…..CHAPTER 25…..
“Okay, what’s wrong?” Oscar said the instant the door of his office was shut.
“Just something stupid. I’ll explain later.”
“Okay.” Oscar understood immediately. He sat in his chair, while Oliver fetched two bottles of water from the mini-fridge by the desk. They discussed the case for awhile, then Oscar called Randall into the office. “We’re heading out for the evening. Who’s on night shift?”
“Edith.”
“Good. Tell her to keep an eye on Parson.”
“Yes, sir,” Randall said with a mock salute, eyes amused. “Big plans for the night?”
“Yep. Dinner, game night with the kids, and bed. And not necessarily for sleep.”
Oliver, chugging water, choked. Randall crowed with laughter at both of them, then strolled from the room. “Oh my god, Oscar. I did not need to that image,” he choked out through a coughing fit.
Oscar just grinned.
Finally, in the car, Oscar motioned to him. “I scanned this morning.”
Oliver sighed and scrubbed his face. “Gwen sensed my magic.”
Oscar stared at him for a long moment. “I see.”
“She said she felt as if my magic was ‘off.’ In her words. I let her know that my magic has always been a little odd, which is the truth. She can even look it up.”
Oscar muttered a swear word, or at least Oliver assumed it was, since he didn’t hear it, just the tone of his voice. “Alright.” Oscar frowned. “Do you think she suspects?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so, but she clearly sensed something.”
“What do you want to do?”
Oliver shrugged. “Nothing. I can’t do anything else, or I may bring attention to it without meaning to. I’ve told her the truth as best I can, without saying too much. I hope that she’ll shrug it off.”
“Do you think she will?”
Oliver closed his eyes with a sigh. “I don’t know. I don’t know her well enough to say if she will or not. She doesn’t strike me as the bulldog type. If she tells Jesse, though… He might take an interest.” He couldn’t get the image out of his head of those men on the front steps of the Academy.
The suits were watching him.
Oscar cussed again. “Keep an eye on Jesse. Discreetly. We may have to feel him out for potential membership.”
“I’ve considered him before.”
Oscar smiled. “So have I. But we need to be careful, Oliver. There can’t be too many of us here.”
Oliver grimaced at that. “If we were all part of the Fray, it would help.”
Oscar shook his head. “You know we can’t. There are some of us here that would never agree to it, and if they found out… We’d be in deep shit.”
With a sigh of frustration, Oliver gave him a nod. “Yes, sir.”
Oscar grinned. “That’s my witch.”
Oliver crossed his eyes at him.
Oscar cracked up. “Someone’s been hanging out with Cara and Micah too much.”
“Guess again.”
“Melinda.”
“Got it in two.”
Oscar laughed as he drove.