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

that was planted in Issy’s gut at Louella’s the day before took root and sprouted slithering tentacles inside her. She tried to play it off with concern. “Anything I can help with?”
    Gray sighed and tossed the towel aside, frowning. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
    “Like what happened to Louella Drummond?”
    “Among other things,” he said, not quite meeting her eyes.
    “What exactly was going on between the two of you?”
    “Nothing.” He walked over to his cutting station and started organizing his brushes and curling irons. “Like I said, she took photos of me, and I wanted them back. That’s it.”
    “Yeah?” Hands trembling slightly, Issy reached into her bag and pulled out Gray’s athame. “What about this, then?”
    Her cousin looked up then, his expression shifting from shock to dread to stoic in the span of a few seconds. None of those emotions made Issy feel better about her discovery. “Where did you find that? I’ve been looking for it since the night of my ritual.”
    “It was in Louella’s house. In her private desk drawer, to be more precise.”
    “What were you doing in her house?”
    “Why was your knife in her house?”
    Gray cursed under his breath and turned away, running a hand through his hair and making it even messier. “I don't know. After she snapped the photo, I gave chase, as I said, but when I got back to my circle, the knife was gone. That’s all I know.”
    Issy exhaled slowly and handed him the knife. Her intuition told her more had happened that night than Gray was telling her, but she couldn’t understand why he would keep it from her if he’d done nothing wrong. The Quinn cousins had never kept secrets before. “Are you sure there wasn’t more going on with you and Louella? You can tell me, Gray. No judgment here. Promise.”
    “What?” He set the athame aside then faced her again, his nose scrunched. “No. I barely knew her, I swear. It’s just…”
    “Just what?”
    “I can’t imagine why she’d take my knife and keep it.”
    “I can’t either.” Issy bent to pick up Bella, who had returned to her side and was now whining for attention. “She would’ve had to be awfully quick to grab your knife and run away before you could grab her, and she never seemed all that fit to me. Was there anyone else there that night?”
    “No.” He shook his head and walked over to flip his shop’s sign to Open. “I told you I was alone. But you're right. Louella couldn't have taken the knife. I took off right after her as soon as she snapped the picture. She ran off away from the circle. I chased her clear out to the road, so there was no way she could have doubled back, but when I got back the knife was gone. I didn't see anyone else out there that might have taken it."
    His tone turned defensive, and Issy’s guilt tripled. This was her cousin, one of her closest friends. No way would she ever believe he had any involvement in Louella’s death. She rushed to his side and laid a comforting hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
    Gray tensed beside her, and Issy tracked his gaze out the window to where Christian Vonner and Brittany Chase were walking arm in arm down the sidewalk. Brittany glanced over at Gray, her smile falling, then met Issy’s gaze before she turned and whispered something to Christian. He too looked over at Issy and Gray, scowling, then tugged her away at top speed.
    “Well, that was weird,” Issy said. “Not to mention unfriendly.”
    “Are they together?” Gray asked, still following the couple’s movements down the street.
    “Pretty sure they are. I saw them together at the Vonners’ house yesterday.” Issy kissed Bella’s head. “Why? Do you know him?”
    “No. Not Christian, anyway.” Gray lowered his head and sighed, leaning one brawny shoulder against the wall near the windows. “Brittany, though…”
    “What?”
    Small dots of crimson blotched his high cheekbones beneath his tanned skin.