“I don’t know how you do it. I just know you need to do it.” Astra’s smirk was back. “You’re funny. I like you even better than this one, and your choice in men is extraordinary. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to cut him loose, would you?”
“Not in this or any other lifetime,” Maddie muttered, folding her arms across her chest.
“Ah, well.” Astra held out her hands and shrugged. “I had to try. As for you, Hannah, you’re running out of time. I’m convinced your killer is still present. For once, I think the monster you’re facing might be of the human variety, though. Don’t look for the how. Look for the why. That’s your answer.”
“Ugh. You always have to talk in riddles,” Hannah groused.
“I do.” Astra bobbed her head in agreement. “It’s what I’m good at. You need to embrace what you’re good at and weed through the crap. The answer is there. You just have to find it.”
15
Fifteen
Rather than let Astra beat a hasty retreat, as was her way, Hannah decided to make the white witch put her money where her mouth was. On a whim, she used her magic to send a message to Abigail. Within three minutes, the bulk of the ghosts she’d seen hanging around Casper Creek over the past few days appeared on the edge of the creek.
“What the ... ?” Astra almost jolted out of her skin when she realized what was happening. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Figuring out the why,” Hannah replied sweetly, her eyes immediately seeking out — and finding — her grandmother. “Thank you for coming.”
“Of course I came,” Abigail reassured her. “I’m your grandmother. I will always come when you need me.”
Olivia separated from Abigail and moved closer to her daughter, her eyes scrutinizing her child’s wan features. “Are you sick?”
Maddie let loose a low growl. “I’m perfectly fine. I wish people would stop asking that question.”
“She’s pregnant,” Hannah offered helpfully. “You’re going to be a ghostly grandmother. Congratulations.”
Maddie’s mouth dropped open. “Stop telling people that!”
“You’re pregnant?” Olivia might’ve been a ghost, but she looked thrilled at the prospect. “Oh, Maddie, that’s wonderful. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it’s not true.”
“She hasn’t confirmed it,” Hannah volunteered. “She has morning sickness, though. Nick is convinced.”
“Oh.” Olivia chuckled. “You must be terrified if you’re just thinking about it now. There’s nothing to worry about, Sunshine. You’re going to make a lovely mother ... and Nick is going to be the best father imaginable.”
“Of course Nick is going to be a good father.” Maddie was huffy, which wasn’t doing anything to quell the pregnancy gossip. “Did I say Nick wouldn’t be a good father? He’ll be the best father. We’re not ready, though, and I’m on birth control.”
Olivia mimed patting Maddie’s arm. “So was I when I got pregnant with you.”
“Oh, geez.” Maddie pinched the bridge of her nose and looked to the sky. “This is just ... ridiculous. We’re supposed to be worried about catching a killer, not something that probably isn’t true.”
“Oh, you’ve moved to ‘probably not true’ from ‘definitely impossible,’” Hannah noted. “That’s a bit of progress.”
“I blame you for this.” Maddie jabbed a finger in her direction. “You’re fueling the fire, and I don’t like it ... at all. We need to focus on Velma. We have limited time to solve her murder.”
“I assume that’s why you called us here,” Olivia noted. “What do you want us to do?”
Since Maddie wasn’t privy to Hannah’s plan, she turned her attention to the witch, who was completely focused on her grandmother. For her part, Abigail seemed to be oblivious to what was going on around her. Her focus didn’t deviate from Astra.
“It’s been a long time, Abigail,” Astra noted. Even though Hannah was convinced she was trying to give off an air of quiet ambivalence, the white witch sat ramrod straight as she regarded her former mentor.
“Astra.” Abigail’s tone was bursting with disgust. “What are you doing out here?” On a whim, Abigail swiveled to face Hannah. “Actually, what are you doing out here? I warned you about spending too much time with Astra. What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that we’ve hit a wall when it comes to figuring out what happened to Velma Sanders,” Hannah replied reasonably. “Astra might not be loyal or trustworthy — especially not trustworthy — but she is knowledgeable, and she knows a bit about Velma’s background.”
“I know she’s a fraud,” Astra shot back.
“And that’s something,” Hannah insisted. “We’re working blind and we need help. You said yourself the ghosts were a smart way to ascertain who is the real deal. Perhaps they also have knowledge about what happened to Velma.”
Astra opened her mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. “That’s actually not a bad idea.”
“Which means it’s a terrible idea,” Abigail countered. “If Astra thinks it’s a good idea, that automatically means it’s a bad idea. Have you learned nothing from your previous interactions with her?”
Hannah bit back a sigh. She understood why her grandmother was so worked up. Astra had betrayed Abigail at practically every turn over the course of their short — and sometimes tempestuous — partnership. That had to be shuttled aside now.
“I know you think this is a bad idea,” she started.
“Of course it’s a bad idea,” Abigail snapped. “She’ll turn on you the first chance she gets.”
Hannah forced herself to remain calm, even though it took monumental effort. “She can’t turn on us because she’s not on our side. I know what she is, what she’s done. That doesn’t mean she can’t help.”
Abigail shook her head. Hannah swore, if ghosts could cry, Abigail would burst into tears. The possibility broke her heart.
“Grandma, I’m asking you to trust me,” Hannah pleaded in a low voice. She hadn’t known her grandmother in life — and was still getting to know her in death — so using the common endearment was a big
