Free A Spell Of Trouble (Silver Hollow Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) by Leighann Dobbs, Traci Douglass

long have you had your pet shop?”
    “Is this part of your investigation?” she asked, giving him some serious side-eye.
    “No. Just making small talk.” Dex wasn’t sure why, but there was something about her—with her huge sea-green eyes and soft, innocent face—that made him want to be near her, to protect her. Not to mention the fact that he’d spotted that knife in her pocket a ways back and wanted to see if she’d mention it to him. The outline of it was clear through her thin cotton tank top, but it was kind of cute the way she thought he wouldn’t notice.
    He stumbled, scowled. Since when was a suspect concealing evidence cute?
    “Watch your step there, Detective,” Issy said over her shoulder, her tone snarky.
    “Answer my question,” he said, stepping over an old dead log then scooping up her tiny dog and carrying it under his arm, football-style. Poor little thing was probably exhausted by now with those impossibly small paws and skinny legs flying to keep up with them. The dog licked his hand and snuggled against him, content. “How long has Enchanted Pets been around? And why’d you pick that name?”
    “My store’s been open for years. And I picked the name because I liked it.” She gave him a small, polite smile. “How about you, Detective Nolan? How’d a nice guy like you end up in a terrible place like the FBI?”
    He chuckled. “Who says I’m nice?”
    She glanced over at him, and he grinned.
    “Okay. I try to be a nice guy whenever I can. And please, call me Dex.”
    Issy regarded him with cool appraisal for a moment then gave a slight nod.
    “Silver Hollow’s a strange place, I have to admit.”
    “Why’s that?” Her expression shifted quickly from stoic to alarmed, her pretty green eyes nearly glowing from within, and not for the first time, Dex got the weird notion that maybe Stan’s insane tales were right. Maybe there was a bit of witchcraft hidden in this mysterious woman. She’d sure as heck bewitched him, it seemed.
    “Well, most folks I know are happy to have law enforcement get involved. They appreciate the sense of order and peace that occurs when a higher authority is around, especially during, say, a murder.”
    “And that’s not the vibe you get from Silver Hollow, huh?” Her voice was a bit breathless from the climb.
    “Nope.” He shook his head, shoving a low-hanging branch from their path so she could pass through without getting scratched. “I mean, everyone is friendly enough on the surface, but they close up like clams the minute we start asking any probing questions.”
    “What kind of probing questions?” Issy looked at Bella and smiled before blinking up at him again. Man, she was pretty. Pretty enough to make him all tongue tied and twisted and trip over his own feet, if he wasn’t careful. “You like animals, huh?”
    “I do. Grew up on farm, so I spent a lot of time around them as a kid.” He adjusted Bella’s slight weight under his arm then climbed over another log. “And as far as probing questions, just the usual. Where were you at the time of the murder? How well do you know the suspect? Do you have anything incriminating you’d like to share with us that might help us solve this case?”
    Issy stopped fast, and Dex had to dig in his heels to keep from running right over the top of her. He shifted his gaze from her back pocket to her face, but not fast enough, if her dark frown was any indication. She reached over and took her dog from him then stepped back. “I’m going now, Detective Nolan. My truck is parked right over that next hill. No need for you to tag along any farther. Good day.”
    Well, then.
    He watched her walk away, feeling bemused, then he turned in time to see Stan’s huge Crown Vic chug around the corner and pull into Louella’s driveway right next to Owen's police car.
    Stan got out of the big old boat of a vehicle, looking gray and undertaker-ish and creepy, just as Issy had described. He might be Dex’s