Town in a Wild Moose Chase Read Online Free PDF Page A

her father was worried about her. He worried about a lot of things these days. Thepast couple of years had been rough, and they’d had a few close calls, financially and with the crop. They’d also had to invest in some new farm equipment, which they couldn’t really afford, but they’d bought it anyway. And they’d managed to survive, thanks to small revenue streams from multiple sources—as many as they could come up with. It was the Maine way of getting by.
    Doc had recently published a couple of articles in a popular history magazine, and was working on another one, which brought in a few much-needed extra dollars. And Candy held down at least four jobs herself, though some were seasonal and others required only a few hours a week.
    It was her job as community reporter that had her headed out the door today.
    But Doc wasn’t ready to let her go quite yet. “You must have had a pretty good scare out there,” he said, giving her his most concerned look.
    Candy thought about that as she zipped up the bag and crossed the room to the coatrack by the kitchen door. She reached for a scarf and began to snug it around her neck. After a few moments she said softly, “Well, yeah, I guess he caught me by surprise. And I have to admit I’m still worried about Solomon.” She paused. “But the police are in charge now, right? I think it’s best if I just stay out of it and go about my business.”
    Even as she said the words, though, she wondered if that was possible. Once again, there were mysterious goings-on around Cape Willington. And the timing was curious.
Could this have something to do with the upcoming weekend’s events?
she wondered.
And if so, what is the connection?
    She pondered these questions as she began to pull on her yellow fleece jacket.
    “I thought you were going to take the day off,” Doc said as he watched her.
    “I took the morning off.”
    “You get everything done you wanted to?”
    “No, but I’ll try again another day. For now, I have to go.” She slipped the tote bag’s strap over her shoulder and picked up her gloves.
    “You headed to Town Park?”
    Candy nodded as she took her keys from a hook by the door, and ticked off her plans for the afternoon. “The blocks of ice are arriving at around two, so I’m going to talk to some of the sculptors and watch them set things up. After that I’m headed across the street to the inn, where they have a couple of the sleighs on display. Maggie gets off at four, so we’re going to meet up, have a couple of drinks, maybe get something to eat.”
    She started toward the door but paused, turning back toward her father. “Hey, you want to come along? I could drop you at the diner while I’m doing my interviews. You’re welcome to join Maggie and me for dinner later on.”
    Doc considered the offer briefly but finally gave her one of his patented don’t-worry-about-me looks and waved his hand. “No, you go ahead. I have plenty to keep me busy around here. I have only a few chapters left of that historical mystery novel I’ve been reading, and I’m trying to finish up my article about Maine’s role in the War of 1812. There was a lot of fighting along this coastline, you know. I just have to put some time in at the historical society.”
    “Well, if you go over there, steer clear of Wanda Boyle. You don’t want to wind up in her blog.”
    “Heaven forbid!” Doc said in mock horror.
    “Are you all set for your presentation on Saturday?”
    “Oh, that?” He waved a hand. “Piece of cake. I can deliver a speech like that in my sleep.”
    Candy laughed. “I bet you can. Well, I’ll call you if I’m going to be out late. And give me a buzz if they hear anything about Solomon. I’m kind of worried about the old guy.”
    “Me too,” Doc said, and he turned toward his office as she headed out the door.
    After the biting cold they’d experienced over the pastmonth and a half, today felt like a hint of spring, and she found she could