Ghosts, Goblins & Gooseberry Crumble: A Marian Moyer Novelette by Allison Janda

Author:Allison Janda
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery, mystery, Cozy, Thrillers & Suspense, 90 Minutes (44-64 Pages), Thriller & Suspense, supernatural, Women Sleuths, Suspense, Ghosts, Literature & Fiction
Publisher: Allison Janda
Published: 2015-10-16T05:00:00+00:00

7

I swallowed, trying to take Nathan’s words in stride. “Wai. You dated the victim? The girl at the haunted house? You wished she’d die?”

Nathan swallowed and looked away, ashamed. Finally, he nodded. “But I didn’t kill her,” he said at last. Then, with a dark chuckle, he added, “But I’ll bet you my scholarship that my mom thinks I did. We have a, um. Well, let’s just say we have a bit of a family history.”

“Of murder?” I gasped, clutching my hands together.

“Of illness,” he corrected me swiftly, not elaborating.

It seemed that Nathan knew it was inevitable he would be considered a suspect. “Natasha broke up with me,” Nathan explained, his voice choked with emotion. “Just last month. We’d been dating for two years.”

“That’s rough,” I admitted. I was taken back to my own college days when I’d hosted a huge crush on none other than James. It wasn’t fair to say that his rejection still stung. After all, he was like a big brother these days and I was head over heels for Mika. Still, that rejection definitely shaped me and the woman I became. Every single feeling I had between the ages of about twelve and twenty-two were amplified by hormones.

It seemed cliché to tell Nathan that things would get better, so I held my tongue.

“She told me it was because I wasn’t popular anymore,” he continued bitterly. “And when I called my mom to…to tell her about it, I was so angry. I told my brother too. He agreed, Natasha was just a heartless bitch.”

“Well…sure,” I replied breezily, shocked by Nathan’s language. He’d seemed so genuine and laid-back when I first met him. Perhaps there was more to him than met the eye. “But that was a month ago that you said those things to your family! And people say stuff like that all the time. I did when I was your age. I’m sure it’ll all blow over.”

Nathan shook his head. “You don’t understand. I wished Natasha was dead! And now she is! Even if I didn’t actually kill her, I totally killed her!” He buried his face in his hands and began to take very deep breaths. Frantically, I looked about for a paper bag. He was hyperventilating.

Just then, the front doors downstairs slammed shut. I cursed under my breath. In my haste to give Nathan a tour, I’d obviously forgotten to lock them. Now, I was going to have to deal with someone. “Wait here,” I demanded of Nathan, giving his back firm, gentle strokes.

His heavy breathing lessened and he started to hiccup.

“Excellent,” I muttered, walking toward the door to the office. On the stairwell, I leaned forward to see who had entered. “Hello?” I called when no one appeared to be there.

“Hey, Sugar,” Mika responded, quickly coming into view. “Sorry, I saw the lights on down here. Thought you might be talking to Rory.”

His voice was so kind that it nearly broke my heart. As he walked toward the stairs, my heart thundered in my chest.

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