Pet Psychic Mysteries Boxset Books 5-8 (Magic Market Mysteries Book 2) Erin Johnson (good books for 8th graders .txt) 📖

I frowned. She probably didn’t want us to think about that too hard, since it was absolute nonsense. Applause rang out again until Mama Pearl held up her glittering hands and gestured for silence.

“Y’all. I am so proud of what we have built together. I started this company with potions parties out of my living room in a little shack of a home just over four years ago. And now look at where we are. I could not have done this without you.” She teetered across the stage in her high heels. “Now, you may have heard some terrible rumors about us being out of money, or our products doing more harm than good.”

The crowd grew still. Her husband shifted on his feet, eyes wide as the pig continued to snuffle around on stage.

Mama Pearl waved it off. “But those are just rumors spread by haters! They’re just jealous of your success.” She gave an emphatic thumbs-down, and the crowd clapped and booed the haters.

“Look at us! At me and Papa Ralph.” She spread her arms wide. “We buy whatever we want, vacation more than we work, we’re living a lavish lifestyle—”

Will snorted and tried to disguise it as a cough. I smirked, but Heidi elbowed him.

Ralph cut in. “Now, dear—don’t, uh, don’t forget all the hard work and long hours we put in.”

But his wife ignored him. “Do we look worried about those rumors to you? No! And you shouldn’t be either. You’ve just got to get out there and work harder—our potions sell themselves! Who doesn’t want to look and feel their best, right?”

The crowd applauded.

“Get more recruits under you—show them all what they’re missing out on. Don’t you want your friends and family to share in your success?”

The crowd cheered again, louder.

Mama Pearl beamed. “This is going to be a wonderful weekend! And to kick it off, I’d like to lift a vial and toast to the vitality of you and the entire Potent Potions family!”

She teetered over to her husband and the pig. Papa Ralph drew a glowing red vial from inside his blazer and handed it to his wife. Amidst all the applause, she uncorked it, raised it to the crowd, then brought it to her lips and tipped her head back.

The clapping and whooping of the crowd grew deafening again. Women all around me stood, so I had to lean to the side to see the stage.

Mama Pearl frowned and blinked rapidly. She stood very still, then suddenly clutched at her throat. Beside her, her husband jumped, then grabbed her shoulders, but the blond woman continued to claw at her throat, eyes bulging. I frowned—was this part of their theatrics?

The applause died down, and shouts of alarm rang out. I jumped to my feet with everyone else and rose on my toes to get a better look. Mama Pearl collapsed, guided to the floor by her husband, who looked out over the crowd and cried, “Help!”

A woman in a white lab coat scrambled onto the stage and held Mama Pearl’s hand, her other hand pressed to her throat. The woman looked up, pale and glasses slightly askew.

Her voice rang out over the now hushed auditorium. “Call the police! She’s dead!”

4

Familiar Face

I leaned my head against Will’s arm. “When do we get to go home?”

He rolled his eyes. “Girl, like I know.” He stiffened, and I lifted my head and glanced up at him.

“What?”

He raised his chin and gazed out over the sea of murmuring women. We’d all smushed into the lobby after a small team of police had shown up and cordoned off the auditorium… and the dead body.

“Lover boy’s here.”

I froze. “What?” I rose on my toes and followed Will’s gaze toward the main entrance. Inspector Bon strutted forward, chest puffed out and a scowl on his face, per the usual. My stomach twisted as I spotted Peter behind him, followed by the new chief, Kit McCray. I knew Peter’s lie-sniffing canine partner had to be somewhere right beside him, even if I couldn’t see her through the thick crowd.

I sank back down on my heels. “Snakes.”

Heidi put a hand on my shoulder. “You okay?”

I hadn’t seen Peter in a month, and I certainly hadn’t expected to casually run into him at a crime scene.

I nodded. “Mm-hmm.” I glanced around, my heart pounding in my chest. “I’ve just got to get the shell out of here.”

“Jolene, this is a crime scene and we are murder witnesses.” Will raised his bushy brows at me. “Don’t think we’re going anywhere.”

I nodded. “Duly noted. I’m still gonna book it.” I couldn’t handle the embarrassment of running into Peter at a summit for a pyramid scheme. Plus, I had no idea if he’d spread the word around the station that I was a shifter.

Growing up in the Darkmoon District as an orphaned shifter, I’d learned early on to keep my distance from the police—they singled our kind out. And Peter’s boss, Bon, already had some kind of beef with me. He’d probably relish the chance to throw me in jail for any kind of trumped-up charge if he now knew I was a shifter… or used to be before the curse stole my abilities.

I clapped Heidi and Will on the backs. “See you guys back at the clinic.”

I started forward, but Will tugged on my long ponytail. “Ow!” I spun around and flashed my eyes at him. “What was that for?”

“How are you planning to flee an active crime scene, hm?” He widened his eyes. “And take me with you.”

I shook my head. “Nah, fam. I doubt I’ll be able to get out unnoticed, but with you….” I looked my enormous, lab-coat-wearing friend up and down. “You’re not exactly inconspicuous.”

“Ha!” Will barked out a laugh that drew some stares from the women around us.

I shot him a flat look. “See?”

He leaned forward and glared at me. “Says the woman in head-to-toe