Wicked Witch Murder Read Online Free PDF Page A

think…Why would somebody do this? Who was this person?” asked Lucy.
    Kirwan shrugged. “A drug deal gone bad, maybe a gangland killing. The body was probably burned to prevent identification.”
    Lucy had been a reporter for a long time, and as far as she knew, the little seaside town was a peaceful haven where people didn’t bother to lock their doors and left the car keys in the ignition. “Here? In Tinker’s Cove?” she asked.
    Kirwan shrugged. “Up ’til now, when we got reports of a fire in the woods, it’s always been partying kids. This is a new one for me.” He looked solemn. “And I hope it’s the last.”
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    The cops gave Lucy a ride home. She got to ride in front, but the dog had to sit in the caged rear of the cruiser. She wished she could stay home—the empty house was sturdy and cozy and reassuringly normal with dog dishes on the kitchen floor and a couple of coffee mugs in the sink—but she knew the discovery of the burned body in the woods was big news, and she had to file her story. So she tossed some dog biscuits into Libby’s bowl, gave her some fresh water, and headed out to her car.
    It was a few minutes before five when she got to the office, and Phyllis was tidying up her desk, preparing to leave. Ted was seated at the old rolltop desk that had once belonged to his grandfather, a legendary small-town editor. He was on the phone with somebody, laughing it up.
    â€œWhat are you doing back here?” asked Phyllis, peering at her over her harlequin reading glasses. Her rhinestone-studded tote bag and zebra-striped purse were ready on her desk.
    â€œBig story,” said Lucy. “I was walking the dog, and I found a body.”
    â€œYou know, that’s the reason I don’t have a dog,” said Phyllis, slinging her bags over her arm. “You’re always hearing about people finding bodies when they walk the filthy beasts.”
    â€œA body?” inquired Ted, ending his call.
    Lucy nodded, her expression grim. “It was burned. Tied to a tree and burned.”
    Phyllis stopped, her hand on the doorknob. “That’s awful.”
    Ever the editor, Ted had a ghoulish appreciation for a sensational story, but even he was horrified. “Ohmigod. Who is it?” he demanded.
    â€œThey don’t know,” said Lucy, trying unsuccessfully to block the sight from her mind. “It was in a clearing off the old logging road behind my house. The cops think it was drugs, or maybe gang related. They think the body was burned so it couldn’t be identified.”
    â€œDumb,” said Phyllis, who was a fan of CSI. “They never heard of dental records?”
    â€œThis happened here in Tinker’s Cove?” wondered Ted.
    â€œI wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it myself,” said Lucy, suddenly feeling the need to sit down.
    â€œWell, if you ask me, a lot of strange things have happened since that Diana Ravenscroft moved to town,” said Phyllis. “She makes no bones about it—she comes right out and says she’s a witch.”
    â€œConsidering the fact that throughout history, witches got burned quite a bit, I think it’s fair to assume that Diana is firmly opposed to the practice,” said Ted, reaching for the phone with one hand and his pen with the other. “Just my luck,” he muttered. “Why do big stories like this always have to break on Thursdays?”
    â€œWell, I’ll leave you two newshounds to it,” said Phyllis, opening the door. “See you tomorrow.”
    There was always a chance of selling a breaking story to the Portland or Boston papers, so Ted and Lucy got to work calling every contact they could think of. The investigation was in such an early stage that they didn’t get much information, except for learning that the state police would issue a statement sometime Friday.
    â€œGreat,” muttered