Poisoned Ground by Sandra Parshall

everybody.”
    “I can’t believe somebody killed the Kellys because they didn’t want to give up their land,” another woman said. “I refuse to believe anybody’s that evil.”
    Rachel didn’t want to listen to their gossip and speculation. She started edging through the clump of women to the entrance.
    Rachel’s young assistant, Holly Turner, appeared on the other side of the glass door and pushed it open to let her and Billy Bob in. The last thing Rachel heard from the group behind her was, “It’s going to get a whole lot worse before it’s over, you can count on that.”
    With the door closed and the babble of voices shut out, Holly blurted, “It’s all anybody’s talkin’ about, that nice couple gettin’ shot.” She leaned to pet Billy Bob, her long black hair falling forward over her cheeks. “And you were out that way when it happened, weren’t you?”
    Rachel sighed. Shannon, the plump blond receptionist behind the front desk, had also turned her way, wide-eyed and expectant. “Yes, I was out there, but I can’t tell you anything. Now I need to check on my surgery patients—they’ll need to be ready to go home when their owners come in.”
    She walked past the front desk and down the short hall to her office, where she planned to leave Billy Bob while she examined her patients. She was pulling on a white lab coat when Holly came in and shut the door behind her.
    “I don’t mean to pester you,” Holly said, “but my grandma’s been good friends with Miz Kelly as long as I can remember, and she’s already called me, all upset, askin’ if I know anything about what happened.” Holly was a beautiful young woman with the dark olive skin that marked her as Melungeon, like Tom. Like Marie Kelly. Unlike either of them, Holly had brilliant blue eyes that made a startling contrast to her hair and skin coloring.
    “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize they were friends. But I really don’t know anything you could pass on to your grandmother. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.” Rachel stepped around Holly to open the door.
    Holly stopped her with a hand on her arm. “I think Grandma might be the one that’s got somethin’ to pass on. I think Tom ought to talk to her about what she knows.”

Chapter Nine
    Tom wanted to question the rest of the Kellys’ neighbors before the day ended—and while the shock of the murders was fresh enough to prompt honest emotions and unguarded statements.
    “The two oldest Jones sisters are the worst snoops I’ve ever come across,” he told Brandon as they headed over to the women’s home. Their property lay between the Hollinger farm and the land belonging to Tavia Richardson, and it was twice the size of either. “Summer’s not so bad, but Winter and Spring probably know more about their neighbors than anybody else does.”
    “When I was a little kid,” Brandon said, “we all thought they were witches. If you got on their wrong side, they’d put a curse on you. Turn you into a frog or something. If we saw them downtown, we’d cross the street, pronto.”
    Tom laughed, as appalled as he was amused. “What made you think they were witches?”
    “Oh, you know. All living together, none of them ever got married, keeping to themselves. Who knows what they’re up to? They could be holding black masses and sacrificing babies for all we know.” Brandon chuckled as if dismissing an absurd idea, but he didn’t sound as dismissive as he probably thought.
    “I’m pretty sure they’re harmless. Winter and Spring were both good teachers. I had Winter for English and Spring for history in high school. Summer was a nurse at the hospital until a few years ago. She worked with my mom. But she didn’t take to Dr. Hall when he bought the place, and she started doing private duty nursing. I’m not sure she works at all now.”
    “They had another sister, didn’t they?”
    “Yeah.” Tom had never known her, but he’d heard occasional references to