Witch's Bell Book One

on his face. The way his dark eyes glinted out at the world like pinpricks of fire on a moonless night.
    If Ebony was smiling, she couldn't help it. Ben's little friend looked like a barrel of fun. The way he gazed at, and seemed to note, every single detail of the store. The way he disparagingly stared at Ebony and Ben's little play, and especially the way he looked at her.
    Irritating was the only word for it. Ben's little friend found Ebony, her store, and the way she looked irritating.
    And this just made her smile all the more.
    Ebony finally slid her eyes off the man and onto the greasy packet in her hand. She peered inside to see some kind of fried biscuit. Why someone would intentionally deep fry something that was already essentially fat and sugar molded into a lump, mystified Ebony. Then again, many human behaviors bordered on the bizarre.
    'So Ben tell me, what brings you here so early in the morning?'
    'Early?' Ben had produced another packet with the same type of fried biscuit inside, and proceeded to squeeze it into his mouth between breaths. 'It's ten. I've already been up for four hours.' Crumbs tumbled off his lips and between his fingers, forming quite a little pile at his feet.
    She shrugged her shoulders expressively, rolling her make-up-clad eyes. 'We appear to have a different concept of time.' Which was absolutely true. For Ben time probably trundled on like a clock strapped to a packhorse. For Ebony time spiraled. 'Now, can I actually help you? Or are you here to drop crumbs all over my precious stock?'
    Ben ignored her comment, instead leaning down to pick up the book by his feet, bits of biscuit still crumbling in his fingers. 'Precious? You sure? This looks like a dog-eared Nancy Drew novel.'
    This drew a sharp snort of a laugh from Ben's little friend. Ebony shifted her eyes over to him, like a cat looking up, mid slumber, to see a mouse frolic across its path. Who was this man?
    'So, who are you exactly?' Ebony didn't beat about the bush, didn't soften her tone. She just took several very confident steps towards the man, and curled up one ruby-red lip. 'I'm not used to men giggling from the stalls.'
    It was a challenge, of sorts.
    The man bristled, his head shifting back slowly, and his chest punching out even more.
    Before Ebony could exact her reply, Ben ruined the mood with a jovial laugh. 'Leave him alone,' he pleaded, 'the guy's new'.
    'Then why is he in an old suit?' Ebony's smile was now teeth pressed into lip. She knew she was being cheeky, but she loved it.
    The man's look of affront seemed to peak and finally plateau with a gaze that could cut steel. Making a show of looking around the room he finally found his voice box: 'strange, I would have thought it was the newest thing in this store, and certainly the cleanest'.
    Ben chortled from behind her, crumbs spraying out like little waterfalls all over his jacket and tie.
    Ebony had to suppress the utterly gleeful smile that was threatening to turn her into a Cheshire cat. 'Ohhh,' she said, lips forming a long and drawn out “w”, 'aren't you sharp. With a wit like that you should come with a warning.'
    The man didn't falter for a second. 'I'll send around a police dispatch now, or-' he paused for a moment, trying to look as if he was concentrating, 'I could just leave and do some real police work. Why are we here again, Ben?' The man now turned from Ebony, facing Ben with a mildly disapproving look. 'Unless we can fine this woman for violating OH&S laws,' the man reached out and tested the stability of a teetering tower of boxes and old magazines, 'I think we should start on the murder from last night.'
    Ben finished his final swallow, giving a hearty cough as some of the crumbs stuck in his throat. 'Yeah, yeah, rookie. We'll get to the case. Remember, the way of the mentor isn't always clear to the little new guy,' Ben patted his hand at about hip height, indicating that the man who stood a full five inches taller than him was technically a midget in Ben's eyes. 'You've got to relax. This is your first day, and I'm taking the time to show you the ropes, because around here ropes are real important.'
    'And food,' Ebony added, resting her chin on her hand, her fingers drumming lightly against her cheek. She was almost getting bored with this conversation; she had a lot to do, after all. But watching Ben's new little friend had a certain appeal. He was like some righteous Greek god who had been plucked from Mt Olympus only to be