Westerham Witches and a Venetian Vendetta by Dionne Lister (top rated books of all time TXT) 📕

Imani sighed. “But it doesn’t really help anything.”

Mum cocked her head to the side. “Well, it’s better than nothing. We have an approximate height and build.”

At least we had something to work with now. “So he or she has likely followed Angelica back to the hotel and kidnapped her on the way?”

Imani nodded. “Looks like it.”

“Agreed,” said Will. “Let’s follow Angelica back to the hotel and see what happened.”

“Sounds good.” I lifted the camera and pointed it back the way we’d come—the way Angelica should’ve been heading if she’d decided to return to the hotel. “Show me Angelica after she left here last night.” There she was, her back to me. “She went this way. We’ll follow her until we can’t see her anymore.”

I kept my distance to see if the person had come after her. Once we left the square and turned a couple of corners, I stopped. “Angelica went this way, but that person in the coat didn’t follow.”

Imani looked at me. “If they were from the hotel, maybe they knew she was heading back there, but they had another way to get there?”

“Could be,” said Will. “Let’s keep following Angelica and see what happened.”

Every few steps I asked my magic to show me Angelica on her way back to the hotel. It was tedious but effective. The going was slow, but we finally made it to within fifteen feet of the hotel before she disappeared. I lowered the camera and lifted it again. “Show me the second before Angelica disappeared.” There she was, in the last place my camera had shown me. I wrinkled my brow. “She made it to here. And she didn’t turn around and leave either. She must’ve gone through a portal. And no one else was in sight.” I’d double-checked all the doorways too.

I showed everyone the photos. “Actually, let me get a picture of her from the front.” I’d been photographing her from behind the whole way. Had she still been relaxed at the moment before she disappeared? “Show me Angelica the hundredth of a second before she disappeared last night.” She materialised in my view, and I walked around to see her from the front. It was dark, but there were sconce lights on the outside of the hotel and some moonlight—enough to see her expression. I scrunched my forehead. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but does she look… puzzled to you?”

I handed my camera to Will, whose brow furrowed as soon as he saw the pic. Imani and Mum looked at the screen with him. Mum rubbed her chin. “She’s definitely wondering about something. Look at the tension in her body. She’s preparing for something.”

Imani nodded. “You’re right. Maybe she sensed magic? Did someone cast a spell on her?”

Will handed my camera back, and I lifted it to my face. “Show me someone casting a spell on Angelica.” Nothing happened. “Maybe whoever it was magicked themselves back to the hotel reception room or another nearby building and was watching from a window?”

Will did his own glancing around, then shook his head. “There’s no way we’ll see anyone in a dark window at night.” He took my camera off me and zoomed in on some windows in the background of the last photo I’d taken. “You could take closer photos of the windows, just in case. You’d only need to take the ones around the hotel. Unless it was a ridiculously powerful witch, there’s no way they could cast a doorway around her from too far away.”

“Plus whatever other spell they needed.” My mum rubbed her chin. “They would’ve had to knock her out just before throwing the doorway around her or when she reached wherever they took her. There’s no way they’d be able to overpower her otherwise, and she would’ve returned by now.”

Will’s deep voice held a note of worry. “You’re right.”

I grabbed my camera back and pointed it at different buildings, each time asking my magic to show me if there was someone in any of the windows. Nothing. Nausea swirled in my stomach. This was looking worse by the minute. “So, now what?”

Will held up his phone. I’ll call Agent Tondato and start the process. We need to go through all the evidence so far as a group. We’ll grab Beren and Liv and organise a meeting with our Italian counterparts. Then we’ll comb the hotel for any more evidence, see if they missed something the first time.” Despite feeling ill, my stomach grumbled. Will stared at me. “Have you had breakfast?”

“No. Have you?”

“No. So, maybe we have a quick bite first because we have a long day ahead. Come on.” He led the way to the hotel restaurant where breakfast was still being served. After calling Beren to get him and Liv to meet us there, he called Agent Tondato and set up a meeting at their office in Trieste in an hour.

Breakfast was a delicious, if silent, affair. I managed to down two cappuccinos and a pastry that had chocolate inside. Unless we found Angelica, this food would be the highlight of my day. The nausea returned when I contemplated not finding her. Crap. The longer she was gone, the less likely we’d find her alive—isn’t that what they said on cop shows? Gah. We’d just have to find her today, then. We hadn’t survived the most dangerous group of evil people for her to die while we were supposed to be relaxing on holiday nowhere near anyone who had it in for us. I sighed.

Mum, who was sitting next to me, placed her arm around me. “Angelica’s a survivor. We’ll find her alive.”

I gave Mum a sad smile. “I’m an optimist, but you always out-positivitied me. I hope you’re right.”

“So do I, sweetie. So do I.”

Chapter 6

“Please, sit.” Agent Tondato indicated the chairs around a light-coloured timber conference table that wasn’t quite as big as the one at headquarters. Black leather chairs