2 Lady Luck Runs Out Read Online Free Page A

glance at Mallory. She was shaking her head at me. I pleaded with her silently to keep quiet about my snake vision.
    Will glanced from me to Mallory and then, sighing, marched up and knocked on the door. No answer. We followed him around back and I showed him the rip in the screen and the knocked over plant.
    "All right. Let me talk to the neighbors, see if they've seen the residents around lately."
    I knew he was just indulging me, but at this point, I'd take it. We stood behind him as he knocked next door. A large woman answered, her body draped in a flowered nightgown and rollers in her silver hair. Two small Yorkshire terriers circled her feet and yapped at us. She gave Will an appreciate smile as she looked him over and then spotted the black cat in my sister's arms.
    "Oh!" She stepped outside, shooing the dogs back in and closing the door on the barking. "Is that Lucky?" she motioned at the black cat, confusion pulling at her gray eyes.
    Will glanced at us.
    Lucky? I shrugged and nodded.
    He turned back to the woman. "Yes, ma'am, seems so." Will held up his badge. "I'm sorry to bother you at this hour, but I'm Detective Blake. We were wondering if you've seen your neighbor lately. These ladies tried to return this lost cat but there's no answer."
    "Huh. That's odd." She turned to look at the silent residence. "Well, there's only one woman who lives there, Rose Faraday. I haven't seen her since Sunday. Which is kind of strange." She stared at the cat thoughtfully. "She wouldn't have let Lucky outside the lanai. She must have escaped somehow and Rose would'a been tearing up this town lookin' for her." She folded fleshy arms over her chest. "I'll tell you what I do know, though. I've been complaining to my husband about a foul odor today. It seems to be coming from her side of the wall. She must be doing some kind of weird mumbo jumbo over there."
    I noticed Will stiffen. "Okay, thank you, ma'am. We'll check it out."
    We had to hustle to keep up with Will as he strode back to his car and radioed dispatch for backup.
    "That's bad, right?" I asked. "The foul odor?"
    He stepped back out of the car and stared at Rose Faraday's front door. "Can be, yeah." He turned his attention back on us. I saw the concern now fully manifested in the crinkles around his eyes. "Why don't you go on home. I'll give you a call when we know something."
    Oh my stars. Now what? I couldn't let Will and the other officers go in there without knowing there may be a poisonous snake on the loose. I couldn't say, "Hey, watch out for the poisonous snakeeither". I had really gotten myself in a pickle this time.
    "All right," I said, buying time. "We'll leave when the other officers get here." I glanced at Mallory. She tilted her head and grinned at me. Obviously enjoying the little predicament my refusal to let Will in on my secret had gotten me into. I fought the urge to stick my tongue out at her. I couldn't let Will see me acting like a five year old. Why does my family bring out the child in me?
    It only took two units a few minutes to arrive. I watched them roll up and groaned. I hadn't had time to come up with a plan yet. They parked behind Will's sedan and four officers joined Will in the small square of front yard. As Will filled them in, Mallory leaned over and whispered to me.
    "You're not going to let your boyfriend go in there with a poisonous snake possibly on the loose, are you?"
    "He's not my boyfriend, Mal and... I'm thinking." Was he my boyfriend? My stomach flopped. No, I couldn't call him my boyfriend with the big secret I was hiding from him. We were just dating. Enjoying each other's company. My guilt receded slightly. I shook those thoughts off. I had to focus on the snake issue.
    Will gave me a thumbs up as they headed in. I waved back, panic starting to tickle my insides. I had to think fast. "Give me Lucky." I hefted the cat into my arms, holding her tight so her protesting squirming didn't make me drop her. I crept up the driveway