Waking the Witch

forty

Getting discharged from the clinic wasn’t easy, so we took the express route ... out the nearest exit door. Jaime covered for us. I gave her my house key and said we’d meet her there tonight. An hour later, we were pulling up to the commune gates.

I let Adam help me out. When he tried putting my arm around his waist, I pushed him away.

“I’m fine,” I said.

“No, you’re barely walking.” He put his arm around me for support. “Enough with the heroics, okay? You’ve earned enough brownie points to last you a lifetime.”

My cheeks heated. I tried stepping away again, but he only tightened his grip.

“Either I help you or we go back to the hospital and get you a cane. Better yet, a walker.” He grinned at me. “Now that, I’d pay to see.”

I lifted my fingers, tips sparking.

He laughed. “You don’t scare me, Savannah Levine. You might have your spell power back, but you’re liable to keel over before you can cast.”

A figure appeared on the porch. Megan, bringing out a basket of laundry. She shaded her eyes and looked our way. A hand raised in halfhearted greeting, then she came out to meet us.

I had to remind myself I’d been gone only a day. Not long enough for people to notice I’d left, I hoped. The fewer questions I had to answer, the better.

“We’re looking for the new girl, Amy,” I said.

“That makes two of us,” Megan said.

“She’s not here, I take it,” Adam said.

“Packed and left last night. Didn’t even ask for her final wages.” She hefted the basket on her hip. “I should have notified the police. I just thought ... well, I thought with Cody dead and the murders solved, she wasn’t likely to turn up dead.”

“What the hell are you doing on my property?” boomed a voice.

We turned as Alastair strode toward us, his face red with fury. Behind him, girls watched from the house, accusing glares fixed on me.

“I cannot believe you would have the nerve to set your foot on my property after what you did.”

“What did I-?” I began.

“You’re a lying, hypocritical little bitch, Ms. Levine.”

“Whoa!” Adam stepped forward. “I don’t know what you think Savannah did—”

“She came to my house and she pretended to care about that little girl-”

“If you mean Kayla—”

“Of course, I mean Kayla. You told Paula you weren’t going to do anything. You promised her. She trusted you. You lied because you didn’t have the guts to look her in the face and tell her you were turning her in.”

“What? I never-”

“You sawwhat kind of mother she was to Kayla. You saw how much that little girl needed her. But you turned her in. And for what? That wasn’t even your case—you were hired by Claire’s mother. You had nothing to gain by accusing Paula.”

“Civic duty,” Megan murmured. “She’s a detective. Whether Ginny’s death was her job or not, it was still her responsibility—”

“I don’t know what’s going on here,” I said. “Did someone accuse Paula-?”

“You accused Paula,” Alastair said. “And not only that, you didn’t have the guts to do it to her face. You didn’t even have the guts to make the accusation in person. Or to give it to Chief Bruyn, because God forbid, he might show some mercy.”

“We have no idea what you’re talking about,” Adam said. “But Savannah didn’t accuse anyone of anything. She’s been in a hospital for the last twenty-four—”

“Who was called?” I cut in.

“The state police,” Megan murmured when Alastair wouldn’t answer. “Early this morning. Bruyn arrested Paula a few hours ago and called social services for Kayla.”