Read Online Granny Apples 05 - Ghost in the Guacamole by Sue Ann Jaffarian - Free Book Online

and produce, also done by Lupe. Hector and I share front-of-the-house management during operating hours so that neither of us has to be here all day, every day. Hector’s off on Wednesdays, like today. I’m usually off on Mondays. During our slow season, we try to give each other whole weekends off.”
    â€œBut this is your busy season, right?” asked Phil.
    Rikki nodded. “Summers and school vacations bring in more tourists. Several times during the year there are special events here on Olvera Street and no one gets a day off until they are over.”
    Emma put her bag down on the floor and leaned toward Rikki, gently patting her arm. “I know it might be difficult, but can you tell me about the day your father died?”
    Rikki took a deep breath. “It was a Saturday in June, Father’s Day weekend,” she began, speaking slowly and swallowing a few times. “We were slammed with customers. Every table in the place was filled and people were waiting outside. Even though it was a busy time of year, Dad had given Hector the whole weekend off so he could go visit his oldest daughter, who had just had a baby. I was downstairs working with the staff. We were so busy I didn’t even notice that I hadn’t seen Dad in a while. When the rush was finally over, I went back upstairs and found him on the floor.” She pointed to a spot near one of the windows. “Right there. I called 911, but he was already gone.”
    â€œYou said yesterday he hit his head on the edge of the desk. That’s quite a distance from the desk,” Emma said, noting that Rikki’s desk was set at an angle between the wall opposite the sofa and the far window.
    â€œDad’s desk was positioned between the windows and took up a lot of the floor space in here. By putting my desk in this position, I get to look out the windows and open up more of the room.”
    Phil stood up and went to stand where Rikki had said she found her father. “So his desk was here?” He spread his arms to indicate the location. Rikki nodded. “Emma told me he had a heart attack and fell, striking his head on the corner of the desk, which would have been here?”
    He looked to Rikki for confirmation and she nodded. “Yes,” she told him. “He hit the rear right corner. It was quite sharp and struck him hard on his left temple and must have knocked him unconscious.” She took a deep breath. “The coroner said he died from the blow, not the heart attack.”
    â€œDo you know if he was standing or sitting when he fell?” Phil asked.
    Rikki gave it some thought before answering. “The police thought that when he started feeling unwell, he stood up and tried to go for help. That’s when he fell and hit his head.” She turned to Emma. “Why all the questions?”
    â€œWhen connecting with a spirit,” Emma explained, stretching the truth a bit, “it helps if we know more about the person’s death.” She turned to Phil and gave him a discreet look of warning, knowing he was playing detective. Emma didn’t want to make Rikki uncomfortable before they had a chance to approach the subject of Felix’s ghost.
    â€œAnd no one heard his fall or came upstairs, not even any of the staff?” Phil continued, even though he gave Emma a nod of acknowledgment. “Even with the staff locker room right down the hall?”
    â€œLike I said,” Rikki answered, “we were inundated with customers. It was between shift changes and everyone was downstairs pitching in.”
    â€œExcept for Felix?” Emma asked.
    â€œDad was downstairs earlier helping, then he got a call on his cell and took it upstairs, where it was quieter. That’s the last anyone noticed him.”
    â€œDo you know who the call was from?” Emma asked, then added, “I’m sorry to pry, but I’m curious.”
    â€œNo problem,” said Rikki.