Read Online Prime Catch by Ilona Fridl - Free Book Online Page A

wasn’t expecting to see you. This is a pleasant surprise.”
    “Is Aunt Jane here? I need to ask her a favor.”
    “She’s in the house. Come, I’ll get some refreshments.”
    The wood plank door squeaked on its hinges, and the aroma of smoked salmon and seaweed cooking on the stove caressed her nose. Sarah called out, “Aunt Jane?”
    Her aunt came out of their small kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Sarah! How good it is to see you!”
    Her mother nodded toward the kitchen. “Is the tea still in the pot?”
    “Yes. And I still have some berry bread in the cupboard.”
    They settled around the dropleaf table with the snack, and Sarah laid her hand on her aunt’s arm. “I have a favor to ask. When are Will and Mary coming from Angoon again?”
    Aunt Jane hesitated. “I believe they’re going to be here on Friday.”
    “I need to talk to him. Is it all right if I come over then?”
    “You know you’re welcome here any time.”
    Sarah thanked her, and they spent the hour chatting until Sarah bade them goodbye. She had to make her plans on the undercover work, and next on her list for that was a visit to Kata.
    ****
    Sarah grinned as Kata studied her skeptically. “You want me to help you look like a man?”
    “I want to go to the meeting of the ANB in Angoon with Will. It’s undercover. I can’t tell you anything else.”
    “Has Will agreed to this? You know how he was at the social.”
    Sarah shrugged. “I can use my powers of persuasion on him. He’s the only male family member I can go to, since your father passed on.”
    Sitting in the parlor of Kata and Ivan’s home on the edge of downtown, Sarah looked at her cousin with a plea in her eyes. “I don’t know―” Kata began.
    “You’re the head of costumes at Golden North. Surely you know something about make-up, as well.”
    Kata shook her head. “This won’t be playacting. If it’s not convincing, you could get hurt. The sheriff wants you to do this?”
    “I twisted his arm.”
    Kata sighed. “Well, if Will says yes, I’ll see what I can come up with.” Just then, Kata’s infant son, Joe, put up a squall in the back room. Kata disappeared and came back with the baby.
    Sarah chucked him under the chin. “My, he’s getting big. He’s going to take after his poppa, I’m sure.” She collected her things. “I have to go. Plans to make. Thank you for your help.”

Chapter 9
    Friday, as her shoes squished through the damp soil on the way to her aunt’s house, Sarah carefully thought what she could say to convince Will to get her into the meeting at the ANB. Will’s truck sat on the level ground next to the house. She swallowed nervously and sucked up her courage.
    As she rapped on the door, calling out, “It’s Sarah!” Mary’s two-year-old girls ran up, giggling. Soon, she was surrounded by her family. Sarah hoisted the two girls in her arms. “Oh, Mary, they seem to have grown an inch every time I see them!”
    Mary laughed and plucked one of the girls from her, then gave Sarah a hug. “It’s so good to see you!”
    Aunt Jane took the other girl. “Go sit at the table. We were just getting tea ready.” Sarah’s mother hustled her to a chair.
    Will sat across from her at the round dinner table. “Will, after tea, could I speak to you in private? I need to ask a favor.”
    He nodded. “They said you wanted to talk to me.”
    After tea, Sarah joined him on the porch, where he was filling his pipe. “What favor do you want to ask?”
    She explained what she wanted to do, while Will puffed the smoke. When she was finished, she waited for an answer.
    He took a long draw and blew out the smoke slowly. “Was this your sheriff’s idea?”
    “No. It was mine. He wasn’t too keen on it.”
    “It seems like spying to me.”
    “Will, I wouldn’t ask you to do this for me if I didn’t think it was important. Whoever is doing this is causing more harm than good. We should be proving we can be upstanding citizens,