Read Online Murder by Candlelight by John Stockmyer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: John Stockmyer
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ghost hunter. Alone with her
in an abandoned house -- night after night -- the inevitable had
happened; tricky, given Susan's attitude about "something on the
side.") Though Jamie had been exhausting fun, Z had hoped that,
like the ghost they'd hunted, little Jamie would fade
away.
"Hi."
"As uncommunicative as ever, I see,"
Jamie said in her "pouting" voice. "I got to thinking about you the
other day and decided to ring you up."
Z didn't know what to say.
"Thought we might get together again
sometime, for a drink maybe. To talk over old times."
No way. A drink wouldn't be enough to
satisfy sex-mad Jamie Stewart.
"Can't."
"No? Why?"
"Susan."
"Ah, yes. Susan." There was a pause on
the line. "I think I've been insulted."
"No." Z's fears that there could be
repercussions from his Jamie-fling were being realized. Not that he
could have done anything about it, thrown together with such an
attractive -- and eager -- girl. Shorter than Susan by quite a bit,
clipped blond hair, blue eyes, Jamie was ... built! Fun ... but
touchy.
"What's Susan got that I
haven't?"
Touchy. Enough for Z to
take care what he said. For instance, it wouldn't be a good idea to
say that the difference between the two women was that, while he'd
enjoyed making love to Jamie, he was in love with Susan.
Meanwhile, time was marching
on.
"I think I'd like to meet Susan,"
Jamie said at last. "Maybe you're right. Maybe she's
terrific."
"I ...." Z had begun to sweat,
something he seemed to do more frequently.
"Not a good idea."
"You don't have to be there, Z. Just
Susan and me. Girl talk. Just to get to know each other a little
better. After all, we've got a lot in common."
Was there any way Jamie
could find out enough about Susan to trace her down? Z was
thinking, and thinking fast! The way Jamie discovered there was a Susan was Z had a
picture of Susan in his wallet, Jamie "lifting" his billfold, going
through it to find Susan's picture, signed, Susan. Signed Susan,
with Susan's phone number, an old number, thank God! A "dead" number plus no last
name.
Still, no one knew better than Z that
Jamie was resourceful ....
For a wild moment, Z thought of
threatening Jamie -- how, he didn't know. ... Quickly gave it up.
He didn't know how to sweet talk her either.
"That concludes our little talk, I
think," Jamie said brightly.
On the other hand, sinister was what Z did
best. "Listen," Z hissed. "It wouldn't be smart of you to bother
Susan."
"Don't threaten me , Buster." Said less
in anger than with amusement. "You may be bigger than me, but I'm
the toughest little bitch north of the border." She laughed
sweetly. "So, having made one mistake, you've just made another.
You've upped the ante. And here's my call. I was going to settle
for meeting Susan. No revealed confidences. I wasn't going to kiss
and tell, if that's what you're worried about. And I still won't do
that. But now, just meeting Susan won't be enough." She paused,
thinking, "The only thing I'll settle for now, is seeing the bed
you two make love in."
"What?!"
"Want to try to threaten me again and
see what I come up with next?" This time, there was a long pause.
"I thought not. Better quit while you're behind, Z." A laugh and
the click of Jamie's receiver in the phone cradle.
Crazy! Crazy, the only explanation Z
could come up with as he fumbled down his own receiver.
The girl was mad.
Wanting to meet Susan?
Wanting to see the bed Z and Susan slept
in? ............
What a relief!
It was that last request
that had done it: convinced Z that Jamie was only joking. An
unmerciful kidder, little Jamie Stewart. Maybe she'd been serious
about wanting to meet Susan; probably had in mind running into Susan and Z in a
store -- accidentally on purpose. Would have enjoyed making Z
squirm for fear Jamie would spill the beans.
But to actually demand to
see the bed ....!?
Ridiculous.
Just kidding.
Had to be.
Z took a deep breath. Jamie Stewart
was a ball of fire in more ways than one.
A fire,
in an abandoned house -- night after night -- the inevitable had
happened; tricky, given Susan's attitude about "something on the
side.") Though Jamie had been exhausting fun, Z had hoped that,
like the ghost they'd hunted, little Jamie would fade
away.
"Hi."
"As uncommunicative as ever, I see,"
Jamie said in her "pouting" voice. "I got to thinking about you the
other day and decided to ring you up."
Z didn't know what to say.
"Thought we might get together again
sometime, for a drink maybe. To talk over old times."
No way. A drink wouldn't be enough to
satisfy sex-mad Jamie Stewart.
"Can't."
"No? Why?"
"Susan."
"Ah, yes. Susan." There was a pause on
the line. "I think I've been insulted."
"No." Z's fears that there could be
repercussions from his Jamie-fling were being realized. Not that he
could have done anything about it, thrown together with such an
attractive -- and eager -- girl. Shorter than Susan by quite a bit,
clipped blond hair, blue eyes, Jamie was ... built! Fun ... but
touchy.
"What's Susan got that I
haven't?"
Touchy. Enough for Z to
take care what he said. For instance, it wouldn't be a good idea to
say that the difference between the two women was that, while he'd
enjoyed making love to Jamie, he was in love with Susan.
Meanwhile, time was marching
on.
"I think I'd like to meet Susan,"
Jamie said at last. "Maybe you're right. Maybe she's
terrific."
"I ...." Z had begun to sweat,
something he seemed to do more frequently.
"Not a good idea."
"You don't have to be there, Z. Just
Susan and me. Girl talk. Just to get to know each other a little
better. After all, we've got a lot in common."
Was there any way Jamie
could find out enough about Susan to trace her down? Z was
thinking, and thinking fast! The way Jamie discovered there was a Susan was Z had a
picture of Susan in his wallet, Jamie "lifting" his billfold, going
through it to find Susan's picture, signed, Susan. Signed Susan,
with Susan's phone number, an old number, thank God! A "dead" number plus no last
name.
Still, no one knew better than Z that
Jamie was resourceful ....
For a wild moment, Z thought of
threatening Jamie -- how, he didn't know. ... Quickly gave it up.
He didn't know how to sweet talk her either.
"That concludes our little talk, I
think," Jamie said brightly.
On the other hand, sinister was what Z did
best. "Listen," Z hissed. "It wouldn't be smart of you to bother
Susan."
"Don't threaten me , Buster." Said less
in anger than with amusement. "You may be bigger than me, but I'm
the toughest little bitch north of the border." She laughed
sweetly. "So, having made one mistake, you've just made another.
You've upped the ante. And here's my call. I was going to settle
for meeting Susan. No revealed confidences. I wasn't going to kiss
and tell, if that's what you're worried about. And I still won't do
that. But now, just meeting Susan won't be enough." She paused,
thinking, "The only thing I'll settle for now, is seeing the bed
you two make love in."
"What?!"
"Want to try to threaten me again and
see what I come up with next?" This time, there was a long pause.
"I thought not. Better quit while you're behind, Z." A laugh and
the click of Jamie's receiver in the phone cradle.
Crazy! Crazy, the only explanation Z
could come up with as he fumbled down his own receiver.
The girl was mad.
Wanting to meet Susan?
Wanting to see the bed Z and Susan slept
in? ............
What a relief!
It was that last request
that had done it: convinced Z that Jamie was only joking. An
unmerciful kidder, little Jamie Stewart. Maybe she'd been serious
about wanting to meet Susan; probably had in mind running into Susan and Z in a
store -- accidentally on purpose. Would have enjoyed making Z
squirm for fear Jamie would spill the beans.
But to actually demand to
see the bed ....!?
Ridiculous.
Just kidding.
Had to be.
Z took a deep breath. Jamie Stewart
was a ball of fire in more ways than one.
A fire,
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