Free The Skeleton Haunts a House by Leigh Perry Page B

confusing, but there were so many people around. Could it have been a random murder of opportunity?
    â€œGeorgia!” Sid said, and I realized everybody else in the room was looking at me.
    â€œHmmm?”
    â€œDo you know what time Deborah is planning to come over?” Mom asked.
    Fortunately my sister texted me at that very moment. “She’s on her way to Town House right now,” I said. “What kind of pizza do people want?” After we negotiated our order, Madison and I went to set the dining room table and get drinks. We had everything ready by the time Deborah arrived, and we dug right in.
    It was, I realized, a special occasion of sorts. Since Madison had only been formally introduced to Sid during Mom and Phil’s sabbatical, this was the first time all six of us had sat down to eat together. Not that Sid actually ate, of course, but he was there at the table. I wasn’t the only one who noticed, either. Sid was grinning to beat the band. It’s not easy to have facial expressions when you’re a skeleton and don’t technically have a face, but somehow he manages.
    After dinner was eaten and cleaned up, my parents went to their room to finish unpacking and Madison got picked up by a friend to hang at another friend’s house. Deborah, Sid, and I ended up in the living room.
    â€œSo let’s talk murder,” Sid said. “Deborah, I know you’drather Georgia and I not stick our noses in things like this, but this time I think—”
    â€œStow it, Bone Boy. I want you to stick your nose in. Or nasal cavity, if that’s all you’ve got to work with.”
    â€œYou do?” he said, eye holes wide with astonishment.
    She nodded. “It’s Georgia who’s balking.”
    He turned to me. “You are?”
    â€œI just don’t see why we need to get involved.”
    â€œCome on, we all know you’re going to,” Deborah said. “Sid is ready and raring to play Sherlock Bones, and you like being Dr. Watson.”
    â€œWhy isn’t he Dr. Watson?”
    â€œBecause Sherlock Thackery sounds lame,” Sid said. “And you are a doctor.”
    â€œBut—”
    Deborah cleared her throat loudly. “Georgia, you can be Holmes, or Nancy Drew, or Jessica Fletcher. Just find out what happened to that girl. It’s not like I ask you for much.”
    I couldn’t argue with that. Over the years, my big sister had helped me with child care, loans, and keeping an eye on our parents while I was living elsewhere. Besides which, the way my mind had started wandering earlier, I knew I was already hooked. “If you really want me to—”
    â€œWant
us
to!” Sid put in.
    â€œIf you want us to, we will. But knowing why could help.”
    â€œFine! I want you to solve this because the murder was my fault.”
    â€œExcuse me?”
    â€œWhat was the first thing Louis asked about? Security footage! I should have put cameras in there. If I had, that girl would be alive, or at least we’d know who killed her. But the McQuaids said there wasn’t enough money in the budget, and I let it go. I should have insisted that they findthe money. Or I should have put in more room monitors. Security is my business, and then I go and let one of my people—I let one of my customers get killed.”
    â€œWait, back up. What do you mean one of your people? Kendall Fitzroy wasn’t one of yours.”
    â€œI misspoke.”
    The patella she had! “Deborah, do you think one of your cast members killed that girl?”
    â€œWell who else could it have been? Who but a cast member would have been able to attack her from behind the scrim, and know how to get out of there without being seen?”
    â€œThe police seem comfortable with the idea that an outsider could have committed the crime or they wouldn’t be trying to find Scooby-Doo.”
    â€œMaybe,” she said, “but they were