Pet Psychic Mysteries Boxset Books 5-8 (Magic Market Mysteries Book 2) by Erin Johnson (simple ebook reader .txt) 📕

I shrugged, trying to get more information out of him. “I can’t protect him if he’s behind this.” Had Ludolf killed those two women for some reason? Could this be the case that we finally nailed him on?

Neo shrugged back, his lips pressed tight together.

I stepped closer, and he held his ground, though he leaned his head away from me. I grinned, suddenly feeling more like the cat and less like the mouse. “Right… is Ludolf interested in the phoenix?”

I watched his reaction closely, but he didn’t give anything away. I tried again. “Did he steal it?” I narrowed my eyes. “For his potions, maybe?”

Neo huffed. “I can’t say.” He pointed a finger with a black ring around it at me. “The boss just said to tell you not to ask too many questions. Got it?”

I scoffed. “It’s kind of my job as a consultant for the police to ask questions.” I decided to try a little reverse psychology. “Whatever. I bet you have no idea why Ludolf cares about this. Not like you’re his confidant and right-hand man. I bet he can’t even remember your name.”

Neo’s lip twitched, curling with anger. He bared his teeth at me. “Just do what he said—don’t look into it too much and keep us informed on how the investigation is proceeding, got it?”

I rolled my eyes.

He huffed and marched forward until he stood right in front of me, nearly chest to chest. I recoiled a bit, Heidi’s teasing that Neo had a crush on me suddenly seeming less far-fetched.

His eyes held an earnestness I hadn’t seen from him much, his brows lifted in the center. “Please, Jolene. Don’t mess with Ludolf, or he’ll hurt you.”

It didn’t sound like a threat this time… more like a plea. It took me aback, but after a moment I shrugged it off. “He’s already hurting me.” I raised my brows. “You’re working for a bad dude, you know that right?”

He shook his head and stepped back. “We grew up together, Jolene. Not all of us got a lucky break and ended up lawyers.” He rejoined Sacha and Viktor. “What choice did I have, huh? We’re both doing what we have to to survive.” He pointed at me. “Don’t forget what I said.”

With that, he marched through the tunnel of brambles, Viktor skipping behind him, giggling. Sacha gave me a wave, then ducked his head and followed.

I watched them disappear for a moment into the fog, then leaned forward and cupped my hands to the sides of my mouth. “I’m going that way too, you know? You just made this awkward. Guess I’ll give you a head start.”

The only reply was some manic laughter from Viktor. I crossed my arms and tapped my toe as I thought the interaction over. Judging by Neo’s reaction, I’d caught the fish on the first cast—he had no idea why Ludolf wanted to be clued in on this case.

But I could also tell he was scared for me. I shivered and waited a few more moments before walking alone into the pool of fog toward my place on the bottom tier of the island.

18

Will and Heidi

Crowds of bargoers poured in and out of clubs pulsing with music, and shoppers swarmed the jumble of stalls and food carts when I made it back to the Darkmoon District. Neon lights reflected off the puddles, which shimmered with a pattering of rain, and the smells of sizzling spices and savory meats mixed with the less than appetizing fog that drifted up from the sewer grates. I ducked down Urchin Alley and hung a right, heading toward my place.

When I got to my graffiti-covered door, my cold hands fumbled with the keys as the bass beat from the bar below my place thumped in my chest. The lock turned, and I pushed the door in, stepping out of the rain and into the narrow stairwell that led up to my apartment. My foot slid, and after my stomach lurched back into place, I glanced down to find a slip of parchment under my boot.

I dipped down and grabbed the folded paper with Jo scribbled across the top. My stomach clenched as I stared down at it in the dim light coming from my place at the top of the landing. Ludolf’s style was usually to carve an annoyingly difficult to fix symbol into my door anytime he wanted to see me, but still—who else liked to leave me cryptic notices in the middle of the night?

With a sigh, I leaned my back against the cold wall, the tight space vibrating with the bar’s music, and unfolded the note.

Hey, girly.

I grinned, and that knot in my gut relaxed—okay, definitely not from el creepo. Friendly was not his style.

I came by looking for you—I have some info on you-know-who. Talk soon.

—Madeline

I heaved a sigh of relief and trudged up the steep steps, then pushed through the beaded curtain to my run-down apartment. I thought the letter over as I dug through piles of laundry and threw some spare clothes and pajamas into a beat-up leather backpack.

So our intrepid reporter had dug up some dirt on Ludolf. I grinned to myself—good. Maybe we’d be able to book him on some charges that would actually stick this time and throw him behind bars before he tested any more mysterious potions on me.

I checked the time on the clock in the kitchen. It was getting late—I’d have to go see her tomorrow night at The Conch headquarters, the local newspaper she reported for. Gary the cockroach scuttled around in my cupboards, muttering about how stingy I was for not leaving more crumbs out for him. I shook my head and finished packing.

After I changed clothes, jogged back downstairs, and locked the door behind me, I pulled my hood up to shield me from the rain and looked left, toward Peter’s place,