Read Online A Taste of Death (Maggie Olenski Series) by Mary Ellen Hughes - Free Book Online
Authors: Mary Ellen Hughes
Ads: Link
and...." Elizabeth shrugged. "What about you?"
Maggie would have answered, but a man and woman walked in the store, the bell tinkling, and the man immediately called to Elizabeth for help in locating a particular book. Elizabeth excused herself, saying, "We'll have to talk."
"Yes," Maggie agreed, and as she zipped up her jacket, she watched Elizabeth become once more the conscientious book professional. She looked up, though, as Maggie opened the door and waved farewell, and Maggie caught a glimpse of the eleven year-old she remembered in her smile.
Maggie continued up Main Street three more blocks, fragments of the Camp Kittiwake camp song running through her head, then turned onto Hudson, as Elizabeth had directed. Her thoughts returned to the urgency of finding the power adapter she needed , and she scanned the block anxiously for O'Connell's. It was there, halfway down the block, open for business, and, miraculously, as she quickly found out, had what she needed. She was so relieved she could have kissed the clerk who handed the power adapter to her. Instead, she gave him her credit card, and was soon happily retracing her steps down Main.
As she passed the bookshop, she glanced in. Elizabeth was busy with another customer, but Maggie tapped on the window and held up her package triumphantly. Elizabeth grinned and did a congratulatory thumbs-up, the elderly woman in front of the counter looking up with blinking, bewildered eyes.
Maggie continued on down the street to the footpath and re-entered her snowy wonderland, thinking, as she walked along, about how fun it was to run into someone she had known, if only briefly, in childhood. Elizabeth - rather, Betsy - must had made an impression on the eleven year-old Maggie, because Maggie found she had many clear memories of her, mixed in with the busy-ness of the camp activities. They would really have to get together sometime soon and have a good laugh over it all.
<><><>
When Maggie reached the cabin it was gloriously empty. Dyna, she assumed, was happily swooshing down the slopes. Maggie immediately hooked up her adapter, turned on her laptop, and spread her notes out on the round table in the living room once more. Before too long she had left Elizabeth and Cedar Hill behind and had entered a world of her own ma king, one that consisted of words and numbers, and in which she was supremely contented.
She had been working diligently for several hours when she heard Dyna's car pull into the driveway. Good, she thought, she was ready for a break. She leaned back from the computer, stretching, and waited, listening for the usual shufflings of skis and boots being transferred from car to porch. Instead she heard the car door slam and footsteps pound up the steps. Maggie looked up as the door flew open, expecting an enthusiastic description of Dyna's day. But Dyna stood at the door, her mouth working soundlessly, her face a picture of disbelieving shock.
"They've been searching Elizabeth's place," she finally managed to squeak out. "They think she did it!"
CHAPTER 6
M aggie hovered over Dyna, who had staggered to the couch and collapsed on it, pulling off her hat to fan her flushed face.
"Tell me what's happened!" Maggie pleaded.
"I just can't believe it," Dyna said, shaking her head back and forth.
Maggie wanted to grab her shoulders and shake the words out of her. She controlled her impulse, though, chewing at her lips, and waited, giving Dyna time to come to grips with her emotions, willing that to happen swiftly. Finally Dyna sat up straight and took a deep breath.
"I was coming off the slopes, just racking up my skis and thinking I'd take a break indoors for a while, when I overheard these guys talking. One was telling the other he just came in from town and saw "the SWAT team", as he put it, moving up Main Street. He said they were closing in on the book store. Maggie, this was a guy about fifteen, sixteen years old, so I figured he'd just been
Maggie would have answered, but a man and woman walked in the store, the bell tinkling, and the man immediately called to Elizabeth for help in locating a particular book. Elizabeth excused herself, saying, "We'll have to talk."
"Yes," Maggie agreed, and as she zipped up her jacket, she watched Elizabeth become once more the conscientious book professional. She looked up, though, as Maggie opened the door and waved farewell, and Maggie caught a glimpse of the eleven year-old she remembered in her smile.
Maggie continued up Main Street three more blocks, fragments of the Camp Kittiwake camp song running through her head, then turned onto Hudson, as Elizabeth had directed. Her thoughts returned to the urgency of finding the power adapter she needed , and she scanned the block anxiously for O'Connell's. It was there, halfway down the block, open for business, and, miraculously, as she quickly found out, had what she needed. She was so relieved she could have kissed the clerk who handed the power adapter to her. Instead, she gave him her credit card, and was soon happily retracing her steps down Main.
As she passed the bookshop, she glanced in. Elizabeth was busy with another customer, but Maggie tapped on the window and held up her package triumphantly. Elizabeth grinned and did a congratulatory thumbs-up, the elderly woman in front of the counter looking up with blinking, bewildered eyes.
Maggie continued on down the street to the footpath and re-entered her snowy wonderland, thinking, as she walked along, about how fun it was to run into someone she had known, if only briefly, in childhood. Elizabeth - rather, Betsy - must had made an impression on the eleven year-old Maggie, because Maggie found she had many clear memories of her, mixed in with the busy-ness of the camp activities. They would really have to get together sometime soon and have a good laugh over it all.
<><><>
When Maggie reached the cabin it was gloriously empty. Dyna, she assumed, was happily swooshing down the slopes. Maggie immediately hooked up her adapter, turned on her laptop, and spread her notes out on the round table in the living room once more. Before too long she had left Elizabeth and Cedar Hill behind and had entered a world of her own ma king, one that consisted of words and numbers, and in which she was supremely contented.
She had been working diligently for several hours when she heard Dyna's car pull into the driveway. Good, she thought, she was ready for a break. She leaned back from the computer, stretching, and waited, listening for the usual shufflings of skis and boots being transferred from car to porch. Instead she heard the car door slam and footsteps pound up the steps. Maggie looked up as the door flew open, expecting an enthusiastic description of Dyna's day. But Dyna stood at the door, her mouth working soundlessly, her face a picture of disbelieving shock.
"They've been searching Elizabeth's place," she finally managed to squeak out. "They think she did it!"
CHAPTER 6
M aggie hovered over Dyna, who had staggered to the couch and collapsed on it, pulling off her hat to fan her flushed face.
"Tell me what's happened!" Maggie pleaded.
"I just can't believe it," Dyna said, shaking her head back and forth.
Maggie wanted to grab her shoulders and shake the words out of her. She controlled her impulse, though, chewing at her lips, and waited, giving Dyna time to come to grips with her emotions, willing that to happen swiftly. Finally Dyna sat up straight and took a deep breath.
"I was coming off the slopes, just racking up my skis and thinking I'd take a break indoors for a while, when I overheard these guys talking. One was telling the other he just came in from town and saw "the SWAT team", as he put it, moving up Main Street. He said they were closing in on the book store. Maggie, this was a guy about fifteen, sixteen years old, so I figured he'd just been
Similar Books
