Free Witch Is When Stuff Got Serious (A Witch P.I. Mystery Book 11) by Adele Abbott Page A

looked after these then?”
    The dogs were getting louder, and seemed to be even more excitable.
    “You’ll have to excuse me. It’s their dinner time.”
    “Okay. Thanks for your help.”
     
    ***
     
    I ran over the Anita Pick case in my mind. It seemed to me there were several people who had a motive for killing her.
    The most obvious candidate was Anita’s husband, Gregory Pick. He’d stood to lose half of his money to Anita in the divorce settlement. Now she was dead, he’d probably get to keep the lot. And of course, there was his new woman, Lily Bell. She seemed even more keen to hang on to the money than Gregory.
    Then there was June Fleming, the Acting Senior Librarian. She obviously felt aggrieved that Anita Pick had refused to recommend her for the Senior Librarian vacancy. But, was that a good enough reason to kill someone? It shouldn’t have been, but people have murdered for far less.
    Roxy Blackwall hadn’t liked Anita Pick, and maybe with good reason if Anita had poisoned her dog.
    Or of course, it could have been a random stranger. To my mind, that was still a very strong possibility.
     
    ***
     
    As soon as I got back to my office building, I could hear voices on the landing. It was Gordon Armitage; he was with another man who was older and a little shorter. Unsurprisingly, Armitage seemed to be doing most of the talking. The other man got in the occasional, ‘But Gordon, I really think’ , and ‘I’m not so sure that’s a good idea, Gordon’ . But Armitage spoke over him every time. What a rude and obnoxious man Gordon Armitage was.
    When I was about halfway up the stairs, Armitage noticed me, and immediately stopped talking to the shorter man.
    “Well.” He glared at me. “If it isn’t our resident squatter, Miss Gooder.”
    I took a deep breath. I had to resist the urge to turn him into a toad.
    “I seem to recall, Gordon, that I was here first.”
    The other man looked distinctly uncomfortable about our exchange.
    “Maybe. But it’s only a matter of time before you move out. From what I hear, you’re barely making enough money to keep the lights on. I understand your receptionist quit earlier today.”
    “Only because you poached her.”
    “She’ll have a bright future with Armitage, Armitage, Armitage and Poole—which is more than you could ever offer her.”
    Little did he know that he’d done me a favour taking Jules off my hands.
    “Move out of my way, Gordon or I’ll be forced to knock out your lights.”
    “Threats? Not very professional, Miss Gooder.” He stepped aside.
    Once in the office, I was about to slam the door closed behind me when I realised the little man had followed me.
    “Did you want something?”
    “Sorry. No—err—I was just looking for—never mind, sorry.” And with that, he disappeared.
    Who was that funny little man? One of Armitage’s minions, I assumed.
     
    ***
     
    My big mouth had landed me with the job of putting together a women’s team for the charity BoundBall match. Instead of shelling out for an expensive advert, I’d contacted the sports desk at The Candle and told them what I was planning. They seemed keen to cover the story, and said they’d send a reporter out to talk to me.
    I didn’t want to do the interview in Cuppy C; it was a little too public. So instead, I’d asked Aunt Lucy if I could meet with the reporter at her house, and she’d readily agreed.
    He was due to arrive any minute.
    “Well, Jill, you’ve really surpassed yourself this time.” Grandma had decided to show her face.
    “What do you mean?”
    “This crazy idea of yours—women versus men at BoundBall. Are you insane?”
    “I thought you of all people, would be supportive. Surely you don’t buy into the ‘men are better than women’ argument.”
    “Of course not. Men are far inferior, but women have never played BoundBall, so of course they’re not going to win.”
    “I fully intend that our team will win.”
    “If you must go through