Here’s a bit from A DEAD GUY AT THE SUMMERHOUSE, a conversation between the main character, Mitch, and Grant Marsch, who Mitch caught searching his (Mitch’s) room. Grant tells Mitch what he’s looking for.

What Grant Was Looking For

excerpt from A DEAD GUY AT THE SUMMERHOUSE
by Marian Allen

“There were two of them,” I heard myself say.

He nodded. “You’ve seen them. That was my primary fear, that they might have been destroyed.”

“. . .burn the abominations,” I heard Mr. Walton say again.

Suddenly, I realized I was sitting in a closed room with a friend of Albert’s, who was frantic to recover two of the most evil-looking books I’d ever seen.

“Where are they?” Grant asked.

“Gee,” I said, doing my best imitation of Jerry Mathers as The Beaver, “I don’t know.”

“You mean you won’t tell. What do you want? Money?”

I could feel my face tightening up.

Grant stood. “I haven’t finished. I have quite a bit of searching to do; I’d hoped you could save me some trouble. But, with your help or without it, I’ll find those books. And, when I do, I rather think you’ll be sorry you didn’t help.”

His voice held no threat, only cordial regret for my folly, and I felt just a little queasy.

~*~

Mitch Franklin thinks he’s got it made when the town’s wealthiest eccentric hires him to look after her two lapdogs. Then he meets her family. Five years ago, the last guy she hired played head games the family and servants are still trying to recover from. He also wound up dead. Now, some people think Mitch might be just like him. Some people think Mitch might be him, back from the grave. Will Mitch survive the anniversary of his predecessor’s death, or will he be another dead guy at the summerhouse?

Indiebound http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781942166085

Amazon http://bookshow.me/1942166087

Audible http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/A-Dead-Guy-at-the-Summerhouse-Audiobook/B01B1Y5K4Y/

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Your character denies another character something they want very much.

MA