Wicked Brew Read Online Free Page A

her real name is.”
    “That would be helpful,” Landon agreed, snagging a slice of bacon from Bay’s plate. “Right now, we just have to wait for her to trust us. She’s not ready to tell us what happened. When she is, we’ll be here to listen. If we’re lucky, her fingerprints will hit.”
    “What if they don’t?” I asked.
    “Then we’ll have to try and get Basil to talk,” Landon said. “Why did Aunt Tillie pick that name, by the way?”
    “To bug me,” I grumbled.
    Landon waited.
    “I just found out yesterday that I was apparently supposed to be named Basil,” I explained. “I’m deeply traumatized by the whole thing.”
    Landon snorted. “Is Basil somehow worse than Thistle as a name?”
    “They both suck,” I said. “Basil is worse.”
    Landon looked to Bay for confirmation.
    “Basil is awful,” she said. “Thistle always wished they would have named her Sage.”
    “That’s a cool name,” I said.
    “Thistle fits your personality better,” Landon said, finishing off his breakfast and getting to his feet. “I think we should find Aunt Tillie and Basil. I’m not crazy about them running wild all over the property.”
    “Aunt Tillie would never hurt Basil,” I said. “She likes her.”
    “Thistle is right,” Bay said. “Aunt Tillie was the first one to go to her. Thistle and I kind of froze in place. It was pretty impressive. She can move when she wants to.”
    “I’m not worried about Aunt Tillie hurting her,” Landon said. “I’m worried about Aunt Tillie taking her to the pot field.”
    Uh-oh. I hadn’t even thought of that. I got to my feet. “Yeah, let’s find them.”
     
    “OKAY, here’s what I want you to do,” Aunt Tillie said. “When you see a car, I want you to smile really wide, and then dance with this in your hand.”
    Basil’s green eyes were saucers as she took the wine bottle from Aunt Tillie.
    “Twirl around a lot,” Aunt Tillie said. “People can’t say no to a cute little girl. That’s why I always used Bay and Clove to sell stuff when they were little.”
    “Hey, what about me?”
    Aunt Tillie turned swiftly, fixing me with a hard look. We’d surprised her. She hadn’t heard us approaching. She was slipping. “You weren’t a cute child.”
    I scowled. “I was a very cute child.”
    “You looked like you were hit with the ugly stick a few too many times,” Aunt Tillie said. “You made up for it with a snarky personality. Don’t worry. You outgrew it.”
    Landon snatched the bottle of wine from Basil’s hand, causing her to shrink away from him. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he said. “I … .”
    “Oh, good job, agent,” Aunt Tillie said. “You’ve terrified an already traumatized child. Way to protect and serve.”
    “That’s cops,” Landon growled.
    “Well, you’re not much of a cop,” Aunt Tillie said, focusing on the road. “Oh, here comes someone.” She handed Basil another bottle and pushed her forward. “Dance.”
    Basil glanced between Aunt Tillie and Landon, worried.
    “Go ahead,” I said. “What? It’s not like anyone is going to stop.”
    Basil danced a small jig at the edge of the road. She had an odd rhythm, but it was interesting to watch. To my surprise, the truck stopped. The passenger, a woman I recognized as a teacher from the elementary school, handed Basil a twenty and then grabbed the wine before her husband continued driving down the road. My mouth dropped open in surprise. “What the … ?”
    Basil handed the money to Aunt Tillie, who patted her on the head. “I knew you were going to be my good luck charm.”
    I watched as Aunt Tillie shoved the twenty into a metal tin on a folding chair next to her small display table. Landon followed my gaze and strode over to take the tin from Aunt Tillie. She put up a fight, but Landon was stronger – and more determined. When it opened, his mouth dropped open. He pulled out a thick wad of bills. “How much is this?”
    “That’s mine,” Aunt Tillie