Mischief Nights Are Murder by Libby Klein

Author:Libby Klein
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2023-06-05T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 26

Aunt Ginny and I walked around the block to home while I searched for articles in Newsweek about Simon Beck. “Hey. Guess who wrote an article titled ‘Paranormal Investigation—the Great Hoax’?”

“Please tell me it was that whackadoo, Gladys Philippot.”

“You got it. It was a long time ago. I wonder how she ended up working for a tabloid.”

Aunt Ginny swung her takeout bags at her sides. “Maybe it’s more money.”

“More than Newsweek?”

“Unflattering celebrity sightings might be big money. You think she killed him?”

I shoved my phone back in my purse. “It certainly can’t be a coincidence. But that seems more like a motive for him to kill her.”

“I suspect you have to get in line to kill Gladys Philippot.”

“You’re probably right.” I wished I’d worn a coat; the wind cut me right through to my bones. I rubbed my arms and picked up the pace. My stomach rumbled and Aunt Ginny gave me some side-eye. “You should have taken something with you so you could eat.”

“Maybe I should have left you home so I could eat.”

She swapped hands with her double takeout bags to shift the weight. “Oh, you don’t mean that. Besides, you’d be up all night scratching and complaining your stomach hurts. Isn’t this better?”

“That bread pudding looked like it would be worth it.”

Aunt Ginny lifted the bag. “It was.”

I started planning a gluten-free bread pudding with whiskey sauce for breakfast to quell my regret. “Did you get anything out of Sable and Jax?”

“Just that the girl’s boyfriend is coming up this weekend if she isn’t home by then.”

“Her boyfriend? I thought Jax was her boyfriend.”

Aunt Ginny shrugged. “I dunno. That’s what she said. I can’t understand these kids today. She also called her father to ask him to Venmo more money. Apparently, they had not planned on attending the tour past yesterday, but they’re afraid if they leave it will make them look guilty.”

“Sure.”

“What’s Venmo?”

“It’s an electronic payment app.” I pulled out my phone to show Aunt Ginny, but my attention was diverted by a polite argument on my porch. The house was dark, but Owen and Gladys were sitting side by side in rocking chairs, bickering like an old married couple. Their voices sang like a lullaby but cut like a razor blade.

Owen pulled his sweater tighter around him. “People can be different without being crooks.”

“In my line a work, you learn real fast that everyone is out to make a buck. And they’ll steal from their own grandma to make that happen.”

“Well, that must be a very sad life you live.”

“At least I’m not the neighborhood whack job.”

“How would you know? You probably don’t have any friends to tell you whether you are or not. Oh, hello, Poppy. Beautiful night.”

I smiled at them both. “Is the dinner tour over?”

Owen nodded. “Your friend ran out of here a few minutes ago muttering about hazard pay.”

Gladys nodded. “Yeah. But you’ll be glad to hear this group had no casualties.”

Aunt Ginny kicked a lone piece of pumpkin shell that Kenny missed towards the garage.

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