Page 49 of Real Fake Hauntings

“Sure. Any updates on the pentagrams?”

Feeling like I needed something to do, I got busy making him some tea. Not the day’s special, of course. Mr. All Mighty Alpha got the cheap tea bags. “Is that why you came? You could’ve texted.”

“I did.”

I checked my phone. Well, look at that. He had.

Clearing my throat, I leaned casually against the back shelves like I’d never found a body this morning, made Ian ship it to the cemetery, the strays dig up a hole for it, and then broke into said body’s house. “Sorry, it’s been a busy morning.”

“Really?” He made a slow perusal of the shop and my four customers happily talking to each other before returning his attention to me. “Doesn’t seem like it.”

“We’re in a bit of a lull,” I said smoothly, putting one of the cheap mugs reserved for kids with his tea in front of him. “Where were you last night?”

For all I knew, maybe he’d come to get some blackmail on me along with Crane. I couldn’t forget that everyone is a suspect.

His brows arched. It made him look so much like Ian that I smiled reluctantly.

“Last night? Why?”

“Just wondering. Sleep at home alone again, hmm?” Aww, I’d totally forgotten to ask Dru about that. Would she answer if I sent her a quick text before I forgot again? I considered that for a second. Probably better if I let the whole Crane-dead-on-the-shop’s-floor issue fade into memory some more.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes.”

He sounded exasperated and truthful enough, so I decided to cross him off my suspect list. For now. Browsing through my phone, I brought up the screenshot from the webcam and showed it to him. “Recognize this person?”

Hutton took one peek at the screen and shook his head. “Are you serious? My mother could be in that shot and I wouldn’t recognize her. The face is like three pixels wide.”

“It doesn’t remind you of anyone? Maybe the style of clothing or the way they’re walking?”

“No. Is this the person who drew the pentagrams?”

“They’re my main suspect, yes. I wanted to check some of the other webcams later.” Perhaps I could do it now while there weren’t that many clients.

Hutton gave the screenshot another considering look. “Send me that and tell me which webcams you need to check. I’ll help.”

I gasped. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” he snapped. “I want to find whoever did it as badly as you do.”

I’d bet the shop nowhere near as badly, but I supposed it was a point of pride for him as the pack’s alpha. Someone had metaphorically peed on his wall, and now that someone had to pay.

“You will tell me if you find out who they are? Send me screenshots if you find them on one of the other webcams?”

“Yes.”

“I’m trusting you with this very important task,” I warned him. “Do not disappoint me if you want to keep your alpha powers.”

His expression of outrage was priceless, so I hurried to send him the screenshots and a list of sites to check before I laughed and got mauled in front of my poor innocent clients.

After he left, it was time to call Sonia. Surprisingly, she answered after a couple of rings.

“Any updates?” she asked straight away.

“Good day to you, too, Sonia!” A deep, highly unsettling silence filled the call, so I skipped waiting for an answer and told her about the suspect in the webcam. “Has there been anyone suspicious around your shop? Any new paranormals registered with the PBOA?”

“No.”

“Could you ask your other employees if they’ve seen anyone suspicious?”

---