How to Book a Murder by Cynthia Kuhn

Author:Cynthia Kuhn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CROOKED LANE BOOKS

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Spotlights aimed into the sky crossed and uncrossed next to the main gate of what had been named, according to a billboard at the end of the driveway, Silvercrest Screamfest. We followed the line of cars until we reached a parking lot, where individuals with flashlights directed us into a spot and told us to follow the Trail of Terror. We found the marker at the trailhead and moved with the stream of people along the path, which had small flickering electric torches on either side, into a dense woods. It twisted and turned so often that I completely lost my sense of direction.

“Wow, this is eerie,” Lucy said. She threaded one arm through mine and one through Ryan’s.

Finally, the path wrenched us to the left around a huge boulder, and we emerged through the pines in front of an imposing house. Several stories high, it seemed to lean forward, defying gravity—the bell tower on the top looked as though it were minutes away from toppling over on us. The large, rectangular windows were dark, except for random pulses of light. A crowd of ghosts suddenly slid across the front, thanks to a hidden projector, and monstrous faces carved out of wood were illuminated one by one, leering at us from the second floor. Screams could be heard despite the blaring rock music.

“I probably don’t need to go inside,” I said. “I only want to find Tabitha.”

“Oh no,” Lucy replied. “We are doing this.”

“Why, though?” I had no desire to tromp through the house. Having found a body had already scared me enough for the rest of the year, thank you.

“It’s an adventure … with surprises.”

“Right now, I need the opposite of surprises.”

“C’mon, Em. Sister time,” she insisted, tugging me forward.

“It’s kind of fun,” Ryan said.

“Kind of? Not fully fun?” I asked, as we reached the front porch, where a booth was set up.

Ryan already had his wallet out and was buying tickets from someone in a very realistic-looking werewolf mask. We thanked Ryan as he handed us each a ticket.

After he turned to go inside, I stepped up to the werewolf and raised my voice. “I’m here to see Tabitha Baxter. Is she around back or something?” That would solve the whole we-are-doing-this thing. Hopefully she was in a nice, quiet office sipping Chardonnay, where I could chat with her in private.

He pointed to the front door.

“She’s inside there? Are you sure?”

He nodded, the crest of hair above his face waving in the breeze.

Sighing, I turned and went through the red velvet curtain hanging over the front door. Shrieks and thumps came from other parts of the house. Lucy and Ryan were ahead of me, and I took a step to catch up, but the crowd shifted and I lost sight of them.

Then the room went black and the music stopped. An ominous voice came over the speakers, telling us that it was our last chance to leave … alive. Laughter followed, and an illuminated arrow appeared, pointing downward.

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