Page 98
Story: Ghosted
Desi was right about that. Something had changed between Priscilla and Leo after the séance. “Do you think it’s possible there was a sudden draft from beneath the door?”
“It’s possible.”
“Me, neither.” Despite the drinks they’d both consumed that evening, she pulled neatly up at the curb in front of McCabe House. Nothing sobered you up like having the wits scared out of you.
Archie reached for the door handle. “Thanks for the ride home.”
Desi nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the funeral.”
“Yes. Good night.” He got out of the car. “Drive safely.” He slammed shut the door and waved to her.
Desi waved back and pulled away from the curb.
Archie watched her drive off, then he cut across the grass to the drive, going around the side of the house, and cutting through the garden.
The air felt cool and damp. The sprinklers had been on, and the leaves and bushes glistened in the moonlight. Tiny lights glittered in the trees and bushes, reflecting on the damp stone as he wound his way through the shrubs and topiaries. The frogs were croaking in four-part harmony, as fervent as a gospel choir. Water drops splashed Archie’s face and hair as he strode up the flagstones to the second level.
When he reached the entrance to the gazebo, he hesitated, remembering.
The faintest smell of crime scene chemicals seemed to linger, though more likely that was his imagination. After a moment he sat down on the stone steps and gazed unseeingly over the garden.
Maybe Jacqueline McCabe would pop in and he could run the events of the night past her. He snorted at his own thoughts.
A short while later he saw the headlights of Beau’s SUV sweep up the drive. Not long after, he heard Beau’s boots on the flagstones. Beau’s shadow fell across the path and a moment later stepped out of the shadows. He joined Archie on the steps.
“Hi,” Archie said.
“Hi.” Beau put his arm around Archie and kissed him. “How was dinner?”
“No expense was spared.”
Beau grunted. “How was the séance?”
“Interesting.”
Beau regarded him. “In what way?”
Instead of answering, Archie said, “Before we went into dinner, Leo spent a few minutes preparing me for the news that my inheritance might be a few million less than I was led to believe.”
“A few million? What does that mean?”
“I’m not sure yet. One thing it means is I’ve got to hire a forensic accountant to go over the books.”
“Leo’s not going to like that.”
“No.”
Beau said slowly, “You think Leo was embezzling from John’s investment accounts?”
“I don’t want to. But. Leo did his unsubtle best to suggest John was paying Jon Monig blackmail money to keep quiet about being his illegitimate son.”
Beau considered for a moment. He said finally, “I’m trying to come up with a scenario where that makes sense.”
“It doesn’t.”
Beau was quiet again, thinking. “I thought you were convinced Monig killed John.”
Archie let out a long sigh. “I am. Leo never went outside on the night of the Ghost Walk.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107