Page 25 of The Hearth Witch’s Guide to Spite & Spellwork

“So they called rather than making the appointment in person?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure.” Was he in shock or literally this inattentive to his own actions?

“Do you remember the voice? Was it even a man’s voice?”

Blake shook his head, and his brows knitted together. “I think I remember writing it yesterday? Yeah, I’m pretty sure it was a same-day appointment. Maybe it was urgent?”

Finally. It wasn’t a lot, but it was something beyond what the book had already told her. “They didn’t leave any information other than a name? No manner of contacting them, no proof of identity?”

“No?”

“You didn’t find that suspicious?”

Blake looked nervous. “We’ve never really needed to take payment in advance. People call and make appointments. They almost always show up, but if they’re more than ten minutes late, Madam Ravenwood locks up and goes home. Sometimes we get prank calls, but they’re usually so obvious they don’t go in the book, and if someone is a complete no-show, it’s not really a drain on resources.”

Avery felt the irritation of hitting a dead end tighten her jaw. “How late did Ms. Ravenwood usually take clients?”

“Nine thirty p.m. is the last slot she’ll offer, but usually it’s closer to eight.”

Avery pointed to the time slot for Matthew Hopkins at 9:30 and then to the one prior with an even more vague entry, Liz H. at 4:30. “It looks like there was quite a gap between her appointment with Mr. Hopkins and her client prior—do you know what she was doing during that time?”

“If she didn’t have anything on her schedule, that must have been the only time he could make it.”

Avery closed the appointment book. “Or a guaranteed time they’d be alone…”

“Does the store employ any kind of video surveillance?” Lahiri asked.

Blake shook his head. “We’re not really a prime robbery target.”

“So you’re not aware of anything Ms. Ravenwood may have had in her possession that would be worth this level of effort,” Avery concluded.

“Murder being the effort?” Blake’s voice cracked, and his age showed. “No. Her house is pretty posh, but she didn’t bring any of that into work. And as far as I know, what she valued the most was her gift.”

Avery quirked an eyebrow. “Gift?”

“Luna could talk to the beyond. I’d seen her do it countless times—she did it for me,” Blake insisted. “I know people like you think that’s crazy, but it’s true.”

Lahiri did not hide his displeasure, and Avery lightly kicked his ankle with the side of her boot. “Had anyone expressed issue with their readings lately? Maybe someone angry about what they found out or who they spoke with?”

Blake thought a moment. “I suppose I could think of a few people that didn’t get along with Luna.”

“Excellent.” Avery took the uniformed officer’s pen and paper and handed it directly to the boy. “Their names, please.” She turned to Lahiri. “Would you like to get a bite while we wait for the warrant to come in?”

Lahiri gripped her arm gently and pulled her off to the side. “First, that warrant is going to take at least a day.”

Avery frowned.

“Second, I am on duty for Scotland Yard, not the Winter Court, and everyone else here thinks you’re my consultant. So, I will be heading back to the station, getting addresses and information on your suspect list, and making sure the body gets sent to our people.”

“And what should I do in the meantime?”

“Whatever you like.”

“But…” No. No, things were starting to feel normal again. She had a purpose, she had a drive, she had a mission. She couldn’t go back to being bored. Especially not when “bored” had started to feel an awful damn lot like “lonely.” “Couldn’t I go with you and help on one of your other cases?”

“What?” Lahiri laughed, then realized Avery was asking in earnest. “You just need to kill some time for a day. Surely that’s not impossible for you? You’ve been out of London for two hundred…” He must have seen something in her expression, because he couldn’t even manage to finish that sentence. “Don’t you have any friends?”

16The distinction between magic and magick with a K, according to the fey, requires looking under the proverbial hood. While similar in appearance, magic relies on channeling one’s own energy and the energy in the elements around them. Even mortals are capable of magic, unless they have been bound or severed from their connection to Faerie.