A Strange There After Read Online Free PDF

acting all concerned. Class act. I held my
breath, a worthless endeavor, and waited for Abby to make the
connection. The person in the world who knew me best suspected
something strange was afoot. Pieces were tumbling into place.
Catherine’s unfriendly actions should back up my visit to Abby.
    “Flowers? Did I get your over-priced flowers?
Are you kidding me? I broke my arm and got a concussion helping you
get rid of the leech living off your stepmother, and you don’t even
come to visit me?” She narrowed her eyes. “It’s not like you.”
    Wait, Abby got hurt that night? How? I
nibbled my lip in guilt. I’d been so caught up in my own drama I
never considered there had been other people affected.
    Catherine fussed with the buttons of her
short-sleeved blouse, a see-through polka dot shirt she’d paired
with knee length shorts, classy and trendy, the opposite of me. “I
had some stuff to do. I helped the twins get Marietta set up in a
home. She still hasn’t quite recovered. And I’ve been getting used
to life on my own. I’m sure you understand.”
    Abby didn’t speak for a while, and I hoped it
was because Catherine’s careless attitude had knocked the words out
of her.
    “She’s going to figure it out. Abby knows.
And she’ll tell everyone,” I goaded.
    I practically heard Catherine grinding her
teeth, but on a positive note, her skin paled slightly. Impatient,
I watched Abby study this living, breathing shell of her friend and
prayed for the truth to kick in, for her to remember what I said.
From the widening of her eyes, it must have clicked.
    “Told ya!” I gloated, allowing myself a
little victory dance. “It’s about dang time!”
    “I didn’t really believe it until this very
moment.” Abby inched closer, really taking in Catherine’s
appearance from head-to-toe.
    “Believe what?” Catherine put as much
friendliness into her tone as she was probably capable of. “I’ve
had a lot of personal things going on. You broke your arm and
bumped your head. It’s not as if you were in a coma.”
    My friend flinched and struggled for words.
Finally, she said, “Fine, if that’s how you want to play this, go
for it.”
    Catherine took a menacing step forward, but
Abby held her ground. “Whatever it is you think you know, forget
it. You can’t prove a thing. Now, get out.”
    Abby paled and scooted toward the door.
Determined to have the last word, she raised her voice. “Quinn, if
you’re in there, I’ll be at Moon River tonight. Working. We won’t
let her win.”
    Catherine’s laugh continued after she slammed
the door behind Abby. She fixed me with an amused stare. “She’s
quite entertaining. Too bad she skipped right over the truth. For
all intents and purposes, you’re dead, Quinn. Deal with it.”
    She flounced up the stairs and disappeared
into the master bedroom. I opened and closed my fists at my sides,
wishing I could wrap them around her neck. And why hadn’t Abby used
her proof, the recorder? Did it not come across clear enough?
    Instead of cart wheeling backwards into rage,
I concentrated on a small victory. Abby knew I wasn’t there, well,
not completely. She’d obviously come to the conclusion I was
trapped in my body with Catherine, a hostage or something. If she
gave it a little more thought she’d understand that couldn’t
possibly be. Not when I traveled to her house to speak with her.
Once she realized this, I believed wholeheartedly she’d do
something about it or find someone else who could.
    An idea bloomed. I’d go to her work tonight.
Heck, I’d haunt the girl until she truly understood what was going
on.
     

 
    Chapter
Five
     
    It took me a while to trek across town to
Moon River Brewing Company, the old hotel turned into a bustling
restaurant and bar. Well, a couple floors of it had. The rest had
never been fully renovated. Over the years, each time one of the
owners started remodeling, the ever-present paranormal activity
skyrocketed. It was