The Unusual Suspects (The Sisters Grimm, Book 2)

"We found a clue, too!" Daphne said proudly. She pointed at the red hand painted on the chalkboard.

Hamstead, Charming, Mr. Seven, and Principal Hamelin peered at the red hand closely. Each of them had a worried look on his face.

"It's just like the one the police found in my parents' abandoned car," Sabrina said. "Or maybe that blew in with the wind, too."

Charming scowled and rolled his eyes at her. "Probably just a prank."

"A prank?" Sabrina and Daphne cried.

"Mayor Charming, that's the sign of the Scarlet Hand," said Granny Relda.

"There's no such thing as the Scarlet Hand," he said. "Hamstead has done a thorough investigation and we've concluded that Jack invented the whole thing."

Sabrina couldn't believe her ears. Charming knew the Scarlet Hand was real. He had admitted to the girls that the shadowy criminal group of Everafters had approached him. And this was before they'd heard Jack brag about being a member. Why was he now lying about its existence?

Before Sabrina could confront him, the door opened and Snow White entered. It didn't seem possible, but Ms. White was even more beautiful up close.

Mayor Charming rushed to block her view of Mr. Grumpner's corpse, but the teacher had already spotted it.

"So, it's true," she gasped.

"Snow, you shouldn't see this," Charming said softly.

"I'm fine," Snow White said, but the mayor ignored her. He took her by the hand and led her into the hallway. Sabrina and Daphne shared a glance and pushed through the crowd, eager not to miss a second of this royal soap opera.

The mayor pulled the teacher into his arms as if she needed comfort, and for a brief moment she seemed to enjoy it, but then she pulled away.

"Billy," Ms. White said, "what did that to him?"

"Try to put it out of your head, Snow," Charming said. He put his hand on her shoulder and looked deep into her eyes. It was hard to believe that the usually obnoxious mayor could be so tender. "I've got my best men on it."

The others filed out of Grumpner's classroom and Sheriff Hamstead took a roll of yellow police tape from his jacket. He draped an X over the door to keep anyone else from entering.

"Snow, I don't want you to get involved in this," the mayor said. The teacher flashed him an irritated look, but then nodded. She turned and bent down so that she was at eye level with Daphne.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

"Don't worry about me," the little girl answered. "We see this kind of thing all the time."

Mayor Charming turned to the sheriff. "Mr. Hamstead, could you make sure my fiancée ... I mean Ms. White, gets home safely," he said, blushing over his mistake. As Snow White stood up she smiled softly, but the bright red blush on her cheeks flashed like a police siren on her pale skin.

"I'd be happy to," Sheriff Hamstead said, extending his arm to the beautiful woman. He escorted her down the hall and she stopped to gaze back at Charming before they left.

"So, what's next, Billy?" Sabrina said, before she burst into giggles. Daphne and Granny Relda joined her. Even Mr. Canis cracked a smile. Suddenly, a loud, goofy laugh was heard behind them. When they turned they found Mr. Seven nearly falling over with laughter.

"'Billy," Sabrina continued. "That's just precious. It's so sweet I'm going to get a cavity."

"I think it's romantic," Daphne said, doing her best to stop laughing.

"Enough!" Charming shouted, silencing everyone's giggles. "This is a crime scene. Relda, take your rug rats and your mangy mongrel with you or I'll have you arrested."

"Watch your words, Prince," Canis growled as his eyes turned icy blue, showing everyone that the Wolf was just below the surface. "Someday you're going to wake up and find someone has taken a bite out of you."

"Relda, I believe there's a law in this town about keeping animals on a leash," Charming said.

The men stared at each other lor a long moment and then, suddenly, Canis's eyes changed back to watery gray. The old man looked exhausted and his lace grew pale.

"That's quite enough of this nonsense," Granny said, stepping in between the two men. Every time Charming and Canis were in a room together they were at each other's throats, but the old woman had a way of making them feel foolish. They stepped back and lowered their eyes like two squabbling schoolboys who had just been disciplined. "It's time to go."

The family exited the school and found their ancient black jalopy in the parking lot. The beat-up monstrosity was in desperate need of a tune-up and its long-neglected shocks groaned and complained as each person climbed inside. Elvis was in the back, snuggling under a huge blanket, and didn't even bother to lift his head when the girls got in. Daphne wrapped her arms around the dog's neck and gave him a big wet smooch on the forehead.

"I missed you today," she announced.

Elvis tucked his head under his blanket and hid.

"What's the matter with him?" the little girl asked.