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

Peter nodded. “And it was fully engaged before you entered?”

“Yes.” Quincy tapped a long finger to his lips. “Malorie and the other woman must’ve come in the back door that connects to the rest of the sanctuary. It’s camouflaged like it’s part of the rock wall.” He frowned. “There’s also the viewing platform on the second story.”

Peter shifted on his feet. “Who would have had access to the back door or the viewing platform?”

Quincy’s gaze grew far away, deep in thought. “You need a key to those. Let’s see… there’s me, and Malorie of course. Then our veterinarian, Mark West, too. Libbie would have turned in her keys, but she left recently enough, and we were so busy with preparations for the party, that we haven’t had a chance to change the locks yet.”

I glanced at Peter. “So she could have made copies and still gotten in.”

He nodded.

Quincy went on. “We keep a spare set of keys in the office.” His throat bobbed and he glanced up, wide-eyed. “Which is where the blow dart gun was kept along with the poison darts.”

Peter nodded. “Why do you have those?”

Quincy tipped his head side to side. “Mostly for decoration—we kept the blow gun on the wall. But also in case any of the animals became dangerous and we had to sedate them or, unfortunately, put them down.”

Peter cleared his throat. “You keep the office locked, I presume?”

He winced. “Yes, well, except…” He scratched his ear. “I have a habit of forgetting to lock up. Malorie’s told me time and time again we could get burgled.” He shrugged. “With so many people in and out of the house today to get ready for the evening’s festivities, plus if anyone wandered back there during the party… there’s no telling who might have entered the office and got ahold of the spare keys.”

Peter eyed Quincy, his brow creased. “When you found the blow gun on the wooden walkway, did you touch it or move the weapon at all?”

Quincy’s throat bobbed, and he snuck a glance at Daisy, whose tongue hung half out of her mouth. He spoke slowly, as though choosing his words carefully. “After I spotted the blow gun on the ground, I didn’t touch it or move it. I just—I just stood there, staring at it, and then the officers found me.”

Daisy’s tail swished back and forth over the ground, scattering a few fallen leaves. True.

Peter nodded. “Thank you. I’m sorry for your loss. If you think of anything else that could help us, even if you’re not sure how, please reach out.” He fished a card out of the inside pocket of his uniform jacket and handed it to the bereaved husband, who took it and nodded.

We stepped aside, and Peter leaned around the curve in the walkway. A round mirror hovered slightly above Peter’s head, allowing us to see around the bend. He looked up into it and waved Jones back to stand guard over Quincy.

I pulled my lips to the side. “I think we should go back and talk to the veterinarian again. He came in that back door and was the second person on the scene. Plus, maybe he has more of an inside scoop to this drama with the former head zookeeper and that Zane guy who infiltrated the sanctuary from that animal rights group.”

Peter shot me a grin. “Sounds good.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What?”

His smile broadened. “Nothing, just—you sound like a cop.”

I gave an exaggerated gasp and looked around, then spoke in a stage whisper. “Keep your voice down. I don’t want you ruining my street cred.”

9

Phoenix Nest

When we reentered the phoenix enclosure, it appeared to be empty aside from the rushing waterfall and the small jungle of lush plants. I glanced up toward the railing on the second story, then pushed an enormous fern aside, frowning. Daisy bounded off and disappeared among the foliage.

“Where is everybody?”

Peter’s shoes clicked along the hard volcanic rock as he walked over to where Malorie and the mystery woman’s bodies had been. “The team must’ve gotten the victims’ bodies to the station already.”

I followed him, glancing out the transparent force field to the ballroom full of hundreds of guests clad in animal print. They stood in small groups, being questioned by cops. As I scanned the room, my eyes landed on someone staring back at me.

Ice flooded my stomach as I recognized Ludolf Caterwaul, mob boss of the shifter underground. The skeletal man was flanked by several beefy dudes, no doubt his shifter bodyguards. I wondered with a shudder if the lion shifter was among them—the one who’d almost eaten me.

As much as I hated to admit it, Ludolf held a gravity larger than his physical size and didn’t need the muscle around him to seem intimidating. Still, I forced myself to hold my ground and meet his gaze without flinching. I wanted to reach out for Peter and point Ludolf out to Daisy and tell her to sic him, but I knew that would only be putting my boyfriend and his dog in more danger.

Ludolf had already threatened Peter with bodily harm multiple times. I gritted my teeth and balled my hands into fists as the man’s pale eyes bored into me.

Daisy barked, and I startled.

“You found something?” Peter turned toward the rustling dark green palms.

“Call your dog off!”

I recognized Mark the veterinarian’s voice, and with one last chilling look at ol’ Ludolf, turned away. I followed Peter down a narrow path. He glanced back at me, then did a double take and slowed until I walked beside him. “You okay?”

I nodded and gulped against the tight knot in my throat. “I spotted you-know-who. And he saw me right back. We had a fun little staring contest.”

Peter’s warm hand pressed against my lower back, and I grinned gratefully up at him. His jaw was set. “Are you okay?”

I nodded and waved it off as I turned sideways to slide past a sharp branch. “I mean,