Case One ~ The Deceit (Trudy Hicks Ghost Hunter Book 1)

by Lori Zaremba

  Suddenly feeling awkward, Trudy avoided Jason’s eyes and smiled at Tyler. “I’ll tell you what. We’ll go have a beer, and I’ll tell you the whole boring tale, but right now it looks like you need to get back to work.” She gave him a pat on the back as he returned to his equipment. “See you tomorrow.”

  Trudy silently followed Jason out of the garage near where his vans were parked. Being nosy, she noticed a motorcycle through a small window of an enclosed trailer and wondered if it belonged to him.

  Studying him for a moment, she tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, Mr. Young, thank you for the tour. It looks like we’ll be working together or against each other, for a little while.”

  “Looks that way, and call me Jason.”

  “Okay, Jason.” She tested his name and liked the way it sounded. She grinned up at him. “Let me know if you need anything from me,” she said, meeting his warm eyes and once again noticing the unusual color. She thought briefly of a postcard Leslie had sent from a cruise on the Mediterranean Sea.

  Suddenly at a loss for words, mesmerized by a stirring of emotions between them and no longer in her comfort zone, she enjoyed a moment of strange, unexplained bliss.

  “Trudy, there you are,” Leslie said from across the driveway, breaking the spell. “I found a salon that can fix your hair, but we have to go now.”

  Trudy felt the heat rise on her cheeks. She had forgotten all about the cranberry hair. She ran her hand through it then looked up at Jason and said, “I fell asleep with the dye on last night.”

  “Really?” he said, his gaze roaming over her hair. “Here I thought it was your natural shade.”

  “Shut up.” She chuckled and signaled to Leslie that she would be a moment.

  She slipped her hands in the deep pockets of her nylon jacket and remembered why she was here and, of course, why he was here, and decided there was no better time to establish some boundaries. Stepping closer, she shivered in the cold breeze.

  Made brave by her conviction and looking him dead in the eye, her voice was soft with a subtle warning. “Oh, and Jason…I understand that you and I have opposing viewpoints on what’s going on around here, and I know you’ll be working hard to dispute any evidence I may find, and I welcome that, I do.”

  Jason wore a pained expression as he tilted his head slightly, folding his arms over his chest, and waited for her to continue.

  “But what I won’t welcome is interference, and I’d appreciate if you’d stay the hell out of my way during the investigation.”

  Jason raised an eyebrow in amused surprise but didn’t offer a response. Trudy gave him a wink as she turned and felt his eyes on her as she made her way toward the van.

  Leslie lowered her sunglasses as she looked past Trudy to where Jason had disappeared back into the garage.

  Trudy ignored her, not looking forward to the third degree from the fierce attorney.

  “Do I have time to unload?” She dug in her pocket for the van keys, which Leslie held out to her.

  “It’s all done. Patrick unloaded the equipment and secured it in an empty room near the kitchen. Paul took your suitcases up to your room.”

  “My room? Aren’t you and I sharing?”

  “No, I’m staying on the second floor, and you’re staying in Vanessa’s suite on the third. It’s quite stunning…and kinda creepy.”

  The two climbed into the van, slamming their doors in unison. “I don’t mind creepy,” Trudy replied, starting the engine. She looked up at the house as she pulled away.

  Chapter 3

  Trudy looked into the ornate mirror above the vanity in Vanessa’s dressing room. She studied her new head of hair and was pleased. Some hints of cranberry remained, but now the emphasis was on a russet shade and toffee highlights. She also decided to have a couple of inches taken off the length. The new style framed her face and drew attention to her eyes.

  Leslie was right; from now on she would leave her hair to the professionals.

  Trudy examined the rest of her reflection and took a good long look at the woman staring back at her. Maybe she wouldn’t describe herself as beautiful, although Trudy considered herself good-looking enough, and various strangers told her on occasion that she had a nice ass. Not too thin, Trudy had always been curvy in all the right places, but over the years had honed those curves into solid muscle. Working on the police force gave her the discipline to exercise every day, so if those jeans started feeling a little snug, she would jog an extra mile and cut back on a glass or two of wine.

  Being a parent made her strong enough to walk away from a junk food addiction. Running her hand through her hair, she studied her face. Leslie told her that her best feature was her eyes, not so much the bourbon color, but the shape, heavy-lidded and slanted up at the corners.

  Trudy thought her generous mouth was her best feature. As a teenager, the boys made fun of her full lips. Now it seemed every woman was trying to achieve the same look by injection or using a lip-plumping gloss.

  Applying lipstick and slipping her feet into a pair of heels, she was ready to head downstairs for dinner. She knew Leslie would have something to say about how she dressed. To Trudy, the black long sleeve silk t-shirt, her favorite skinny jeans, and heels were perfect. Walking out of the dressing area and into the luxurious bedroom where she would be sleeping during her stay, Trudy looked around. The Johnsons had tried to recreate the bedroom as when the original owners had lived here. Looking at old photos and searching Chicago antique stores, Trudy thought they did an admirable job.

  The suite was spectacular. Done in shades of champagne and cream, the center of the room held a huge canopy bed. The dark wood of the frame gleamed against the expensive lace that draped to the floor. In one corner, a fainting couch was positioned with a table and lamp for reading or napping. A large bureau that housed knick-knacks and old photos encompassed the western wall. Paul proudly showed her that the center doors of the bureau opened, hiding a flat screen TV. Trudy would bet ghostly Vanessa was a little curious about that. Near a set of French doors that led to a small balcony was a writing desk, which now held Trudy’s laptop and notebook.

  Her favorite feature of the bedroom was the massive crystal chandelier that hung from the sixteen-foot ceiling. Original to the house, they found it in a state of disrepair, but bit-by-bit, crystal-by-crystal, they restored it to its original splendor. The crystals caused spectrums of color to dance around the room. A smaller version of the chandelier was hanging in the grand bathroom. Trudy imagined how romantic this bedroom could be, sharing it with someone you loved.

  Trudy walked over to her cell phone to see if she’d gotten a reply from Aaron, answering her question about the hockey game he played today. She had sent him a wordy text about how much she loved and missed him and asked how his game went. His response was, “k.” Trudy replied, “K?” hoping for an explanation.

  She heard Jasmine whine at the door, so she walked over to let her in. “What’s the matter, baby? Did your mama ditch you?” she asked the black nose appearing under the door. Looking at her phone again and opening the door, Trudy started as she realized Jasmine was not waiting to come in.

  “What?” Looking down the long hallway, she knew there was no way that if Jasmine had been there, she could have gotten away. Comprehending it must have been the ghost dog, Trudy said out loud, “Oh, some other good dog wants to come and stay with me. Come on, girl…or boy.” She opened the door wider to accommodate any size creature. “I’m going downstairs, puppy dog, if you want to follow.”

  She left the door open and headed down the hallway to the stairs. Trudy wondered who was staying in the bedroom across the hall. She could hear the sounds coming from the television and a bark of laughter. Trudy walked carefully down the dark wood stairs, the high heels on her feet making her a little more cautious. On the second floor, she knocked on Leslie’s door. “Leslie, I’m heading down. Are you in there?”

  “I’ll be down in five minutes,” Lesl
ie replied, opening the door. “What are you wearing? Oh.” She gave Trudy a once-over. “I see you have your evening uniform on.”

  “Shush. I like my uniform.” Trudy laughed. “It works for me, plus,” she turned, “look how good my ass looks in these jeans.”

  Leslie smirked and looked over Trudy’s shoulder. Trudy spun and caught Jason checking out the back of her jeans.

  “What?” Jason shrugged with a guilty smile before continuing down the hallway.

  Trudy was a bit relieved he didn’t seem offended by her earlier warning and was pleased when he shared a genuine smile with her as he walked away.

  “Mmm…mmm, that is one delicious morsel. You would do well to stay far, far away from him, Trudy Hicks.”

  Trudy ignored her, thinking Jason was the least of her problems. “I need to grab a bottle of the cabernet we brought. Is it in here with you?” Trudy stepped into the stunning room. A bold blue papered accent wall behind the large bolstered headboard complemented the various French provincial furniture pieces that made up the place. Trudy admired the brass chandelier that hung in the center of the room. It accented the gilded pattern in the wallpaper and various fabrics around the room. The effect was gorgeous, and it suited Leslie perfectly.

  “Yep, right in the corner. Grab a bottle of the pinot grigio too. It’s in that little fridge.”

  Trudy selected the bottles and asked, “Has anything unusual happened to you since we’ve been here?” She turned and stared at Leslie in the mirror.

  “No…at least nothing I’m aware of.” Leslie smiled at her. “Unless, of course, you mean Jasmine barking at the closet door for an hour while I was trying to read?”

  “Did you go and see what was in the closet that had her upset?” Trudy asked as she opened the closet door.

  “Hell, no.” Leslie chuckled while dusting the smooth skin on her décolletage with some sort of shimmering powder.

  Trudy reached down and picked up an old rubber ball. “Could this be the culprit, this scary ball?”

  “Eww…throw that away. It could be full of a hundred years of dog germs.” Leslie discarded her bathrobe and pulled on a black cotton dress that showed a good amount of her long, slender legs, laughing at her own joke. “Now, that’s scary!”

  Trudy looked her friend with great appreciation. “Leslie, you look good. I think Mr. Anti-paranormal will approve.”

  “He and I may agree on the ghosty subject, but he only has eyes for you, Red.” Leslie winked at her then gave herself one last look in the mirror. “Okay, I’m ready and starved. Let’s go.”

  With Trudy leading the way, they headed toward the stairs. Walking arm in arm down the hallway, each was carrying a bottle of wine while they poked fun at one another. They headed down the grand staircase, and as they reached the fourth or fifth step, Trudy felt like she stepped on something and almost lost her balance. Leslie tightened her hold on Trudy’s arm to steady her and almost dropped the bottle of wine she carried in the process.

  “Whoa!” Trudy looked under her feet to see what she had stepped on but couldn’t find anything. Giving Leslie a baffled shrug, they both grabbed the handrail and made their way slowly down the rest of the stairs. When they reached the bottom, the aroma coming from the kitchen was intoxicating.

  “In here, ladies,” Paul Johnson called from the massive dining room. Trudy noticed a fire was lit in the large hearth, adding warmth to the space decorated in shades of icy blue. Everywhere she looked, crystal and sterling silver sparkled and gleamed. Perhaps she should have packed a dress to wear. She was feeling a bit out of place.

  Trudy was a little disappointed that they were not having dinner in the quaint kitchen, as she had felt so at home there. The Johnsons had set the rectangle table adorned with beautiful linen with thirty place settings. A massive buffet at the opposite side of the room was laden with an assortment of delicious-looking appetizers.

  She handed the wine over to Paul, who nodded his approval. “Paul, you and Beverly didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

  Jason pressed a glass of champagne into her hand, and she took a long swallow, allowing the bubbles to go to her head. Before she could thank him, Jason disappeared from the dining room.

  “No trouble at all, and we decided we should shake things up by having our first dinner party at the house.” After a few minutes of polite chit-chat, Paul led Trudy over to a couple who had just entered the dining room behind them. “Trudy, you remember Ryan Burkett?”

  The memories of her partner from years back made her pause for a moment. She felt a burst of delight as she reached out to embrace the man before her. “Of course I remember this scoundrel,” she said teasingly to Paul. “Ryan, I was hoping I’d see you while I was in town.”

  Ryan pulled her in for a bear hug, nearly lifting her off her feet before turning to the petite woman beside him. “Honey, this is Trudy Hicks, formerly of the Pittsburgh Police Department. Trudy, this is my wife Holly.”

  The women shook hands and then, without another thought, laughed and hugged each other.

  “Ryan has told me some humorous stories involving you.”

  Trudy gave Ryan a glare that she hoped would shrink him to a five-year-old. “Yeah, we worked some strange cases together.”

  Holly looked at her with a sparkle of humor in her eyes, and Trudy realized Holly knew everything—the naked crack dealer gone wild, the stripper pole training program she enrolled in, and a multitude of other events that happened before they solved the case. Ryan had been her partner during the years when Trudy was doing her best to get noticed as a force to be reckoned with in the department.

  “So, Ryan, how did you come to know Paul and Beverly?”

  Ryan wrapped his arm around Holly’s shoulder. Trudy noticed the connection the couple had when their eyes met and shared some secret knowledge.

  “Well…we’re neighbors. We live right down the street in one of the townhomes.” He paused to gulp the drink Paul had handed him before heading off to greet a few more guests. “I came here on a 911 call. I found Paul locked in a bathroom, and we’ve been friends since. I feel bad for the guy. This house is gorgeous but downright creepy, and maybe a little bit dangerous.”

  “Dangerous?”

  “Well, if a door can slam behind you and lock you in the bathroom, that’s dangerous. Paul was lucky he had his cell phone on him. When stuff started happening while I was here, I knew it had to be paranormal,” he said, looking down at Holly. “Two months ago, I learned this was your new line of work. Crazy as it seemed at the time, after a few hours here, I knew you were the right person to help Paul.”

  “We’ll get to the bottom of all this, starting tomorrow. Though I must say, I’ve already had a few experiences.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me at all.” He once again looked down at Holly, giving Trudy the impression that maybe she was uncomfortable with the turn of conversation.

  Holly confirmed her observation by saying, “It’s like something in a horror movie.” She looked around nervously.

  “Trudy, you have to try these stuffed mushrooms. They’re to die for,” Dana said excitedly. Her love of food knew no limits. “Hello, Ryan. It’s so nice to see you again.” She smiled sweetly at Holly. “Would you all like one?”

  Dana offered a silver platter that held a dozen or so of the spinach-stuffed mushrooms. She looked lovely in a little red swing dress and black leggings with her soft black hair swept off her face in a messy bun, her cheeks full of another mushroom.

  “I would love a hug, Miss Dana,” Ryan said fondly. “Dana is quite gifted. She helped on many cold cases.” He turned to Holly as he introduced her. “This is my wife Holly. Just as you predicted, I met her two Christmases ago…and the rest is history.”

  “I just knew you’d find the love of your life under a Christmas tree.”

  “Seriously?” Holly exclaimed, a smile once again lighting her face. “We met at a tree lot downtown. I was rushing and slipped in the snow, and on
e of the Christmas trees fell on me. I looked up, and there was this big hunk of a man lifting it and helping me up off the ground.” Holly laughed up into Ryan’s eyes. “You never told me she predicted that!”

  “No way.” He looked tenderly into her eyes. “I was afraid you’d think I was crazy.” Ryan sobered, looking at Dana, and out of the blue asked, “So…is our Trudy going to find the love of her life?”

  Dana and Trudy froze at the question. Trudy took another big swallow of her champagne and gasped a little as it nearly slid down the wrong pipe. Dana smiled a little and started walking away, looking over her shoulder at them. “She already has.”

  Trudy felt a little bummed. Surely Michael wasn’t it, her only love. There had to be something more. Looking at Holly and Ryan, she smiled to cover the rush of sadness that swept over her. “I’m going to go and get Dana away from those mushrooms before she eats them all. Care to join me?”

  “No, I’m going to see if Beverly needs help in the kitchen. Trudy, I’m glad to have met you.” Holly gave her a warm smile and a quick hug before heading off toward the kitchen.

  Trudy turned to the group standing by the buffet and started that way.

  “Trudy, wait.” Ryan grabbed her elbow and pulled her back into his arms so he could press his lips against her cheek. “I am so glad you’re okay, so glad you’re here.” He tried to hide his emotion as he gently set her away. “I wanna help with your investigation.”

  Trudy shook her head.

  “I won’t take no for an answer.” His voice was soft but his expression quite intense. “Paul and Beverly mean a lot to me, and you know how I feel about you. Plus, it looks like you could use some help.” He looked over at Leslie, Patrick, and Dana. “Your team looks a little green.”

  Trudy studied her crew just as Patrick knocked Leslie’s glass of wine off the table and nodded her agreement. “Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow.” She verified that she had his current phone number, and he gave her a crooked smile.