................... signed Chamber of Commerce

Hi, I'm Rachel, proprietor of Rachel's Flower Shop right over there on the corner. Everyone knows me.

Why, you ask, should you beware of the Witch? Well, because she's likely to be anywhere in her beloved village, at any time. She loves strolling the boardwalk, and keeps her own wine stashed at Harrington's. It's just a warning. Make up your own mind. If you have anything troubling your mind however, then I repeat: beware.

So you'll be able to spot her: Mrs. Risk is a bit taller than me (I'm five six), and a lot older, except I suppose she's not old. (I'm 22 this August.) She's lean-bodied, with dark hair as long as if she never cut it. Because of a few-ah-odd living habits, most of us villagers believe Mrs. Risk to be a 'witch.'

That belief intimidates some-an impression she shamelessly plays up. For instance, she wears black all the time. And skirts. (She stops short of wearing a peaked hat, but I bet she thinks about it-her sense of humor's that twisted.)

The only time I've seen her in pants is when she practices martial arts or when she scuba dives the Sound. She's very physical for a person who wears skirts all the time. And nobody's ever met a Mr. Risk.

Does she deserve her reputation? Well, if I listed the stunts she's pulled (the ones I know about), you might decide to believe like the villagers.

Oddly, the better you know her, the less witch-like she appears. She does possess a huge amount of knowledge, more than any other person I ever met, but maybe I'm no judge, having wasted little time in schools.

After a while, though, it doesn't seem so remarkable, the way she pops up with comments that make her seem a mind reader.

Or maybe I'm just used to her. Some time last year I began calling myself Mrs. Risk's apprentice witch-and now I'm not sure I'm kidding!

Her best-and worst-habit is how she charges in to fix people's troubles, typically without being invited. You see, to those on the down side of such help, she's a meddler.

She rescued me once! You can read about that in "The Witch and the Fishmonger's Wife." It was after I became the fishmonger's widow that we became friends. She said I needed to learn better ways of survival than murder. I suppose.

Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine publishes most of my reports on Mrs. Risk's activities. Other places have, too. Go to the Book page to find out about her first novel-length adventure. More books about her will be appearing. I'll let you know about that later.

If you're remembering how I avoided school, saying to yourself, who am I to write anything, don't worry. Mrs. Risk has been better than school. I just figured if I didn't record the facts as they happened, nobody would ever believe my tales. Which brings us finally to the question, is she really a witch?

I admit, I do have a theory. A sneaking suspicion that some furious, but intimidated villager who'd been guilty of something and caught by Mrs. Risk, aching to call her a 'bitch,' chickened out and hissed 'witch' at her back. And, delighted with the notion, she acted on it from then on.

Or maybe she's a witch. Ah, well. Enjoy your stay!