Read Online Spell Booked (Retired Witches Mysteries Series Book 1) by Joyce Lavene - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joyce Lavene
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in the car right away. “Maybe she needed my magic.”
“I don’t know.” I got behind the steering wheel. “We’ll have to figure that out with the rest of it.”
“How are we gonna find the man who heard Olivia scream?” Dorothy finally got in.
“I’m not sure yet.” My brain felt crammed too full of problems that didn’t have answers. “I might be able to get Joe to tell me who he is.”
“Look!” Elsie pointed in the direction of the dock. “Doesn’t that look like—?”
“Brian Fuller!”
Dorothy turned her head to see where we pointed. Brian was getting on the old-time steamboat that took tourists on narrated trips of the river.
“That’s him.” I unfastened my seatbelt. “Let’s go.”
“What are the chances that he’d be here now?” Elsie queried. “It could be a trap.”
I agreed, but we couldn’t give up the chance to talk to him about Olivia.
“But isn’t your husband going to think something weird is happening?” Dorothy asked. “He’s still standing right over
there
.”
I bit my lip. She was right. He was not only standing at the opening to the alley as the crime scene techs went back in, he was staring right at us.
“Does he know you’re a witch?” Dorothy asked.
“No. He doesn’t,” Elsie answered for me. “My daughter doesn’t know either. The council frowns on telling family members who aren’t witches that there is magic.”
“Does that mean you
can’t
do it?”
Elsie shrugged. “It can be dangerous for the family. The council can get very nasty. It’s probably for the best anyway. Your family might think you’re a little cuckoo. My mother used to call it
touched
. Either way, you end up in therapy.”
“We have to get on that riverboat.” I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel. “Let’s not panic. We’ll work this out.”
I started the engine and drove slowly past the spot where Joe was standing, even waving as I went by. I made a sudden left as soon as I’d passed him. That took us behind one of the older buildings. We parked there. “He won’t see us get on the riverboat from here.”
“I don’t have any money for a ticket,” Dorothy said. “Sorry. Librarians don’t make much money, you know.”
“Oh, don’t worry about
that
.” Elsie picked up her bag and righted her hat. “We’re going to be standing right next to the old river. We have a water witch and an old ticket stub. We’ll be fine.”
I went up the gangplank first, feeling the depth and flow of the Cape Fear River beneath me. The young man at the admissions counter took the old ticket stub that Elsie had saved from a previous trip.
“There are three of us today.” I muttered a charm as I gave it to him. If I could stand in or by the river all the time, I wouldn’t even notice my waning powers.
He saluted me. “Of course, ma’am. Happy to have you on board.”
We went up to the top deck and watched the activity on the boat. There was no sign of Brian Fuller.
“We saw him get on the boat,” Dorothy said. “He has to be here, unless he jumped overboard.”
“I don’t think that happened.” I was actually keeping a closer eye on Joe. He was still standing outside the alley. It would take only a turn of his head for him to see us.
In my experience with the natural world, the best way to call attention to yourself is to invite trouble by looking for it. I turned away from my husband and put my back against the rail. He was certainly more likely to see us if I kept staring at him.
“What do we do now?” Elsie asked. “This is a
big
boat.”
The riverboat blew its whistle twice and cast off from the dock.
“Isn’t there a spell or something you can do, Molly?” Dorothy wondered.
“It would take more preparation than I have time for now. Our best bet is to wander the boat slowly, like we’re enjoying the ride, and find Brian.”
“What are we going to do when we find him?” Elsie compensated for the wind blowing at her hat by
“I don’t know.” I got behind the steering wheel. “We’ll have to figure that out with the rest of it.”
“How are we gonna find the man who heard Olivia scream?” Dorothy finally got in.
“I’m not sure yet.” My brain felt crammed too full of problems that didn’t have answers. “I might be able to get Joe to tell me who he is.”
“Look!” Elsie pointed in the direction of the dock. “Doesn’t that look like—?”
“Brian Fuller!”
Dorothy turned her head to see where we pointed. Brian was getting on the old-time steamboat that took tourists on narrated trips of the river.
“That’s him.” I unfastened my seatbelt. “Let’s go.”
“What are the chances that he’d be here now?” Elsie queried. “It could be a trap.”
I agreed, but we couldn’t give up the chance to talk to him about Olivia.
“But isn’t your husband going to think something weird is happening?” Dorothy asked. “He’s still standing right over
there
.”
I bit my lip. She was right. He was not only standing at the opening to the alley as the crime scene techs went back in, he was staring right at us.
“Does he know you’re a witch?” Dorothy asked.
“No. He doesn’t,” Elsie answered for me. “My daughter doesn’t know either. The council frowns on telling family members who aren’t witches that there is magic.”
“Does that mean you
can’t
do it?”
Elsie shrugged. “It can be dangerous for the family. The council can get very nasty. It’s probably for the best anyway. Your family might think you’re a little cuckoo. My mother used to call it
touched
. Either way, you end up in therapy.”
“We have to get on that riverboat.” I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel. “Let’s not panic. We’ll work this out.”
I started the engine and drove slowly past the spot where Joe was standing, even waving as I went by. I made a sudden left as soon as I’d passed him. That took us behind one of the older buildings. We parked there. “He won’t see us get on the riverboat from here.”
“I don’t have any money for a ticket,” Dorothy said. “Sorry. Librarians don’t make much money, you know.”
“Oh, don’t worry about
that
.” Elsie picked up her bag and righted her hat. “We’re going to be standing right next to the old river. We have a water witch and an old ticket stub. We’ll be fine.”
I went up the gangplank first, feeling the depth and flow of the Cape Fear River beneath me. The young man at the admissions counter took the old ticket stub that Elsie had saved from a previous trip.
“There are three of us today.” I muttered a charm as I gave it to him. If I could stand in or by the river all the time, I wouldn’t even notice my waning powers.
He saluted me. “Of course, ma’am. Happy to have you on board.”
We went up to the top deck and watched the activity on the boat. There was no sign of Brian Fuller.
“We saw him get on the boat,” Dorothy said. “He has to be here, unless he jumped overboard.”
“I don’t think that happened.” I was actually keeping a closer eye on Joe. He was still standing outside the alley. It would take only a turn of his head for him to see us.
In my experience with the natural world, the best way to call attention to yourself is to invite trouble by looking for it. I turned away from my husband and put my back against the rail. He was certainly more likely to see us if I kept staring at him.
“What do we do now?” Elsie asked. “This is a
big
boat.”
The riverboat blew its whistle twice and cast off from the dock.
“Isn’t there a spell or something you can do, Molly?” Dorothy wondered.
“It would take more preparation than I have time for now. Our best bet is to wander the boat slowly, like we’re enjoying the ride, and find Brian.”
“What are we going to do when we find him?” Elsie compensated for the wind blowing at her hat by
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