But Gallery Guy, Ingrid could suddenly see him as he was. This younger man, so in love he stopped practicing magic. And then, she realized…then…he’d kept to his promise. Even though he thought his wife had left him. He had kept his promise and raised her daughter and fought the grandparents all to honor a woman who had, supposedly, abandoned her family.
And then she realized something else.
“You’re a necromancer.”
Gallery Guy blinked and said nothing. Ingrid could see him swallow and fight the serum.
“Oh my gosh! Are you a necromancer? Are you? Are you? Are you?”
Sweat broke out on Gallery Guy’s face. Up until just this second, Gallery Guy had not been a real suspect.
“Are you?” Gabe snapped with his cop voice, and Gallery Guy nodded once.
It was enough. Gabe stood and pushed away from the table. “Damn it,” he said. “Damn it.”
When they left the conference room, Dumbass was standing right there. Right there with two slim, uptight, purse-lipped, old people. They were, in fact, Hazel’s age. But they have none of her brightness and fluidity of movement that belied her age.
“Hello,” Gabe said, looking at Dumbass for an explanation.
“These are Larry and Marge Brickman, Mary’s Grandparents. They’ve requested to take guardianship of her and have brought a social worker from the area with them.”
Ingrid cocked her head as she examined the couple, trying to imagine Mary with them, but she couldn’t help but catch the pentacle that had been tattooed on the social worker woman’s wrist and the way she deferred to the couple, the man especially. Ingrid’s eyes narrowed and she caught a whiff of something…
She texted Hazel before Gabe finished greeting the couple. “Grandparents came for Mary. Witchy Red Flags all over the place, I suspect we’re about to get hexed or spelled or whatever you call it.”
Gabe looked at Ingrid and she texted him to stall and then said, “Oh hey…”
In moments, she was blathering apologies about the death of their daughter and offering them cookies. She made them coffee and because she could, she dumped a vial of truth serum into each cup. They were dosed for an army.
“Ingrid,” Gabe said, “Is a friend of Mary’s who was with her when the body was found. We were just clarifying details of Jill’s last days on the island.”
He lied so prettily. She would have to be sure to not truth serum him anytime soon just to watch him weave such skillful tales.
“So…” Ingrid said. “I can’t even imagine how you feel. I mean…I'm not a parent. And quite frankly if Jill was anything like Mary, I imagine that you’re feeling a little relieved. I mean, Mary’s just a friend, and she’s quite the challenge.”
The grandfather cleared his throat and shot Ingrid a cold stare.
“Wow,” Ingrid said as if she didn’t notice, “You guys remind me so much of Autumn. I suppose you know her. She was raised with your kid right?”
“Are you referring to Autumn Hallow?”
Oooh, Ingrid thought the grandma is a colder fish than grandpa. Mary would chew these two up. They were uptight and proper and thought they could just come here and swing their magic around. They had not, however, had one sip of the coffee that Ingrid intended to dose them with. They spent all their time looking at Ingrid like she was a bug and then clearing their throats delicately.
It made the kind dove that she was feel…a little…mischievous.
“How do you feel about becoming great-grandparents?”
Their eyes widened and Gallery Guy choked.
“Mary is expecting?” The female cold fish asked.
Ingrid glanced away as if concerned that she’d given away something that she shouldn’t have.
“It can be resolved,” The male cold fish stated calmly.
“I bet you wanted to resolve Mary,” Ingrid said as she watched them and their utter lack of reaction. They were ruining her fun.
“Of course we didn’t. Mary’s father, though not married to my daughter, was a powerful and proper match for our daughter. Far better than…” The grandfather paused and Grandmother cleared her throat.
“Wow,” Ingrid said. “Wow. Now, GG, do you mind if I call you that?”
Gallery Guy scowled at Ingrid but said nothing. Ah, the delights of truth serum on Gallery Guy. Why, he'd probably never speak again if she could keep him doped long enough.
“I suspect that GG here was a necromancer but, although powerful enough in his own way but not truly strong, is the equivalent of new money.”
The cold fish grandmother sniffed.
“OMG, GG, you loser. You new money loser dove. You new moneyed it up and then you just went and pulled a Samantha. O. M. G.”
“Sheriff Tate,” the Social Worker said, “We are here to take custody of Mary Martin who is, of course, at risk given that her adoptive father has committed a crime and her mother is dead. The state…”
Gabe’s head tilted and his eye’s dilated and Ingrid said, “Do you know Hazel?”
The Social Worker paused and then said, “Well…yes…”
Whatever the witch had been doing to Gabe snapped and she looked guiltily at Ingrid. Gabe blinked his eyes several times and then a scowl flowed over his face reminding Ingrid an awful lot of when he was investigating her for murder.
“Then I supposed you know that the Sage Island Coven has a long history of working with the police department and not using magic on them.”
Ingrid examined her nails as she spoke. “I assume that you two are badass necromancers. But Hazel is coming and she has the full weight of the entire coven behind her. That doesn’t mean beans, of course, when it comes to me, but it does mean quite a lot when you’re talking about Autumn Hallow, Saffron, and Hazel herself.”
“I don’t know who you are,” the male cold fish said, “But Hazel has no right to dictate what happens to my granddaughter.”
“As the person who has listened to your granddaughter rage about how you won’t leave her alone, I happen to know that grandparents do not have legal rights in Washington State.”
Ever since they'd found Jill's body, Ingrid had become down right mouthy. Harrison would hate forward, pushy Ingrid right now. It made Ingrid feel...odd. Like she was floating in a midst of not being entirely sure of who she was. But she rolled with it anyway.
“They certainly have the right to protect and care for the granddaughter when the parents are found to be unsafe.”
“As the once and likely future person who sleeps with the Sheriff as well as the unlikely ally of GG, I think you should know that GG has not been arrested for murdering your kid.”
“An oversight,” the grandfather said, “that I am sure will be corrected.”
Ingrid wrinkled her nose as Hazel flew through the door, “But not, I think, because you magic the sheriff. Now, if GG killed your kid, I’m all for throwing all the books at him. But I am pretty sure he didn’t. And I’m also pretty sure Mary didn’t. So you don’t get to ruin their lives because crap happens.”
“What is going on here,” Hazel snapped. As she spoke the doors of the police station opened and Saffron and Kaye entered. They didn’t rush through the doors like Hazel had, but neither did they mosey. Those two were probably the most powerful witches on the island. Even more so than Hazel.
“Your little witch,” the grandmother said, “is throwing around accusations. We are here simply to collect our grandchild.”
Hazel’s eyes narrowed as she glanced from Gabe to Dumbass to Ingrid and back to the three who didn’t belong.
“No,” Hazel replied simply.
“No?” the other three asked in unison.
“You do not represent Child Protective Services,” the Social Worker said.
“Do not think for one second that I won’t block your magic use and if you persist, call Presidium. Until such time as Doug or Mary are found guilty of killing Jill, we can and will allow them the luxury of being innocent.”
Em
ily opened the police station doors and Ingrid put a finger to her lips as her friend crossed the room and joined the group of people facing off.
“Who’s Presidium,” Ingrid asked Saffron in a stage whisper.
Saffron glanced at Hazel and then replied in an undertone, “Essentially, they’re the supernatural peacekeepers.”
“Dean is Presidium or something,” Emily whispered. Saffron shot them both a commanding look to keep quiet.
“Shut up,” Ingrid said. “Guess who’s a necromancer?”
“Dean?”
Grandpa Larry chimed in, “Dean Wallace is a hired gun. If you are investigating my daughter’s murder, you should check into him. He was supposed to be helping us find Jill after she disappeared, but I’ve been suspicious of him for some time.”
Emily’s shoulders sagged. Of course, he was a murderer. Love. Death. Romance. Damn.
Old Lady Marge joined in on the accusations. “Yes, Dean Wallace. He is a truly evil individual.”
“GG didn’t do it,” Ingrid whispered, ignoring the responses to their accusations and Hazel and the grandparents argued. They were talking about boring stuff now, so it wasn’t nearly as much fun. “But he is a necromancer turned Samantha.”
“Shut your mouth,” Emily said, low enough that no one else could hear. “My One True Love is a murdering necromancer, Ingrid.”
“Samantha?” Saffron asked. She was a coven sister. About their age. But she was new to the island, super good at witchcraft, super hard up for money, and apparently from the evil coven that did bad magic. Ingrid didn’t know the details, but she know Saffron made amazing truth serum and that she wasn’t rude like some of the other coven sisters who felt that Ingrid should care about things like…craft and spells and cats or whatever.
They just all needed to take a step back and remember that cats pooped in a box right inside the house and puked up hair and had to be brushed.
The grandparents had slammed out of the police station before Ingrid started paying attention again. But she did notice when Gabe turned to her, Emily, and Saffron, but Gabe didn't even seem to notice the other two when he reached out to smooth the wrinkle between her brows. That was crazy, she thought, Saffron and Emily were both gorgeous. Probably prettier than Ingrid, any day.
“Thank you for recognizing their magic.”
Dumbass cleared his throat and the very tilt of his head said he felt Ingrid had gotten lucky.
“Look at you,” Emily said, “witching it up. I need to hunt down and murder the murdering necromancer who would have been a fabulous lover.”
“Shut up hooker,” Ingrid said absently. The other witches praised her too, which was downright weird. Kaye, Saffron even, but it was only Gabe’s thanks that mattered.
Hazel started barking orders, clearly unimpressed with Ingrid and Emily’s banter. She knew it was just their way. “Emily, use your wiles to get Dean to meet you at the bookstore. Everyone else, we need to move this very magical party over to the bookshop so no humans, including the irritating deputy, are unnecessarily involved in this. Meet there in thirty minutes.”
Emily nodded. “Is this what the cards were saying, Auntie?”
Hazel shrugged. “I don’t know. But your love life is the least of our problems right now, Emily.”
“Well, obviously,” Emily said. “Still sucks, though.”
“You sound like a grumbly teenager, Em.”
Emily rolled her eyes and left the room, pulling her phone out as she went.
Ingrid sighed.
Damn.
She was going to Europe.
Damn it.
When the others left, Ingrid sat across from Gabe and said, “I’m going to Europe as soon as you arrest that necromancer murder dove.”
“Okay.”
“You don’t have to act like you don’t care,” she said, hating herself.
“I care. You are the once and future person who sleeps with me.”
“Maybe,” Ingrid snapped, scowling.
“I’ll take maybe,” Gabe said. But when he stood, he didn’t walk her to the door out of the station. He led her to his office.
“Did you need something,” she asked, but as soon as she stepped inside, he shut the door. A second later, she was pressed against the back of his office door, his lips were on hers, and the warmth of him was seeping into her bones.
“I will miss you while you’re in Europe.” His lips were still lightly brushing hers so she felt the movement while he spoke. She could feel the breath warming her chin and the stubble of his jaw against her skin.
“Probably dating European men,” she said against his lips, curling into his warmth.
“As long as you remember that if you bring one home, I know how to hide bodies better than most.”
With those disturbing words, he opened the door to his office, said loud enough for the eavesdropping Dumbass to hear, “You were amazing today. Thank you.”
She didn’t reply. Her brain had stopped working the moment he had kissed her again.
Oh, how she had missed him.
CHAPTER 10
Magic Flavor
“What you two have done with this bookstore is utterly unacceptable,” Hazel said, hands on hips. “I still sense Owen. Get rid of him already.”
“Hazel,” Gabe said, gently, “they clearly don’t know how.”
Hazel made a complex movement with one hand while the other held a gem that hung from her neck. The gem glowed and suddenly the chill faded.
“Is he gone forever?” Emily nearly danced for the joy of it, Ingrid could see her friend ready to just take flight.
“No,” Hazel snapped. “I am not a necromancer, but I am not helpless.”
Emily and Ingrid made faces at each other, but Hazel dragged their attention back. She spun in a circle and then turned to gaze at the two of them with steely, furious eyes.
Ingrid shifted and stepped slightly behind Emily. Her best dove was, after all, Hazel’s niece. Emily was far more likely to survive the wrath of Hazel.
“Do I sense a portal spell? You don’t have the skill set to do a portal spell! Do you even know that a portal twists the nature of the spell?”
“I told you,” Ingrid whispered to Emily from just behind in the safer of locations, “I told you that the portal thing messed stuff up.”
“What you just said doesn’t even make sense. Stop harassing me. Everyone stop harassing me. I will stab each and every one of you in the throat.”
Hazel ignored Emily and Ingrid and said to Gabe, “I assume they know how to use a broom. This place is revolting.”
“Perhaps we should shelve this idea until after we locate the murderer and help Mary and Doug.”
Hazel cleared her throat as if she hadn’t just been screaming they were a couple of toddlers. “Someone should shelve something. There are books stacked everywhere.”
“She’s being a mean dove,” Ingrid told the room. It was true they were in the bookstore to catch a murdering witch.
“She’s probably just upset since she’s the coven leader and a witch got murdered on her island with magic. I mean…she didn’t even know.”
They were zapped right on their butts. “Ouch,” Ingrid said, scrunching her nose.
“Either of Autumn’s daughters could make Owen leave the bookshop. Take care of it.”
“I guess,” Ingrid stage whispered to Emily, “that means we didn’t have to drown the Camaro.”
Gabe paused and turned slowly, “You told me the Camaro was stolen. You filled out a police report.”
“She’s a harlot full of lies,” Emily said casually. “I am upset. You should care that I am upset. The man I was lusting after is a killer. That is sad. I am sad. Why doesn’t anyone care that the person I am lusting after killed Mary’s mom. I mean…I could almost still desire him. Does that make me a whore?”
“I watched hours of footage trying to figure out who got it off the island.”
“Yes,” Ingrid said, ignoring Ga
be to tell Emily, “For the love, Emily, you know that you can not trust your taste in men.”
“Listen my little damaged flower, just because you’re all broken on the inside because of Harrison and then Gabe being a super jerk—”
“Hey,” Gabe said but the door to the bookshop opened and Dean strolled in.
“I like what you’ve done with this place,” Dean said. “It has completely lost the old lady flavor that Dana added.”
Hazel’s head cocked as she examined Dean. With a flick of her finger, she sent him flying across the room and slamming into a bookshelf.
“What the hell—” He shouted but he left his hands wide and open at his side.
Ingrid and Gabe watched like the useless spectators they were as Hazel tossed Dean towards the ceiling.
“How dare you refer to my sister so casually? How dare you come to my island and commit your crimes? How dare you make a play for my useless niece as a ploy—“
“Hey,” Emily and Dean said.
“Wait a minute,” Dean continued. “Just wait a minute.”
“For you to throw our bone ash and attempt to…”
“What? No!” His face was a bit white behind the stubble of his beard. His eyes were wide and so innocent. He was a good liar. Emily wasn’t an entire idiot and she’d fallen for him hard enough to be sad about what wasn’t happening.
“I know that you killed Jill Martin,” Hazel said. “Who else would have done it? You’re a powerful necromancer. You work for hire. You were on the island. Who hired you? Your magic flavors the entire island.”
“Of course it does,” Dean shouted, “My ancestor lived and practiced here his whole life. We have similar abilities and the same bloodline.”
Hazel paused.
“What does that mean,” Gabe asked.
“I have no idea,” Ingrid said.
“How did she know about Dean’s magic flavor?”
“I have no idea,” Ingrid repeated.
“She was probably doing witchy stuff while we were having tacos.” Emily was watching with avid interest as Hazel hung Dean overhead with her magic.
“Your ancestor was Elmer Wallace?” Hazel asked.
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