“Marianne Fowler,” Miss Sadler said, giving her friend up without a second thought. Either she didn’t care if Miss Fowler spent years in federal prison, or she’d decided to believe their story.
Beatrix glanced at Ella. Ella shook her head. “She’s not ours. I’ll check, but I’m sure she was taught by an operative.”
“And you arenotto tell her about that,” Beatrix said, giving Miss Sadler a hard look.
“No! No, of course I won’t. But—but I’m not a member of the League. I don’t understand why she would try to recruit me if the plan is?—”
“Unlike you, Miss Sadler, Miss—Fowler, was it?—doesn’t know the plan,” Ella said. “I imagine she took it upon herself to teach you because she saw you as a friend.”
“She doesn’t appear to have good judgment,” Beatrix said, unable to help herself.
“Well—no, I’m afraid she doesn’t, poor dear.” Miss Sadler shook her head.
“We need you to impress upon your friend that she must not teach others,” Ella said. “It’s one thing to have a few League members learning a spell or two to ease their fears, but what she’s done is quite another. We don’t want to have to arrest her. Can you speak to her? Without mentioning anything we’ve told you, naturally.”
“Oh, yes! Yes, I will.” Miss Sadler smiled in a self-satisfied way. Then her eyes lit up. “Oh! What about that Lydia Harper? Issheaware of this plan?”
“No,” Beatrix said—perhaps a shade too quickly.
“Miss Harper is the sort to go right to the newspapers,” Ella put in. “She has the most unreasonable dislike for wizards, that one.”
Miss Sadler nodded, face clear this time. She was buying it. She really was.
But now came the time to ask the question to which Beatrix dreaded hearing the answer.
“When you called the FBI’s tip line”—she paused just long enough to note that Miss Sadler’s expression hadn’t changed, so clearly ithadbeen the tip line she’d called—“what exactly did you say?”
Now Miss Sadler’s expression did change. She frowned. “Didn’t they pass on the message?”
“Yes,” Beatrix said, drawing the word out slightly to suggest that Miss Sadler was being dense. “‘Report of illegal magic use.’ But I want to know what youtoldthem. This is of the utmost importance, Miss Sadler,” she said, standing and glaring down at her.“What—did—you—say?”
Miss Sadler’s eyes went wide. Beatrix knew exactly how alarming it was to face an angry wizard, and she took a step closer to drive the point home.
“I—” Miss Sadler cringed into her chair. “I said I had information about illegal magic use I wanted to report to the authorities.”
Beatrix’s heart leapt. “Nothing else?”
“No! Nothing. But I don’t understand why it matters. You’re all with the FBI.” An outright suspicious look crossed her face for the first time. “Aren’t you?”
“Miss Sadler,” Ella said in soothing tones, “this operation is top secret. Even most of the investigators don’t know about it, and the tip-line operators certainly don’t. They aren’t supposed to ask for details about illegal magic use, but if a caller starts divulging information willy-nilly …”
“The director will have both our heads if this gets out,” Beatrix muttered.
“It won’t,” Ella told her. “Isn’t that right, Miss Sadler?”
Miss Sadler nodded, her head bobbing rapidly.
“Now, I believe youwillget a visit at the appointed time in”—Ella glanced at the clock—“six minutes,” she said, her voice amazingly calm. “You see, the director can’t just start assigning his top agents to check out lowly reports of magic use. People will talk. So for the last few weeks we’ve been going in advance, off the books, to make sure there’s no problem.”
“And there hasn’t been, until now,” Beatrix said.
“That puts you in a difficult position, Miss Sadler,” Ella murmured, leaning in. “When the assigned investigator asks you why you called …”
Miss Sadler blinked. Then she seemed to collect herself. “I will tell him I was mistaken about what I saw. It wasn’t magic at all.”
“That would do nicely.” Ella took her hand. “Thank you, Miss Sadler, for your service to our country.”
Miss Sadler flushed. “It’s my duty, Wizard Smith.”
