A Ghostly Undertaking by Tonya Kappes

the rug.
    â€œCan you please move somewhere else?” He jabbed his guitar at me. He pointed to the poster on the wall. “I’m the live entertainment tonight and this is my spot.”
    â€œLive music?” I read the poster. I had no idea Higher Grounds had live entertainment. “I’m so sorry.” I shuffled to the side.
    â€œRedecorating like your granny just did with the inn?” Beulah gave a crocked smile. I swear I saw devil horns pop out on each side of her flaming red head. “I bet Ruthie Sue Payne wasn’t even cold when Zula Fae got rid of her stuff.”
    I ignored her. I knew she was baiting me.
    â€œDon’t you love what Granny has done to the place, though?” I asked.
    â€œI do!” One of the other women at Beulah’s table jumped right on in. “I went there for dinner with Ina Claire the other day, and Zula really does have the best fried chicken and sweet tea around.”
    The table rattled and the lady rubbed her shin. I was sure Beulah gave her a swift kick under the table—­or poked her with her devil pitchfork.
    â€œHave a nice evening, ladies.” I smiled.
    Beulah nodded her head. “Emma Lee?”
    I cringed when I heard Beulah call me back.
    â€œYes, ma’am?” I used my good Southern manners and turned around. I clutched the magazine to my chest and tried to be the good woman my granny expected me to be.
    She patted the empty chair at the four top that was right next to her. I sat down.
    â€œTell me.” She leaned in, her blue eyes were like ice. “Why do they think Ruthie was killed?”
    The other two women leaned in. I leaned back.
    â€œI have no clue.” I shrugged.
    â€œEmma Lee, don’t you be going around lying to us. We know that you and that . . .”
    â€œJack Henry,” one of the other ladies finished her sentence.
    â€œJack Henry have a date tomorrow night.” Beulah winked. “Surely he lets you in on all his little secrets.”
    I shook my head. “Who told you we have a date? Because we don’t,” I protested.
    â€œEmma Lee,” Beulah reached over and squeezed my leg to the point where I grimaced. “You aren’t trying to persuade him not to call Zula Fae a suspect with your . . .” she looked me up and down, sarcasm dripping from her lips “ . . . Southern charm, are you ?”
    I jumped up and the chair crashed down behind me, smacking the floor. All the hushed gossip about the development had stopped.
    â€œBeulah Paige Bellefry!” I pointed at her. “You should be the one in that casket, not Ruthie! Don’t you dare go around accusing me of trying to persuade Jack Henry on this investigation! You will regret it!”
    â€œShe was acting this crazy at the office today,” Ina Claire whispered.
    I turned to glare at her, but realized the entire café was staring at me, even the guitar player, and the only sound was the percolating coffee coming from behind the counter.
    â€œEmma Lee, darling, are you okay?” Cheryl Lynne stood by my single table with my purse in her hand. “Maybe you have had too much coffee.”
    â€œIt’s okay, Emma Lee.” Mayor May stood in the door next to Scott Michaels. “It is very hard to adapt to changes.” She winked and waved.
    I grabbed my purse from Cheryl’s grip and marched past everyone and stopped at the mayor. It took everything I had not to reach out and grab those fake lashes off her eyes.
    Instead, I turned back around, looked at the crowd and then zeroed in on the guitar player. “Start strumming!” I screamed before I dashed out the door, behind the courthouse and back into the safety of my hearse.

 
    Chapter 12
    A few minutes later, I had the hearse parked in the town square parking lot. The inn was packed. Maybe Sleepy Hollow needed another restaurant instead of a five-­star hotel.
    I stomped across the