Page 72 of Bright Dark Curses

I couldn’t build my shop on the ashes of my friendships.

Vicky not included.

I was basking in my sense of loyalty when my phone rang in my hands. Key. Had she found anything new?

I hurried to answer. “Yes?”

“Brett called.”

TWENTY-ONE

“He’s okay?” I asked.

“Yes, he’s fine now.” I had just enough time to let out a sigh of relief before Key continued, “He’s been discharged but has to take things easy, so he’s not going to be able to go to work today. I think he’s trying to hide from Hutton,” she added with some humor in her voice. “He told me if Hutton asked, to say I didn’t know where he was.”

“Good luck with that.”

She laughed. “I know, right?”

“Does he remember who gave him the cup?”

“He says he picked it up from the tray. Doesn’t remember any of our suspects hanging around, but he wasn’t paying attention.”

“Then it could be?—”

Brimstone peeked into the kitchen, a scowl on his face. “Boss, my shift is done.”

“Coming,” I told him. “Hold on a sec, Key.”

I followed Brimstone back into the shop, where a couple were chatting animatedly over their teas, and a man was typing on a small laptop at the other table.

Brimstone grabbed his wool coat from the hanger by the door and left without saying a word. The rumble of thunder followed.

The man stopped his typing and frowned at the windows. When no splash of rain happened, he returned his attention to the screen.

Brimstone being involved in theater explained so much.

“Sorry,” I said into the phone, lowering my voice. “It could be Brett wasn’t directly targeted, and it was a random coincidence, or our guess about the spell to lure him into picking up the cup was right.”

In other words: we had nothing. I smiled at our customers, who paid me no attention, and moved behind the bead curtain.

“Shane and I got into Curtis and Sanders’s rooms,” Key said.

That took me aback. “I thought you were going to try tonight while filming.”

“Ethan said they were having some kind of meeting at the set, so it’d be a great time to snoop around.”

“Ethan is being a little too helpful.”

“You think he’s lying to us?” Key didn’t sound too shocked at the idea.

“I think we should check out his room to make sure.”

“I thought about that.”

“Then you thought well.”

She laughed again. “I’m learning from the best.”

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