Wicked Witch Murder by Leslie Meier Read Free Book Online Page B

procession, followed by two tall and muscular young men, presumably his sons, dressed almost identically in crisp blue jeans with tucked-in shirts and close-shaved haircuts. Abby and her mother, a painfully thin woman with graying hair fastened into a bun, trailed behind in their unfashionably long skirts, each carrying a covered dish.
    â€œI’m so glad you could come,” said Lucy, greeting them.
    â€œThese are my sons, Thomas and Mather,” said Ike, “and my wife, Miriam, and daughter, Abby.”
    â€œI know Abby, of course,” said Lucy, smiling hard, “and it’s nice to meet you all. Shall I introduce you around?”
    â€œThat would be fine,” agreed Ike as Frankie and Willie hurried over.
    â€œLet me take those dishes off your hands,” said Frankie, approaching Abby and Miriam.
    â€œThey smell delicious,” said Willie, holding out her arms.
    â€œIt’s an old family recipe for baked beans,” said Miriam, her voice so soft she was almost whispering. “I cooked them in the bake hole next to our fireplace.”
    The women’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “My goodness, that must have been a lot of work,” said Willie.
    â€œMy husband likes them that way,” she whispered, with lowered eyes as if imparting a shameful secret. “He says there’s nothing like the taste of real, slow-cooked beans.”
    â€œI can’t wait to taste them,” said Lucy as Toby approached the little group, gripping a bottle of Sam Adams beer. She figured he would take Thomas and Mather off her hands.
    â€œHi!” he said, shaking hands with the menfolk. “I’m Toby Stone. Can I get you guys some beers?”
    He didn’t get the reaction he expected. Thomas and Mather stiffened their backs and turned to their father, who adopted a stern expression. “We do not drink alcohol,” he said in a disapproving tone.
    Lucy was pleased to see that Toby didn’t miss a beat. “Well, there’s plenty of pop too,” he said.
    â€œWe prefer water,” declared Ike. “That’s the beverage the good Lord provides for us in abundance.”
    â€œWe’ve got that too,” said Toby, tilting his head toward the cooler and drifting away to rejoin his friends.
    Willie and Frankie had also drifted off, leaving Lucy with the entire Stoughton clan. She dutifully took them around to meet everyone but was unable to get any sort of conversation going. Finally, having run out of people to introduce and finding little in common to talk about, she suggested they serve themselves from the buffet. Escape was not possible, however, as Ike reminded her she really had to try his wife’s baked beans. She was just digging in when the fire siren went off, calling the volunteer firefighters, and she flinched at the sound. Now whenever she heard it, she was reminded of the dreadful scene in the woods.
    Toby and a few others ran to their pickups, their radios already cackling with orders. “It’s on the mountain!” yelled Toby, sticking his head out the window and pointing as he backed around and sped off.
    They all looked at the range of hills that rose behind the town, and sure enough, there was a thick column of smoke rising from the tallest one, Hawk Mountain.
    â€œIt’s been awfully dry,” said Scratch, Willie’s husband. “I hope it doesn’t come this way.”
    â€œWe’re miles away,” said Bill.
    â€œI’ve seen fires like this out West,” said Scratch. “If conditions are right, they can move really fast.”
    â€œMark my words,” said Ike, in a tone Moses might have used, “this is the work of that witch.”
    A few uneasy glances were exchanged before Frankie spoke up. “Diana’s a charming woman,” she said. “She would never harm anyone.” She laughed. “And I adore her little shop.”
    â€œYou have been deceived,”