Pumpkin Spice & Poltergeist (Maple Hollow #1)

“Off-limits?” I asked. “Off-limits to—” I held up two fingers and hooked them against my neck like a vampire sucking blood. Willow nodded, and my mouth fell open. “So . . . how many tourists come here and never return home?”

Willow wrinkled her nose. “I think it’s best not to ask that.”

“What!”

“Oh, and if you have any customers give you grief, you tell me and I’ll tell Wyatt. The pack loves picking off assholes who don’t tip.”

I gaped at her. “Who are you and what have you done with my pacifist sister?”

Willow winked and disappeared into the back room to finish up prep for tomorrow, leaving me to wonder what in her time here had made her so strong.

9

JORDYN

The next day, after fulfilling yesterday’s orders and stocking the shelves, Iris and I marched into the Maple Hollow police station with Lou following behind.

“This is pointless. You should be getting ready for your date instead of trying to solve my death,” Lou balked for the hundredth time. “Which, by the way, I still have not asked you to do.”

“Shh!” I hissed as we walked up to the counter.

She wasn’t wrong about that, but I couldn’t take the chance that Lou would linger if there was any question that her death really wasn’t an accident.

The Maple Hollow police station was very small and filled with police officers who were used to evading unseemly questions about disappearing tourists. The wolf pack took turns manning the desk, just like my coven took turns running the apothecary. Werewolves—apparently—made excellent police officers.

Dougall McCleighton manned the desk today. He sat at attention for a second until he realized I wasn’t an out-of-towner and then drooped back down to do his crossword puzzle.

“Is the coven having problems with the raccoon population again?” Dougall asked. “I can sic the pack on them if you’d like?”

“No.” I sighed. “We’re not here on coven business.”

That piqued his interest. “Oh yeah? What do you need, ladies?”

I cringed at his eagerness to be the wolf in shining armor. Witches didn’t need wolves in shining armor. But in this matter, we did need the police.

“Were you around during that car crash that killed Lou Wong?” I did my best to sound sweet and not demanding.

Dougall pursed his lips and nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I was at the crash site. Terrible business.”

“I really don’t want to dredge this up, Jords,” Lou grumbled, a twinge of pain in her voice.

“Then go wait outside,” I whispered.

“What?” Dougall perked his ears.

I really needed to stop talking to Lou, especially around werewolves and their super hearing abilities.

“Just praying to the Moon Goddess!” Iris said, covering for me as she whispered some nonsensical words under her breath.

Dougall shook his head. “Witches.”

“Was there anything suspicious about the crash?” I asked.

“Nah,” Dougall said. “Looked like she passed out while behind the wheel. The car veered off into a ditch. All the upholstery reeked of alcohol. Clearly drunk driving.”

“I was sober,” Lou said with disbelief. “I hadn’t had a drink in years.”

“What did her toxicology report say?” I asked. “How far over the limit was she?” I knew he wouldn’t know off the top of his head. What I wanted was for him to produce the reports for me.