Full Scoop by Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes Page A

looked thoughtful. “I could maybe start an FBI choir.”
    Queenie pulled a set of keys from her purse and looked at Everest. “Well, before you strap on your pistol harness, Agent Everest, Granny Queenie needs a favor. Would you please look in the trunk of my car and get my satchel?”
    “ The satchel?” he asked.
    “Yes. And there’s a box of white candles back there that I’ll need.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” he said, heading for the door once again. He tossed her a grin. “I like the sound of Agent Everest.”
    Queenie gave a satisfied sigh. “That young man is so polite. Impeccable manners too,” she added. “If I didn’t know better I would think I had raised Everest. But I’m not sure about this FBI business. If he leaves I won’t have anybody to scare people for me.”
    Maggie had other things on her mind. “Why do you need your satchel?”
    “Oh, I thought I’d make up a protective floor wash. It can be used for a personal protection wash as well, but you already know all that.” She got up. “Better put on some water to boil.”
    “Please tell me you’re not going to boil a bunch of basil and smell up this whole house,” Maggie said. “Please tell me you don’t expect Mel and me to bathe with it because it’s not going to happen.”
    “And I’ll leave a jar of basil with you to sweep up with as well,” Queenie said, obviously choosing to ignore the question.
    Maggie didn’t put up an argument as Queenie went about her business. Not that she could say or do anything to stop the woman once she made up her mind. Queenie had tried more than once to convince Maggie that many of her remedies were as good as or better than modern medicine, but Maggie did not use them, and she strongly opposed root work or other practices for harmful purposes.
    “I have to make a grocery list,” Maggie said after a moment. She needed to occupy her mind and stop her obsessive worrying or she would drive herself nuts. She grabbed a tablet and pen from a drawer in the small built-in desk.
    Zack entered the room as Everest came through the back door with the candles and satchel. “Here’s your hoodoo-voodoo mojo mumbo-jumbo stuff, Granny Queenie,” he said, grinning. “I hope you don’t have any cat’s eyeballs or lizard’s tails in this big old satchel,” he added as he placed it on her chair. “Because I’ll get a bad case of the heebiejeebies.” He winked at Zack. “Just kidding. Nothing scares me.”
    “You know I don’t use eyeballs and all that nasty stuff,” Queenie told Everest.
    Maggie gave Zack a questioning look. “Everything okay?”
    “I found three unlocked windows, including the one in your daughter’s bedroom,” he said.
    “It cooled off for a change last night so we opened them.”
    “We need to keep them locked from here on out. Also, I want all the blinds and curtains closed, and I want you and Mel to avoid standing in front of them. Beginning now, the two of you don’t leave the house without me. Not even to grab the morning paper.” He smiled. “Deal?”
    Maggie and Queenie exchanged glances. “Do you think he’s already here?”
    Zack shook his head. “I seriously doubt it. The airports, bus stations, and even the marinas were crawling with cops and security within an hour of Stanton’s escape. My guess is they dumped the car the minute they left the hospital. I suspect they had another one waiting nearby. It’s hard to imagine that they would have been dumb enough to steal a vehicle because somebody would report it right away.
    “I think the three of them are traveling together by car. Unless, as a witness to the crime suspects, one of the shooters was hit. If that’s the case we might be looking for two bad guys instead of three.”
    “Maybe Carl Lee was shot,” Queenie said, her voice hopeful.
    Zack smiled at her. “That would help. Unfortunately, we don’t have anything to go on, but I want to be prepared.” He paused and looked around. “What’s that