Make the Ghost of It (Witch Woods Funeral Home Book 3): (Ghost Cozy Mystery series) Read Online Free Page A

physically unable to say anything tactful, but I really didn’t feel as if I’d be up to making anyone, even myself, a cup of tea.
    “Why can’t we go to my house?” Mom protested.
    Duncan shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Bay, but your house will be off limits until the detectives have cleared it. I suggest you call your insurance company right now.”
    I’d been so worried about Basil, that I hadn’t thought that Mom’s roof would be damaged. Clearly it had not occurred to her, either. I watched as the realization dawned on her, and her hand flew her mouth. “What? You mean that poor man fell through my roof?”
    Duncan appeared to be choosing his words carefully. “There’s likely to be some damage, Mrs. Bay, but we won’t know the extent for a while.”
    Ian spoke up. “We’ll just hope and pray that there isn’t any damage to the roof, and that will fix it.”
    Mom rounded on Ian. “What do you mean?” she snapped at him. That was the first time I had ever seen her speak like that to Ian.
    Ian was clearly taken aback. “I just mean, if we think and pray on it, then the roof will be all right.”
    “Don’t be so ridiculous, Ian!” Mom said angrily. She turned on her heel and stormed off toward the funeral home.
    For the first time ever, I felt sorry for Ian. “Mom’s just upset,” I said. “Let’s all go to the funeral home, and Janet can make us all some nice hot tea.”
    The three of us duly followed Janet into the funeral home. We found Mom already in the kitchen, her face beet red.
    “Tea or coffee?” Janet asked us cheerfully.
    “I think tea would be better, Janet,” I said, “given that everyone is so upset.”
    Janet appeared to be genuinely puzzled. “Why would anyone be upset?”
    If she didn’t know, how could I explain it to her? Nevertheless, I attempted to do so. “Well, someone has just died, and…”
    Janet nodded. “Yes, I see. The insurance mightn’t cover the entire costs of the roof.” She shot Mom a rare look of sympathy, and then turned to me. “How long do you think forensics will take to get here?”
    “Not soon enough,” I said. Janet was a genuinely nice person, but had a real problem being tactful.
    After Janet made us each a cup of tea, she proceeded to tell us at great length what state the body on the roof would be in. Mom was still on the phone with her insurance company, so luckily for her, she didn’t hear any of it. Ian and John looked as though they would faint. I wasn’t doing much better.
    “I’ll just go and wait outside in the fresh air,” I said. “I’ll wait out there until the detectives come to question us.”
    “I’ll go with you,” John Jones said eagerly.
    Before he could tell me that he had to protect me because he was my date, or some equally unbearable pronouncement, I held up my hand to forestall him. “No!” I exclaimed. “You and Ian should stay here and look after Janet. I don’t think the shock has hit her yet.” And it never will , I added silently.
    John agreed with obvious reluctance. I hightailed it out of there into the fresh air. I soon felt much better on my own, away from Janet, Mom, Ian, and John, but I was nervous and fidgety. I paced up and down outside the funeral home, hoping forensics or the detectives would arrive soon. I expected I wouldn’t feel okay until I saw for myself that Basil was in fact all right.
    Finally some vehicles approached. They went past me and headed to Mom’s house. I hurried after them.
    Mom’s house was in a flurry of activity. Shiny steel extension ladders were produced from a white van, and in no time, people in white suits were shimmying up to Mom’s roof.
    I looked for Basil, but couldn’t see him. Two men in suits were speaking to Duncan and his recently arrived partner, Bryan, so I assumed that they were the detectives. Duncan saw me looking and waved me over.
    “Laurel, this is Detective Swan and this is Detective Brand. Detectives, this is Laurel Bay. She’s