Page 54 of A Seer and Present Danger

Myra gave me a curious look. “No. Why would he?”

“He said he checked in with Ordinary’s police.”

“Could have been Hatter or Shoe. We’re all a bit…”

I thought she was going to say stressed. Worried. Afraid for Jean being found at the scene of the crime.

Also being a murder suspect at the scene of the crime, I thought.

“…we’re a bit out of sorts.”

“Any new information on Jean’s innocence?” Jules asked.

“You know I can’t share that with you, auntie.”

“That sounds like no to me. How are you holding up? How’s Delaney?”

Myra glanced over her shoulder.

I followed her gaze.

Delaney paced through the store, hands on her hips, a deep scowl sparking storm light in her eyes. She examined every detail like a million lives were on the line and any wrong move she made—any detail she missed—would send those lives hurtling off a cliff.

I knew how she felt.

“She’s not used to having to step back on investigations,” Myra said. “It’s not that Hatter and Shoe aren’t good police officers—they are excellent investigators and have been meticulous and thorough. It’s just that…”

“Jean’s her sister,” I said gently. “Your sister too. I can imagine how frustrating this is. Do you think the murders are connected? Hugo and Kenny?”

“Murders?” Myra’s gaze was intense. “What makes you think this was murder?”

“It looked like a head wound,” I said. “The back of his head. But he fell forward. Which makes me think someone hit him in the back of the head, instead of him falling, hitting his own head, then dropping forward on his face.

“Also, the shop.” I waved the teddy bear at it. “It wasn’t this much of a mess yesterday.”

“You were here yesterday? When?”

“I went over this with Delaney, but I came by in the afternoon to ask him if he could donate something to the Boast of the Coast. I didn’t know until today that he’d donated the bears.”

“Was that bear in the shop when you arrived today?”

“No. I sorted donations earlier and this one didn’t work. I brought it back here to see if he’d fix it.”

“Myra, come look at this,” Delaney called out.

Myra nodded. “Back to work for me. Piper, I know I don’t have to say this, but stay in Ordinary—well, of course you can go to your job—but don’t go on any vacations or any other trips for a few weeks. We may need to question you again as we gather evidence.”

“I’ll be here if you need me.”

“Good.” She gave me a small smile.

For a moment, I realized how young she really was. She and her sisters had been given such a huge responsibility for this magical, god-visited town, a responsibility that made them seem older than they were.

But they were mortals. Long lived for sure because their family had been chosen to look after Ordinary, but even though I looked to be firmly in my forties, I could be their grandmother.

“Myra?” I said as she turned.

“Yes?”