Witch's Bell Book One

same thing. Believe it or not, they're actually written by Harry. They're in-house editions, if you will. Harry was a prolific historian, and an even greater wizard. If that's what he said, then that's the truth.... But-'
    'But what?' Nate neatened the files in front of him, but didn't take his eyes off Ebony.
    'I don't remember reading any of this.'
    'Right,' he held out one of the files, motioning for her to take it, 'then re-read it and refresh your memory.' He stood up from his chair, motioning for her to take it. 'I'm going to go and find a chair, and maybe something to eat. Don't you move now.'
    Ebony rolled her eyes, and just kept her smile at bay. He was being rude, she told herself, but she couldn't help but smile. He was being arrogant and over-protective, she tried to convince herself again, but, once again, she simply smiled.
    Was he really being arrogant, she wondered, or was that simply what Ebony found easiest to believe? Just as she'd done with her mother last night, Ebony had slipped into the version of events that was easiest, and most satisfying, to hold: the one where the world was against her, where her mother had abandoned her, and where Ebony didn't seem in control, or responsible, for anything that was happening.
    And yet she'd had an almost incident-free walk to work with her mother. Could the same be happening with Nate? Could it be that what was easiest to believe about the Detective simply wasn't true?
    Finally Ebony glanced down at the files, plunging herself into them like someone jumping into a lake from a cliff above. And she instantly felt immersed.
    Nate was right, she realized as she flicked from file to file, there simply wasn't anything on the Grimshores prior to the 20's. And he was also right about them seeming to simply pop into existence. In the very first file pertaining to the family, there simply wasn't any background information on them. In fact, whoever had written the file, speculated on that exact fact – the Grimshores didn't seem to have any traceable history.
    Ebony frowned as she read, her head leaning on a hand as her eyes flickered across the text with the darting energy of a hummingbird.
    That wasn't all though, the Grimshores it seemed, weren't quite the upstanding family everyone supposed. Once again, if anyone had just asked Ebony whether the Grimshore family were upstanding citizens, she would have nodded an emphatic yes. They gave to charities, attended all the right functions, even sat on all the right boards of administration. They were good people, with the best interests of Vale at heart.
    But now, well, Ebony was learning that the once beautiful flower was fake, through and through. According to these files, the Grimshores were involved in more magical crime than you could shake a stick at (or a wand, or a broom, or a sacrificial knife). For an intense period they seemed to have their fingers in everything: from importing banned magical items to trying to gain an unfair advantage through hexing.
    But as far as she could tell, they were never charged for any of it. Even though there was a whole box pertaining to their extra-legal activities, the Grimshores weren't once punished for any single crime. It was a fact that was noted in their files, with some emphasis. It seemed that not only was it very hard to pin a crime on the family, it was impossible to make it stick. Things seemed to peter out, the files noted, as if the Grimshores were less tangible, and less worthy of punishment, than a glorious golden light.
    By the time Nate finally returned, Ebony was so engrossed in her files that she didn't notice him until he stood right in front of the desk.
    'Doesn't make much sense, does it?' he intoned with a keen voice, taking a sip of his coffee and handing her one. 'And makes you wonder what on Earth is really going on.'
    Ebony took a deep breath and nodded. 'I just don't get it,' she held the warm cup close to herself, eating up the heat as if she'd just been dragged in from the snow. 'Why didn't I know these things? Why didn't anyone tell me? I've never been told about any of this stuff. Not once have I ever heard the barest whisper of any of this. The Grimshores are upstanding people,' she said automatically, then stopped, shaking her head in surprise. 'Sorry, they're supposed to be upstanding people.'
    Nate's face had an unreadable expression. 'You just said they were. Say it again.'
    'Sorry?' she took a sip from her coffee, not following him an