The Witch is Dead by Shirley Damsgaard Read Free Book Online Page A

laughed. “Impending doom” sounded just like Abby.

    “Sweetie, if something tragic were about to happen, don’t you think Abby or I would’ve sensed it?” I asked her calmly.

    “Yeah.”

    “Have you had any more dreams?”

    “No,” she mumbled.

    “See? It was probably just a random dream,” I said, and squeezed her again. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

    I felt Tink’s mood brighten.

    “A judge would really let you adopt me?”

    “Sure, I’m a fine upstanding citizen,” I said as I tugged on my T-shirt and stood tall. “Aren’t I?”

    A cheeky grin washed over her face. “Yeah, but I don’t think I’d ask Aunt Dot to be a character witness. She might start telling the judge about her fairies. Wouldn’t look good for our family. He might think we’re all crazy.”

    Now my eyes suddenly filled with tears. That was the first time Tink had ever said “our family.”

    Wiping my eyes, I laughed and looked up at the sky.

    “It’s going to be dark soon.” I whistled for the dogs. “We’d better get back to the car.” The dogs had just scampered back in response to my whistle when I turned and jumped, startled.

    A man stood in the path, blocking our exit from the woods.

    I grabbed Tink and shoved her behind me. As T.P. ducked behind Tink’s leg, Lady took a position in front of me. A low growl rumbled in her throat as the hair along her spine stood straight up. An insane thought popped into my head:Where was my Louisville Slugger when I needed it?

    The man took one look at Lady and held his hands out in front of him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, his voice apologetic.

    He appeared to be around forty, and from the way he was dressed, I would’ve guessed he was a farmer. His denim overalls, stained with rust, were worn over an old plaid shirt. Bits and pieces of twine hung out of his side pockets, and the center pocket of his bibs appeared stuffed full. He wore an old slouched hat on his head that shadowed the upper part of his face, and it was hard to see his eyes. His stance was relaxed and nonthreatening.

    Deciding he was harmless, my heart slowed to its normal rhythm.

    “I own the property over yonder,” he said, pointing to the trees behind Tink and me. “I was out checking my fence lines and on my way home.” He dropped his eyes, then suddenly bent down and picked up an object from the path. “Look, a quarter,” he said, holding the shiny coin high in the air. “Not yours, is it?”

    I shook my head.

    “Just never know what you’re going to find in the woods,” he said as he tucked it in his already full pocket. I’m Silas Green, by the way.”

    Silas Green? The name wasn’t familiar to me, but I didn’t know everyone in the area. Darci did. I’d ask her about him tomorrow.

    “Nice dog,” he commented, eyeing Lady. Returning his attention to me, he smiled to reveal a set of very crooked front teeth with long incisors. Immediately, he didn’t look so harmless.

    Lady now stood glued to my leg. Never taking my eyes off Mr. Green, I reached down and patted her head. “Yes, she is.” Taking Tink’s hand, I started down the path. “Excuse us, we need to get home before dark.”

    “That’s wise, miss. The woods aren’t a good place to be come nightfall.”

    I paused and gave him a puzzled look.

    “The mosquitoes. Once the breeze goes down at night, they come out. They’ll eat you alive if you don’t watch it.” With a tip of his hat, he turned and walked off in the other direction.

    I watched in the growing dusk until he was out of sight. Dragging Tink behind me, I hurried us to my parked car.

    We made it in record time.

    Six

    Since Darci’s classes started in two weeks, I struggled to come up with a schedule for the library that worked around her. But it was Claire Canyon, our library board president, who saved the situation. While talking causally with a woman who’d recently moved to Summerset, she learned the