A Witching Well of Magic: A Cozy Mystery (Witchy Women of Coven Grove Book 2) by Constance Barker Read Free Book Online Page B

murmured something to Trevor that Bailey couldn’t hear. Bailey very nearly opened herself up to Gloria’s mind to get it first hand, but didn’t. Violating anyone’s mind was never the right choice. Chloe caught her eye from behind the two and shook her head just slightly. She’d probably sensed what Bailey was thinking.
    “ Hush,” Trevor told Gloria, but not very sharply. “In a moment.” He took a step toward Bailey, and the concern on his face was evident. “Ryan didn’t tell you?” He wondered. “We didn’t fire him, Bailey; he quit. Said he didn’t want to write for the paper under these conditions.”
    “ What conditions were those?” Bailey asked.
    Trevor sighed, and shrugged. “I’m not really sure. Most of the old guard has left. I guess he felt like we were moving on, but I’d really like him to know that isn’t the case. If you get a chance to let him know. He’ll always have work with us.”
    It wasn’t at all like Ryan to quit anything, really; much less the thing he loved most in life. There was more to this, and Bailey was almost ashamed she hadn’t learned the truth already. Another cost of her distraction.
    “ Well,” she said finally, “I’ll have a talk with him, and see what he thinks.” She planned to ask him about this follow-up on Martha’s murder, as well. Hadn’t the poor woman’s fate been exploited enough already? They just had to keep dragging things on. She supposed it had more to do with selling papers. Milk the tragedy for all it’s worth. Her estimation of Trevor wasn’t especially high to begin with, but it fell just a bit now.
    Her estimation of Gloria had always been pretty low. She reminded Bailey too much of Poppy.
    “ I’d appreciate that,” Trevor said. “It was good to see you, Bailey. Really.”
    “ It’s amazing we did,” Gloria said—she took a step forward, and snaked her arm through Trevor’s possessively. “Seems like you’re hardly ever seen in public anymore.”
    Bailey wanted to explain that, make up some story, say that she’d been deep in the library now that she didn’t have a job at the touring agency. But somehow she thought Gloria wouldn’t care. Those beady eyes of hers were sharp as ever, a vulture looking for a fresh kill to fall upon.
    “ Seems like you two are seen quite a bit,” Francis said dryly from behind the espresso machine she was cleaning.
    Gloria only smiled coldly, and then tugged at Trevor’s arm. “Come on,” she said, “we have work to do.”
    “ As ever,” Trevor smiled at them all, and waved as Gloria dragged him away.
    Bailey watched them go, and when they were gone she looked to the women behind the counter. “Anyone else get a… feeling about them?” She asked.
    All three women nodded.
    “ We’re keeping an eye out,” Chloe assured her. “Acting on assumptions and fears is a one way ticket to a problem we don’t need.”
    “ Best to let things take their natural course,” Francis said. Had she said it a little pointedly? Bailey was probably just paranoid.
    “ Right,” Bailey said. “Well, I’ll see you all tomorrow. Bright and early.”
    “ That so?” Chloe mused.
    Bailey paused, thought it through, and then slapped her forehead. “Right, of course. The tours. I guess I’ll be by in the afternoon then, after they're done.”
    “ Get home safely,” Aria said.
    “ Keep an eye out,” Francis warned her.
    “ Sleep tight, hon,” Chloe said finally. “See you tomorrow.”
    Bailey waved, and then left. The last few customers outside had gone as well, and Trevor and Gloria were well on their way down the street to wherever they were staying, or possibly back to work—though, she didn’t think the paper’s office was in that direction.
    She only shook her head, though, and pointed herself home. What they were up to was none of her business. She had bigger fish to fry, and a long day ahead of her tomorrow.
    When she passed the tour office on the way home, she noticed the