Two weeks later, I got a registered letter from the law offices of Prufrock, and the release that Amelia had promised me was inside. There was also a letter from Prufrock himself, reminding me not to say anything about him in the story, or he would sue me for libel, slander and anything else that applied. Still a slimy jerk.
I talked it over with my family, Randy and Mike, and they all agreed that it would be a good idea to write the story. Mike told me that I should hurry and interview Artie, because his health was failing fast. But Artie refused to talk to me. He sent a note, stating he didn’t care what I said about him or the family, because he wouldn’t be around to read it. He died over a month later.
No one wanted to buy the Ashton house, so I was able to spend time out there, looking through the family’s private papers. I found some old love letters that Amelia had written to Stanley. He kept them in a cigar box in his desk. I guess she never knew he still had them. He did love her, in his own way. At no time during any of my visits there did I see him. But I know in my heart that he was the one that shone a light in his son’s eyes and saved us all that day.
Going out to the guest house was a bit creepier. With Artie’s death, Aggie had no living heirs, so I was free to go through her things as well. A lot of her correspondence was signed “Agatha Ashton”, not Foley. I didn’t find anything of Ray’s in the guest house, but there were a lot of Stanley’s things out there. There was even a pair of men’s slippers sitting by the front, as if they were waiting for someone to walk in the door and put them on. That woman definitely had more than a screw loose.
I waited until Artie passed away before writing the book. I’m not sure why; I didn’t owe him anything. He was a murderer, after all. But I felt like he needed to leave this world with a little shred of dignity, even if it was a false sense of dignity, and something he would never know about. He had been through enough, and I wasn’t going to pile on more.
While I wrote the book, I quietly started dating Mike. I learned that dating a policeman meant he was always on call, and that sometimes he had to break dates to respond to a call. But I didn’t take it personally; it was his job. He was good at it, and I was proud of him. And he learned that dating a writer meant late nights of writing, lots of caffeine, grumbling, rewrites, editing, hair pulling, and having your date fall asleep on you as the opening credits of a movie started. But we made it work, because Mike gave me the love and support that was missing in my relationship with David. Randy, on the other hand, was doing his level best to sabotage us every chance he got…and failing miserably.
There was a bit of a bidding war for the book, which surprised me. I didn’t think anyone outside of Texas would be interested in reading about things that happened in a small town. Boy, was I proven wrong. The book was a big hit, and my agent called me the other day to say that a big Hollywood producer wanted to make it into a movie. I haven’t decided how I feel about that yet, or if I’m even going to say yes. My agent says I would be a fool to turn down the offer. I’ll let you know what I decide later.
Shortly before Thanksgiving, I got a phone call from my mother, and what she said scared me to death.
“Camille, your grandmother and Mike’s grandfather have gone missing.”
About the Author
The daughter of a Methodist minister, I’ve spent most of my life in Texas and New Mexico. I graduated from West Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in 2000. Among my many titles, I am a daughter, sister, granddaughter, mother, wife, and writer. I currently live in North Texas with my husband, and am suffering from empty nest syndrome! Who Killed the Ghost in the Library? is my first full-length novel; I have also written six novellas.
You can follow me on Twitter (@authorTeresaW). You can check my website, www.myfunnyviewoflife.com or my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/teresaleewatson for updates on upcoming stories. Please let me know what you think of the story by sending me an email at [email protected]
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