Armadillos and Arson (Mystic Mountain Wildlife Rescue Cozy Mystery Book 3) by Rune Stroud

Author:Rune Stroud [Stroud, Rune]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-12-24T16:00:00+00:00

14

“I can’t explain how I know he’s lying, sir. But he is lying. He’s guilty.” – Deputy Rowan Oufsdatter, trying to convince the sheriff to arrest a thief.

* * *

Mom bent over Rowan’s head. “How’s your mother?”

Rowan made a face. “Annoying.”

Ivy laughed. “He hates it when she fusses over him.”

He shook his head. “She’s trying to get me to move in with her.”

I grimaced, putting a hand on my chest. “Yikes.”

He turned his head toward me, but my mother gripped it and forcefully twisted it back. “I know. Ouch.” Glancing up at my mother, he stared straight ahead once he saw her scowl. He set his jaw. “She’d make me want to go to jail.”

My mother tutted him. “That’s your mother.”

“It doesn’t make her not annoying.”

Ivy laughed, “Tell them how you got her not to come.”

He winced. “Naw. That’s all right.”

Ivy flopped down beside him on the couch, jostling my mother’s grip on his head and receiving a glare. “He told her that I was taking him to see his lawyer, and she couldn’t come along because they were going to talk business.”

Her brother flicked his eyes toward her, not daring to move his head. “It’s true. We are going to talk business. And my lawyer is staying here.”

Gran came in through the backdoor. “I made sweet potato pie this morning.” She stopped and gaped at the gathered crowd. “Hmm. Maybe I should get another out of the freezer. I just put it out there. It won’t be frozen yet.”

Mom shook her head. “It’ll be fine, mom. We’ve only got one more coming.”

Gran stood, undecided. “That makes seven. There are only eight pieces. How will anyone get seconds?” She turned and headed back out, calling back, “Autumn, have you found a home for Duddington yet?”

I shouted after her. “No!”

Ivy perked up. “Who’s Duddington?”

I tilted my head, a tiny bit of hope growing. “Oh, that’d be perfect. You got that big new house in town. You’re going to need a guard dog! Maybe he could even be your new familiar.”

“Dog?”

I nodded. “He’s just a puppy right now, but he’s going to be a beautiful dog.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What kind of dog?”

Rowan grinned. “A great dane.”

She started shaking her head immediately. “No. No way. Not going to happen.”

My little bubble of hope popped. “He’s very trainable. Edgar, Alan, and Poe have already trained him to go where they want and give them horsey rides.”

“Is that what you decided to call the baby ravens?”

I nodded. “Monte’s idea. I loved it.”

She got up and headed toward the fields. “I’ll go say hi. I want to see Oscar anyway.”

My mother gripped both sides of Rowan’s head. “Hold still. Everyone, please quiet down for just a minute while I cast.”

Ivy left, and the rest of us stopped talking and watched.

She breathed in through her nose, gathered her magic, and spoke her spell. When she was done, she released Rowan’s head.

He slumped, taking a shaky breath. “Whoa.”

She patted him on the arm and sat next to him.

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