Free A Ghostly Murder by Tonya Kappes

right on out from underneath and placed her hands in her lap. “Wasn’t that nice of Beulah? I’m sure I’m going to fit right on in.”
    â€œMighty nice,” Pastor Brown replied. “I hope I see you at this Sunday’s ser­vice.”
    He stood up and laid a tip on the table. Cheryl Lynne brought out my cup of to-­go coffee. I pulled a five out of my pocket and handed it to her.
    â€œI wouldn’t miss ser­vice for the world.” Beulah was the biggest ass-­kisser I had ever seen.
    â€œNow,” I drew Beulah’s attention back to me. “Where and what time tomorrow night?”
    â€œMy house. Seven o’clock.” There was a discipline to her voice. “And don’t you dare act up, or you won’t have another chance. Threats or not.”
    â€œSee you at seven.” The chair shrilled across the tile floor of the café when I pushed back and got up, leaving my to-­go cup on the table.
    I didn’t bother looking back, because I knew she was spitting mad. Beulah Paige and I had never really seen eye-­to-­eye. I’m sure it had to do with the fact that I had publicly called her out on her gossip over the past year or so. I did apologize due to the fact I had one too many drinks. Like most Southern women, she didn’t forget when someone wronged her. Not even after the apology I had given her.
    The only thing I cared about was the invitation to join the Auxiliary. The timing at her house couldn’t be more perfect. It would give me a chance to dig deeper into Mamie Sue’s past by talking to Dixie Dunn.
    If she and Mamie were as tight as Mamie acted, I was sure she had a clue to what happened to Mamie’s money. Or at least knew some of Mamie’s contacts.
    Luckily Doc Clyde’s office was in the old house right next to Higher Grounds. Ina Claire had taken her perch on the chair behind the sliding-­glass window. She didn’t bother opening the window to greet me. She pointed to the clipboard with the attached pen.
    Like always, I took the clipboard back to one of the old wooden chairs and sat down. I was careful not to bust one of the cushion ties securely knotted to one of the wooden back spindles. I filled out the form and put it back on the sill for Ina Claire to grab. I still had some time before Doc Clyde came to work, and I needed to get in those files.
    The Southern Living magazines were piled high between the two chairs. I picked up the one on top. It was dated five years ago. Haphazardly, I thumbed through it, trying to come up with a reason for Ina Claire to move away from her desk. The files were in the pantry right behind her, and no one was going to get past her. Especially me.
    â€œWhat about Ina’s scone?” Mamie tapped the sliding window with her cane.
    â€œWhat was that?” Ina Claire jumped in her seat. “Did you throw something at the reception window?”
    â€œMe?” I pointed to myself and asked. “No, but I did forget to tell you that Cheryl Lynne told me to tell you that your scone was ready.”
    It was like giving her a birthday present. The joy flooded right back in her cheeks. The door connecting the hallway of the patient rooms and the waiting room slammed behind her.
    â€œNo funny business,” she scolded me. “I’ll be right back.”
    â€œJust going to sit here and read this magazine.” I held the century-­old magazine up in the air and didn’t look up until I heard the outside door shut.
    I jumped up and ran over to the door, locking it.
    â€œYou are a genius!” I snapped my finger at Mamie Sue. “I wasn’t sure how I was going to get rid of her.”
    I helped myself back to the filing cabinet. Once before I’d had to illegally get a file on my granny, so I already knew the system pretty well. It was alphabetized, and Doc Clyde never got rid of any files.
    â€œWhat do you want with the files?” Mamie