Read Online beyond the grave 03 - a ghostly demise by tonya kappes - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: tonya kappes
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back. Teddy’s brows pushed together, creasing the skin between them. “I’m so sorry.” I put my hands in front of me. “I’ll go get Granny. It sure was nice seeing you Teddy. Bye, Leotta.”
“Why you rushing off?” Cephus kept pace with me as I made my way back to the kitchen. “Tell them I’m dead. Tell them I didn’t up and leave them. Tell them that Vernon Baxter murdered me.”
I ducked into the bathroom; Cephus followed.
“Whhhhhaat?” My heart fell to my feet.
“You heard me. Vernon Baxter killed me.” Cephus stood ramrod straight and was serious as a bear on a hunt for food.
“How do you know Vernon Baxter killed you?” I asked in a hushed whisper. Vernon Baxter of all men would be the last suspect on my list. “I’ve known Vernon for a while now. He wouldn’t hurt a flea.”
“He did.” Cephus’s jaw jutted out. Face was serious, hair still kinky curly. He tugged on his polyester taupe pants that ended at the laces perfectly tied on his white, patent-leather shoes. “He was trying to hit on my Leotta. The last thing I remember, I went over to his house. He was out in the garden when I confronted him. He denied it, but I knew he was lying. Leotta had confessed. Straight up told me to my face that she and Vernon had almost knocked boots.”
“Knocked boots?” I asked.
“You know.” Cephus put his hands out in front of him and gyrated his hips back and forth. “Ump momma, ump momma.”
My nose curled and I got all sorts of eww and images I didn’t want to have.
“His telephone rang and he went inside the house to get it. Next thing I know . . .” He snapped his fingers and did a little tap dance, ending with his hands and arms in a ta-da. “Here I am. Dead.”
“Not only Terk Rhinehammer was after Leotta, but Vernon Baxter too?” I asked, making sure I had it straight in my head.
“Yeppers.” He shook his head back and forth, not a curl or hair moved.
“I’ll put him on the list.” I took my phone out of my pocket and made a note along with the others. The list was getting long and Cephus was on my nerves. I had to get him to the other side before he really did drive me crazy, over the edge, to my breaking point.
“What about that cold Stroh’s?” he asked.
“We’ll see.” I opened the bathroom door just as Granny jumped out of the way.
“Who were you talking to?” There was a pensive shimmer of shadow in Granny’s eyes.
“Jack Henry.” I put my phone back in my pocket. “We have dinner plans after I’m done here.”
“Hmm.” Granny was smarter than your average bear. It was almost impossible to get anything by her. “Well, tomorrow night before the carnival, there is going to be a meet-the-candidate cookout for me. The girls”—by girls she meant Auxiliary—“are giving it. I expect you and Charlotte Rae to be there.”
“I will be, but I can’t promise Charlotte will stick around after work,” I warned.
“She better and you tell her I said so,” Granny warned before she went out to greet Leotta and Teddy. She turned back around. “Who is that with Leotta?”
“He’s my boy and he’s a wrastler.” Cephus put his hand out to “tap out.” I rolled my eyes.
“That’s little Teddy.” I tilted my head around the corner of the door to get another look. “Can you believe he’s not so little anymore? He is some sort of big-time wrastler.”
“Wrastler? What’s that?” Granny asked.
“Wrestler. Big-time wrestler.” I gave her a gentle nudge. “You go find out while I finish up the dishes. You are good at getting the gossip. Plus, Bea Allen isn’t around to try to talk Leotta into voting for O’Dell. Don’t forget to ask about Terk. Or Cephus. Go.”
The little encouragement about the election was all Granny needed to find out everything I needed to know about Teddy. I wanted to know what they really thought about Cephus’s being gone for five years.
It was another half hour before Granny made it back to the
“Why you rushing off?” Cephus kept pace with me as I made my way back to the kitchen. “Tell them I’m dead. Tell them I didn’t up and leave them. Tell them that Vernon Baxter murdered me.”
I ducked into the bathroom; Cephus followed.
“Whhhhhaat?” My heart fell to my feet.
“You heard me. Vernon Baxter killed me.” Cephus stood ramrod straight and was serious as a bear on a hunt for food.
“How do you know Vernon Baxter killed you?” I asked in a hushed whisper. Vernon Baxter of all men would be the last suspect on my list. “I’ve known Vernon for a while now. He wouldn’t hurt a flea.”
“He did.” Cephus’s jaw jutted out. Face was serious, hair still kinky curly. He tugged on his polyester taupe pants that ended at the laces perfectly tied on his white, patent-leather shoes. “He was trying to hit on my Leotta. The last thing I remember, I went over to his house. He was out in the garden when I confronted him. He denied it, but I knew he was lying. Leotta had confessed. Straight up told me to my face that she and Vernon had almost knocked boots.”
“Knocked boots?” I asked.
“You know.” Cephus put his hands out in front of him and gyrated his hips back and forth. “Ump momma, ump momma.”
My nose curled and I got all sorts of eww and images I didn’t want to have.
“His telephone rang and he went inside the house to get it. Next thing I know . . .” He snapped his fingers and did a little tap dance, ending with his hands and arms in a ta-da. “Here I am. Dead.”
“Not only Terk Rhinehammer was after Leotta, but Vernon Baxter too?” I asked, making sure I had it straight in my head.
“Yeppers.” He shook his head back and forth, not a curl or hair moved.
“I’ll put him on the list.” I took my phone out of my pocket and made a note along with the others. The list was getting long and Cephus was on my nerves. I had to get him to the other side before he really did drive me crazy, over the edge, to my breaking point.
“What about that cold Stroh’s?” he asked.
“We’ll see.” I opened the bathroom door just as Granny jumped out of the way.
“Who were you talking to?” There was a pensive shimmer of shadow in Granny’s eyes.
“Jack Henry.” I put my phone back in my pocket. “We have dinner plans after I’m done here.”
“Hmm.” Granny was smarter than your average bear. It was almost impossible to get anything by her. “Well, tomorrow night before the carnival, there is going to be a meet-the-candidate cookout for me. The girls”—by girls she meant Auxiliary—“are giving it. I expect you and Charlotte Rae to be there.”
“I will be, but I can’t promise Charlotte will stick around after work,” I warned.
“She better and you tell her I said so,” Granny warned before she went out to greet Leotta and Teddy. She turned back around. “Who is that with Leotta?”
“He’s my boy and he’s a wrastler.” Cephus put his hand out to “tap out.” I rolled my eyes.
“That’s little Teddy.” I tilted my head around the corner of the door to get another look. “Can you believe he’s not so little anymore? He is some sort of big-time wrastler.”
“Wrastler? What’s that?” Granny asked.
“Wrestler. Big-time wrestler.” I gave her a gentle nudge. “You go find out while I finish up the dishes. You are good at getting the gossip. Plus, Bea Allen isn’t around to try to talk Leotta into voting for O’Dell. Don’t forget to ask about Terk. Or Cephus. Go.”
The little encouragement about the election was all Granny needed to find out everything I needed to know about Teddy. I wanted to know what they really thought about Cephus’s being gone for five years.
It was another half hour before Granny made it back to the
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