The Curse (Seacliff High Mystery Book 2)

The Curse (Seacliff High Mystery Book 2) Read Free

Book: The Curse (Seacliff High Mystery Book 2) Read Free
Author: Kathi Daley
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museum to check with my mom before we go out. And I’d love to stop at home and change.” Alyson looked down at her dusty clothes.
    “I’ve got to get the U-Haul back to the rental place and pick up my Expedition. Maybe I could swing by the museum afterward and pick everyone up. We could take a run out to your place if you want,” Devon suggested to Alyson.
    Everyone except Caleb agreed to Devon’s plan.
     
    Several hours later, the gang headed over to the costume shop to pick out their outfits for the haunted hayride. The entire downtown section of Cutter’s Cove was decorated for the upcoming holiday. The trees lining the sidewalks were draped with orange lights and handmade mini ghosts. Hundreds of scarecrows and jack-o’-lanterns were displayed in front of brightly lit shops. Several shopkeepers were handing out sugar cookies shaped like pumpkins and cups of hot cider.
    The shop they were headed to was located in an older section of town. The large windows of the old brick building were festively decorated with costume displays and an animated haunted village. Inside the store, excited children were running up and down crowded aisles in search of the perfect costume, while harried mothers trailed along behind them, trying to bring some order to the festive chaos.
    “Isn’t Chelsea joining us?” Alyson asked Trevor as she sorted through the huge variety of costumes available in the adult section.
    “She’s going to meet us at the restaurant. She already has her costume.”
    “So what scary thing is she going to be this year?” Mac asked sarcastically. “Last year she was some sort of princess or something.”
    “She said something about a cat,” Trevor answered as he tried on a mask that sort of resembled the swamp creature from the Black Lagoon.
    “Maybe it’ll be a black cat.” Alyson tossed the tiara she had been looking at onto the pile of accessories in the bin before her. “Black cats are sort of scary.”
    “I guess.” Mac sounded doubtful. “I for one am going to find something really hideous.”
    “Check this out.” Eli held up a pirate costume that came complete with a gold medallion. “Does this remind you of anyone?”
    “The mystery body in the cave,” Devon answered. A few weeks earlier the gang had discovered a hidden cave near Alyson’s house that contained, among other things, the skeleton of a long-dead pirate. Or at least they thought it must be a pirate. So far they hadn’t been able to identify who the skeleton had once been.
    “I think I’ll take the pirate costume.” Eli folded the costume he held in his hands. “With everything that’s gone on, it seems kind of appropriate.”
    “Check out that guy on the pay phone,” Mac whispered as she nodded toward the back of the shop. “There’s something really odd about him.”
    “Like the fact that he’s on a pay phone,” Trevor pointed out. “Who uses those anymore?”
    Alyson started to swing around.
    “Don’t turn around,” Mac whispered.
    “You said to look.”
    “Yeah, but don’t be so obvious about it.”
    “I see what you mean,” Trevor, who stood next to Mac, agreed. “It looks like he’s wearing one of those jumpsuits they wear in prison. He has a coat on over it so it’s hard to tell.”
    “Yeah, but look at the coat,” Eli added. “Somehow a dark blue dress coat doesn’t really go with the orange jumpsuit.”
    “Maybe he broke out of prison and then stole the coat to cover up.” Alyson was whispering now too. She started to turn around again.
    “Don’t turn around,” Mac whispered urgently.
    “Can you hear what he’s saying?” Devon, who was standing next to Alyson and couldn’t see the man, asked.
    “I’m not sure,” Mac answered. “His back is to us.”
    “I’m going to the bathroom,” Alyson announced.
    “What! You’ll have to walk right by him,” Mac hissed.
    “Exactly.”
    “Aly, wait.” Mac was still trying to reason with her as Alyson walked away.
    Alyson

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