Free Corruption (Grumpy Old Wizards Book 2) by John O'Riley Page B

shield?”
    “No.”
    “Can you do other advanced magic besides the restoration enchantments?”
    “Is this interrogation going to end sometime soon?” Mark cocked a bemused brow at Josephine.
    “I need to know what’s going on.”
    “We’re in love. That’s what’s happening.” Mark leveled an imploring look at her and when it became obvious she still wanted answers, he heaved a sigh of disappointment. “I can also create photographic memory enchantments. They last for two to three hours and while I’m under the influence, everything I read and learn is stored in my mind like a computer.”
    “And you can remember it all even when the enchantment is over?”
    “Yes. It’s how I have enough time to intern, create enough restoration spells to make a living and ace all my college courses,” Mark explained.
    “That’s fascinating.”
    Mark leaned over to kiss her but stopped when someone knocked at the driver’s side window. Mark flinched and Josephine gasped with surprise. They turned to see Alice and Helen standing outside the driver’s side door. Mark threw Josephine an amused look.
    “Busted,” he murmured.
    Josephine’s eyes danced with amusement.
    “We were worried about you. You’ve been sitting here for half an hour.” Helen regarded them with a look of reprisal.
    Mark opened the door and leveled a disarming grin at Helen.
    “We were just talking. Josephine’s a lovely, young lady,” he said.
    “She’s a mature, elderly woman,” Helen corrected him. “And it’s late. You have school tomorrow and she has work.”
    “I like to think of her as an experienced and seasoned woman,” Mark said.
    Helen’s disapproving frown deepened. Josephine climbed out of the SUV and joined her friends on the other side. She turned to level a radiant smile at Mark.
    “Thank you so much for a wonderful evening,” she said.
    “You, too.”
    Mark waved a farewell at them before he hopped in his truck and drove away. Josephine waived back at him as she walked with Alice and Helen toward their building.
    “What were you thinking?” Helen peered at her with reprisal. “You don’t want to get pregnant at your age.”
    “Do you realize how ridiculous you sound?” Josephine scoffed. “There’s absolutely no way I can possibly have a baby! For heaven’s sakes! I’m eighty-four years old!”

 
     
    Chapter 7
    Josephine cast a disgruntled glance at Riley as he munched on a frosted cake donut with sprinkles. It irritated her that he could snack on junk food all the time. If she ever tried anything like that, she’d end up looking like the Goodyear blimp. The police department bustled with activity. For security reasons, there were m-detectors positioned throughout the building to prevent any magical attacks. In order to avoid tripping any alarms, Josephine was forced to limit her scans within an eight foot radius of her body. At this rate, it would take her a month or longer to identify any Valituras spies. This week, she was assigned to a different pair of detectives, Scott and Fletcher. Josephine wished she could work with Jake like last week but this gave her the opportunity to work in close proximity with other people so she could safely scan them. Scott was short and slender with blond hair and friendly blue eyes. Fletcher was reserved, average height and medium set with short-cropped brown hair and green eyes.
    After spending the morning working on crime scenes with these two detectives, Josephine ascertained that neither of them were involved with the Valituras. As Josephine typed at her computer, catching up on the paperwork, she wondered how she could cut down on the time it would take to find any spies at the station. Josephine, Scott and Fletcher were dispatched to a new case towards the end of the day. The murder victim lived in a spacious, white house in an upper-class neighborhood. The lawn was immaculate with well-maintained and breath-taking landscaping. Josephine followed Scott and