Page 19 of A Seer and Present Danger

We were all quiet for a moment. I drank more coffee.

“No,” Jules said firmly, as if finishing an argument with herself. “Jean couldn’t have killed that man. And Delaney wouldn’t lock up her own sister.”

“Delaney might not have had a choice,” I said gently. “She has to follow the law.”

“Could it have been an accident?” Dusi asked, still focused on the crime. “Could Jean have killed him on accident?”

Jules looked at me like I’d know.

“I don’t know how it could have been an accident,” I said honestly. “He was stabbed in the back. But I agree, Jean would never kill someone.”

They both murmured in agreement.

“Hatter and Shoe questioned all of us for hours,” I said. “So did Delaney. They might have found some really good information that points to the real killer. And hey—don’t worry! I know the police will figure it out. They’re the experts.”

Dusi made a considering sound. Jules shook her head.

“You know…we’ve had good results,” Dusi said.

“We found two criminals,” Jules added. “One was a murderer.”

“Hold on,” I said. “That was different. This is…he was very dead. There isn’t magic or trickery involved here. There was a stabbing. This is real.”

“Murder’s murder,” Jules insisted. “With magic or without it.”

She looked sad but also determined to make this better for Jean. Dusi just looked determined to solve the crime. I knew where this was going.

Little futures flashed:

We were all looking for clues in a dark room, with flashlights?

Jean, running for her life

Jean, arrested, in jail

I stilled. Out of all of those, I only wanted the first to come true. I very much didn’t want the other two to come true.

I made a fast decision. “Yes, I think we should look for clues and prove Jean’s innocence.” My heart was beating fast like I’d just run sprints.

I had just made a choice that might change the future.

What if I had chosen wrong?

What if I’d just messed up the future for all of us?

Futures bubbled and fizzed and the world swayed. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

I didn’t want to see Jean jailed or running for her life. Surely, looking for clues was a better future. This could be a good choice. This future could be the one where it all worked out.

“Yes!” Jules clapped, interrupting my worries. “That’s the spirit. Let’s solve the mystery. When do we start?”

“After book club,” Dusi said. “We still need that signal to distract Xtelle.”

“How about we snap our fingers, then change the subject?” Jules said.

We all snapped.

“Great weather we’ve been having,” I said.