“Can you tell me where you were on the morning of the thirteenth?”

Annabelle tapped her fingers absently on the old wooden table and stared at the corner of the room. She had yet to look me in the eye. “I had a croissant from Madame Grimalkin’s. Almond.” She licked her lips as if in remembrance. “Then I headed to Auntie Bellum’s shop. It’s always there on Tuesdays, you know.”

I nodded; I was a regular customer of Bellum’s, and she had just returned from a trip to the Temple of the Graceful Lotus. I was looking forward to seeing the wares from the monks. “And did you pass by the fountain?”

Annabelle shook her head, still not making eye contact. “No, I went down Gimble and Hooch and crossed the Stareway.” I paused in my notetaking.

“That’s… somewhat circuitous.”

Annabelle shrugged, turning to look at the room’s other corner. “It’s a pretty walk, and the Way isn’t active this time of year. Besides, I can’t go on the main roads, it’s part of an ordeal from the Bell Trail.” I made a note to look into that; I wasn’t familiar with the ins and outs of the various trails and their ordeals, but I wasn’t sure that Annabelle regularly walked them either. It was unlikely that she had picked up a new practice recently. “Why do you ask? Did something happen?”

I looked up from my notes and found myself looking directly into Annabelle’s eyes. Her eyes still held the tell-tale signs of one who had recently crossed the Stareway: they were dark blue orbs with scattered pinpricks of light that, I knew, would align perfectly with tonight’s sky. I stared deep into her eyes, watching the constellations for any hint.

“A man was found there this morning. A human man.”

To her credit, Annabelle managed to look taken aback. In fact… her small gasp of astonishment and the draining of color from her face was a little too imperfectly timed to be the result of malfeasance. I felt my heart sink: Annabelle really hadn’t known about the murder. She had nothing to do with it.

“But… that would mean…” Annabelle stammered, the constellations swirling quickly.

“Yes, it would. Our little neighborhood just had a bit more attention thrown on it. Attention from the human authorities. Attention we don’t want.” I leaned back and crossed my arms. I knew what she was thinking, now: no one else could solve this crime. I was the only one able to protect our hamlet from scrutiny. I was about to save our community and coven.

“Why am I here with you?! We have to go to the Crones, Theresa! They’re the only ones that can fix this!” I huffed out a grunt of annoyance and glared at her. I had a more upwind flight ahead of me than I thought if my own sister was going to be this difficult about it.