A Whiskey Sour Wipeout Read online

Guardrail laughed. “He was different, but he was a good man. I'll never forget when that little house cat took him down.”

  The laughter just slipped from me. “I forgot about that. Or how he wouldn’t let that historian mess with the locket he found.”

  “Dixie and us were just talking about that a few minutes before you got here.” Guardrail glanced to Dixie for confirmation.

  “Yeah, we were. And how he never liked the grave digger jokes. But he took it all in stride.” Dixie chuckled a little thinking of all the times she gave him a hard time.

  Bones bellowed from the back. “You know what I liked about Digger. He never complained about my cooking.”

  Dixie snorted. “Oh yes he did. We all do, we just don’t let you hear to be nice.”

  The clanking sound told me Bones had dropped his spatula on the grill. And sure enough, he emerged through the swinging door. “My cooking is the best. Why do you have to be so mean?”

  Dad yelled at Bones. “Did you drop that dang spatula on the grill again? If you break that grill it’s coming out of your paycheck!”

  I smiled and was jealous. It seemed my friends were getting back to normal, but it still felt like the grief I carried was crushing and it was even hard for me to breath with effort.

  Piper and Ida came waltzing in through the front door. Piper made an announcement. “We got another ten papers to carry the column.”

  Everyone had resumed life, but not me. I could not get over the loss of Digger. I took the envelope out of my pocket and opened it. It wasn’t a long note and it included a ten dollar bill. The note read, “If something happens to me, I know Dog and Guardrail will argue over my stool. But I would like the stool cremated and the ashes spread over my grave. Included with this request is ten dollars to cover a round of beers for Dog and Guardrail, my best drinking buddies, and a small tip for you Ginger. Take care of them, you are strong and smart and we always needed you to lead our motley crew. Your friend always, Digger.”

  The tears came too fast to control them. I tried to compose myself and turned to Dixie. “Digger just bought a round of beers for Dog and Guardrail, so set them up!”

  Dog looked like he was going to be sick. “Is that old coot’s ghost here?”

  I snickered. “No, he left a note that I just got today. Here you can read it. It tells us what to do with his stool.”

  Guardrail came over and took the note from me. After reading the message he laughed and addressed his business partner. “You aren't going to believe this, he wants us to burn the stool and sprinkle the ashes on his grave.”

  Dog raised his eyebrows. “What? Well that’s a new one. But if that is what he wants, okay!”

  Star jumped like she got a little electric shock, then she locked eyes with me. “The Grumpy Chicken helped Digger, and he knows you are all mourning him. But he doesn’t want that. And he feels guilty about burning the stool, but he just can’t have someone else taking it.”

  Dixie hooted. “Now there’s a vision. Digger and the Grumpy Chicken. Which one you think is the scariest now? My money is on Digger. He was way grumpier than the chicken.”

  Dog and Guardrail laughed. “I think you’re right, Dixie. The old grumper has her hands full now with Digger. But there is only one thing for us to do.” Guardrail raised his glass. “To Digger.”

  Everyone in the pub raised their drinks, too. And they repeated, “To Digger!”

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  Catalog of Books

  The Witch Sisters of Stillwater

  Hoodoo and Just Desserts

  A Shade of Murder

  That Ol’ Black Magic

  A Whole Lotta Witchin Goin On

  THE SINISTER CASE SERIES

  The Sinister Secrets of the Snake Mirror

  The Sinister Secrets of the Deadly Summoner

  The Sinister Secrets of the Enchanting Blaze

  THE GRUMPY CHICKEN Irish Pub Series

  A Frosty Mug of Murder

  Treachery on Tap

  A Highball and a Low Blow

  Cursed With a Twist

  THE CHRONICLES OF AGNES Astor Smith

  The Peculiar Case of Agnes Astor Smith

  The Peculiar Case of the Red Tide

  The Peculiar Case of the Lost Colony

  OLD SCHOOL DINER COZY Mysteries

  Murder at Stake

  Murder Well Done

  A Side Order of Deception

  Murder, Basted and Barbecued

  Murder Ala Mode

  The Curiosity Shop Cozy Mysteries

  The Curious Case of the Cursed Spectacles

  The Curious Case of the Cursed Dice

  The Curious Case of the Cursed Dagger

  The Curious Case of the Cursed Looking Glass

  The Curious Case of the Cursed Crucible

  THE WE’RE NOT DEAD Yet Club

  Fetch a Pail of Murder

  Wedding Bells and Death Knells

  Murder or Bust

  Pinched, Pilfered and a Pitchfork

  A Hot Spot of Murder

  WITCHY WOMEN OF COVEN Grove Series

  THE WITCHING ON THE Wall

  A Witching Well of Magic

  Witching the Night Away

  Witching There’s Another Way

  Witching Your Life Away

  Witching You Wouldn’t Go

  Witching for a Miracle

  TEASEN & PLEASEN HAIR Salon Series

  A Hair Raising Blowout

  Wash, Rinse, Die

  Holiday Hooligans

  Color Me Dead

  False Nails & Tall Tales

  CAESAR’S CREEK SERIES

  A FROZEN SCOOP OF MURDER

  Death by Chocolate Sundae

  Soft Serve Secrets

  Ice Cream You Scream

  Double Dip Dilemma

  Melted Memories

  Triple Dip Debacle

  Whipped Wedding Woes

  A Sprinkle of Tropical Trouble

  A Drizzle of Deception

  Sweet Home Mystery Series

  Creamed at the Coffee Cabana

  A Caffeinated Crunch

  A Frothy Fiasco

  Punked by the Pumpkin

  Peppermint Pandemonium

  Expresso Messo

  A Cuppa Cruise Conundrum

  The Brewing Bride

  Whispering Pines Mystery Series

  A Sinister Slice of Murder

  Sanctum of Shadows

  Curse of the Bloodstone Arrow

  Fright Night at the Haunted Inn

  MAD RIVER MYSTERY SERIES

  A Wicked Whack

  A Prickly Predicament

  A Malevolent Menace

  The Monkey’s Eyebrow Tea Room Series

  A Tiny Bite of Murder

  Murder on the Ghost Walk