Read Online southern ghost hunters 01 - southern spirits by angie fox - Free Book Online
Authors: angie fox
Tags: cozy mystery romance
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single tear fell, bypassing her cheek and falling into the box. "Thank you," she said, suddenly quite proper, and for a brief moment, I caught a glimpse of the woman she'd been twenty years ago.
"You deserve it." Here was a woman who lived on her own, walked her property, and stood up for herself. She may not welcome all that many visitors, but she'd more than earned a helping hand and I was glad to be the person to give it.
A cold spot materialized to my right. I didn't see Frankie, but I could certainly hear him. "Ask her for the money."
He was like the devil on my shoulder.
I opened my mouth. Closed it. Exactly what does one say to persuade an old woman to part with a chunk of her long-awaited inheritance?
"That's a lot to spend," I said, in the worst lead-in ever.
Frankie groaned.
"Be kind," I muttered.
Truly, I could speak plainly with the best of them, but not about money, in the middle of the night, with an old woman who stood crying in front of me.
She wiped her nose on the sleeve of her robe. "You don't know what this means," she said, blinking back grateful tears.
"Here," Frankie said, "you just take it. Like this." I watched the bills ripple under Maisie's fingers. "Well, not like that, but you get the picture."
I took Maisie by the shoulder and steered her away from the sticky-fingered ghost.
"Don't you be high-hatting me." Frankie chilled the air at my back. "She's holding at least forty g's in the box. She won't miss half of that."
"Maisie," I began, "I don't know if you have plans for that money, but—"
She clutched the box to her chest. "I can pay my medical bills now. I was going to lose the house, the farm. This still might not be enough. But it's a lot. It'll go far, don't you think?"
My heart grew heavy. "Yes."
She needed it just as much as I did. And it was hers.
"I'm glad I could help," I said, fighting back the lump in my throat.
"Did my hearing go out or did you just let that dame off the hook?" Frankie's voice was incredulous. I waved him off.
I'd made her happier. And I think I'd also helped Josephine. It would have to be enough, I decided, as I reached into my pocket for my car keys.
Maisie was a woman alone. She and I both were.
"I'll come by and visit you," I added, "this time in daylight." I'd bring cookies when I could afford all the ingredients. If I recalled, she favored oatmeal crunch.
The urn bumped against my hip. "You're just gonna give up? On our house?"
My house.
It meant more to me than he could ever imagine, but there were some lines I couldn't cross. "This isn't right," I said under my breath.
"What's not right, dear?" Maisie asked.
I didn't realize she could hear so well. I turned back to her. "I'm losing Grandma's house." It hurt to even say it. "I wanted to ask you for a loan, but you need the money as much as I do."
Maisie sighed. "I love that old house. It used to be the heart of Sugarland when your grandmother was alive."
I nodded. "Our family has so much history there, but after what happened with Beau and me, nobody in town will lend me the money to save it and I don't have a fortune buried in the backyard."
She thought for a moment. "How much do you need?"
"Twenty thousand," I told her solemnly.
She let out a surprised cluck of sympathy. "I can't give you that much."
I understood, more than she realized. "Three thousand would cover lawyer fees to put off the judgment for another month. If you could spare that much of a loan." Of course I'd still have to figure out another way to earn twenty thousand dollars.
I doubted Frankie had another box of money up his sleeve.
Maisie Hatcher fingered the lid, not saying a word.
Then she nodded hard, a tear spilling down her cheek. "Oh, sweetie. I can lend you that. I'd be happy to."
I couldn't believe it. "Thank you," I squealed, hugging her before either one of us could think about it too much. "I'll pay you back as soon as I can."
She pulled back, flustered. "I'm
"You deserve it." Here was a woman who lived on her own, walked her property, and stood up for herself. She may not welcome all that many visitors, but she'd more than earned a helping hand and I was glad to be the person to give it.
A cold spot materialized to my right. I didn't see Frankie, but I could certainly hear him. "Ask her for the money."
He was like the devil on my shoulder.
I opened my mouth. Closed it. Exactly what does one say to persuade an old woman to part with a chunk of her long-awaited inheritance?
"That's a lot to spend," I said, in the worst lead-in ever.
Frankie groaned.
"Be kind," I muttered.
Truly, I could speak plainly with the best of them, but not about money, in the middle of the night, with an old woman who stood crying in front of me.
She wiped her nose on the sleeve of her robe. "You don't know what this means," she said, blinking back grateful tears.
"Here," Frankie said, "you just take it. Like this." I watched the bills ripple under Maisie's fingers. "Well, not like that, but you get the picture."
I took Maisie by the shoulder and steered her away from the sticky-fingered ghost.
"Don't you be high-hatting me." Frankie chilled the air at my back. "She's holding at least forty g's in the box. She won't miss half of that."
"Maisie," I began, "I don't know if you have plans for that money, but—"
She clutched the box to her chest. "I can pay my medical bills now. I was going to lose the house, the farm. This still might not be enough. But it's a lot. It'll go far, don't you think?"
My heart grew heavy. "Yes."
She needed it just as much as I did. And it was hers.
"I'm glad I could help," I said, fighting back the lump in my throat.
"Did my hearing go out or did you just let that dame off the hook?" Frankie's voice was incredulous. I waved him off.
I'd made her happier. And I think I'd also helped Josephine. It would have to be enough, I decided, as I reached into my pocket for my car keys.
Maisie was a woman alone. She and I both were.
"I'll come by and visit you," I added, "this time in daylight." I'd bring cookies when I could afford all the ingredients. If I recalled, she favored oatmeal crunch.
The urn bumped against my hip. "You're just gonna give up? On our house?"
My house.
It meant more to me than he could ever imagine, but there were some lines I couldn't cross. "This isn't right," I said under my breath.
"What's not right, dear?" Maisie asked.
I didn't realize she could hear so well. I turned back to her. "I'm losing Grandma's house." It hurt to even say it. "I wanted to ask you for a loan, but you need the money as much as I do."
Maisie sighed. "I love that old house. It used to be the heart of Sugarland when your grandmother was alive."
I nodded. "Our family has so much history there, but after what happened with Beau and me, nobody in town will lend me the money to save it and I don't have a fortune buried in the backyard."
She thought for a moment. "How much do you need?"
"Twenty thousand," I told her solemnly.
She let out a surprised cluck of sympathy. "I can't give you that much."
I understood, more than she realized. "Three thousand would cover lawyer fees to put off the judgment for another month. If you could spare that much of a loan." Of course I'd still have to figure out another way to earn twenty thousand dollars.
I doubted Frankie had another box of money up his sleeve.
Maisie Hatcher fingered the lid, not saying a word.
Then she nodded hard, a tear spilling down her cheek. "Oh, sweetie. I can lend you that. I'd be happy to."
I couldn't believe it. "Thank you," I squealed, hugging her before either one of us could think about it too much. "I'll pay you back as soon as I can."
She pulled back, flustered. "I'm
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