Dead Dancing Women by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli Read Free Book Online Page A

That she was some kind of nature worshipper. I guess the pastor at the Church of the Contented Flock preached against what she was doing back sometime this summer. Just before she disappeared.”
    Dolly only nodded at my news. “I heard all of that gossip. Tempest in a teapot. Ruby Poet didn’t even belong to that church. Amanda does, though, and I guess she was incensed for a while, then she and the pastor made peace.”
    Dolly glanced up at a couple in the next booth who’d been listening. She narrowed one eye at them. They looked away, embarrassed.
    Dolly hunkered lower in her seat. “From what I heard Ruby and some friends of hers had a little thing going where they’d gather together in the woods at different times of the year and give thanks to the trees and the clouds and such.”
    â€œLike Druidic worship,” I said, shaking my head.
    â€œWhatever.” Dolly shrugged. “Anyway. Harmless stuff a bunch of old ladies might do. Lucky wanted me to go talk to Miz Poet after Parson Runcival started the uproar with that sermon, but I didn’t think it was my place. This is a free country, despite what some people might like to think. The women can do whatever they want out in the woods, as far as I’m concerned. Then Miz Poet wandered off and didn’t come back and we figured it was all over anyway.”
    â€œWhat do you think now?” I asked.
    â€œMaybe we should go talk to Ruby’s friends.”
    â€œYou know who they are?”
    â€œMaybe one of ’em.”
    â€œLook, before I go anywhere with you I’ve got to call the newspaper.”
    â€œBut you don’t give ’em any of what we’ve been talking about here. I need to know I can trust you.” She narrowed her small eyes at me.
    â€œJust the things I know for sure. Where the head was found. What the woman’s name was. Next of kin. Who’s working on the case. Facts about the search for her.”
    â€œAnd as we find out things, you’re not giving any of it to the paper until we’ve got it wrapped up. Is that a deal?”
    I thought awhile. “I’ll have to turn in stories as I go along.”
    She nodded. “That’s fine with me. Just nothing we’re working on.”
    â€œDolly,” I warned, “I’ve got a job to do.”
    Her face turned red. “Me too,” she said and then stared down into her tea.
    â€œSo, OK,” I said.
    She nodded, looked up, and stuck her hand across the tabletop at me. “Guess we’re partners.”
    I took the short-fingered hand and shook it one quick time. “Guess so,” I said. “We’ll start with old Harry. Should go over and warn him anyway, that there’ll be men in the woods tomorrow, searching for the rest of Mrs. Poet. He doesn’t like strangers in his woods. We don’t want him siccing those dogs of his on the police.”
    â€œThen there’s your other neighbor. Over to Ruffle Pond. Joslyn Henry. We could go talk to her, too.”
    â€œJoslyn helped me with my garden my first year up here. She lives with her son, doesn’t she? Isn’t that Ernie Henry, from the small- engine repair shop?”
    â€œYup. So, guess we’d better talk to Ernie, too. He can be an odd one. You know, still living at home. In his late thirties. Maybe he didn’t like his mother messing with this nature worship stuff. You never know up here. People get to brooding when the winter goes on too long. End up doing things they’d never do otherwise. You’d be surprised at the effects of a bad winter. Seen ’em go stark staring mad from too much snow.”
    â€œBut this happened in the fall. Or maybe she was killed in the summer.”
    Dolly shrugged off this brush with logic. “Still, with some it takes a long time to work up the nerve to do what they’ve been stewing over for months.”
    â€œOK.” I stretched back and yawned.