“It’s none of your concern. I have everything under control.”

Nora laughed. “Famous last words.”

“This conversation is over.”

I turned back around and hurried for the house, but not quickly enough to escape my aunts’ bickering.

“Oh, well done, Sister.”

“Now you have something to say?”

“No. No. I think you said enough for the both of us.”

“One more word and I’ll hurl a lightning bolt down on your head.”

“Please. I’d like to see you try.”

• • •

Let me guess,” I called up to the tree branch, “Gideon sent you to check up on me?”

Dog cawed, then swooped from his perch, sending a few golden leaves cascading down, and flew to a tree farther down the street.

“Mm-hmm.”

Despite the tumult of the day before, I had flown out of bed. Not literally of course. I’d need a broom to do that. But I did wake up feeling full of purpose. I finally told my aunts the truth, there were no more secrets between us, and that meant I could focus completely on the work at hand.

And there was a lot of work to do.

I meant what I had said about moving mountains to prove Nora’s innocence. No matter what she believed, I didn’t need my magic. I just needed to get busy.

It was time to talk to Constance’s younger brother, John.

Rip had said he couldn’t believe his brother had finally done something. Obviously, he said it in such a way to lead me to believe his brother might be responsible for Constance’s death, but given the way he had scratched at his nose, there was a good chance it was all a play on his part. If that was the case, I needed to find out why he wanted me to believe his brother was guilty. Was it to deflect guilt away from himself? Or was there something more going on?

Roxie had mentioned that John cut all the town’s lawns, and given that it was a Wednesday, there was a good chance I knew where to find him.

Adam and I often went on Wednesday picnics. He had taught science at the local high school, and his schedule gave us just enough time to meet up for lunch dates. They were usually short, just paper bag meals, but they were lovely. When we weren’t getting kicked off the lawn by men riding on mowers, that is. That’s right, on one occasion we had met up on the lawn of the town square, only to be driven off it literally by a man on a mower. We had laughed about it at the time even though it had been a pretty aggressive move. It’s easy to laugh about things when you’re happy and in love.

The memory warmed me a moment before it was washed away by the pain that always seemed to follow.

I didn’t have time for that today.

I quickened my step, hearing the flapping of wings overhead as Dog leapfrogged ahead of me.