A Ghostly Grave by Tonya Kappes Read Free Book Online Page B

hands on the wheel.” Chicken Teater appeared in the back of the hearse, lying down where a casket would be with his arms crossed over his chest.
    â€œAre you a vampire ghost now?” I glanced in the rearview mirror.
    â€œRuthie Sue didn’t tell me you were a jokester. Though she did mention you were a little scatterbrained and blamed it on the Santa incident.” The next thing I knew, Chicken was in the front passenger seat next to me. I mean really close to me. His left arm draped around my neck and rested on my shoulder.
    â€œDo you mind?” I shrugged.
    â€œTwo hands.” He didn’t scoot over. He pointed straight ahead. “Eyes on the road.”
    â€œHow can I drive safely with you right next to me? Do you think you can die . . . twice?” I asked with a smart-­alecky tone.
    â€œRuthie also forgot to mention how cute you are.” He didn’t budge. “Charlotte Rae has always taken the beauty limelight; but you, Emma Lee, you are a beauty in your own right.”
    â€œWhat does that mean? Do you think I would take your compliment seriously?” I didn’t put much weight on his observation. “You think a chicken is the most beautiful thing.”
    â€œWait until you see Lady Cluckington.” Pride dripped on his face. “You are going to be jealous of her just like Marla Maria is.”
    â€œSpeaking of Marla Maria.” It was time to ask Chicken about the agreement he spoke about before he disappeared on me. I might be a Betweener, but I had no way of telling him I might need to talk to him when he wasn’t around. I had to get all my questions answered while he was right here. “I went to the courthouse to see if you had a will.”
    â€œWhy would you do that?” Chicken acted as if I had two heads.
    â€œBecause most people have to leave their things to someone, and you wouldn’t leave Lady Cluckington to just anyone .” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Chicken was studying every word I was saying. I had his attention. “What was in the agreement between you and Marla Maria?”
    â€œShe signed it. It’s in the house.” Chicken nodded enthusiastically. “Lady Cluckington is worth a lot of money if she continues to win in shows.”
    â€œWhat was the agreement?” I needed details of the terms.
    â€œMarla Maria, though she never told me, was envious of my and Lady’s relationship.” He took his arm from around my shoulder and crossed them in front of him. “I have a little bit of money and only a very good friend of mine knows where it is. Marla Maria has to take care of Lady until she comes with me to the great beyond.”
    â€œTake care, as in how?” I asked.
    Chicken pointed for me to turn into the trailer park. He was an Eternal Slumber client, but I didn’t go to clients’ houses.
    â€œShe has to clean her cage, keep her bathed, feed her the right foods, and enter her into contests. You know—­continue everything I wanted to do with Lady.” He pointed again. I turned the car down another street. “What the hell? What is she doing in my and Lady Cluckington’s Cadillac? She knows she can’t ride in the caddy unless it’s official business.”
    Marla Maria was getting in the driver’s side of the Cadillac. She had on a too-­tight black sweater that clung perfectly to her curves and stopped just shy of the top of her skintight black leggings, showing off a little skin in between. The five-­inch black stiletto heels made her already slender legs even longer and thinner. Her hair was pinned up with a red bandana neatly tied around her neck, making her red lipstick stand out even more. Way more.
    If she had a nickel in her back pocket, I could tell if it was heads or tails.
    â€œThat outfit is a far cry from what she had on this morning.” I pulled up in front of a double-­wide trailer a ­couple of