Poisons & Pages (A Library Witch Mystery Book 13) by Elle Adams

Author:Elle Adams [Adams, Elle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-20T16:00:00+00:00

9

The next morning, I was somewhat prepared for Maura’s inevitable appearance, so I went straight to the front desk after breakfast so that I could avoid being startled again. I’d slept a little better, mostly due to sheer exhaustion, but the same couldn’t be said of my family members. Aunt Adelaide had had to forcibly drag Aunt Candace out of the police station at the day’s end to stop her from spending the night talking Edwin’s ear off. I didn’t know if she’d managed to find any answers concerning the potions we’d unearthed from the Founders’ lab, but I gathered that she’d spent most of the time asking questions about magical criminals instead.

Even though I’d been prepared for Maura to appear, I jumped anyway when she popped out of the shadows next to the front desk. “Are you open yet?”

“No.” I jumped again when Xavier followed her lead. “You know, I tend to expect people to knock when they show up out of hours.”

“Yes, it’s polite,” Xavier said sternly. “She insisted on coming here. Sorry, Rory.”

“It’s not your fault.” I swivelled to Maura. “Why so early? Did you find out anything else? About the ghosts and the lab, I mean?”

“No, but your aunt’s a real piece of work,” Maura said. “I thought that elf policeman was going to fling himself off the pier when she showed up and started badgering him.”

“You were at the police station yesterday?”

“They wanted statements from us,” Xavier explained. “I managed to talk Edwin out of coming to the library to ask you for a more in-depth statement too.”

“Why? I am a witness, technically.”

“You already gave him the information at the scene,” he said. “And the police station was pretty crowded after your aunts showed up.”

I hadn’t known he’d been there himself, nor Maura either. “Did he give any reason for wanting Aunt Candace’s advice?”

“Because she’s knowledgeable about potions?” Maura suggested. “I don’t know—you’re her relation.”

“That’s why I don’t get why he asked her,” I replied. “She turned herself into a wall the other day. Listen… what happened to the bodies?”

The two exchanged glances, and Xavier spoke first. “It’s not pleasant.”

“Please,” I said. “Not knowing is worse. What happened?”

“They were… experimented on,” Maura said. “They’re at the local morgue until the authorities can verify that they aren’t going to cause harm to any normal who might touch them.”

My stomach churned. “What’ll happen to the normals’ families? I mean… do they know?”

“Yes, Edwin had his officers call their families and give them an explanation,” Xavier said. “He’s hoping to return the bodies to them soon.”

Shivers sprang to my arms. “I hope he’s being careful with those potions. I… I’d like to look at them.”

“Why?” Xavier asked.

“Because,” I said quietly, “the Founders created those potions themselves, and I don’t know if even Edwin’s prepared for the possible side effects of handling them.”

Understanding sharpened Xavier’s gaze. “If you’re sure, but I don’t think Edwin will have learned anything new since yesterday.”

“Nope,” Maura said. “Your aunt figured out some of the potions might be deadly poison, but that’s as far as she got.

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