The Ghost Dances the Nutcracker

by Kristine Frost

  “You can’t do that.” His voice was a sneer.

  She smiled grimly. The smile never reaching her eyes. “Hide and watch.” She held up her phone. “I’ve already called the Glastonbury constabulary. Their men will be here.” She looked at her phone. “In about fifteen minutes. You will be forcibly removed.”

  “Courtney’s fiancé is Mark Brown, the barrister. He’s on his way. He will be swearing out a lawsuit against you for assault.” Tabitha kept up the attack.

  Windsor held up his hands, his voice softening. “Now wait a minute. There’s no need for that.”

  “Isn’t there?” There was still a bite in Tabitha’s voice. Courtney looked at her friend in surprise. It seemed as if all of Tabitha’s frustration was coming out on Edward Windsor and he seemed to be wilting.

  “I understand that you’ve been in court before for assaulting people who didn’t bend to your wishes. But no one here will.” She glared up at him, clearly unafraid of his size or his anger.

  He took a deep breath visibly controlling his anger. “Calm down.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “I see no reason to calm down. You, sir, are a bully and I don’t like bullies. I don’t like you. I don’t like your daughter. She, too, is a bully. I repeat, I don’t like bullies.”

  He grabbed for her phone, but she had been expecting that move. She stepped back, jerking it out of the way. As he lunged for it, she stepped back, stuck out her foot, tripping him.

  He fought for balance. He hit the floor with a crash that shook the furniture.

  Vaguely, Tabitha heard the doorbell. Parker?

  Hargraves slid into the room. “It’s Parker and his team.” His voice barely ruffled her hair.

  “Put the lock on the door. Don’t let them in. If they can’t get in they can’t deliver the warrant.”

  He nodded, slipping unnoticed out of the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see his hands shaking.

  “Daddy.” Eugenia dropped to her knees. “Daddy. Are you alright?”

  With a groan, he got to his feet. The knees of his expensive suit were torn. One of the sleeves hung loose from the body of the suit.

  Eugenia got to her feet at the same time. She turned to face Tabitha. “You’ll pay for this.” Her eyes glittered.

  She turned to London. “Come all, darling. Let’s go get the car.”

  There was a scornful look on Tabitha’s face as Eugenia stood on tiptoe to kiss London’s cheek. Even though Tabitha knew Eugenia was playing her, she could feel her heart hurt like it had been dropped in crushed glass.

  At that moment, there was a pounding on the front door.

  “Visitors darling?” Eugenia’s snide tone told Tabitha who had told Parker where she was.

  Chapter 37—Ghost Haven foyer

  Parker strode into the room. “Tabitha Black, I have a warrant for your arrest.” He began reading the charges.

  Courtney stood like a statue. Debbie, her eyes huge in her white face, stood like she had been turned to stone. Eugenia’s eyes glittered viciously. There was a smirk on Edward Windsor’s face.

  Tabitha looked past Parker’s red face to Hargraves who looked into her eyes, then turned and left the room.

  When Parker had finished reading the charges, he pulled out his cuffs. “Turn around. It will go easier with you if you cooperate.”

  Tabitha gave him a look. A look he couldn’t quite interpret. “I have no intention of going anywhere with you.” Her voice was cold, resistant, defiant.

  London shook off Eugenia’s hand, looking down into her face. He put his hand on Tabitha’s arm. “You’d be better off cooperating.” His voice was gentle.

  She shook off his hand. “I don’t think so. I don’t think I’d reach Scotland Yard alive.”

  Parker reached behind his suit coat, pulling a Glock 9 mm from a waistband holster. “You’re coming with me.”

  London took a step forward. “Parker? Are you crazy? You’re not allowed to carry a gun to an arrest like this.”

  Parker’s grin was mirthless. “Of course, you’d side with her. I knew she’d resist. I was counting on it.”

  He motioned with his gun. “Now get over by your fiancée and let me do my job.”

  He reached for Tabitha but she stepped back. He stepped toward her, his finger on the trigger.

  “Aimee, it’s now or never.” Her voice was low, desperate, afraid.

  At that moment, the room turned icy cold. The flowers on the table against the wall, wilted, drooped, froze. From the bookcase drifted a girl in a white dress, a tall hennin, it’s Chrostini floating behind the cone on her head.

  Only a few people in the room were allowed to see her, although everyone felt the icy cold. Tabitha smiled grimly. Parker could see her. He stepped back, raising his gun as she came toward him, her arm out, her finger pointing, an angry frown on her beautiful translucent face.

  His finger jerked on the trigger, sending bullets crashing into the paneling, the bookcase, the ceiling as he fell backwards. His hand twitched as the gun fell to the floor.

  Hargraves pushed the door open. Stepping around Parker’s prone body, he let Tolliver in, followed by London’s team.

  Tolliver, wearing gloves, picked up the gun, dropping in an evidence bag. He smiled tightly at London, then turned to Georgette. “Would you like the honor?”

  Georgette nodded. She looked down at Parker who was just opening his eyes. “James Richard Parker, I am arresting you for the murder of Jessica Duval and the attempted murder of Tabitha Black.”

  Tolliver rolled a dazed Parker onto his back, pulling his arms behind him, he handcuffed him. Pulling him to his feet, Tolliver motioned for Deacon and Farmer to remove him.

  He then turned to London. “Sir. Superintendent Hinckley would like you to call him as soon as possible.”

  London glared at his subordinate. “Tolliver, what the hell are you doing?”

  Tolliver motioned to the door. “Perhaps it would be best to discuss police business in private.”

  London proceeded him into the dining room just as the village constables walked through the open door.

  “Hold on, Tolliver. I think I’d better take care of this, first.” Tolliver nodded.

  London walked into the library.Debbie and Courtney were moving the pine boughs from where they had fallen in front of the blazing hearth. “I’m suing Parker for damages.” Courtney said through gritted teeth.

  She looked up at the picture over the fireplace. “Tabitha do you think you can fix Edward the IV’s face? I’m afraid that the value of that painting is ruined.” She glared at Eugenia. “Parker is going to pay for that too.”

  Constable Stafford looked at Courtney. “Miss Black said you needed some troublemakers removed.”

  “Yes. I’ve made arrangements for the Windsor’s and Mr. London to spend the night at Lady Rune’s Bed and Breakfast. They can no longer stay here because of their behavior toward my other guests as well as to myself and my staff.”

  Windsor looked at his wife who was shaking her head, tears running down her face. “You can’t do this. It’s too hard on my wife and daughter.”

  Tabitha issued a very unladylike snort. “Your daughter could care less.”

  “Please?” Louise Windsor said. “My husband and daughter will behave. I promise you they will. It would be less embarrassing for us. What if the press got hold of this?”

  Tabitha grinned wickedly. “Wouldn’t that be too bad.”

  London walked over to Debbie. “Please talk Courtney into letting them stay until in the morning. It would be better for all of you and us.”

  Debbie shook her head. “I’m sorry, Mr. London. I don’t think I want to go against Courtney, Hargraves and Mrs. Mere. Your fiancée,” Debbie stumbled over the word “has insulted every person at Ghost Haven since she arrived.”

  She stood up straight and gave him a glance that a sixteen-year-old girl shouldn’t be giving a Scotland Yard Chief Inspector. “Please remember, that you’ve also been
asked to leave.”

  Constable Stafford said, “Please ladies and gentlemen, don’t make this ugly. Miss Spencer has the right to remove guests who do not follow the rules.” He held up a document. “She has documented your infractions so please come along.”

  When it looked like Edward Windsor would throw another fit, Tabitha held up her phone. “I knew there was a reason why I’m on Instagram and Facebook. I’ve even learned how to do a chat.” She made as if to push an icon.

  “Alright. We’re leaving.” He glared at Courtney. His voice ripped at her. “We’ll be back to pick up our things in the morning.”

  “Don’t bother.” Tabitha snarled, tired of his arrogance. “You won’t be let back in. Your things will be delivered in the morning by 7:00 a.m.”

  She walked to the front door, pulled it open, imperiously waving her hand to shoo them out.

  London hung back to say something to her, but she refused to respond or even look at him.

  I’m done with him hurting me. I’m done with him hurting Courtney and Debbie. I feel badly for his mother, but I’m done with that problem, too.”

  Chapter 38—Ghost Haven

  Tabitha walked back into the library, stopping to hug Tolliver, Deacon, and Farmer. “Thanks, guys. You really came through for me.”

  “It was mostly Georgette. She just wouldn’t stop looking. I think she spent all of her free time checking out leads.”

  Tabitha sat down next to Debbie and Courtney. “Thank you.”

  “You got me the information. I just tracked down the proof.” Georgette put her mug of coffee on the tray. “What happened with our boss and his fiancée?”

  Courtney and Debbie took turns telling them about the séance, breaking the rules for the secret passageways and her screaming insults at everyone. Tabitha laughed as she told about their ghost’s response to Eugenia.

  The door opened and Hargraves let Rupert into the room. He ran across the room to put his big head in Tabitha’s lap. “Even Rupert wanted to stay in the picture gallery rather than brave Eugenia’s wrath.”

  Courtney looked over at Georgette. “I’d like to know how you found out it was Parker.”

  Georgette looked at Ed Tolliver. “Well, it was a lot tougher than I thought it would be.”

  “Why?” Debbie looked from Georgette to Tolliver.

  “Because it wasn’t our case. London was told from the beginning that he couldn’t work on the case because it was a conflict of interest which meant that we shouldn’t work on it.”

  Tolliver added, “London said what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt us which we took to mean that he didn’t have a problem with us working on it, but our work had to come first.”

  She grinned at the men. “Since I was drafted to help Parker’s forensics team, Tolliver, Deacon and Farmer ran interference with our cases giving me time to work on Parker’s team, but I couldn’t do much interviewing without letting Parker know what we were up to.”

  Tabitha nodded. “Georgette gave me a list of questions to ask the other dancers in Cabot’s stable. Even though the pictures of the dancers were finished, I had each one come down so that I could touch up the pictures.” She laughed. “Most of what I did was with a dry brush. I turned the answers over to Georgette.”

  Deacon said, “I interviewed the people at the theater as well as Cabot’s stagehands and other team members. Once Georgette had all the information, she put it together.”

  “The sad thing was no one could believe what we found out. Then Farmer found a witness who had seen Duval with a well-dressed man in an out of the way restaurant. The man was big and blond.”

  Georgette buffed her fingernails against her sleeve. “I picked up the witness and took her to a restaurant when Parker was dining. She identified him. And the rest is history.”

  “What really clinched the case, was my brainstorm. I got the witness from Pascal’s murder. I took her to lunch when I knew Parker was going to be there. She about died of fright when she saw him. She gave me a deposition that he was the man that ran over Pascal.”

  “But I thought she didn’t see the man’s face.”

  “She didn’t but everything about him that day was burned into her memory. She even recognized the shoes Parker was wearing.” She looked at Tolliver who said, “I got a subpoena to get his shoes. When they were tested, there was bits of brain and blood between the heel and the soul.”

  Tabitha looked at Courtney. “You were right.”

  “I was? What? How?

  “The first time Parker barged in and hauled me down to Scotland Yard, you said that he was guilty. You were right. How did you know? Intuition?”

  “No. It was the way he looked at you, like he hated you. Besides I knew that he was still angry because you went over his head when he arrested the wrong person when Debbie’s parents were killed.

  Georgette looked at her watch. “We’d better get going. It’s a long drive back to London.”

  Courtney held up her hand. “We have rooms. They aren’t fancy but they are clean.”

  Hargraves tapped on the door then walked in. “Mrs. Mere has set out a simple buffet supper for all of you. The rooms on the third floor are ready and I’ve take up your things.”

  Once everyone had gone to bed, Courtney paused outside of Tabitha’s room. “I was just curious. What are you going to do about London’s mother?”

  Tabitha shrugged, her heart a little heavy. “I don’t know. I don’t think it’s really my problem.”

  “She is trying to make it your problem by playing on your feelings for him.”

  Tabitha felt her heart lighten. “You know, I’m not sure I have any feelings for him now, either positive or negative. I think I’d just like him out of my life.”

  “What are your plans then? Are you staying for Christmas?”

  “Yes, if you still want me after all this unpleasantness.” Tabitha got to her feet.

  “Of course I want you.” Courtney gave Tabitha a big hug.

  Tabitha looked dreamy eyed. “Good. I have some ideas for my new one man show. I’d love to get started on them right away.”

  With a laugh, she added, “And not a ballerina in sight—just a ghost or two.”

  Epilogue

  Tabitha put down her cotton swabs, then turned the little ghost’s picture so that everyone could see her face. It was the face of a nearly grown-up child, big brown eyes, delicate eyebrows, a sweet nose, and rose-colored lips.

  She was wearing the tall cone shaped hat that Tabitha had seen her in. It was burgundy velvet and satin with large white and green stones. Her burgundy velvet dress was low cut, lower than would have been acceptable a few years later. A gold locket dangled from her long, slender fingers. There were heavy gold letters intertwined on the front of the locket.

  She gazed at the locket a dreamy love filled look on her face.

  Courtney reached out and gently touched the locket. “Could her lover have given her the locket? Do you think those are the initials might be his?”

  Leland Cabot, his arm around his wife, Liu pulled his gaze away from the portrait of his wife to look at the ghost portrait.

  “You are a genius,” he said to Tabitha. He wasn’t referring to the ghost portrait but to his wife’s. “You caught her flavor. I am so grateful.”

  He pulled out his checkbook and wrote a check, folded it then handed it to Tabitha.

  A little hesitantly, she opened it and looked at the amount. “200,000 pounds.” The words jerked from her. “Mr. Cabot, that’s too much.”

  “Don’t be daft girl.” His smile filled his whole face. “We never agreed on a price. This is only a fraction of what it’s worth to me.”

  He turned and with his arm around his wife, he left the room.

  Tabitha folded the check and put it in her pocket, then she picked up a Aimee’s journal from the table.

  “Now I can finish translating this.” She looked around. “Something terrible happened to our little ghost, our Aimee. I’m going
to find out what.”