Deadly Election (9781101619223) Read Online Free PDF

breath and walked in.
    The sounds of bacon sizzling in a pan greeted him. Mrs. Bigelow turned to face him, a stern look on her face, but when she saw that it was him, her look softened.
    “Good morning, sir,” she said.
    “Mrs. Bigelow,” Clint said, “I’m not going to have any of that.”
    “Of what, sir?” she asked. “I don’t understand.”
    “I want you to call me Clint, not sir.”
    “Oh, but I couldn’t—”
    “I’m going to have enough trouble with Julius,” Clint said. “He’s such a stuffed shirt, but you…I sense that you and I are going to be good friends.”
    She stood there with a spatula in her hand, and it could have gone one of two ways. She could have chased him from the kitchen, swinging it, or she could do what she did—smile.
    “All right…Clint. If I give you a cup of coffee, will you get out of my kitchen?”
    “I will,” he said.
    She poured him a cup and handed it to him, then smiled again as he backed out.
    When he got out to the dining room, he heard a knock at the front door. He started to go to answer it, but saw Julius getting there ahead of him. He figured he might as well let the man do his job.
    He stood back and watched as Julius opened the door, spoke, and then stepped back to allow the visitors to enter.
    Carla came in first, followed by Will Gryder.
    “Is Mr. Adams up yet?” Gryder asked.
    “I believe he is in the kitchen with Mrs. Bigelow, sir.”
    “Really?” Gryder seemed surprised. “That lady doesn’t usually let anybody into her kitchen.”
    “Nevertheless…” Julius said.
    The fact that Julius knew Clint was in the kitchen ledGryder to believe that the man pretty much knew everything that went on in the house.
    Clint came walking out of the dining room with his coffee cup.
    “Good morning,” he called out.
    Carla and Gryder looked his way.
    Julius turned to face him and asked, “Is there anything I can do, sir?”
    “Not right now, Julius,” Clint said. “Have you had your breakfast?”
    “I have, sir.”
    “Then you can go…and do whatever it is you…do about now.”
    “Yes, sir,” Julius said with a bow. “Thank you, sir.”
    He walked away.
    “Wow,” Carla said, “the house smells great.”
    “Bacon,” Gryder said.
    “And much more,” Clint said. “Come into the dining room.”
    He led them to the table, and as they sat, he stuck his head in the kitchen and said, “Mrs. Bigelow, our guests are here.”
    “Yes, si—Clint. I’ll bring out some coffee.”
    “Thank you.”
    He turned to his guests and said, “Have a seat.”
    They took the same seats they’d had the night before.
    “How’d you sleep, Clint?” Gryder asked.
    “Like a log,” Clint said. “Best night’s sleep I’ve had in a long time, and the best bed I’ve ever been in.”
    “That’s great,” Gryder said. “I wanted to brief you a bit on the people you’ll be meeting tonight. We can dothat over breakfast, and then I’ll turn you over to Carla. She’s going to dress you.”
    “Dress me?”
    “From head to toe,” Gryder said.
    “Will I have any say in what I wear?”
    “Well, of course,” Gryder said. “You’ll have a say in everything. But just remember, we
are
the experts.”
    “We’re all experts in one thing or another, Will,” Clint said.
    “That’s true,” Carla said.
    Mrs. Bigelow came out of the kitchen with two cups of coffee and set them before Gryder and Carla.
    “Thank you, Mrs. Bigelow,” Gryder said.
    She went back to the kitchen without speaking.
    “How are you getting along with your cook?”
    “Great,” Clint said. “We have an understanding.”
    “That’s good,” Gryder said. “She’s not an easy woman to get along with.”
    “Really?” Clint said. “I haven’t found that.”
    Carla sipped her coffee and watched them.
    “Well,” Gryder said, “let me tell you a little about the people you’ll be meeting tonight. Of course, the governor will be there…”
    Gryder talked about the governor and