"Shirley Damsgaard - Witch Hunt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Damsgaard Shirley)

Abby gave me a gentle smile and stood. тАЬOphelia, quit worrying. YouтАЩre doing fine as a mother.тАЭ

Arching an eyebrow, I looked at her skeptically.

She laughed. тАЬYou are. Remember, all you can do is love them.тАЭ



Ten minutes later I was turning the corner into the new development where NellтАЩs family lived. Both sides
of the street were lined with the same kind of modest ranch-style houses. The only house that had any
distinction was NellтАЩs. Her mother had a fondness for yard ornaments, and their lawn was littered with a
bird bath, pink flamingos, a black and white hen with bright yellow chicks in a row behind, and various
other animals whose likenesses had been forever preserved in hard plastic or concrete.

Before I even stopped the car, Tink came scurrying out the front door, with her sleeping bag and pillow
tucked under one arm and her backpack slung over one thin shoulder. After shoving her stuff in the
backseat, she slid in next to me. The bill of the baseball cap covering her pale blond hair was pulled low
on her forehead, shading her violet eyes.

тАЬYouтАЩre late,тАЭ she said, slumping down in the seat.

I gave her a sideways glance while I backed the car slowly out of the driveway. тАЬGood morning to you,
too.тАЭ

She sunk a little lower in the seat. тАЬтАЩMorning,тАЭ she replied without turning her head.

тАЬDid you have a good time?тАЭ

Tink hunched her shoulders. тАЬIt was okay.тАЭ
Her attitude surprised me. She and Nell had spent hours on the phone planning this slumber party, and
Tink had been so excited about it. And the three MтАЩs attendance was considered quite a coup.

The three MтАЩsтАФMindy, Mandy, and MelindaтАФthe undisputed leaders of Tink and NellтАЩs class. IтАЩd
learned all about them courtesy of my assistant, Darci. When Tink had come home with me to
Summerset, Darci took Tink under her wing and played the role of unofficial aunt. SheтАЩd decided it was
necessary to find out all she could about every kid in TinkтАЩs class. Darci had a great sourceтАФher friend
Georgia, the biggest gossip in town. Georgia knew everything. I swear, she could scent out a story or a
rumor like a bloodhound. And what she didnтАЩt find out on her own, she managed to worm out of her
boyfriend, Alan, a deputy with the sheriffтАЩs office.

But even without DarciтАЩs help I would have figured out the dynamics after one look at the three MтАЩs.
They were all blond, all petite, and all terminally perky. They went around looking like someone had
taken a cookie cutter and cut them out of the same piece of dough. They dressed alike and talked alike,
but Mandy and Mindy didnтАЩt make a move without Melinda. IтАЩd had girls like that in my life, too, when I
was a kid. They could either make your junior high days easy or a living hell.

Had Tink felt a few flames at the slumber party?

тАЬDid you do anything crazy?тАЭ I asked, keeping my eyes on the road ahead and my tone nonchalant. тАЬPut
anyoneтАЩs underwear in the freezer? Torment the first person who fell asleep?тАЭ