Look Both Ways by Carol J. Perry Read Free Book Online Page A

bureau another time, okay? Now, you just get ready for bed. I’ll let myself out.” He kissed my forehead. “Dinner was great. You get some rest now. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

CHAPTER 6
    Pete picked up the abandoned coffee mugs from the floor and carried them to the kitchen. I heard water running and knew he was rinsing them out. Probably would put them in the dishwasher, too.
    What a guy.
    I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep when he walked past the bedroom and headed for the back door. I lay there, unmoving, until I heard his car start. I got up, retrieved the lace runner, and plopped it back on the bureau. Then I went into the kitchen, grabbed the new vase of flowers, carried it into the bedroom, and put it right in the middle of the center panel, trusting that would deter anyone, including me, from lifting the thing up and revealing the damned mirror.
    Hoping that Aunt Ibby would be at home—she’d been dating lately—I went out my kitchen door and down the stairs to the first floor. “Aunt Ibby? You here?” I called.
    She answered from the den. “I’m here, Maralee. Has Pete left already?”
    I walked into the room and sat beside my aunt on the couch as she hit the mute button on the TV. “He’s left,” I said, surprised by my own dejected tone of voice. I tried to sound more upbeat. “Oh, the dinner went just fine. It was after dinner that didn’t quite work out as planned.”
    She leaned forward and patted my knee. “Oh dear. You didn’t quarrel, did you?”
    â€œNothing like that,” I reassured her. “Not at all. It was the darned mirror.”
    She frowned. “Mirror? What mirror?”
    â€œI guess I didn’t tell you. Remember the mirror inside the top section of the bureau that used to be in my room?”
    â€œOf course. There’s one in the new bureau, too, isn’t there?”
    â€œYes. But this one is discolored. Tarnished so badly, it’s actually black.”
    She smiled. “We can get it repaired. Don’t worry. I know a furniture restorer. . . .” She stopped in mid-sentence, and her smile disappeared. “A black mirror. Oh dear. You mean you saw something . . . unpleasant in it?”
    â€œNo, thank God, I didn’t. Pete picked up the panel, and as soon as he did, I saw the flashing lights and the colors.” I shook my head. “I guess I kind of panicked. I hurried across the room and banged it shut. Probably scared the poor guy.”
    â€œWhat did he say? You didn’t tell him about that . . . thing you do, did you?”
    â€œOf course not. But he knew something was wrong. He thinks it’s because of my finding Shea and having to go down to the police station and all.”
    â€œWell, my dear,” she said, “that’s enough to upset anybody.”
    â€œAnyway, he was so nice about it. Told me to get some rest and he’d call tomorrow.”
    â€œFine then. It’ll be all right. No need to upset him with all that gazing foolishness.”
    â€œDo you really think so? That it’s okay to keep all that from him?”
    She cocked her head to one side, the way she does when she’s weighing a problem. “Hmmm. Not forever, of course. Maybe just for now. He’s got this new case on his mind, and you’re justifiably upset about it, too.” Again, the confident smile. “Don’t worry. You’ll know when it’s the right time.”
    I hoped she was right, and turned my attention to the still-silent TV screen. I sat up straight, pointing. “It’s him. That’s the man who bumped into me in front of the antique store.” I grabbed the remote and quickly hit the volume button.
    We listened to the announcer’s voice as we watched the man, still wearing the faded jeans and the tan shirt I’d described for Pete, being assisted into a police car.
    â€œGary Campbell is described as a