Read Online All Hallows Eve: A Krewe of Hunters Novella (1001 Dark Nights) by Heather Graham - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Heather Graham
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England.”
“I think it was more than two nights after before you could rent either room,” she said. “So the people who should have been here during the day were you, John, Jeannette, and Naomi. And there is a security system. So if someone broke in, you should have known it?”
He shrugged a little unhappily. “Probably. But Jeannette and I were getting ready for a meeting of the Salem Psychic Research Society. We did find a college kid walking around, just looking, not doing anything bad.”
“But with this hugely popular attraction going on, you have no cameras, no eyes on the crowd anywhere?”
“We have plenty of eyes,” he said. “Every room has what Hauntings and Hallucinations calls ‘security guides.’ Someone not in costume, but in a black uniform, carrying a flashlight, there to help out in an emergency.”
“And the police have a listing of these people? Did they interview the ‘security guide’ working last night?”
“Of course. It was William Bishop, and he was a basket case. The guides are just simple hires, like the kids who go in costume. Most of them are college aged, a few are retirees. Some are just high school students. We comply fully with all labor laws.”
“Micah, I’m not concerned with labor laws. A man is dead.”
“It’s not my fault he killed himself!”
“But the point is, no one saw him do it.”
Micah flushed. “I had no idea John was here. I was upstairs. I have some files beneath the dueling skeletons in the tarot room. Our computers and communications are still up in that room too. Jeannette was with me. Like I said, I don’t know what time Naomi got here because I just wasn’t paying attention. But she was a little distracted because she hadn’t heard from John, and assumed he was taking the night off. I told her not to worry, I’d work the ticket kiosk with her if he didn’t come in. She told me they were short a few actors, too. Sally Mansfield, a local housewife who does this every year, was sick with the flu. So Jeannette said she’d be happy to be chopped up or whatever.”
“I saw Jeannette last night.”
Micah looked at her, surprised. “She said she was going home to bed. She was really upset by what happened. We all cared about John. Poor Naomi. She has to keep this going or the monetary loss will be incredible.”
“I’ve seen businesses closed down for weeks after a tragedy like this. But, I guess you’re right, the show must go on.
He hesitated and looked at her suspiciously. “Why are you trying to make a bad situation even more difficult?”
“I’m a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Micah. This is my job.”
She preferred not to be so pretentious, but sometimes she had to be. And with Micah, it worked.
“Of course, I understand,” he said. “But it was a suicide, wasn’t it?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Am I a suspect?”
“Actually, you are,” she said pleasantly. “So any assistance you can give me will certainly help in eliminating you.”
“Whatever you need. But you know that John’s personal life wasn’t going well. Oh, my. There was a murderer in here with us? But how? When? I don’t see how this can be possible. Oh, my God.”
He was panicked, of no help any further. So she decided to leave. “Thanks for your help. I’ll call you if I need anything.”
She turned to head up the stairs, back to ground level, and out through the front. Micah followed.
“Someone could have come in through the back, through the delivery entrance, I suppose, and we wouldn’t have known,” he said. “You can’t hear. I mean it is a big place.”
Outside on the front porch, Jenna noted the quiet location and sad feel to the day. The ticket kiosks seemed cheaply thrown up, the Halloween decorations worn and frayed. Everything was much more magical at night. Naomi Hardy sat at the kiosk, head bowed. Jenna glanced over at the cemetery. Midmorning light was rising, sending streaks of yellow
“I think it was more than two nights after before you could rent either room,” she said. “So the people who should have been here during the day were you, John, Jeannette, and Naomi. And there is a security system. So if someone broke in, you should have known it?”
He shrugged a little unhappily. “Probably. But Jeannette and I were getting ready for a meeting of the Salem Psychic Research Society. We did find a college kid walking around, just looking, not doing anything bad.”
“But with this hugely popular attraction going on, you have no cameras, no eyes on the crowd anywhere?”
“We have plenty of eyes,” he said. “Every room has what Hauntings and Hallucinations calls ‘security guides.’ Someone not in costume, but in a black uniform, carrying a flashlight, there to help out in an emergency.”
“And the police have a listing of these people? Did they interview the ‘security guide’ working last night?”
“Of course. It was William Bishop, and he was a basket case. The guides are just simple hires, like the kids who go in costume. Most of them are college aged, a few are retirees. Some are just high school students. We comply fully with all labor laws.”
“Micah, I’m not concerned with labor laws. A man is dead.”
“It’s not my fault he killed himself!”
“But the point is, no one saw him do it.”
Micah flushed. “I had no idea John was here. I was upstairs. I have some files beneath the dueling skeletons in the tarot room. Our computers and communications are still up in that room too. Jeannette was with me. Like I said, I don’t know what time Naomi got here because I just wasn’t paying attention. But she was a little distracted because she hadn’t heard from John, and assumed he was taking the night off. I told her not to worry, I’d work the ticket kiosk with her if he didn’t come in. She told me they were short a few actors, too. Sally Mansfield, a local housewife who does this every year, was sick with the flu. So Jeannette said she’d be happy to be chopped up or whatever.”
“I saw Jeannette last night.”
Micah looked at her, surprised. “She said she was going home to bed. She was really upset by what happened. We all cared about John. Poor Naomi. She has to keep this going or the monetary loss will be incredible.”
“I’ve seen businesses closed down for weeks after a tragedy like this. But, I guess you’re right, the show must go on.
He hesitated and looked at her suspiciously. “Why are you trying to make a bad situation even more difficult?”
“I’m a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Micah. This is my job.”
She preferred not to be so pretentious, but sometimes she had to be. And with Micah, it worked.
“Of course, I understand,” he said. “But it was a suicide, wasn’t it?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Am I a suspect?”
“Actually, you are,” she said pleasantly. “So any assistance you can give me will certainly help in eliminating you.”
“Whatever you need. But you know that John’s personal life wasn’t going well. Oh, my. There was a murderer in here with us? But how? When? I don’t see how this can be possible. Oh, my God.”
He was panicked, of no help any further. So she decided to leave. “Thanks for your help. I’ll call you if I need anything.”
She turned to head up the stairs, back to ground level, and out through the front. Micah followed.
“Someone could have come in through the back, through the delivery entrance, I suppose, and we wouldn’t have known,” he said. “You can’t hear. I mean it is a big place.”
Outside on the front porch, Jenna noted the quiet location and sad feel to the day. The ticket kiosks seemed cheaply thrown up, the Halloween decorations worn and frayed. Everything was much more magical at night. Naomi Hardy sat at the kiosk, head bowed. Jenna glanced over at the cemetery. Midmorning light was rising, sending streaks of yellow
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