Read Online The Ghost and the Mystery Writer by Anna J. McIntyre - Free Book Online Page B

do with Jolene?”
    â€œI just figured, with a murder in such close proximity, she’d be out there soaking up story fodder for future books.”
    â€œFrom how she’s been glued to her typewriter, I think she already has her next book worked out.”

    â€œ W hat’s this about a tattoo ?” Walt asked when Danielle was finally off the phone.
    â€œLily finally did it. She’s making the tattoo hers.”
    Walt understood what Danielle was talking about. After kidnapping Lily, in his attempt to make the world believe the comatose young woman was his niece Isabella, Stoddard Gusarov had Lily’s arm tattooed—a dragon tattoo exactly like the one his late niece had worn.
    Lily had contemplated removing the tattoo, but because of the ink used, the painful process would leave her arm severely scarred. Instead of removal, Lily decided to make the tattoo hers by adding additional artwork.
    â€œI’m curious to see it. But I still can’t get used to how women of your generation mark up their bodies.”
    â€œTimes have changed.”
    â€œSo you keep reminding me,” Walt said as he followed Danielle from the kitchen to the hallway, with Sadie trailing behind them.
    They made their way to the parlor, where they found Max dozing on the sofa. Danielle promptly picked up the feline and put him on her lap as she sat down. Max yawned and opened his eyes.
    Spying the cat on Danielle’s lap, Sadie rushed to the sofa and nosed the feline, only to be greeted by a scolding swat of a paw across her nose. Uninjured, as no claws were involved, Sadie gave another sniff, endured another swat, and then curled up on the floor by Danielle’s feet.
    â€œSo tell me about today—what you know about the murder. Did you see her spirit?” Walt asked.
    â€œYes, I did. But she didn’t talk to me. In fact, she ignored me.” Absently, Danielle scratched under Max’s chin. He closed his eyes and began to purr.
    â€œAre you saying she hasn’t warmed up to you in death?” Walt chuckled.
    â€œMore like I don’t even exist. But she tried awful hard to get MacDonald’s attention. She showed him where her rings were.”
    â€œRings?” Walt frowned.
    â€œWhoever killed Jolene hit her over the head with a wine bottle. They were under the pier. He…or she…took off Jolene’s rings. She wore a diamond ring on every finger, even her thumbs. The killer dumped the rings off the end of the pier. We figure he did that because he didn’t want to be caught with her jewelry, but had to take them so the police would think it was a robbery. Unbeknownst to the killer, the rings got tangled up in some fish netting that was stuck to the side of the pier. They recovered nine of her rings. The chief assumes one of the rings didn’t make it into the netting and is probably at the bottom of the water under the pier. I think it’s possible the killer kept one ring as a souvenir.”
    Walt stared blankly at Danielle.
    â€œWhat is it?” she asked.
    â€œNo…the killer didn’t keep the tenth ring,” Walt said in a low voice.
    â€œWhy do you say that?” Danielle frowned.
    â€œI think our mystery writer is the killer.”

Chapter Nine
    â€œ W hat are you talking about ?” Danielle watched Walt from her place on the parlor sofa.
    Agitated, he paced the small room. The jacket of his gray three-piece suit suddenly vanished—as did his tie—leaving him wearing just his vest with his white shirt—its sleeves now rolled up (they hadn’t been a moment earlier)—and his slacks, socks and black dress shoes.
    â€œWhat you just told me.” Walt stopped pacing and turned to face Danielle. “All of that, Jolene getting killed under the pier, being hit with a wine bottle, having her rings removed. I didn’t know the rings landed in a net, just that the killer tossed them off the pier. And I