All Sales Final by Belle Josie

Author:Belle, Josie [Belle, Josie]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

Maggie was a bit taken aback by the number of cars in the driveway to their house. Most were official-looking vehicles but some were personal cars. She assumed they belonged to people who wanted to get a look-see at the skeleton in their root cellar. Sam was forced to park on the street in front of their house instead of in the drive.

“How many people are in our house?” she asked. They walked single file passed the cars in the driveway.

“It varies from hour to hour,” he said. “But only the important people have access to the basement.”

They stepped up onto the porch to find Deputy Dot Wilson and Deputy Stephen Rourke playing cards while sitting on the front steps.

As soon as he saw Sam, Deputy Rourke rose to his feet but Dot stayed put. She was not a pushover for the boss like the younger officers were.

“I do not have any threes. Go Fish,” she said. She glanced at Sam and Maggie over her cards. “I heard from Sally Richmond at the grocery who heard from Rene Zucker at the hospital that there is supposed to be a bacon station at your reception. Is that true?”

Maggie and Sam exchanged surprised glances. Maggie shrugged and Sam shrugged in return.

“I thought so,” Dot said with a huff. “Well, just so you know, a bacon station is all the rage and I would seriously consider it if I were you.”

“We’ll take it under advisement,” Sam said.

He took Maggie’s elbow and led her into the house. Maggie tried not to tut at the muddy footprints on the floor, but Sam must have registered her unhappiness in the stiffening of her posture.

“We’ll have a cleaning crew sweep through the house when we’re done, I promise,” he said.

Maggie listened for any creaks or door slams as they made their way through the house but with the noise coming from downstairs, it was impossible to discern.

“No lights have flashed, no doors have slammed and no ghosts have been sighted,” Sam said as he started down the stairs to the basement.

“How’d you know what I was thinking?” she asked.

“Because I saw the concentration lines in between your eyes deepen,” he said.

Maggie felt her forehead. “Wrinkles? Are you telling me I’m wrinkled?”

“Only when you worry,” he said.

Maggie huffed out a breath. She knew he was right, which only made his observation all the more annoying.

Unlike her last time in the basement when just a flashlight had held back the gloom, this time great big floodlights filled the space, brightening up even the darkest corners. If there were any critters residing down here, Maggie was sure this ruckus would have driven them out into the back forty, so that was a plus.

Deputy Curtis was stationed by the storm doors at the far side of the basement. He waved when he saw Sam and Maggie and they waved back. A rolling cart had been set up outside the small root cellar and it was covered with equipment and supplies, among which Maggie noticed there was a body bag.

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