Deception by Lori Avocato

Author:Lori Avocato
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: suspense, murder, mystery, secret, ghost, retirement, haunt, village, private investigators, medical examiner, safehouse
Publisher: Highland Press Publishing

2

The reading of the will took less than an hour. It was pretty simple, considering Daddy’s many assets. Bitsy and Zeke were taken care of for the rest of their lives, but that was no surprise to anyone. They were family.

William kissed me good-bye to get back to his surf shop on Folly Beach. He was proud to be an Alston, but never cared about the money and status that went with the name. He had a college degree, though I often thought he only did it to make Daddy happy. Forget the fact he owned a string of very successful surf shops. Give him a pair of Teva sandals, a surfboard with good tides and he was in heaven. We promised to get together for brunch on Sunday.

Frankie sobbed louder as each item given to her was read. William and I just looked at one another, rolling our eyes. Norman bit his lip to keep from laughing. As soon as it was over, she got in her Jaguar for the ride back to Asheville. I promised her I would begin work on getting her the items she was bequeathed as soon as possible.

Suddenly, my body felt heavy and I could barely move. I hadn’t realized how much anxiety I felt about today. Last night’s dream and Bitsy’s refusal to talk to me about my childhood dreams only added to my weariness.

“Mommy—” Emma Kate ran into the room—“come outside and play with me.” My heart melted at the sight of her curly brown hair bouncing around her shoulders, a huge grin on her sweet face. The best thing she got from her father was eyes as blue as the sky reflecting off the Atlantic. I sat in a chair and pulled her onto my lap facing me. I wanted to pick her up, but we’d both fall from my lack of energy.

“Zeke helped me plant flowers and I want you to see.”

I kissed her dirt-stained palm. Tired as I was, there was no way I could refuse my darling daughter’s request. Nap be damned, there was time enough for sleep.

“Mommy—” a frown creased her forehead—“who were you talking to last night?”

I looked at her and shrugged my shoulders, not sure what she meant.

“You woke me up. You kept saying, ‘Who are you? What do you want from me?’”

“Mommy was just having a bad dream, sweetie.” I had no idea I’d awakened her.

“Oh, okay. I thought maybe you were talking to the man in the room.”

I fought to keep my voice level and light, but my heart was wildly thumping in my chest. “What man, pumpkin?”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “The man in the funny clothes with the long hair. He had a black bow in his ponytail like you do for me.”

It took all I had to keep my breathing steady. This wasn’t possible. It was my dream and now here was my five-year-old telling me she’d had the same dream.

“It was just a dream, honey.”

“Oh, no, Mommy. It was real.

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