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“Why is that?” Niko asked, suppressing the urge to stand in front of Indigo as if that would protect her from this professor who clearly wasn’t happy to see her. He hated the way that Indigo’s entire demeaner had shifted once the professor had opened her mouth. One second she’d seemed eager to speak to Cannon, and the next she looked as if she wanted to vomit.

“Who are you?” the professor asked, frowning at him.

He pulled out his badge and introduced himself. “Agent Niko Morales from the MTF, and I’m here to investigate the circumstances around Polly Smart’s compulsion. And Indigo is here because I asked her to be.” He cocked an eyebrow, just waiting to see what she’d say.

The professor’s eyes widened as she took a step back. She glanced between Indigo and Niko before her gaze settled on Indigo. “They think you have something to do with this.”

“Why? This is the first time I’ve walked on this campus since they ousted me a decade ago.” But before the professor could answer, she shook her head. “They are still looking for a scapegoat, right? Anything to sweep the scandal under the rug?”

“I’d guess that’s true,” Cannon said as she took a seat behind her desk and waved for them to sit. “We’ve been told to report you if we see you here.”

Niko frowned. “Report her to who?”

“The administration.” Cannon lifted her hands, palms up. “I’m not sure what they’d do with that information. Pass it on to the investigating officer, I suppose.”

“ I’m the investigating officer,” Niko stressed, but he had a good idea of who they might be reporting to.

Cannon pressed her hand to her forehead and let out a sigh. “This is the first I’ve heard of the Magical Task Force getting involved since everything went down with Polly, but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. So far, the investigating officer has been with the state.”

“It’s Paul, isn’t it,” Indigo said, her voice flat.

Cannon nodded. “He has a score to settle.”

“I suppose he does.” Indigo looked away, staring out the third floor window.

Niko leaned forward. “Just so you are aware, Officer Pitts doesn’t have authority over this case anymore. The MTF has taken it over, and I’m the only one with the authority to bring charges. Understood?”

“Yeah, that makes sense, but I think someone needs to tell Pitts that,” she said.

“I already did,” Niko said. He ground his teeth together, annoyed. If Pitts didn’t back off, there was going to be another confrontation. And while he was normally as diplomatic as possible when dealing with other law enforcement personnel, this time he’d relish putting Pitts in his place.

“Oh. I see.” The professor frowned and then said, “What can I do for you, Agent Morales?”

Niko pulled out a small notebook and a pen. “I’m interested in hearing about your last interactions with Polly before she was found in that burning building.”

“I’ve already been questioned about this,” Cannon said, her eyes misting with tears. “I wasn’t even here when she went missing.”

“I know this is emotional,” Niko said, using a sympathetic tone. “No one is accusing you of anything, Professor Cannon. I’m just trying to establish a timeline of events so I can track Polly’s movements before she went missing.”

“Okay.” Cannon sniffed and seemed to steel her spine as she held Niko’s gaze. “The morning before Polly went missing, we had a meeting to go over her senior project. She was working on a vision correction spell and needed some guidance on how to best test it. We brainstormed ideas and wrote a research plan. Then she left for lunch, and I left for the airport.”

“What time did you two part ways?” Niko asked as he scribbled in his notebook.

“Just after 1:00 p.m. I had to be at the airport by 2:15 to get through security,” she said.

“Where did you go, and what time was your flight?”

“My flight left at 4:00 p.m. I flew into Boston and then took a rideshare to Salem. I was there for a potions convention. If you need witnesses, I can provide you with a long list. My sister was with me on the plane, and plenty of people saw me at the conference. I was there for four days total.”

Niko had no reason not to believe the professor, though he would double check her alibi just to be sure. But all of that was too easily verifiable for someone to make up. “Do you have access to Polly’s class schedule?”

“Sure.” She tapped on her computer and printed out the schedule in question. “I can already tell you that she was in her Ethics of Witchcraft class that night. It’s a once a week, three-hour lecture. Professor Mills has already confirmed.”

“How is Professor Mills?” Indigo asked.

Cannon gave her a small smile. “He’s well. Just as jolly as ever.”

Indigo nodded. “He always had a way of cheerfully delivering a lecture. I never thought I’d miss debating the ethics of spelling inanimate objects.”

Cannon chuckled. “Yeah, he’s a funny one.”

Niko stared down at his notes. “So, Polly was in class until 10:00 p.m. and then wasn’t heard from until she was found in that burning building?”

“Yes,” the professor said. “Her roommate said she never came home that night.”

Niko jotted down the name of Polly’s roommate and then stood. Indigo joined him, but she was standing awkwardly like she couldn’t wait to get out of there.

“Thank you, Professor Cannon,” Niko said, holding out his hand to her. “I appreciate your time. I’ll call if I have any more questions.”

“Of course.” The professor turned to Indigo. “It’s good to see you. The way everything went down back then… It wasn’t right.”

Indigo just stared at her.

“They never should have pushed you out like that,” she continued, her eyes searching Indigo’s face. “I wish… Well, you were always an extraordinary witch. I wish you could have stayed and finished your degree. Who knows what you might have become.”

“I’m happy with my life,” Indigo said, suddenly becoming animated. “I’m not sure pushing students to explore their magic beyond breaking points is really in the best interest of anyone. In fact, I’m pretty sure that Professor Mills would agree.”

Cannon suddenly laughed. “You know what? You’re right, he would.” The woman rounded her desk, wrapped her arms around Indigo, and said, “I’m glad you have someone who finally appears to be on your side. I never once thought you were responsible for what happened to Tricia.”

“Thank you,” Indigo said, hugging her back. When she let her go, she added, “But I’m not sure that’s entirely true. If it wasn’t for me, that spell wouldn’t exist, and we wouldn’t be investigating another incident. But I’m going to do what I can to help Niko find whoever did this to Polly.”

The professor looked almost proud as she stared at Indigo and then waved as they left.

“That was… interesting,” Niko said quietly as they made their way down the corridor.

“Professor Cannon doesn’t have anything to do with this,” Indigo said.

“I agree, but someone in the administration here does. It might be time to talk to the dean.”

Indigo eyed him, and after a pause she said, “I think you should do that on your own. I have no interest in seeing that man.”

Niko thought it over for a moment and then nodded. “You might be right. I can come back.”

She waved him off and said, “I’ll wait in your truck. Go do what you have to do.”

He didn’t feel great about leaving her on campus by herself, but when she insisted, he said, “All right. But text me if anyone bothers you or if you feel like it’s too much being here. I’ll come right out. Understand?”

“I’ll be fine.” She gave him a forced smile and added, “I am a witch after all.”

“That you are.” He walked her to his truck, and once she was safely inside, he touched the magical dagger he wore on his hip and strode off toward the administration offices. He wanted to find out once and for all why everyone on this campus seemed to think that Indigo was involved in compelling anyone when she’d been living a quiet life in Befana Bay for over a decade.