Witch Is Why Time Stood Still (A Witch P.I. Mystery Book 13) by Adele Abbott Read Free Book Online Page A

me a visit. That was promising. Perhaps Jack’s note had convinced him that we could work harmoniously together.
    Mrs V showed him through, and asked if he’d like a drink.
    “Not for me, thank you.” His accent took me a little by surprise. It sounded like he hailed from the midlands.
    “Mr O’Reilly.” I flashed a welcoming smile. “Do have a seat.”
    He sat down, but didn’t return my smile. “That’s not my name.”
    “Oh, sorry. I thought you were Lee O’Reilly.”
    “I am Leo Riley.”
    “I thought you just said you weren’t Mr O’Reilly?”
    “I’m not Mr O’Reilly. I’m Leo Riley.”
    I was totally confused, and it must have shown.
    “My first name is Leo; my last name is Riley. Leo Riley.”
    “Ah, I see. Leo Riley, not Lee O’Reilly.” We weren’t getting off to the best of starts. “Sorry for the confusion. I thought—never mind. Do I call you Leo?”
    “You can call me Detective Riley.”
    “Right, okay. Welcome to Washbridge, Detective Riley. How are you settling in?”
    “It’s too early to say, but as I was passing by, I thought I should pop in. It seems my predecessor, Jack Maxley—”
    “Maxwell.”
    “Whatever. He left me some sort of cryptic note about you and your business.”
    “Jack and I are actually in a relationship.”
    “I’m not interested in any of that, but I got the distinct impression from the note that he thought I should treat you with kid gloves.”
    “I’m sure that’s not what he intended.”
    “Regardless, I want to make it perfectly clear that I’m a great believer that the police should be the ones to enforce the law and solve crimes. We don’t need, and certainly don’t want, any interference from amateurs .”
    “I’m sorry you feel that way. If you check your records, you’ll find that I’ve actually helped to solve several cases—some of them quite high profile ones.”
    “I’m really not interested in anything which may have happened in the past. I’m only interested in the here and now. I want to make it absolutely clear that I will not tolerate you or any other amateur sleuth interfering in police business. Got it?”
    “Oh yeah. I’ve got it.” The asshat has spoken.
    “Good. I’m glad we understand one another.” He stood up. “Thank you for your time.”
    With that, he left.
    It was like déjà vu, and put me in mind of my early encounters with Jack. It seemed I would be butting horns with the police once again.
    Fantastic!
     
    Winky jumped onto my desk. “Making friends and influencing people again, I see.”
    “Shut it! I’m not in the mood.”
    “Have you figured anything out, yet?”
    “About what?”
    “About Bella, of course.”
    “Not yet, but I’m on it.”
    He one-eyed me suspiciously. “You’d forgotten all about it, hadn’t you?”
    “Of course not. It’s my very top priority, but I did move house this weekend. That takes a lot of work.”
    “Eureka!” he shouted. “That’s it!”
    “What’s it?”
    “The perfect solution!”
    “Will you stop talking in riddles?”
    “Me and Bella can move into your new house.”
    Oh bum!
    “That’s not possible.”
    “Why not?”
    “We’re only renting, and the lease won’t allow it.”
    “Why didn’t you choose somewhere that would allow pets?”
    “I tried, honestly, but there are so few properties available. It was this or nothing.”
    “Bella is moving out next week, so you’d better get your backside in gear.”
    “I will. I promise.”
    “You better had. If Bella leaves, I’m going to be unbearable.”
    Would I even notice the difference?
     

Chapter 7
    Arnold Halfway had provided me with a list of the other jewellers’ shops that had suffered the same fate as his own. The nearest to my office was one called ‘All That Glitters’, which was a few doors down from Tom Tom. I’d called ahead and been told to ask for the manager—a Mr Poster.
    “You must be Jill.”
    “That’s right. Mr Poster?”
    “Everyone calls me Bill.