A Wild Fright in Deadwood (Deadwood Humorous Mystery Book 7) Read Free Page A

whispered. Something about her high collared shirt—or was it a dress—jogged my memory.
    “What’s that dark stuff on her neck?”
    “It looks like …” The rest of my words trickled out in a wheeze. I gulped. “It’s Prudence.”
    I’d seen her picture once in an historical book Doc had shown me. She’d been married to a local doctor. His position in town had given her clout in Lead’s historical records. News about the horrifying murder of her family had made its way into the book as well.
    “I thought the ol’ gal never left the house,” Harvey said.
    “Me, too.” This was a first. Usually I was safe outside of the walls of the Carhart house. The chills that now peppered my body had nothing to do with the wind.
    “We might as well see what she wants.”
    “You go. You’re my bodyguard.”
    “My job is to guard you from the livin’.” Harvey pointed at Prudence. “That one there is long dead.”
    A stronger blast of cold air rocked us. This time my goosebumps were from the wind. If we kept standing out here, we’d turn into popsicles.
    “Fine, I’ll go.” I took a step forward, then glanced back. “But you stick to my heels.”
    “Deal.” He locked onto my shoulder instead and we crept up to the driver’s side window together.
    Prudence stared straight ahead out the windshield, seemingly oblivious to our noses pressed against the glass. Her regal profile appeared blurry around the edges, her creamy complexion softened, almost glowing, as if there were a filter between us.
    “Now what?” Harvey asked.
    How in the world had Prudence made herself visible to Harvey and me … and Zelda? Or was it Zelda’s presence who’d given Prudence the extra boost she needed for this feat?
    “I don’t know. I’m new at actually seeing ghosts.” My specialty was more along the lines of running the other way when I was told they were sharing the room with me.
    “You’re an executioner.”
    “Exactly. I deal with living beings, and usually not of the human variety. Doc’s the one who dallies with the dead.” That was one of his specialties, along with a handful of other sixth sense abilities. I was still learning how many tricks of the trade he had up his sleeve.
    “Well, yer stud’s not here at the moment, so we need to improvise.”
    “Okay. How about you make the first move?”
    “How about you knock on the glass.” He grabbed my hand and lifted it toward the window.
    I yanked it back. “You knock first.”
    “No way. She’s your kin.”
    “We are not …” I looked in the window. Prudence stared straight at me. My breath caught. “She’s looking at me,” I whispered.
    “Are her eyeballs supposed to be all white like that?”
    “How in the hell am I supposed to know, Harvey? This is the first time we’ve actually met face-to-face.”
    As we stared through the window, Prudence raised her hand and gave me a come hither gesture with her index finger.
    My blood froze.
    Harvey pointed at his own chest. “You want me?” he called through the glass.
    She shook her head slowly and pointed at me.
    “Winner winner chicken dinner.” He smirked at me. “Yer lucky alligator tooth necklace is striking gold for ya already.”
    I shot Harvey a worried look. “What am I supposed to do?”
    “I’d start with gettin’ inside the vehicle.”
    “I don’t want to be in there with her .”
    “Yeah, well I don’t want to keep standin’ out here in the wind. My nuggets are frozen. Another stiff breeze like that last one and they’ll break right off. How about I climb in the back seat so yer not alone.”
    I nodded, reaching for the door handle. Seconds later, we were all three inside, snug as bugs in a rug.
    I sniffed, noticing the faint scent of roses. Her perfume? Or was this the olfactory indication Doc often noticed when ghosts came around?
    The back of my seat jerked like it had been kicked. Harvey cleared his throat.
    I glared back at him.
    “Say something,” he spoke out of the