The Midnight Tour Read Online Free PDF

Tuck.”
    “I never called you Moose.”
    “Right. You preferred Bullwinkle.”
    “Okay, I won’t call you Bullwinkle. I promise. Nothing but Dana. Or Miss Lake, if I have to berate you for doing something stupid.”
    “Would I do something stupid?”
    “Oh, not you.”
    “So,” Dana said, “what should I call you?”
    “Boss lady.”
    Dana cracked up, and Tuck grinned. She waited for Dana’s laughter to subside, then said, “Lynn would be fine.”
    Nodding, Dana lifted her cup. Steam drifted off the dark surface of the coffee. She blew it gently away, then took a sip. “Mm, good.”
    ‟Do you want something to eat?”
    “No, I’m fine.”
    “Good. We don’t have much time. We can grab a bite at the snack shop after we get there. Or we can stop for doughnuts on the way. Are you still a doughnut hound?”
    “You bet,” Dana said. “But I’m not that hungry right now. I don’t usually eat much in the morning.”
    “About ready to go?”
    ‟Yep. You said to be ready by nine. I’ve been ready since I walked in.” She took another sip of coffee, then another.
    “Take your time. We don’t have to rush off right away. I’m the boss, after all.”
    ‟Yeah, but you shouldn’t be late.”
    ‟Even if we don’t get there till nine-thirty, I’ll still be the first one to arrive. Nobody’s all that gung-ho . It’s just a job to them, you know?”
    ‟What is it to you?”
    ‟A passion!”
    Dana laughed. ‟Right.”
    “Do you want the truth?”
    ‟If you’re up to it.”
    ‟I love it all. I really do. I love being the boss...”
    “You’ve always been great at giving orders.”
    ‟It isn’t just that, either. There’s something about Beast House. It’s got history, you know? An awful history, but...There’s something sort of old and romantic and mysterious about the place. I just love it there. It’s like a strange little piece of the past is still alive...I mean, you can feel it.”
    ‟If you say so.”
    ‟Did you feel it yesterday?”
    ‟Mosdy, I just felt a little spooked.”
    Tuck grinned. ‟Good. You’re supposed to. But after you get used to the place, it probably won’t seem so creepy anymore.”
    ‟Probably?”
    ‟Well, it actually seems to get worse instead of better for some people. That’s pretty rare, though.”
    “I hope that doesn’t happen to me.”
    ‟Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. Me, I like the place more all the time.”
    “Someday, maybe it’ll be yours. ”
    ‟I ain’t gonna hold my breath,” Tuck said.
    ‟You’re Janice’s only heir, aren’t you?”
    ‟Well, shit, I guess so. She doesn’t have any brothers or sisters, and you know what happened to her parents.” Tuck frowned as if thinking about it for a few moments, then said, ‟Other than Dad and me, she’s got nobody else except an uncle and cousin. But Janice is just in her thirties, for godsake. I doubt if she’ll be pitching forward on her nose in the near future. Besides which, she might even have a kid of her own someday.”
    “She hasn’t so far.”
    “Yeah, but she’s only been married for a couple of years.”
    “She’s how old?”
    Tuck frowned for a moment, then said, “Thirty-six.”
    “Well, that’s not terribly old to be starting a family.”
    “For all I know, she might already be knocked up. And if she’s not, she probably will be by the time they get back from the cruise. I mean, two months together in the South Pacific? I damn near get pregnant just thinking about it.”
    “Have they been trying to have a baby?” Dana asked.
    “Jeez! How would I know? She’s a great gal and everything and we really like each other, but it’s not like being with you. She my dad’s wife. I mean, I can’t just ask her about stuff like that.” Tuck raised her eyebrows. “Do you want any more coffee?”
    “Nope, I’m fine.”
    “Maybe we’d better get going.” She reached across the table for Dana’s cup. “I’ll rinse these out and batten down the hatches. You