The Skeleton Haunts a House Read Online Free Page A

about Sid instead. I wanted to borrow Deborah’s walkie-talkie to call Madison and see if she knew where he was, but was afraid to draw any attention to him.
    After some discussion between the various responders, Louis came over. “We’re going to evacuate all of you people, plus the rest of the staff and customers so we can move the investigation along. McQuaid security has opened up a room in Stuart Hall, which I understand is close by, and we’re going to walk you over there and ask everybody some questions.”
    â€œYou want me to let my people know?” Deborah asked.
    â€œIf you wouldn’t mind.”
    She nodded and used the walkie-talkie to spread the word. There was some grumbling, not so much from the cast as from customers who wanted to know what was going on, but Deborah just said, “Don’t fuss at me. The cops want us elsewhere so we’re going elsewhere.”
    â€œThanks,” Louis said when she was done.
    â€œI don’t blame them for wanting to leave,” she retorted. “None of the customers upstairs or in the room before this one would have had a chance to kill that girl. It’s the people who’ve already left you should be holding.”
    He held his temper admirably, and only said, “It shouldn’ttake long to sort out the people who don’t know anything, and we’ll be trying to track down the people who left.” Then he waved over another uniformed cop and a pair of McQuaid security guards and said, “These people will walk you over.”
    â€œCan we get our stuff out of the greenroom?” a zombie cheerleader asked.
    â€œNot now,” Louis said. “We’re going to need to leave everything in situ until the forensics people get here.”
    â€œBut I need to call my mom and let her know I’m okay,” she said.
    â€œYou can use my phone,” I said. “I didn’t come in until after the body was found, so I don’t need to leave my bag, right, Louis?”
    â€œNo, you’re good, but as for calling . . . Look, I don’t want to alarm the town with a bunch of rumors. So I’m going to ask you people not to make any phone calls, or e-mail anybody, or tweet for the time being. Once we identify the victim and get in touch with her next of kin, we’ll give the okay.”
    The zombies and I nodded, and Deborah said, “Don’t worry. They can wait.”
    Our escorts started leading the way out, two in front and two behind. I guess they didn’t want anybody sneaking off. We went back the way Deborah and I had come, through the building to the main entrance, collecting staff and customers as we went. I spotted Madison, still in her vampire outfit, but didn’t see Sid’s Scooby-Doo head anywhere. I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one.
    Once we were outside, the cops cleared a path through the curious crowd and took us to Stuart Hall, the sedate, ivy-covered building which held the plush dining room usually only used for university functions and suck-up-to-alumni dinners. The zombies and other made-up cast members looked particularly incongruous amongst the oak tables and solemn paintings of former deans and distinguished professors. A trioof maintenance people was busily setting up metal folding chairs all through the room, no doubt wanting to keep the fake blood and gore off of the upholstery.
    People quickly divided up. Customers went to one side, grumbling and looking suspiciously at the scare actors. The actors were on the other side, comforting one another and chattering in a mix of excitement and upset. Deborah and I were left in the middle.
    Madison found us quickly, and came over for hugs—in public—which showed how upset she was.
    â€œAre you okay?” I asked.
    â€œI’m fine,” she said. “Did somebody really die?”
    â€œI’m afraid so. And it looks like murder.”
    â€œOh my gosh. Was