Page 62 of Real Fake Hauntings

“They might be responsible for the pentagrams.” No need to explain them. Being Officer Brook’s aunt, and with the way Olmeda’s paranormal rumor mill worked, Veva had probably learned about the pentagrams before I had. Which was also why I made sure not to hint this might also be a murder suspect. “Seen anyone suspicious around the shop lately?”

“Not more than usual.” She angled the phone her way and studied the image intently. “Sorry, no, it doesn’t ring a bell. It could be anyone. Have you talked to Hutton?”

“He assured me his teen shifters were held in place.”

“That seems doubtful,” she remarked, also doubtful.

“There was a meeting about Garreth the Hound.”

Veva grinned. “Ah, yes, that would do it.”

“Will you come tomorrow for the cemetery tour?” I asked eagerly, returning the phone to my jeans pocket.

“I have a ticket for the first one in the early evening,” she assured me.

“Not the night ones? Those will be the best.”

“I have the whole night booked with readings,” she said with regret.

“We must do what’s best for our shops,” I agreed. I, myself, would miss most of the tours as we planned to keep the Tea Cauldron open longer than usual.

“It’s the season of witches and occultism.” She smiled slyly. “Would be a sad thing to miss it.”

“See, that’s what I kept telling Ian about doing the tours, but he wouldn’t budge. I should’ve taken you to visit him from the start to back me up.”

Veva chuckled. “I don’t know. I think you did a fine job. He eventually agreed, didn’t he?”

I snorted. “Under great duress.”

Told like that, the whole thing sounded rather bad, but I’d given him plenty of opportunities to back out!

“Say Veva,” I began casually, “what have you heard about Ian and me?”

“What do you mean?”

“Any weird rumors?”

“Only that you’re dating. But that’s not exactly a rumor.”

I licked my lips, wondering how to go about this. Veva was awesome, and we clicked well, but we had no Dru-levels of deep friendship yet. “I met one of the shifters yesterday and she called me Ian’s m-mate.”

What was it about that word that had me so shaken, I wondered, irritated at myself. Mate. Mate, mate, mate. There. Not so bad, was it?

“Oh, that.”

My brain snapped to attention. “Oh, that?”

“It’s natural, I suppose.”

“So, that’s like paranormal slang for significant other over here? Nothing super special about it?”

Veva studied me closely. “Ah. You want to know if they mean mates or mates.”

I nodded eagerly. “Yes, exactly.”

Amusement filled her eyes, and a hint of pity. “Have you asked Ian?”

That took me aback. “No, no way.”

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