Page 77 of Death and Do-Overs

I tried to swallow the lump that formed in my throat when I looked at him. It just grew bigger. “Go Team Noodles.”

CHAPTER 18

GRETA

At the crack of dawn, Imogen’s and my first stop was for breakfast. The second stop landed us on the reaper’s doorstep.

No answer. Bernadette was either a super-stealthy hider, or she wasn’t home.

Either way, I had way too much agitation pulsing through my veins to sit around and wait, so I dragged Imogen back across town to follow up on a loose end.

The last thing I wanted to do was sit with my thoughts. Focusing on Levi and my regrets about our kiss would be a mistake. I wasn’t even the one who’d kissed him. I was the clone. The unnamed emotion churning in my gut—that was best left ignored.

“Ooh, Greta, Brock just sent the background check stuff on Guy Jones.” Imogen waved her muffin in one hand, her phone at me with the other.

“Let me see.” I snatched the phone and flipped through the documents.

Reports on animal neglect—already knew about that.

Noise complaint—inconsequential.

Disorderly conduct charge. This was apparently due to crying and kicking over an ice cream cart when they didn’t have his preferred flavor—unsurprising.

“There’s nothing here,” I said.

“It’s so many pages. That’s not nothing.”

“Nothing helpful.”

“You’re in a mood.” Imogen nibbled a bird-sized bite off the top of her muffin, chewed, and swallowed.

I was tempted to slap the muffin right out of her hand.

Yes, it seemed I wasin a mood.

I shoved her phone back at her, which she happily accepted.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Okay.” Her tone made clear she did not believe me. “What are the chances this whole murder thing has something to do with Halloween?”

“Why would you think that?”

“It’s just that yesterday was Halloween,” Imogen said. “It’s spooky season. There are all these monster and slasher films in theaters for all of October.”

“It’s November now.” I found myself picking at the sleeve of my favorite sweater, and stopped.

“But it wasn’t November when all of this started, right? It just seems like too big of a coincidence. Maybe.”

“People murder each other every day of the year.”

“That’s true.” She took another nibble of her muffin. “What do you think the deal is with Halloween though? And scary movies for that matter?”

“People like to pretend. They like to be scared while still knowing they’re completely safe.”

“I don’t like to be scared. Not ever.”

---