Work Like a Charm by Cate Martin

Author:Cate Martin [Martin, Cate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781946552877
Publisher: Ratatoskr Press
Published: 2019-01-15T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

I hadn't been paying attention to where we were going and didn't recognize the neighborhood we were in. The houses were modest but well-maintained, so I guessed the people here were comfortably middle class. The house we were parked in front of had a hedge that framed the walk up to the front porch then took right angles to form a border between the yard and the sidewalk. It looked a bit shaggy and overgrown, but given the unseasonably warm weather, this wasn't so unusual. Whoever did the gardening would be in leaf raking mode now, counting down the days until snow would need to be shoveled.

"Wait," Sophie said as Otto started up the walk. "I think the three of us should speak to her alone."

"You don't want an introduction first?" Otto asked, looking at Sophie but still taking a step or two closer to the door.

"I don't think that will be necessary. She'll know who we are," Sophie said.

"Right enough," Otto said and walked back to the car. "I'll wait here to give you a lift back to your house when you're done."

"I'm sure we can find our own way back," I said. "You must be busy, and this might take a while."

"No worries," Otto said, climbing back into the back seat and stretching out. "I can use a little cat nap."

"If you're sure," Sophie said. He gave her a wink then took off his hat, settling back against the far door of the car before setting the hat over his face to block out the sun.

"What about you?" I asked Edward. "Your lunch break must be long past over. And you have that promotion coming; you don't want to compromise that."

"I'll be fine," Edward said. "To be honest, I'm kind of curious what this is all about."

"I'm not sure how much I can even explain," I said, glancing at Sophie and Brianna. It wasn't like when Cynthia had been murdered. That had been pretty easy to convey with the magic bits carefully excised. But this? With all the magic redacted, there wasn't going to be much left to convey.

"Don't pry, Edward," Otto said from beneath his hat. "Charm school business is none of our business."

"You don't have to stay," I said.

"I'll be here," he said and gave me a little nudge to follow Sophie and Brianna up the walk.

Sophie gave her usual brisk knock, which was answered almost at once. The interior of the house was quite dark, and the girl who opened the door seemed to know it, as she took half a step out onto the porch before looking up at us. She was young, younger even than Coco, I would guess nine or ten, so it was a bit of a mystery why she wasn't at school.

Or why she dressed like someone's super religious maiden aunt. Even in the heat, her wool dress was buttoned all the way up her throat, her lovely brown hair pulled back into a bun so severe I was surprised any of it stayed attached to her scalp.

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