Officer O’Connor finishes taking notes on her tablet. “We have to interview as many people as possible who were on Main Street when the kidnapping occurred. Thank you for your time, Mr. Murphy.”
“Anytime, Officer. You have a pleasant afternoon.”
She nods and exits the store as I stash my purse under the counter. My boss logs out of the cash register and bemoans.
“Swiped a child in the middle of the day. Unbelievable. It was overcast and had just started to rain. Packed sidewalk. The perfect storm to obscure the criminal from notice.”
“Leslie will announce this to the coven on Thursday, but Ronnie and I arrived right after the kidnapping. Magic residue permeated the area. Unfortunately, not enough for me to find the source. My intuition is weak.”
Shane’s emerald-green eyes widen. “A witch took the precious child?”
“I don’t know for sure. I have to work on my skills and figure out if I can increase my radar enough to identify the magic stream. But there would need to be a next time for me to have a trail to follow.”
“How unfortunate. I’ve never had a need to increase my instincts. Accepted what skills I possessed and concentrated on other areas of the craft. I wish for your success, but let’s hope you won’t need it in the future. The Bearsden Police theorize the Baby Nabbers from Pennsylvania are responsible.”
“Well, they aren’t releasing any information about what they discovered in the gardens yet. I’ll take over now if you want to work on the stock in the back.”
“Thank you, darling. I have an appointment with a stack of cardboard.”
While he ambles into the crystals room, the door dings. Council member Alys Morgan strolls in and approaches the small toy section. Her pale-blond hair falls to the side as she bends down to pick up a puzzle. She turns her nose up and returns the game to the shelf.
“May I help you find something, Ms. Morgan?” I ask.
“All the toys here are for older children. Do you have any for younger ages?”
“I’m sorry, we don’t. There’s a specialty toy shop at the other end of Main Street. Try there.”
“I came from there. They didn’t have anything unique. I’m buying them for the children of a very close friend. Since these kidnappings began, they’ve all been too terrified to go outside. I wanted to give them something to cheer them up.” Alys turns and looks at me, and I’m taken aback by the flash of anger in her eyes. “Someone needs to do something to keep the children of Bearsden safe.”
“I agree,” I say, at a loss for words. “I’m sorry we don’t stock any items that meet your needs. Maybe check online? Lots of toys on the internet. You’ll find something.”
She smiles sweetly. “Thank you…what’s your name? I forget. I’m terrible with names.”
“Gwynedd Crowther, but my friends call me Gwyn.”
“Have a nice day, Gwyn,” she says on the way to the door.
“You, too, Ms. Morgan.”
Alys exits the store and heads west on Main Street. Not long after, Jeff enters with Ashley Lewis and a small boy in tow. Although his mother has dark hair, his head is covered in blond ringlets. He’s an adorable toddler.
“Hey, Gwyn,” Jeff says. “I was working on some spreadsheets at home and stopped by to give the flash drive to Shane. Ashley came with me to discuss your babysitting offer.”
YES. Don’t act too excited, Gwyn. “Hi, Ashley. I’d be happy to babysit when I’m available. Get my phone number from Jeff and call whenever you need me. Last minute is fine. I’ll come if I can.” My heart is about to burst with unexpected joy.
“Thank you for the offer,” she replies. “I brought Aidan with me so he could meet you.”
I squat so I’m eye level with his angelic face. “Hi, Aidan. I’m Gwyn.” His eyes shine like pastel-blue sapphires, a lighter hue than his mother’s.
He wrinkles his nose and pulls his hand out of his mom’s, sprinting to the toy section. He bangs on the skull with flashing red eyes and throws it to the floor. Ashley darts to him.
“Stop that, Aidan! These toys do not belong to you. I’m so sorry. The Terrible Twos, you know.”
Jeff jogs over and picks up the merchandise. “Don’t worry about it. He’s a toddler.”
“Two-year-olds can be a handful,” I say. “I remember my son at this age. He was a fireball, but he grew into a responsible adult.”
She takes a breath. “If you’ve changed your mind about babysitting, I’ll understand. So many grad students have quit on me.”
“Well, they haven’t raised kids. This is the age when you develop patience and learn how to negotiate with children. It’s challenging, but you’ll get through this phase. I promise. Call me when you need help.”
Aidan stands, his lips pressed tightly together, glaring at me like I’m enemy number one. He needs a touch of discipline, that’s all. This will be fun.
Tuesday after class, I drive to Agnes’s farm to work on my weak intuition. What a dreary day—blanketed in gray skies with a slightly cooler temperature. But I’ll take it. I’m not expecting a lot out of this training, because…it’s Agnes. She’s never been a mom. The front door is open, so I knock on the wooden screen. The foyer and hallway are empty.
“Agnes? Are you in the kitchen?” I ask, tapping again.
The house is quiet except for a few creaking floorboards as I make my way toward the magic room. That’s odd. The door is shut. What is she doing in there? I push on it slowly, and a bouquet of burning incense strikes me—lemongrass, jasmine, and honeysuckle. The graphite Archie put on the hinges really helped. No creaking at all. I peek around to discover the hedge witch with her eyes closed, standing on one foot, a crystal in each hand. How is a woman in her 80s balancing so well? I am impressed. So, I tell her.
“Wow, Agnes! That’s amazing!”
“Aghh!” she screams as she tumbles to the floor.
I panic and rush to her. “I’m so sorry. Didn’t you hear the door open?”
“Fuck no,” she replies, pushing herself up. “Why did you call out while I was meditating? You scared the shit out of me.”
