The Silence of the Llamas by Anne Canadeo Page A

it, but Lucy sensed she was sincerely disappointed.
    Lucy imagined that the Kruegers had arrived with quite a few fantasies about country living. And that many had gone up with the same “poof” by now.
    Lucy liked the Kruegers and definitely felt sympathetic about their travails here. But from what she’d heard, they had no real proof that their neighbor Justin Ridley was behind the harassment. She didn’t approve of hunting and the thought of guns made her shiver, but just because he knew how to use a gun didn’t mean he’d shot the llamas. The court system still operated on an “innocent until proven guilty” theory, didn’t it?
    She wondered what her friends thought and could hardly wait for the car ride home to exchange impressions.
    Ben was yanking the cork out of another bottle of wine. “May I refill anyone’s glass? This is a terrific cabernet.”
    “None for me, thanks. I’m driving.” Maggie smiled and gently moved her glass beyond his reach. Lucy could see that she’d only taken a sip or two of the first glass he’d poured for her.
    When the others declined, as well, Ben filled his own glass again and sat down.
    “Would you like to stay for dinner?” Ellie offered. “I’m sure I can toss something together.”
    Lucy sensed that Ellie was still upset and appreciated their company. She didn’t have any need to get home but didn’t know about the others.
    “Thank you, but I think we have to get going,” Maggie answered.
    Dana nodded in agreement. “I’d love to stay and visit longer, Ellie. But I’m meeting Jack for dinner in town at seven. I’ll have just enough time to get there,” she noted, glancing at her watch. “Maybe the four of us can get together soon. I’ll call you, all right?”
    “Yes, please do. That would be fun.” Ellie looked a bit disappointed but forced a smile.
    “Oh, and don’t forget our meeting this week.” Maggie stood up and gathered her things. “We’ll be at the shop on Tuesday night this week. Suzanne has some sort of parents’ meeting at school on Thursday. She nearly had a fit when I hinted we might meet without her,” she added with a laugh.
    “I’ll try to make it. It would be a nice break,” Ellie replied.
    Everyone said good night to Ben, and Ellie walked them through the kitchen to the back door, which was closer to Maggie’s car—though not by much, Lucy soon realized.
    The sun had just set and the air outside had grown cooler, a crisp reminder that fall was moving in. Ellie stood at the back door in a yellow patch of light, hugging a sweater around her shoulders with one hand and waving with the other.
    “Thanks again for all your help. See you soon,” she called out.
    Lucy and her friends waved back, their footsteps crunchingover the gravel path as they headed in the direction of the field where the cars had been parked during the fair.
    “I should have brought the car around to the house, that was dumb of me,” Maggie scolded herself. “It’s still out in that field, where they had everyone park. Now we have a walk ahead of us.”
    “Oh, it’s not that far.” Dana took the lead with a springy step. “I could use some fresh air. I only had a glass of wine, but it was on an empty stomach.”
    Lucy felt the same, though she had enjoyed a few bites of apple and cheese.
    “This cool air will clear your head,” Maggie said. “It’s a beautiful night. Very quiet out here. I can see why they like it so much.”
    “It is very quiet. And the landscape is lovely, day or night,” Dana observed.
    Lucy thought that was true. She understood the pull of this place. It really was beautiful and unspoiled.
    As they walked along the dirt road that led across the property, she felt the darkness and quiet surround them. The night sky was velvety blue, dotted with tiny points of light—many more stars than were visible back in the village. The sky stretched in a wide, sheltering arc above the open farmland, the orchard and rutted fields,