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  Books by Fern Michaels:

  Fancy Dancer

  No Safe Secret

  Wishes for Christmas

  About Face

  Perfect Match

  A Family Affair

  Forget Me Not

  The Blossom Sisters

  Balancing Act

  Tuesday’s Child

  Betrayal

  Southern Comfort

  To Taste the Wine

  Sins of the Flesh

  Sins of Omission

  Return to Sender

  Mr. and Miss Anonymous

  Up Close and Personal

  Fool Me Once

  Picture Perfect

  The Future Scrolls

  Kentucky Sunrise

  Kentucky Heat

  Kentucky Rich

  Plain Jane

  Charming Lily

  What You Wish For

  The Guest List

  Listen to Your Heart

  Celebration

  Yesterday

  Finders Keepers

  Annie’s Rainbow

  Sara’s Song

  Vegas Sunrise

  Vegas Heat

  Vegas Rich

  Whitefire

  Wish List

  Dear Emily

  Christmas at Timberwoods

  The Sisterhood Novels:

  Crash and Burn

  Point Blank

  In Plain Sight

  Eyes Only

  Kiss and Tell

  Blindsided

  Gotcha!

  Home Free

  Déjà Vu

  Cross Roads

  Game Over

  Deadly Deals

  Vanishing Act

  Razor Sharp

  Under the Radar

  Final Justice

  Collateral Damage

  Fast Track

  Hokus Pokus

  Hide and Seek

  Free Fall

  Lethal Justice

  Sweet Revenge

  The Jury

  Vendetta

  Payback

  Weekend Warriors

  The Men of the Sisterhood

  Novels:

  Fast and Loose

  Double Down

  The Godmothers Series:

  Hideaway (E-Novella

  Exclusive)

  Classified

  Breaking News

  Deadline

  Late Edition

  Exclusive

  The Scoop

  E-Book Exclusives:

  Desperate Measures

  Seasons of Her Life

  To Have and To Hold

  Serendipity

  Captive Innocence

  Captive Embraces

  Captive Passions

  Captive Secrets

  Captive Splendors

  Cinders to Satin

  For All Their Lives

  Texas Heat

  Texas Rich

  Texas Fury

  Texas Sunrise

  Anthologies:

  The Most Wonderful Time

  When the Snow Falls

  Secret Santa

  A Winter Wonderland

  I’ll Be Home for Christmas

  Making Spirits Bright

  Holiday Magic

  Snow Angels

  Silver Bells

  Comfort and Joy

  Sugar and Spice

  Let it Snow

  A Gift of Joy

  Five Golden Rings

  Deck the Halls

  Jingle All the Way

  The Godmothers: Getaway

  Fern Michaels

  KENSINGTON BOOKS

  www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

  KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2017 by Fern Michaels

  Fern Michaels is a registered trademark of KAP 5, Inc.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  Kensington and Kensington logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  First Electronic Edition: May 2017

  ISBN: 978-1-4967-1208-0

  Table of Contents

  Also by

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Cast of Characters

  The Story So Far . . .

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  HIGH STAKES

  White Chicken Stew

  A Family Affair

  Late Edition

  Crash and Burn

  Cast of Characters

  The Godmothers

  Toots

  Sophie

  Mavis

  Ida

  Four lifelong friends who first met in junior high school. Sophie, Mavis, and Ida all serve as godmothers to Toots’s daughter Abby. After an extended stint on the West Coast, they have returned to South Carolina.

  Family, Friends, and Significant Others

  Abby—Toots’s daughter. Reporter and former editor-in-chief of the Informer.

  Chris—Abby’s husband and father of their twins, Amy and Jonathan. Phil—Toots’s boyfriend, a doctor and upcoming novelist.

  Goebel—Sophie’s second husband, a retired New York City police officer.

  Bernice—Toots’s friend.

  Daniel—Bernice’s son and Ida’s boyfriend, an attorney.

  Robert—Bernice’s boyfriend and Toots’s neighbor.

  Wade—Mavis’s boyfriend and co-owner of their funeral parlor.

  Animal Friends

  Frankie—Toots’s dachshund.

  Chester—Abby and Chris’s German shepherd.

  Coco—Mavis’s Chihuahua.

  The Story So Far . . .

  The best of friends, Toots, Ida, Mavis, and Sophie have been there for each other through thick and thin, ever since they first became friends in the seventh grade. Ida, Mavis, and Sophie are all godmothers to Toots’s daughter, Abby, who now has young twins of her own. The whole gang has moved back to South Carolina after several years of living and working in L.A.

  Sophie is celebrating a wonderful first year of marriage to her second husband, Goebel. Yet ever since Sophie and Goebel moved into their new home, a former plantation house with a storied history, she has sensed something is amiss. After the Godmothers hold a séance in the house, a malevolent spirit infects Ida. Now Sophie searches her home for answers while Toots seeks to help Ida and also keep Abby from harm.

  Chapter One

  Chester greeted Abby at the back door, sensing that she needed his assistance. He leaned against the heavy frame to keep it open when she entered with Amy on one hip and Jonathan on the other. Once inside, she stooped down, allowing the twins to wiggle out of her arms. “Thanks, Chester,” she said before giving her longtime best friend a rub between the ears. “I swear you’re more human than animal.” />
  “Woof! Woof!”

  Once inside and seeing that Amy and Jonathan were occupied with a scattering of toys they’d left on the floor this morning, she found her godmother Mavis’s cell phone number written on a notepad next to the phone. Quickly, she punched in the digits. Mavis picked up on the third ring.

  “Yes, dear.” She didn’t bother with hello. Abby smiled. She knew Mavis was fascinated with the ability to see who was calling.

  “Did I catch you at a bad time?” Abby asked.

  “Of course not, Abby. Wade and I were getting ready to close up for the night.”

  Abby could only imagine what closing up for the night consisted of since Mavis and Wade operated a funeral parlor. There was no way that she was about to ask.

  Peeping around the corner to make sure the twins were safely occupied, her voice grew serious. “Is there anything going on with Mom that I need to know? I stopped over earlier, just to say hi and let the twins visit, and we were no more settled in than, the next thing I know, she’s practically tossing us out. She didn’t bother with an explanation, either.”

  Abby was more than concerned. Normally, her mother would practically have to beg her to stay longer just so she could play with her grandchildren, but that hadn’t been the case today.

  She could hear Mavis’s intake of breath across the ether. “I haven’t seen your mother since we attended the séance at Sophie and Goebel’s. She did have a little too much to drink that night. Wade insisted we drive her home even though she said she was fine. Of course, I knew better. I haven’t spoken to her since then, so as far as I know, everything is fine. She and Phil were talking about their upcoming trip to New York for his book launch.”

  Mavis was so kind, but sometimes she could be a bit long-winded.

  “Yes, she mentioned the trip the other day,” Abby said. “Do you think Sophie or Ida might know what’s going on with Mom? It’s just so unlike her to act . . . well, never mind. Mom does act weird, a lot, but I’ve never seen her act this way around the twins.”

  “I’m sure everything will be just fine. I wouldn’t worry too much, dear.”

  Abby thanked her and ended the call. She punched in Sophie’s cell phone, and it went straight to voicemail. She tried her home number, and no one picked up. “Weird,” she said to herself. With Ida next on her list, she punched in her number. It rang at least ten times, then Abby hung up. That left Bernice. She called her mother’s house, knowing the odds of Bernice’s answering the phone were in her favor.

  And, sure enough, Bernice answered on the first ring. “Thank goodness you called,” Bernice said.

  Abby’s heart raced. “What in the world is going on?”

  “I’ve been sworn to silence, but your mother told me if you called to tell you she was just fine, and not to worry.”

  “Oh, great. That’s just great. Seriously, Bernice, is there something going on with her that I should know? She tossed me and the kids out so fast, I was too shocked to question her. Now I know something is wrong because she would insist on speaking to me if there wasn’t.” At least that’s what Abby thought. She and her mother didn’t keep secrets. At least none that she knew of. Of course, there was the matter of the Informer, but Abby hadn’t cared that her mother had purchased the struggling tabloid behind her back. She thought it truly proved what lengths a mother would go to for her child. Had the situation been reversed, she was sure she would have done the exact same thing for her kids. Like mother, like daughter.

  “Abby, your mother is fine. Physically, at least. Now, as far as her mental state goes, I’ve questioned it for the past thirty-plus years.”

  Abby grinned. Leave it to Bernice. “Yeah, I understand where you’re coming from. But still, this isn’t like her at all, and I need to know what’s going on so I can help fix whatever it is.”

  She heard Bernice’s sigh. “Do you think the twins are old enough to be in the wedding? I was thinking ring bearer and flower girl.”

  Abby pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it. Maybe Bernice was the one she needed to be concerned about. “I’m not falling into your trap, Bernie,” Abby said, knowing she hated being referred to as “Bernie.”

  “Look, I understand where you’re coming from, but I really don’t know what’s going on with your mother. Ida’s upstairs in your mother’s room, Sophie and Goebel went home. Well, I think that’s where they’re at. She left in a rush, and he wasn’t far behind her. I’m as much in the dark as you, and you know your mother. When she wants us to know something, she will tell us. If it were life threatening, she would have told us. I wouldn’t worry if I were you,” Bernice said. “I was serious when I asked you about the twins being in the wedding. Since they’re practically walking, I thought it might be fun to see them in action.”

  The visual of Amy and Jonathan walking down any aisle without her trailing behind made her laugh out loud. “We’ll see, Bernice. I’m not sure if they’re steady on their feet enough yet, but they change daily, so I will give it some thought.”

  “Good. I’ll tell your mother to call you as soon as she’s able,” Bernice said. “She’s going to do my wedding. What do you think of that?”

  “God knows she’s had enough experience, so it should be perfect. She loves doing that stuff, so I can’t wait. I’m happy for you, really. You’ve been alone all your life,” Abby said, then felt a bit sad.

  “No I haven’t, kid. I’ve had you, your mom, and my son Daniel. You’re my family, and that will never change, you got that?”

  Abby’s eyes filled with tears. “I feel the same way, and I know that Mom does, too. Now”—she knuckled her eyes—“before I start blubbering, let’s stop this lovey-dovey stuff. Just know you’re loved, and make sure to tell Mom to call me as soon as she thinks it’s appropriate to let me in on what’s happening over there.”

  “Will do,” Bernice promised, then hung up.

  “Sure you will,” Abby said.

  Her reporter instincts had been dormant too long, she thought as she observed the twins still playing on the floor. It was high time she did a bit of investigating of her own.

  Chapter Two

  “Who’s there?” Toots asked.

  “The police,” Bernice answered sarcastically. “Who were you expecting?”

  Toots peeked out of the small crack between her bedroom door and the doorframe. “What do you want?” she asked none too nicely. “I’ve got a . . . situation in here.” She wasn’t about to tell Bernice the full version of what Sophie suspected, at least not until she was 100 percent sure. In the meantime, her job was to keep Ida occupied, and that was almost impossible. She’d given her a double dose of an antihistamine to knock her out. The last thing she wanted was the entire gang asking questions.

  “Abby is worried about you,” Bernice told her. “She thinks you’re mentally deranged. She’s considering having you committed.”

  Toots yanked the door open and stepped out into the hallway. “Shhh, I don’t want to wake Ida.” She inched her bedroom door almost shut, leaving just enough of an opening to see Ida lying on her bed. “Repeat what you just said.”

  “Abby’s worried about you,” Bernice repeated. “And frankly, I’m beginning to worry myself. What in the hell are you and Sophie up to now? Don’t tell me nothing, because I don’t believe it for one little second. You’re hiding something from me, and I want to know what it is. And I want to know right now, this very second.”

  Toots considered telling her the truth, but sure as shit Bernice would mention it to Robert. It would scare the poor old guy half out of his mind, and who knew what could happen then. The old guy could have a heart attack or something. She trusted Bernice to the ends of the earth; she’d been like a sister to her for almost all of her adult life. But right now just wasn’t the time to tell the whole truth and nothing but. Time for a little bit of embellishment. “Ida’s having some of her old issues resurface and doesn’t want anyone to know.” There, that should cover them, at le
ast until Sophie came up with a plan.

  Incredulously, Bernice asked, “You mean that germ stuff?”

  Toots nodded. She hated lying to Bernice, but right now it was for the best. She didn’t want to frighten her or Robert, or anyone else for that matter. And she would do whatever it took to keep Abby, and her beautiful grandchildren, safe.

  “Please don’t tell me I have to Clorox this place down now? I can’t stand the smell, plus I’m too old to get down on my hands and knees to scrub the floor.”

  “No, no, don’t even go there. I wouldn’t expect you to clean like that anyway. I’d send her to a nuthouse first.” Toots smiled. “If Abby calls again, explain this to her, but make sure she keeps it quiet for now.”

  “No, I am going to do no such thing. When Abby calls again, and you and I both know she will, I’m going to insist she talk to you. And you can tell her whatever lie you want.”

  Bernice had a way of cutting right through the flesh and hitting the bone. Toots had taught her well. She grinned. “Bernice, I’m doing this for her own protection, and the twins’, too. You are going to have to trust me on this one,” she added.

  “I suppose I can. What about the wedding? Are you going to be able to fit this in between all of your mysterious callings? I would hate to have to hire one of those overpriced wedding planners.”

  “Damn, Bernice, you’re acting like a virgin bride! Of course I can fit this in. As you can’t seem to stop reminding me, I am quite experienced. Once the date is set, I’ll take it from there.” Toots had connections all over Charleston. For that matter, she had connections all over the country. She could whip up a wedding in a matter of hours if she had to, but she wasn’t about to tell that to Bernice.