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CHAPTER ONE
MARGO
“Trick or treat!”
The high-pitched voice threatens to worsen my headache, but the little vampire’s snaggle-toothed grin, complete with plastic fangs, makes me smile back.
Instead of candy, I dump about half a dozen day-old chocolate chip cookies into his bucket.
“Wow! Thanks, lady!”
He runs off and I smile after him.
Maybe this night won’t be so terrible after all.
I closed down the bakery early so I could give out cookies. Not that I was exactly drowning in business, anyway. Halloween is still two weeks off, but tonight is the early trick-or-treat night downtown, and Garland Falls has a few over-eager kids visiting businesses around town.
Orange lights glow in the shop windows across the street. Every time I open the door, cold air mixes with the cinnamon still hanging around my ovens.
The next kids to walk up are older. Teenagers. I raise an eyebrow as one of them holds out what looks like a potato sack. He has blood all over his chin and white t-shirt, but no other costume.
“Zombie?”
He doesn’t answer and neither do his two friends, a girl wearing clown makeup and a risqué clown outfit, and another boy with no costume at all.
These kids…no imagination.
I dutifully throw cookies and pastries in their sacks anyway, and close the door when they turn to walk away.
Three thuds and a cacophony of giggles make me open the door again. Egg yolk slides down the sign, obscuring it. I look at it with a frown.
Sugar & Coal, but with egg yolk dripping off the letters.
I’d just had the damn sign painted two weeks ago.
“Come on!”
My phone buzzes in my back pocket but I huff, ignoring it as I get a soapy cloth to wash off the egg.
By the time I’m done, my phone has stopped ringing.
I look down at it. My mother. And a few texts from Bryan Carter, my boyfriend.
I listen to the voicemail first, hoping that nothing’s wrong.
My mother’s voice drones on in a long ramble. “You never answer your phone, Margarita. It’s disrespectful. Especially since I know your boyfriend isn’t taking you anywhere. He’s using you. And you’re wasting your youth, you know that? You should be out partying, sowing your wild oats. You were always such a nerd in high school.”
“Thank you, Mother,” I drawl out loud. Nothing’s wrong. She just wanted to berate me over the phone, I guess.
I sigh, looking at Bryan’s text messages instead and hoping they’ll cheer me up. He’s out of town visiting his family this week, but we have plans when he gets back.
My eyes dart across the screen as my stomach twists.
Margo, I need to talk to you.
This is serious. I don’t think this is working anymore.
Margo?
