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

an embarrassed grin, Mac paused in hopes that the young man would offer up his name.
    “Rudy, sir.” His thin face was pale. A weak chin gave him an almost feminine appearance. “Rudy Crowe.” He gestured at the papers in Mac’s hands. “I write the resort’s press releases. I thought it best to have it approved, either by you or maybe since Mrs. Faraday is chairing the ball, she should approve it before I send it out.”
    The name reference brought an image of Mac’s late adopted mother to his mind. “Mrs?”
    With a grin, Ben nudged him. “He means Archie.”
    “Oh,” Mac chuckled before explaining to Rudy, “My wife kept her maiden name. I never hear anyone refer to her as Mrs. Faraday.” He folded the press release in half and tucked it into his athletic bag. “I’ll have her take a look at this.”
    Their conversation was cut short by a scream from across the lobby. Mac was startled to see Gnarly running in their direction with a clutch bag in his jaws. A woman wearing large sun glasses that covered most of her face clasped her red sun hat on top of her head while chasing after the dog.
    “Gnarly! You thief! I’m going to kill you!” Mac yelled.
    In spite of the threat, Gnarly shoved the handbag into Mac’s waiting palm before taking cover behind his legs.
    “That dog is a purse snatcher!” The woman pointed an accusing finger at Mac.
    Ben burst out laughing at the scene.
    Mac apologized. “Gnarly gets bored and—”
    “He stole my purse!” the guest screamed. “I set it down to fill in my registration and he snatched it right off the counter.”
    “Here!”
    As if in protest, Gnarly barked when Mac held it out to her.
    “Shut up!”
    “Well, I never!” She slapped Mac across the face. “First, your dog steals my purse. Then, you tell me to shut up?”
    Ben covered his face to conceal his amusement.
    Rudy’s eyes were as wide and round as humanly possible.
    Clutching his cheek still stinging from the attack, Mac explained, “I was talking to the canine kleptomaniac!” Realizing that the handbag was covered in dog droll, he took the bag back before she could take possession of it and wiped it off with a sweat towel from his athletic bag. “I don’t think he put any teeth marks in it.”
    “Can I just please have my purse back?” she ordered rather than asked.
    “I am terribly sorry,” Mac continued to apologize. “Listen, I’m Mac Faraday. I own the Spencer Inn. If I can make this up to you, I would be glad to offer you a free dinner in the lounge.”
    “All I want is my purse back!”
    “Believe me—” Before Mac could offer any further apologies, his hands felt a familiar shape inside the handbag. It was not the square shape of a wallet, or round like a compact. Or tubular like a lipstick. Rather, his fingers felt a form that sent shockwaves to his brain. “Ma’am?” He held the bag back out of her grasp.
    “Do I have to call the police?”
    “Do I have to call security?” Mac gauged her to be approaching her mid-thirties. He had a good guess that she was making every effort that money could buy to stop time and put a halt to the aging process. He could see that her large breasts were not natural, as were her face which looked almost like the skin had been stretched across her skull.
    “Mac?” Ben asked with a warning tone when he hesitated to hand over the purse.
    Before the county prosecutor could stop him, Mac whipped open the bag and reached inside.
    “How dare you!” she gasped.
    Before Ben could echo her dismay, Mac extracted the handgun from its confines. “This is how I dare.” A quick check showed that the safety was off.
    The Inn’s guests, who moments before had been amused by Inn owner’s dog being caught red-pawed in the act of thievery, switched to shock. A cry went up within the lobby.
    The lady, who had been indignant, changed her tone to compliant in an instant while begging for understanding. “I’m a woman alone. It’s for