A Catered Halloween Read Free

sensibilities.”
    “Good thinking,” Libby said. She couldn’t imagine the nightmares a kid would have after seeing something like this.
    “And we’re having everyone sign a liability waiver,” Mark said.
    Bernie giggled. “Like they did for some of the horror movies in the fifties.”
    Mark grinned. It made his face look slightly lopsided. He snapped his fingers. “I knew I forgot something. A doctor and an ambulance.”
    “And the nurse,” said Bernie. “Don’t forget the nurse.”
    Mark’s grin grew wider. “I’ll see what I can do.”
    “So it’s going to be a good show?” Bernie asked.
    Mark rubbed his hands together. “A good show? It’s going to be a great show. The best this town has ever seen. Forget the guy in the sheet jumping out at you and yelling boo and the dime-store skeletons hanging from the door frames. We’re going to do much better than that. Come on. Let me show you what we’ve done since you were here last.”
    “We’d love to,” Libby told him, “but we have to get the batter in the fridge.” She consulted her watch. “Plus, we need setup time. We’re behind schedule as it is.”
    “Not to worry,” said Mark. He removed his phone from the clip on his belt, called someone, and spoke for a few seconds. “I just told Carl to come out,” he explained after he ended the call. “He’ll unload the van for you.”
    “I think I’d rather do it myself,” Libby said. She really didn’t like the idea of someone else handling their stuff. Actually, didn’t like was putting it mildly. Hated would be a more accurate term. Who knew what they would do to it.
    “Come on,” Bernie said to her. “It’ll be fine.”
    Libby could feel herself start to flush. No. It wouldn’t be all right. The rule was no one touched their stuff. And Bernie knew it, too.
    Mark jumped in. “Carl’s worked in restaurants all his life. Anyway, there’s no reason why ladies as lovely as yourselves should have to carry heavy things.” Before Libby could answer, Carl appeared. “Tell him what to do,” Mark ordered.
    Bernie did.
    Libby took a deep breath and told herself not to say anything now. She would talk to Bernie later. She forced a smile. “Let’s go,” she told Mark.
    He rubbed his hands together. “Good. I’m going to scare you to death.”
    “I can hardly wait,” Libby muttered as they went inside.

Chapter 2
    L ibby looked around the hallway they’d just stepped into. It had been totally transformed since she’d been there two weeks ago. The walls were now painted a dull gray and festooned with cobwebs.
    Meat hooks hanging from the ceiling rattled menacingly. The floor looked old and dusty, except for the splatters of what, Libby decided, was supposed to be blood. The overhead fluorescent lights flickered on and off, painting shadows on the walls and floor. Libby sniffed. The place even smelled musty. The only things that looked modern were the EXIT signs over two doors down the hall.
    Mark jerked his head in their direction. “The fire marshall insisted on those. I tried to talk him out of it—I think it spoils the mood—but it was a no go.”
    “I would think so,” Libby said as she took a couple of steps forward.
    No doubt about it. Mark was definitely getting on her nerves. She stopped for a moment in front of a sign on one of the walls, which said, THIS WAY TO THE EXECUTION. A black arrow pointed to the door on Libby’s right. Then she moved over to the square wooden table pushed against the wall. On it sat a cash box, a bunch of forms, and a black cup filled with pens.
    “The releases I was telling you about,” Mark said, pointing to the pile of paper.
    Bernie nodded. A notice on the table stated that the price of admission was thirty dollars.
    “A little high, isn’t it?” Libby commented.
    Mark shrugged. “High tech always is.”
    Libby was about to tell him that was why she liked low tech better, but before she could, Bernie was pointing down the