“How you doing ladies?” Jonathan said, looking even more imposing without his uniform on. He had definitely become a gym rat after I left.
I felt dizzy but it wasn’t because of the alcohol.
“I need a little air,” I said as I made my way through the crowd and out to the balcony. There were a couple of people there making out but I ignored them and just focused on my breathing. My heart felt like it was in my throat. Why? I had no idea.
“I thought you knew. Didn’t Gran tell you?” Sarah came up behind me. “I’m so sorry for making things awkward.”
“No, you’re fine. It’s fine. I mean, we only dated eons ago and we broke it off before I left.”
“You don’t look fine. Don’t tell me you still have feelings for him?”
“No, of course not. It’s just…you took me by surprise is all.”
“I can’t believe Gran didn’t tell you. I thought you guys spoke regularly.”
“She tried to tell me about Jonathan a couple of times but I wasn’t interested. He was my past. But I guess maybe I should have heard her out after all…”
“We’ve been dating only for the last two years. I thought of calling you up but I didn’t know if you even wanted to speak to me anymore.”
“You did nothing wrong. If you’re happy, I’m happy. And this might actually work in my favor.”
“How so?” Sarah looked genuinely confused and I couldn’t really blame her.
“He can help with my investigation. You do know I’m trying to solve that guy’s murder?”
Sarah looked uncertain. “Jonathan told me you showed up at the crime scene today. He actually asked if I could ask you to back off…”
“You know I would never do such a thing.”
“I know, that’s why I didn’t ask you. But if you’re betting on him sharing any info with you, I wouldn’t hold my breath. He barely tells me anything. He likes to keep his work and private lives separate.”
“That sounds just like Jonathan. Always compartmentalizing.”
“I like it. I certainly don’t want to hear about the bad stuff that happens in this town.”
“Like petty larceny and drunk driving?”
“And murder.”
“There hasn’t been a murder here in forever,” I reminded her.
“Exactly. And now that there is, I’m glad that Jonathan doesn’t want to talk to me about it.”
Sarah had surprised me. I thought that this was going to be a girls’ night out but it turned out to be more a night of revelations than anything. And she had the forethought to put a couple of drinks in me before revealing the shocking truth. Would I have reacted differently if I wasn’t buzzed? Who knows.
“I think…it’s nice you guys found each other. But I think I’m not in such a party mood anymore.”
I went into the crowd again, ready to find the door. But I ran into another familiar face again and he was standing right next to Jonathan. And they were talking.
“Double crap,” I said under my breath.
“What is it?” Sarah asked. “Don’t tell me you dated that guy as well?”
I gave her the stink eye and she immediately looked apologetic. “I just met him today. He’s a PI that the victim hired before he died to look into some death threats he had gotten. Now he’s trying to solve his murder as well.”
“Oh,” Sarah said. “I don’t know if Jonathan will like that.”
I smirked at that. A silver lining in a night full of terrors and horrible surprises.
“Hi Kane,” I said, almost too cheerfully. I was definitely putting on an act of not caring about Jonathan and Sarah’s supposed romance.
Kane’s face lit up with a smile. “If it isn’t the self-proclaimed ghost hunter,” he said.
Both him and Jonathan laughed at that.
“Ugh. You men are the worst,” I said and headed for the front door.
“Wait for me!” Sarah called as she tried to catch up. “I’m your ride home, remember?”
“How could I forget?”
“So you do have a problem with me dating Jonathan. Why didn’t you just say that in the first place?”
We were outside the bar now, out of the earshot of the two doofuses who just made fun of my gifts.
“It’s not something that should be said or talked about. It’s pretty much in every rulebook like ever. You don’t date guys your cousin or your friend or your sister dated.”
Sarah looked crestfallen. “It wasn’t planned if that’s what you’re thinking. You were gone for eight years and Jonathan went through a few girlfriends and I went through a few boyfriends. I was at Gran’s house one summer day and Jonathan was there helping his grandma with renovations. One thing led to another and we ended up talking for hours. We clicked and here we are now. We couldn’t be happier.”
“Well, I’m happy for you,” I said through gritted teeth. “Now can you drive me back home?”
The drive back to Gran’s was as awkward as any drive could be between two cousins that ended up dating the same guy. Sure, Jonathan and mine romance was more a teenage infatuation than anything, but the guy was about to propose. Did he really like Sarah or was he somehow trying to get back at me for leaving town…and him?
I tried not to think these thoughts but they came anyway.
“Talk tomorrow?” Sarah offered once I got out of the car.
“Sure,” I said without looking back.
There was no way I could act like everything was all right just yet.
I found Gran in the kitchen with Marmalade and Ebony spread out on the table. She was putting finishing touches on a couple of pies.
“You look like you could use a slice or two,” Gran said.
“You don’t know just how right you are, Gran.”
Between mouthfuls of pie, everything came out.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked her.
“I tried, but you wouldn’t listen,” she said.
“I mean why didn’t you tell me today before I called up Sarah like a fool?”
Gran’s smile faded. “You can’t blame Sarah for finding happiness. You don’t own Jonathan any more than he owns you. You made that very clear the day you left this town, remember?”
I remembered all too clearly. “I know I shouldn’t be upset, but I am. I don’t know why I even care that much.”
“Do you still have feelings for this boy?” She asked me carefully.
I took a large chunk of the pie, which was a delicious peach, and thought about that.
“No. I don’t think so. I mean, of course, I cared about him but that was a long time ago. It’s just I never thought he’d end up with my cousin, you know?”
“Life has a way of surprising you, doesn’t it?”
I couldn’t argue with that.
Six
My head was throbbing the moment I woke up. Whether it was from the alcohol or for some other reason, I couldn’t really tell you.
Rebecca was standing at the foot of my bed.
“That’s not creepy,” I said sarcastically.
“You’re just cranky because Sarah is dating Jonathan, aren’t you?”
She sure knew how to get right to the point.
“Not you, too. First Sarah then Gran and now even my best friend is rubbing it in my face?”
I made my way to the bathroom. A splash of cold water on my face to wake me up. I looked into the mirror then and almost screamed in horror.
“What’s the matter?” Rebecca quickly flew to my aid.
“I look awful,” I said and started to cry. No tears came out, though. I was just being dramatic.
Rebecca rolled her ghostly eyes at me. “You’re such a drama queen. Just brush that mess and get ready for the day. We’ve got a mystery to solve!”
“Huh?”
“Bart Samuel, businessman and most hated man in Silver Bells. Remember now?”
“How could I forget? Did he come by last night by any chance?”
“No. That’s why I think we should get on it. Who knows what he’s getting into at the moment.”
“You can’t be serious. He’s just a ghost, a new ghost I may add. He won’t be able to bother anyone, except maybe other ghosts.” I took a toothbrush and quickly brushed my teeth.
“But he’s a self-aware ghost. You never know.”
That much was true. While amnesiac ghosts and overly emotional ghosts were troublesome enough, self-aware ghosts, if they really knew what they were doing, could cause a lot of havoc. Mainly poltergeist activity and the such.
I quickly brushed my hair.
There was a note in the kitchen from Gran. There was some French toast in the oven. She said she was already at the bakery getting ready for the day.
“She wakes up early,” I said as I looked at the clock. It was only eight AM.
“She woke up at five and left at six,” Rebecca informed me.
“Remind me never to open a bakery,” I told her.
“Duly noted,” she joked.
After eating some delicious French toast and some much-needed coffee, I was ready to hit the road.
In the light of day, my crappy car looked worse for wear than usual.
“At least it still runs,” I said in its defense.
“Barely,” Rebecca said as she appeared in the passenger seat beside me.
Most of my belongings were still in the back seat. Mainly the stuff I used for my business anyway. I decided to stop by the bakery and say hi to Gran and then I planned on maybe sprucing up my new headquarters. I definitely needed to go and find a nice table and some chairs and cabinets. I drove and kept my eye out for any garage sales. The ones I spotted only seemed to be selling junk. I made a mental note to look at the local Goodwill.
Once I headed for the bakery, I ran into Jonathan of all people. Thankfully he was just leaving the bakery. He nodded in my direction, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.
“Well, that was awkward,” I said to Gran.
“It doesn’t have to be,” she said. “Now, what can I get one of my favorite granddaughters?”
“I just had French toast and coffee. I was thinking of cleaning out my new office a bit. Do you have any cleaning supplies?”
“They’re in the back. They should be in the closet on the right as soon as you enter.”
I went to the back and was impressed by the kitchen there. It seemed Gran did most of her baking here in the early hours before the shop was officially open. I kind of felt bad because I wasn’t there to help.
I took the cleaning supplies and thanked her. “If you ever need help around here, don’t hesitate to ask,” I said.
“Don’t worry about me. I have a lovely girl working four days a week. She’s been an immense help.”
That was a surprise. I would have thought Sarah would have been all over that. “What does Sarah do? I didn’t get to ask her many questions after Jonathan showed up.” Saying his name was harder than I thought it would be.
“She’s a nurse at the local doctor’s office. You remember Dr. Bottomley?”
“He’s still alive? He was ancient when I left town.”
“That’s not funny, young lady. He’s only a few years older than me. Am I ancient?”
“No, of course not. You look great for your age. He on the other hand…”
“He’s still a practicing family doctor. A lot of people in town still love him so I’d be careful who you voice your thoughts to.”
I was starting to feel like the outsider again. Even Gran seemed to be against me now.
“Sorry if I offended you,” I said as I turned to go.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Gran said. “You should just be more…careful what you say around here.”
I couldn’t believe my own grandmother was telling me to dial it down.
“I didn’t come back to town to pretend that I’m someone I’m not,” I said.
“I didn’t say you should. Maybe you should just use a little more tact the way you go about things?”
“Tact? That’s hilarious. Have you talked to Sarah about tact?”
I knew it was a low blow. Gran even refused to acknowledge it and I was glad for it.
“Your cousin has been here her whole life. You can leave whenever you feel like. Some of us don’t have that luxury.”
I didn’t say anything to that. I wasn’t in the mood for an argument, especially not one with my grandma.
There was one upside to all the anger building up inside me: it made me clean that much harder and that much faster.
Rebecca, for her part, flew around me as I worked out my issues.
“I’m sure she didn’t mean it like that,” she finally said. “She loves you both. You have to remember that Sarah is her granddaughter too.”
“I know, I know. I probably overreacted about the whole Jonathan thing.”
“Well, I didn’t say that.”
I looked up at Rebecca’s see-through form and it didn’t look like she was joking at all.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you have every right to be upset. Sarah definitely could have told you in a much gentler fashion.”
That I agreed with. Having Jonathan show up during our supposed girls’ night out was almost unforgivable. Almost.
“Knock knock,” I heard a familiar voice behind me. I looked up and saw a guy in a leather jacket. Kane.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him, almost defensive.
He lifted up his right hand and showed me the pastry he held there. “I love your grandmother’s baking,” he said. “I come here all the time.”
“Well, you’re not in her bakery now. You’re in my office, so the question still stands: what are you doing here?”
“I was just wondering what the only ghost hunter in town was up to. Is that a crime?” A mischievous smile played across his lips.
“None of your business. If you want to pay for my services, it’s two hundred an hour.”
Kane whistled. “Man, that’s steep. I don’t think anyone around here can afford that.”
“Well, you get what you pay for.”
“I was actually wondering if Bart Samuel’s ghost visited you recently. Any new insights you could share with the man that’s going to solve his murder?”
I scoffed at that. “Nice try. I’m not helping my rival. Either way, I actually haven’t seen him since last night. Do you have any idea where he might go? A favorite spot in town perhaps?”
Kane laughed. I couldn’t help but notice how his already handsome face lit up when he did so. I brushed those thoughts away as soon as they entered my mind. I definitely wasn’t in town to get involved with another guy.
“Bart’s favorite spot was usually the one he was standing at any particular time,” he said.
“I have a feeling he’s not different than you in that regard.”
“Ouch. You’re not a very nice girl, are you?”
“That’s probably because I’m not a girl. I’m a woman.”
“Touché.”
“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some cleaning to do.”
“You have fun with that. I’ll be out there trying to solve Bart’s murder.”
“Good luck with that,” I said.
“I won’t need luck,” Kane said. “I have intel.”
Once Kane left, Rebecca looked down at me.
“What do you think he’s up to?” She asked.
“How should I know? And where the heck is Bart? That’s what I’d like to know.”
“Isn’t there a local group that drew up a petition against him? Maybe we should check that place out.”
It was way too early in the morning to argue with a ghost so I stopped cleaning. I went back to the bakery and washed my hands in the back.
Thankfully, Gran was busy with a couple of customers so there was no need for any awkward exchanges. I was sure we’d have plenty of those later at home, though.
In the car I took out my
cell and searched for “Keep Silver Bells Green.” It came up almost immediately.
“It looks like their base of operations is a local organic shop,” I said.
It turned out that I didn’t have to drive very far before I spotted the Organic Shop. It didn’t hurt that it had a huge leaf as its logo.
Then I noticed a couple of posters already taped up front. “Keep Silver Bells Green!” they all said in bold letters on bright green paper.
“This is definitely the place,” I said to Rebecca.
The Organic Shop was bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside and the shelves were packed with all kinds of goodies.
“I like the energy here,” Rebecca sang as she flew through the aisles.
I was starting to think that she might have been a hippy after all in her last life.
To my dismay, I wasn’t the only one who had the same idea.
A guy in a leather jacket was already cozying up to the owner, or at least trying to. The woman behind the counter definitely didn’t look like she was buying what he was selling.
“Sir, that doesn’t look like faux leather,” the woman was saying.
“It is,” Kane was trying to reassure her. “I’d never buy real leather. That would just be cruel.”
I chuckled at that.
Kane turned around and instead of his usually mischievous smile, he had a look of desperation on his face.
“I may be wearing leather but that woman is crazy,” he said to the woman behind the counter. “She thinks she can see ghosts!”
The woman looked at me. “Is this true?”
“Yeah…” I admitted. There was no reason for me to lie now that I was opening a business in town.
“How interesting. How may I help you today?”
Kane stood where he was, a shocked look on his face.
“Sir, we’re done here,” she said to Kane. “Unless you have a purchase to make, I would like you to leave.”
Kane walked away, looking back at me like I had taken something special away from him.
I turned back toward the woman behind the counter, who seemed more than eager to hear about ghosts and my gift.
This was going to be easier than I thought.
Seven
Ghostly Apparitions (A Ghost Hunter P.I. Mystery Book 1) Page 4