Death of a Wolfman (A Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

town square where hundred-year-old magnolias held court over the fountain dedicated to the war veterans of the county.
    “LizBeth. What kind of name is that, I ask you?” questioned Dixie. “I guess Elizabeth wasn’t good enough for the high-and-mighty Mitchells.”
    “Stop your sniping,” I said. “I happen to know that LizBeth is a really nice woman. A little weird, but nice anyway. Look.” I pointed out the plate-glass front window. “She’s got her midwife bag with her. I didn’t think anybody was due right now.”
    Mildred cackled. “I had my suspicions when Sherry Butler and that Jessup boy got married so quick like. I bet she had a bun in the oven at the wedding, sure as shootin’. Watch: I’ll bet she turns right at the courthouse.”
    Four pairs of eyes watched as LizBeth did just as Mildred predicted.
    “Ha! I told y’all so.”
    “Well, I think it’s nice of her to offer her midwife skills to folks who don’t have insurance to have their babies in the hospital,” I said.
              “What is it with that family anyway? There’s been a midwife in every generation,” Dixie said. “And every one of the Mitchells were born at home.”
    I shrugged. “I guess it’s just one of those family traditions.”
    “Humph,” grumped Mildred, then focused her sharp gaze on me. “Say, didn’t I see LizBeth coming out of your house a little while ago?”
    Leave it to Mildred to miss nothing that went on in town. “Yeah. She stopped by for a little bit.”
    Ginny gasped. Dixie’s eyes went wide. Mildred guffawed so hard they had to pound her on the back. Three pairs of eyes skimmed my body head to foot, lingering on my midsection just a few seconds too long.
    “Jeez, y’all. I am not pregnant.”
    “Shoot.” Mildred grinned at me. “Now that would have been a darn good piece of gossip!”
    I drew myself up to my full five feet five inches. “Y’all know I haven’t been on a date in a year. How would I have gotten pregnant?”
    Ginny snickered behind her hand. “Well, darlin’, we don’t know what might go on over at that big old house with you all alone. You could’ve sneaked somebody in late at night.”
    I looked around for something to throw at her. A bottle of peroxide would have come in handy right about then. As though divining my thoughts, Ginny scooted behind Dixie.
    “I was just kidding! Really.”
    With friends like these, who needed enemies? But looking at the contrite faces staring back at me, I couldn’t help but relent. “OK. Fine. I’m over it.”
    “So why did LizBeth come to your house?” Mildred asked.
    I waved a hand at them. “She wants me to do a family history search for her. The works. All the documentation and everything. I might have to go to Virginia for a few days to get copies from ship records, old deeds, things like that. She said she thinks that’s where they landed way back when.”
    “Why you?”
    My temper started climbing the thermostat. Placing my hands on my hips, I glared at all three of them. “Why not me? I’ve been doing genealogy searches for people for years.”
    “Simmer down. Who knew they didn’t already have one? Engraved in stone even.”
    I backed down a notch or two. “I can’t wait to get on it. There’s got to be some real interesting things in that tree. We know they’ve fought in all the wars, but not who they served under. And we don’t know anything at all about the women.”
    “Yes, we do,” Dixie said. “I told you. There’s been a midwife in every generation of that family.”
    I stared. “Are you sure?”
    “That’s what my mama told me one time. It must be some kind of strange family tradition. Like the oldest son going into the military or inheriting all the family wealth.”
    “That seems kind of strange. Maybe I’ll find something that’ll tell us how that tradition started. Maybe way back when some ancestress served as a nurse in the army or something.” I glanced at my watch.