Raising Spirits: A Katie Murphy Cozy Mystery by Suzanne Bolden

Author:Suzanne Bolden [Bolden, Suzanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Laughing Deer Press
Published: 2024-08-29T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Grace was taking over Maeve’s station tonight, playing a creepy maid in the master bedroom upstairs. Before showing her where she’d be working, I took her on a quick tour of the mansion.

“Amazing what you’ve pulled together,” she said.

“It was really all Aubrey’s doing. We all know about her enthusiasm for Halloween, and Winnie’s passion for helping others is boundless. She suggested the high school band be the beneficiary for the event.”

Grace was taken aback when she walked into the parlor and saw an actual casket on display, with eerie black candles flickering ominously in a twisted candelabra.

“It was a hit last night. Randomly, the corpse, a drummer from the band, pops upright. Frightens anyone standing nearby,” I explained.

“Where on earth did you get that?” Grace ran her fingers over the lacquered surface. “It looks like an antique.”

“It is. And we got it from our local funeral parlor. Actually, the Greens have a connection to the McCracken family. They were the first tenants in the old bank building after the bank closed.” I repeated the story about the Green children using Molly’s ghost as an excuse for misbehaviors or broken things.

“My kids don’t have a ghost to blame,” Grace said with a hearty laugh. “But seriously, what a stunning old home. I just love the history of the places in this part of town. The stories these walls could tell. I hope it can be saved,” Grace said.

“It might be if someone besides the developer can come up with money to pay the back taxes.”

“But is that likely? The house would need a lot of tender loving care to be updated. I imagine the electrical wiring is iffy and the heating system sorely outdated. The bones of the home are beautiful, and the furniture left here is such high quality. They look like they haven’t been touched in years.”

“More like they haven’t been touched for decades! We have a lot of costumed characters keeping an eye on the original pieces here.”

Grace jumped when a fog started coming out from around the bony fingers that held the basement door ajar. The fog curled along, hugging the floor at our feet. At the same moment, a recording of screams, cries, and moans kicked on.

I couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. “If you think that’s scary, wait until the lights dim and the black lights take over. Come on, we’d better get you upstairs for your gig for the night.”

Grace ran her hands along the rich wood carvings of the stair banister. “Such a shame if it’s taken down and new gaudy McMansions put up in its place. You wouldn’t see quality and beauty like this in new construction.”

“There are a couple of other possibilities as to who might end up here besides the developer, but neither would have the money to put into it. Remember that it’s possible that Ruby could inherit the estate.”

Grace nodded as we climbed the stairs. “I see what you mean. But this place will need a lot invested into it than a bartender’s income can cover.

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