Page 27 of The Aura Answer
“In case you haven’t surmised, Mr. Mayor, you’re dead and your ghost is the hell in this scene. Your son is foolishly wanting your killer found. You do remember Tobias?”
Useless twit, Block muttered, apparently so accustomed to people speaking to him that he didn’t see the difference beyond the grave.He’ll never pull off the zoning deal. He’ll lose everything.
Ah, a glimmer of his purpose here. “Deal?” Beside her, Jax didn’t stir, so it didn’t mean anything to him either.
Finish what I started, and he can save everything, get me out of this damned mess.Brief confusion colored his aura.
It was very strange seeing the beefy, florid face she knew reduced to a fleshy pallor. She doubted anyone could rescue a ghost, but she wasn’t reminding him of that.
“Tell me what Toby needs to know,” she suggested.
The spirit snorted.Lily-livered boy would faint. Tell the bigwig I’ll haunt him if he doesn’t follow through.His energy abruptly died and vanished.
“Bigwig?” she asked, hoping he’d hear. “Follow through?”
Nothing. Well, it wasn’t as if Artie could say who killed him. And even though he evidently knew who was supposed to score his deal, he couldn’t recall their name. Curses. ForgetArtie. He was still a Blockhead.
She crossed her arms and kicked the bench in front of her.
“Bigwig?” Jax asked, accepting that she talked to thin air and got answers.
“Something about zoning and a bigwig he wants Toby to deal with.” She ruminated but couldn’t make anything of it.
“Is he talking about Layman, the asshat talking about creating Main Street USA in our not-so-charming town?”
Evie sat back up and kissed his cheek. “Tell me more, Lawyer Man.” She slid out of the bench row. “Feed me while you do.”
“Why was Block talking about Layman?” Outside the courtroom, Jax hefted the heavy sack of broken plaster she’d swept up and aimed for the stairs.
“He seemed to think some zoning deal would save the hide he no longer has. I can’t imagine how. Wasn’t the council’s zoning law just settled?” Outside, Evie helped him heave the plaster into the dumpster. Then she tucked her hard hat under her arm and shook her hair free. “I need to return these keys, which means locking the clerk’s office behind me and retreating through the bomb shelter.”
“Bomb shelter should be locked too. Anyone could do what you did.” He checked his phone battery, grimaced, and texted a hasty message. He held up the reply. “Deputy around front.”
Jax took her hardhat and draped his other arm over her shoulder, steering her toward Main street. They met the deputy on the way up the courthouse steps and handed over the keys without explanation.
Evie figured Sheriff Troy knew where to find her if he had questions, but he was smart. He’d figure out how she’d grabbed the keys on his own. “I hope they searched the tunnel yesterday. It’s been used recently, but I’m guessing that would be Bertie.”
“If Troy hasn’t, he will now. Having the keys to the entire courthouse accessible to anyone who came through that tunnel... I’m not even going to contemplate it. This town needs work.” Jax shook his head in disapproval.
“Beyond boundary disputes and barking dogs, we never had real crime before. And I doubt most people would have any ideawhat to do if they did get into files. They might steal computers, I suppose, but the city’s are ancient.” Evie shrugged. “You were telling me about Asshat.”
“I’ll tell you what little I know on the way home. Last I heard, Pris is filling the fridge so our grocery bill won’t allow eating out.”
“Good point. And our phones will need recharging after that encounter. Spill.” Enjoying the chilly sunshine with Jax’s sturdy arm around her, Evie contemplated the future she’d never have dreamed of this time last year.
She’d found a man who didn’t freak when she talked to ghosts and listened when she repeated what she’d learned from beyond the veil. That was more precious than diamonds and grocery bills.
“Layman is cut from the same cloth as Block only on a national scale,” Jax told her. “He makes deals. He buys up cheap real estate and builds some destination store, mall, hotel, whatever. When land prices skyrocket around it, he sells everything for an enormous profit and moves on.”
“Block never moved on,” Evie complained. “He bought and seldom produced.”
“Because he didn’t have enough money and got caught by a family of witches,” Jax said with a chuckle. “Layman was born rich and hasn’t been caught. It’s all hocus-pocus, borrowing huge sums, using his wealth to stomp over laws, throwing up a shoddy resort without paying his contractors, pocketing the loans, leaving local businessmen holding the bag for his debts. Eventually, the resort flops from lack of support, and the economy collapses with it. It’s an artificial balloon that pops.”
“And he’ll do that here?” she asked in incredulity.
“Main Street USA is being pushed as a tourist draw, although the details are fuzzy,” he said. “Since Block was in jail and his assets tied up, I hadn’t realized he was involved. Or maybe thegovernor is interested, and the state is promising casinos or some other gimmick if Layman performs his magic act here. Not sure how you’ll investigate that.”
“No river for a casino. Liquor laws limit the sale of alcohol, which is where tourist destinations make money. Patel tried to get a license to sell on Sunday, but the churches rose up in arms, and the council turned him down. He doesn’t have clout. In his prime, Block might have pushed through changes.” Evie glanced down as her phone dinged. She hadn’t thought there was enough juice left.
