Kiss Mummy Goodnight

By Hazel Hart

When her wealthy, spinster aunt dies, Lona Jones mourns for her, but as her aunt's favorite niece, Lona expects a nice inheritance and looks forward to being able to travel. However, other family members receive the cream of Aunt Clare's wealth. Lona's portion is a $100,000.00 a year stipend, which she receives it only if she lives in the Victorian house her aunt has left her. Life becomes surreal when Lona finds a video from her aunt informing her that the house contains a 3,000 year old Egyptian mummy with magic powers. If Lona activates them, he will make all her dreams come true. Little does Lona know that Aunt Clare has left the message under duress and the mummy's needs endanger the future of Melody, Lona's beloved niece.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hazel Hart
• Release date: Aug 5, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466055971

Hazel Hart

Hazel Hart has won awards for her short fiction, including "Amanda Marie," published in Kansas Voices, and "Confessions," published in Words out of the Flatlands. She has two published suspense novels, The Night before Christmas and Like Mother, Like Daughter, and has co-authored two books of short stories, Dark Side of the Rainbow and Edge of Nowhere, with Bonnie Eaton aka B.J. Myrick.

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KISS MUMMY

GOODNIGHT

by

Hazel Hart

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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Published by Hazel Hart on Smashwords

Copyright © 2009 by Hazel Hart

Cover design by B. J. Myrick

Cover photo Copyright © iStockphoto.com/webking

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

This work of fiction is a product of the author's imagination, and any names, characters, incidents, or locales are fictitious, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual incidents, locales, or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

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KISS MUMMY GOODNIGHT

Lona, are you coming?

My brother's words broke through my haze of stunned disbelief at the contents of Aunt Clare's will. In a minute. I blinked, fighting back the tears. Go on without me, Robert.

We had come to the lawyer's office in separate cars, so there was no need for him to wait, and I didn't want him to see me cry.

His forehead wrinkled in concern. What's wrong?

You have to ask? If I was really Aunt Clare's favorite niece like she always said I was, how come she left her chain of beauty salons and makeup manufacturing and sales businesses to her other two nieces who hardly spent a day or two a year with her, and all she left me was a $100,000 a year stipend and a Victorian home with strings: I have to live there or lose both the income and the house.

I reached automatically for my malachite pendant, my thumb finding the familiar smooth indentation in the back of the stone. Gripping the gem, I turned my face from Robert's, feeling ashamed of the greedy whine in my voice. Thank goodness Christi and Elaine had already left. It wasn't their fault Aunt Clare had lied to me. She'd even left Robert a hefty investment portfolio of blue chip stocks and government bonds.

Robert bent down and pressed a hand on my shoulder. I know what you mean. Considering the size of Aunt Clare's estate, it is uneven.

At that moment, Mr. Corbin, the lawyer, interrupted. I have something to discuss with Lona in private.

Robert gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze. I'll call you later.

When he was gone, I turned my attention to Aunt Clare's attorney, hoping for some explanation of her actions.

I understand your disappointment, Mr. Corbin said. Your aunt did not explain her actions to me, but she did leave a message for you. He picked up a white envelope from the stack of papers on his desk and held it out. She instructed me to give this to you in private. I hope whatever it contains will bring you some peace. Read it, and then let me know if you have questions.

I had plenty. I didn't ask them though. I took the envelope, stuffed it in my purse, and fled for the door. It was getting harder to stifle the emotions threatening to erupt.

Late that afternoon in the house that was now mine, at least conditionally, I removed a bottle of chilled water from the refrigerator and dropped onto a chair at the table. After taking a long drink, I pulled the envelope from my purse and opened it, hoping for some explanation that would erase what felt like a betrayal.

My dear Lona,

I know you are wondering what possessed your old aunt to leave you my house and a stipend for its upkeep rather than a portion of my business interests and investments as I did your brother and cousins. Dear, don't take this the wrong way, but you simply don't have a business head on your shoulders. I wanted to ensure your future livelihood.

However, if you are interested in building a business that suits you, all is not lost. Like you, I once had nothing. At thirty, I had spent most of my adult life caring for my invalid mother. Then, she and my Aunt Sophie were killed in a car accident on the way home from a doctor's appointment. Aunt Sophie left me this house, which she had inherited from Grandma Bess. At first, I was as disappointed as you must be now. But then I read her private message for me, and I, who knew nothing about business, became a wealthy entrepreneur. If you want to know more, you must watch the videotape I made for you. It is in the wall safe in my bedroom. The combination is 5-10-3.

My dear, you are not obligated to follow the instructions in my videotape, but I must ask for your complete confidentiality. Do not reveal any of the secrets you will find there.

Love,

Aunt Clare

I let the letter drop onto the kitchen table, and my fingers went automatically to the malachite pendant on my necklace. Rubbing the back of the stone, I stared at the paper, saddened by my aunt's lack of confidence in my business acumen, but I knew she was right. I'd made a mess of my life. At twenty, I'd enrolled at a community college to study journalism. The first semester, I even made the honor roll. Then my parents were killed in a car accident. I frowned at the memory and the realization that I'd lost my parents in the same way Aunt Clare lost her mother. Well, car accidents were common enough. I'd remember to buckle up when I drove, just to be on the safe side.

A knock on the door broke my reverie. I stuffed the letter in my purse before answering. Glancing through the glass pane, I saw my brother in his gray suit and red power tie, mopping sweat from his forehead with a white handkerchief, looking every inch the insurance agent he was.

I laughed and opened the door. Robert, get in here before you're par-boiled.

Robert stepped inside and paused beneath the air conditioning vent. Oh, that feels good. He swabbed his face again before tucking the handkerchief in his pants pocket.

Sit down. I'll get you a bottle of water, I said.

Robert slipped out of his jacket and draped it over the back of a chair, then dropped onto the seat. Cold air streamed from the vent above him. He leaned back. I pressed a chilled bottle against his forehead. A smile spread across his face, and he took the bottle from my hand.

I sat down across from him. How did you know I was here?

I called your apartment and didn't get an answer, so I figured you'd be here, looking the place over. He opened his drink and took a sip before continuing. I'm sorry about Aunt Clare's will. I was shocked. You two were so close.

The feelings of betrayal that surfaced when I first heard of Aunt Clare's no-strings-attached bequests to my cousins and Robert pushed to the surface again. Her letter of explanation stating her low opinion of my abilities made her decisions sting even more. After you left, Mr. Corbin gave me a letter from Aunt Clare. She said I didn't have any 'business sense.' I suppose that's true. Forty-five years old, and my net worth is practically zero.

Until now.

Yes, but I'm not free to do as I please. I'm tied to this place—to living here. I couldn't hold back any longer. Tears startled rolling. I swiped at them with my hand and sniffled.

Robert pulled a fresh handkerchief from his shirt pocket and held it out. "I know you wanted to do some traveling, maybe move somewhere else. You can still do that. You can have half of the investment portfolio she left me. There must be some