Page 58 of It All Started with a Bite

“Er, hi.”

Bo wagged his tail hesitantly. “You smell like grape soda.”

Nigel blinked. “Thank you. I think?”

18

When the Moon Calls

“Hmm.”Nigel adjusted his glasses and stared at the enhanced version of the Moonlight Couture footage he’d just brought up on the screen. “I think I’ve seen this guy before.”

I exchanged a startled look with Didi and Gavin.

“You have?” the witch said.

“Give me a minute.”

Multiple screens flickered around us as Nigel began working several keyboards at once, his glasses reflecting the displays’ glow. A couple of tentacles emerged from his sleeves and tried to help. He tucked them away absentmindedly.

My skin itched. The moon’s pull was getting stronger by the hour, making everything starker, brighter, and more intense. Even the hum of the computers seemed amplified in the enclosed space that was the boogeyman’s office.

“That’s strange.” Nigel was frowning at one of the screens. “It’s taking a while to run him through facial recognition.”

“We think he might be a mimic,” Gavin said helpfully.

Nigel almost fell off his chair. “That’s it!” He brightened—literally—and immediately dimmed his glow when we squinted. “Sorry.”

“Do you think you can track him down?” Didi asked while I was still blinking the black spots out of my eyes.

“Maybe.” More windows opened across Nigel’s screens. “I’ve been building a database of suspicious individuals and strange activities involving supernatural establishments in Amberford and the neighboring towns. I should be able to pinpoint similarities if this guy’s modus operandi stayed the same.”

I was impressed. The boogeyman really was great at his job.

We watched as images and text scrolled past for several minutes.

Nigel suddenly stiffened. “There!” Dozens of glowing tentacles emerged all at once in his excitement and pointed at a screen. “His real name is Clayton Wheeler. He’s officially registered as a werewolf. He’s been flagged multiple times for suspected criminal activities.”

I frowned. Though they were of different heights and ages, the men in the frames all walked and moved the same way.

I wondered which one was the real Clayton Wheeler.

“What kind of criminal activities?” Didi asked in a steely voice.

Nigel checked his database. “Assault and theft.” He paused. “Oh. There was an incident last year involving a cursed object at an antique store in the next town. The charges were dropped due to lack of evidence.”

My pulse quickened.

Didi narrowed her eyes. “Sounds like our guy.”

“We should check the shops around Mystical Moments,” Gavin suggested. “See if anyone saw Wheeler or noticed anything unusual in the days leading up to the theft.”

We said goodbye to Nigel and returned to Sycamore Grove in Didi’s car. It didn’t take long to find our first clue.

The beauty salon next to Mystical Moments was run by Madame Rosa, a witch who specialized in magical makeovers. The bell above the door tinkled cheerfully when we entered the premises.

We introduced ourselves and showed her the pictures Nigel had printed of our suspect, including the screenshot from Moonlight Couture’ssecurity footage.

“Oh, that guy.” Madame Rosa nodded at Wheeler’s photo from Claudette’s shop, her fingers busy enchanting gray hairs into gold. “Yup, I saw him alright. He was in a dark blue Lexus SUV that was parked around the corner five days straight last week.”

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