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

Potent Potions taking over my friends’ minds on top of everything else I had going on. “Okay, suckers, I’m going home.”

“Wait!” Heidi grabbed my hand, and I paused midstep.

“What?”

She held up a vial of orange, bubbling liquid. “Who needs sleep? Try Pick Me Up Orange for a little more pep in your step instead.” She uncorked the bottle and wafted it under my nose. I recoiled from the sickly sweet smell. “Only forty-five merkles.”

I frowned at her. “I can barely afford my rent—no.”

Will rolled over and bumped her out of the way.

“Hey!” She stumbled a few steps away.

Will winked and held up a gold liquid with steam curling into the air. “Try Bags BeGone to help with those unsightly under-eye circles you’ve got.” He circled an enormous finger in the direction of my face.

I shot him a withering look. “Wow. What salesmen you two are.” I backed away toward the door. “First of all, you know that stuff doesn’t work, right? Pearl and Opal and everyone claiming beauty enhancements from these things is full of detritus—”

“Psh.” Will and Heidi exchanged disbelieving looks. My friend, a former top surgeon on the island, turned to me. “Oh! We know—those women have had so much work done.”

He and Heidi chuckled.

My jaw dropped. “Am I missing something here? You two know the potions aren’t doing what they claim, and that it’s the result of magical medical enhancement? Then why’d you still buy all this stuff?”

Will held up a long finger. “Answer me this—how’d they get so much money for the procedures, huh?”

Heidi nodded. “That stuff’s expensive.”

They giggled at each other. “We’re gonna get so rich.”

I heaved a great sigh. “Sure. Totally.” I grabbed the door handle. “Point two, I’m not going anywhere near those potentially contaminated tiny vials.”

Will’s smirk faltered. “What?”

I raised my brows. “You’ll get no sympathy from me if you turn into a lizard.”

Will shot a questioning look at Heidi, who waved it off. “Just rumors.”

I shook my head. “Nope. I met the lizard man personally earlier this evening.” I yanked the door open.

Will had a moment of pause, then shrugged it off. “I’m sure he did something wrong, then.”

Ah, the self-soothing delusion of those committed to believing. I rolled my eyes. “I’m going home and hope tomorrow I wake up and find this was all a nightmare.”

“Ooh!” Glass tinkled as Heidi rummaged through one of the golden chests. “There’s a potion for nightmares.”

25

Lies

The next night, I jogged down my steep stairs to find Peter and Daisy outside my front door. Peter’s scruff was even bushier and his eyes just as bloodshot, but as I stepped into the drizzly night I smelled coffee on him. I pondered this as I turned my back and locked up. He stopped to get coffee but didn’t bring me any. He always used to bring me some.

I tried to stuff down the sinking sadness in my gut. I guess I’d partly hoped that by working together again, we’d be able to work past some of this. But each interaction only seemed to cement our new dynamic—distant and functional. I heaved a great sigh and shoved my hands into the pockets of my old quilted green bomber jacket. I missed the old Peter and our easy, flirty vibe. But no point wishing for what couldn’t be.

“We looked into Maria Wu’s alibi.” Peter’s voice came out flat. “Didn’t check out.”

I scoffed. “Huge shocker there.”

He nodded as Daisy trotted along up ahead. She turned her head this way and that, sniffing at passersby and food carts. Neon signs flashed overhead, blanketing her glossy, damp fur in bright oranges and hot pinks. A bell tinkled to my left as a man, hood up, ducked out of the corner bodega, and squeaks sounded overhead as bats winged down the narrow street.

“I just came from her place.”

I looked up, surprised he’d gone to see Maria and Iguana John without me. “And?”

“She confessed she was actually speaking with one Madeline L’Orange.”

I smirked. Despite her nosiness and pushiness, I’d liked the reporter the couple times I’d run into her. She had a nose for the truth, and I admired her relentless attitude. “So… we’re heading up to The Conch headquarters?”

Peter nodded. “There’s something else.”

We stepped around a steaming sewer grate as a steady mist of rain chilled my face.

“Ralph Litt has continued, under hours of questioning, to answer truthfully that he didn’t kill his wife.” Peter shook his head, brows pinched together. “He’s a slimy scumbag, but I don’t think he killed his wife.” He shot me a grim look. “We have the wrong man.”

I nodded and resisted the strong, strong urge to tell him “I told you so.” Then again, I hadn’t been right about the affair between Ralph and Avery Ann, so I couldn’t exactly brag, either.

We plodded uphill in silence, rain trickling down the stone gutters past us, the cobblestones growing more even as we climbed. I balled my freezing hands in my pockets and wished again for that coffee Peter used to bring to warm them up. Guess we really weren’t friends anymore—I’d just have to accept that.

Daisy glanced back at us, and her ears flattened. She slowed her pace and sidled up on my other side. With the streets empty, I woofed at her.

What’s up, Days?

She blinked her huge dark eyes at me, then looked around me at Peter and whimpered. Are you going to translate for us again?

My stomach twisted, and I pressed my lips tight together before whining back. Sorry, Days, but I don’t think Peter’s in the mood to talk to me like that.

But… Her ears swiveled toward Peter. I’m worried about him. I want to ask him what’s wrong. I keep dropping my ball in his lap, but he won’t throw it for me. Her eyes grew wide. He won’t even play with the stuffed dolphin—and that’s his favorite.

I bit back a grin and woofed. Well, I think I can help you out with the why, at least. I told him I was