The Good Pharmacist’s Deadly Secrets: A Findale Fae Mystery

The squirrels dashed across the dilapidated road in front of the trailer with Max close behind. I reached the near side of the road just in time to see them scurry up a tree twenty yards or so away. Max circled the tree, barking wildly, as if trying to figure out how to climb it himself, but his prey had disappeared.

"They're gone, ya silly dog. Now come!" He let out a few more yaps before staring in my direction, his pink tongue lolling out of his mouth. "Come on! We gotta go!"

He darted toward me, tail wagging.

The noise of a fast approaching engine flew to me on the wind. No one in their right mind would drive down this road at that speed. It was suicidal—the curves were too sharp, and a deer could jump in front of you at any time.

Or a dog, I thought as Max placed a paw on the road.

"Max, STAY," I screamed. "Go back!"

The driver didn't brake, hesitate, or otherwise acknowledge that he had noticed either Max or me. I leapt back in horror as a pickup truck sped between us creating a blast of wind so strong that, although it wouldn't have troubled a human, it nearly lifted me into it, causing me to flit away to some unknown destination. Even worse, the cloud of dust it kicked up blocked my view of Max.

My breath shook with fear, terrified of what I might see when the dust settled. I picked up a rock and flung it at the truck, but it missed, and the stone fell to the ground with a thud.

I glared at the pickup as it sped away, too scared of looking over and seeing Max splattered across the road, I watched as the truck's front tire hit a deep pothole as it rounded the next curve, tossing the loosely packed junk in the bed of the truck. A bag spilled off the top and rolled down the bank. The driver didn't seem to notice as he squealed out of sight.