Along Came A Needle: A Mercy Mares Cozy Mystery by Ava Mallory Page B
Authors: Ava Mallory
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him. “Did you see anyone or anything unusual?” His eyes darted around the room as if he was expecting someone or something to move.
“Do you mean, like ghosts? That's not really true, is it? I don't believe in that stuff and, believe me, if I had known where Ruby and Diana were bringing me, I wouldn't have let them. That's probably why they didn't tell me.” I explained.
He sat down, put his head in his hands. “This place isn't haunted. I told you, that was Flynn's idea. He had some crazy ideas sometimes. I just went with it. Business is business, you know? It provided a healthy income for us and helped pay for some of the renovations, but there's nothing true about it.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. I'd never been so happy to not to have seen a ghost. “I'm so glad you said that. I thought I was going crazy.”
He looked up at me. “What do you mean?”
I shook my head to erase the memory. “Nothing. I just thought when I'd seen you in here the other night and you were... well, you know.”
His eyebrows quirked up. “I told you. I rarely come up here. I wasn't up here the other night. What did you see?”
I swallowed hard. Was this for real? “I saw a man. I don't know how to say this.” I cleared a spot on the only other chair in the room and sat down. “I thought I saw someone that looked like Flynn. Actually, he looked a lot like that man in the photos.”
“What man?” Chip pulled a photo out of a drawer and handed it to me. “This man?”
I looked at the photo. It was the same man from the photos we'd seen in the guest log book. “Yes, that's what he looked like, but I must be mistaken because that's not possible.”
Chip stood up and pounded his fists on the desk. “I can't believe this!”
I sat up straighter in my seat. What did I say wrong?
“Who is that,” I asked.
Chapter Twelve
Sitting at the same table with a potential murderer, did nothing to calm my nerves. I did as Chip requested, but I didn't feel good about it. In fact, all I really wanted to do was forget everything and hitchhike back to Lake Villa. I swear, I'll never take another vacation again as long as I live.
Chip really had this acting thing down. He smiled and laughed and kept the conversation going while I sat quietly moving the food on my plate from one side to the other. I guess a benefit of this excruciatingly long weekend was that I'd lose a few pounds in the process. This place would be better served to change its name to The Death House.
“Mom, how come you're not eating? You made it.” Diana nudged my elbow.
I looked up at Chip. He nodded slightly. “I ate while we were cooking. I'm stuffed.”
Jessica looked over at me. “You did? I guess I must have missed that.”
Chip cleared his throat. “I guess we all missed plenty in the last few days, haven't we?”
I gasped. We hadn't agreed to mentioning anything yet. What was he doing?
Jackson laughed. “I guess I got here just in time, then, didn't I?”
No one appreciated his attempt at a joke, except his sidekick. Paul laughed like those were the funniest words he'd ever heard. Annie, on the other hand, remained quiet, sitting on the other side of the table, with her head down. I wondered what that was about, but if I had to guess, a newlywed who suddenly had an ex-con interrupt her honeymoon wouldn't be the picture of happiness.
I hadn't had a chance to get acquainted with her yet, so I figured this was as good a time as any. “Annie, how are you doing this morning?”
She blushed, but it was hard to read why exactly. “I'm fine, I guess. Mostly, I'm just tired. I haven't gotten much sleep lately.”
Jackson laughed loudly, shaking the table and congratulating Paul. “Way to go!”
She glared at him. “Shut up. No one invited you to my honeymoon, jerk.”
Well, I couldn't blame her there.
Chip pushed his chair back from the table.
“Do you mean, like ghosts? That's not really true, is it? I don't believe in that stuff and, believe me, if I had known where Ruby and Diana were bringing me, I wouldn't have let them. That's probably why they didn't tell me.” I explained.
He sat down, put his head in his hands. “This place isn't haunted. I told you, that was Flynn's idea. He had some crazy ideas sometimes. I just went with it. Business is business, you know? It provided a healthy income for us and helped pay for some of the renovations, but there's nothing true about it.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. I'd never been so happy to not to have seen a ghost. “I'm so glad you said that. I thought I was going crazy.”
He looked up at me. “What do you mean?”
I shook my head to erase the memory. “Nothing. I just thought when I'd seen you in here the other night and you were... well, you know.”
His eyebrows quirked up. “I told you. I rarely come up here. I wasn't up here the other night. What did you see?”
I swallowed hard. Was this for real? “I saw a man. I don't know how to say this.” I cleared a spot on the only other chair in the room and sat down. “I thought I saw someone that looked like Flynn. Actually, he looked a lot like that man in the photos.”
“What man?” Chip pulled a photo out of a drawer and handed it to me. “This man?”
I looked at the photo. It was the same man from the photos we'd seen in the guest log book. “Yes, that's what he looked like, but I must be mistaken because that's not possible.”
Chip stood up and pounded his fists on the desk. “I can't believe this!”
I sat up straighter in my seat. What did I say wrong?
“Who is that,” I asked.
Chapter Twelve
Sitting at the same table with a potential murderer, did nothing to calm my nerves. I did as Chip requested, but I didn't feel good about it. In fact, all I really wanted to do was forget everything and hitchhike back to Lake Villa. I swear, I'll never take another vacation again as long as I live.
Chip really had this acting thing down. He smiled and laughed and kept the conversation going while I sat quietly moving the food on my plate from one side to the other. I guess a benefit of this excruciatingly long weekend was that I'd lose a few pounds in the process. This place would be better served to change its name to The Death House.
“Mom, how come you're not eating? You made it.” Diana nudged my elbow.
I looked up at Chip. He nodded slightly. “I ate while we were cooking. I'm stuffed.”
Jessica looked over at me. “You did? I guess I must have missed that.”
Chip cleared his throat. “I guess we all missed plenty in the last few days, haven't we?”
I gasped. We hadn't agreed to mentioning anything yet. What was he doing?
Jackson laughed. “I guess I got here just in time, then, didn't I?”
No one appreciated his attempt at a joke, except his sidekick. Paul laughed like those were the funniest words he'd ever heard. Annie, on the other hand, remained quiet, sitting on the other side of the table, with her head down. I wondered what that was about, but if I had to guess, a newlywed who suddenly had an ex-con interrupt her honeymoon wouldn't be the picture of happiness.
I hadn't had a chance to get acquainted with her yet, so I figured this was as good a time as any. “Annie, how are you doing this morning?”
She blushed, but it was hard to read why exactly. “I'm fine, I guess. Mostly, I'm just tired. I haven't gotten much sleep lately.”
Jackson laughed loudly, shaking the table and congratulating Paul. “Way to go!”
She glared at him. “Shut up. No one invited you to my honeymoon, jerk.”
Well, I couldn't blame her there.
Chip pushed his chair back from the table.
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