“What cash grab?” Danielle practically exploded. “I’m an adult. The time for child support has long since passed. I don’t care about money.”
“Then why are you here?” Adele demanded.
“Maybe because she lost her mother and wanted to get to know her father,” I suggested, shaking my head. I was starting to get a migraine of my own. “It doesn’t really matter. She’s right. She has no claim on your money, so if that’s what you’re thinking ... you should probably stop.” Even though she was working with grifters, I felt sorry for Danielle. I was hopeful that she didn’t realize exactly who she’d aligned herself with. “It would be helpful if you told us how the three of you found each other.”
“The three of us?” Danielle’s forehead wrinkled. “You think we’re all working together? That’s not true. I mean ... we’re all here together, but I only called Bailey because I needed a way to get back on the property and figured she would help. She has Arthur’s … ear, after all.” Her gaze darkened at that last part.
Arthur had no shame. No, really. He didn’t look even remotely apologetic. “She no longer has my ear ... or anything else,” he countered. “That relationship, while entertaining, is also over.”
Bailey’s mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Arthur folded his arms over his chest. “You didn’t really expect me to impregnate you, did you? I mean ... I’m not an idiot. There’s no way I would ever let that happen.”
Danielle pointedly cleared her throat.
“Well, never again,” Arthur corrected. “I know about your history, Bailey. I know that you’ve made it a point to try to trap each boss you’ve had. I’m not going to play that particular game. So ... it was fun while it lasted, but you’re fired.”
Bailey was outraged. “You can’t fire me! I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I think the authorities would beg to differ,” Jack countered. “You knowingly entered into a scam with your buddy Slade here. You met while he was in prison and started corresponding with him. The pair of you schemed to bilk the St. Clairs out of money with a planned pregnancy.”
“I wasn’t planning on bilking anyone,” Bailey shot back. “As for the pregnancy ... yeah, I planned to have a baby with him, but because I love him. And his wife never gave him a baby. I mean ... he’s old and he’s never had a child. I was going to give him the one thing he’s always wanted.”
Danielle rolled her eyes. “You see me standing right here, don’t you?”
I swallowed the mad urge to laugh. It was uncalled for given the situation, and yet I couldn’t stop myself. This scene was straight out of an old episode of Dynasty. And, oh, how I loved my Dynasty. Actually, I preferred Falcon Crest. I was open for an ending from either right now.
“He wants a white heir,” Bailey shot back. “Heck, you heard him. He only likes white women.”
“He slept with my mother,” Danielle exploded.
“I was probably drunk at the time, so it didn’t really matter who I ended up with that night. I wasn’t always as discriminating as I am now,” Arthur hung his head.
“In other words, the bourbon eased the racism,” Jack shook his head. “Does anyone else want to leave?”
I was right there with him. There were still a few things to hash out, though. “Did you guys plan all of this? Did you fake the ghost sightings to drive Adele around the bend? You wanted her out of the house, right?”
Danielle frowned. “That was their idea,” she said after a beat, jerking her thumb in the direction of a mutinous-looking Slade and Bailey. “They had already started. I figured it out and confronted them. I wanted it to stop because I was determined to get to know my father.
“They refused to stop and instead offered me a way to help,” she continued. “They said it would be best for all of us if Mrs. St. Clair was sent to a hospital or something. It would allow us to spend time with Mr. St. Clair without her sticking her nose in. She wouldn’t end up hurt or anything, so I agreed.
“Aaron was hiding in the stairwell yesterday. He’s the one who tripped me,” she continued. “I wasn’t expecting it. He told me to tell everyone it was a ghost, so I did.”
“You said devil,” I corrected. “You said it was a devil.”
“He is the devil.” Danielle was matter-of-fact. “I realized that when he tried to trip me. I wanted to confront him about it, but I was fired before I could. That was probably his intention all along.”
I shook my head. “No, I think his intention was to kill you.”
Slade’s eyebrows flew up his forehead. “You can’t prove that. Besides, she’s lying. Nothing happened the way she said it did.”
I didn’t believe that for a second. “You tripped her because you wanted her out of the picture,” I surmised. “You figured if Arthur found out she was his daughter there was a chance it would ruin your plans with Bailey. You couldn’t have that.
“Sure, Arthur is a disgusting piece of filth and it was unlikely that he would embrace Danielle, but stranger things have happened,” I continued. “You came up with the haunting idea and were reasonably assured you could get away with killing Danielle because the ghost would be blamed. But the fall didn’t kill her.”
“No, but it did injure her enough to cause her to get fired,” Jack added, his gaze heavy. “In a way, that was even better for you ... until Danielle returned. Our presence was already causing the walls to close in on the two of you, so you met Danielle out here because you planned to take her out for good this time ... and instead you found all of us invading your space.”
Danielle’s eyes widened. “Is that true?”
“Of course not,” Slade scoffed. “They’re making things up ... and they have no proof.”
“We have enough to launch an investigation,” Adele challenged, pointing so the security guards knew it was time to take the three conspirators into custody. “I want them all secured and we’ll call for the police,” she ordered.
The security guards hopped into action without uttering a single word. Slade looked as if he was about to put up a fight, but one look at Jack’s dark countenance told him all he needed to know. Any attempt at escape would end in a fight ... and Jack would win, no matter how tough Slade fancied himself.
“You have no proof,” Slade reiterated, haughty.
“It doesn’t really matter,” I said. “We’ve done what we came here to do ... figure out the truth. It didn’t turn out to be ghosts, but we solved it all the same. That’s all that matters.”
Adele sniffled. “That’s not all that matters. I said I would pay up if it was a ghost. It wasn’t a ghost, so ... I’m not going to follow through on our negotiation.”
I wasn’t about to put up with that. “If you don’t pay up, I’ll spread word that Arthur has an illegitimate child all over the club. I mean ... all over. I’ll let the story about him and the maid who likes to sucker old men drop, too. Is that what you want?”
Arthur was the one to respond, horrified. “I am not old!”
“Let’s see how others hearing the story feel, shall we?”
Arthur held my gaze for an extended moment and then blew out a sigh. “Whatever you promised to get her to come out here, Adele, you have to pay her.”
Adele balked. “No. She didn’t hold up her end of the bargain.”
“Does that really matter now?” Arthur’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “We don’t want our business splashed all over the club. It will ruin us.”
“But ... .” Adele looked beyond frustrated. And then, finally, resignation washed over her features. “Fine. I want you to know I’m doing this under duress, though.”
I offered her my most predatory smile. “That makes it all the better.”
AN HOUR LATER, SLADE, Bailey and Danielle had all been escorted from the property. I felt a little sympathy for Danielle. She’d agreed to align with the others, though, so she would have to face her punishment.
Adele wrote the check to the chari
ty of my choice — a facility for teenage mothers who needed further education, a place where I’d been volunteering for years — and complained throughout the entirety. I promised I would get a huge plaque acknowledging her donation as soon as I got back to the city.
She didn’t find my offer amusing. Ah, well, sometimes people simply don’t get me.
I was more than ready to leave when I strolled out the front door to look for Jack and Charlie. I found them almost immediately.
They were in the yard close to the shed, sitting on the grass and talking as they stared at the beautiful vista. The house might’ve been overdone, but the view was simply breathtaking. They seemed to be calm, happy even, and they were having a good time as they held up dandelions and made wishes before blowing. Charlie kept dissolving into giggles, which was obviously Jack’s intention.
They looked relaxed ... and comfortable with each other. That’s what I wanted most for them. Sure, they might need a bit more time to fully come to grips with their new reality, but they were well on their way.
“Hey, lovebirds, are you ready to go?” I called out.
Jack shot a dirty look over his shoulder. “Will you stop saying stuff like that?”
“No.” I grinned as I pointed toward his truck. “We’re done here. We should be going.”
Jack helped Charlie to her feet, dusting off the seat of her jeans as they strode in my direction.
“And did you get your payment?” he asked when they’d closed the distance.
“Yup.” I held up the check and watched as Charlie squinted to read it.
“What’s Avondale?” she asked.
“It’s a home for teenage girls who get pregnant and need help with medical bills ... and continuing their schooling ... and dealing with their parents. I’ve been donating my time there for years.”
“Really?” Surprise etched across Charlie’s face. “That’s really nice of you. I can’t believe your payment was a charity donation. That’s ... really cool.”
“It is,” I agreed.
Jack slid his arm around Charlie’s waist and met my gaze. “You also did it because you knew it would drive Adele nuts. Admit it.”
“As you can see, it doesn’t take much to drive Adele nuts.” I turned my head to the house over my shoulder. “They’re both crazier than I thought.”
“What do you think will happen with Slade and Bailey?” Charlie asked.
I shrugged. I honestly didn’t know. “I don’t think it matters. It’s not our problem.”
“I agree with you there.” Jack tugged Charlie tighter to his side. “As for leaving, I’m right there with you. If I never see these people again, it will be too soon.”
“I always wondered why you left this world,” Charlie admitted. “I thought leaving all this money sounded crazy. Now I get it.”
I thought of Bernard, who was probably starting to worry ... and fume because he’d been stuck in the sensitivity seminar all day. “There are more important things than money.”
“Yeah.” Jack pressed a kiss to Charlie’s forehead and then directed her toward the truck. “You did a good thing here ... even if they don’t appreciate it.”
I beamed at him. “That’s the most important thing. Although ... did I tell you about this restaurant I know on the way back to the office? They have the best clam chowder.”
Jack grinned. “Maybe we’ll have to stop ... but that means we won’t get back until after the seminar has concluded.”
“Huh. Imagine that.”
“Clam chowder it is.”
Now we were talking.
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About the Author
I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my novels. I have a particular brand of humor that isn’t for everyone – and I know that.
If you liked the book, please take a few minutes and leave a review. An independent author does it all on their own, and the reviews are helpful. I understand that my characters aren’t for everyone, though. There’s a lot of snark and sarcasm in my world – and I know some people don’t like that.
Special thanks go out to Heidi Bitsoli and Phil VanHulle for correcting the (numerous) errors that creep into a work of fiction.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Books by Amanda M. Lee
An Avery Shaw Mystery
Who, What, Where, When, Die
If it Bleeds, it Leads
Buried Leads
Shot Off The Presses
The Preditorial Page
Misquoted & Demoted
Headlines & Deadlines
Misprints & Mistakes
Bylines & Skylines
Off the Record
Unwritten & Underwater
Extra! Extra! Dead All About It
On Deadline & Under Fire
Above the Fold & Below the Belt
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery
Any Witch Way You Can
Every Witch Way But Wicked
Witching You Were Here
Witching on a Star
Something to Witch About
Witch Me Luck
Life’s a Witch
Charms & Witchdemeanors
The Trouble With Witches
Murder Most Witchy
A Witch Before Dying
A Breath of Witchy Air
Witch, Interrupted
Flip the Witch Switch
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short
Careful What You Witch For
Wicked Brew
On a Witch and a Prayer
You Only Witch Once
The Christmas Witch
Bewitched
A Solstice Celebration
Witchdependence Day
Happy Witchgiving
Merry Witchmas
Four-Leaf Clover
Thistle While You Work
Landon Calling
I Dream of Twila
How Aunt Tillie Stole Christmas
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fantasy
Witchy Tales
A Witch In Time
Make A Witch
A Witchmas Carol
All My Witches
Close Encounters of the Witchy Kind
An Aisling Grimlock Mystery
Grim Tidings
Grim Offerings
Grim Discovery
Grim Reunion
Grim Expectations
Grim Holiday
Grim Rising
Grim Tempest
Grim Vows
Grimlock Family Shorts
Grim Like Me
Grim & The City
Now & Grim
Grim & Bear It
Grim & The Dead
Death Gate Grim Reapers
Only the Lonely
Only the Quiet
A Mystic Caravan Mystery
Freaky Days
Freaky Lies
Freaky Hearts
Freaky Games
Freaky Places
Freaky Rites
Freaky Witches
Freaky Reapers
A Charlie Rhodes Cozy Mystery
The Bigfoot Blunder
The Chupacabra Catastrophe
The Werewolf Whoops
The Megalodon Mix-Up
The Undead Uproar
A Moonstone Bay Cozy Mystery
Witchin’ USA
Witch Out of Water
Freaky Deaky Tiki
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bsp; To Spell With It
A Spell’s Angels Cozy Mystery
Bad to the Crone
Covenant College
Awakening
Whispering
Conjuring
Waxing & Waning
Graduating
Living Covenant Trilogy
Rising Covenant
Dark Covenant
Eternal Covenant
Dying Covenant Trilogy
Haunted Covenant
Desperate Covenant
Everlasting Covenant
2019 Shorts
Wolf on the Job
Luke on the Loose
Cupid in Crisis
Elemental Witches of Eternal Springs
Bat Out Of Spell
Spell on Earth
Hotter Than Spell
Spell or High Water
Millie on a Mission Page 10
