Stranger Danger (Lucy McGuffin, Psychic Amateur Detective 4)

“So Archie Clements was cleared of the murder, but he’s going away for real estate fraud. Anita Tremble confessed to killing Jefferson Pike. I promised Victor Marino that I’d let Paco participate in a séance, and Betty Jean is sleeping in her own bed again.” I also owe Rusty Newton free muffins for life, but since Travis is sitting across from me at the table, I refrain from adding that into the mix, because I really don’t want to have to explain.

“Looks like everything in Whispering Bay is back to normal,” says Dad. “For now.”

Paco barks as if to say, Don’t expect it to stay that way for long.

We all laugh.

“This certainly has been an exciting week,” says Mom. “First we meet J.W. Quicksilver. Then he gets murdered, and then we find out he’s not J.W. Quicksilver but some infamous con man. Then Betty Jean is almost killed by the man’s wife.” She shakes her head. “And then, in a bizarre twist of fate, we find out that the real J.W. Quicksilver was in town after all, but no one knows who he is!”

“Lucy knows,” says Brittany. “At least, that’s what she said. Right?”

Everyone turns to look at me. Even Will, who’s looking at me the hardest.

“I was mistaken. I thought I knew, but it looks like I was tricked too.”

There’s a collective moan of disappointment.

“Well, not all’s lost where that’s concerned,” says Sebastian. “I have some fascinating news. You tell them, Will.”

Will lays down his napkin, then clears his throat.

“It appears that Shirley Dombrowski is going to get a significant publishing deal.”

“What?” I say. “Shirley? Sebastian’s Shirley? How did that happen?”

Will looks around the table. “Shirley gave me her manuscript to read for a critique. Out of politeness, I thought I’d read the first couple of pages, but then I found that I couldn’t put it down. It’s quite brilliant, actually. I forwarded her manuscript to the same company that publishes J.W. Quicksilver’s novels. According to his publisher, he read it too, and he agreed with me.”

“All that in just two days?” Mom looks bewildered.

“I guess if you’re a bigshot like J.W. Quicksilver, you can make things happen fast.” I try hard not to grin at Will.

“Do you know that he’s reimbursing everyone who came to the book reading the cost of their ticket?” says Brittany. “Not only that, but Betty Jean told me that his publisher is going to provide an advanced autographed copy of his next book to everyone in her book club.”

“What a guy,” says Dad.

“Do you think we’ll ever know his real identity?” asks Mom.

“Probably not,” I say. “You know those high-strung literary types.”

Dad grunts. “Just as long as he keeps pumping out those books, I don’t care if he’s the man on the moon.”

I notice that Travis has been unusually quiet. “I think Travis has some news, too,” I say.

“Really?” says Mom. “What is it?”

I take a deep breath. “First, I need to confess something.”

“Here?” Dad asks. “At the dinner table? Whatever happened to going behind closed doors?”

“I was never a member of Young Catholic Singles,” I blurt. There. Now it’s out in the open.

No one says anything for a few seconds. Then Mom shrugs. “I knew that.”

“What? You did not. I totally had you fooled.”

She raises a brow at me. Okay, I never had her fooled.

Huh.