A Broth of Betrayal Read Online Free Page A

only family she had now, and at his age, she was thankful he wanted to run
     the Spoonful with her. She didn’t like the thought that he could be involved in physical
     confrontations at the demonstration. She had seen Richard Rowland, the developer,
     around town and took an instant dislike to him. He was a man as nasty and sleek as
     a shark, determined to push his agenda through.
    Sage shrugged his shoulders in response to Lucky’s quick look, as if to say,
What can you do? He’s a grown man.
Lucky accepted the truth of it. Most of Jack’s life had been spent in the Navy. He
     had always been tough and fearless. She had to bite her tongue. Getting old was tough
     enough. The last thing she wanted to do was cause him to feel less than powerful now
     that he was aging.

Chapter 4

    H ARRY HODGES HIT the control button for the garage bay door. He took two steps back and watched as
     it rumbled shut. Other than a stack of paperwork on his desk, he was done for the
     day. His assistant mechanic, Guy Bessette, stood at the utility sink scrubbing his
     hands, anxious to be on his way.
    “Harry . . .” Guy approached, wiping his hands on a paper towel. “You sure you don’t
     mind if I take a few days off? I’m playing a militiaman in the Reenactment and it’s
     just . . . well, the rehearsals are in the afternoon, and the Reenactment is at midday.
     If you need me . . . I can come in earlier and come back to the shop when rehearsals
     are over.”
    “Nah, that’s fine, Guy. You go ahead. Have some fun. I can manage on my own, and all
     the big jobs are done now anyway.”
    “I finished Mr. Rank’s car.”
    “Good. I told him it’d be done. He might stop by tonight to pick it up. I’m gonna
     stay late and try to clear up some of that paperwork. Piles up so fast.”
    “Thanks, Harry. I really appreciate it.” Guy smiled and pushed a stray lock of hair
     off his forehead. His front teeth were crooked and he was self-conscious about smiling
     widely—at least when he was in unfamiliar company. In front of his boss, though, it
     didn’t matter. His boss liked him, and as long as he worked hard, Harry didn’t care
     anything about how his teeth looked. Guy hesitated. He couldn’t help but notice his
     employer was distracted. Maybe asking for a whole week off was too much. “You sure
     you don’t mind, Harry?”
    “No, Guy. For the last time. Be on your way and don’t worry about it. I’ll call you
     if I need you.”
    “Okay then.” Guy tossed the paper towel into the round metal trash bin and grabbed
     his backpack. “I’ll see you next week.” Guy left by the small side door and made sure
     the lock clicked behind him. Once on the sidewalk, he hesitated. Something wasn’t
     right. He could feel it, but he couldn’t imagine what it was. Harry said he was okay
     with his taking a few days off, but something was definitely troubling him. Guy just
     hoped it had nothing to do with him or his work.
    Harry heard the lock click on the door as Guy stepped out to the sidewalk. He walked
     into his small office and sat heavily in the chair behind the desk. It creaked loudly
     as he leaned back.
Soon it will all be over
,
he thought. He heaved a sigh and reached for the nearest stack of paperwork. After
     an hour, he had managed to clear most of it away. He set the unpaid invoices to the
     side in a neat pile, placing a heavy wrench on top to keep the papers secure. It had
     been a very long day. He was hungry, but every time he thought of eating, his stomach
     cramped and the hunger was forgotten. He’d feel better when it was over. Just one
     more thing to take care of before he broke his silence.
    A sharp rap at the door caused him to jump. He rose from his chair slowly and approached
     the door. There was no turning back now. He took a deep breath to steel himself and
     turned the lock. A solitary streetlight cast a jaundiced glow over the visitor standing
     on the sidewalk. His face was in