GHOSTS OF PAINTING PAST by Sybil Johnson

Author:Sybil Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cozy mysteries;beach reads;holiday books;Christmas mystery;Henery Press
Publisher: Henery Press
Published: 2019-09-04T18:05:10+00:00

Chapter 15

Rory spent the next morning catching up on work followed by a quick run into town for some errands. When she returned home and drove by the Kowalski-Palmer house, she spotted Tammy sitting in her car in the driveway. Rory went inside her own place and settled down to work. Half an hour later, she glanced out the window and saw the car still in her neighbor’s driveway with Tammy immobile behind the wheel.

Rory headed outside to make sure the woman was okay. She walked up to the driver’s side of the car and peered anxiously inside. Tammy sat back in the seat, hands on her lap, staring straight ahead.

Rory tapped softly on the closed window and called the woman’s name. “Are you all right?”

Tammy jumped in her seat and turned toward Rory, a vague expression on her face. She rolled down the window as soon as she realized someone was there.

“Rory, what can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. You’ve been sitting in the car for at least half an hour.”

“Have I?”

Her eyes filled with concern, Rory said in her softest voice, “Are you okay?”

“Okay?” Tammy sighed. “Okay as I can be, I guess.”

“Can I help you with something? Take you somewhere? Run an errand for you?”

The woman stared down at her lap. “The grandkids wanted the stockings Mindy made for them. They’re not in the house so I thought I’d check our storage space and see if that’s where they are. But...I can’t seem to make myself go there.”

“I’ll take you if you want.”

Tammy turned sorrowful eyes to Rory. “Would you?”

“No problem. My car’s just across the street.”

“Drive this one. I’ve got plenty of space for boxes in the back just in case I find something else I want to bring home.” She got out of the car and handed the keys to Rory. They swapped places and were soon on their way.

“Where am I going?”

Tammy gave her an address within half a mile of the beach.

As they got closer to their destination, all Rory saw were single family homes, not the kind of area where a storage facility usually was located.

“Am I going the right way?” she asked Tammy. “I don’t see a storage place.”

“This is the right street. The place is halfway down the next block. We rent a room above a friend’s garage to store all of our decorations in.” She pointed to the driveway of a single-story house not unlike Rory’s own. “Here we are. They’re planning on tearing down the house some day. Until then they’re letting us rent the space for next to nothing.”

Rory parked in the driveway. Before getting out of the car, she peered out the window at the property. Three newspapers were scattered across the neatly trimmed lawn and a restaurant flyer was sticking out of the mailbox.

Tammy shook her head in annoyance. “The papers were supposed to be held.”

“Your friends are out of town?”

“They’re visiting family on the East Coast.” Tammy got

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