French Quarter Fright Night by Ellen Byron

Author:Ellen Byron [Byron, Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 2024-05-09T00:00:00+00:00

SEVENTEEN

In the morning, Ricki texted her friend Lady at Good Neighbor Thrift Store to see if she could scare up Halloween decorations for Duncan-Sejour. Lady texted back that the shop’s stock was picked over but she’d have no problem hitting up friends and family, many of whom were, in her words, ‘overdecorators.’ How many blowup ghosts does one front yard need? Lady texted, followed by a row of eye roll emojis. About five less than my Cousin Taneisha has on her lawn.

The news from Lady generated concern on Ricki’s part that at this late date in the decorating-happy city of New Orleans, it might be hard to track down everything Duncan-Sejour needed for their haunted house. I’ll put Olivia on it, Ricki thought as she drove to Bon Vee. And see if Blaine can spare Jason to help her score the necessary merch.

She parked in the small space in front of the estate carriage house and opened her car door to an ear-shattering racket. ‘What the …’ She scurried along the path that snaked around the estate’s grounds and traced the sound to the tall wall separating Duncan-Sejour from Bon Vee. She came to a dead stop when she saw what was going on.

A crew of workmen had blasted a large hole in the wall between the estates. A sturdy gate lay on the grass near it. ‘What happened?’ Ricki yelled this to be heard over a jackhammer breaking the wall’s cement footing.

‘Blaine had the best idea,’ Benny yelled back. Today the senior twins were dressed in facsimiles of the dresses Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen wore when they sang the iconic number ‘Sisters’ in the movie, White Christmas. The outfits flattered neither of them.

‘He’s putting in a gate between Bon Vee and Duncan,’ Jenny yelled by way of explanation. ‘It’ll make it easier to go between the haunted houses.’

‘Eugenia agreed to this?’ Ricki asked, incredulous. ‘What happens when the haunted houses end? Blaine puts the wall back the way it was?’

‘Probably not.’ Zellah, who’d sidled up to Ricki, said this in a loud but relatively normal voice. ‘It’ll make it easier for Mooni to come by with a batch of the treats she makes and bottles of her homemade gin. Blaine doesn’t touch it but Eugenia’s become a fan.’

‘Whatevs, as Olivia would say.’ Ricki saw Cookie observing the action and beckoned to her. The programming director tore herself away from the wall’s demolition and went to Ricki. ‘Are you free?’ Ricki asked. ‘I need to run something by you.’

‘If you have coffee, yes. I need the buzz. I’m meeting with Eugenia and Lyla in half an hour to sell them on a few adult programming ideas I have.’

The two women retreated to Miss Vee’s where Ricki, who eschewed pods as an environmental debacle, made two cups of coffee via her very basic coffee maker. Once Cookie had sweetened her coffee with a couple of teaspoons of Steen’s Cane Syrup, Ricki shared the details of her limo ride with the Westwego girl posse, ending with her latest investigative tack.

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