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

waiting for a “gosh darn it,” but for him, that was pretty harsh. I gave him an approving nod, and his lips twitched toward a smile before he turned to face Chaz again.

“Why didn’t you tell us Letty was a shifter?”

He lifted a palm. “We’d sold the rights to her story to that magazine, La Mer. Have you seen the latest edition?” He picked up one of several copies from a stack on the coffee table between us.

I gave him a flat look. “Yeah. We saw, Chaz.”

He shrugged. “Well, we signed an agreement with La Mer that we wouldn’t announce it or talk about it publicly before the magazine came out.”

Peter heaved a sigh. “Again, this is a police investigation of a murder!”

Chaz blinked innocently at him.

“It trumps a nondisclosure with a magazine!” Peter splayed his hands, but Chaz just shrugged back.

“Oops?” He blinked. “I’ll know for next time.”

“Next time? You mean the next time you sell the rights to your wife’s life story and then she’s murder—” I waved a hand. “You know what, never mind.”

Man, this guy and his family were so out of touch with reality. I guess that’s what great fortune and privilege did. I frowned. Which made this guy the obvious choice for the position of councilor, representing the voice of the people of Bijou Mer. Speaking of which…

“It didn’t bother you, though? You’re running for office and come from a pretty conservative family.”

He nodded and slumped back against the pillows of the couch. They barely moved—guess these couches were more for show than comfort. I shifted in my seat—my left leg was going numb.

“I could see why you’d ask that. But no, I stood by Letty when she told me. I was shocked, yes, but I got over it.”

I glanced at Daisy, who merely watched him, a puzzled look on her face. She let out a pitiful whine. This is infuriating! I can’t smell anything! She lifted a paw and scratched at her snout.

“Was this before or after your parents hired the private investigator to look into her?” Peter watched Chaz intently for his reaction.

“I already knew before my parents came to me with that PI’s findings.” Chaz shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’d already told Cybil, my campaign manager, and she’d assured me we could spin it to our favor.”

“Oh, phew.” I pretended to wipe sweat off my brow. “You’d hate to have your wife’s identity go and ruin your campaign.”

“Look, I loved her anyway—it wouldn’t have mattered.”

I leveled him with a get real look, but he held my gaze and I frowned a bit, uncertain. Either this guy had really fallen for Letty, or he’d make a great politician with that poker face.

Peter frowned. “Really? Her being a shifter didn’t bother you at all?”

He shrugged. “Shifters are underrepresented in Bijou Mer and are some of the hardest working among us. I, for one, don’t think we should penalize anyone for simply being born who they are.”

I crossed my arms and turned to Peter. “Hear, hear.” I’d hoped that was the way Peter would react when I told him that I was a shifter—but instead it’d created a rift between us. A rift that was gradually healing, yes, but I still needed to tell him the whole truth about the shifter underground and the trouble I was in with Ludolf Caterwaul. And I hoped he’d be more supportive this time… otherwise, it might rip us apart in a way that could never be mended.

Peter blushed and shot me an exasperated look. “It’s not always that simple.” He narrowed his eyes at Chaz. “And I’m having a hard time believing you weren’t bothered at all.”

The redhead slumped lower on the couch and spun to stretch his legs out on the cushions. “I’ll admit—my courting of Letty started out for ratings. Cybil encouraged it so that I’d seem more… what’s the term? Lowly? Dirty?”

I frowned. “Grounded?”

He snapped and pointed at me. “That’s it. More grounded. But a real love developed from there.” He raised his red brows. “Believe me—why else would I be braving the wrath of my mother to marry her?”

I thought of ol’ Marcy Harrington and her bottles of wine and curled my lip. Yeah, he certainly was up against a lot there.

Peter let out a heavy sigh. “Alright, well, all the same, we’ll need you to send a writing sample to the station by tomorrow.”

He frowned and sat up. “A writing sample?”

Peter nodded, and we took our leave. Once outside in the cool night air, Daisy sniffed around the stone gutters. Dry leaves blew by, scratching along the ground.

Peter shoved his hands in his pockets and waited for a small group of laughing young people to pass. “Look—I know it’s taken me a bit to get over your, uh, you know, your news. And I know that some people might be more, er, understanding.”

I shot him a flat look. “Uh-huh.”

He glanced up at the top floor windows of the inn—Chaz’s windows. “But that guy’s reaction doesn’t ring true to me.” He glanced over at Daisy, and his lips pulled to the side and brows pinched together. “Wish we could know for sure if he was telling the truth.”

I folded my arms. “Look, just because you don’t trust us shifters doesn’t mean everyone’s got a grudge against us.”

He flipped a palm. “Hey, it’s not a grudge, it’s just—” He shook his head and looked off. “Look, if it’s alright with you, I don’t want to get into this right now.”

I shrugged, my chest tight with annoyance. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” We could be out here debating all night, and my stomach was rumbling and my toes cold.

He nodded, his eyes troubled as he looked me over. “I want to figure this out, Jolene—this stuff between us, I mean. I’m just not sure how.”

I nodded again, my throat tight.

“I’ll come by your place tomorrow night once we analyze the handwriting samples and compare them to the letter