Free Dead Sure?: A Paranormal Mystery by Eric Webster Page B

replied. “Women, sheesh, they have no head for business.” He continued to empty the box and write down the prices in an old notebook.
    Ten minutes later he came to the last item in the box. It was an old medallion, slightly larger than a silver dollar but much thicker. “Martha, this goofy coin doesn’t have a price on it.”
    “Just throw it in for free, then. You have wasted enough of this young man’s time.”
    “Free, huh, I don’t think so. Hey, mister, how about I charge you a dollar for it?”
    “That’s fine, a dollar seems fair enough to me.” Tim felt he had the better end of the whole deal anyway.
     
    *    *    *
     
    Tim’s drive home seemed to be dragging on forever. He couldn’t wait to get back and go through all of his new treasures. What a day this was turning out to be. Halfway home, on a quiet side street, the car shuddered and pulled to the right. He carefully applied the brakes, quickly realizing that the car had a flat tire. Tim was exceptionally good at staying calm under pressure. His analytical mind would kick into gear and help him resolve whatever issues confronted him. He wasn’t a very physical man; he stood about five feet eight inches tall, with a medium build, instead he prided himself on his intellect and attitude. 
    The car came safely to a stop beside the curb. He jumped out to check, and sure enough his right front tire was as flat as a pancake. I should get this thing changed and get home. He looked at his watch and realized it was still fairly early. Maybe I’ll just take another look at that goofy coin first. There’s something very appealing about it. The only thing that would improve it is if it was from the twenties. He fished through the box looking for it. The coin had managed to work its way down to the bottom. Ah, there it is! He snatched it up eagerly. The first time he had held it at the rummage sale his palm had felt tingly. I wonder if that sensation was just my imagination, it wasn’t . Wow, the coin feels powerful in some strange way. The longer I hold it the stronger the feeling. It’s actually kind of.. Before he could finish his thought, he became momentarily distracted by one of the 1920’s postcards he had purchased. A slight breeze was wafting through the car window and had blown the postcard out of the box where it had been sitting neatly on top of the pile. He glanced at it, momentarily intrigued. I wish I could see what the twenties were really like.
     
    *    *    *
     
    Several days later police found Tim’s 69 Buick abandoned in a peaceful neighborhood about seven miles from his home. The front tire was flat, and there didn’t appear to be any signs of foul play or struggle. It was as if he had just walked off. They speculated that maybe the flat was the final straw that induced him to abandon everything. For what else could explain such a strange mystery? 
    Missy and her grandmother never bought into this easy trite explanation. In fact the craziness of the whole thing, the lack of explanation, drove Missy’s grandmother to become a hard-drinking woman. How could Missy have known when she woke up that morning that her father’s usual yard sale trip would alter and haunt her life forever?

Chapter 10 Sept. 14 th , 1929
    The Next day
    September 14 th , 1929
     
     
     
     
    Charles woke up with a splitting headache, and it wasn’t from drinking too much, like usual.  No, this time it was from stress. Ever since his meeting with Angela last night he couldn’t seem to relax. He couldn’t stop contemplating whether he had pushed his luck too far.  Then again, he always liked to ride the edge. Life lacked excitement if you always knew what was coming next.
    Although on the flip side, as he remembered, Angela had always been good to him from the day they had first crossed paths. He was a hard drinker and a heavy gambler; well, not much had changed there. But on the business side, now that was another story. He had been the