Page 22 of Deadly Misfortunes

They finished their food, and both Gregory and Marvin threw a ball at a large red button, taking turns dunking the clown in the dunk tank.

Rose finally pulled Marvin away, and she perused the arts-and-crafts section. Stephanie and Gregory walked with them, though only Rose appeared interested in the crafts. She bought a couple of hand-carved deer that he knew she would place on the fireplace mantle at Christmastime. Gregory gave Marvin a growly look for not paying for them since they were a couple.

Then she bought a couple of handmade baby blankets for Kat's babies.

She did make Marvin carry them, though he hadn't indicated he would until she shoved them at him. Gregory had never spent any time with the two of them on a "date" in the month they had been dating, so he didn't know how Marvin would treat Rose. Already, Gregory's hackles were raised.

Marvin saw Lucy's booth and made a beeline for it. "I thought it might be more private, like inside a tent. It seems to me there would be too much noise out here to concentrate."

"If it wasn't fake, sure," Gregory said, not that he knew what someone would need if they were real psychics, if there were such a thing.

There was no one in line at Lucy’s booth, which made Gregory think of a restaurant or store that wasn’t popular and that it was a waste of time. Gregory swore she looked like Marilyn Monroe because of the way her blond hair was styled and the flared 60’s dress she was wearing, all in white.

Whereas Sascha was flamboyant in her colorful clothes and red hair, Lucy was glamorous. Kat was wearing a gypsy-costume too, a long multi-scarf-like skirt and peasant blouse, but her colors were more natural and complemented her dark brown hair.

Prescott was sitting behind them, talking on his phone, probably taking care of business.

Marvin handed Lucy his tickets. She studied him for a moment, then looked at Rose, shifting her gaze to Gregory, then to Stephanie. She pointed her long, painted red nail at Stephanie. “You have several ghosts wanting to speak to you.”

Gregory smiled. He could just imagine. Then he reminded himself that this wasn’t real. Still, he thought it would be funny if it were true.

“I’m not here to get a reading.” Stephanie looked pale and like she wanted to leave that minute if anyone wanted to go with her.

Lucy turned her gaze to Marvin. “You don’t have anyone in mind to speak with. Unless you want to speak with your last ex-girlfriend.”

Rose looked at him, her lips parted. Gregory got the distinct impression that Rose didn’t know about any ex-girlfriends.

“She’s dead?” Marvin asked, looking shocked.

“Just one of them.”

“Who?”

“The last one. Rene Hoffman?”

Marvin looked pale. “How did she, uhm, die?”

“Rene, do you want to speak to Marvin?” Lucy asked.

His eyes grew huge. Gregory wondered how Lucy would know Marvin had a girlfriend who had died, if she had. But also, he had just randomly come up to pay her for a reading, so how would she know anything about Marvin? Though Gregory was already checking his phone to see if the story about Rene was true. He found Rene had drowned in her car when it left a rain-slick road and ended up in a lake.

This reminded Gregory of Sascha and Raymond and their near miss with death in the river.

“She’s angry with you for seeing her best friend behind her back. She was driving too fast for the road conditions on a stormy day, and she lost control of her car. It ended up in a lake, and she drowned. She said she would never forgive you for cheating on her with her best friend before that happened, and she had broken up with you.” Lucy glanced at Rose.

His sister’s lips were parted, and she looked as pale as Marvin. “I don’t know any Rene Hoffman.”

“No, you don’t.” Lucy turned to Marvin. “Rene hopes you never find love. She has said her peace. She’s gone.” Lucy took a deep breath and let it out. “Does anyone else want a reading?”

Gregory shook his head. “I think we’re good.” He took hold of Rose’s hand and squeezed it. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. I want to see Sascha.”

If Rose planned to break up with Marvin over the ghostly revelation, mainly because he hadn’t told Rose he had cheated on his girlfriend, resulting in her being the ex, maybe Rose did end up with someone else. Fenton? Gregory didn’t believe there was anyone in Rose’s future named Fenton.

“I told you not to dredge up the dead,” Stephanie said haughtily.

Marvin frowned at her. “I didn’t know my ex-girlfriend was dead.”