Where Old Ghosts Meet by Kate Evans

Author:Kate Evans
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery & Detective, FIC019000, Family Life, General, Literary, fiction
ISBN: 9781550813272
Publisher: Breakwater Books Ltd.
Published: 2010-09-10T04:00:00+00:00

14

There was no need to ask for directions to the garden party. The brightly coloured bunting beckoned with a mad kind of excitement as she drove down into the cove. Hoopla was the last thing she needed right now but she had to go for Peg’s sake. When she’d stopped by the house to pick her up she found that Peg had already left.

Lively dance music crackled from a loud speaker as she stepped from her car. Two girls in tight bell-bottom jeans, one clutching a huge purple stuffed dog, went by arm in arm, heads close together, giggling and whispering. Across from where Nora stood, a crowd had gathered around a Wheel of Fortune. A couple of lanky boys, hair slicked back, hands jammed deep into their pockets, broke away from the crowd and hurried after the two girls. How in the world was she going to find Peg in this melee? Nora moved closer to the crowd.

“Last five tickets before the spin.”

“Twenty-five cents, any takers, any takers?”

“Keep her goin’ there, b’y. We need a quarter, just one quarter, to stop the wheel.”

“Who’s goin’ to be the lucky one?”

“Yes, my darling, they’re all yours.”

“We’re ready now, here she goes!”

In one swift motion money and tickets changed hands.

“Take her away, Paddy. Watch your numbers, ladies and gentlemen.” Brrr. The wheel spun round and round, the rubber finger slapping the metal spikes. A hush fell on the crowd.

“Twenty-six,” Paddy called out with authority.

“Jumpins, I’m twenty-six!” A white head bobbed up and down and a thin hand slid a blue strip of tickets to the vendor.

“Yes, indeed, Aunt Carrie, my duckie, and I’m Santa Claus. You’ll get no argument from me. Give the lady her prize, Paddy, if she says she’s twenty-six, then, by God, she’s twenty-six!” The crowd cheered and laughed.

He was playing the pack, a seasoned expert holding their attention, making eye contact, coaxing them shamelessly to part with their money. They were having a grand time. A blue flurry of spent tickets fell to the ground as the next spin got under way.

Eager to be part of the fun, Nora moved in closer, pulled out a dollar bill and reached above the straining heads. “A dollar’s worth,” she called tentatively, not sure if she would be heard above the din.

“Ha, ha. Make way there, ladies and gentlemen, for the last of the big spenders.”

Heads turned.

“Step right up, my dear. Four strips for the lady from away.”

She reached forward, her green dollar bill dangling between her fingers. He laughed, showing his big white even teeth, his dark eyes full of merriment. She took in at a glance the neat set of his collar and tie, the tanned flush of his skin and the neatly combed head of greying hair. He put her in mind of one of the travelling peddlers of long ago, full of banter and charm but with a certain craftiness. Yet he cut a dashing figure. He took her dollar bill and held out four blue strips of tickets.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.