by Rose Pressey
Although going around the front would mean that I had to go through the graveyard. That ‘shouldn’t be a big deal to me, but like I said, the graveyard was extra creepy lately for some reason. When I walked through that area, I always felt a bit apprehensive. I still couldn’t figure out why. Maybe I would try to look into that mystery sometime, but right now, I had plenty of other mysteries on my hands.
When I reached the front of the building, I paused and gave one last glance around, looking for the man. Or was I looking for a ghost this time? A ghost from the spooky graveyard? So far, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. If patrons saw me out here, they would wonder why I was wandering around outside the building when I should be inside working.
I had just moved a couple of steps when movement caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. I looked over to that old oak tree that was on the front lawn. The one that always seemed to be a hiding spot for the ghosts. Sure enough, something was peeking out over the edge of the tree trunk.
A dark shadow that had now disappeared behind the tree again. That sent a shiver down my spine. I was momentarily frozen. Was the spirit still hiding back there waiting for me to move so that it could come after me? Or was this Josh playing tricks? Maybe it was a different ghost this time. I never knew around this place since there was always a new ghost popping up.
Maybe it was just a curious ghost who meant no harm. But the fact that it had been a dark shadow was a bit concerning because usually, that meant bad news. I had decided to get the heck out of there when all of a sudden, the shadow came out from behind the tree again. This time it moved slowly toward me.
It wasn’t a fast race to grab me, but a slow menacing pace that was surely meant to cause extreme panic for me. I waited for the thing to grab me, unable to move. My mind said run, but my body didn’t budge. Why was I frozen like this? Why didn’t my legs move? It was like this thing had me in a trance. Now I was surely doomed. That thing came closer and closer to me. My anxiety increased with each move closer.
“Ripley? Is that you?” Tammy’s voice called out.
Oh, thank goodness. Finally, the black mist disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. I looked to my right and saw Tammy standing on the library steps, staring my way with a scowl on her face. My legs moved again now, and I ran across the spooky graveyard toward the front steps.
“What are you doing over here?” she asked.
Oh, nothing, just being attacked by a ghost. Nothing to freak out over.
I couldn’t tell her the truth. Apparently, she hadn’t seen the dark shadow. That was for the best though. The less she knew about the scary stuff, the better. Though should I tell her about the weird guy I’d just chased out of the library? I suppose she needed to know, and I needed to make sure she kept her guard up at all times while this killer was on the loose. I didn’t want Tammy to be attacked again.
“I thought I saw something in the graveyard,” I said as I walked up the steps.
“What are you doing out here? The last time I checked you were over at the far side of the library looking for a book. The next thing I know you’re out here in the graveyard. I have to admit, Rip, that’s a bit creepy.”
“Yes, I can see where someone would find that behavior slightly spooky.”
Now I guess I would have to tell her the whole story. Tammy and I walked toward the reference desk as I told her about the strange man. Jill stared at us as we approached. She had that vanilla-scented hand cream out again. Apparently, she loved that stuff. Jill rubbed it on her hands and then placed it back in her pocket. She watched as Tammy and I talked.
“You found a key he dropped?” Tammy asked.
“Yes, I guess he didn’t realize he lost it. I just hope he doesn’t come back for it,” I said.
Chapter 13
It was finally time for my lunch break, and I was looking forward to visiting Mrs. Glass. Well, I looked forward to finding out about the vase. Mrs. Glass seemed a bit grumpy. I gathered up my stuff and said goodbye to Tammy. I just hoped that I was doing the right thing by leaving her there alone. Brannon had wanted to go along with me, but he just couldn’t leave work. He said he would get someone to stop by the library and check on Tammy. That would make me somewhat better. Though I knew I would still worry.
I got in my car and headed in the direction of Nashville. I tried to sing along to the music during the ride so that I wouldn’t be distracted by my thoughts of what was going on in town, but it was pretty much helpless. Even my most favorite songs didn’t distract much.
I had some problems finding the house, but finally, I pulled up in front of the cute white cottage. I sat there for a moment and studied my surroundings, just trying to think about everything that was about to happen. I had no idea what I was getting into. This could be a pointless trip. Mrs. Glass didn’t sound that enthused about me visiting anyway. Nevertheless, I was here and might find something helpful, I suppose.
I got out of the car and headed up to the door. Before I had a chance to knock, she opened the door. I figured she’d been watching from the window. Her short white hair was styled with tight curls close to her head. Her small stature didn’t stop the immense aura that radiated from her. She wore a brown cardigan over her yellow dress. On her feet, she wore brown fuzzy house slippers.
“I wondered if you were coming inside,” she said. “Or whether you were going to sit in that car all day.”
She was just as pleasant in person as she was over the phone.
“I assume you’re Ripley Van Raden,” she said.
I smiled. “Yes, that’s me. I was just getting some things together before I came up here.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. I was kind of taken off guard by her demeanor. Nevertheless, I pushed forward, stepping into the house. The scent of vanilla filled the air. I assumed she had an air freshener, or she was baking. The green drapes on the windows made the already dim interior that much darker. A dark green velvet sofa, cream-colored wingback chairs, and a coffee table filled the living room. The dining room was beyond that with a dark wood table, chairs, and china cabinet. How would I see anything in the darkened room?
“I put all the things on the table in the dining room for you. The stuff is in the boxes. It’s not a lot, just a few. I don’t know if you’ll find anything, but you’re welcome to look through it. Now I can’t help you. I have things to do.” she said.
“I completely understand, and I appreciate that you let me look through the stuff. Is there a light in here?”
“Light gives me a headache,” she said with a frown.
“Oh, all right.” I’d have to make do with the light from my phone.
“Well, have at it,” she said with a wave of her hand. “And don’t steal anything.”
“Of course not,” I said.
The slightest hint of a smile twisted her lip.
“There was one thing,” I said.
“Yes?” she asked hesitantly.
I pulled the photo from my pocket. “I found this picture and it looks an awful lot like Josh. I mean, they could be twins. I was just wondering if you might know who it is because the date on the back says from the 70s, so I know it wasn’t Josh. I just thought it was a weird coincidence that I stumbled upon this photo.”
She took the picture from me and studied it for a moment. “Yes, I recognize him. That’s Josh’s great uncle. Ellen’s brother. He died not long after this photo was taken.”
“Oh, I see. Well, that explains the family resemblance.”
“Where did you find it?” she asked.
“Actually, it was at the antique shop in Devil’s Moon. It was in a box and it just happened to fall out. It was almost as if someone wanted me to find it.”
“More of that haunted stuff, I suppose,” she said.
“They had a lot of haunted stuff?” I asked.
“Well, I guess so. I don’t know why, but the things seemed to follow them everywhere they went.”
“Do you think that box wh
ere I found this photo belonged to your friend?” I asked.
“Well, it’s certainly possible. She had a lot of things but I’m not sure why it would be in Devil’s Moon.”
“You think Josh had most of the items? How did you come up with the boxes you have?”
“She wanted me to have them. I guess these are the things she thought I’d want. To be honest, I loved her dearly, but it doesn’t seem like a lot of good stuff in there. I’m not sure what to do with it. It feels a shame to throw it away if she really wanted me to have it, you know what I mean?”
“I completely understand,” I said with a smile.
I glanced back at the table. “Is that wooden cabinet also something she gave you?”
“Yes, but it’s locked, and I can’t find the key. I asked Josh, but he was scatterbrained, so I never got the answer.”
“Maybe it’ll turn up,” I said.
“Yes, well, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get to work.”
“Certainly,” I said.
“And remember, don’t take anything. Just because I said it was a bunch of junk doesn’t mean I want you to take it.”
“I wouldn’t think of it,” I said.
Did I look that much like I was going to steal something? That was a bit concerning. Nevertheless, I stepped over to the dining room table and she went into the other room. Within a few seconds, what sounded like the sewing machine began to whirl. I suppose she trusted me enough to leave me alone with the boxes, so that was something.
I started with the box nearest the edge of the table. Not for any particular reason other than that was the one closest to me. I opened back the flaps and peered inside. There was certainly a variety of items in the box—another trinket box and some Christmas ornaments. A few pieces of costume jewelry. There were also books in there as well.
Of course, my eyes went to those right away. I pulled them from the box. They were just some classics, nothing too spectacular, as in collectors’ items or anything. I flipped through the pages to see if maybe something had been stuffed inside, but so far it was just the pages. It looked as if nothing in this box was going to be useful in giving me any clues. After closing the flaps on that box, I stepped over to the next one. I hoped this one had something useful for me. How quickly I became discouraged though. I needed to keep a positive attitude. There had to be a way to solve this case.
I hurried to open the box only to discover there were more books in that one. Plus, a couple of handkerchiefs. This was most disappointing. I wasn’t sure what exactly I’d been looking for, but this wasn’t it. I pulled out some of the books to make sure that there wasn’t something stuffed between the pages of those. No such luck though. At the bottom of the box was another small box with a lid.
When I pulled off the top, I realized it was full of papers. Receipts for things like furniture, appliances, etc. Why would Ellen think her friend wanted a box of receipts? Nevertheless, there was no receipt for a vase. I hadn’t anticipated finding one either. I placed the top back on the small box and set it down into the larger box.
Next, I placed the books back in the box, closed the lid, and then moved over to the final box. All this way just to look through some boxes with nothing worthwhile in them. I suppose she had warned me about that, but I’d had to see for myself. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed now. I guess I had dreams of finding the clue that would solve this case immediately. That had been a big dream. My mama always told me to dream big though.
I opened the last box and discovered more of the same. I sighed and slumped my shoulders. I was definitely discouraged as I pulled out every single book this time. Maybe I should have done that with the others instead of just giving them a quick once over. I leafed through every book but there was nothing special. Until I spotted the one at the bottom of the pile.
It was different from the others. This was more of a journal style. Now maybe this would lead me somewhere. I opened it up and found what looked like spells. Conjuring spells? This was not good. Why would she have this? No wonder they had so many haunted things around them if she was doing this. Had she told anyone else about this? Her friend certainly hadn’t mentioned this part. Did Mrs. Glass know this had been in the box?
I suppose she had just assumed they were a bunch of books and nothing special, but the entire book was full of things like that. What would I do with this book? I checked the rest of the books, but I found nothing, so I placed them all back in the box. I had to take this one with me. Though she had warned me not to steal anything. Would she let me take it? I could tell her I was borrowing it or that I wanted to buy it from her.
One other thing caught my attention. A newspaper clipping about Kendra Sims. What a coincidence. Though I suppose it wasn’t that surprising since she was a popular reporter from the area. I quickly scanned the article. Basically, it was about Kendra. Her life: hobbies, where she was from and went to college. She’d graduated from the University of Kentucky, collected elephant figurines, and liked to walk for exercise. Why Ellen had kept this article was beyond me.
The sewing machine still whirled from the other room. I hated to scare her, but I didn’t want to stand here any longer. To be honest, her house was a bit creepy too. Maybe it was the dark rooms and the sliver of sun that streamed through that crack in the front window across the living room. It cast shadows across the space. Maybe it was the fact that I was holding a book that had conjuring spells in it.
I walked over to the room where she’d gone and stood by the door. Should I knock? As I raised my hand to knock the sewing machine stopped. Did she have some kind of sixth sense too? That was a bit creepy. I stepped back expecting her to open the door. After a few seconds though she still hadn’t opened the door. What was she doing in there?
Chapter 14
After a few more seconds of strange noises coming from the room, things like rattling, and banging, the door opened just a bit. She eyed me up and down without saying a word. This was a bit unsettling. The look in her eyes was almost as if she was a different person. Like she didn’t know I was here or who I was.
After a few seconds, she slipped out of the door but kept it pulled close so that I wouldn’t be able to see inside. I tried to peek over her shoulder, but she blocked my view with a tilt of her head. What was going on in there that she was trying to hide from me? I suppose it was none of my business. This was her home and she didn’t have to let me see anything in it, but it was strange behavior.
What could she possibly have in there that she would be afraid for me to see? Did she have priceless jewelry or other expensive things stored in that room? After all, she had thought that I might steal something. She closed the door behind her. Once the door was shut suddenly her less angry look returned.
“All finished, dear?” she asked in a super sweet voice.
“Yes, I went through everything. You’re right, there’s not much in there, but I found this book and I was wondering if I could borrow it. Or buy it from you.”
This was when her skeptical expression returned. A raised eyebrow and a slight smirk. I wasn’t trying to take it. I had offered to pay for it. What was suspicious about that?
“What kind of book is it?” she asked.
Now was the tricky part. I didn’t want to tell her exactly what the book was because she would be suspicious of why I wanted something like that.
“Oh, it’s just a diary of sorts, I suppose. Just kind of a bunch of ghostly stuff.”
My lies weren’t that great.
She held her hand out. “May I see it please?”
Now I might never get the book back. Reluctantly I handed it over. I had no other choice, This lady was kind of intimidating. Suddenly I felt more uncomfortable. I just wanted to get out of there now, but I also really wanted that book. I had to show it to Brannon. Maybe the demonologist too. I wanted to know more about what was written inside.
She opened the cover and slowly flipped through the pages. What was going on in her mind? After a
few more seconds, she closed the book and handed it back to me.
“You can have it,” she said.
Wow. Was it as simple as that? Okay, I was feeling a bit better now. Maybe she wasn’t so bad after all. Even though she was a bit strange about that room.
“Okay, you have to leave now. I’m busy.” She waved her hand for me to leave.
“Sewing?” I asked.
She raised an eyebrow but didn’t offer an answer. Yes, maybe I should have just minded my own business. I should just get out of there with my book before she changed her mind.
“Thank you for the book,” I said as I hurried toward the front door.
She was right behind me. Close behind me. Probably too close. Nevertheless, I reached the door and thank goodness made it safely outside into the bright sunshine. The beams felt good against my skin after being in that dimly lit house.
As I pulled away from the house, she was still standing at the front door watching me. At least I had the book though. It was on the passenger seat beside me, safe and secure. I was excited about having it. Now I just had to get back to the library and give Branon a call. When I was a good distance away from her house, I pulled over on the side street and sent Brannon a text message to let him know that I was on my way.
I found something extremely interesting. I’ll show you later.
Sounds intriguing. Should I be excited or scared?
Maybe a bit of both.
I’ll be patiently waiting.
Don’t you mean impatiently?
He answered with a smiley face emoji.
I pulled back out onto the road and headed toward Devil’s Moon. At least I had a bit of the anxiety relieved now that I had already visited her house and gotten out alive, but the apprehension of everything that had taken place was still there. No amount of singing along with the car radio would help that.
I was about halfway home now. I had taken a back road because there had been an accident on the highway. This route had a low amount of traffic. I wasn’t sure many people knew that this road led to Devil’s Moon. I had taken this road many times with my parents when we used to visit relatives in Nashville. Thank goodness for that because now I knew about this path.