Read Online Late Edition by Fern Michaels - Free Book Online Page B

forced. She simply told the truth.
    For the next hour, Toots, with numerous interruptions from Sophie, explained what had happened at the beach house. She even went as far as telling Bernice about their weekly séances. Had she bet money on Bernice’s reaction, she would’ve lost.
    Toots was sure Bernice would tell them they were crazy, and most likely those apparitions they saw were nothing more than hallucinations from too much booze. She didn’t tell her about Ida’s experience with the bathroom mirror. That could wait for later.
    Bernice watched Toots. She was frightened of something, truly frightened. All that Marilyn Monroe confession stuff, well, she figured Abby’s column was just a crock, and left it at that. The Bing Crosby and Aaron Spelling stuff, she’d attributed that to just more Hollywood bull. Now she wasn’t so sure. Pure, raw fear glittered in Bernice’s clear blue eyes when she finally spoke. “This is why you returned to Charleston, isn’t it?”

Chapter 8
    T oots was totally dumbstruck. Trying to maintain control of her newly fragile nerves, she swallowed back fear, unlike any she’d ever known. Even the experience the other night at the beach house hadn’t caused her such total and complete panic. The question was, why?
    â€œWhat’s that supposed to mean?” Toots asked, her words sounding wobbly and unsure.
    Bernice took a deep breath. “You’ve come back to . . . I don’t know, take care of things. Ghostly things. You know, like they do on television.”
    Had she?
    Toots didn’t have an answer. Other than a strong feeling of homesickness, there’d really been no emergency, no rush for her to come home. Well, there had been that ghostly husband thing, but she wasn’t going to tell that to Bernice just yet, either. Yes, she had some business to attend to, but it wasn’t anything that couldn’t have been handled through FedEx, fax, or e-mail. Maybe there was a purpose for her deep longing to return home. Maybe, just maybe, she was needed here, too, just not in the way she’d expected.
    The five women were silent. When they could no longer stand the stillness on the enclosed patio, they all started talking at once.
    â€œI brought my equipment,” Sophie stated.
    â€œI think we need to check this out further,” Mavis suggested.
    Ida shook her head. “I don’t know what to think.”
    That left Toots, who still couldn’t come up with a proper reply, at least one that would explain Bernice’s statement.
    Bernice stood up and grabbed the pitcher of tea. “I’m going to refill this and add a little something extra. You all can discuss what I said as soon as I turn my back.”
    Even though she’d not spoken a word since Bernice’s proclamation, as the unofficial leader of the group, Toots felt compelled to take charge. After all, Bernice was her housekeeper.
    â€œSophie, tell me your thoughts. I know you’re just dying to,” Toots cajoled, hearing the shakiness in her own voice and not liking it one little bit.
    â€œI think Bernice is right,” Sophie declared. “You wanted to come home for a reason, and it just might be it’s your new calling in life. We could be like those Ghost Trackers on television.”
    Toots looked as though she’d been sucker punched, because that very thought had just that minute crossed her mind.
    Would Sophie have known her thoughts if she wasn’t a mind reader? They were exceptionally close, but mind reading? That was too extreme even for Sophie. Lord, she needed to take a vacation. Maybe a stiff drink. Something to bring her back to her normal reality, though her reality, at least in the past year, had been anything but normal.
    â€œI’m not a mind reader, you kook. I just know you, Toots. That’s why I’m always one step ahead of you. Business is just an excuse you’re giving yourself