The Terror of Black Eagle Tavern by Megan Atwood

Author:Megan Atwood [Atwood, Megan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781467700382
Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group

P

ete, the club-soda drinker, was pretty burly, it turned out. So was his wife, Beth. But both were the nicest people Jinx had ever met. She sat on the sofa and sipped her tea awkwardly. She hated going into strange people’s houses and making small talk. She could feel Jackson grinning at her discomfort. It was totally unfair—getting along with people was so easy for Jackson. She purposefully spilled a little tea on his pant leg.

“So, what brings you here again?” Beth asked. “Not that we mind. We never had any children ourselves, so we love getting visits from young people.” She smiled, and her whole face lit up. Jinx couldn’t help but smile back.

She cleared her throat and said, “Well, we heard that a while back at the Black Eagle, when Pete was taking a—”

Jackson cut her off and said, “We heard that some strange things have happened to you at the Black Eagle Tavern. Is that true?”

“You bet it’s true,” Pete said. “Even my Bethy here had a little experience. We never told anyone, but she came in to see me at the bar. While she was waiting, this glass moved right on its own and smashed into the floor.”

Beth chimed in. “Scared me to death! I almost hightailed it outta there, but I couldn’t leave my Pete. Besides, I thought it was just John playing tricks. Only, he never actually smashed a glass before. That worried me, truth be told.” She put her hand on Pete’s arm and patted it. He covered her hand with his and squeezed.

Any more of this and I’m going to get a cavity, Jinx thought. As if reading her mind, Jackson nudged her again.

“You don’t think that...well, you don’t think that something else could explain these things besides a ghost...I mean, um, John?” Jinx asked.

Pete said, “Nope. The Black Eagle has always been haunted. But John has always been friendly. It’s always felt downright homey in there, and John was a part of that. But this new feeling in there is...well, it’s a dangerous feeling. Something mean. I’ve never felt that before in there.”

Beth looked angry for a second. “I mean, really. Whoever would try to hurt me and Pete? We never hurt anyone! We don’t deserve that sort of thing. Though God knows most people don’t.”

Jinx agreed, about Pete and Beth at least. Despite herself, she was really starting to like these people.

“When did it start feeling dangerous in there?” Jackson asked.

Beth and Pete looked at each other again. Beth sniffed. “Well, listen. I’m a good, churchgoing woman, and I don’t like to gossip.”

There was a heavy pause in the room as she refrained from gossiping. Jinx counted to three in her head, and sure enough, Beth continued. In Jinx’s experience, people who said they didn’t like to gossip were always the best gossipers around.

“But if you ask me,” Beth said, “it’s when that brother of his came back to town. Now mind, it didn’t happen right away. But right after

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