The Perfect Ghost Read Online Free Page B

rant about the futility of arguing with Caroline, the utter idiocy of debating a woman who possessed less logic than a two-year-old. Walking away, taking a time-out was the only option, you said, but you rarely took your own advice and inevitably wound up playing the game, embroiled in another round of acrimony and discontent.
    Not me. “My cab will be here any second.”
    “Teddy said you never went anywhere. Some recluse you are.”
    I stared longingly at the glass-paneled door. Caroline seemed so strong, so well defined, so overpowering. My heart was jumping around my rib cage like a fidgety rabbit.
    “How about a trade?” she said.
    I wasn’t clear what she meant until she brandished the shopping bag.
    “I brought you his notes. And a couple of other items you might want.”
    You never kept any of your work at home. You didn’t trust Caroline not to burn it all, notebooks, tapes, whatever, when she got angry.
    “He left some things up at that house in Eastham,” she continued, noting my puzzled eyes.
    “You’ve been there?” I was so upset my breath started to whistle.
    She regarded me as though I were mentally deficient, impaired. “Of course. I had to go, to see where he was when—”
    “It’s rented through the end of the month. You had no business there. You had no right to—”
    “Don’t you dare tell me what I can do.”
    I lunged for the bag. “Give me that.”
    “Show me Teddy’s room.”
    She thought she had the upper hand, thought she’d made a deal, but the idea of Caroline in my apartment, in my room, sniffing my sheets for evidence of sexual secretions, leaving behind traces of her overpowering perfume, was intolerable.
    A Town Taxi pulled up. I waved frantically through the glass at the driver.
    Caroline put her hand on my arm. “I’m willing to trade, straight up, the bag for the key.”
    I hate to be touched. I flinched, drew back, and tried not to show my disgust. “I’ll call you when I get back.”
    “Everything that belonged to Teddy belongs to me now.”
    “His notes belong to me.”
    “They’re worth something. They’re valuable.”
    “They’re valuable if they’re part of a book. You need me to finish this book or you won’t be able to collect Teddy’s share of the royalties.”
    She glanced speculatively up the stairs. “I could break in.”
    “Go ahead.” Anything to get her out of the way.
    She took a single step sideways, halted. She was still in my way, but I thought I might be able to squeeze by her. Can you imagine Caroline picking a lock, Teddy? Ohmigod, she might chip one of her blood-red talons.
    “I mean it,” she said.
    “Good. So do I. The alarm is set, and Melody won’t need to call 911 because it’s a direct connection to the police department. Not the university police, either. The real police.”
    “There were policemen at the funeral.”
    “Policemen?” The word tumbled and fell with the weight of a brick. A policeman had called first thing this morning, but I’d tried to block it out, excise it from my memory.
     
“Good morning. Hello. Uh, yeah, this is Detective Snow, Dennis Port Police Department. Miss Moore, if you could call me back at 508-555-3872, I’d sure appreciate it. That’s my cell number and I’m looking into the circumstances of an auto accident down here, a fatality, Theodore Blake, friend of yours, and I’m sorry for your loss. Like to ask you a few questions about Mr. Blake’s work here and so on, so please get in touch. Or you can call the station, that’s 508-555-3400, and ask for Officer Rimes. No, better call my cell. Detective Snow. I might not be available the rest of today, but you ought to be able to reach me tomorrow.”
    Caroline kept on speaking, demanding to see your room, while I recalled Detective Snow’s exhausted tone and gravelly voice, and regretted that I hadn’t picked up, a thing I rarely do, preferring to monitor my calls. I always answered your calls, Teddy, and I should have taken