The Witch is Dead (34 page)

Abby’s brows shot up. “She certainly did. Her stories will have the mountain talking for the next six months. I just hope Aunt Mary doesn’t decide to come to Iowa for an adventure now, too.”

I choked. “Aunt Mary?”

“Um-hm, she never did like Aunt Dot to get one up on her.”

“But—but—” I stuttered.

The idea of another aunt from the mountains of Appalachia visiting made me shudder.

Abby laughed. “Don’t worry, dear. Aunt Mary’s one hundredth birthday is fast approaching. We’ll be expected to visit her for that.”

“To Appalachia?”

“Yes, I’ve promised Tink a trip there.”

Aunt Dot had been a handful in Iowa. What would she be like on her own turf? “Gee, Abby, I don’t know.”

Abby said nothing—just gave my hand a quick pat as Aunt Dot made her way back to the patio.

Guess we’d be headed to Appalachia one day.

Aunt Dot took a seat next to Abby and smiled over at me. “It’s been an exciting visit, Ophelia.” Her eyes traveled to Tink playing with T.P. “Could have done without that awful Winnie. I hope they lock her away forever.”

“They will. It will be a long time before she gets out.”

“Did you ever learn the why of it, my dear?” Abby asked.

“She had a crazy idea she’d take Tink back to Juliet, and enlisted her cousin Gert to help.”

“But Juliet’s still confined.”

“I know. Doesn’t make sense, does it? Oh, and here’s a good one—the pendant Gert wore?”

“Yes, I remember. She said she’d bought it on the Internet.”

“Um-hm. When I ripped it off of her, she kept yelling ‘my Eye of Horus,’ so I looked it up. The Eye of Horus is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection…” I paused. “…against witchcraft. I guess she was afraid of us.”

“Humph, she should’ve feared Winnie. Thanks to Winnie, Gert will be serving time right along with her,” Abby said, her voice full of disgust.

Tink’s laughter drew my attention. “Isn’t that a great sound?” I said in wonder.

“Yes, it is,” Abby replied, reaching out and clasping my hand. “And soon she’ll be a permanent member of the family.”

I nodded as I watched Tink run across the yard in the pale light of the moon.

As she ran, lightning bugs seem to follow her. They hovered above her, their bright glow shining in the night.

I pointed at Tink. “Would you look at those lightning bugs? I saw them out my office window the night before we found Tink. Have you ever seen any that big?”

From her chair, Aunt Dot cackled and turned to me with a wise expression on her face. “I told you the fairies liked her.”

About the Author

Take a life-long interest in the paranormal and mix it with a vivid imagination. Let the potion simmer in a small Iowa town, and the result is the Ophelia and Abby mystery series written by SHIRLEY DAMSGAARD.

Shirley, author of numerous published short stories, resides with her family in small-town Iowa, where she has served as Postmaster for the last twenty years. An Agatha Award nominee forWitch Way to Murder, she is currently working on the next Ophelia and Abby mystery, which again touches delightfully on the paranormal.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

The Ophelia and Abby Mysteries by Shirley Damsgaard

THEWITCHISDEAD

WITCHHUNT

THETROUBLE WITHWITCHES

CHARMED TODEATH

WITCHWAY TOMURDER

Copyright

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

THE WITCH IS DEAD. Copyright © 2007 by Shirley Damsgaard. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Microsoft Reader July 2007 ISBN 978-0-06-147243-5

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