by E. C. Bell
review online or recommending it to your friends.
Acknowledgements
My thanks to Kevin Thornton, a writer who lives in Fort McMurray and took photos of Rosalie’s balcony for me when I forgot to--even though he’d just moved back after the fire. The photos didn’t get used for the cover, but thanks anyhow. You are as good and giving a person as I could ever hope to meet.
Thanks to my mom, for sharing the information about Mr. Fitzsimmons with me. I never knew he was that important to the history of Fort McMurray. As far as I knew, he was just the nice old guy who used to visit Granny and Grandad while I was growing up. Now I know better.
Thanks to Lucia Starkey and Guillem Mari for the amazing cover. Holy crow, you outdid yourselves! To Ryah Deines for the great layout, and to Margaret Curelas, who went above and beyond with the editing. Thank you all.
Thanks to Wayne Arthurson, who was good enough to take time out of his busy schedule to read--and blurb--this book. I’m so glad you liked it, Wayne!
Billie Milholland, thanks for reading this at the eleventh hour and telling me I actually had something when I was certain it didn’t work at all...
Thanks to my family for all the support. Seriously, I couldn’t do it without you guys.
And to my dog, Buddy. Sorry I used Millie in this book and not you. I owe you a cookie.
About the Author
E.C. (Eileen) Bell’s debut paranormal mystery, Seeing the Light (2014) won the BPAA award for Best Speculative Fiction Book of the Year, and was shortlisted for the Bony Blythe Award for Light Mystery. The second book in the series, Drowning in Amber, (2015) was nominated for an Aurora Award for best novel. This is the third, and she has plans for more. In her spare time (!) she edits for On Spec, The Canadian Magazine of the Fantastic. When she’s not writing or editing, she’s living a fine life in her round house with her husband and two dogs. And yes, one of them is a step-on dog.
For more info, check out her website: www.eileenbell.com
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Prologue
Stage One Going Home Is Hell
Marie: Joey Simpson Needs a Ride
Arnie: Rosalie Hates Mess
Marie: So, How Do I Feel?
Arnie: Stuck in Rosalie’s Apartment
Marie: Pulling Myself Together
Arnie: Gotta Be Some Kind of a Record
Marie: That’s Me. More than Famous.
Arnie: Watching the Ghost
Marie: Open for Business, Just Like Always
Arnie: A Woman’s Like a Disposable Lighter
Marie: Roy the Ghost Is a Stubborn Ass
Arnie: Baiting the Hook
Marie: Breakfast, and Mom’s Cancer Wig
Marie: Dad, It’s Been a Long Time
Arnie: Reeling Him In
Marie: There’s No Place like Home
Arnie: Practice, Practice, Practice
Marie: John J. Fitzsimmons Memorial High, I Knew You Well
Arnie: Finally!
Stage Two Hell Is Coming Home
Marie: Face to Face with the Devil
Arnie: We Are Soulmates, Dammit!
Marie: I’ll Handle Him. Somehow.
Arnie: How Dare He Screw Up My Death!
Marie: Blue Ox Inn, Part One
Arnie: What the Hell Happened?
Marie: Riling the Neighbours, Like I Have Nothing Better to Do
Arnie: Girlfriend A, Meet Girlfriend B
Marie: Visiting Rosalie Jacoby
Arnie: From Bad to Worse
Marie: Meeting Arnie’s Parents
Arnie: Fixing the Mess
Marie: I so Need a Shower
Marie: The Blue Ox Inn, Part Deux
Arnie: I Have to Get Back!
Marie: Where Is a Salvage Yard, When You Need One?
Arnie: I’ve Never Seen Such a Thing
Marie: Meeting Vinnie Van Kleif
Arnie: Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are
Marie: Preparing for the Family Get-Together
Arnie: What’s She Doing Here?
Marie: The Blue Dress
Arnie: Rosalie, Prepping for Her Big Night Out
Marie: Rhonda’s McMansion
Arnie: Four Helium Balloons
Marie: Of Course the Cops Harass Us
Arnie: Trapped!
Marie: Where Did the Balloons Go?
Stage Three Hell Is Going Back . . .
Marie: The Phone Call
Arnie: Home Sweet Home
Marie: High School, Once More with Feeling
Arnie: Hear Me, Please!
Marie: The Crazy Girl Has an Idea
Arnie: Blue as a Fresh Bruise
Marie: Had to Remember the CPR
Arnie: Face to Face with Rosalie
Marie: Safe, but Not Sound
Marie: Can’t I Just Sleep?
Marie: Moving the Jerk On
Marie: Watching the Dead Cat Bounce
Acknowledgements
About the Author