“I put a protection spell on Scott and gave him an amulet that makes him difficult to track,” Amy said. “I’d like to do the same for you, because you’re a target if they can’t find Scott.”
“Fine with me,” Justin agreed.
“I’m working a tracking spell on the bullet the sheriff was able to pull out of the trees where the hitmen shot at Scott,” Amy continued. “The video helped narrow the focus. It’s still broader than I’d like, so I’m hoping Liam’s friends in Pittsburgh can supply more details. Best I can tell you is where theyaren’t, not where theyare.And for now, they aren’t in Fox Hollow.”
“I’ll take that as a win,” Justin said. “Anything else?”
Amy inclined her head toward Becca, who had remained silent with her eyes closed. “She’s trancing, talking to ghosts.”
“Did you reach Mike and Bill’s spirits—from the crash?” Justin asked.
Scott shook his head. “No need. They weren’t mixed up in this mess about the mine. I don’t think either of them was aware of the danger. Hell, if I’d known someone was going to try to kill us, I’d have never suggested the assignment.”
Justin knew Scott felt guilty for arranging the flight, even though he had no way to know at the time that it would turn deadly. “It’s not your fault,” he said quietly, squeezing Scott’s hand.
“I know that up here.” Scott tapped his forehead. “But not in here.” He laid his hand over his heart. “I’ll feel a whole lot better if we can find the bastards who did this and make them pay.”
Liam returned to his laptop when it dinged, indicating a new email. “Got something from Brent. That was fast.”
He paused as he read through the contents. “Interesting. Pittsburgh’s no stranger to Mob ties. So looking into its involvement was right up Brent’s alley.”
“I really thought that the Mob was a lot less active and that the rumors about their involvement with any new projects were just that, rumors,” Scott said.
“Except that those organizations are like roaches and zombies,” Liam replied. “Hard to kill and they don’t stay dead. Their game is still the same—extortion, bribery, skimming profits.
“And from what Brent found, there has been persistent talk about Consolidated, the company that bought the mine, having ties to organized crime,” Liam finished triumphantly. “I’ve got him looking into what they can find out about this dark witch, Samuel Wilmot.”
“Plenty of articles allege all kinds of improper behavior and business ties between companies and unsavory partners,” Scott said. “It doesn’t usually get the writer killed.”
“The mine project manager and the company president have confirmed Mob connections,” Liam scanned Brent’s email. “Their witch has a track record of dark magic. All that suggests the kind of people they are, and how they handle things that get in their way.”
“They’re still looking for Scott,” Justin pointed out. “This seems wildly over the top for a couple of trade website articles. I’ve read more damning allegations about plenty of other organizations, and they don’t hire hitmen.”
“And if we were talking about business-as-usual corporate America, ruthless as it can be, you’d be right,” Liam said. “But given the Mob connections, the money involved with the purchase of the mine, whatever their witchy agenda is, and what they stand to lose, they revert to the tactics they know best—violence.”
“Was Brent able to get anything from the videos on Frick and Frack?” Scott asked, referring to the suit guys.
Liam scanned down through the email. “Actually, yes. He got facial recognition on mug shots. Don’t forget, some of the tools Brent uses are magically enhanced, so he can get results that regular folks wouldn’t.”
“And?” Justin asked.
“Leo Rossi and Luka Petrovic,” Liam replied. “Apparently, there’s been a merger of the Italian and Serbian mobs. From what Brent said, these guys are low-level grunts who get sent to do a lot of dirty work and screw up enough that they have long rap sheets.”
“I heard the two men who came to burn the wreckage talking at the crash site.” Scott’s expression turned bleak as he recounted. “They said that their boss ordered the plane to beshot down to take me out and told them to go destroy the evidence. I gathered that they didn’t agree but couldn’t argue with the guy in charge.”
“Which means we have a literal smoking gun leading to Consolidated,” Liam said. “There has to be something they were afraid you’d see, more than the mine itself. That’s for the cops and lawyers to figure out.”
“Except that the whole case rests on what I heard them say, when I was a coyote,” Scott pointed out. “That’s not going to hold up in court.”
Becca opened her eyes and cleared her throat to get their attention. “Ghosts can’t testify, either. But they can provide information we can verify through other sources,” she added with a crafty smile.
“What are they telling you?” Liam asked the medium.
“Pass me a tablet and pen,” Justin said. “I’ll take notes while you fill us in.”
“Mark Santoro is the name of the mine manager,” Becca reported.
Liam nodded. “That tracks with what little we could find out.”
