Page 37 of Seven Secret Spellcasters
Mia scanned the notes. His writing was horrible. “He didn’t mention the friend’s name.”
“The clerk said he must have heard it wrong.”
Mia looked up from the notes. “What did he hear?”
“Mortimer. He called him Mortimer and then Monty when the clerk asked again. Do you know a Mortimer?”
She shook her head. “Sorry, but we can announce his name at the party tonight and see if anyone comes to the front. Are you and Sarah going?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Sarah gave up her magic, remember? We don’t need to have the coven thinking she is like Trent. Or messing with the baby. I don’t want anyone telling us what Elisa Marie can and can’t be when she grows up. If I have my way, she’s going to be a princess or a college professor. Sarah’s hoping for a novelist in the family.”
Mia thought it must be nice to dream about your child’s future. “She’s lucky to have you two as parents.”
“We’re the lucky ones.” Mark sniffed, then turned his head and wiped at his eyes. “Anyway, when we get there, I need you to do your magic stuff and see what you can learn.”
“My ‘magic stuff ’.” Mia chuckled. “I don’t think it works that way. I’ll keep my senses open to see what feels off. I can usually tell if someone is lying. Unless I’m close to them. Then my familiarity blinds me.”
“I’m sure there’s a story there,” he commented as they drove on the suspension bridge over the canyon. “But I’m not asking.”
“Good, because I’m not telling.” Mia liked hanging out with Mark. She trusted him. They weren’t quite friends yet, but she could see a path where they could get there. She pointed to an older strip mall on the right, painted blue. “Is that the business?”
He nodded and turned into the parking lot past the first light. Home Depot was on the other side of the street, and the parking lot there was busy, even this early on a Friday. This place looked deserted, but it had a neon-redOpensign in the window.
The sign painted on the window announced,Out of This World Adventures. River tours, hiking adventures, and woods to explore. Mia glanced at Mark as they got out of the car. “They seem to have it all covered.”
“We’re only interested in one customer, so don’t get distracted. The owner is suspected of dealing in a few other out-of-this-world products.” Mark got his badge out and opened the door. The overwhelming smell of incense failed to cover up the illegal weed that someone had smoked recently in the space. “Hello? Is anyone here?”
Mia watched as a man walked out of the back through a wall of hanging red beads. The beads must have also had bells at the end that softly tinkled as he moved through.
“Good morning, we weren’t expecting customers this early.” He took a deep breath, and his eyes widened.
Mia assumed he’d seen the badge. But instead of greeting Mark, the man came over and took Mia’s hand. “Carter Johnson. I’m so honored to have you in my shop. What can I help you with? We have some amazing tours overseas that hit all the sacred stops, as well as introductions to the local covens.”
“Okay, so you obviously know Miss Malone.” Mark’s voice was a little too cheerful for Mia’s taste. “I’m Mark Baldwin, Magic Springs police chief. We’re interested in a river tour you sold for last weekend. No one showed up for the tour.”
“I think you mean the river tour for two for two days? They specifically asked for Thomas Majors to be the guide. It’s hard to book a tour with Thomas. He’s very popular, but they offered a bonus, and he took it. The tour was paid in advance. If they didn’t show, they’d lose their entire payment.” Carter walked back to the counter and pulled out a large red book.
Mia stepped closer. It was a calendar. The guy must not use anything electronic.
He pointed to that Friday. “Thomas called an hour after their meeting time to let me know the client hadn’t shown up, so I told Thomas he was clear. Our no-show policies are very explicit. They even sign the contract explaining the penalty.”
“Where were they meeting Thomas?” Mia asked, and Mark threw her a look. She’d forgotten about his direction to stay quiet.
“Thomas has all of his tours start at his house. He has a launching dock on his property. Then he uses a van he parks earlier at the other end to transport them back to his house. During the trip, the clients’ cars are safe on his property. His wife cooks all the food for the trip. She’s very talented.” Carter leaned closer to the book. “You’re probably looking for the client’s information. It’s not very informative. Edmund Pevensie. He came into the store and paid in cash last month. My assistant handled the transaction.”
“No phone number, email, or address? Maybe a driver’s license?” Mark asked, writing down the name.
“You don’t need a driver’s license to schedule a river tour.” Carter shrugged. “The phone number he left had been disconnected. I was a little worried about the payment method, so I checked the records and saw he’d paid cash. So I figured he got a better offer for the weekend. It happens a lot nowadays. People throw away money like it was easy to make. Maybe for them, it is.”
Mark asked a few more questions, then they left. He got in the truck and scribbled a note in his book. “At least we have a name. Would have been nice if it was Monty and had an address.”
“You don’t have a name. He left a fictional name.” Mia was looking for something on her phone.
“How do you know that? It’s odd, but people have odd names. It might just mean he’s not local.” Mark finished his notes, then started the engine. “Are you hungry? I could use a burger.”
“Sure, but this is how I know it’s fictional. Unless his mom was a big CHRONICLES OFNARNIAfan—Edmund Pevensie was the boy who chose the wrong side.”
Mark turned off the car. “You’re kidding me.”
