Free The Trouble With Witches by Shirley Damsgaard Page A

the kid changed the instant the uncle showed up."
    "And when he placed the spider's web around her neck."
    "Oh for Pete's sake," I exclaimed. "Would you forget about the necklace?"
    A thoughtful look crossed Abby's face. "No, Ophelia, I don't think we should."
    With that, Abby rose and left the room. The discussion was tabled for now.

 

Chapter Eight

     
    We easily found the town park holding the spaghetti dinner. Abby and I pulled in to the parking lot, and after turning the SUV off, we sat and surveyed the park.
    A large poster with a graph, tacked to a post, indicated how much money had been raised for the new ball field. Bright balloons hung around the sign, drawing attention to it. Banners advertising a drawing for free gifts donated by local business hung from the trees.
    Parents sat in lawn chairs sprinkled across the green grass, while small children played on the merry-go-round and slid down the slide. Older children, spiffed out in baseball uniforms, circulated through the crowd selling chances for the drawing.
    I turned and looked at Abby. "Okay, Ace, what do we do now?" I asked.
    "We mingle. Get acquainted with people," she replied with a slight shrug.
    My lips twisted into a frown. "And I'm
so
good at that," I answered with a note of sarcasm.
    "It's not hard."
    Easy for her to say. Abby had a grace, a style, that drew people to her. I may have inherited some of her talents, but whatever gene was responsible for Abby's natural charm had definitely passed me by. Crowds made me nervous and ill at ease. When confronted with strangers, words would freeze in my mouth like a warm tongue on a cold pump handle. The only remedy that worked was a fast retreat into sarcasm.
    While I thought about my lack of social skills, I continued to watch the groups clustered around the park. Several people were standing in line by the picnic tables. The tables were covered with pots of spaghetti, bowls of salads, and trays of desserts. Behind the table, several people stood serving the food to the waiting line. And they were dressed all in white. They must have been the "shadows," the elusive group members Rick had referred to.
    "Abby," I said, motioning toward the tables. "Suppose those are members of PSI?"
    "Yes," she said, her eyes narrowing as she watched them.
    I shook my head. "How can someone serve spaghetti dressed in white?"
    "Very carefully?" she replied, arching an eyebrow.
    "Funny." My words were accompanied by a slow roll of my eyes. I pushed the SUV door open. "We're not going to accomplish anything sitting here. Let's go mingle."
    "Wait," she said, laying a hand on my arm. "Do you see the man you met in the woods today?"
    Scanning the group in white, I shook my head. "No, I don't."
    I exited the SUV, and grabbing the lawn chairs out of the back, followed Abby across the park.
    Tonight, Abby wore one of her flowing skirts and matching tops. The skirt drifted around her ankles as she walked, and gave her an appearance of almost floating across the grass. Strangers stopped to greet her with a smile and a shake of the hand. Me, I stood at her side, silent, and received nods and half smiles.
    Nope, I did
not
inherit the charm gene.
    As we walked on, Abby stole a glance my way. "You know, Ophelia, you need to work on your people skills."
    "What people skills?"
    "Exactly my point," she said in a sardonic tone.
    I stopped. "See that shade tree over there?" I said, pointing to an unoccupied space. "You mingle. I'm parking myself over there."
    After striding over to the tree, I planted myself in the lawn chair and did what I do best. Watch and observe. It's amazing what you can learn about people if you pay attention.
    It didn't take long for my attention to be drawn to a short woman dressed in white. Short and dumpy—no doubt the one Rick said they called Winnie, exactly as he had described her.
    And white was definitely not a good color for her. It made her wide hips look even wider. So did the tunic and long pants she wore.