Authors: Mary Daheim

Vi Agra Falls (30 page)

“Oh, Coz!” Judith hugged Renie. “Thank you! I'm overwhelmed!”

“Don't thank me, thank Bub.”

“I will. Truly.” She turned her attention back to Herself, where the medics were already on the job. Joe had stood back,
watchful but able to offer his wife a V-for-victory sign. The three neighbors, agog over the condo project's demise, joined Judith and Renie.

“I can't believe it,” Naomi said.

“What a relief!” Rochelle exclaimed.

“It might be fun to ride a bulldozer,” Arlene remarked. “Or not.”

Moments later, Vivian was on a gurney and trundled off to the medic van. Joe picked up something from the spot where she'd fallen.

“Broken hip,” he said, coming across the cul-de-sac to join the women. “I suppose she'll have to be on a walker for a while.”

“A pity.” Judith sounded insincere. “What's in your hand?”

“A banana peel,” Joe said as the medic drove off. “Where'd that come from?”

Judith looked at her cousin.

“Got to go,” Renie said, hurrying up the porch steps. “Come on, Oscar, our work here is done.”

Judith could've sworn that Oscar winked.

About the Author

M
ARY
R
ICHARDSON
D
AHEIM
is a Seattle native with a degree in communications from the University of Washington. Realizing at an early age that getting published in books with real covers might elude her for years, she worked on daily newspapers and in public relations to help avoid her creditors. She is married to David Daheim, a humanities professor emeritus, and lives in her hometown in a century-old house not unlike Hillside Manor, except for the body count. Daheim is also the author of the Alpine mystery series and the mother of three daughters.

www.authormarydaheim.com

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

A
LSO BY
M
ARY
D
AHEIM

Just Desserts

Fowl Prey

Holy Terrors

Dune to Death

Bantam of the Opera

A Fit of Tempera

Major Vices

Murder, My Suite

Auntie Mayhem

Nutty as a Fruitcake

September Mourn

Wed and Buried

Snow Place to Die

Legs Benedict

Creeps Suzette

A Streetcar Named Expire

Suture Self

Silver Scream

Hocus Croakus

This Old Souse

Dead Man Docking

Saks & Violins

Scots on the Rocks

Credits

Jacket design by Ervin Serrano

Jacket illustration by Bill Mayer

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.

VI AGRA FALLS
. Copyright Â© 2008 by Mary Daheim. 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.

EPub Â© Edition JUNE 2008 ISBN: 9780061983078

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1