The Hidden Grimoire by Karla Brandenburg (pride and prejudice read TXT) 📕

I wasn’t about to repeat. This wasn’t wishes, or even wishful thinking. This was making light of a dark situation. “A pickle, I think.”

Which sent Cassandra into fits of laughter.

Chapter 21

By Saturday evening, four inches of snow had fallen, inconvenient for the trip to the mall I’d planned. The snow meant shoveling before I took my car out. I considered walking, but carrying the containers I needed to buy for my products would make it difficult.

Kyle phoned as I turned the lock to close the store. “Want a ride home?”

“That would be great. You know what else would be great? If you would drive me to the mall to pick up some containers for the store.”

“Absolutely. No need for you to drive in this snow.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed. “I did grow up with snow in Illinois, you know.”

“Whatever you say,” he replied. “While we’re there, we can get dinner at Max & Molly’s.”

I chuckled. “Nice diversion. You won’t have to work late to help with fender benders? People sliding into each other?”

“Wisconsin people know how to drive in the snow, unlike you flatlanders,” he joked. “I can pick you up in ten minutes. I’m taking the squad car home.”

“And then there’s the part about riding in police vehicles,” I reminded him. “I’m not riding in the back.”

“I think Sergeant Cudahy would give you a pass. I can clear it with her first, if you like.”

“Kyle, I don’t want to jeopardize your job.”

He lowered his voice. “They’re tip-toeing around me these days after rescinding approval for my K-9 officer. Pretty sure if I want to bend a rule or two, now is the time to do it.”

I wasn’t going to argue with him. “Fine. I’ll see you in ten.”

When he picked me up, we made a stop to drop Ash at home, and continued to the mall. The container store had my order waiting for me. Mission accomplished. Kyle carried my purchases as we walked through the mall, past a bridal shop. I stopped to admire the dresses in the window—not that I intended to wear a formal gown at the gazebo in the park. Or did I?

“Want to try it on?” Kyle asked.

I swatted him. “Not while you’re around.” Nora had worn a caftan for her wedding, but that was standard attire for her. Bohemian. Her personal style.

Someone shoved against my shoulder, turning me away from the store window.

“You.” Sharon practically spat the word.

Kyle set my bags down and put his hands to his gun belt.

Anger flashed in her eyes. “Thanks to you, I won’t be watching Georgia anymore.”

“Because she disappeared on your watch?”

“No, because you told LeAnne I was after her husband.”

I smirked. “Well, aren’t you?”

“Everything was fine until you butted in. He appreciated my help.”

“Tell me. How did Georgia happen to disappear?”

Sharon’s face flooded with color. “I had to take a call from work. I was only on the phone five minutes.”

“Hard to do two jobs at the same time, isn’t it?”

“We were working.”

I put a finger against my cheek. “What a coincidence. You did tell me you didn’t work directly with him in Madison, didn’t you?”

She leaned toward me. “He’s going to leave her. You’ll see. If you won’t help me, you’d better stay out of my way.”

“Is that a threat?” Kyle asked.

Sharon snapped her head toward him, as if noticing him for the first time. “It’s a promise.”

“I didn’t take Narcy’s threats seriously,” he said. “I won’t make the same mistake twice. If I find you harassing Ms. Taylor a second time, I will take you in.”

Kyle was out of his jurisdiction by a mile and a half. He couldn’t take her in. I watched, wondering how he intended to follow through.

“What do you know about Narcy?” Sharon matched his stance, hands on her hips.

Kyle hesitated, trying to defuse the situation. “Look, I don’t know what you have against Brynn, but I’d hate to see your anger destroy you the way it did your foster sister.”

Sharon’s eyes grew wide. “Destroy her?” She glanced from Kyle to me and back again. “Where is Narcy?”

“You don’t know?” he asked.

I laid a hand on Kyle’s arm. “This isn’t the place.”

“Know what?” Sharon asked.

Kyle stood silent.

“Know what?” Sharon repeated.

“When’s the last time you spoke with your sister?” I asked.

“I don’t know. She came to visit in June, then again in August. We don’t have a regular schedule.” She glanced at Kyle once more. “I called her to talk to her about my job, and she came to help. She found your gift shop,” she cocked her head my direction, “and an interesting business opportunity. I figured she decided against pursuing it because I haven’t talked to her since.” Her head swiveled between us once more. “Is she in jail?”

My first instinct was to comfort her, but like Kyle had said, I’d learned my lesson with Narcy. They might only be foster sisters, but from the sounds of things, they were like-minded.

“Narcy’s dead,” Kyle told her. “She tried to kill someone, and when she fled the scene, she fell on a piece of glass. It severed her carotid artery.”

Sharon’s face blanched. Her knees buckled and she flattened a palm against the wall for support. “You’re lying.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

She did another swivel of the head. “Who did she try to kill?”

“I don’t think that’s important,” Kyle said.

“I want to know. I deserve that much.” Tears slid down her cheeks. She glanced at me. “It was you, wasn’t it? And now you want to keep me from the one person in this world I can’t live without.”

“Jason? He’s married to someone else,” I reminded her.

“I can change his mind. I can get him to see we’re meant to be together.”

“Can I call someone for you?” Kyle offered.

She gritted her teeth, said, “You stay away from me,” and stalked away.

“And that,” Kyle said, picking up my purchases once more, “is why I’m worried about you. Narcy nearly killed you. I’m not about to let her sister finish