An Uninvited Ghost by E.J. Copperman Read Free Book Online

“It’s very frustrating wanting to do something, and being unable to because you’re . . . like me.”
    So now he was playing the dead card. “I’m not heartless,” I told him. “I’m cautious. I don’t see this Scott thing turning out well for anybody. And I have no idea, even with my extensive investigator training, how to find out if somebody died when I don’t even know who that somebody might be.”
    “Your extensive investigator training consisted of me telling you how to pass the exam,” Paul reminded me, oblivious to the sarcastic edge in my voice, I guess. “And I think if someone died from a sword injury in an abandoned hotel, that might narrow the field of possible victims somewhat.”
    “Fine. I’ll ask around a little tomorrow. But I have to be around for the séance tomorrow night, and so do you. And I’m still wondering exactly how we’re going to break it to your new best friend if we find out that he did in fact kill a little old lady.”
    Paul bit his lips. “We’ll have to decide that if it happens,” he said.
    I started back toward the main room, and Paul followed along. “I’m just telling you ahead of time, I’m not happy about this one.” I told him.
    “Noted. But I think you’ll find that you enjoy helping people out this way. You’re easing a man’s mind for all eternity; isn’t that worth something?”
    There was a lot less peace and quiet in the main room than when I’d left. I picked up the pace when I realized that a group had gathered in the middle of the room, and the front door was standing wide open. Instinctively, I looked around for Melissa, but didn’t see her. I started walking even faster.
    I calmed down a little when I noticed Maxie hovering near the ceiling, grinning from ear to ear. Whatever her faults (and I could chronicle them, given the time), Maxie is devoted to Melissa, and would never be smiling if she saw my daughter in any kind of difficulty.
    I got to the entry area, Paul just behind me, and tried to sort through the crowd. Melissa was indeed there, looking just fine, but confused. My mother stood near her, but was facing the group gathered in the center of the room. The two guys from the game room and Linda Jane were standing in the center of the room, forming a circle around . . . Who were those people?
    “It wasn’t a real hot tub,” said a man I couldn’t see for all the people in the way. “It was a much larger tub we had built there, so more of the cast could be seen at once.”
    “Oh my!” Warren breathed. “It all looked so real!”
    “It’s real, all right,” the man’s voice answered. “Everything that happens on camera really happens. We just make sure it looks as good as it can when it happens.”
    “Excuse me,” I almost shouted. “I’m the proprietor here. Can I help you?”
    “Oh, Alison!” Jim said. “It’s amazing! I’m so glad you didn’t tell us it was going to happen—the surprise is wonderful!”
    “What surprise?” Apparently, I was surprising the guests with something so secret, even I didn’t know about it.
    The crowd parted, and standing in its center was a man of about thirty, with a haircut that had probably cost as much as the sofa in my main room. He wore blue jeans carefully aged to look as if they hadn’t been carefully aged, a polo shirt with a logo so trendy I didn’t recognize it, and shoes designed to look extremely casual at about three hundred dollars a pair.
    “I’m sorry,” he said. “Are you Ms. Kerby?”
    Melissa stood up and walked to my side, and instinctively, I put my arm around her, suddenly feeling like she needed to be protected. Mom walked over to stand at my side. The Kerby girls were closing ranks. “Yes,” I admitted. “I’m Alison Kerby. Who are you, and how did you get in?”
    The young man stepped forward and offered a hand. “My apologies,” he said. “I came in looking for you, and we got caught up. My name is Trent Avalon.” He produced a business