Chapter 28

I dived into the car park. The Suburban was there, as was Sidnee's car. She'd been sharing some lifts around town with Thomas and evidently hadn't been in yet to fetch her car. She always left a spare key on the front tyre so that I could borrow it if I needed to while she was stuck in the office.

I cranked the engine then followed Liv as she drove to the only hotel in town and on to my house. With a car full of witches, she drove off again. Annoyingly, the destination was the one place I was pretty sure wasn't holding the black markets: her funeral home.

I needed an inconspicuous spot to park so she wouldn't notice me and I found one on the street, where it looked like I could be in any of three different businesses. As I sat back to wait, I texted Sidnee to let her know I'd borrowed her car to search for the black market.

I had no idea how long the witches' meeting would go on for or what they were discussing other than something to do with the gems. I watched and waited for two bum-numbing hours, during which time Sidnee texted back and confirmed she was more than happy to lend me her car.

I was about to sneak out to see if Ernie had any more chai latte when I saw my mum and the others emerge from the funeral home.

Mum turned to walk back towards home, thank heavens: I didn't need her coming over and noticing me. No doubt she was missing the gym, so she'd get her steps in when she could. The other witches climbed in Liv's car. I'd have to be careful tailing her because she'd be dropping them off first – unless they were all headed to the black market. Could it be that easy?

I waited for her to drive onto the street then pulled out. She headed down the road that went to Kamluck Logging, ten miles out of town. She didn't turn again until we were at South Harbour where the warehouses were. She wasn't dropping the witches off at their hotel, so the chances were good she was taking them to the black market to purchase some of those ‘hard to get' items she'd mentioned earlier. I'd probably been close to the market when I last searched here and hadn't got far enough down the line of buildings.

Sure enough, Liv stopped in a busy car park outside the furthest warehouse from town. It was quite small and run down; I'd thought it was abandoned since I'd never seen cars there before. Bingo.

I pulled in next to another plain sedan and got out. Liv and her three witch friends were chatting as they headed for the warehouse.

I really needed a disguise. I thought for a moment then got back into the car. Now I knew where the market was, I could take a minute and put together something that would help me to sneak in. No one would talk to me if they knew I was the law, and I also had to avoid Liv, Laura and anyone else who might recognize me. I needed to hide my hair and maybe wear sunglasses. I was already dressed close to the local norm, but I was wearing a button-up shirt and my nicer boots so I needed to run home and change. I had time: the market wasn't going anywhere.

I raced home a shade over the speed limit, parked up and texted Sidnee to let her know I was still using her car but wouldn't be too much longer. Then I barrelled into my house, to greet my pets. ‘I missed you guys,' I said as I cuddled Fluffy and stroked Shadow as much as he would allow.

I could see from the tins on the counter that Mum had already fed them, so I opened the back door and let them out while I got changed. I found a baseball cap and sunglasses, then realised I'd look suspicious wandering into a dark warehouse with those on. Instead, I applied some fake eyelashes and a heavy dose of makeup.

I tied my long blonde hair into a bun and secured the cap then admired the effect: not bad. I put my badge in my pocket, changed into grungy jeans and pulled on my XtraTuf boots. Disguise complete, I was good to go.

‘You guys stay here,' I said to my animals as I locked the back door. ‘I won't be long but taking you would kind of undo all my disguise work.'

I headed to the front door – and that's when Mum walked in. Everything in me froze. ‘Elizabeth? I thought you were at work,' she said.

And I thought you weren't a monster. I didn't say it, though I wanted to. I was on my way out: now was not a time to pick a fight with my mother. ‘I am. I had to change. I'm going on a stakeout,' I managed.

‘That sounds exciting. Can I come?' She looked genuinely excited and I felt conflicted. It was nice that she was taking an interest in my work, but at the same time … the bus thing.

‘You want to go on a stakeout?' I asked slowly.

‘It sounds more exciting than watching TV, and we'd get to spend some quality time together.'

I realised that no one would expect Officer Barrington to come in with anyone other than Sidnee or Gunnar; shopping with my mother was actually the perfect cover. Even so, she deserved to know what she was walking in to. ‘I'm going to the black market to interview people and try to pinpoint the curser,' I said firmly, looking to see if I'd scared her off.

‘Oh. Liv invited me but I declined. The High Priestix can't be seen in such places.'

A wave of relief flowed over me. Good. But she wasn't done. ‘Still, I think it will be fun. If anyone finds out, I can tell them that I was helping with a police sting operation.'

I weighed up my options. We could pretend to be shopping and she was good at shopping, plus I needed her because I hadn't got the slightest clue what anything was. I'd probably give myself away in a minute. ‘Okay – but Liv and the other witches can't see us or we'll get thrown out. I need to talk to people and no one can know I'm a cop.'

‘Of course.'

I eyed her. ‘Mum, you can't go dressed like that. You'll stand out like a sore thumb.'

‘Well, I don't have anything like that.' She gestured disdainfully at my ensemble.

‘Did you bring jeans?'

‘Of course not.'

I didn't have jeans that would fit her but I had plenty of baggy sweatshirts she could borrow. ‘What trousers do you have?' I asked.

‘None,' she sniffed.

I had leggings; she'd be horrified, but that was all I had, plus they were stretchy so she'd fit into them. ‘It's fine, you can wear my leggings and spare boots.'

‘Boots like those?' she pointed at my feet and wrinkled her brow.

‘Nope, these are my nice pair.' I smiled wickedly.

She took the leggings and sweatshirt and went to change. When she came out, her face was scrunched up in a rictus of distaste. I handed her Sigrid's old brown boots and she put them on. Her hair was still twisted up in a chignon. That wouldn't do. ‘Do you mind if I fix your hair?'

‘What's wrong with my hair?'

‘It's too nice.'

‘Fine,' she grumped. A lot of the excitement had faded now that she realised she had to dress like a commoner.

I pulled out the pins and finger mussed it until it looked like she'd been out in the wind. ‘Ow,' she complained.

I wasn't feeling especially charitable. If Connor's supposition was right… Not now, Bunny. ‘There,' I said gruffly.

‘I'll go and look in the mirror.'

‘No! Trust me, you don't want to look. Let's go.'

I picked up Arabella and put her in Mum's room, turned on the TV for Fluffy and hurried my mother out of the door.

We were going on a mission – and I didn't trust her as far as I could throw her.