The television show "Charmed," including the characters of Piper and Phoebe Halliwell, Paige Matthew, Leo Wyatt, Darryl Morris, and Cole Turner, is copyrighted by Spelling Television, Inc., a subsidiary of Spelling Entertainment Group, Inc.
Back at the Manor, Paige sat in the parlor with the Book of Shadows open on her lap, Phoebe nearby, Leo wandering the room. Classical music drifted into the room from the kitchen. "Sounds like your theory was right, Leo," Paige said. "A soul collector offers a person anything he wants in exchange for his soul."
"They crop up in folk tales a lot, of course," said Leo. "People mistake them for the Devil."
"Well, it's not that big a mistake, considering the things that happen to human souls once they're in Hell."
"Which explains why he bought Jimmy's soul, but not why he sent Jimmy after Clara," Phoebe said.
"Soul collectors don't kill," Leo said. "If one of them wants you dead, he gets one of his clients to do it. They can sound rational and logical, and they're very persuasive."
"From what Clara said, that sounds like the demon in her office, all right," Phoebe said.
"Piper!" Paige shouted. "Are you about ready? We're getting great stuff on soul collectors in here!"
Piper came to the doorway, her soothing voice an amusing contrast to Paige's yell. "My baby and I are calmly ingesting wholesome food in a peaceful, beautiful environment," she said. "Then we'll go back to demonic research and yelling and dodging and blowing things up." She disappeared.
"Actually, not a bad idea," Paige said. "Might help that acid stomach I've had lately."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Uniformed officers Santangelo and Small kept their eyes on the road and the sidewalks surrounding as they drove, ignoring the shouts coming from behind the metal mesh dividing the front and back seats. "You guys are nothing! You're insects! I know a guy who can turn you into insects!"
"Quiet down, you're giving me a headache," Small said.
"I'll get the best lawyer in the city! You'll see! He'll get you guys fired! I'll be in my penthouse and you'll be on the street!"
"I think the best lawyer in the city is a little out of your price range, Jimmy," Santangelo said. "What's wrong with a good PD?"
There wasn't even a horn blast or a squeal of brakes. The car running the red light simply roared into the intersection and hit the driver's side of the patrol car with a sickening crash. The patrol car spun into the next lane and was hit on the other side by a car that couldn't stop in time. Then there was deathly silence.
Jimmy straightened up from the floor of the patrol car. Santangelo and Small were very still; there was blood on Small's head. And the back door had popped open in the crash.
With his cackling laugh, still handcuffed, Jimmy jumped out of the back seat and ran as the stunned bystanders and other drivers began picking up cell phones and going to check on the injured.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
When the doorbell rang Piper was crossing the hall, so she answered and let Clara in.
"Sorry I took so long," Clara said. "Inspector Morris insisted on checking the engine and the brakes before he'd let me drive."
"He's a good man," Piper said. "Which, I guess, you know."
Clara smiled as they went down the hall.
"We're pretty sure the demon in your office today was a soul collector, who persuades people to sell their souls," Phoebe told Clara. "Obviously, your healing work and giving people hope is bad for his business. The bad news is that he'll keep talking people into coming after you until we vanquish him. The good news is that he won't walk in and kill you himself."
"Is there a vanquish?" Piper asked.
"There's a potion," Phoebe said, "but we can't summon him. A soul collector can only be summoned by a person who's sold his soul."
"Luckily, we know someone who has. Will he do us any good in jail?"
"If he's angry enough about being promised money and power and ending up in jail, he might," Leo said.
"Even if he gets out," Phoebe said as the doorbell rang, "we might be able to trick Jimmy into summoning the collector."
Paige was going to the hall. "I'll get it!"
She peered at the person standing before the door, made a face, and opened the door.
"I have a legitimate reason for being here," Cole Turner said.
"I hope so."
"An attorney in our office has a client who practices Wicca. Her ex-husband is trying to get custody of their kid on that ground alone. The client won't deny her religion, so her lawyer asked me if I know a respectable Wiccan to testify on our client's behalf."
"And you said we would?"
"Heaven forbid." Cole's mouth quirked. "I can just see a demon attacking the courtroom and Piper blowing up the judge's bench. No. But I thought you might know some nice, non-supernatural Wiccan who can testify that it's – a – peaceful, nature-centered, matriarchal, spiritual practice. You know, just something to convince the judge that our client won't have the kid on an altar with a goat's head next week."
"Thank you for that lovely image. Actually, wait. I think I do know someone. Let me get my address book. Phoebe?" Paige yelled down the hall. "Is it OK if Cole comes in?"
After a pause Phoebe called back, "OK."
There was a slight relaxation on Cole's face as he stepped into the hall and walked to the parlor door with Paige. "I'll be back in a moment," she said to the room.
Cole's gaze went directly to Phoebe, who gave him a guarded, masked look as she said, "Clara, this is Cole Turner, my ex-husband."
Only then did Cole notice the others in the room. He smiled charmingly. "Pleased to meet – "
Clara's head was turned and lowered, and she was quivering slightly.
"Clara?" Piper stood beside her. "Are you OK?"
Clara put her hand over her mouth. She was making the little sounds in her throat of someone fighting nausea.
"Not the response I usually get from women," Cole said.
Phoebe looked directly into his eyes. "She can see souls."
The smile fell off Cole's face.
Leo said quietly, "Maybe if you waited in the hall – "
"No. Please don't leave on my account. I'm sorry." Clara smiled at Cole and went to him, shaking his hand, and you could only faintly see the effort that it took for her to do it. "I'm Clara Karnes."
There was then a moment of embarrassed silence while everyone tried to think of something to say. They could hear Paige coming down the stairs and then heard the phone in the kitchen chirp. "Got it!" Paige called.
"So!" Cole said to Clara. "Are you – uh – demon-spotting for the Halliwells?"
"Actually she's already spotted one," Piper said. "A soul collector wants her dead."
"A soul collector! They're nasty. Very sly bunch. But you – you work with the Charmed Ones, they'll keep you safe." Cole tried another smile on Clara, which faded as she still continued staring at him with a look that was both clinical and pitying.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Jimmy Haines careened from one back alley to another until he felt well removed from the accident scene. Then he stood still and called, "Anders? Anders!"
The air shimmered, and the demon appeared.
"Where were you, man? They arrested me!"
"And I released you, didn't I? Turn around."
Jimmy did, and Anders touched the handcuffs, which fell off.
"That's more like it," Jimmy said, turning, impressed but still resentful. Then his eyes widened. Anders was holding a stack of hundred-dollar bills twice as big as the last one, and this time, when Jimmy grabbed it, the money didn't turn into anything else.
"Scot-free, Jimmy," Anders said softly. "Go anywhere you want, do anything you want. When you need more, call me."
Jimmy was stuffing the money into different pockets. "You bet I will. Pleasure doing business with you."
Anders disappeared in another shimmer. Jimmy ran to the head of the alley, looked both directions, laughed again and took off.
