Joe Bob?”
Kate shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re the one who seems so jumpy.”
Allison was frowning at her. ““Don’t go talking bad about Joe Bob. Now, I know he may eat those little animals he catches, but on the whole, Joe Bob does a lot of good in this town. He tends to sick and wounded animals all the time. I’ve seen many he’s brought back to health.”
Kate was struck by how adamant she was, and by the fact that she knew about Joe Bob’s animal-catching habits—and knew that Kate knew, too. Was there a real connection between these two? That would be weird.
“You’ve got to admit, he’s sort of spooky.”
“What? Don’t say that. What gave you that idea?” She was really taking a dislike to Kate now.
But Kate was remembering something else—that Allison had a few spooky habits of her own.
“Wait a minute. You remember all those weird concoctions that you gave Susan in the old days?”
Allison drew back stiffly. “What are you talking about?”
“Those jars of stuff she used to bring home.”
“What?”
“Back when she was volunteering with you in your animal clinic. She always said you gave them to her. She would come home with mason jars full of….”
Allison reached for her car door, blinking nervously. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. She could have got those things anywhere.”
“Right.” Kate was remembering more of what Susan had said about them. “They were spells, weren’t they? Potions. Magic stuff. Right?”
“How would I know?” she cried, her voice high and trembling.
“She was learning witchcraft from you. Wasn’t she?”
Allison put a hand to her own cheek and laughed, but it had a frantic, hollow sound. “My land, the notions in your head, missy. I don’t know where you got them from.”
“Witchcraft. That was it.” She remembered now. That was why Aunt Gladys had gotten so angry and forbid Susan from bringing home any of those foul concoctions or going to Allison’s anymore. But Kate knew for a fact that Susan snuck over there anyway.
Allison had had enough. She jerked away, pulled open her door and slid into the driver’s seat. Looking out at Kate, her face was contorted with anger.
“You’re just a little snitch, aren’t you?” she said nastily.
Kate’s eyes widened. “No. Actually, I don’t think I am.”
“Hah.” And Allison pulled out of her parking space and drove away.
Kate watched her go, shaking her head. The woman was about as unbalanced as Joe Bob, wasn’t she? Maybe that was the element that drew them together. Besides the animals, at any rate.
But she hadn’t learned anything new, so she headed back to Main Street where Blake was getting her car loaded and tied down. She arrived just in time to see a commotion developing down the street a bit at the small grocery mart. The town wasn’t large enough to attract one of the big supermarket chains.
“It looks like... what is Mr. Peters doing?” Kate said, blocking the sun from her eyes with her hand.
Chapter Five
Blake saw it too - old Hank Peters, who inherited the store from his father, was charging outside like a bull, his face red and looking like he was about to explode. In his hands he held the wrists of a young girl. Blake recognized her as Mary Wolfe, daughter of local aristocrats, much as that word meant anything in rural California.
“Stay here,” Blake said, and he started down the street. Kate only hesitated a moment before following after him.
The girl was struggling to get out of Hank’s grip, and he was shouting at her. Blake could only make out a few of the words - “not in my store”, “lock you up”, things like that.
“What’s the problem, Mr. Peters?” Blake said.
“Ah, Blake. Thank God you’re here. I won’t have to hold this urchin any longer.”
Peters let the girl go, and though Blake thought for a moment she looked like she was going to run, she stayed put. Smart girl -
Kate shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re the one who seems so jumpy.”
Allison was frowning at her. ““Don’t go talking bad about Joe Bob. Now, I know he may eat those little animals he catches, but on the whole, Joe Bob does a lot of good in this town. He tends to sick and wounded animals all the time. I’ve seen many he’s brought back to health.”
Kate was struck by how adamant she was, and by the fact that she knew about Joe Bob’s animal-catching habits—and knew that Kate knew, too. Was there a real connection between these two? That would be weird.
“You’ve got to admit, he’s sort of spooky.”
“What? Don’t say that. What gave you that idea?” She was really taking a dislike to Kate now.
But Kate was remembering something else—that Allison had a few spooky habits of her own.
“Wait a minute. You remember all those weird concoctions that you gave Susan in the old days?”
Allison drew back stiffly. “What are you talking about?”
“Those jars of stuff she used to bring home.”
“What?”
“Back when she was volunteering with you in your animal clinic. She always said you gave them to her. She would come home with mason jars full of….”
Allison reached for her car door, blinking nervously. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. She could have got those things anywhere.”
“Right.” Kate was remembering more of what Susan had said about them. “They were spells, weren’t they? Potions. Magic stuff. Right?”
“How would I know?” she cried, her voice high and trembling.
“She was learning witchcraft from you. Wasn’t she?”
Allison put a hand to her own cheek and laughed, but it had a frantic, hollow sound. “My land, the notions in your head, missy. I don’t know where you got them from.”
“Witchcraft. That was it.” She remembered now. That was why Aunt Gladys had gotten so angry and forbid Susan from bringing home any of those foul concoctions or going to Allison’s anymore. But Kate knew for a fact that Susan snuck over there anyway.
Allison had had enough. She jerked away, pulled open her door and slid into the driver’s seat. Looking out at Kate, her face was contorted with anger.
“You’re just a little snitch, aren’t you?” she said nastily.
Kate’s eyes widened. “No. Actually, I don’t think I am.”
“Hah.” And Allison pulled out of her parking space and drove away.
Kate watched her go, shaking her head. The woman was about as unbalanced as Joe Bob, wasn’t she? Maybe that was the element that drew them together. Besides the animals, at any rate.
But she hadn’t learned anything new, so she headed back to Main Street where Blake was getting her car loaded and tied down. She arrived just in time to see a commotion developing down the street a bit at the small grocery mart. The town wasn’t large enough to attract one of the big supermarket chains.
“It looks like... what is Mr. Peters doing?” Kate said, blocking the sun from her eyes with her hand.
Chapter Five
Blake saw it too - old Hank Peters, who inherited the store from his father, was charging outside like a bull, his face red and looking like he was about to explode. In his hands he held the wrists of a young girl. Blake recognized her as Mary Wolfe, daughter of local aristocrats, much as that word meant anything in rural California.
“Stay here,” Blake said, and he started down the street. Kate only hesitated a moment before following after him.
The girl was struggling to get out of Hank’s grip, and he was shouting at her. Blake could only make out a few of the words - “not in my store”, “lock you up”, things like that.
“What’s the problem, Mr. Peters?” Blake said.
“Ah, Blake. Thank God you’re here. I won’t have to hold this urchin any longer.”
Peters let the girl go, and though Blake thought for a moment she looked like she was going to run, she stayed put. Smart girl -
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