When the Cat's Away by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Partridge & Pear Press

Chapter Four

Vlad raised a thin black brow as if my suggestion of notifying the police was absurd. “Around these parts, paranormals take care of their own and avoid involving the mortal police until absolutely necessary. I want to keep Henry’s death close to the vest until I get to the bottom of things”

I nodded and hustled away to deliver Gloria’s drink, fearing the bottom was where I might end up if the consensus landed on the new witch playing a part in Henry’s death.

“What did you do to earn that?” Gloria smiled smugly.

I pretended I didn’t notice her intense focus on my hair, or understand what she implied, and stated the obvious. “Here’s your drink.” She’d be the last person I’d tell about Jasper, even if it would provide an explanation for my magical blunder.

A quick check on Jasper confirms he’s still asleep. The poor kitty must be exhausted, so I let him sleep rather than wake him for the tuna I’d found in the back of one of the cupboards. I’ll give him the treat later.

I resist the temptation to pull Jasper out of my locker and confess to everyone that the new dark streak in my hair is from a misspell that enabled me to talk to a cat. Because there was a good chance no one else could understand his meows, this idea would likely only make me look irrational. On second thought, it might enable me to utilize an insanity plea if I end up unjustly charged.

So far, the only suspects I’d identified included that suck up Samantha and grating on my last nerve Gloria, who’d been dying to get into Gran’s retirement community. I wouldn’t put it past her to make her own vacancy in the Willow Hill Witch condominiums by killing off one of the residents.

I leaned over the bar to whisper to Burton, “Everyone thinks we have something to do with Henry’s death.”

Burton shrugged and continued pouring drinks.

I didn’t think he had anything to do with the murder, but I needed to confirm my assumption, which meant keeping my eye on him. The concept proved challenging when I couldn’t find him several times during the shift. Odd, considering he was usually behind the bar unless the occasional need to bounce someone who got too rowdy popped up. For Burton, that typically only required an extended look and the offender would leave quickly. His lengthy absences tonight had me wondering where he’d been hiding and it made him look guilty—of what, I wasn’t sure.

But each time, as soon as I began to truly fret, there he was again, standing in his usual spot. When I questioned him about his whereabouts, he raised a brow in an odd way that makes me hesitate to challenge him and replied that he never left.

After I thought back, I realized there had been other nights when I couldn’t find him. At the time, I dismissed his absence because I was busy with customers or caught up in my own priorities.

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