Roller Rink Witchcraft (Extended Edition): Supernatural Witch Cozy Mystery (Harper “Foxxy” Beck Series Book 1) Read Free Page A

Something told me Detective Bennett would be all too happy to see me in lockup.
    Oliver rolled his eyes. “Like that matters. Besides, it’s probably Stoner Stan’s or something— not even pertinent to the case.”
    Putting the pill back into my pocket for now, I asked, “How did you know all that about the hair and the rope, anyway?”
    “Banging the secretary at the police station.”
    “For information?”
    He wiggled his eyebrows. “No, for recreation. The juicy tidbits were just a bonus.”
    I rose, shaking my head and grinning. “I gotta go open, Romeo. Come by for some pizza later.”
    Putting on the disco lights and starting up the concession stand machines was more comforting than any talk from my best friend could be. I didn’t have to think, my body going on autopilot from thousands of pre-game moments just like this. It was very relaxing.
    Or maybe the relaxing part was the shot of tequila I did before opening the doors for a couple of early birds.
    They tried to pester me about Matt, but I smiled and retreated just as quickly as I could, claiming I had to check the fuse box— as if I’d actually know how to do that. When more people started showing up, I realized that Mr. Gibb’s murder might not have the adverse effect on business I’d originally thought.
    Cheered up completely now, I waved merrily at Jeb in the parking lot. He didn’t return my enthusiasm, but gave me a weak smile. As soon as he got to me through the crowd of people renting skates, he pulled me aside into one of the many dark corners that made up the Funky Wheel.
    “I wasn’t sure I should come tonight, Miss Foxxy,” Jeb said in a low voice.
    “Why the hell’s that?” I asked, not bothering to lower my own. “This is your job— you’re part of the Funky Wheel family.”
    That brought about a real smile. “But I don’t want to get you in any trouble. If the cops find out you pay me under the table—“
    “Let me worry about that.”
    When I would’ve headed over to the DJ’s corner to start the music, Jeb held me back. “You’ve never asked about my past, Miss Foxxy, and I’m grateful, but I haven’t always been the most lawful individual.”
    I raised an eyebrow. “And my past is full of flowers and teddy bears. I’ve never asked about your past because it didn’t matter to me then, and it doesn’t matter to me now.”
    “Harper,” a voice said from the door a few feet away.
    “Detective Bennett,” I said, skating over to him, arms crossed over my chest. “Something I can help you with? A pair of skates, perhaps?”
    “Afraid not.” The handsome cop held up a piece of paper. “I have a warrant to search your storage lockers.”
    With that, he was off, somehow already holding the master key in his hand. Likely he’d grabbed it from Amber on the way in.
    It was almost against my will that I turned to look at Jeb, the question in my eyes clear. He shook his head, indicating he didn’t have anything incriminating in his locker. That, or he had water in his ears.
    Across the room, I saw Bennett pull something out of Jeb’s personal locker with a look of triumph. He handed it off to the officer, crossing right in front of me and giving me a good look at the length of rope and mess of cloves he’d found.
    “Circumstantial,” I told him, my jaw hurting from how hard my teeth were pressing against each other.
    “For now.”
    The next afternoon, I awoke with the same sense of awe I’d gone to bed with that morning. They hadn’t arrested Jeb.
    The glint in Bennett’s eyes had been almost hungry when he’d finally called it a night in the wee hours of morning. His hand had even twitched towards his handcuffs, but he’d left with the rest of the police force, not looking back.
    Rising from bed, I went over to the counter and picked up the plastic bag I’d put the pill from the murder scene in. It wasn’t a medication I recognized, but it would’ve been oh so easy to find out, being on a first name