Free Witch Is Why The Laughter Stopped (A Witch P.I. Mystery Book 14) by Adele Abbott Page B

to sing. I’d never heard anything quite like it. Lizzie’s voice would have shattered glass, and Mikey seemed to have no sense of rhythm.
    I glanced to my left, and saw that Kathy and Peter were standing just outside the door, both of them in hysterics. I’d make them pay for this.
    The torture went on for another ten minutes before the two kids took a bow. I clapped.
    “That was very good, wasn’t it, Auntie Jill,” Kathy said, as she and Peter came into the room.
    “Excellent,” I said, through gritted teeth.
    “Perhaps you’d like to hear another song?” Kathy grinned.
    “I’d love to, but I have to get back home. I’ve left a thing in the thingumajig. But you were very good, Lizzie. Well done, Mikey. Keep practising.” You need it.
    When we got outside, I turned on Kathy and Peter.
    “How could you do that to me?”
    “Do what?” Little Miss Innocent said. “Surely you want to encourage your nephew and niece in their musical interests?”
    “I noticed you two didn’t come into the room.”
    “We have to listen to it all week,” Peter said. “I don’t see why you shouldn’t have to suffer too.”
     
    ***
     
    My ears were still ringing when I got back home. It was still light, so I looked out of the back window to see how the lawn was doing. There were two new molehills! I wasn’t going to put up with this any longer. Tomorrow I’d find an expert who could tell me the best way to get rid of an unwanted mole.
    Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Mrs Rollo hard at work in her garden. Just then, I felt a vibration in my pocket. It was the Z-Call button. I hadn’t heard from Z-Watch for over six months. I checked the alarm; there was a zombie somewhere in my vicinity.
    Not good.
    When I glanced again out of the back window, I saw them. Over the back fence, coming through the field towards Mrs Rollo’s house, were two zombies.
    Mrs Rollo was oblivious to the imminent danger. She was so busy watering her plants that she hadn’t noticed the undead heading towards her. I had to do something, so I dashed next door.
    “Mrs Rollo.”
    “Hello, Jill? I didn’t see you there.”
    “Sorry. Do you remember what you said about teaching me to bake sometime?”
    “I’d be happy to.”
    “How about now? Right now would be a really good time.”
    “I’m just watering the—”
    “Please, Mrs Rollo. I have to bake something special for err—Jack’s err—birthday. Will you help me?”
    “Of course.”
    I glanced over her shoulder. The zombies were almost at the fence.
    “Let’s get inside now, shall we?”
    “What about my watering?”
    “Could you possibly do that afterwards?”
    “I suppose so.”
    I ushered her inside, and slammed the door shut behind us. As I glanced through the back window, I saw the first of the zombies climbing over the fence.
    Phew! That was a close call. The Z-Watch team would arrive at any minute to round up the zombies. In the meantime, I’d just have to endure Mrs Rollo’s baking masterclass.
    Yet another bullet I’d taken for the team.

Chapter 10
    It was mid-morning the next day, and I was thinking about the missing dog case. Something about it still bothered me. I didn’t even notice Mrs V come into my office.
    “Jill, could you order some more paper please? I’ve almost run out.”
    “Yeah, sure. No problem.”
    Mrs V was just about to go back to her office when she stopped dead in her tracks. She checked her watch, then turned to me. “What have you done to it?” she said, accusingly.
    “What have I done to what?”
    “The cuckoo clock.”
    I glanced at my watch; it was dead-on ten o’clock. Precisely the time when the cuckoo should have, you know, cuckooed.
    “Perhaps it needs a new battery.”
    “It can’t need a battery, Jill. It’s only been on the wall a few days. Have you broken it already?”
    “Me? No!”
    “Are you sure?”
    “I haven’t touched it.” I could hear Winky laughing behind the screen. “Maybe the cuckoo got