by Rose Pressey
I headed toward the gate where I would wait for the group to arrive for the tour. Usually, I spent this time making sure that the flashlights worked and going over any changes I might add to the tour. Tonight, I wouldn’t make any changes, and it would be business as usual. I checked my phone again. Still nothing from Tammy.
Before the people arrived, I decided to give her a call. Maybe she’d hear the ring and answer right away. With the phone pressed up to my ear, I listened to the rings and hoped that she answered soon. A quite a few rings, the call just went to her voicemail.
“Tammy, I’m really starting to worry about you. You’re not at work yet. I’m at the cemetery waiting for the group to arrive, so call me anytime. It’s fine. I’ll answer whether I’m giving the tour or not. I just want to make sure you’re okay. Call me.”
As I ended the voicemail, a noise came from somewhere behind me. I spun around expecting to see Mrs. Clatterbuck. It wasn’t her, but I caught a glimpse of what I thought was Josh. The ghost from the library. He was far across the graveyard with his back facing me, but I was almost certain it was him. Had he followed me here from the library? Why didn’t the text me?
I watched him for a few more seconds before he disappeared into the night air. Another noise came from behind me. I spun around again. Another person was there, but I wasn’t happy to see her. The reporter stood in front of me. At least the cameraman wasn’t there. He was probably just hiding though. There weren’t many places to hide. Maybe he was out in the alleyway waiting for his cue to run over and put that camera in my face.
“Oh, it’s you,” I said, not even pretending to be pleasant.
“Ms. Van Raden, I just wanted to talk to you,” she said.
“I have nothing to say. I’m just a librarian.”
“Yes, but you’ve been involved in quite a few murder investigations, so another one seems kind of crazy.”
“I can’t help it if someone was murdered outside the library.”
“Do you have any information you can give us?” she asked.
“I told you earlier I have no comment. I know nothing.”
“Will you be investigating this murder too?” Kendra asked.
Oh, Brannon would love that question. Did she really think I would answer yes?
I gave the appropriate answer. “Of course not. That’s a job for the police.”
“That hasn’t stopped you in the past,” she said. “I heard your boyfriend is a detective with the Devil’s Moon Police Department.”
“Yes, that’s right. He’ll be investigating the murder, not me. So any questions you can ask him.”
“I’m sure he’s told you something about the murder,” she said with a devilish grin.
“The police have told me nothing,” I said.
Wouldn’t she be freaked out if she knew the ghost had been talking to me and asked me to investigate his murder? If I did investigate and she found out, I’d certainly hear about that from her.
“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have a tour to get now,” I said.
She looked around. We were the only ones at the cemetery. The owl hooted from the top of the tree.
She jumped a bit. “What was that?”
“The mascot for the tour,” I said, pointing up to the tree. “I’m sure everyone will be here soon, so sorry I can’t talk anymore.”
I was way too stressed to talk with her anymore. Why wasn’t she going away?
“You’re in luck, I bought a ticket for the tour,” Kendra said, flashing me the stub. “I got it at the tavern.”
What was she up to? I’d already told her that I had no info. She seemed convinced otherwise.
“You don’t mind, do you?” she asked.
Actually, I did mind. I minded a lot.
“Of course not,” I said with a forced smile.
I had no choice but to be nice. However, I was still suspicious of her. Thank goodness chatter came from down the alleyway. Now I wouldn’t have to keep talking to her.
Chapter 9
The rest of the group had arrived. Several men and women, all dressed casually, gathered behind me. I started the tour, taking everyone by the usual stops in town. I peered into the tavern’s window, but Tammy wasn’t there. Too many people were stuffed into the tavern for me to actually take the tour-goers inside. I desperately wanted to see if Tammy was inside.
I’d sent Tammy another text while we walked, but still, I received no response. As soon as the tour was over, I’d call Brannon. I didn’t care what he said about reporting her missing. I’d go look for her too. She hadn’t mentioned any errands that she had to do, so I wasn’t sure where to start other than her house.
We arrived at the antique shop now. The owner Mr. Byrd had given me a key and allowed me to take the tour-goers into his shop, even though the store was closed. Truth be told, his place was probably the most haunted location in town. No doubt because of all the items that went in and out of the shop. A lot of ghosts attached themselves to things.
I gathered everyone around the front of the shop and start recounting some of the spooky events that had occurred. They all stared at me with wide eyes waiting for the slightest sign of a ghost. With such terrified expressions on their faces, if something happened, they might all run away.
Kendra kept her eye on me the entire time as if she was waiting for me to slip up and make a mistake or possibly tell her everything she wanted to know. I had no idea what she was up to as she regarded me with a suspicious eye. I tried not to let that affect me, but she was distracting. The faster I got this tour over, the better off I’d be. I just hoped she didn’t want to talk afterward. I would have to put my foot down and say no way, enough was enough. But if she really was just enjoying the tour then that was fine. How was I supposed to know the difference? At least none of the other tour-goers seemed to realize that she was acting kind of strange.
A tour-goer looked over her shoulder as if maybe she’d seen something or felt a presence. She stumbled backward just a bit and a small wooden box fell from the table next to her.
“Oh, my goodness, I’m so sorry. I hope I didn’t break anything,” she said.
“Oh, it’s no problem,” I said.
It was kind of dangerous having the people in here with all these items. Possibly one of them would be damaged, but Mr. Byrd didn’t seem to have a problem with it. I hurried over and helped her pick up the box. Something had fallen out. A photo had fallen to the floor from the box. As I picked it up to place it back inside the box where it had obviously been, I realized that there was something familiar about this photo. The man in the photo looked exactly like Josh.
The picture looked as if it had been taken forty plus years ago. The clothing was definitely from the seventies with bell-bottom jeans and a plaid long-sleeve shirt with a wide collar. I turned the photo over to check for any info. A name and a date were listed. Johnny, 1975. Who was Johnny and why did he look exactly like the ghost?
Instead of placing the photo back into the box, I tucked it into my pants pocket. That move didn’t go unnoticed by Kendra either. She raised an eyebrow, noticing that I had taken the photo. Mr. Byrd wouldn’t mind, especially when I told him what had happened, and I was definitely going to return the photo. Plus, frankly, it was none of Kendra’s business and I wished she would stop being so meddlesome. I placed the box back on the table.
“There we go. Everything is just fine,” I said with a smile. “Now we’ll continue the tour.”
The tour-goer didn’t mention if she’d seen a ghost. None of the others spoke of anything unusual either. Kendra had moved closer to where I stood. She eyed the wooden box, probably wondering if she could get a closer look and see what it was all about. Since she’d seen me put the photo in my pocket, I knew she was dying to see the photo too. No doubt she’d probably call Mr. Byrd tomorrow and tell him I had stolen something. The joke would be on her because I would tell him as soon as I got home tonight. Maybe he had more information about the photo. I had
taken the tourgoers to the back of the building now. After a few more stories, we once again made our way toward the front.
“I saw you put that in your pocket,” she said.
I knew she'd been waiting to say something since she witnessed what happened.
“That’s right,” I said without offering more explanation.
“Why did you do that?” she asked.
“So that I can return it to the owner,” I said with a smile.
“Maybe he wants to leave it in that box,” she said.
“He probably doesn’t know that it’s there. Just to be on the safe side, I’ll give it to him. Now if you’re finished asking me intrusive questions, I’ll finish up the tour.”
I knew that the others had overheard the conversation. I had preferred they wouldn’t be sucked into her little game, but it was too late for that now. Nevertheless, I would just press forward. I moved the group back out onto the sidewalk and we headed back toward the cemetery where I would end the tour. I was glad this was over. Now I could get away from Kendra. A short time later, we arrived at the graveyard. Just a few more stories and the tour would be finished. Clouds drifted across the night sky, blocking the moon. This created an eerie scene for a haunted tour. The iron gate leading into the cemetery squeaked slightly as if someone had pushed it a bit. The wind was still, and I figured a ghost had to have moved it.
“Thank you for coming to the haunted tour tonight. I hope you had a great time and please tell your friends,” I said.
Now maybe Kendra would get lost. Instead, she stood there staring at me as the others walked away. I figured this would happen. Now I would have no choice but be rude. Before I had a chance to ask her what more she wanted, a noise caught my attention. I spun around and caught a glimpse of the ghost in the corner of the graveyard.
Of course, it was Josh. I needed to talk to him right away. I had to find out about the photo. I didn’t think it was a coincidence that I’d found it. This had to be his relative or something. They looked so much alike that it was uncanny. I took off across the cemetery.
“Wait, I have more questions for you,” Kendra yelled.
“No time to talk right now,” I called out.
I wished I’d thought of this sooner. There was no way Kendra would chase me into the graveyard. If I stayed long enough, maybe she’d get tired of waiting and leave. Now I just had to find Josh. I weaved around the maze of gravestones, deeper and deeper into the graveyard. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted someone standing to my left like a stone statue. Glancing over, I realized it wasn’t a person. It was a tall, beautiful angel headstone. Now I felt a bit silly for my mistake.
A chill encircled me. In the distance, the owl hooted as if warning me not to go any farther. But I had to talk to Josh. What if he didn’t show up again at the library? This might be my only chance.
“Josh,” I called out, hoping that he would stop.
He just kept going until finally, he disappeared behind one of the tall gravestones. When I made my way there, I stopped, trying to catch my breath. He was nowhere in sight. I was all alone in this spooky graveyard. Shadows seemed to linger behind the gravestones. It’s just my imagination, I told myself.
I’d lost my chance to talk to him now. My only hope was that he came back to the library. I suppose there was always the Ouija board, but I really didn’t want to do that. I warned people not to use that thing, so now the fact that I was even contemplating it was a scary thought.
For now, I needed to get out of here and find Tammy. As I turned around to leave, someone grabbed me from behind. The person yanked me back and I fell to the ground. I wasn’t sure if I hit my head, but momentarily, I thought I had blacked out.
I woke up with the person pulling on me, trying to drag me away. I wasn’t sure where they were taking me, but I had to escape. I couldn’t even get a good look at my attacker either because it was so dark. Plus, the little detail that the person was dressed all in black and wore a creepy clown mask—eyes painted with black circles, large red lips and a big red nose. It wasn’t Halloween so why was this person wearing such a terrifying mask? Was this the killer?
How would I get away? This person had a tight grip on me. Since my attacker was obviously strong, I wasn’t sure I would be able to fight them off. I had to find a way out. I had to flee this madman. I’d use all my strength, even if it wasn’t much. At least I’d die trying. I was so stunned by what had happened that I couldn’t even speak. Not that this person would answer any questions. Why should he? The attacker had me where he wanted me.
Chapter 10
With every ounce of my being, I kicked my legs and swung my arms. When the attacker had his arm in front of my mouth, I bit down. The person’s hand tasted like vanilla. Why did their hand taste like vanilla? Oddly enough, the person didn’t even scream out. But they released their hold on me, giving me time to get up.
I almost fell again on the damp grass, but I managed to remain upright. I ran as fast as I could toward the gate. My heart pounded fast and my breathing became a chore. Getting out of this dangerous situation seemed impossible. My confidence level had almost completely diminished. I wasn’t exactly a fast runner. With my attacker stronger than me that meant he’d probably run fast and catch up to me. I’d put up quite a fight, though.
Slowing down to look over my shoulder wasn’t an option, so I just kept going. If the person grabbed me again… well, I’d have to deal with that when it happened. To my surprise, I actually made it to the gate. Thank goodness it was still open. Slowing down to open it would have surely been the end of me.
I ran out the gate and toward the alleyway, praying the entire time that the person wouldn’t catch me. Not knowing if my attacker was close was getting to me. I just had to take a look. I glanced over my shoulder. No one was behind me. Could I really get that lucky? Why had he grabbed me and then just let me go? Had I actually gotten away? I couldn’t slow down and let down my guard just yet. I had to keep pushing forward and get to the tavern.
Now that I reached the tavern door, I felt somewhat safer now. Once inside I’d call the police and I’d feel much better. To my surprise, though, the police were already there. To my relief, Tammy was as well. The police were talking with her.
I raced over to them. “What’s going on?”
“I’m all right,” Tammy said.
Tammy had a small bruise and scrape on her face, just below her right eye.
“Were you in an accident?” I touched her arm.
She looked me up and down. “Were you in an accident?”
I peered down at my dirty clothes. My shirt had a small rip at the bottom. “I was attacked in the cemetery.”
The police officer who had been standing beside her turned his attention to me. “What did you say?”
“Someone grabbed me when I was in the cemetery. Thank goodness I got away.”
Tammy looked at me with wide eyes. “I was attacked too.”
It felt like someone hit me in the stomach. “Someone attacked you?”
“Did you get a good look at this person?” the officer asked.
I shook my head. “He grabbed me from behind and it was dark in the cemetery.”
“Is there anything you can remember about him?” he asked.
“Just the smell of vanilla. I know that doesn’t help much. What about you, Tammy? Are you all right? Who did this to you?”
“Same as you. I was getting into my car at the grocery store and someone grabbed me from behind. I never got a look at him because he wore a mask. I punched the person in the stomach with my elbow and managed to get away.”
“The man didn’t take anything from you, Ripley?” the officer asked.
I shook my head. “I didn’t have anything on me. Did they get anything from you, Tammy?”
“No, they didn’t take anything,” she said.
“Sounds like this wasn’t a mugging then if nothing was taken,” the officer said.
At that moment,
Brannon burst into the tavern. He raced over to us. A line furrowed between his brow. Relief came over me just knowing he was here now.
“Are you all right, Tammy?” he asked.
Brannon had no idea that I had been attacked too.
“I’m all right and Rip’s okay too,” Tammy said as she pushed the hair out of her eyes.
“I know Rip was worried about you,” Brannon said.
“I was attacked too,” I said and released a deep breath.
“What?” His voice echoed around the room. “Where were you? Are you all right?”
He touched me as if looking for broken bones.
“It was in the cemetery and I didn’t get a good look at him either.”
“This can’t be a coincidence. Someone’s targeting both of you,” he said. “And we’re going to find out who did this.”
Brannon motioned for the officers to follow him and they stepped away, leaving Tammy and me alone.
“You said you noticed the smell of vanilla?” Tammy asked.
I nodded. “Kind of smelled like cookies.”
“I smelled the same thing,” Tammy said.
As Tammy and I talked I noticed someone walk by the tavern window. Jill moved down the sidewalk, never looking my way. She had no idea I was in the tavern. I wondered where she was going. I hoped the person who attacked us didn’t attack her too.
After talking with the police a while longer, Brannon drove me home. First, we followed Tammy to her place. Brannon had an officer staying outside her house and I knew he would want to do that with me as well. If he didn’t stay over. He had work to do but he might just put that off and spend the night.
Actually, I hated to ask him not to do his work, but I kind of wanted him to stay. Being attacked in the cemetery had really freaked me out. Brannon had asked me repeatedly if I remembered any other details, but I just couldn’t think of anything. Maybe the traumatizing event had clouded my memory. With any luck, tomorrow I’d remember more. But for now, I just wanted to get in bed and try to relax. As soon as the lights were out, and my eyes were closed, all I thought about was the scene, reliving it over in my mind.