The Empty Chair
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ANNIE’S ATTIC Antiques appraisals Nothing’s too big or too small Don’t guess what it’s worth Give Annie a call Proprietor, Annie McMuffit The man waved a jagged yellow ad torn from a phone book. He just plain appealed to my curiosity and negative bank balance. I set my feet on the floor with a “thunk” from my chair as it lifted me upright. I tried to look experienced enough for a possible money-making job. “Are you Annie McMuffit?” “Yes! But please call me Annie.” I extended my hand and gave him one of the miniature smiles I hold in reserve for new contacts. He took the hand I offered, clutching it firmly enough in his callused hand to get my full attention. “Joseph Carter here. Call me Joe.” Shifting his weight from right foot to left, he continued. “Inherited a house from my Aunt Polly. It’s jammed with antiques. Everyone down the line in the Carter family had a passion for collecting. They crammed things all over that house from the time it was built. Need everything in there appraised. Aunt Polly’s diamond necklace is missing too. I want that found.” Then he muttered, “Need to have an auction when the police are done nosing around.” I wondered what the police had to do with anything but to put a firm leash on my runaway mouth and never-ending curiosity.
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About the Book
Annie McMuffit must infuse her new business, Annie’s Attic, with a large amount of hard cash or abandon her long-time desire to own an antique shop. Joe Carter offers Annie a money-spinning job evaluating the contents of a ten-room Victorian house, his recent inheritance. Annie, a novice at appraising antiques but desperate for money, accepts the job. While Annie works and stays at the isolated, menacing Carter house, someone tries to frighten her away. She proves why her nickname is Granite-head and stays her course. After Annie reads a collection of diaries she finds in a secret compartment of an old armoire, the discovery leads her—as a wannabe detective—in a new direction when she sets forth to solve an old murder.
About the Author
LOIS M. GENTRY was born and reared in Peoria, Illinois. She now lives in Arizona and provides an exciting new voice to the mystery genre. Her characters come to life on the written page. Her love of storytelling began as a child but lay dormant for years. The thought, like a Lorelei, lured her to become a novelist. Lois’s earlier experience of owning an antique business informs the background for this story. THE EMPTY CHAIR is a second book by this author. Her first publication, GROWING UP A SHADOW, was a nonfiction account of her life.