Fly by Night (A Gracie Andersen Mystery Book 3) Read Free

Gracie cut in. “A Ben Richter stopped by with a petition to stop the windmills. I didn’t sign it because I saw the Renew Earth logo on it. I’m not sure we want to be associated with that group.”
    “I don’t think so after last night. I’m not sure what they’re up to, but between windmills and cow manure, they have a real ax to grind with D. B.” Jim finished off a cookie and took another one for the road.
    “So when’s this rally … uh … protest?” Gracie followed his lead and took another cookie herself.
    “Friday night at seven o’clock sharp. The town council has some politician showing up and said the windmill company will make an appearance. Renew Earth’s gonna have their chance to speak too. Could get pretty interesting, if last night is any indicator.”
    “It does sound like a fascinating evening. How about we check it out?”
    “Sure thing. I’m in. The bonus is that Toby is making noises about designating the Meadow a preserve of some sort. I’d like to see him do it. The Meadow’s too pretty a place to be wrecked by windmills or anything else.”
    “I like that idea too. It’s a place that should be protected.” She bent to check that her shoelaces were tied. Straightening up, she said, “Gotta run, Jim. It’s exercise time for some beagles.”
     
    *****
     
    By Friday morning, Gracie and Jim decided they needed another kennel assistant or, more realistically, two. She’d spent the better part of Thursday going over their income and expenses to see if adding two more part-time employees was even viable.
    Jim had his hands full with maintenance. The kennel, which was mostly renovated, still had a small section that really needed some work. Jim was updating the plumbing and electric. When those projects were finished, he needed to install a new air conditioning system. Summers weren’t long in Wyoming County, but they were plenty humid. A reliable air conditioning system was a necessity. Well past its retirement date, the current setup worked only sporadically. When it did, it burped and gurgled ominously.
    Gracie leaned back in her chair and adjusted her drooping mass of red hair in the hair clip. She must be a real mess. She’d have to be ready to go to her parents’ in a couple of hours.
    Friday nights had been reestablished with her parents after Michael’s death. Her dad got a stack of crispy fish fry dinners from Midge’s, and the Clark family ate dinner together. Most of the time, it was her parents, Haley, and herself. Her brother Tom and his daughter Emma usually joined them, but not tonight. Tom’s ex-wife, Jan, had requested their presence at one of her family’s gatherings. Surprisingly, Tom had agreed. Gracie could only hope that Tom’s relationship with Kelly, her best friend and the kennel’s on-call veterinarian, would survive. Jim would join the remaining Clarks tonight.
    Gracie sighed and dumped the scattered papers on her desk in the wire basket. It was time to clean up here and hit the shower. Haley was close on her heels as they did a final check on their guests, and Trudy straightened the reception area. There were 35 boarders for the weekend. Haley, the goodwill ambassador, greeted each one with a perpetually waving tail.
    “Looks like everybody is all set. Thanks for your hard work today, Trudy. See you in the morning.”
    “All right. I’ll be back bright and early.” Trudy grabbed her bag from the bottom desk drawer and patted Haley before she left.
    Dinner was a fast affair. Everyone was anxious to get somewhere else, so there wasn’t much conversation. Gracie’s parents, Bob and Theresa Clark, were going to a movie and didn’t want to miss commandeering good seats. Theresa even allowed them to eat out of their Styrofoam containers, which was usually a big no-no.
    “So, this protest is about the windmills?” Bob asked Jim as he finished the last bite of perfectly deep-fried haddock.
    “Partially,” Jim managed, wiping his mouth with a