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theory.'
    'Go
on.'
    'Now I'm
not saying this is what's going on, but it's the only thing that
makes any sense.'
    'I'm
listening.'
    'This
thing going on with this gang. Targeting buildings worth millions
and extorting money from their owners is a pretty big case. It's
also a perfect case for the Ferret to apply himself to and help
apprehend the bad guys.'
    'Right.
So you think he's sort of going undercover to get them?'
    Bernie
shrugged. 'Hmm. Not quite the way I was thinking, but I suppose
that's a possibility.'
    'So not
that?'
    'I don't
think so. That's a serious crime, but at the end of the day, it's
just a crime. If it were just that, I've no doubt Fred would be
shoulder to shoulder with Morris and Crowe. Whatever it is he's
into is huge. I have no idea what, but it is scarily big. Him
saving the day yesterday was simply an aside for him. Time out from
the big one.'
    'Jeez.
How bloody big is it what he's working on?'
    Bernie shrugged. 'I don't know
for sure. Like I said, just a theory. But before I tell you my
theory, are you sure you can't think of anything?'
    'No. How
would I know of...oh.'
    'Poppy?'
    'No. Not
that.'
    'Tell me
what you think, for God's sake.'
    'No.
You'll never believe it.'
    'Try
me.'
     

Chapter 14
    Poppy
said, 'It goes back to that witch case. Damn. I don't even want to
think about it.'
    'Morris
and Crowe risked disciplinary action by not saying what happened
that night. D I Andersen was livid, but those three detectives are
his best team and he...we trust them completely.'
    'Uncle
Bernie. I'll tell you what happened. But you have to promise me
you'll never repeat it.'
    'But if
it's a way to find Fred, I'm not sure I can do that.'
    'Then
forget it.'
    Bernie
had to know. 'Okay. I promise. Tell me.'
    'Shannon
Le'Vin. Remember her?'
    'I never
met her, but she was amazingly beautiful I heard. She was also a
high priestess with a witches coven, I believe?'
    Poppy
nodded. 'I think I was a little in awe of her. I never met anyone
like her. She had this self confidence that made her just glow. I
went to her home to supposedly help her with her computer and also
to learn a little about witchcraft, for a book I wanted to write.
It was all a trap.'
    Bernie
was stunned. 'A trap? For you?'
    'No. I
was just the bait. She wanted Fred. She may have drugged me. I
don't think she needed to. She was so powerful. I remember sitting
with her at her computer, going over her new website, having fun.
Then I was out of it. The next thing I remember was being naked,
standing on a chair with a noose around my neck.'
    Bernie
was horrified.'My God. Why didn't you say anything?'
    'Because...oh, Uncle Bernie. It's complicated.'
    'Wait a
moment.' He got up, opened a bottle of bourbon and poured two large
measures. He placed one in front of his niece and sat back down.
After a decent mouthful of booze, he said. 'I'm ready. Go
on.'
    Poppy
sipped her neat bourbon, winced and took a deep breath. 'Fred
filled in some of the gaps later. I was sort of aware of everything
that was going on, but unable to move or speak. I could see Morris,
Crowe and Fred. There was also that warlock. Felix Farnham. There
was something else. It was...'She drained the glass and shuddered.
'I can only describe it as pure evil. Not human.'
    'Not
human?'
    'This is
where you'll just have to accept what I say. It
happened.'
    'Poppy.
You were probably drugged up to your eyeballs. Hallucinating or
something.'
    Poppy
collected the glasses, went over to the bottle and poured them both
another drink. 'I knew you'd say that. It wasn't like
that.'
    'You
said yourself you couldn't move or speak. Sounds like you were
drugged to me.'
    Poppy
sat back down with her uncle. 'Fred wasn't drugged. Morris and
Crowe weren't drugged. They saw and heard what I did.'
    'Sorry.
Go on.'
    'I
remember hearing...what do they call them? Incantations. From the
witches. In front of me, this...thing appeared. Just from nothing.
It was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen in my life. I
could