“He’s there all right, but he refuses to come with me,” she said.
I sighed. I definitely didn’t need another troublesome ghost on my hands. “And why is that?”
“I think he might still be in shock. He kept looking down at his body and shaking his head. I think he’ll need a bit of time to adjust.”
It was strange but I found myself wishing that Bart was there. Maybe he could talk some sense into his friend.
“We should give him some space,” I explained to Kane. “He’s not ready to talk about this yet.”
Kane nodded in understanding. “I can’t say I blame the guy. I don’t know what state I’d be in if I suddenly found out I was actually dead.”
“What should we do?” I asked.
“Maybe try and get Donna to talk to us. It’s not too late. It’s only ten o’clock.”
“I guess that’s an idea,” I said, though I shuddered to think what state the poor woman was going to be in after losing two colleagues in as many days.
We arrived there shortly. Kane was already familiar with the inn because that’s where he was staying as well. We knocked on Donna’s door and when she opened it, it was clear that she had just gotten news about her colleague.
“Am I next?” She sobbed. Bart was there trying to comfort her but it was to no avail. She couldn’t feel him at all.
“I think she’s in danger,” Bart said.
While Kane comforted her I walked out to the hall with Bart. “So she’s been here the whole night?”
Bart nodded. “Yeah. Why do you ask?”
“You know why,” I whispered as I made a hitting motion with my hand. The look on Bart’s face told me that I stepped over a line.
“I can’t believe she was a suspect,” Bart said, looking greatly disappointed in me.
“Everyone’s a suspect,” I reminded him. “And now she’s been cleared. That’s a good thing, Bart. One less person for us to worry about.”
“C’mon, let’s get something to drink,” Kane said as he led Donna out of the room. “We’re going downstairs,” he said.
So we went downstairs. I noticed that Kane was carrying Donna’s laptop.
We got some cups of tea from the staff and some scones. Donna was especially fond of the scones. She looked a mess with tears streaming down her face, but I couldn’t really blame her for that. It was the killer’s fault.
It took about half an hour and more than a few scones and two cups of tea for Donna to finally start speaking coherently.
“I can’t believe it,” she said again. “What am I going to do?”
“You have to get out of town,” I said. “Though I don’t know how helpful that would be unless you can disappear.”
Kane nodded. “You need protection,” he said. “I’ll do it for free if you want. I’m staying here anyway so it won’t be much trouble at all.”
“Thank you,” Donna said. “But I don’t know. I just want all of this to be over already.”
“Don’t we all,” Bart agreed. Rebecca flew around, keeping an eye out for anyone that might be coming into and out of the inn.
“Coast is clear so far,” she said and then went back to playing lookout.
“Can you help us out with the books at least? I don’t know what to look for,” Kane admitted. “That is if there is anything to find.”
“I just put in the numbers without thinking about it much,” Donna said. “It became automatic after a while, you know? I guess I should have paid closer attention if someone is willing to kill for this.”
Donna went to work, looking over the numbers. But before she could get too far into it, a familiar face appeared in the dining area we were occupying, but not before Rebecca warned me of his arrival. I told Kane to quickly hide the laptop. He hid it in plain sight by putting it on the table and closing it.
“I thought I told you two to stay out of police business?” Jonathan was quick to say as soon as he noticed Kane and me there.
“They’re here because I want them here,” Donna said. “They’re working on Bart’s murder. And now I hear poor Derek has been murdered as well.”
“That’s right, ma’am. That’s what I came here to tell you. I also have a couple of questions for you, if you don’t mind?” It was clear that he wanted to speak to her alone.
I pulled Jonathan aside. “She didn’t have anything to do with it. Bart was with her and he said she didn’t leave the inn.”
“Excuse me if I need a little more than a supposed dead guy’s word. Perhaps something I can tell my sheriff without being thrown out of the office and put in an insane asylum.”
It was clear Jonathan was in no mood for ghost stories.
“We’ll be close by,” Kane reassured Donna when we walked away. He was sure to take the laptop with him.
We moved and sat down in the reading room.
Rebecca and Bart remained with Donna of course. We needed to know if anything of use was said.
“Your ex is kind of a jerk,” Kane said.
“No argument here,” I said. “What about your exes?”
“All my exes love me. I’m just that kind of guy.”
I rolled my eyes. Kane was charming but also annoying at the same time. It was hard to figure out if I wanted him around or if I wanted him as far away from me as possible. Right at that moment, it felt good to have him around.
“So when are you leaving Silver Bells?” I asked. “As soon as these murders are solved?”
“That’s the plan,” Kane said. “I have an aversion to staying in one place too long.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Why?”
“Because you come from a happy home.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say it was all roses and sunshine, but it wasn’t too bad either.”
We saw Jonathan walking away. “I was serious about you staying out of police business,” he said as he stopped by the entrance.
“I’m staying here, officer,” Kane said. “Did you want me to just leave the poor woman alone? You do know she’ll need protection, right?”
Jonathan nodded. “We’re posting a police vehicle outside the inn. We know how to do our jobs.”
“That’s great to hear,” Kane said with a smile on his face. The smile faded as soon as Jonathan was out of sight.
Kane and I walked back to the dining area where Donna was. She looked a bit better.
“They’re posting a police car up front,” she said. “That takes some of the pressure away.”
“And I’ll be here if you need anything. And you have my number in case I’m not,” Kane said.
I asked Rebecca if she heard anything of use.
She shook her head. “He knows what we know, as far as I could tell.”
It was pretty late at night so I decided to head on home. Again. Kane offered to tail me just in case but I said I’d be fine. Bart stayed behind to watch over Donna while Kane was on high alert as well.
It had been a stressful and eventful day, that was for sure. I was barely keeping my eyes open when I got behind the wheel. I noticed that Jonathan was still there waiting for backup.
“Maybe Kane should give you a ride?” Rebecca said. “You don’t look so good.”
I looked at myself in the mirror and saw that she was right. I took some water I kept in the car and splashed my face a bit, immediately jerking awake.
“That should help,” I said to Rebecca. “It’s a short drive anyway. And it’s not like you have to worry about accidents.”
We were halfway there when I noticed a black car tailing us.
“What the…?”
Rebecca turned around and looked. “Their windows are blacked out,” she said.
“Can’t you teleport yourself over there?”
“You know it doesn’t work like that. You know I can’t go into another moving vehicle. I disintegrate and then by the time I’m reformed I’m in the middle of the road looking like a fool.”
“Oh, that’s right
, I remember that.”
“They’re driving pretty close now,” Rebecca said. “I think they want you to stop.”
“They’re going to have to make me,” I said as I put my foot on the gas pedal.
Seventeen
I never thought I’d be involved in a car chase, much less in a small town like Silver Bells, but here we were.
I tried to lose the black car but I failed miserably. It remained close, too close for comfort.
“Maybe you should stop,” Rebecca said. “Let them pass.”
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s gonna work.”
“It’s worth a try. They certainly won’t expect it.”
I did as Rebecca suggested and made a turn and parked by the side of the road. Ominously, it was right next to the lake where Bart was murdered.
The car drove on ahead but soon slowed down when they realized I had stopped.
The car stopped and then made its way backward and then positioned itself on the road so that I couldn’t pass, or anyone else for that matter.
My heart was beating out of its chest as I instructed Rebecca to see who was in the car but before she even had a chance to move, a figure came out.
It was a man I didn’t recognize, but he wore a familiar dark suit. He was one of Crane’s men.
Rebecca went out to check the car anyway. She came back not soon after. “He’s alone and I didn’t see any weapons.”
“Good,” I said as I lowered my passenger window just a smidgen, giving a chance to this man to explain himself.
“Is there a reason you’re trying to run me off the road?” I asked him once he was within earshot.
He kneeled down and looked at me strangely. His face looked devoid of any emotion.
“If I was trying to do that, you wouldn’t be here right now. You’d be in a ditch somewhere.”
I took out my cell and made a point of showing it to him. “I’m calling the cops.”
The man scoffed at that. “I’m here to inform you that Mr. Crane is requesting your services.”
“And why is that? And why couldn’t he just call?”
“This is a…delicate matter.”
“Well, tell him he can go where the sun don’t shine. He reported me to the police for trespassing. Did he really think I was going to play nice after that?”
“Ma’am, I don’t know anything about that. But he said he would make it worth your while if you would come with me.”
It was already way past dark outside and the thought of going back to that estate was more than a little unnerving. It was literally creepy.
“Sorry, but I’d rather not. Your boss creeps me out. You creep me out. I may be blonde, but I’m not dumb!”
The man sighed loudly. “You’re more than welcome to bring someone else. Just not a cop, of course.”
I took my phone out and thought about it. Was this really a good idea? The last time we were on Crane’s estate we had guns pointed at us.
“Fine, but I have some conditions,” I said. “I will bring someone and I will inform my family of where I am. So if your boss is thinking of getting rid of me, he’ll have another thing on his hands. Understand?”
The man smiled for the first time that night. He was actually amused by my worry. “Mr. Crane is a businessman, that’s all. He’s not going to whack you just because he doesn’t like you. You’ve been watching far too much television, Miss Good.”
I texted Kane to meet me by the Crane residence. He immediately texted that he was on his way. I texted back my current location and he said he’d meet me there in minutes.
“Fine, I’ll just wait for my friend to arrive. You should probably move your vehicle from the road. Someone might have a problem with you blocking the whole street.”
“I’ll be waiting close by. Mr. Crane made it clear that I have to escort you to him.”
I didn’t say anything to that. I just watched as he moved his car to the side of the road.
I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn’t dead, so that was something.
“I don’t like him,” Rebecca said. “His energy is all wrong.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
A couple of minutes later I saw a familiar van in my rearview window. Crane’s man must have seen the same because he moved to the road and waited for us to follow. And that’s exactly what we did.
The drive there felt a lot longer than it should have. I felt like I was driving toward certain death. I certainly hoped that was just the nerves talking.
The gate opened for the black car and in turn for us. We parked in front of the house.
I waited for Kane to get out of his van before I got out of my car.
“Déjà vu,” he said when he saw me. “What’s this about?”
“I guess we’re about to find out,” I said. I quickly filled him in on what happened on the road.
“You should have called the cops,” Kane said. “Do you want me to?” He took out his cell.
“No, we’re already here. Plus, I don’t think the cops will take us seriously. I mean, Crane is a billionaire after all.”
Kane nodded. “Money usually equals power.” He came closer and lifted his jacket to reveal a gun holstered there. “But it’s always better to be safe than sorry.”
I wasn’t a huge fan of guns myself. What with my line of work and all, but right at that moment, I didn’t mind.
Kane must have noticed some apprehension on my part because he continued. “I don’t like them myself but sometimes it’s the only thing that’ll keep you safe.”
I nodded in understanding.
As soon as we entered the residence, several of Crane’s men were waiting for us. It was clear their intent was to search us.
Kane showed them the gun. “I’m keeping this. Just think of me as her bodyguard.”
“That’s not how this works,” one of the men said.
“Then we’ll just turn around and go home,” I said. And I meant every word.
“That won’t be necessary,” Crane said as he came into view. Jonah was right behind him, mini iPad in his hand.
Crane ordered his men to let us through.
We were far outgunned anyway, but I still wondered what the billionaire was so worried about that he would just let us waltz in like that. There was something strange going on here, that was for sure.
Crane led us into his living room this time. He sat down in a comfy chair while Kane and I took the sofa. His men were scattered around. Jonah was standing by his boss’s chair. He actually smiled in my direction. I didn’t know how to react.
“I’ve never really experienced anything like what happened the other day,” Crane started to say. “I’ve never been much of a believer in anything supernatural. I’m more of a pragmatic man. Do you understand?”
I nodded. “I’ve met plenty of skeptics in my day, Mr. Crane.” And it was true. Usually, they acted dumbfounded when I showed them my gift. But soon after they tried to rationalize their experience away and they usually succeeded. Some belief systems were just too strong to penetrate.
“That is why I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened in my office. Was it an actual experience or was it something else? The power of suggestion perhaps?”
“I can assure you that no tricks were involved. I don’t need to use tricks because I have a genuine gift that lets me speak with the dead.”
Crane nodded and took a sip of his drink. He offered Kane and me some but we both refused. We needed to keep our heads clear for this particular meeting.
“I’ve looked over my security tapes dozens of times, and you are right, no tricks could be detected. Which is why you’ve been invited back here.”
“I wouldn’t say I was invited. I was actually nearly driven off the road.”
Crane turned around and looked at the man who had escorted us here. “Josh, is that correct?”
“It’s an exaggeration, sir. I was just trying to get her attention.”
“We’ll hav
e a talk about that later, you’re free to go somewhere else now.”
Josh gave me an annoyed look as he was escorted out of the room by one of the other guards. I tried to keep my expression neutral but I was definitely smiling inwardly.
“Thank you,” I said to Crane. “I found his presence here more than a little unnerving.”
“Don’t worry, Ms. Good. His days working for me are numbered. And speaking of working for me, that’s exactly why I invited you here.”
“I don’t understand,” I said honestly.
“I’m offering you a job. You can work as my personal assistant or personal psychic if you will.”
“I’m not a psychic. I can’t predict the future. I can only know what the spirits tell me. Do you understand?”
Crane shook his head. “All of this is new to me. I’ve had Jonah do some research but there doesn’t seem to be much conclusive evidence for this kind of thing. Not of the scientific variety, at least. If you accept the position, you’ll be paid more than fairly. Of course, you’ll have to be exclusive to me and my company. I don’t want any of my competitors getting any ideas.”
All of this seemed a bit…unorthodox. I looked over at Kane for his reaction but he just shrugged his shoulders. “It’s your life, your career.”
I remembered the office I had just bought furniture for. I was getting ready to rebuild my ghost hunting business and here was Warwick Crane, billionaire extraordinaire, offering me a job the likes of which I’d never even dreamed of.
“Would this position involve a lot of travel?” I asked.
“Oh yes. I travel all over the world on a regular basis,” Mr. Crane said. “You’ll be by my side for all of it.”
“Could I have some time to think about it?” I asked. Traveling around the world and being paid to use my gift sounded too good to be true.
“Of course. But don’t think too long. After this mess with the recent deaths is resolved, I’ll be on a plane out of here. A private jet, if you want to know.”
I smiled at that. Mr. Crane certainly knew how to make a pitch, that was for certain. I was starting to see why he was so successful.
“I want to solve the murders,” I said. “Derek Powers has just been found dead so that’s two people killed. I owe it to Bart and Derek to help them move on.”
Ghostly Apparitions (A Ghost Hunter P.I. Mystery Book 1) Page 11