Halloween (again) by Diane Burton

When your turn at blogging here comes at the end of the month, all the topics you thought of have been taken. Unlike my character Alex O'Hara, I'm not crazy about Halloween. I don't like scary books or movies. I hate dressing up in costume for parties. And I hate having so much candy in the house.

Rather than a trick, here's a treat. An excerpt I haven't shared before from my PI mystery THE CASE OF THE BYGONE BROTHER.

Like many of the downtown businesses, I participated in Fair Haven’s Candy Walk. Costumed kids went from door to door and we handed out treats. Since the weather was so nice, I sat in a lawn chair out on the sidewalk. As did many other business owners. In previous years, we scooted our chairs together so we could chat.

Not this year. My two bodyguards insisted on standing close by. Big concession that was. They wanted me to stay inside. In fact, they didn’t want me to participate at all. I told them nobody was keeping me from having a little fun. Sacerne and her minions had already interfered with my life. I wouldn’t let them intimidate me into missing out on my favorite Halloween activity.

I dressed in my witch costume and hid my still-bruised face behind a mask. Jasper worried that Tyler would also wear a mask and sneak up on me. I poo-poo’d that idea, asking if he thought Tyler would rent a kid for more camouflage. The two guys didn’t think that was funny.

My favorite part of the Walk had always been watching the kids. I loved the costumes. More than last year, many wore home-made outfits. Even many parents and dogs wore costumes. After the third Darth Vader, I gave some credence to Jasper’s warning about Tyler coming in disguise. Let me tell you, when a huge black-clad figure with a helmet and cape lumbers toward you, fear streaks down your back. Fortunately, I recognized the Darth Vaders—more from the kids attached to them.

When a blue cardboard police box without a child nearby headed directly toward me, Norman and Jasper went into high alert. They sandwiched Doctor Who’s TARDIS between them and ordered the person inside to show himself.

At the menace in my guards’ voices and actions, parents grabbed their surprised children to pull them out of the way.

Oh my gosh, I knew who was inside the TARDIS. When it looked like Jasper and Norman were going to pull out their guns, I jumped up and cackled. “I’ll get you, my pretty.” Then I pointed my broom at the box. “Ex-ter-min-ate!”

Some parents—Doctor Who fans, I assume—laughed, the rest and their kids eyed me warily, and a freaked-out RJ opened a little hatch at the top.

“See? It’s all part of a game,” I said. “Happy Halloween.”

After the group moved on, I quietly apologized to RJ.

“Man, oh, man, Alex,” he exclaimed. “I thought those guys were going to take me down. Who are they?”

“A present from Nick Palzetti.”

  

The Case of the Bygone Brother is available at Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00P1GPR0Q

 Diane Burton writes romantic adventure . . . stories that take place on Earth and beyond. She blogs here on the 8th and 30th of each month and on Mondays on her own site: http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/