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

yeah. I forgot about that.”
    “Maybe I should just throw it away.”
    “No!” Monica pulled my hand away from the letter. “Are you crazy? Then we don’t know who’s trying to mess with you. No, Libby, we’re giving it to Clark.”
    “What?” I shrieked.
    “He can have it dusted for fingerprints.” She walked to the cabinet and drew out a box of freezer bags. The fact that she knew exactly where to look said she spent a lot of time at my house these days. I didn’t mind, but I wanted to be able to let my friend have her own life. She was right. I needed to know who might have sent the letter. If it was the killer, we should know.
    As Monica picked up the note using the inside of the baggie, a new thought struck me. “What are we going to tell Clark? He’ll want to know what my secret is.”
    Monica had an excuse ready. She zipped the baggie closed and smiled. “We will say it’s just another nut who wants more drama in this crazy town, someone who wants to believe you have a reason to kill Sadie.”
    “But—”
    “Don’t worry, sweetie. Clark has more intelligence than to believe it. This excuse makes sense because of how vague the note its and Clark will be too busy determined to find out who sent it as well as who killed Sadie than to worry about any secrets you have.”
    “Hm, you might be right.”
    “I am right.”
    * * * *
    I left home a short while later to go to the police station. The letter and baggie were light enough for me to carry with me, but it meant I had to walk all the way to the station. I hadn’t learned if it was possible to blink in and out with foreign objects. Monica had to get ready for work, and I had assured her I would be fine going alone.
    When I arrived at the station, I hesitated, scanning the place for Bart, but he was nowhere in sight. Another officer occupied the desk to the right of the dispatch desk, and he waved me back with a smile. I knocked on Clark’s office and got a gruff command to enter. Peeking inside, I said, “Clark, do you have a minute?”
    His countenance brightened. “Of course. I was going to call you…”
    “Don’t worry about it. I know you’re busy. Should I come back later?” I glanced at the stack of folders. Clark’s office was always cluttered, but organized as well. He kept a folder on every person he interviewed regarding cases.
    Clark surged to his feet and rushed over to me. He took my hand and pulled me inside. I didn’t notice by the expression on his face whether he felt the odd sensation Monica did in touching me. I slipped my fingers from his as soon as I could and used the excuse of removing the baggie from my pocket.
    “This was in my mailbox this morning,” I told him, handing the baggie over.
    Clark studied it a second and then walked to his desk. I watched as he pulled a drawer open and brought out tweezers. With deft movements, he removed the sheet from its protection and scanned the handwriting on the envelope and then the single sentence on the letter. “Any idea what it means?” he asked.
    I swallowed and gave him the excuse Monica and I had come up with. Clark remained quiet, and I started to get nervous. He was astute at catching people in lies, and he could decrypt body language. I wrung my hands, took a deep breath, and pulled out my inner actress.
    “Clark, I feel like I’m being targeted, and I came to you because I need your help. It’s not easy living in Summit’s Edge with people thinking I’m some kind of bad person at every turn. I’ve lived here since I was a child, and—”
    “Easy, sweetheart,” Clark soothed. I froze at the endearment. Whatever else I had been about to say left my mind. He stroked my arm, but with the material of my clothes between us, I didn’t worry. “I’m going to find out who’s trying to scare you. No matter what happens, I’m here to protect you, Libby.”
    I’d gone too far. Now Clark saw himself as my hero, my savior. “Um, just…if you could look into