Gossamer Ghost by Laura Childs

Author:Laura Childs
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2014-08-26T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

“Carmela?” A small voice suddenly broke their stunned silence.

Carmela turned in her chair to find Mavis Sweet standing a few feet away and smiling tentatively at her.

“Mavis,” Carmela said. “How are you?” She hadn’t heard Mavis creep in. On the other hand, she’d just been knocked for a loop by the revelation of Duval’s death masks.

Mavis gave a halfhearted shrug. “I’m okay.” She gestured with her thumb. “I was just next door, packing up the last of the boxes. I thought I’d pop in and say hello.”

Carmela stood up from her chair. “Mavis, you know everyone here, don’t you? Gabby and Tandy and Baby. Oh, and this is Julie, Tandy’s daughter-in-law.”

Mavis gave a nervous wave. “Hi, everybody.”

“I’m so sorry about all your troubles,” said Baby. “The death of your employer . . . the closing of your shop.”

“Thank you.” Mavis reached up and twisted a hank of her hair. She looked nervous, as if she wished the earth would open up and swallow her for good. “Carmela, I just wanted to remind you about the memorial service tomorrow?” It came out as a question. Obviously she was still hoping that Carmela would attend.

“What time is it going to be?” Carmela asked. She had every intention of showing up. How could she not? This poor girl was beside herself.

“Ten o’clock,” said Mavis. She started to back away from the group.

“Mavis,” said Baby, “if there’s anything I can do to help . . .” Baby wasn’t just a New Orleans socialite, she was kindhearted and charitable, too. And not just the check-writing kind of charity.

“That’s very kind of you,” Mavis murmured.

“In fact,” Baby continued, “I’d love it if you came to my Halloween party tomorrow night.” She smiled kindly. “It might help take your mind off things and do you a world of good to get out for a while.” Baby fully subscribed to the good-to-get-out-of-the-house school of thinking.

Carmela imagined Mavis sitting all alone in that awful, tacky house of hers and her heart swelled at Baby’s kindness.

At the same time, Mavis’s eyes lit up and her demeanor shifted to one of interest and happiness. “Oh, my goodness. I’d love to come. That’s so kind of you.”

Carmela put an arm around Mavis’s shoulders and led her back through the shop.

“She’s so nice,” Mavis whispered. “Did she really mean it?”

Carmela smiled. “Of course she did. And it’s a costume party, a masquerade, so we’ll all expect you to wear a grand costume and be front and center tomorrow night.”

“Wow.” Mavis seemed suddenly energized.

“So the packing’s almost done?” Carmela asked.

“Almost.”

“Is Boyd Bellamy still pressuring you?”

Mavis made a face. “He dropped by a while ago. I think he enjoys making me cry.”

“He enjoys making grown men cry,” said Carmela. She stopped and faced Mavis. “Listen, have you found any paperwork yet that relates to that death mask?”

Mavis shook her head. “No.”

“And you looked through all of Joubert’s records?”

“I’ve been through everything,” said Mavis. She hesitated. “Why do you think it’s so important?”

“Because it’s still critical to work out the provenance of that death mask,” said Carmela.

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