Free Give Murder A Hand: Lizzie. Book 2 (The Westport Mysteries) by Beth Prentice

she was boring,” I replied.
    “Danny, stop feeding Harper! He’s on a diet,” chastised Molly.
    “He’s fine. Leave the poor little thing alone,” said Danny giving
Harper a pat.
    “Have you ever found out any more about Avis?” asked Andrew.
    “Not since we found who had given her the engagement ring.”
    “Maybe you should do some investigating. Find out some of her
history,” suggested Danny, sneaking Harper another piece of his pizza. “Maybe
you’ll find out why those bones were there. I figured she would have lived here
at the time they were buried.”
    “Lizzie needs to leave it all alone,” warned Riley, his body
tensing next to me. “Let the Police do their job.”
    “Yeah, but aren’t you curious?” asked Danny.
    “I guess so,” I replied thoughtfully. Riley looked at me, his brow
creased.
    “Please leave it alone,” he said quietly. “It’s history. It doesn’t
matter to us why they’re there.”
    “It probably can’t hurt,” I said.
    “You’re still having nightmares about the last time this house
uncovered a secret, remember?”
    “Oh, that’s right,” said Molly. “How did the counseling session
go?”
    I looked at Riley. He still thought that Allison was going to call
me to book another appointment.
    “Oh, you know ... fine,” I replied, not looking him in the eye.
“Does anyone want another drink?” I jumped up and moved towards the door,
hoping to quickly change the subject.
    “Yes please,” answered Andrew. “But something non-alcoholic. I’m
the designated driver tonight.”
    “Just bring the bottle out here,” called Danny to my retreating
back.
    I closed the kitchen door behind me and moved to the refrigerator. I
was about to open it and grab the bottle of wine when something caught my eye.
I moved closer to the table and put my empty glass on it. I looked down at the
floor. Sprayed over an area of about two square feet, was blood. Now I don’t
mean a couple of little droplets like someone had cut their finger, I mean it
was sprayed from one wall to the next. Just like the night I’d had the
nightmare.
    I jumped away from it, looking around wildly, wondering where it
had come from.
    “Riley!” I
screamed. “Riley, come here quick!” Thankfully Riley was quick on his feet and
was next to me within seconds, followed by Danny, Andrew and Molly.
    “What the ... ?” he asked.
    “Is that blood?” asked Molly.
    “It looks like blood,” said Danny, his face screwing up as he
spoke.
    “But where did it come from?” asked Andrew.
    “It’s your mystery dead body,” said Danny seriously. “It’s not
happy you dug it up.”
    “I didn’t dig it up!” I yelled. “Harper did.”
    “Doesn’t matter, it’s not happy.”
    “It is not from the dead body,” answered Andrew, exasperated.
    “Well, how else would you explain it?” replied Danny.
    Molly remained very quiet, but she did pick Harper up and cradle
him under her arm.
    “I’m sure there is a very reasonable explanation,” said Andrew.
    I really hoped so.
    “Go ahead then, tell us what it is,” challenged Danny, his hand on
his hip.
    Andrew was stumped. He honestly had no idea what it was from.
    “It looks like someone has put it in an aerosol container and
sprayed it,” commented Riley, crouched down, looking at it closer.
    “Well that’s a stupid thing to say,” said Danny. “Who would have
done that?” He looked around our group, his eyes stopping on Molly.
    “Don’t look at me!” said Molly. “I didn’t do it.”
    “Is it definitely blood?” I asked, hoping this was some sort of
practical joke.
    “I think so. I mean, I’m not positive, but I think it is,” said
Riley.
    “I told you it’s the ghost of the dead body,” said Danny.
    I stood and looked at him silently. Of course, I knew it wasn’t a
ghost that had done this, but that didn’t stop the hair on my arms rising to
the occasion.

 
    * * *

 
    Later that night, tucked up next to Riley on
his couch, I