woods.”
“It will be worth it,” Terry said.
“Damn straight,” Rudy agreed. “I can’t wait to see this place filled with people. You guys think you’re tired now, you better get a good night’s sleep while you can. In a few days, you’ll be busier than ever.”
“You’re a ray of fucking sunshine, Rudy. You know that?”
“That’s why you love me.”
“Any other words of wisdom you want to lay on us, Captain Obvious?”
“Your face is about as ugly as Terry’s ass.”
Ken blinked. “Nothing’s that ugly.”
Chuckling, the three men began hiking back up the trail. They were almost to the out house attraction when they heard a woman’s scream. It pierced the night, echoing through the trees. Startled, Ken dropped his flashlight. They halted, glancing around in confusion while Ken fumbled for the light.
“What the hell was that?” Rudy gasped.
“That reporter,” Terry said. “It’s got to be her. Maybe she’s hurt.”
“Come on!”
Ken dashed up the trail, his footsteps pounding in the darkness. Terry and the fire chief ran after him. Another scream rang out.
“Hello,” Ken shouted. “We’re coming!”
“Miss Nasr?” Terry cried. “Is that you? Sound off!”
Wincing, Rudy stayed silent and concentrated on breathing. He reminded himself for the hundredth time since turning forty that he needed to get in shape.
As the three men charged forward, the screams abruptly stopped.
“Who’s there?” A woman’s voice.
“It’s Ken Ripple. I’ve got Terry Klein and Rudy Snyder with me. Is that you, Miss Nasr?”
“Yes.”
“Are you okay?”
“There’s someone hiding in this fucking out house! He ducked back inside.”
Ken and Terry glanced at each other. Terry snickered.
“It works,” Ken whispered. Then he called out to Maria, “It’s okay, Miss Nasr. Just stay where you are. It’s a dummy. You triggered it when you walked by.”
“ What? ”
“Oh, shit,” Terry muttered. “She sounds pissed off. Hope she’s not the suing type. Last thing we need is a bullshit lawsuit.”
“It’s a Ghost Walk,” Ken said. “What the hell does she expect?”
Rudy nodded in agreement. “It is supposed to be scary.”
They reached Maria a moment later. She stood just off the path, amidst heavy undergrowth. She stepped out onto the trail as they approached.
“You okay?” Ken asked.
Maria turned away from his flashlight beam, shielding her eyes. “You mind not shining that thing in my face?”
“Sorry.” Ken switched his flashlight off. “I’m Ken Ripple. This is Rudy Snyder, Winterstown’s fire chief. And you’ve already met Terry.”
Maria nodded at Rudy and Terry and shook hands with Ken.
“Nice to meet you—finally. What the hell just happened?”
“Well, you see Miss Nasr—”
“Maria. Please.”
“Okay, Maria. There’s a pressure switch buried just under the path. When people step on it, the switch sends a signal to the out house. The door flies open and a dummy jumps out. Then it resets again.”
“You were our first victim,” Terry joked. “Scared you good, huh?”
Maria glared at him. Then her expression softened.
“If you want me to be honest, I think I may have peed my pants a little. And I broke my flashlight. Dropped it when the dummy popped out.”
Ken grinned. “Can I use that as an endorsement?”
“That depends. Are you still going to let me interview you tonight?”
“After making you wait and then scaring you? Sure. I haven’t eaten since lunch. You hungry?”
Maria arched an eyebrow. “I could eat. I spent most of the day doing research.”
“How about we conduct the interview at the Round the Clock Diner? My treat.”
“Mr. Ripple, you’ve got a deal.”
“Call me Ken. Please.”
Maria smiled.
The four walked out of the woods together. The darkness closed behind them.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Levi’s body remained on the ground, lying hidden between the Dumpsters behind the grocery store. The stick was still
“It will be worth it,” Terry said.
“Damn straight,” Rudy agreed. “I can’t wait to see this place filled with people. You guys think you’re tired now, you better get a good night’s sleep while you can. In a few days, you’ll be busier than ever.”
“You’re a ray of fucking sunshine, Rudy. You know that?”
“That’s why you love me.”
“Any other words of wisdom you want to lay on us, Captain Obvious?”
“Your face is about as ugly as Terry’s ass.”
Ken blinked. “Nothing’s that ugly.”
Chuckling, the three men began hiking back up the trail. They were almost to the out house attraction when they heard a woman’s scream. It pierced the night, echoing through the trees. Startled, Ken dropped his flashlight. They halted, glancing around in confusion while Ken fumbled for the light.
“What the hell was that?” Rudy gasped.
“That reporter,” Terry said. “It’s got to be her. Maybe she’s hurt.”
“Come on!”
Ken dashed up the trail, his footsteps pounding in the darkness. Terry and the fire chief ran after him. Another scream rang out.
“Hello,” Ken shouted. “We’re coming!”
“Miss Nasr?” Terry cried. “Is that you? Sound off!”
Wincing, Rudy stayed silent and concentrated on breathing. He reminded himself for the hundredth time since turning forty that he needed to get in shape.
As the three men charged forward, the screams abruptly stopped.
“Who’s there?” A woman’s voice.
“It’s Ken Ripple. I’ve got Terry Klein and Rudy Snyder with me. Is that you, Miss Nasr?”
“Yes.”
“Are you okay?”
“There’s someone hiding in this fucking out house! He ducked back inside.”
Ken and Terry glanced at each other. Terry snickered.
“It works,” Ken whispered. Then he called out to Maria, “It’s okay, Miss Nasr. Just stay where you are. It’s a dummy. You triggered it when you walked by.”
“ What? ”
“Oh, shit,” Terry muttered. “She sounds pissed off. Hope she’s not the suing type. Last thing we need is a bullshit lawsuit.”
“It’s a Ghost Walk,” Ken said. “What the hell does she expect?”
Rudy nodded in agreement. “It is supposed to be scary.”
They reached Maria a moment later. She stood just off the path, amidst heavy undergrowth. She stepped out onto the trail as they approached.
“You okay?” Ken asked.
Maria turned away from his flashlight beam, shielding her eyes. “You mind not shining that thing in my face?”
“Sorry.” Ken switched his flashlight off. “I’m Ken Ripple. This is Rudy Snyder, Winterstown’s fire chief. And you’ve already met Terry.”
Maria nodded at Rudy and Terry and shook hands with Ken.
“Nice to meet you—finally. What the hell just happened?”
“Well, you see Miss Nasr—”
“Maria. Please.”
“Okay, Maria. There’s a pressure switch buried just under the path. When people step on it, the switch sends a signal to the out house. The door flies open and a dummy jumps out. Then it resets again.”
“You were our first victim,” Terry joked. “Scared you good, huh?”
Maria glared at him. Then her expression softened.
“If you want me to be honest, I think I may have peed my pants a little. And I broke my flashlight. Dropped it when the dummy popped out.”
Ken grinned. “Can I use that as an endorsement?”
“That depends. Are you still going to let me interview you tonight?”
“After making you wait and then scaring you? Sure. I haven’t eaten since lunch. You hungry?”
Maria arched an eyebrow. “I could eat. I spent most of the day doing research.”
“How about we conduct the interview at the Round the Clock Diner? My treat.”
“Mr. Ripple, you’ve got a deal.”
“Call me Ken. Please.”
Maria smiled.
The four walked out of the woods together. The darkness closed behind them.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Levi’s body remained on the ground, lying hidden between the Dumpsters behind the grocery store. The stick was still
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