realized that someone in the group was the killer.
“We suck,” Emily said.
“So very bad,” Ingrid added. She fist bumped Emily and then sat next to Cathy. Maybe Ingrid would just snuggle in and let Cathy’s mothering ways make everything all right.
“But you made truth serum,” Cathy asked. Not a lot got by her. Ingrid assumed it was also the mothering bit. She had probably heard all the lies. She was the type of woman to tenderly care for a grandchild and have chased her son with a broom.
“Oh no,” Ingrid and Emily said together. “We bought it.”
“From much better witches,” Ingrid said.
“The dedicated hookers,” Emily added. “Who do things like practice and care and study.”
“You’re not dedicated?”
“Nah,” Emily rubbed her face and sat on Cathy’s other side while Carol paced in front of them. “Being dedicated is like constantly going to school. We like to eat and nap and lay in the sun.”
“So what can you do?”
“Sometimes we set things on fire,” Ingrid said. Emily’s exhaustion was rubbing off on Ingrid. Or she just needed more coffee. She was holding the coffee she’d made for Cathy and took an unaware sip.
“Ingrid,” Emily said as she saw Ingrid’s face looking between Ingrid and the cup. “You are a moron.”
“Shut up, cow dove,” Ingrid said. She was an idiot. A huge, giant, dumb dove. She texted Gabe what she’d done just to make the corner of his eyes crinkle. Man, she missed him.
“Girls!” Cathy scolded with a fierce look between the two of them. “Be nice.”
“Ingrid just drank some truth serum.” Emily’s face broke into grin as she said. “You idiot.”
“Shut your mouth, my best dove, before I am forced to be mad at you.”
“You don’t get mad at me,” Emily said. “Not for real.”
“Shut up, damn it,” Ingrid said, knowing what Emily said was true. Ingrid leaned her head against the wall, closed her eyes, and wished—desperately—for this day to be over.
“Did you kill Joe,” Carol asked Ingrid.
“What? No!” Ingrid said, sitting forward and staring at the woman. She was looking around the room, watching everyone who passed suspiciously.
“Have you ever killed anyone,” Carol asked, turning back to examine Ingrid carefully.
“Are you using my truth serum against me,” Ingrid asked and then answered the first question, the answer was beating against the back of her teeth. “I have never killed anyone on purpose. Sometimes I wonder if I accidentally killed my husband with my magic. But if I did it was an accident.”
“Oh Ingrid,” Emily said. “Hazel says you couldn’t have. You need to let that go.”
“I don’t care. I still wonder. And then I worry for Gabe. Gods, Em, I can’t lose him like I lost Harrison.”
“Oh sweetie,” Cathy said, taking Ingrid’s hand in hers and wrapping her arm around Ingrid’s shoulder. “You wouldn’t have killed either your husband or your new love. I can see that in your eyes.”
“But you didn’t kill those other people you were investigated for?” Carol didn’t seem to have the same faith in Ingrid that her sister did. Or maybe Cathy just didn’t like to see another squirm. Maybe she couldn’t help but step in and comfort someone regardless of what she really thought.
“How do you know there were multiple ones?” Emily looked at Carol suspiciously. Emily’s defensive protection of Ingrid was running on high.
“Google,” Carol replied, holding up her smart phone. “My granddaughter has been showing me all kinds of things.”
“Smart phones are more magical than anything we can do,” Ingrid said to Emily, but also to the sisters. She and Em really were just the worst witches. “And no, I didn’t kill anyone I was investigated for. I wasn’t even a suspect on that last one.”
“Well yeah,” Emily said. “Jill was killed by magic and we don’t have that kind of skill. These Presidium types wouldn’t be seriously considering us if they
“We suck,” Emily said.
“So very bad,” Ingrid added. She fist bumped Emily and then sat next to Cathy. Maybe Ingrid would just snuggle in and let Cathy’s mothering ways make everything all right.
“But you made truth serum,” Cathy asked. Not a lot got by her. Ingrid assumed it was also the mothering bit. She had probably heard all the lies. She was the type of woman to tenderly care for a grandchild and have chased her son with a broom.
“Oh no,” Ingrid and Emily said together. “We bought it.”
“From much better witches,” Ingrid said.
“The dedicated hookers,” Emily added. “Who do things like practice and care and study.”
“You’re not dedicated?”
“Nah,” Emily rubbed her face and sat on Cathy’s other side while Carol paced in front of them. “Being dedicated is like constantly going to school. We like to eat and nap and lay in the sun.”
“So what can you do?”
“Sometimes we set things on fire,” Ingrid said. Emily’s exhaustion was rubbing off on Ingrid. Or she just needed more coffee. She was holding the coffee she’d made for Cathy and took an unaware sip.
“Ingrid,” Emily said as she saw Ingrid’s face looking between Ingrid and the cup. “You are a moron.”
“Shut up, cow dove,” Ingrid said. She was an idiot. A huge, giant, dumb dove. She texted Gabe what she’d done just to make the corner of his eyes crinkle. Man, she missed him.
“Girls!” Cathy scolded with a fierce look between the two of them. “Be nice.”
“Ingrid just drank some truth serum.” Emily’s face broke into grin as she said. “You idiot.”
“Shut your mouth, my best dove, before I am forced to be mad at you.”
“You don’t get mad at me,” Emily said. “Not for real.”
“Shut up, damn it,” Ingrid said, knowing what Emily said was true. Ingrid leaned her head against the wall, closed her eyes, and wished—desperately—for this day to be over.
“Did you kill Joe,” Carol asked Ingrid.
“What? No!” Ingrid said, sitting forward and staring at the woman. She was looking around the room, watching everyone who passed suspiciously.
“Have you ever killed anyone,” Carol asked, turning back to examine Ingrid carefully.
“Are you using my truth serum against me,” Ingrid asked and then answered the first question, the answer was beating against the back of her teeth. “I have never killed anyone on purpose. Sometimes I wonder if I accidentally killed my husband with my magic. But if I did it was an accident.”
“Oh Ingrid,” Emily said. “Hazel says you couldn’t have. You need to let that go.”
“I don’t care. I still wonder. And then I worry for Gabe. Gods, Em, I can’t lose him like I lost Harrison.”
“Oh sweetie,” Cathy said, taking Ingrid’s hand in hers and wrapping her arm around Ingrid’s shoulder. “You wouldn’t have killed either your husband or your new love. I can see that in your eyes.”
“But you didn’t kill those other people you were investigated for?” Carol didn’t seem to have the same faith in Ingrid that her sister did. Or maybe Cathy just didn’t like to see another squirm. Maybe she couldn’t help but step in and comfort someone regardless of what she really thought.
“How do you know there were multiple ones?” Emily looked at Carol suspiciously. Emily’s defensive protection of Ingrid was running on high.
“Google,” Carol replied, holding up her smart phone. “My granddaughter has been showing me all kinds of things.”
“Smart phones are more magical than anything we can do,” Ingrid said to Emily, but also to the sisters. She and Em really were just the worst witches. “And no, I didn’t kill anyone I was investigated for. I wasn’t even a suspect on that last one.”
“Well yeah,” Emily said. “Jill was killed by magic and we don’t have that kind of skill. These Presidium types wouldn’t be seriously considering us if they
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