hurried to add, “We’re going to look through his family’s old books and see if there’s anything about the entity.”
Thyme raised her eyebrows. “Is that like asking you up to see his etchings?”
I pulled a face. “Ha ha, very funny. Thyme, I know you don’t like Alder, but I really do. He really isn’t like his family. He doesn’t have anything against witches at all.”
“Look Amelia, I respect your wishes, but don’t expect me to like him.”
I supposed that was fair enough. “At least his family has all those ancient books, so that might turn up something about the entity.”
“I suppose so,” Thyme said after she finished another cookie. “But it would be good if you could find out the type of entity it is or even its name.”
I agreed. “I wish I knew its name.”
Thyme clapped her hand over her mouth, and I realized too late that I had wished aloud. Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, and there was a man standing behind me. “My name is Fred.”
“Fred?” I said.
“What’s wrong with my name?” the man said defensively. “It’s a good solid name. I supposed you expected me to have a magical name like Callakazam! I think you’ve been watching too many movies.” With that, he spun on his heel and walked away in an obvious huff.
I turned to Thyme, but the Mayor hurried over to me, followed by a man in a tight suit. “Did you enjoy the service, Miss Spelled?”
“Yes,” I lied. “You spoke beautifully about Mr. Plank.”
The Mayor rubbed at his dry eyes and sniffed. “Excuse me, I’m so emotional. Yes, dear Scott was wonderful, wonderful! He will be sorely missed. Isn’t that right, Cedric?”
The man in the tight suit forced a smile. “Wonderful,” he said in a choked voice.
The Mayor hurried away to speak to someone else, followed by the unfortunate Cedric. Two elderly ladies who had lamingtons piled on their paper plates scoffed loudly. “ Wonderful ? Did you hear that, Myrtle? What a joke!”
“Yes, Beatrice, he was an evil man, evil. Oh Mr. Foxtin-Flynn, how are you today?”
Ruprecht kissed both ladies’ hands. “Better for seeing you, my dear ladies.”
The ladies twittered nervously before sitting on the nearest chairs and continuing their conversation.
Ruprecht came straight to the point. “Did you find out any information?”
“Just that the Mayor is the only one with a good word about the deceased,” I said. “Everyone else hated him.”
Thyme nudged me in the ribs. “Amelia! How could you forget? The entity’s name is Fred.”
Mint and Camino chuckled. “Are you serious?” Mint asked. “I thought his name would be Belphegor or Ziminiar.”
“Or Sejazel or Eisheth,” Camino added with a laugh.
I held up my hands. “What can I say?” I noticed that Ruprecht was not joining in the laughter. “I’m sorry to say that I wished I knew his name.”
Ruprecht nodded solemnly. “I was afraid as much. Try to be careful with your words, Amelia.”
I nodded, suitably chastened. “Helen Harden did let slip that Scott cheated them—her husband wasn’t happy that she said that, either—and then everyone we spoke to was full of venom about Scott. Even those two ladies didn’t like him.”
Ruprecht clasped his hands. “I’m afraid an obvious suspect hasn’t come to the fore.”
I knew what Ruprecht was thinking but was too kind to say. The entity was the main suspect, and since I had summoned him, I was responsible for a man’s death.
Chapter 11
I caught my heel in the cobblestones and, after flailing my arms wildly, paused to compose myself. No one had seen me recover from the face plant, as the little side street was invariably deserted at any time of day. Ahead I could see the entrance to Alder’s office—hard to miss given the impressive gothic wrought iron bars covering the windows.
I had that awful nervous feeling one gets before entering some sort of competition, such as a race. When I reached the
Thyme raised her eyebrows. “Is that like asking you up to see his etchings?”
I pulled a face. “Ha ha, very funny. Thyme, I know you don’t like Alder, but I really do. He really isn’t like his family. He doesn’t have anything against witches at all.”
“Look Amelia, I respect your wishes, but don’t expect me to like him.”
I supposed that was fair enough. “At least his family has all those ancient books, so that might turn up something about the entity.”
“I suppose so,” Thyme said after she finished another cookie. “But it would be good if you could find out the type of entity it is or even its name.”
I agreed. “I wish I knew its name.”
Thyme clapped her hand over her mouth, and I realized too late that I had wished aloud. Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, and there was a man standing behind me. “My name is Fred.”
“Fred?” I said.
“What’s wrong with my name?” the man said defensively. “It’s a good solid name. I supposed you expected me to have a magical name like Callakazam! I think you’ve been watching too many movies.” With that, he spun on his heel and walked away in an obvious huff.
I turned to Thyme, but the Mayor hurried over to me, followed by a man in a tight suit. “Did you enjoy the service, Miss Spelled?”
“Yes,” I lied. “You spoke beautifully about Mr. Plank.”
The Mayor rubbed at his dry eyes and sniffed. “Excuse me, I’m so emotional. Yes, dear Scott was wonderful, wonderful! He will be sorely missed. Isn’t that right, Cedric?”
The man in the tight suit forced a smile. “Wonderful,” he said in a choked voice.
The Mayor hurried away to speak to someone else, followed by the unfortunate Cedric. Two elderly ladies who had lamingtons piled on their paper plates scoffed loudly. “ Wonderful ? Did you hear that, Myrtle? What a joke!”
“Yes, Beatrice, he was an evil man, evil. Oh Mr. Foxtin-Flynn, how are you today?”
Ruprecht kissed both ladies’ hands. “Better for seeing you, my dear ladies.”
The ladies twittered nervously before sitting on the nearest chairs and continuing their conversation.
Ruprecht came straight to the point. “Did you find out any information?”
“Just that the Mayor is the only one with a good word about the deceased,” I said. “Everyone else hated him.”
Thyme nudged me in the ribs. “Amelia! How could you forget? The entity’s name is Fred.”
Mint and Camino chuckled. “Are you serious?” Mint asked. “I thought his name would be Belphegor or Ziminiar.”
“Or Sejazel or Eisheth,” Camino added with a laugh.
I held up my hands. “What can I say?” I noticed that Ruprecht was not joining in the laughter. “I’m sorry to say that I wished I knew his name.”
Ruprecht nodded solemnly. “I was afraid as much. Try to be careful with your words, Amelia.”
I nodded, suitably chastened. “Helen Harden did let slip that Scott cheated them—her husband wasn’t happy that she said that, either—and then everyone we spoke to was full of venom about Scott. Even those two ladies didn’t like him.”
Ruprecht clasped his hands. “I’m afraid an obvious suspect hasn’t come to the fore.”
I knew what Ruprecht was thinking but was too kind to say. The entity was the main suspect, and since I had summoned him, I was responsible for a man’s death.
Chapter 11
I caught my heel in the cobblestones and, after flailing my arms wildly, paused to compose myself. No one had seen me recover from the face plant, as the little side street was invariably deserted at any time of day. Ahead I could see the entrance to Alder’s office—hard to miss given the impressive gothic wrought iron bars covering the windows.
I had that awful nervous feeling one gets before entering some sort of competition, such as a race. When I reached the
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