Read Hark! The Herald Angel Screamed: An Augusta Goodnight Mystery (with Heavenly Recipes) for Free Online

accidentally brushed against a picture hanging on the wall and she about knocked him down to straighten it.”
    Ellis nodded. “Probably obsessive-compulsive.”
    “More like obsessive
-re
pulsive,” Nettie said. “That woman gets on my last nerve.”
    “I think she’s just plain bossy,” I said. “Everything has to be Opal’s way. I heard she practically had a fit and fell in it when she heard we were going to use fresh greenery in the Advent wreath this year.”
    Claudia shook her head. “I dread having to go with her on the fruitcake run,” she said.
    I laughed, picturing panicky people fleeing from giant fruitcakes with legs. “Fruitcake run? I suppose you’re running
from
them.”
    But Claudia waved my comment aside. “Every year our Sunday school class takes fruitcake and homemade cookies to shut-ins and we’ve always included Luther and his family, as well. SincePreacher Dave is filling in as sexton, we voted to take the Tanseys some, too.”
    “Lucky Tanseys,” Ellis whispered under her breath.
    “I always seem to get stuck on the committee with Opal,” Claudia said with a groan. “I wish I could think of a good excuse not to go.”
    “Cheer up! Maybe you’ll come down with smallpox or typhoid fever or something,” Zee told her.
    “Smallpox? My goodness, Zee. People don’t get—” Claudia smiled as realization dawned. “Oh, you’re pulling my leg again!” She shrugged. “Well, we’re not going for another week so with luck I might catch a mild cold.”
    Nettie clicked her teeth in annoyance. “For heaven’s sake, Claudia, just tell the woman you won’t be able to help out that day.”
    Claudia paled.
“Tell Opal Henshaw that?”
    “Melrose is taking me to a choral concert at the college tonight,” Idonia said, “and I’m having a terrible time deciding what to wear.”
    “Your black sheath always looks nice,” Zee said. “Or what about that blue silk you bought last year?”
    Ben and I had made plans to go to the concert, too, but I didn’t want to steal Idonia’s thunder by mentioning it. “You’d look great in either one,” I told her, “but I kind of favor the blue.”
    “Will Julie be home for Christmas this year, Lucy Nan?” Jo Nell asked as we helped clear away teacups.
    “For five whole days! She saved part of her vacation time and we’re—I’m making new curtains to jazz up her room a little.”
    “You’re
making curtains?” Nettie didn’t even bother to hide her amazement. She has never forgotten that clown costume I made for Teddy’s third Halloween. I forgot to put an opening in the neck and he couldn’t get his head through.
    “Well, my goodness, it’s not that big a deal!” I told her, not daring to look at Ellis, who knew who was
really
making the curtains.
    “Or I could wear that turquoise pants suit I made last winter,” Idonia mused aloud. “Melrose says that color shows off my hair.”
    Everyone agreed that the turquoise pants suit would be a good choice.
    “Have you heard any more about what happened to that poor man you found out at your grandmother’s old home?” Zee asked me as The Thursdays prepared to leave. She frowned. “You don’t suppose somebody pushed him, do you?”
    “If somebody did, the police aren’t saying,” I told her. “Kemper said they looked around inside but didn’t see anything suspicious.”
    Idonia shrugged into her coat and tucked her purse and her book under an arm. “Well, I must be off if I’m to have my hair done this afternoon. Melrose doesn’t like to be late.”

    “Did you tell Kemper about the secret stairway?” Ellis asked after the others had left.
    “I left him a message but haven’t heard back. He probably thinks I’ve let my imagination run away with me again.”
    “Again? What do you mean,
again?”
she snorted. “If they didn’t have us to prod them along, the police here in Stone’s Throw wouldn’t have a clue!”
    I had to admit she had a point.
    “I guess you