Nobody Can Say It’s You: A Hadley Pell Cozy Mystery by Jeri Green Page A

at each other or shootin’ stale peanuts with their trusses. You be surprised at how fast one of them rubbery peanuts can pop a glass. A truss in the right hands is a deadly weapon.”
    “Get outta here,” said Hadley. “And thanks a million for putting that picture in my brain.”
    “Anytime,” Bill said. “But back to Sadie’s. I’m always afraid I’ll pick up something I can’t get rid of with a shot down at the health department.”
    “Not my cup of tea, either,” said Hadley, “but Sadie’s a nice enough woman.”
    “Yeah,” said Bill. “She runs a pretty straight joint. If you like your beer watered down and warm and your pretzels soggy.”
    “Somebody’s put a curse on Lou,” Hadley said.
    “You’re joking,” Bill said. “Hadley, you’re a college-educated woman. You of all people should know that the sort of granny magic practiced for generations comes from a lack of available medical treatment and ignorance. I would have thought we would have moved on by now. But it’s true, some things never change.”
    “I know the people in these mountains have not had access to a lot of things folks in the city take for granted. They had to turn to plants and herbal medicine because there were no nearby doctors and hospitals. Even now, a lot of these people don’t have the extra money for a hospital stay. Home remedies are all they have.
    “And I’m sure some of their potions are snake oil. But the people who have been ‘cured’ swear by them. Some of their salves and concoctions are as good as any pharmacy could make. I know that, too.
    “Add in the power of a person’s belief and, regardless of whether it’s bogus or a real cure, you’ve got a potent medicine. The same thing goes with curses. It’s believing in them that makes them powerful.
    “If somebody believes a curse has been placed upon them, they are bound to attribute every negative thing that happens to them to that curse. Likewise, if someone has an extremely long run of good luck, they may think it’s because good karma is on their side.
    “The old ways still have a hold over people, Bill. And I’ll be the first to say that I do believe there are a lot of things in this world that are unexplainable. Is it luck, fate, or magic? I can’t say.
    “Why did that wild goose choose to come to my rescue in the park that day a drug-crazed fellow held a knife to my throat? Who could have predicted that an animal would have had enough sense to come between me and my attacker?
    “I don’t know why he intervened, but I’m awfully glad Sprat decided to flog him. He saved my life. That goose startled that guy and caused him to drop the knife. I’m here today because of something I can’t explain.
    “It’s easy to scoff at that incident, to say a goose is a dumb animal and could not possibly know a human was in need of his assistance. Did some spirit move that goose to help me? Is Sprat intelligent enough to figure out I was in trouble?
    “I’m sure I was emitting lots of fear scents. I was scared to death. Did that prompt that goose to act on my behalf? I can’t say. But I only escaped with minor scratches and a few bruises. If it was dumb luck that saved me that day, I’ll take dumb luck.
    “I like to think of Sprat as one of my guardian angels. He’s my golden goose. I’m forever thankful he acted the way he did that day. If you think I’m silly, then call me silly. Doesn’t change my way of thinking, one bit.”
    “I don’t think you’re silly. I’ve lived long enough to see a lot of unexplainable things. I know what you’re saying, Hadley. I’ve had things happen to me that are totally baffling. If I told you, you’d never believe me. They’d be locking me up in the looney bin and assigning me to a padded round room.”
    “These mountains are old,” Hadley said. “There’s been a lot of life lived here. Cosmic energy, granny witches, good and evil. I don’t know what you call it. But there are forces out