| |
Granny came in from the kitchen, all smiles, as I returned to Bitter Beans. She was carrying a bright yellow cake with chocolate dripped down the sides. On the top there were chocolate covered cookies and chocolate shards, finished with a sprinkling of candy corn.
"That is GORGEOUS!" I said, admiring her handiwork. "We're going to have people busting down our door for a slice."
"Oh, this isn't for customers," she said, putting it into a box. "Would you mind carrying this over to Ralph?"
"What's the occasion?" I asked.
"Aside from that jailbird being sprung from the hoosegow?" she stated. "Well, the inspector wants to come sometime this week," she confided. "And Ralph's been through so much, what with Stan and Fred accusing him of cutting that board and him spending any time at all in that cell. I'm hoping to remind him that selling the hardware store is a good thing. And maybe bribe him into sweeping out the cobwebs before that inspector goes crawling around."
I grabbed the box. "Gladly!"
I strolled over to the hardware store. With the days getting shorter, the sun was already starting to set.
Nate was arranging the sandwich board at the top of the hill, pointing to Johnny's surf shack. He saw me balancing the box and gallantly took it from me. "Carry that for you, miss?"
"Thank you, my knight in shining armor!" I replied, shaking out my arm and pointing up the hill toward the hardware store. "Granny wants to bribe Ralph without it seeming like she is bribing him, bribing him."
"I do love a bit of Seaside meddling," Nate laughed.
I motioned to the sandwich board. "So, Johnny's going to do the tours?"
A seagull cried out and landed on the street next to us. I guess even the wildlife had figured out a Bitter Beans box meant that there was something tasty inside.
As the seagull waddled along behind, Nate nodded. "Johnny was worried that he was infringing on Echo's business, but when I explained that it would help out you and your Granny, he warmed up to the idea. He's still figuring out exactly what to do, but he's onboard."
I smiled thinking of all the effort Johnny had gone to decorating his surf shack and getting a party bus. "I'm sure whatever he does, it is going to be incredible."
We arrived at the hardware store and Nate handed the cake to me while he opened the door. Proudly I walked in. Ralph was sitting behind the counter snoozing, but jerked awake as the door alarm went off.
He adjusted his hearing aids. "What can I do you for?"
"Oh, Granny just wanted to make you a little something," I replied, sliding the cake onto the counter.
"What for?" he asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"She was worried you might be skin and bones after that jail grub," I teased. "Also, the inspector will be calling to set up the appointment."
Guess Granny didn't have anything to worry about. His face brightened. "Ah! Well, if that isn't just the nicest thing." He reached over to take the box. "Sure do appreciate it. It was a standup thing for that fiancé of hers to spring me from the joint." He smiled as he joked. "I don't know if my old joints would have been springing if I had to stay much longer." He laughed at his wit and then continued, "Truth be told, I was sitting there in that cell thinking I should just cancel the whole thing. Real standup of that Richard to do, I tell ya. Real standup. Glad to hear they caught the guy who might have actually been responsible. That other ghost tour guide?" He shook his head. "Shame about kids these days..."
"How did you hear about Echo?" Nate asked. He still seemed surprised by how quickly news spreads on the island.
"That Tango character came over, trying to get me to open up the shop for his séances again. Tried to spin how we were both victims to circumstances." Ralph leaned over. "I'm not a victim to anything and that's what I have to say about that!"
But suddenly, the bell over the door sounded again. As if summoned, Tango and Madison walked in. They looked awfully chummy. Madison squeezed Tango's bicep for some reason and downright giggled as she flipped her long ponytail. I wondered if Trevor was aware of her velcroing onto another man.
However, Tango wasn't in a flirty mood. He walked up to the counter. "I need some clothesline," he said.
Ralph pointed him to the back. "In the corner."
As he disappeared down the aisle, I turned to Madison. Nate jerked his head, indicating that we should use their entrance as an excuse to leave, but hey, guess I'm a glutton for punishment. If Johnny was going to take over the tour, I wanted to get some intel on the enemy. "Adding more ghosts to your haunted forest?"
She stared at me like I was an idiot. "Listen. Tomorrow is Halloween and you can't just go doing what you've been doing on the biggest night of the year. Yes, we are pulling out our A-Game. Because that is what we do. Act like professionals. Especially since we are going to take all of your customers both from the tour and the bakery." But she interrupted herself, distracted, as Ralph fiddled with the lid to sneak a peek at the cake. "Ooo! What is that for?" Madison asked. I think she might have been starving herself to fit into that sexy pirate outfit, because she honed in on that cake like a heat-seeking missile. "I mean, I don't eat that much sugar but... well... it smells really good..."
"Paige's granny made me a little gift," he said, lifting the cake so we could all admire it. His eyes twinkled with anticipation. "Celebrating that the inspector is coming in and things are moving forward with the sale."
Trying to tamp down her hunger, Madison became surly. "She should have made one for the inspector," Madison sniffed. "Bribing you does nothing."
I rolled my eyes. "She was just doing something nice."
Tango made his way back to the counter. He saw the cake, and I guess it was cheat day on his fitness regimen, because he asked. "You gonna share that or what?" It came out as more of a demand than a question.
But Ralph carefully put the cake back in the box. "Not a chance."
"Really?" Tango challenged, as if he couldn't believe Ralph's selfishness.
"I have a poker game tonight and the fellas are going to be thrilled. Everyone knows Cindy's bakes are the best." He gave me an acknowledging nod. "You're a close second."
Listen, with an old coot as cranky as Ralph, I would take the compliment.
Tango's face darkened, but instead of pressing the matter on the cake, he launched back into Ralph about the séance. "Listen, tomorrow is Halloween, and it is the perfect time for another séance. Let me just bring in a group. I'll add another 10% of to your split—"
I would have sat there eavesdropping some more, but Nate took my elbow and guided me for the door.
"See you Ralph!" he said, giving a wave.
I couldn't believe he didn't want to be nosy about all this. As the door shut behind us, I leaned over conspiratorially, "We could have gotten some great inside scoop, Nate! You're never going to succeed as a town gossip if you duck out when the gossip gets good."
He laughed, brushing back his floppy brown hair as the wind blew it in his eyes. "I think we got all the gossip we need." He glanced over his shoulder. "So Tango is going to try to hold another séance..."
"And is going all out with extra special effects and stuff?" I shook my head. "As much as I love Johnny, I think that he is going to be in trouble if his tour goes into a head-to-head matchup."
Nate rubbed his chin. "Well, we could always help."
"What are you proposing?" I asked, feeling an impish smile inch its way across my face.
"I mean, with Echo still locked up, there's no one here to maintain his... personal standards."
"Oh," I replied, thinking it through. "OH! We could, like, come up with some of our own stuff."
"And I've already got a million ideas!" said Nate.
My mind started spinning through all the possibilities. Instead of letting Nate bring me to Bitter Beans, I steered him toward Wanda's souvenir shop.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"Well, if anyone can pull this off, it is going to be Granny and her posse." I checked my watch. "She shut up shop for the afternoon, which means it is wine o'clock over at Wanda's place."
"Lead on!" Nate replied.
We headed down to Main Street and hung a right. I was happy to see my knowledge of Granny's social habits was finally paying off. She and her posse were gathered around Wanda's till. I couldn't help but smile when we opened the door and discovered Wanda had hooked up Halloween sound effects to her bell. We were greeted by rattling chains and screeches as we walked in.
The posse turned around to see who it was and then lifted their wine glasses in greeting.
"Nate! Paige! Welcome to the haunted souvenir shop!" Wanda exclaimed.
Her store always smelled of potpourri and candles. She had swapped out the more summery scents for cinnamon and spice. There were snarky seasonal souvenirs everywhere you looked. T-shirts that read: I Fall for You with autumn leaves and English Teachers Put a Spell on You with vocabulary words embroidered all over. She had also beefed up her joke section – those dribble wineglasses she had mentioned, rubber rats, and easy magic tricks for the kids.
"What brings you to this side of Main Street?" she asked.
"And more importantly, was Ralph impressed with my cake?" Granny added.
We filled them in on everything, from Echo to Johnny's tours, to Ralph and Tango, and also Ralph's reaction to her cake. I could tell this was the sort of gossip they spent most mornings trying to round up. From their reaction, I think they hit the jackpot. But then, Nate began hatching his plot for helping Johnny out. I could see there were some reservations.
"Are you sure about this?" Marnie said.
"It'll be a hoot! A whole entire Haunted Main Street!" said Nate. He pointed to a flyer on Wanda's counter. "We know the kids will be coming through to trick-or-treat. It's part of the annual tradition. Why not push it a little and give them an extra thrill? And make sure any of the visitors on Johnny's tour get to share in that wealth, too? Paige and I can totally pitch in and give you a hand."
"I do have my craft booth at the festival to man," Marnie pointed out, still not quite onboard.
"We'll stagger it," Nate suggested, trying to allay any concerns. "Or maybe we can just set up a... web of terror in your yarn store using some old skeins. Something that gets people to your shop and also gives them a little thrill, but you won't have to be there for. We can even have signs pointing them to your craft booth afterward."
"I'll take care of the booth," said Holly in her gentle voice as she patted Marnie's hand. "The general store is still a mess from the renovations and I don't want the risk of any real blood spilled due to some kid in an active construction site."
Wanda poured herself another glass from her box of rosé. "Although we could offer a hands-on haunted construction site experience. Get them to pay to swing a hammer for you, Holly!"
The ladies laughed now that everything was settled, and Granny rapped her knuckles on the counter. "I, for one, love it," said Granny. "Consider me sold! Tomorrow, we are going to make sure all of Main Street is in the Halloween spirit!"