The Witch's Key

Episode 17: I Needed You To Understand

"I assume he's refusing to cooperate," Martin said as we joined the others in the clearing.

"He keeps saying he had nothing to do with those missing girls," Darius said, practically snarling as he looked at Bates. "I don't think he understands just how miserable his life can get out here alone in the woods with no one looking out for him."

Martin placed a calming hand on Darius's shoulder. Bates didn't look comforted by Martin's appearance. In fact, he looked even more terrified, despite Martin's calm demeanor.

"What is your relationship to Julie Peterson?" Martin asked.

"Look, I'm done with her, I promise," Bates said. "You tell me to leave town, I'm gone. Besides, I was simply trying to earn an honest buck. That Moondust isn't hurting anybody, especially not in such small quantities."

Uncle Martin stared at Bates for a long moment, as if trying to decide whether to believe him or not.

"Come on, Martin, you know me. I have never hurt anyone," Bates said. "I was helping the lady sell some cupcakes. What's the crime there?"

The man was literally shaking.

He definitely didn't appear like some criminal mastermind, but people—or demons—could be good actors when they wanted to be. I didn't trust him, and neither, it seemed, did Martin.

"It seems quite convenient that you appeared in Newcastle precisely two weeks before the first young woman disappeared," Martin said. He lifted his hand and spread his fingers apart. Electric sparks seemed to jump between his fingertips like lightning bolts.

Bates started to cry.

"I didn't do anything to those girls, I swear to you," he said. "I had nothing to do with it."

"You didn't answer my question." Martin took two slow steps toward Bates. "What is your relationship to Ms. Peterson? How did you first meet her, and what was your arrangement?"

Bates swallowed and took a few deep breaths. He looked like he was about to pass out.

"I met Julie at one of those holiday expos in Knoxville just before Christmas," he said. "I was selling cookies and pies in the booth next to her, and I kept having people come back for seconds. By noon, I'd sold out of my entire stock. She wanted to know why, and she was pretty, you know."

He shrugged at this, as if we should all understand what he meant.

"A Christmas expo?" Darius asked, pacing. "You've got to be kidding me. We're supposed to believe that? Just how dumb do you think we are? You went through a portal today and left a young woman behind to be attacked by a trap demon. Where did you go, Bates? What were you and Julie Peterson doing there?"

Bates's eyes widened and he looked around the circle, his eyes finally landing on me.

"Who? Her? I've never even seen that girl in my life," he said. "I didn't know there was any kind of trap set in there, which is why I ran like hell when I came back through to see the place half destroyed and full of ashes. I didn't want any part of it."

"A likely story," Darius said.

Gowan stepped forward. "Just tell us where the portal took you," he said. "Let's start there and work our way back to the truth."

"The portal just leads to a factory," he said. "Julie wanted me to bring an extra supply of Moondust out to her there. She's got some big hopes of opening up a nationwide operation. I didn't have enough dust, though, and she got angry. Sent me back for more. I tried to tell her my lab was destroyed, but she didn't believe me."