“So the moon effects magic, why?” “I’m working on several theories,” I said. “But I’m currently favoring the hypothesis that the moon has a seemingly… - Ben Aaronovitch

Blackstone’s Police Operational Handbook recommends the ABC of serious investigation: Assume nothing, Believe nothing, and Check everything.

We did not tell him we were witch hunting, as that sort of thing tends to cause alarm.

Back in the summer I’d made the mistake of telling my mum what I did for a living. Not the police bit, which of course she already knew about, having been at my graduation from Hendon, but the stuff about me working for the branch of the Met that dealt with the supernatural. My mum translated this in her head to “witchfinder,” which was good because like most West Africans, she considered witchfinding a more respectable profession than policeman.