Charmed to death: an Ophelia and Abby mystery Read Online Free PDF Page B

so kind and understanding about Lady's misbehavior that we became friends.
    Gus shyly took my hand in his. His bad eye, the one locked in a permanent squint, twitched rapidly while he gave my hand a hearty shake. "Fine, Miss Ophelia. Ever since you gave me this here necklace," he said, reaching around his neck and pulling out an amulet of malachite suspended on a copper wire. "It's working wonders against the arthritis."
    "Good," I said, giving his hand another quick shake and releasing it. "I'm glad. How's Charlie?"
    "Oh, tolerable. He had a bellyache last night. I figured he must'a ate something spoiled. But you know how goats are." He gave me a toothless grin. "They'll eat anything."
    "What are you doing here tonight, Gus?"
    His grin faded while he shook his head. "Bad's coming, Miss Ophelia. Don't know if it's this here feller with the hogs or what. But I can feel it in my bones. Thought I'd better come here tonight and see if it was him or not."
    Abby had always said she thought Gus had some psychic ability. Maybe she was right. Before I could answer Gus, a sharp rap from the front of the room drew our attention.
    "If everyone would please take their seats now, we'll get started," Abby said from the front table.
    I looked at Gus. "Shall we find a seat, Gus?"
    "Naw. I think I'll go stand by the door. Then I can leave right quick when this shindig's over." Gus took my hand again and gave it a small pat. "You've been a good friend, Miss Ophelia. You take care now. Bye." With that he released my hand and shuffled off.

    "You're a damn liar."
    Heads swiveled to watch Harley, still leaning against the wall and still glaring at Dudley Kyle.
    The meeting had been going on for hours. Kyle, Saunders, and the county supervisor had wiggled around every argument and every question that Abby's group brought up without addressing the issues. Tempers were beginning to rise.
    Turning back after Harley's remark, I observed the men sitting with Kyle at the front table. Saunders, the state representative, wore a tight smile, while the county supervisor passed a hand over his forehead as if he were wiping away perspiration. The other two men seated at the table shuffled the notes that lay on the table in front of them. The only one who met Harley's look straight on was Kyle.
    "Why do you think I'm lying, Harley?" Dudley asked with a smug smile.
    " 'Cause you are."
    Great answer, Harley , I thought, shaking my head.
    I glanced over at Abby. She gave me a slight shrug of her shoulders. She knew as well as I did that Dudley Kyle would make verbal mincemeat of Harley any minute now.
    Dudley knew it too. His smile became wider. "Harley, it's a matter of public record that my house is located near one of our facilities. I couldn't lie about it."
    "Yeah, well what about the flies?" Harley asked.
    "What flies?"
    "The flies that swarm around a hog lot in the summer. They're so bad, I heard people living near one of your lots can't go outside."
    "Nonsense. My wife and I spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer."
    "But Mr. Kyle, isn't it true you spend most of the summer in Minnesota and the rest traveling in Europe?" asked a voice from the back of the room. "Away from the hog lots?"
    Kyle's smile slipped a little when he looked at the speaker standing near Gus.
    Whoever the man was, he was a stranger to me. About my age, with dark blond hair, and blue eyes pinned directly on Dudley Kyle. The man held a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other. A reporter, maybe? Whoever he was, he wouldn't be as easy a mark for Kyle as Harley.
    "You didn't answer my question, Mr. Kyle," the stranger said.
    Dudley's smile slipped a little more. "Well…" He paused and leaned back in his chair. Picking up a pencil, Dudley rolled it back and forth in his palms. "Ahh, yes. We travel in the summer."
    "And isn't it true that the remainder of the year, you're at your home in Colorado?" the stranger persisted.
    "Ummm—"
    "Look," the supervisor interrupted, rescuing his