Sit for a Spell (The Kitchen Witch, Book 3): (Witch Cozy Mystery series) by Morgana Best

large desk next to an oversized printer. He looked surprised to see me. “Amelia! Please come in.” He gestured to a low, well-padded chair in front of his desk.
    I sank into the chair, feeling like a little child sent to the principal’s office.
    Alder frowned deeply. “Is everything all right?”
    I craned my neck. “Yes. Well, no. That is to say…” My voice trailed away. “I have several questions for you.”
    Alder nodded, but I sensed that he was uneasy.
    “I told the others that I found out I was a Dark Witch.”
    Alder smiled wryly. “And I suppose they weren’t happy that I was the one who told you?”
    “That’s right,” I said honestly. “They told me that a Dark Witch is one born with ability, rather than an evil person.”
    Alder nodded. “Correct.”
    I took a deep breath and pressed on. “And they hadn’t told me before, because they thought I was having trouble processing everything. And I was. You know, finding out that I was a witch, and inheriting the shop and the house, and so on.” I had no idea if Alder knew about my house, so I was being careful with what I told him. I had no idea how much he knew.
    “Are they going to train you?” Alder asked me.
    “Train me?” I parroted. “Err, well, I’m not sure. I think they are already training me.”
    Alder appeared to be displeased with my answer. He looked down at the table, and then tapped his pen on it. “Do you know how to ground yourself, Amelia? Do you meditate?”
    “Yes and no,” I said. “I know how to ground myself, and I know I should meditate, but I don’t usually have time.”
    “You should make time.”
    I fought the urge to say, ‘Yes, Master Yoda.’ Instead, I changed the subject. “Remember when you said you felt I needed spiritual protection?”
    Alder narrowed his eyes. “Yes?” He said it as a question.
    “Why?”
    “Why what?”
    “Well obviously,” I said, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice, “I am asking you why you felt the need to warn me. Did you think someone was trying a spiritual attack on me? Or sending me negative energy, or whatever you call it?”
    Alder stared at me for a while before answering. “Yes, I did.”
    That took me by surprise. I didn’t think he would admit it. “Is it directed just at me?”
    “You and your other witch friends,” he said. “And the fact that you have asked me the question leads me to believe that your friends are aware of it, too.”
    I chose my words carefully. “So not necessarily only at me,” I said. “Could it be your family?”
    Alder shook his head. “I am the last of my family, and whoever is doing this is working magic against you and your friends. My family, remember, were opposed to witches.”
    I knew there was something else I had to ask him, but my mind went blank for a moment. “Oh yes,” I said. “Do you know what poison killed Sue Beckett?”
    Alder shook his head. “The police are being very cagey about it.”
    “They asked all of us if we’d been to Mexico.”
    Alder hurriedly wrote something in a book, and then looked up. “Mexico. That’s interesting. They asked me that, as well.”
    “They questioned you, too? Oh that’s right. Sue worked for you sometimes.”
    Alder nodded. “Most of my cases are insurance fraud or missing persons. I always paid Sue to take photos in those cases where one partner suspected the other of having an affair. I think I mentioned that to you at your Customer Appreciation Night. I know most people think that’s all private detectives do, but my main work is insurance fraud.”
    “Do you think one of your recent cases got her killed?”
    Alder’s eyebrows shot up. “I sure hope not! Like I told the police, it’s been ages since we caught anyone actually having an affair. It seems most people are suspicious of their partners without good reason. Sue followed several clients’ partners diligently and found nothing to report.”
    “Thanks, Alder. I’m sorry to turn up