If Catfish Had Nine Lives (Country Cooking School Mystery) by Paige Shelton

Author:Paige Shelton [Shelton, Paige]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2014-08-05T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

After our visit with Opie, Gram insisted on us all going back to the school. I asked her why we just couldn’t back out of Opie’s driveway, find a quiet spot, pull out the last letter, read it, and call Jake for help. Or better yet, just call him first and set up a quick meeting. Surely he would have to be of assistance again, and we still had a little prep to do at the campsite.

Gram said, “No, this is important, Betts; the culmination of so many years of Joe’s and my search, or mission, maybe. This all began back at the cemetery outside the cooking school; it needs to end there, too.”

“Okay,” I said, hoping she didn’t catch the forced enthusiasm in my voice.

So Gram rode with me in the Nova, Joe and the horse again following behind as we left the country, drove through Broken Rope’s small downtown, exited on the other side of town back into the country, took that curve in the state highway, and returned to the cooking school.

I had, however, called Jake over to join us. Though Gram had wanted to read the last letter in the cemetery, I knew I wouldn’t be able to clearly see it in the bright outside light so I had to ask for a small change of venue. We sat inside the school at a corner of one of the large center butcher blocks. Joe and Gram on one side. Jake and I on the other. We’d closed the blinds and turned off all the lights. I pointed out to Jake where Joe was sitting.

“How was Opie?” Jake asked.

“As expected. There might be some statue planning in your near future,” I said.

Jake thought a moment and said, “I can handle that.”

He could.

“This will be a very heady experience for Ophelia, but she’ll be all right, and even though she’ll find a way to make it all about her, the town will somehow benefit, too. She’s good at making sure everyone gets included. Eventually,” Gram said. She turned to Joe. “Are you ready for the last letter?”

“I am,” Joe said as he nodded.

“You’re completely sure?” Gram said.

“Yes.”

The shoe was most definitely on the other foot with this ghost. It took almost all I had to hold back a sigh of impatience or tell him and Gram to hurry up. Normally, I was the patient, curious, and sympathetic one, and Gram was telling the ghosts to move it along, or perhaps to just go away for a while.

It was more than plain impatience for me, though I wasn’t sure if I didn’t like Joe or didn’t trust him or didn’t . . . something. I had been sensing something was off from the beginning, but I couldn’t pinpoint anything, exactly. Whatever it was, it made me wary and suspicious and drove me a little crazy. I was usually on top of my instincts, and I didn’t like not understanding what I was feeling.

“Shall we?” Jake prompted.

“Okay, Joe, go ahead.

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