Page 88 of Enspelled

“Why are we talking to her?” Bodie asks, from the other side of the car.

I slam my door shut. “She works in the sheriff’s office.”

“Right,” Bodie murmurs, following. “So you always have a spy in there?”

I snap my head toward him. “A what?”

“A spy,” he repeats, making no attempt to keep his voice low. “I’m guessing Liam has someone working in there, too.”

Nodding, I return my focus to Rose, who I catch backing away. “Yes, he has someone to keep an eye on things. Rose, we need to talk.”

Her face tightens. “I have nothing I want to say to you.”

“Well,” Bodie steps past me, “I guess we could talk about a certain Romeo and Juliet moment we glimpsed here on Main Street instead, if you like.”

Briefly, I close my eyes. Is he seriously blackmailing Rose?

“Bodie, don’t. It’s not—”

“What are you talking about?” Rose interrupts, sounding confused.

“Well, you remember the story of the Montagues and the Capulets from warring families falling in love,” Bodie says as I mentally wince. “One could argue that witches and wolves might be the next best thing.”

Understanding flashes in her eyes.

“Or,” Bodie continues, “maybe it’s not love, and it’s just a daytime screw against—”

I step forward. “Okay, that’s enough. Rose, we need to talk to you. Five minutes. That’s all.”

She wants to argue. Everything screams that desire, from her creased brow and compressed lips to her body angled away from us. But after a narrow-eyed stare at Bodie, she stalks toward us and climbs into the back seat. “Two minutes. Then I have to get back to work.”

I glare at Bodie. “You didn’t need to do that.”

He raises his eyebrow. “I didn’t do anything. Just reminded her of a classic.”

His expression is so innocent that I shake my head before sliding back into the driver's seat. Bodie is getting in as I turn in my seat to find Rose with her gaze fixed on me.

“What do you want?” she asks.

For a long moment, I study her, taking in the strain around her mouth, the dark circles around her eyes, and her hunched back. “I’m sorry about what happened to—”

“Look, just stop, okay? I know you didn’t like my mom or even my sisters, so there’s no need to pretend like you care now.”

“You’re right,” I agree after a moment. “I didn’t like them because I didn’t think they were very nice people. But you are, and I’m sorry that you’re alone.”

Rose searches my face as if she’s looking for signs I’m lying, but I meet her gaze steadily. Eventually, she nods. “Thanks.”

“Briar didn’t do it. I know everyone in town is saying that she did, but she—”

“I know,” Rose interrupts.

I snap my mouth shut.

“You do?” Bodie asks.

Sighing, Rose settles into her seat. “I was there for the magic lessons, so I know how they treated her. If she’d wanted them dead, she wouldn’t have waited until now to do it. And I saw her reaction after the explosion in the flower shop. At the time, I was convinced it was her, but now…?” She shakes her head. “She was just as shocked as everyone else. No, she didn’t do it.”

Since this conversation isn’t going at all like I’d expected it to, I take a second to refocus. “Who do you think it was?”

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