Read Online Maggie Get Your Gun by Kate Danley - Free Book Online Page A

my back, but ghosts?  Man.  They were my kryptonite.
    “I’m not setting foot in that place, Dad.”
    He was saying something, but the line started crackling.
    “You there, Dad?”
    “I’m here, Maggie!  Listen, tell your mom I’m fine.  I’ll
be in Ghost Town.  Find the other comb!”
    And then the line went dead.
    I stowed my phone in my purse and started my car.
    Fucking Ghost Town.

 
     
    Chapter 13
    I leaned my head on the kitchen counter thinking about how
the day had gone from bad to worse.  I had swung by the office on the way home
and picked up the quartz comb file.  Seems that, indeed, I had another long ass
haul to Calico ahead of me.  My poor old car was going to need new tires before
all this fun was done.  If there was such thing as a frequent drivers program,
I'd be halfway to a free road trip.  I had called Killian on my way back to my
place and expected him any time.
    I opened up my freezer and the thought of nuking dinner was
too overwhelming.  I poured some milk in a bowl and grabbed a cereal box.  True
to Murphy’s Law, there was a knock at the door.  I looked sadly down at my
crispy “O”s, which were now gonna get all soggy, but set them on the counter. 
I wiped a drip of milk off my lip and opened up the door.
    “Greetings, Tracker Maggie!” squeaked a familiar little
voice.
    “Pipistrelle!” I smiled.  I loved that fucking brownie.  He
had taken a job keeping my sister’s house clean and protected.  From what I heard,
she was living like a queen.
    “How did you get over here?” I asked, ushering him in.
    He wiped his bitty feet on my doormat and jumped over the
threshold like a kindergartener playing in puddles.
    “I am here on official business!” said Pipistrelle, his
little chest all puffed up.  He held out a lavender envelope glued to a lacy
doily.
    “Thanks, Pipistrelle.”
    I took the envelope and opened it up with my finger.  It
was a gold embossed invitation to dinner Wednesday night from my twin sister,
Mindy.  Her husband, Austin, was out of town, and she had mentioned a couple
days ago she might have the family over.  I just hadn’t thought I’d need to
rent a ball gown.  I mean, my sister could give Martha Stewart a run for her
money, but this was a little over the top even for her. 
    “Mindy could have just... called…” I started, looking over
at the brownie.
    “I told her I would invite you!” said Pipistrelle.
    The pieces were all starting to fall into place.  I guess
there are only so many tubs a brownie can scrub before you start inventing
projects.  Or start saying “yes” to projects he’s invented.
    “Ohhhh…” I said.  “Well, you little knee high messenger,
you tell her that I would be greatly pleased to join her Wednesday night,
especially since you made it so fancy.  Did you want me to fill out this RSVP
card?"
    I held it up and Pipistrelle shook his head from side to
side, "I will remember!"
    "I'm glad to see you're taking such good care of my
sister.”
    Pipistrelle beamed and then seemed to remember something.
    “This note was on your car,” he squeaked, waving a little
white piece of paper, “I thought I should give it to you before something ate
it.”
    I took the folded piece of paper, “Good thinking.”
    I opened it up and read, “ We know you seek the combs. 
Bring them to me or Isaac Smith will die. –Vaclav .”
    And then the paper lit itself on fire.
    Fuck.
     

 
     
    Chapter 14
    “Hey, Killian!  Thanks for coming over so late.”
    I scanned the outside and it seemed fairly free of
monsters.  A couple of witches were walking their hobgoblins, but nothing out
of the ordinary.  Killian stepped through the door and gave me a full body hug.
    “This wasn’t a booty call,” I said, pushing him off my leg.
    “An elf should be allowed his dreams,” he sighed before
giving me a wink and going to the kitchen to rummage through my refrigerator. 
“If you did not contact me for the pleasure of my