Pet Psychic Mysteries Boxset Books 5-8 (Magic Market Mysteries Book 2) by Erin Johnson (reading diary .TXT) 📗

I leapt to my feet and had barely thrown myself down next to Peter when Maria shuffled in, a bamboo tray in her hands. Peter rose to take it from her, and she handed it over with a grateful smile. He set it on the coffee table, and I eagerly threw a few lumps of sugar in my cup with a splash of creamer, then wrapped my chilled fingers around the white mug and inhaled the earthy, rich aroma.

“Thank you.”

Maria beamed and nodded. “Of course.” She lightly patted her lizard husband. My mind still boggled that that had actually happened. It raised so many questions—how? How was Potent Potions still in business? And who was this other lawyer who’d bought the remaining vials of the potion from the Wus?

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help earlier.” She splayed her palms.

“I understand.” Peter gently stirred his cup of coffee, then set the spoon on the saucer and lifted the mug to his lips. After he took a swig, he turned the cup in his big hands. “Can you tell us where you were two nights ago during the Potent Potions summit when Pearl Litt was murdered?”

Maria paled, and her eyes grew wide. She licked her lips and her chest heaved. “Uh—sure. I was, um, I was out.”

Daisy wagged her tail. True.

Peter raised his brows. “Where?”

Her throat bobbed and she looked absolutely terrified. I studied her—that was interesting. She seemed so meek and unassuming—could she have sought revenge for her husband? From the way she’d described him and my own interactions with him, that seemed unlikely. I had no doubt she found him more pleasant to be around in lizard form.

“I was out shopping.”

Daisy growled. Lie.

Peter paused and leveled her a hard look. “My partner, Daisy, is enchanted to smell lies. She just indicated that that might not be the whole truth. Do you want to try again?”

Maria’s eyes darted to the German shepherd, but she shook her head. “That’s where I was.”

Daisy growled again. More lies. Her eyes slid to me. Who is she? You?

I rolled my eyes. Good one.

“We will be checking on your alibi. You understand?”

Her chest heaved, but she nodded.

Peter shook his head and set down his coffee mug. His quill and scroll appeared, magically hovering beside his head. “Fine. Do you remember any of the stores you stopped in at?”

She sucked on her lips and looked like she was about to cry but rattled off a few shop names. Why was she even bothering going through the motions if we all knew she was lying?

Peter rose after she finished, and I, despite the mild burning to my mouth and throat, chugged the rest of my coffee. It was a calculated move—I needed the caffeine more than I needed the taste buds. I stood and tugged up my jeans.

“We’ll be in touch, Mrs. Wu.”

She nodded. “I’m sorry—I just can’t tell you more.”

Daisy wagged her tail. True.

She showed us out, and with one last glance at John, the lizard, I followed Peter and Daisy out into the tidy street. We regrouped on the cobblestones, the gray dawn of light brightening the sky. I filled Peter in on my conversation with the lizard.

He dragged a hand down his face. “I can’t believe it. So her husband really was turned into a lizard by the potions?”

I shrugged. “That’s what he said.” I glanced at Daisy. “And this one didn’t cry foul.”

Peter nodded. “I didn’t know potions were capable of such things.”

I shook my head. “Me, neither.” Though I guess it shouldn’t have been such a shock. If a curse in the form of a potion had stripped me of the ability to shift into an owl, maybe it wasn’t such a stretch that one could have turned a man into a lizard.

Peter licked his lips and glanced at the sky. “I know it’s getting late, but I’d like to pay Pearl’s sister, Opal Whitaker, a visit. She’s the one who came up with these formulas—I want to hear what she has to say about this and what their potions are actually capable of.”

I nodded. “Avery Ann said she was working from home lately.”

He glanced toward Maria’s door. “Then I’ll call up to the station and get Opal’s home address. And I’ll have somebody look into Mrs. Wu’s alibi for the night of the murder.” He sighed. “Though I don’t know what the point is—we already know she was lying.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Yeah, but why? I don’t get the murderer vibe from her.”

Peter shook his head. “Me, neither.” His voice came out heavy. “But people have surprised me in unpleasant ways lately.”

23

Family

 Peter double-checked the address he’d jotted down on a bit of scroll after his conversation with Edna. “Looks like this is the place.”

Daisy led the way, bounding up several stairs to a small landing and Opal Whitaker’s front door. Peter and I followed. Just as he lifted his arm to rap on the door, I noticed a movement in the window.

The semisheer curtains rustled, and I gently placed a hand on Peter’s arm. He gave me a startled look, and I tipped my head toward the swaying curtains in the window to my right.

“I think she already knows we’re here.”

A moment later, locks clicked, and the door opened just a crack. Opal stood in the doorway, peeking out at us.

  She plastered a huge smile on her face, but her tight, worried eyes shifted quickly between Peter and I. “Oh, Officer, and… you,” she finished lamely.

I gave her a bright smile. “Yep. You’s my name, don’t wear it out.”

Peter shot me a look but dipped his head. “Ms. Whitaker. We hoped we might have a few more words with you. Is this an all right time?” Peter leaned to the side and tried to peer past Opal, but she kept the door barely open, blocking most of it with her body.

Yeah, she wasn’t hiding anything.

My face split into a huge