Audrey Claire - Libby Grace 02 - How to Blackmail a Ghost by Audrey Claire Read Free Book Online Page A

right. This did feel normal. I watched as the carrier opened my mailbox. She frowned and reached into the box to pull out an envelope. After checking it over, she held it up for me to see and shook her head. I understood she meant no one should place unstamped mail into the mailbox. Most people probably didn’t know, but it was illegal to place unstamped mail in mailboxes. The law wasn’t generally enforced, but it did exist.
    After the carrier left, I headed outside to see who had decided to leave me such a present. I did get the occasional flyer with coupons for Gatsky’s and some for the Piggly Wiggly, but other than that, it was just bills. As I approached the mailbox, for some reason, I started to get nervous. I tugged the little door open and stared into the dark hole. Okay, my mailbox wasn’t that deep, but it did feel like a cavern into another world at that moment.
    The envelope in question sat atop the others, my name clearly written in block letters and nothing else. No return address, not hint as to who had sent it. I pulled it and the pile out, hoping to find a clue inside, but something told me as I ran a thumb along the flap that this was not an ordinary letter.
    A single page came out in my hand, and I unfolded it. In the same large script, was written, I know what you are.
    The page slipped from numb fingers, and I scrambled to grab it as a breeze picked it up to carry across my lawn. When I reached for it, my hand passed through, and I realized I had dropped all the other mail as well, but they lay in a pile, unaffected by the wind. Okay, calm down, Libby. Someone is just playing a joke.
    I looked down at myself. I was still fully visible, and I figured out that I had not wanted to touch the letter a second time, so I couldn’t. Ian had taught me a lot of my existence balanced on my will, such as if I willed to go somewhere, I appeared there. When I didn’t will to touch the letter, my hand dematerialized.
    “Hey, what are you doing out here?” Monica called from the doorway.
    I paused, crouched over the letter. “This.”
    I was almost too scared to touch the letter again, but I forced myself to. Monica scooped up the rest of the mail, and we went inside. I dropped the odd note on the table, and we both stood over it. As soon as Monica took in the message, she gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth.
    “I think someone saw me,” I whispered. “When I panicked after finding Sadie.”
    “No way. They would have said something before now. It’s been what three days?” Monica reasoned. “Why wait this long?”
    “Because it wasn’t known at first if Sadie was murdered.”
    Monica sank into a chair. She started to touch the note, but then like I did drew back as if it might burn her. Curling her fingers into her palm, she stared at the sheet. I didn’t see fear in Monica often. She was the bravest woman I knew, but this time she was nervous on my behalf. “Do you think the killer saw you and sent this?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Maybe it’s a mistake, and they don’t mean you. Maybe they got the wrong house. After all, your name isn’t on it.”
    “That’s possible.” I tried to feel hopeful, but who would make a stupid mistake like get the wrong house when they were sending threatening letters? This was not a big city where one might not know many of the residents. I could name quite a few myself, and many knew my name and where I lived. I was by no means an important person in Summit’s Edge, but I would think most would know who the person the chief had spent an afternoon at the festival with.
    Libby, why are you arguing with yourself on popularity?
    I tried to calm down and look at the situation another way. “They’re not exactly forthcoming with what they think they know.”
    “Right,” Monica agreed, “and even if they do know you’re a ghost, let them prove it!”
    “That wouldn’t be so hard to do. Just stick me in a room and watch me for over two hours.”
    “Oh