Murder Vows (Storage Ghost Murders Book 4) by Gillian Larkin Read Free Book Online Page B

park, Gordon’s van was still there. Gordon and
Sylvia were chatting by the back doors. She could rush over and ask Gordon
about some building work.
    An
ear-splitting whistle rang out. Grace knew that sound, Frankie had tormented
her many times with his whistling when they were younger. She looked back at
Frankie. What was his problem?
    Grace
decided to go back to Frankie. She could just imagine him storming over if she
took the opportunity to speak to Gordon now. As she approached Frankie she
said, “What’s wrong? You don’t have to shout at me like that!”
    Frankie
jabbed his finger towards the cafe. “I saw you! Sitting in the cafe, having a
cup of tea like you’ve got all day to do what you want. And all the time, I’m
in this shop slaving away.”
    Grace
took a step closer to him. “I know you’re in a bad mood because of some
football match but you’re not going to take your bad mood out on me! I have a
right to a break and, for your information, I never got to have a cup of tea
because I was trying to get away from one of your ex-girlfriends.” Grace shoved
the paper-clad sandwich into Frankie’s chest. “This is for you! I hope you
enjoy it, if you’re not too mad to eat it.”
    Frankie
gulped and looked down at the sandwich. He took hold of it and sniffed it. “Is
it...?”
    “Yes,
it’s that disgusting concoction that you love. Are you going to let me in to
the shop or not?”
    Frankie
cleared his throat and mumbled, “Sorry, Grace. I’m being a prat. Of course you
deserve a break. Sorry. Hang on. You said, ‘ex-girlfriend’. Which one?”
    “Chloe.
She’s got purple hair but she said she used to have green hair.”
    The
colour ran out of Frankie’s face. “Has she got a loud voice? Like a fog-horn?”
    Grace
nodded.
    Frankie
grabbed her by the arm and shoved her into the shop. He slammed the door and
leant against it. “Grace, what did she say? Did she ask about me? Does she know
I’m alive?”
    Grace
smiled. All his earlier bravado and anger had disappeared. She said, “Yes, she
asked about you. She’s written her number on that paper bag. Shall I go back
and let her know you’re interested in meeting up again?”
    Frankie’s
arm shot out. “No! I can’t go through that again. She’s so intense. And so
loud! Is she coming over? Quick! Look out of the window!”
    “It’s
all right, she’s not coming over here.” Grace had an idea. “She might though.
Why don’t you take the rest of the day off in case she does? Then I can take
the morning off tomorrow.”
    “Really?
You’d do that? Thanks, Grace.”
    “And
I’d like the van tomorrow.”
    Frankie’s
eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure about that.”
    “Just
how loud was Chloe?” Grace said.
    “Okay,
you can take the van.” Frankie hunched his shoulders and tip-toed away.
    Grace
said, “She can’t see you through the door, you don’t have to walk like that.”
    Frankie
nodded. He stood straight and set off walking at a normal pace. There was a
creak as the shop door opened. Like a streak of lightning Frankie shot off
through the shop.
    It
wasn’t Chloe coming into the shop, it was Mrs Brown, one of their regulars.
    Pearl
had been watching the exchange between Frankie and Grace. She said, “Well done
for standing up to him. It’ll serve him right if that Chloe person catches up
to him. I take it you need tomorrow morning off for a specific reason?”
    Grace
nodded. She waited until Mrs Brown walked further into the shop before quickly
filling Pearl in about her visit to the hotel. “I have to go back tomorrow to
officially look at the honeymoon suite. It would be good if Archie could come
with me, he might be able to remember more things. I suppose I’ll have to take
the suitcase with me.”
    Pearl
tapped her chin. “Unless he’s attached to that necklace, the one with the
hammer pendant. It seems to have a special meaning for him. He still hasn’t
told us the story behind it.”
    Pearl
was right about the