Another rumble ran through the crowd. At least one person stifled a laugh.

My eyes searched for who had made the comment, but I already knew who was behind it, even before I heard Izzy sigh.

“Did you have something you’d like to add, Mr. Henderson?” The look on Williams’s face clearly spoke to the fact she hoped he did not.

“No, no,” he said, rocking on his feet. “Other than the fact that blights of the kind Jane is describing are often the handiwork of—”

A loud sneeze cut Mr. Henderson off.

“Sorry!” Nixie called out, holding a hand to her nose. “I have terrible allergies this time of year.” She chuckled. “I guess all the plants in town aren’t dead.”

The crowd joined her in laughter.

I caught the shop girl’s eye, and she gave me a wink.

“Right,” Williams said, once the crowd had quieted, “I suggest we table this issue until our next formal meeting, and in the meantime, perhaps everyone can monitor their landscaping to see if this is an ongoing problem or not. Now, does anyone else have a topic of concern they would like to raise?”

“I do,” a voice boomed from the crowd. I followed it to Frank Booth.

A number of people groaned as he got to his feet and hiked up his pants.

We all knew what was coming.

“Mr. Booth,” Williams said before he could begin, “if you are planning to once again complain about the noise of the town’s garbage trucks, I would remind you that we have investigated this topic thoroughly.”

“And nothing’s been done about it!”

“There is nothing to be done. I have, however, been instructed to inform you that if you persist in chasing after the trucks brandishing your broom in a threatening manner, the sanitation workers will contact the authorities. May I recommend a good set of ear plugs?”

“No, you may not.”

Williams closed her eyes. “Please take your seat, Mr. Booth.”

“I think it’s time we get to the issue at hand, don’t you?”

The cold dread I had experienced earlier crept back over me as Liz Coleman got to her feet and headed for the podium.

I could tell Williams didn’t want to give her the floor, but in the end, there wasn’t much she could do but step out of the way. She did, however, whisper something to Liz that looked like a warning.

Liz nodded and rested her file on the podium.

“Good evening, everyone. I am grateful for this opportunity to speak to you all tonight.”

The hall went deathly quiet.

“I know many of you won’t enjoy hearing what it is I’m about to say, but it’s necessary.” She paused, allowing some tension to build. “What happened to my aunt was not an accident.”

No one breathed.

“The town of Evenfall is in danger, and it’s all because of one family.” Liz Coleman took a long look at me and my aunts. “The Warrens of Ivywood Hollow.”