Read Online Who Invited the Ghost to Dinner: A Ghost Writer Mystery by Teresa Watson - Free Book Online Page A

conversation with one gentleman in particular. The gentleman was dressed in a tweed jacket, white shirt and black tie, with a pipe sticking out of his mouth. I hoped he didn’t light it; the fire marshal would have a fit. It looked like he was chewing on the mouthpiece as Joey continued talking, gesturing with his hands, and even pounding on the table at one point, much to the chagrin of the other people around them.
    I leaned closer to Mother. “Have you seen this hotshot director everyone’s talking about?” I asked her.
    She turned slightly in her chair. “There he is, I think, over in the corner with Joey Ingram. That’s Joey’s son, Reed, sitting next to him.”
    So that was Stephen Showalter. I wonder what they were arguing about so vehemently. A better question was how did Joey know a Broadway director?
    The buffet style worked well. I noticed people chatting with each other as they went through the line. I forgot about Joey Ingram and Stephen Showalter. It was nice to sit down with my family and friends without any interruptions. Mike had assured me that all of the evening patrols were covered, and the dispatcher knew not to contact him unless someone died. He had his phone with him, but it was on silent, lying face down on the table.
    I saw Richard go over and introduce himself to Stephen, who smiled and nodded at whatever Richard was saying to him. They talked for a few minutes before Richard rushed off to get ready for the opening act.
    The waiters cleared away the dinner plates, and served coffee and other refreshments to their guests. As they hurried off, the lights flashed three times, then dimmed. Everyone turned their chairs and attention to the stage. I had to admit that I was extremely nervous about Rachel and Diane. But I was hoping that they would be professionals, and give the performance of their lives for their audience.
    The first act went off without a hitch. The woman playing Madame Arcati was from the Dallas troupe, and she was fantastic. The three leads did a wonderful job, and there was no evidence of the tension that had been present during the dress rehearsal. Maybe it was true what they said: A bad dress rehearsal meant a great show.
    The curtain dropped on Act I, and the house lights came up. People wandered over to the dessert tables, while the wait staff went from table to table refilling drinks. Several people came over to Mother, congratulating her on a job well done. Mother seemed a bit overwhelmed by all the attention, but I was happy for her, and I could tell Dad was, too.
    The lights dimmed, and the curtain rose on the second act. When Diane (as the character Ruth) walked behind the couch, she suddenly stopped. She appeared to be looking at something on the floor. Just as she started screaming, I noticed a pair of feet wearing red heels sticking out.
    Mike jumped from his seat and rushed onto the stage. I was right behind him. He grabbed Diane by the arms and gently pushed her toward me. She was shaking like a leaf, and I wrapped my left arm around her waist to steady her. While I did that, Mike knelt down on one knee beside the person on the floor. I couldn’t tell who it was at first, because he was blocking my view. He checked for a pulse, then turned to look at me and shook his head. That’s when I saw who it was.
    Susan Ingram had managed to find a way to ruin Mother’s night after all, but not in the way she had probably planned.
    Ding, dong, the witch is dead.

 
    Chapter 9
     
     
    “D o you have your phone handy?” Mike asked me as he stood up.
    “Um, no, I left it in my bag on our table.”
    He started to walk away, but I reached out to stop him. “Mike, her husband is here.”
    “Where?” he said, looking toward the audience.
    “Sitting in the far right corner.”
    He peered out into the crowd. “I can’t see anything with those Klieg lights blinding me.”
    “Why don’t I get Richard to close the curtains, and then I’ll go get Joey?”
    “I’ll grab