Witch Is Why The Laughter Stopped (A Witch P.I. Mystery Book 14) Read Online Free Page B

vest and shorts, which seemed to be her outfit of choice in and around the house. As always, she looked stunning.
    “I’m going to see Peter today,” she said.
    “Jack and I were out with him and Kathy last night.”
    “I’m really grateful to you for arranging it.”
    “No problem.”
    “I feel like I’m taking up a lot of Peter’s time, and I’d like to do something by way of a thank you. Is there anything I could get for him? As a token of appreciation?”
    “If I were you, I’d buy a nice bunch of flowers for Kathy. She’d like that, and I think Peter would appreciate the gesture.”
    “That’s a great idea, thanks.”
     
    I was just about to get in the car when I noticed Jen driving up the road. She spotted me, and waved as she drove past.
    Blake’s car was still on the driveway. It was an ideal opportunity to have a quick word with him, so I walked over and knocked on the door.
    “Jill?” He seemed surprised to see me. “Is everything okay?”
    “Yeah—no—I think so.”
    “Do you want to come in?”
    “No, thanks. I don’t have time. I’m on my way to work. Look, I’m not sure whether I should tell you this or not.” I hesitated.
    “You have to, now that you’ve started.”
    “You mustn’t mention it to Jen.”
    “Mention what to her?”
    “That I’m telling you this. She dropped by my office yesterday. She’s concerned about you.”
    “Why would she be concerned about me?”
    “She came over to my place the other night while you were away on business. She said she thought you might be hiding something. Maybe even seeing someone else behind her back. Then yesterday, she popped into my office, and asked me to follow you to see if anything was going on.”
    “Wow! She must really be worried. But what can I do? If I tell her I’m a wizard, she’ll think I’m crazy. And if I proved it to her by doing magic, I’d leave myself open to being taken back to Candlefield by the Rogue Retrievers.”
    “I understand your dilemma, believe me. But you need to put Jen’s mind at rest somehow. She’s obviously got a bee in her bonnet.”
    “You have to help me, Jill.”
    “What can I do?”
    “It’s lucky she came to you. She could have gone to another P.I. Why don’t you pretend to follow me for a few days, and then report back to her? Confirm that I’m not doing anything behind her back, and that I’m not seeing anyone.”
    “I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right.”
    “There’s no other way to put her mind at rest. Please, Jill, will you do it?”
    “Okay, if you’re sure.”
    “I’m sure.”
     
    ***
     
    Jules was behind the desk today.
    “Jill, you have to do something about that stupid thing.” She gestured to the cuckoo clock.
    “What’s wrong with it?”
    “It’s driving me potty. Every hour, on the hour, it pops its little head out, and starts making that stupid cuckoo noise.”
    “That’s what cuckoo clocks do, Jules.”
    “I know, but who has a cuckoo clock in their office? How am I meant to focus on my knitting with that thing cuckooing all the time?”
    “There isn’t much I can do about it. It belongs to Mrs V; it was a present from Armi. I can hardly tell her to take it down, can I?”
    “Can’t you just hit it with something?”
    “No, I can’t hit it with something. How would I explain that away? ‘Oh, sorry Mrs V. I accidentally hit your cuckoo clock with something’.”
    “I suppose you’re right. I’ll have to bring my iPod to work, and listen to music.”
    “Just make sure you can still hear the phone ring.”
    “By the way, Jill, did you find out if those two guys who work for your brother-in-law have girlfriends?”
    “Not yet, but I will. I promise.”
    “Thanks, Jill.”
     
    When I walked into my office, there was what looked like the remains of the cuckoo on the floor. I couldn’t see Winky, but I could hear him. He was working behind the screen.
    “Winky, get out here now!”
    He walked slowly around the screen.