How to Stone a Crow (Witch Like a Boss Book 2) by Willow Mason (great novels txt) 📕

Pru reread the words for a second, then stowed it away. “It seems heartfelt.”

“Did the police get in touch?”

She nodded to me. “Yes, but as I thought, they don’t have enough evidence to prosecute. The sergeant told me they could probably get the crown to press charges about the medication change, but even then…” She shrugged. “It’d be a lot of time and trouble and the likelihood with a first offence is he’d get away with community service.”

Patrick crossed his arms. “Which he deserves.”

“Yes, but…” Pru waved a hand in the air. “He didn’t intend any real harm. I think the sleepless nights since you visited him have probably worked well enough.”

“What about writing a letter back?” I jerked my chin at her bag. “Solomon lost a colleague he didn’t particularly like and got a job promotion. Maybe if he knew how Andrew’s loss affected your life, if he carried your grief on his conscience, it might lighten your load.”

Pru’s expression grew thoughtful and she pulled away from Jared. “Maybe. I’ll have to think about it.” She clapped her hands together. “But right now, what I want is to replace everything the poltergeist broke in my house.”

Jared huffed with amusement. “Two minutes ago, you were house hunting.”

“And what’s your point? You haven’t heard of boxes? They’re these amazing things that let you take objects from one home to another.”

“We must be getting on,” Patrick said to Wes as Jac came over. “It’s great to see you back where you belong.”

Wes threw an arm around Jac’s neck. “I have to keep checking you’re here.”

“If you want to double-check, how about pouring a nice hot beverage down my throat?”

“I guess that’s my cue,” Wes said, waggling his eyebrows. “You sure you won’t stay for a cuppa?”

“Yes,” I said as Patrick’s feet turned back towards the kitchenette. “We’re sure. There are a thousand and one tasks to fix up today, otherwise, we’ll be working all weekend.”

Jared shook his head and chuckled. “Working, she calls it.”

“Hey. Could the unemployed amongst us quit throwing stones? I’m doing my best.”

“Drop by later,” Patrick called as he shuffled me out the door. “We might have a job opening.”

“Might we?” I stared hard at him as we walked along the footpath. “What’s that about?”

A silence lengthened as his face twisted and pulled through a dozen different expressions. My hand closed into a fist as my nerves tightened. What had he said about working in other towns?

“Just… Perhaps it’s time we thought about expanding.” He pointed to the real estate office window, some of the signs for rental spaces yellowing with age. “An office in the centre of town would be great and…” His voice dropped low. “It’s been very kind of you to put me up at your house but it’s well past time I find a place of my own.”

“Oh.” I faced forward with my cheeks burning. “Seems a bit wasteful to get an office along here when we’re only a twenty-minute walk from home, anyway.”

“I thought you might want your privacy. It must be hard to live and work with somebody.”

Must it. I blinked hard and concentrated on my feet for the rest of the walk home.

On our arrival, we found Aunt Florentine sitting in the kitchen, an empty cup in front of her that indicated she’d been there a while. “I wanted to check in and see how things are going,” she said with a bright smile. “Paisley has been educating me on all the familiars living out back. It’s been quite a revelation.”

“I’ve love to know more as well,” I said, sitting down with a sigh as Patrick excused himself to the office. Annalisa raised her head from the prime position in the midday sunlight, then settled it back on her crossed paws. “Annalisa filled me in on some of it, but I’m embarrassed at my ignorance.”

<Violet would never be… Never mind.>

I petted the cat; glad she was moving forward. “Is Wendy dropping by? I heard it’s a teachers-only morning at school.”

“Yes, she is,” the girl announced from the front door. “How’s my best princess doing?”

<If you want to know more about the familiars, you should come along and visit with them.>

Wendy clapped her hands together. “That sounds lovely. It’ll be an adventure.”

<I’m sure they’d appreciate a few treats.>

Annalisa stirred at the suggestion, casting a worried glance towards the cupboards. <I don’t know. We only went shopping yesterday and it seems like half the food is gone already.>

“Because some of us don’t know how to pace ourselves,” I said with a laugh, stroking her back. “There’s plenty of food in the deep freeze.”

<Old food. I like my meat fresh.>

“The butcher assures me it tastes the same, either way.”

<Because the butcher isn’t eating it raw. How dare you discount my superior tasting abilities?>

“Fine,” I said with a wink to my aunt. “In that case, we’ll take them everything out of the freezer and we can buy you something fresh and juicy afterwards.”

“Ugh. Sounds appalling.” Genevieve stood in the doorway, rubbing a hand through her messy topknot. “I haven’t received an invoice for the last case. Does that mean it was a freebie?”

“No, it wasn’t,” Patrick said, appearing magically at her shoulder. “I’ve emailed it to you.”

“Who uses email these days?” The supreme rolled her eyes. “Can you keep an eye out for it?” she asked my aunt. “I’ve left my inbox alone for so long, I’m afraid to look.”

“How about I print you out a copy?” I offered.

“And kill a tree? We’re trying to be ecologically sustainable around here. Climate change targets apply to us as much as any other local body.”

I giggled at Patrick’s bemused expression. “Shall we just whisper the total to you, then?”

“Send me a request through whatever the latest payment app is. I’ve got them all.”

My aunt tipped her head back and mouthed, “I’ll sort it.”

“Are you going to put the kettle on or what?” Genevieve strode across to the last empty chair. “I’m parched.”

<We’re about to go and visit my