A Ghost to Die For by Elizabeth Eagan-Cox Read Free Book Online Page A

year.”
    “It’s a deal Otis.”
    Atlas had perfect timing and pulled a little on his leash. Otis noticed. “Okay Atlas, you and your missy best be getting home. I reckon Rosario will have dinner ready for you pretty soon.”
    “Oh, Rosario is away on a vacation, it’s just me and Atlas and, uh, Alex comes by at night to check in on us.” I was fudging some on the true facts of the matter but I did not want to start tongues wagging.
    “You don’t say, you mean, you are all alone at the Blackthorne place?” His face shaded into a rueful expression. Otis took off his hat and scratched behind his left ear. “Shannon, keep our phone number handy should you need anything, anytime, promise?”
    His concern touched my heart and made me a bit anxious. What on earth could he be concerned about? I smiled at him and said, “Why, of course I will. And Otis, remember I have Atlas with me, we’ll be fine until Rosario returns. Top of the evening to you and Harriet. Bye now.”
    I turned and headed back the way we came, Atlas walked beside me instead of six feet out in front. Half way down the block, I stopped momentarily and turned to wave at Otis and caught him staring at us. He stood straight with is hands shading his eyes against the afternoon sun. I waved, hoping that doing so would ease his mind, but he seemed not to have noticed me, at all. I turned back around and looked ahead out to the horizon and pondered, what did Otis see, feel or sense that sounded an alarm to my well-being?
     
     
     
    Chapter 10
    Our evening was quiet. Alex had called a few minutes after we returned home to say he was staying at his own house for the evening, if I didn’t mind. And I didn’t. Alex assured me he was only a phone call away and that he would be at home all night.
    I rummaged around in the refrigerator for a bite to eat and sat at the kitchen table munching on leftover pizza. Atlas had his kibble and then taking a cue from my childhood days of spending a night watching old movies in my room while my parents stole a night out together, Atlas and I cozied up on my bed to watch old movies. Rosario kept a collection of movie DVDs in the parlor library. I picked out one of my favorites, A Walk in the Clouds .
    After the movie I luxuriated in a bubble bath while Atlas remained on guard from the plush rug in my bedroom. I tried closing the bathroom door, but he bumped it open. I decided it was best to leave the bathroom door open, that way Atlas could keep an eye on me from his relaxed sentry position. It was lights out early for us. Atlas didn’t seem to mind a bit, he gallantly left the majority of my queen-size bed to me and draped his full length across the foot of the bed.
    He was still there when I woke in the morning.
    “Hey sleepy dog, how about you go outside to take care of your morning business and I’ll get us breakfast.” Atlas sprang into action and thundered down the stairs before I could get my robe on.
    I let him out and then put coffee on. I had enough time to wash up and pour a bowl of cereal for me, then a bowl of kibble for Atlas, before he knocked to come back in.
    We had finished and I was cleaning up our dishes when the phone rang, it was Alex.
    “Well, I’ve dropped Rosario and her sister off at the pier, they were boarding the cruise ship when I left. Everything is good, the weather is fine, and they should have smooth sailing. Oh, she was wearing the scarf you gave her, thought I’d mentioned that.”
    “Wonderful, what are your plans for the day?” I asked.
    “I’ll come over and fetch Atlas, in about an hour. He’s got a veterinary appointment today, just an annual, no problems. Then I’m taking him over to a friend’s house to spend the night there. She has two young teenage daughters who adore Atlas and they agreed to have him over for a night while I, uh, we, go to the party tonight. And you?”
    “Hmm, I have an appointment to have my hair done in about thirty minutes. Should I leave Atlas