Murder Most Witchy (Wendy Lightower Mystery) by Emily Rylands Read Free Book Online

closed portion of the museum made the little hairs along Wendy's arms stand on end.
    Magda had become distracted in looking at the exhibit, and even in listening to Derek, who for all his bluster did seem to know what he was talking about. No one paid any attention to her as Wendy followed the path the mayor had taken into the darkness.
    She heard him before she saw him. There was a low grunting noise and a shuffle, as of fabric being rubbed against a hard surface. Then she heard the voice.
    "No, Mr. Braun, please."
    It was a woman's voice, young by the sound of it, and more than a little frightened.
    "It's okay, baby. No one is going to see us." The slick, oily quality to his voice, which had always struck Wendy as being affected, suddenly made her sick to her stomach.
    "I'm going to get in trouble," the woman said, her voice rising in volume as her panic increased.
    "Then I guess it would be better if you kept quiet."
    There was more rustling, from a struggle, but then the dark corner went ominously quiet.
    Wendy couldn't wait any longer. She called out in a loud voice, "I'll be right out, Derek. I'm going to get something from the back room." This area didn't lead to any "back room," but the mayor probably didn't know that. At least, she hoped he didn't know that.
    A small squeak and a thud were followed by the clacking sound of the mayor's shoes on the hard tiles getting louder as he made his way towards the place where Wendy was standing. She kept her face schooled and neutral until he was nearly upon her, and then she opened her eyes wide in mock surprise.
    "Oh, Mr. Mayor, I didn't know anyone was back here."
    Nathan Braun looked at her for a long time. He seemed to be studying her face, looking for any betraying sign that she had heard was what happening just behind him in the dark. He must have been satisfied with what he saw because his face morphed into its standard cheesy grin.
    "I wanted a little private look at the rest of this delightful local gem! You do wonderful work here, Miss..." he trailed off.
    "Lightower," Wendy supplied, though it turned her stomach to stand there chatting with this man as though she had heard nothing, "Head Librarian."
    "Excellent," he said again, his voice sounding mechanic and rehearsed, his eyes looking at a point somewhere over her shoulder. "Excuse me, Miss Lightower, I must be getting back. Don't want to miss any stories of our local color!" He chuckled heartily, and no doubt falsely. He kept standing in front of her, however, apparently waiting for her to turn around and walk back.
    "Yes, do go back. Derek is very knowledgeable," she replied, not moving an inch.
    His eyes turned hard as flint, "Let me escort you back, Miss Lightower. You never know what could be waiting for you in the dark." His jocular tone didn't fool her for a second.
    "Thank you, Mr. Braun, but the dark doesn't scare me. Never has. I need to retrieve something from storage, and I will be back in just a moment."
    Nathan Braun's eyes shot daggers at her, but his smile never faltered. He really had no choice but to leave her there, but she could see the pain it caused him to capitulate playing itself out across his face.
    Once he was safely out of sight, and more importantly hearing, Wendy cautiously approached the dark place by the wall where she had heard the mayor and his prey.
    There was no one there.
     
     

Three
     
    Even after the distasteful incident with the mayor in the back of the museum, Wendy stayed at the party late, and even managed to have something resembling a good time. Magda recovered from her shock of seeing the man from the bar and was her usual sarcastic self. When the dancing started later in the evening, she was the first one on the floor, dragging Wendy reluctantly behind her.
    By the time she made it home and into her bed, the night was well on its way to becoming morning. The morning was one of those perfect Saturdays where the light is bright enough to awaken without being harsh,