mystery, even for me, which I hated. I was slowly discovering what it meant, with guidance from a mentor.

"You would be undercover. Added benefit of the job. You can take a week off from being a valuable member of the community with a reputation to preserve and instead just kick back and be a young single witch for the week. We can get all the information set up. You two can go by Ella and Vanessa, but we will give you each fake last names."

If this is a big, important competition, then surely someone from Rambler will be there, and our fake last names will give us away, I said.

You will be attending Miss Mage East. No one from Rambler will be there. Trust me, I have looked at every angle. You just go, keep an eye out, and have a nice little vacation.

Vanessa leaned over a little to whisper to me. It sounds like fun.

I shook my head. I know, but it just seems like the timing isn’t right. I turned to Bear. I really need you to ask someone else. There is just too much on my plate to take off for a week. I tried to radiate a calm energy, even though I had never been so direct with Bear—ever.

He heaved a sigh. You’ve been peppering me with so many excuses that I didn’t get to tell you the best aspect of this job. Vin’s running security for the event. And just in case you are still going to fight me on this, I think he needs you, so there is no way you can say no.

Vanessa perked up. He needs us?

He’s got a really bad feeling about this pageant. He wanted to pull someone undercover. I was the one to suggest the two of you, and he seemed relieved.

I pursed my lips. So he didn’t really ask for us.

Bear scrubbed his face. Why are both of you being so stubborn about this? Let me explain. He needs your help. He doesn’t want to seem like a burden to anyone. And you need this. You’re going to burn out, and what will I do without you? And maybe while you are out there, you can convince him it’s time to head back to Rambler.

I blew out a breath. No, obviously, we’ll go. Why didn’t you just tell us about Vin from the beginning?

I have a flair for the dramatic. Bear slumped back into the chair. I’m glad you’re going. I just think this will be good for everyone. Vin has been racing all over the country since the incident, and I know he misses everyone. Plus you and Vanessa can take a break and have his back should things go sideways. It’s a win-win all around. I’m glad we worked this out, but now, we need to get to work. We have a lot to do before you leave this evening.

This evening? Surely I will need more time to prepare?

Vanessa shook her head. We’ll be ready.

I looked at her. She had come alive in a way I hadn’t seen in months. Whatever hesitations I had, I could just ignore for now.

Bear pulled out some sheets of paper. Here is what you need. Whatever you don’t have, you can get shipped to you at the hotel. I’ll drive you to the airport in a few hours. Now, get out of here. I have a lot of calls to make.

CHAPTER THREE

Packing was more frantic than anticipated when I realized that I had let my clean undies situation dwindle down to critical level. I had barely been able to get my measurements to Zoey, a friend of mine from a previous case, who promised to do all my shopping, give whatever she could to us before our flight, and ship the rest.

I also had to make numerous phone calls to move appointments and brief the team taking over our investigation. In the end, I swept everything from my countertop into my bag and emptied the clean clothes from the dryer into a large suitcase—Vanessa and I could sort things out once we arrived. Then we hopped into Bear’s car.

We took Mage Only Airline, the only one in the United States, as heavy electronics and mages don’t mix well. The plane looked like something from historic footage and flew about as smoothly. The only benefit was that Patagonia didn’t have to be contained, which was good for me, as I spent most of the time in the air with my eyes closed and my fingers dug into her thick fur, praying that we would land safely.

We had a connecting flight through Denver, and during the little time we were on the ground, Vanessa and I quizzed each other on our cover story. She was going to be Vanessa Morehouse, and I was Ella Freeman. We lived in Chicago, were originally from Rambler, and in fact had just been there visiting family.

By the time we landed and collected our luggage, I was exhausted from head to toe. It was hard to resist snapping at Patagonia when she tangled her leash in my legs. We located the driver that Bear had arranged, loaded up the car, and were promised to arrive at the hotel