A Sweet Murder Read Online Free Page A

I’m going to faint!” Grace repeated in a hysterical voice. “I
have to get out of this locker.”
    “ Then get out. Was it over a £100 each?”
    Through gritted
teeth Grace said, “I’m going to faint in here, I need to sit down
in the fresh air! Move that chair outside for me,
please!”
    The man muttered
a curse and grabbed the chair. He roughly shoved it outside.
“There! Stop your wailing and sit down. Which website did he look
on?”
    Grace swooned
dramatically onto the chair and closed her eyes. She could feel Rat
Face staring at her. After a few seconds he swore again and walked
away. Grace heard him rummaging in the locker, she opened her
eyes.
    The old woman
was smiling down at her. She said, “That was quite a show. It
worked, I’m out of that locker now. I don’t know why I was stuck in
there. Or how long I’ve been in there. I don’t know what you did to
get me out but thank you.”
    Grace returned
her smile and whispered. “I can’t talk to you in front of
him.”
    The ghost
frowned. “Why not? He probably wouldn’t notice, he’s totally
absorbed in those glass jars. Are they really valuable?”
    Grace shrugged.
“I’ve no idea. I need to get this chair home. Or back to the
shop.”
    “ Why?” the woman asked.
    Grace stood up
and said quietly, “I’ll explain everything later.”
    She walked back
into the locker and called over to Rat Face, “Thank you for letting
me use that chair. I hope you’re going to be careful with those
jars. I can’t remember exactly what Frankie said but he mentioned
something like £500, or was it £1,000?”
    Rat Face paused.
Grace saw the greed light up in his eyes. “£1,000?
Really?”
    Grace nodded.
“What shall I do with that chair, it’s cute. Needs repainting
though.”
    “ Where was he looking online?”
    “ Some company in Italy, I think. What should I do with the
chair?”
    Rat Face waved
his hand dismissively. “You can have it, it’s a piece of tat. Can
you remember anything else about these jars?”
    Grace shook her
head. She felt a pang of guilt for misleading him, but it was only
a pang. He seemed the type to sell his own grandmother if she’d
make a half decent-profit for him.
    Rat Face took
out his phone. “If you’ve finished fainting can you get
out?”
    Grace swiftly
walked away before he changed his mind. She grabbed the chair and
almost ran towards the van.
    Just as she was
about to open the back doors someone grabbed her arm.
     

Chapter 7
     
    “ Where did you get that chair?”
    “ Frankie! You scared me half to death!”
    Frankie let go
of her arm. “Did you pay for it? Don’t tell me you gave Sneaky Sid
favours in kind for that chair, I didn’t want it that
much.”
    Grace tutted.
“You have a low opinion of me sometimes. Sneaky Sid, is that his
name? He said I could have it.” Grace turned her back on Frankie
and opened the van doors.
    “ Just like that? I don’t believe you, he’s as tight as a ...
well, I won’t say what. Did you steal it from him?”
    Grace looked
over her shoulder and tried to look offended. It was hard to do so
when she felt guilty for tricky Sneaky Sid, and for now lying to
Frankie. “As I said, he gave me the chair. Are you going to help or
just stand there?”
    Frankie picked
the chair up and placed it in the back of the van. Grace’s breath
caught as the ghost whooshed straight through Frankie and into the
van.
    Frankie said,
“I’m going into the office, Sylvester wanted to have a chat with me
about something.”
    Despite his
nonchalance, Grace could see the excitement on Frankie’s face. She
said, “Take your time, I’ll wait here.”
    Frankie turned
towards the office. Grace smiled as she watched him walk away, he
had a definite spring in his step.
    With Frankie out
of the way she could talk to the ghost. She climbed into the back
of the van and pulled the doors closed behind her.
    The ghost was
sitting on the chair again, she looked confused. “What happened to
me? Just