Page 22 of Star Witch
Winter exhaled. ‘Ivy…’
‘The set is closed,’ I explained. ‘It’s pretty hard for someone to gain access to it. Not impossible, but difficult. I wouldn’t bother. But then, that’s me. However there are a few blind spots around the back of the trailers where it’s possible to clamber over the fence.’ I began to tick off on my fingers. ‘First of all, none of the crew members are missing so the blood doesn’t belong to anyone involved inEnchantment. Secondly, security was complaining earlier about a sheep trying to get inside. Thirdly,’ I finished with a flourish, ‘on top of the fence and almost directly behind Bellows’ trailer, there’s evidence that wool has snagged.’ I paused. ‘And we all know how much you love evidence.’
Winter stared at me. ‘So what you’re saying is that a sheep tried to get access and was foiled by security so climbed over the fence instead, which is … how high?’
I considered. ‘About two metres.’
‘So this sheep climbed over a two-metre high fence, walked through Bellows’ door—’
‘Went through the rear window, actually,’ I interrupted.
Winter gave me a long-suffering look. ‘Fine. Went through the window, hit a crew member over the head, slit its own throat, disposed of its own body and created enough havoc to stopEnchantmentfrom filming.’
I smiled. I hadn’t told him about mypièce de resistance. ‘This sheep also drew a pentagram on the wall of Bellows’ trailer.’
His spine stiffened. ‘A pentagram?’
‘Yep.’ I reached over and grabbed his pint glass, taking a long swig and smacking my lips. I deserved it. ‘A crude one but definitely a pentagram. Obviously, someone bewitched the sheep to do all this.’
‘So, in your infinite wisdom, Ivy,’ he said, ‘what’s the motive for all this?’
I shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I figured I’d leave that part to you.’
Winter snatched his drink back from me. Boo. ‘Have you ever tried to bewitch a sheep?’
‘No. I don’t meet many sheep in Oxford. I tried it on Brutus once. I attempted to bewitch him so that he’d go and buy his own cat food.’
‘You attempted?’
‘Yeah. It didn’t work.’
Winter rolled his eyes. ‘You’re probably the most naturally talented witch I’ve ever met, Ivy, even if you do let those talents go to waste. If you can’t bewitch your own familiar, how would someone else manage to bewitch a sheep? Even if they could, how could they bewitch a sheep to scale two-metre high fences?’
I opened my mouth to speak but he held up a hand to forestall me. ‘If it really is sheep’s blood, then someone brought the sheep over and killed it in Bellows’ trailer.’ He rubbed his chin. ‘Although what they did with the body is anyone’s guess. Perhaps Bellows is the next target and this is a warning.’
As much as I liked my theory, Winter’s did make more sense. ‘It would have to be someone strong to get a damn sheep over the fence and through the window.’
He grunted in agreement. ‘Probably male, then.’
‘And,’ I added, ‘probably a witch, given the pentagram.’
‘Or someone whothinksof themselves as a witch. When was the last time you used a pentagram?’
I tried to think. Then I remembered: it was when I wanted to go out with Mickey Jones, the best-looking guy at school. The theory was that he would fall in love with me instantly and invite me to be his date at the end-of-school dance. It hadn’t worked. Too embarrassed to tell the truth, I just shrugged. ‘It’s been a while.’
‘Yes. They’re more trouble than they’re worth. It’s good intelligence though, Ivy. The pentagram means the Order has to be involved. I can get on set and you can go home.’ He gave a self-satisfied smile.
I sat up bolt upright. ‘Go home? Why would I do that?’
‘Oh, come on. We both know you don’t want to be here.’
‘It’s been barely a day,’ I argued. ‘And I’ve discovered a damn sight more than I’ve just told you. I’m the lynchpin of this entire operation.’
‘Really?’ he said drily.
‘Really! For example, the presenter, Belinda Battenapple, who is all things fabulous and wonderful and who I would one day like to grow up to be, is wearing some kind of magical vial round her neck.’ I described it in great detail, including how she’d hastily hidden it when it accidentally revealed itself. Winter didn’t appear particularly impressed. ‘That’s not all. Her son, Moonbeam—’
‘Moonbeam?’
