Ivy shook her head. “What do you know?”
“All I know is that he teaches at the University.” I blew out a long, frustrated breath.
Ivy nudged me with an elbow. “I bet Bran would know how to contact a professor on campus. Or we could call Lexie again.”
“Ask Bran to track down Matthew Bell—he’s in the English Department, and let him know that Charlie is here.”
Ivy nodded, whipped out her cell and called her brother. I kept a smile in place and played hostess, while Charlie demolished the cookies, drank all my hot chocolate, and cooed over Tank, who’d jumped to the other stool to be near his new favorite person.
“Thanks, Bran.” Ivy tapped on her screen. “Hey Lexie,” she said next.
My eyes shot over to her while Ivy spoke on the phone. “Oh yeah?” Ivy said. “So the department, the school and the bus service has been trying to find her for about an hour?”
Oh wonderful. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. The William’s Ford Police department was going to be at my door for the second time in a matter of days.
CHAPTER FIVE
An hour later, armed with the Bell’s address, I found myself driving Charlie home. It had taken a bit of time to straighten everything out. Understandably, Matthew was extremely upset to have discovered his daughter unaccounted for, once again.
Bran Bishop had tracked down Matthew, who had been on the phone with a concerned principal at Charlie’s school, and one very distraught bus driver. The search for his daughter had been called off, and Bran had spoken to Matthew personally, to inform him where Charlie was, and that she was safe.
Matthew had called to thank me for “finding” Charlie, and further surprised me by asking for an hour so he could settle things with his housekeeper. Even though I wasn’t an intuitive like Ivy, I was sure he’d fired the woman. I could only hope the bus driver wouldn’t lose her job as well.
“Am I in trouble?” Charlie asked as we drove across town.
“I’m pretty sure you are.” At my words, the radio in my car suddenly went to loud static. I slanted my eyes towards her. Somebody was upset.
“Why?”
I clicked the stereo off. “For starters, you should have gone straight home after school, and secondly, you shouldn’t have manipulated Mrs. P.”
Charlie scrunched up her face. “What’s ’nipulated mean?”
“It means that you made Mrs. P do something she wouldn’t have done on her own,” I said.
Charlie tugged her hat over her eyes.
“That was wrong, Charlie.”
She pushed the cap up a bit, and hazel eyes regarded me solemnly. “It was?”
“Yes it was.” I eased to a stop. “You and me, we need to have a long talk about this asking really hard thing that you do.”
Charlie’s shoulders hunched defensively. “Okay.”
I wondered, as I drove on, how to best explain the rules of magick to a child. I’d have to talk to Matthew as well, I realized. Try and make him understand Charlie’s unique skills. I could only roll my eyes at that. How in the sweet hell did one start that particular conversation with a non-magickal parent?
“How come your hair is purple?” Charlie suddenly wanted to know.
“Because I like it this way.”
Charlie reached over and ran her fingers through my hair where it was draped over the sleeve of my winter coat. “I like it too,” she said, happily. “Could you make my hair purple?”
“You’ll have to ask your father about that.”
At the mention of her father, Charlie’s smile shifted into a pout.
I pulled up in front of an elegant, brick two-story home. The older house was in the Federal Revival style. The brick was a soft aged red, the roof a smoky gray, and the shutters and front door were painted in glossy black. As soon as we climbed out, Charlie latched onto my hand.
“Don’t leave me,” she said piteously. We’d only started up the brick sidewalk when the front door opened.
“Charlotte Leigh Bell.” Matthew crossed his arms over his chest. “You are grounded for the rest of your life.”
“Matthew.” I inclined my head, coolly. “We really have to stop meeting like this.”
“Violet.” His brown eyes assessed me. “Please come in.” He held open the door and I walked in.
“Thank you.” I nodded as Charlie clung to my hand.
He shut the door behind us. For a moment he considered his daughter, and eventually he bent down and hugged her. “Charlotte, what has gotten into you lately?”
“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she said contritely.
“Do you have any idea how frightened I was when the school called?”
The child shrugged. “Mrs. Gruber wasn’t at the bus stop so I went to go and see Violet instead.”
Matthew ran his hand gently over the girl’s head. “Mrs. Gruber won’t be a problem anymore.”
“Was she sleeping on the couch again?” Charlie asked, unzipping her coat.
Matthew did a double take.
“Charlie tells me that she’s been walking home alone from the bus stop most days,” I said pointedly.
“What?” Matthew sounded horrified.
“I think you and I should chat,” I said. “There are a few things you need to know.”
“Can Violet stay?” Charlie asked her father.
“Young lady,” Matthew’s voice was stern. “You can go directly to your room.” He pointed towards the staircase.
“Yes, Sir.” Head hung low, Charlie trudged up the steps and out of sight.
My lips twitched, but I managed to keep a sober expression.
“Can I take your coat?” Matthew asked courteously.
“Thank you,” I said, and unbuttoned the eggplant colored wool coat. How polite we are, I thought. The formality made me twitchy, but I played along.
He hung the coat on a hook by the door and ushered me into the living room. I almost cringed at the uninspired décor. Khaki walls, brown sofa, tan leather club chairs, and a beige carpet. It was all perfectly bland. Even the fireplace had been retiled with a taupe colored tile. I chose the couch, it looked the most comfortable.
With a sigh, he slumped in a chair across from me and leaned his head back. “Thank
