Nightingale's Nightmare (Cassadaga Book 4 Read Online Free Page A

Nightingale. He picked up his holster on the way out, fastening the buckle as he walked through the door.
    Nightingale poured herself another glass of wine.
    ~~
    Sheila, Nightingale and Poppy sat together in the hall at the annual meeting the next morning. Chloe was still out of town, but had cast her absentee ballot for Sheila and Joe before she left.
    Nightingale crossed her legs and bobbed her foot in frustration. Sheila and Poppy could see that something was bothering Nightingale, but she wasn’t sharing the news.
    “You okay? Worried about election?” Poppy figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.
    “No.”
    “Something bothering you.” Poppy gave her a look that said, spill the beans.
    Sheila looked at Nightingale ’s face, the question obviously on her lips, too.
    “Okay, all right. Bill and I broke up last night.”
    “Oh, it can’t be serious. I’m sure it was a misunderstanding, is all,” Sheila said.
    “No, he was quite clear about it.”
    “Bill drop you?” Poppy asked.
    “ Like a  hot potato.”
    “What hot potato?”
    “Never mind. It’s because I’m a suspect in an active murder investigation.” Nightingale crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.
    “Well, I can see where that could be a problem,” Sheila acknowledged. “But why did he have to break up with you?”
    “I don’t think he wanted to break up, but I sent him packing,” Nightingale said. “It feels like a betrayal, like he doesn’t support me.”
    “He support you, he love you.” Poppy nodded her head to get her point across.
    “Not enough. I’m a suspect, so I’m off limits.”
    “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?”
    George Franklin, t he president, considered to be a young whippersnapper by elder members, was calling the meeting to order, so the conversation ceased between the friends, much to Nightingale’s relief.
    “Please stand for the invocation and remain standing for the pledge of allegiance ,” George said.
    Once th e first item on the agenda was accomplished, he asked for the reading of last year’s minutes. After the secretary read the minutes, the president led the members into the voting portion of the meeting.
    “If you haven’t already cast your vote by absentee ballot, please come up here and take a ballot,” he directed, pointing at the stack of b lank ballots piled in front of him. “You are voting for only two candidates, remember.”
    After much talking among the members and shuffling around the room, everyone had cast their ballot. George directed two members to count the votes while a third wrote the tally on a chalk board. The audience watched as hash marks appeared across the board under each of the four contender’s names. It became quickly obvious that the membership preferred Joe and Sheila by a large margin. It wasn’t even a close race with the other two people.
    “Members, I declare the winners of the two vacant trustee positions to be Sheila Chambers and Joe Schmidt ,” George stated. “They will assume their three year terms immediately following the meeting.”
    Applause rang out among the members. Zach shrugged his shoulders in reaction and Alex Daniels wore a sour expression. She quickly rose from her chair and stomped out of the hall noisily in a pair of expensive stilettos.
    “Well, I guess she isn’t as pleased as the rest of us over the results,” Nightingale noted with a smirk.
    “She just want to tell everybody what to do,” Poppy said.
    “Yes, Miss Bossy Boots didn’t get her way after all,” Nightingale said.
    “Congratulations, Sheila! We’re so proud of you!” Nightingale threw her arms around Sheila and then Poppy followed.
    “Let’s get drink at the Cassadaga Hotel,” Poppy suggested.
    “Good idea,” Nightingale confirmed.
    “I have to go meet with the trustees now,” Sheila said. “I can’t join you.”
    “It’s okay. We’ll celebrate another time,” Nightingale said.
    And so, Cassadaga officially entered into