Dead and Breakfast

by Kimberly G. Giarratano

  Liam and Ray stopped glaring at each other to watch Pops’s face twist into an unreadable expression.

  “Everything all right, Dad?” Ray asked.

  Pops closed his eyes and ran his hand over his scruff. “Okay, okay. How’d you get my number?” Leo’s eyes shot up. “Oh, I didn’t know that. Thank you.” Pops hung up the phone, looking stunned.

  Liam and Ray faced Pops with their hands cupping their elbows, that same stance passed down from Breyer man to Breyer man.

  “What’s going on, Pops?”

  Leo took a moment to register Liam’s face. “That was the hospital calling. Apparently, I was Ralph’s in-case-of-emergency person on his insurance forms.”

  “Is Mr. Blazevig being released from the hospital? Does he need a ride home?”

  “Liam,” Ray said softly. “I don’t—”

  “He’s dead,” Pops cut him off. “Ralphie passed away in his sleep.”

  Liam and Ray stood there helpless until Pops began to weep. Ray and Liam stepped toward the old man and wrapped their arms around him.

  #

  Autumn took the long way to school for fear that cutting through City Cemetery, and not seeing Mr. Blazevig at his usual post by his family’s graves, would turn her into a weeping, blubbery mess minutes before homeroom.

  After everything that had happened, Autumn was in no rush to return to New Jersey, although that didn’t mean she and her mother were secure in their home either.

  For reasons that seemed obvious to Autumn, Mick Canton ended his contract on the Cayo. Instead, he had larger issues to deal with—including the arrest and murder trial of his wife, Bernadette. Considered a flight risk, Bernadette was not granted bail, despite the arguments made by an expensive team of lawyers. Thus, the Cayo Hueso Dead and Breakfast was still on the real estate market.

  “We’re still going to have to sell,” Evelyn had told Autumn that morning at breakfast.

  She and her mother hadn’t really spoken much about their fight. After Bernadette had been arrested, Autumn told her mother she didn’t want to move in with her father and Jennifer.

  “I know you don’t want to leave Liam,” her mother had said.

  “It’s not that,” Autumn said. “I don’t want to leave you. And if it means moving to Texas to live with Grandma, then that’s what we’ll do.”

  Evelyn brought Autumn into a hug and mumbled into her hair. “I don’t want to move to El Paso either. Hopefully, a miracle will happen before then.”

  Now, as Autumn stood on the steps to her charter school and met the cold gaze of Victoria Canton, perched only a few feet from her, Autumn needed that miracle.

  “Listen Victoria, I’m—”

  Victoria held up her hand. “Shut it.”

  Autumn balked. That seemed harsh. After all, it was Victoria’s grandmother who murdered a girl fifty years ago.

  “I don’t need any crap,” Victoria said. “I’ve heard enough from everyone else.”

  It took Autumn a moment to realize Victoria wasn’t flanked by her usual posse of Amazonian followers. “I wasn’t going to give you crap,” Autumn said. “I was going to say that I’m sorry you’re going through this.”

  Victoria narrowed her eyes as if trying to decipher Autumn’s angle. “Sure you are.”

  Autumn climbed the stairs until she could meet Victoria’s red-rimmed and puffy eyes. “I am sorry. This isn’t your fault.”

  Victoria’s shoulders drooped. “No one should feel sorry for me. Walk me to class, will ya?”

  Autumn adjusted the strap on her messenger bag. “Sure.” They stepped toward the school building. “Do you want me to quiz you on the new material for American lit?”

  Victoria nodded and bit her lip.

  Later that afternoon, after the last bell, Autumn watched Victoria climb into the backseat of a black Escalade. The car’s driver left, kicking up gravel and revealing Liam, who leaned against his scooter.

  Autumn’s heart sped. “What are you doing here?”

  Liam kissed Autumn on the cheek, a sweet gesture that also felt chaste and disappointing. Autumn wasn’t sure what she had expected. It wasn’t like Liam was going to gather her in his arms for a dramatic make-out.

  Get a grip, Abernathy.

  “Your mom asked me to come and get you.” Liam pressed his mouth into a line. “There’s a woman at the Cayo Hueso.”

  “A new guest?” asked Autumn, disappointed. “I don’t feel like cleaning any rooms today.”

  “No,” Liam said. “She’s not that. She’s a lawyer for Mr. Blazevig. She’s there to read his will.”

  #

  Mr. Blazevig’s lawyer, who introduced herself as Mrs. Anita D’Andrea, plunked a black briefcase on the small glass tabletop in the Cayo’s parlor. She was dressed in a blue linen suit, her blonde curly hair piled on top of her head, with reading glasses perched on her nose.

  Everyone scrambled to find a seat. The parlor had never catered to this size a crowd before. Aunt Glenda squirmed in a floral armchair. Cora stood beside her, her hand resting on Glenda’s shoulder. Evelyn fussed over Mrs. D’Andrea like a waitress, asking if she wanted a bottle of water or Cora’s homemade cookies. Pops and Ray were there too, clearly feeling out of place. Meanwhile, Autumn, Timothy, and Liam hung in the back of the room, leaning against the wall, trying to stay out of the adults’ way. Mr. Fletcher shook the lawyer’s hand, and they exchanged pleasantries about a mutual colleague.

  Liam had never been to the reading of someone’s will. That was something only rich people did on television. And up until recently, no one knew that Mr. Blazevig even had money. Of course, Mr. Blazevig had been a man of many secrets.

  Mrs. D’Andrea withdrew papers from her briefcase and snapped it closed. She sat down and addressed the group, looking less like a lawyer and more like a presiding judge. She rambled off some legal jargon that Liam barely paid attention to.

  “I hereby leave my tour company to Mr. Liam Breyer,” Anita had read.

  His heart stopped beating for a second. “Huh?”

  Anita smiled without teeth. “You’re eighteen, I presume?”

  He nodded, his mouth unable to form words.

  “Great! You’re now the proud owner of Blazevig Haunted City Tours.”

  Liam’s mind raced. A business. Mr. Blazevig left me a business. No more working for other people. No partnership with sketchy Randall. I can make a life with this. Mr. Blazevig would be proud.

  Mrs. D’Andrea cleared her throat and glanced around expectantly. “And for Autumn Abernathy, I leave you my house and savings.”

  Autumn’s mouth dropped. “Are you serious?”

  Everyone stared at her. The lawyer shifted nervously under their stunned gazes. “Um, I take it this is all very surprising.”

  Mr. Fletcher was the first to speak. “Thank you so much, Anita. Would you be able to draw up paperwork to transfer ownership?”

  Anita nodded and collected her belongings. “I’ll have my secretary take care of that.” She shook both Liam and Autumn’s hands before Evelyn escorted her to the lobby.

  Autumn sank into a chair. “He left me his house.”

  “He left me his business,” Liam said, equally surprised.

  “Sounds to me like Old Mr. Blazevig was trying to make up for misdeeds by taking care of you two.” Timothy examined his nails. “Would’ve been nice to have been included in that as well, but I guess I’m just not—”

  Evelyn returned and thrust a large cardboard tube into Timothy’s hands. “Mrs. D’Andrea forgot to give this to you. Apparently, Mr. Blazevig left it for you.”

  Timothy cocked his brow. “Do you know what it is?”

  Evelyn shrugged. “Some piece of art he said you’d appreciate.”

  Timothy removed the plastic top of the tube and peeked inside. He gasped and pressed his hand to his chest. “Oh, my God.”

  Liam peered into the tube to see a tightly woken canvas. Timothy pulled it away. “You’ll get your breathing on it. It�
��s a Chagall. Mr. Blazevig left me a Chagall.”

  “Wait?” asked Autumn. “Like a real Chagall? Like in a museum, Chagall?”

  “Yes,” Timothy hissed. “What other kind is there? Oh, my word.” He fanned his face.

  “Are you sweating?” Liam and Autumn asked at the same time.

  Timothy collapsed into a chair. “Well, of course I’m sweating!”

  #

  A month later . . .

  Autumn sat on her bed with her laptop resting on a pillow and typed frantically on the keyboard. The spaghetti strap on her pale blue dress kept falling down as she reread the last paragraph twice, hoping to catch a missed spelling error before emailing it to Mr. Fletcher for his review.

  Autumn glanced at the time on her phone. She only had a few minutes before Liam arrived to escort her to the winter dance.

  “Whatcha doing?” Katie pretended to sound bored. It was laughable really. Katie glowed brighter than before, but not quite as strong as she had before Inez had appeared.

  “I’m finishing up my piece about Inez’s murder,” Autumn said in her most businesslike voice, as if she really was an investigative reporter and this was the kind of work she did all the time.

  Katie hovered near the side of Autumn’s bed and leaned over, although Autumn doubted the ghost was actually reading her essay. “Ugh, after everything that’s happened, you’re still planning on ditching us to go back to New Jersey?”

  Autumn closed the laptop and rose from her bed. She slipped on a pair of satin pumps, a vintage gem from her Aunt Glenda’s closet. “I have to go to college somewhere. And it might be in New Jersey. But it might not. For the record, though, this article I’m writing isn’t for my Candlewick College application. It’s for Mr. Fletcher’s newspaper in Tampa.” Autumn slid a set of gold dangly earrings off her dresser and put them in her earlobes.

  “To be published?” asked Katie, slightly incredulous.

  Autumn dropped a pink lip balm into a silver clutch. “Yes. Hopefully, once people read how truly haunted the Cayo is, they’ll want to come here. Business will pick up.” Evelyn decided to take the Cayo off the market, even though she made it clear the old house was on borrowed time. “You’re gonna have to do your share.”

  Katie pouted. “What does that mean?”

  “It means you need to haunt. People are going to flock here in droves to see ghosts. You’re gonna need to knock a few things off tables and write creepy messages in foggy bathroom mirrors.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “If you don’t, then we’ll probably lose more business and someone else will buy the Cayo and turn it into a proper hotel. And then whose clothes and hair will you berate?”

  “Ugh, fine.” Katie pursed her lips. “I was going to say you look lovely, but I’ve changed my mind.”

  “Thanks anyway.” Autumn spun in a circle. “Have you seen my cell phone?”

  Katie pointed to the bookshelf in the corner of the room. “It’s sitting on top of Duncan’s yearbook.”

  There was still something that felt unfinished to Autumn. “Katie?” she asked tentatively. “How did Inez know Duncan had seen everything? How did she know to lead me to the yearbook?”

  “Really?” Katie asked in that voice that made it seem like Autumn had asked the most stupid question on Earth. Had she? “The dead bird. The pin. Mr. Fletcher’s April room being tossed. The handkerchief. The flood in the January room. And finally, the yearbook.”

  Autumn’s eyes widened with a heavy realization.

  Katie nodded, her mouth twisting up into a devilish grin. “Inez didn’t leave you those clues.”

  Autumn inhaled deeply, not prepared for what Katie was about to say next.

  “Your uncle did. And he’s still here.”

  The sound of the doorbell startled them both. Liam had arrived to take Autumn to the winter formal.

  #

  Autumn dipped her toes in the Cayo’s swimming pool while Liam hovered above her, hesitant. She grabbed a fistful of his cargo shorts and tugged him down. “Come on, sit with me.”

  Liam didn’t budge.

  Autumn glanced up and shielded her eyes from the sun. “Seriously? Inez is gone. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

  Liam exhaled and kicked off his sneakers. He sat close enough to Autumn that their hips touched, and sunk his feet into the crystal clear water. A surge of pride hit him—he might had been only been a pool boy, but he’d been a damn good pool boy. Of course now he was a business owner.

  Autumn stared at the Marlberry bush, which still had crime scene tape, draped around its foliage. The medical examiner’s office had exhumed Inez’s body days ago. The police detective had just finished interviewing everyone yesterday. Liam hoped today things would go back to normal. He hoped he would go back to normal.

  Autumn cleared her throat. “There’s something I haven’t told you.”

  Okay, maybe not today. Liam cocked his brow. “This sounds serious.”

  “It’s not life or death serious. I don’t think.”

  Liam sat up, attentive.

  “You know how Louie’s ledger is organized by last name?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, you weren’t the only Breyer in the book,” she said softly.

  “As far as I know, Pops has never pawned anything.”

  “It wasn’t your grandfather,” said Autumn. “It was your mother. Elena Breyer.”

  Liam’s face paled. He rarely heard his mother’s name mentioned. It sounded so formal. So definitive. She’d always been there in Liam’s memories, but hearing his mother’s name come out of Autumn’s mouth like that made his mother seem undeniably real. “What did she sell?”

  “Her wedding ring.”

  Liam scoffed. “Figures.”

  “That’s not all.” Autumn turned to Liam and paused, desperate to command his attention, for whatever she was about to say next. “Your mom left a forwarding address.”

  That was not what Liam expected to hear.

  “It could be worth a try,” said Autumn, pulling Liam out of his thoughts. “Talking to Louie, seeing what he knows.”

  Liam bit his lip before lying down on the rough concrete, his feet still dangling in the water. There was no way Louie was going to tell him anything. Maybe Louie and his mother once had some sort of relationship. Maybe that’s why he was willing to hide her whereabouts. He didn’t want to consider it.

  Autumn laid down beside Liam. “Do you want to find her?”

  “I don’t know. My dad’s been searching for her for years and look what it’s gotten him. He’s no closer to finding her, and he’s lost himself in the process. Plus, my dad just came home. I don’t want to open old wounds.”

  Autumn entwined her fingers with Liam’s. “Fair enough.”

  Liam clutched Autumn’s hand tightly, fearful of letting go. “Maybe I’ll consider it, but first, I want to enjoy the moment. With you.”

  Autumn rolled over on her side. “I might go for a swim later.”

  “That’s where I draw the line.” Liam turned to her. “I’ll take you to Bahia Honda this weekend. The beaches there are unreal. New Jersey—more like Old Jersey.”

  Autumn laughed. “I’d like that.”

  Liam ran his thumb along her bottom lip, desperate to kiss her, but fearful Evelyn was watching them. “Are you sad you’re not returning home?”

  Autumn grinned, her eyes crinkling, and kissed him. When she pulled away, Liam inhaled a sharp breath.

  “Don’t you know, Liam? I am home.”

  Acknowledgements

  There are many people I’d like to thank for helping Dead and Breakfast get published.

  First, I’d like to thank my editor, Stacy Juba, for making the story far better than I could do on my own. I must also thank my friend and eagle-eye, Jill Ratzan, for proofreading the manuscript. Big hugs to Rachel Lawston, my talented cover designer, and Elizabeth Buhmann who dropped everything to critique Dead and Breakfast so I could make my
deadline. I’m also indebted to everyone at Kindle Scout and Kindle Press. I’m so grateful for Amazon’s backing and support.

  I wish I could give Katie Moretti a winning lottery ticket. Her guidance, wisdom, and sense of humor mean the world to me. She’s a talent and I’m lucky to know her.

  Lastly, I’d like to thank my husband, Bob. Four years ago we took a trip to Key West where I discovered the perfect setting for a ghost story. Here’s to many more inspiring vacations.

  About the Author

  Kimberly G. Giarratano lives in the Poconos with her husband and three kids. Her debut novel, Grunge Gods and Graveyards, won the 2015 Silver Falchion Award for Best YA at Killer Nashville. Connect with Kimberly on Twitter @KGGiarratano or visit her website, www.kimberlyggiarratano.com. To find out when the second and third books in the Cayo Hueso Mystery series will be released, sign up for Kimberly’s reader club at http://kimberlyggiarratano.com/for-readers/

  Also by Kimberly G. Giarratano

  Grunge Gods and Graveyards

  The Lady in Blue: A Grunge Gods and Graveyards Mystery

  One Night Is All You Need: A Short Story