Page 45 of Rogue Witch

I clasp the hand she extends. Her grip is firm. “Detective.” I release her.

“Please, have a seat.” Raith motions for her to take the seat to her right.

She sits and I take the chair to her left.

Raith says, “I understand you would like to see Leilah Crowe. She’s not on campus, today. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Do you know when she’ll return?” the detective asks.

“A number of the students have gone on a field trip out of state. They’ll be back in a week.”

“Do you know if Ms. Crowe has been to her grandmother’s home recently?” she asks.

“If memory serves, it’s been at least a couple of weeks since she left campus. Has something happened?” Raith asks.

“Someone broke into her grandmother’s house last night.”

I lift my brows. “Vandals?”

“That’s what it looks like,” she replies. “The neighbors thought a rowdy party was in progress and called the police.”

“I gather they weren’t having a party,” Raith says.

“Not the sort of party the neighbors thought.”

Raith frowns. “What sort of party?”

“I would say some sort of occult party.”

“A ritual?” I ask.

“I’m not an expert on occult rituals, but that’s what it looks like to me. We found incense and what I’m guessing is some sort of sigil.”

I keep my expression neutral and lean forward in my chair. “They don’t sound like typical vandals looking for a place to escape the cold.”

The woman turns her dark, intense eyes onto me. “My thoughts exactly. Do you by chance know if Ms. Crowe is involved in any kind of occult or Wiccan religion?” She shifts her gaze to Raith.

“We don’t ask our students’ religion,” he replies. “But Ms. Crowe left with the other students two days ago. So, I do know that she didn’t participate in whatever ritual took place last night.”

“I see. Do you know if she allows any friends to stay at her grandmother’s house?”

Confusion shows on Raith’s face. The last time Raith was confused was the last time we had Ciarah in our lives. He simply doesn’t get confused.

“Were these vandals doing something illegal?” he asks.

“If they were trespassers, then yes, they were doing something illegal. If they are friends of Ms. Crowe’s, then, as far as we can see, other than the noise, no laws were broken—as long as they don’t start sacrificing live animals.”

“We can have Ms. Crowe contact you when she returns,” Raith says.

“Is there a number where I can contact her?” the detective asks.

“I’m sorry, no. The students are on a retreat. No phones, no iPads.”

Thankfully, this much is true. No devices were allowed in the War Games.

A corner of her mouth turns upward in a small smile. “No cellphones? I didn’t know kids today were capable of being separated from their cell phones.”

He laughs. “That’s the problem. Which is why, for this retreat, students aren’t allowed to bring their devices. If you like, Ethan can show you to her room where she left her cell phone.”