Page 50 of Wicked Witch of the Wolf

“Yes?” Margaux asked between bites.

“Who did Alpha Floyd ask the coven to bump off? Was it Betty? I bet it was Betty.”

I was pretty sure it was me, too.

Margaux sat back in the chair and let out a sort of hiccup-burp behind a napkin. My own burp was out in the open and loud enough to score an “ew” look from Ida.

“No. It wasn’t Betty.” Margaux laid down her fork. “However, if it had been, my answer would’ve been the same. I don’t kill people—even people I disagree with —unless they try to kill mefirst.” She sent me a pointed look. “Not because I am a white magic witch, but because I am not a monster.”

“Then who did Floyd want dead?” Ida stared intently at Margaux. I was less interested in the target—with Floyd it could be anyone—than the fact that he’d asked a coven to kill. That was a big misstep on his part.

Margaux looked directly at me. Hesitated.

Uh-oh. Suddenly, I found myself very interested in Floyd’s target.

“His son.”

Chapter

Eleven

My chest tightened. Margaux’s words echoed in my ears.

I reached for my phone.

Ronan hadn’t texted.

“Betty?” Ida’s voice, which had carried a note of humor a moment before, went small and quiet. “You’ve gone pale.”

“I’m fine.” I scrolled through my address book for the number of the pub.

Karen Zurka, Ronan’s assistant manager, answered on the fourth ring. She was a sixtyish rat shifter who, according to Ronan, “takes no bullshit.”

“Ronan’s Pub.”

“Hey, Karen, it’s Betty Lennox. Is Ronan around?” I was proud of myself for how steady I sounded when my gut felt like the inside of a washing machine during the spin cycle.

“You know, it’s funny you called. He was supposed to be here this morning to receive an order but never showed. The distributor called me when he couldn’t get hold of him. Hang on a sec.” She spoke to someone in the background. I picked up the wordsbroken fingersandshortedus.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. I was talking to Gladys. I asked her to come in since Ronan’s still out. I’ve got to go home and get some sleep. I’m working tonight,” she said. “I was on my way out when you called. Only picked up the phone because I was hoping it was the boss calling, though I don’t know why he wouldn’t call my cell.”

I took a quick drink of tea to moisten my suddenly dry mouth.Where are you, Ronan?

“Will you ask him to call me if you hear from him, please?”

“Sure.” Karen repeated the request to Gladys, who took over the phone.

“Hey, Betty, I was about to call.”

“Have you heard from Ronan?” I asked.

“No. I thought maybe he’d stayed with you last night, and whatever you did to him made him forget about the order this morning.” She chuckled.

“He’s not with me, Gladys. Have you ever known him to do something like this?” I pushed my plate away, no longer able to eat.

“No. But everyone forgets things sometimes. You sound distressed. Everything okay?”

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