Free Pawsitively Dead (A Wonder Cats Mystery Book 2) by Harper Lin Page A

toward death before was more normal and comfortable for you.”
    The other world, the one where all the magic was, also seemed to be the afterlife. It was difficult to explore, and witches could only guess what it was like. The séance itself might not work because it was too soon, like with Samantha Perry. It might not work because it was too late, like with Shelley Marina. Just because somebody was dead didn’t mean that they weren’t not busy. At least, that was the explanation I’d received when I was thirteen and tried to conduct a séance. It might have been more because my magic talent wasn’t that strong yet, or at least not strong enough in the direction of necromancy.
    Death, even to witches, remained a mystery. Grieving remained a process.
    “We can just sit here then,” Aunt Astrid said. “It’s a lovely afternoon in a lovely graveyard.”
    So we sat and waited. Eventually, I wondered aloud, “I wonder how Bea’s talk with Jake went.”
    Aunt Astrid waved dismissively. “I’m sure she’ll tell us.”
    “Eventually. Later. I’m wondering how Bea’s doing now.”
    I nudged Peanut Butter with my mind. His anxieties covered me like a wave. Jake’s hand waved toward Peanut Butter’s face, making Peanut Butter jump back from where he sat on the table. It wasn’t a table I recognized from Bea’s place.
    Jake demanded, “How do we know we’re not under surveillance right now?”
    Bea cried, “Cath doesn’t do that!”
    “You know with your magic?”
    “That’s not possible! Even if it were, I’d trust them!”
    “Well, it’s impossible for me. I can’t live like that…”
    There was a shout from outside the room—not any room in Jake’s house, I realized. They were at the police station.
    “What was that?” Bea stood and went over to the door.
    I pulled my mind back to the graveyard, where I sat beside Aunt Astrid. “Oh, no. They’re fighting.”
    Aunt Astrid sighed. “Better than not speaking to each other.”
    We sat for a little longer.
    I said, “They were fighting about whether I would spy on them through Peanut Butter.”
    “You’d never!” Aunt Astrid said as if on reflex. Immediately, more humbly, she corrected, “You just did. But you’d never after this.”
    Suddenly, I stood. Aunt Astrid took my cue and stood with me. She moved off the picnic blanket, stepping smartly.
    “I want to go home,” I said as I bent over and folded up the blanket. “Wait for Bea there with all her favorite chocolates.”
    “And a divorce lawyer,” Aunt Astrid added. She glanced behind her, startled, and said, “Can I help—”
    I glanced up, afraid of how much the bystander had heard. Someone was approaching us slowly, step by lurching step. By the dress, I figured that it was a woman. The dress was faded and stained with dirt, but I’d seen it before. I didn’t recognize her face, but it wasn’t one I would forget if I’d ever seen it in town.
    The skin was taut as a drum over her bones. Her eyes were closed, and I wondered if she was some wandering homeless lady, starved and maybe blind… we never see them for too long in Wonder Falls. There was even a search party for Topher, who didn’t have a family anymore.
    She reeked something awful. I clapped a hand over my nose and mouth in reflex. She smelled awful, yet familiar.
    “Cath,” Aunt Astrid warned, pulling at my arm. She wrinkled her nose and coughed a little too.
    I recognized the smell then. It was the same smell around the body of Shelley Marina. This woman was walking and dead.
    “Let’s run!” I said.

Another Resurrection
    P eanut Butter caught me up later on what had happened at the police station. Somebody was screaming. Bea left the room to see where the screaming was coming from, and Peanut Butter followed her. It wasn’t exactly logical. Peanut Butter was afraid of everything but would rather stay by his mommy and daddy and be less afraid. Even though his mommy and daddy were going toward the strange new