Page 60 of Sweetwater and the Witch

“Sounds like an incredible find.”

“And a dangerous one,” Gabriel said. “No wonder the dead prospector wanted to unload it rather than risk filing the claim. The Feds will bring in the experts and decide how to move forward with exploration and development. That’s not my job. The question is, what happened to Spooner?”

“Looks like he got double-crossed. He’s a player. He knows when to walk away. He’ll go back to his office in Frequency and act like nothing happened.”

“Leaving the Illusion Town police with no way to tie him to the murder of the prospector or the attacks on you and Ms.Chastain.”

“That’s where it stands now,” Ethan said. “Do you need anything else from me?”

“No, but thanks. The Guild appreciates the favor. So does Arcane. You can go back to trying to make a Covenant Marriage match.”

“I’ll do that, but I gotta tell you, solving your problem was easier.”

The call ended. Ravenna concentrated on her hair. Ethan appeared at the crack in the bathroom doorway and watched her work in front of the small mirror. There was some heat in his eyes but she couldn’t tell if it was because of her or because he had accomplished his mission.

“Did you catch all that?” he asked.

“Yes.” She smiled. “Congratulations.”

“The Feds have control of Glass House, but the way things look now, Spooner will go free. Unless something turns up in the way of evidence, the cops can’t grab him for the prospector’s death, and the Feds can’t touch him for illegal research in his labs.”

“He’s the CEO of a successful tech company,” Ravenna said. “He’s smart, but sooner or later he’ll screw up.”

“The bottom line for us is that Spooner is someone else’s problem now.”

“That’s a relief. If I move fast I may be able to keep my job for at least another day.” She pushed the door wider. Ethan was forced to step back. She hurried past him, heading into the outer room to collect her evening bag and Harriet. “Let’s go. I need to get back to my place so I can shower and change my clothes. With luck I will walk through the door of Ottoway Matchmakers right on time.”

Ethan watched her with an unreadable expression. “What about breakfast? Don’t you want coffee at least?”

“I don’t have time.” She slung the small bag crosswise over her shoulder and went to grab Harriet, who was perched on the table. “This is about my job, Ethan.”

“Your job,” he said evenly, “depends on you finding me the right match, remember?”

She scooped up Harriet. “I’ve been thinking about that. It occurs to me I know you a lot better now than I did before this whole mess started. I’ll start reviewing my files again as soon as I get to my office. I may have overlooked some potential matches. Don’t give up.”

“I’m trying not to,” he said.

She glanced at him, bewildered by his grim tone.

“What about your assessment of my dating technique?” he continued before she could figure out the shift in his mood.

“I’ll get there.” She went to the door. “Priorities, Ethan.”

“Right. Priorities.” He paced across the room, grabbed his jacket, and slung it over one shoulder. “Don’t forget, we still have your grandparents’ anniversary event. Given what we just went through, I’d say our relationship passed the stress test. We should be able to do a road trip together.”

She thought about that. “You’re right. Last night was definitely another bonding experience.”

“Glad you thought so.”

He sounded disgruntled again, but she did not have time to analyze his mood. Maybe he was not a morning person.

“Let’s go,” she said. She yanked the door open. “We’ve got to get to your sled.”

Ethan followed her down the outside stairs and caught up with her on the sidewalk. “Relax, it’s only six o’clock. We’ve got time.”

Ravenna started to respond, but she stopped, frozen with horror. She stared at the headlines of theShadow Zone Insiderin the sidewalk stand.

Dust Bunny Mayhem at the Golden Amber.

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