Wilmington, NC 03 - Murder On The Ghost Walk

salivating to do my house, but as a special favor to Melanie I gave the commission to you -- a nobody. Now I'm not going to let some little nobody decorator spoil my big chance with Lifetime . . .”
    "I . . . "
    " . . . because I'll sue your bony ass from here to kingdom come if you don't bring this job in on time!"
    "Will you just let me explain!" I banged the steering wheel with my fist; the horn blared. We both jumped.
    "All right, I'm listening." Mirabelle fixed me with a hostile glare.
    I explained that we'd discovered the skeletons of a man and a woman in the kitchen wall, that the house was a homicide scene, sealed by the police.
    Mirabelle stroked her upper arms, then rested her head against the headrest, and let out a whistle. A smile played on her lips. "This is good. Having people say the house was haunted was what attracted me to it in the first place, all that stuff about the ghost organist. I could have bought any number of historic mansions. But this, well you can't buy publicity like this. My ratings will skyrocket. Everyone will tune in to my show just to see a murder site. Ashley, sweetie, you couldn't have given me better news!"

5

    “I don’t know why I bother with the entrée list,” I told Jon. “I should skip right ahead to the dessert menu. That’s what I like best.”
    “Order whatever you want,” he said, giving me “that look” and smiling like his face would break in two .
    He’s been looking at me in this special way ever since we met. Well, I should correct that: met for th e second time. We had met , years ago, when I was about fourteen, and he about twenty-two and just finishing his undergraduate degree at NC State. Jon Campbell was part of Melanie’s crowd. I was the kid sister he never even noticed. Until now.
    “Oh, that Mirabelle Morgan. What a piece of work ,” I cried .
    After I drove her home to Landfall , I called Jon to fill him in on her latest demands. I knew he’d commiserate with me. She had been making both our lives miserable for weeks . He’d suggested dinner at Port Land Grille at Lumina Station. The days were growing shorter and Lumina sparkled in the darkness like its name sake , the original Lumina Dance Pavilion , used to light up Wrightsville Beach in the days before the Second World War . Soft br eezes from the coast rocked empty white rocking chairs out on the porches.
    Inside the restaurant, t he lights were soft and the service impeccable. As we shared a bottle of California red, I wondered why life couldn't always be this simple.
    Jon re filled my glass. "Don't let Mirabelle get you down ." Jon’s reputation in the restoration field i s outstanding. I was thrilled to be working with him .
    I swallowed a sip of wine. "How does she manage it? This is a woman who does silly things like roll up linen place mats between sheets of tissue paper and ties them with perfect bows. She insisted I get involved with the police investigation. 'Help speed things along,' she said."
    Jon's warm brown eyes crinkled merrily. "Shall I start calling you Nancy Drew?"
    Our waiter arrived. “Actually, I’m not very hungry. Madam spoiled my appetite. Think I’ll just have an appetizer.” I ordered a slice of beef tenderloin with cheese, olives, onion, and crackers. " That should do me fine. What are you having?”
    “I need something more substantial. I never did get lunch.” To the waiter he said, “I’ll have the grilled grouper.”
    “Good choice,” the waiter said, “fresh off the boat this morning at Southport.”
    After he left, I told Jon, “ I know you're trying to make me feel better. I'm ashamed to confess I did call Detective Yost and left a message for him. I don't want to lose this job. It's my big chance. I'll do anything."
    I didn't tell Jon how my heart had beat faster when I asked for Detective Yost, how I was almost relieved when he wasn't at the station to take my call because I didn't think I could speak to him without gushing.
    Jon's hand covered mine on the table. "What can I do to help, Ashley?"
    I shook my head in frustration. "Just back me up."
    "You know I'll do that."
    His kindness undid me and my sob-story came pouring out. "Sure I have a contract that gives me until January to complete the kitchen, but what good does that do me? I'm the new girl in town. I've got to prove myself. I don't have the money to get into a protracted legal battle with Mirabelle . And even if I did and won, she would bad-mouth me all over town. She'd