First Chapter First Paragraph Thursday Intros ~ Ava & Carol Detective Agency: The Haunted Mansion by Thomas Lockhaven, Emily Chase

“Do you want to hear a real ghost story?” Ethan Palmer leaned forward, leering at the children who sat huddled in a half-moon around a roaring campfire. The fire cracked and hissed, rebelling against the cold December night.
It was four days before Christmas, and as was Livingston tradition, the kids had spent the afternoon engaged in snowball fights, sledding, and ice skating on Lake Crystal. But now… Ethan Eugene Palmer had decided that the evening of festivities should take on a more sinister tone.