Page 71 of Cadaver Lab: Mind Over Murder

“We got it, Natalie. Don’t worry,” Agnes said. “We’ve got the phone tree.”

“And I can be very persuasive,” Alice chimed in.

“I’m a member of the board of the church over in Sidney. They’ll still have power while Mudville is out. I’ll text the others on the board, but I’m sure they’ll let us hang out there the night we’re in the dark,” someone else offered.

“I can bring some old board games and puzzles over. We can make a game night out of it,” another added.

“And I can transport anyone to the church who needs a ride. I fit eight kids in my minivan for baseball practice.”

“Hey, that brings up a good point. What about our car batteries?” someone asked.

“So far it seems to prefer the smaller rechargeable batteries,” Liam said.

“That’s true. None of our cars have gone dead. Just our cell phones.” Harper nodded.

The murmur of cross chatter that spread through the room sounded miraculously positive.

Liam twisted to shoot a glance back at Natalie, who’d positioned herself out of the direct line of fire behind him.

She flashed him a double thumbs-up and a grin.

With a look of hope, he turned back to face the crowd. They’d filled all of the upholstered seating and every one of the meager offering of folding chairs and then lined the walls in what had become a last minute but packed meeting.

“Stone, what are your thoughts?” Liam asked.

Stone, looking more farmer than mayor, stood next to his two brothers along the front windows.

The three of them, clad in muddy boots and dirt-tinged denim, was proof Liam’s call had dragged them away from their work at Morgan Farm.

Stone let out a sigh. “Obviously, we’re in uncharted territory here. I don’t think we’ve ever cut the power to the whole village before. Technically, I think we need to hold a public meeting, publicized in the local paper, then take a vote of the village trustees. And I’m not even sure we can cut the power. We need to submit an official request to the power company, but it’s already after business hours on a Friday⁠—”

“Jeezus, Stone. Quit acting like the mayor.” Cash scowled.

Stone returned his brother’s scowl. “I can’t because I am the mayor.”

“Then you better close your ears,” Boone, the youngest Morgan, said before singling out a man in the crowd. “Glenn, you still work for the power company?”

“About to retire next month, but for now, yeah, I still do,” an older man standing in the rear called back, loud and clear.

“I heard there’s supposed to be some wind blowing in tonight. What do you think the chances are that it could knock out power in the whole village?” Boone asked.

“I think that chances are good that could happen. Probably just after dinner time. Might last a bit before it comes back on too,” Glenn answered with a smirk.

“Is that so?” Boone grinned, showing off that though he was the youngest, he could be just as cocky as his older brother Cash.

“We’ve got an emergency notification system up at the firehouse for things like when the river floods. Chief, can we send out an alert the village residents to prepare for a possible power outage?” Cash, a volunteer firefighter, asked.

A man wearing a Mudville Fire Department T-shirt nodded. “I think that can be arranged.”

Stone, defeated by his own brothers and their network of connections finally let out a breath. “Liam, you’re sure this is necessary?”

As if the evil brain ghost was listening, which it might well be and it was probably pissed at what they were planning, the lights in the meeting room buzzed then flickered.

Everyone looked up at the bulbs, until someone said, “My cell phone battery is dead.”

Then everyone was looking down at their own devices and confirming theirs too were drained.

Liam bit out a curse, then looked to Stone. “It’s necessary.”