Open Season for Murder (A Mac Faraday Mystery Book 10) Read Online Free PDF Page A

“County Prosecutor Ben Fleming uses the sporting facilities almost daily.”
    “Catherine was good friends with my late mother and is my wife’s best friend,” Mac explained. “She’s a compassionate and lovely person. You have no reason to be afraid of her.”
    “Well, Brian will be the Inn’s liaison with Archie and Senator Fleming,” Jeff told him. “Speaking of the ball, we have been inundated with calls from people asking for invitations.” He referred to a list on his desk.
    “Archie assured me that the invitations are going out today,” Mac said with a shake of his head. “Why anyone would want to be invited to a party where you have to pay thousands of dollars a plate to get in is beyond me.”
    “It’s a matter of social status,” Jeff explained. “For many people who live here in Spencer, it would be a slap in the face if they weren’t invited. Those on the boundary of the A-list get very nervous about finding out if they get in or not.” He chuckled. “Based on the calls and emails I’ve been getting, I think some folks would kill to get an invitation to the Diablo Ball.”

“Mac!” Garrett Country Prosecutor Ben Fleming called to Mac from across the Inn’s lobby.
    Seemingly at the same time, the clerk behind the registration desk called out, “Mr. Faraday, someone left an envelope for you.”
    Torn in two directions, Mac decided to go for the envelope while Gnarly went to Ben. As Mac had hoped, the county prosecutor followed him with Gnarly at his side. The clerk handed the inn owner a square crisp white envelope with Mac’s name printed in blood-red ink on the front.
    “Ah,” Ben said when he saw it, “It appears you’re on the A-List.”
    “I’m sure it’s only temporary,” Mac said with disgust. “Just wait until I break social protocol by accusing the wrong person of murder.”
    He tore open the envelope to reveal a greeting card. The front and inside were both printed in the same blood-red ink. “Thinking of You,” was the greeting on the front page, while inside it read:
    It’s the season of
    Hide & Seek.
    You’re It.
    Find me if you can.
    Ashton
    Ben frowned when he saw the puzzled expression on his face. “What is it? A bill?”
    “Mr. Faraday …”
    While handing off the card to Ben, Mac heard someone call in a timid voice. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a young man he recognized as an employee in the Inn’s marketing department. Mac wished he could remember his name. This guy works for me and I don’t know his name. How weird is that?
    “Who’s Ashton?” Ben interrupted Mac’s thoughts to ask.
    “I have no idea,” Mac said. “Last night a woman called me on my cell phone … a phone number I don’t give out. She asked for Robin and said her name was Ashton. Archie swore it had to be a wrong number. I was starting to believe her until I got this.”
    Ben read the front of the envelope. “This is addressed to you.”
    “I know,” Mac said. “Someone is trying to send me a message.”
    “Mac, when are you going to stop thinking like a cop?”
    “It’s because I think this way that I became a cop in the first place. Don’t you find this suspicious?”
    ”Yes, I do,” Ben replied.
    “You knew Robin,” Mac said. “What Ashton could this be about?”
    “I’ll ask Catherine,” Ben referred to his wife. “She kept up on everything that Robin Spencer was into. If Robin knew an Ashton, then Catherine will know.”
    “Excuse me, Mr. Faraday.” The slightly built young man in ill-fitting slacks and a sports jacket with the Spencer Inn insignia embroidered on the breast pocket approached them from the corner of the reception desk. Mac had seen him clutching some sheets of paper in his sweaty hands while waiting for a break in the conversation to interrupt. “I wrote a press release for the Diablo Ball. I was wondering if you could approve it before I send it out to the media.” He thrust the papers in Mac’s direction.
    “Sure.” With