by Terri Reid
He studied her, not saying anything for several moments, and finally nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense.”
Surprised, she waited for him to continue and when he said nothing else, she shook her head. “What? That’s it?” she asked, puzzled. “No, ‘You should have asked me first’?”
He shook his head. “No,” he replied earnestly. “Quite frankly, when I was over there in the house, I was wishing you had your abilities, so I could touch you and see what was going on. I don’t like being in the dark any more than you do.”
She smiled hesitantly. “Really?”
He kissed her forehead lightly. “You are amazing, and I trust you,” he said. “If you are ready to get those abilities back, then you’re ready.”
She lifted her head and kissed him. He responded by tightening his arms around her and deepening the kiss. “You know what I’d like to do right now,” she asked breathlessly when they’d finally ended the kiss.
“No,” he murmured as he pressed kisses against her jawline.
She moaned softly. “I’d really, really like you to come upstairs with me and read me some more nursery rhymes,” she breathed.
He lifted his head and smiled down at her, desire burning in his eyes. “Deal!”
Chapter Ten
The next morning, as Bradley was making breakfast, the doorbell rang. “Wow, someone’s up early,” Bradley commented as he took the pan off the stove and went to the door. He opened it to find a sober-faced District Attorney on the other side. “Alex? What’s up?”
The look on Alex’s face made Bradley’s stomach clench.
“I need to talk with you and Mary,” he said. “And it’s important.”
“Sure, Mary is just putting Mikey down,” he said. “She’ll be here in a minute.”
Alex glanced around. “Clarissa?”
“She spent the night at the Brennans,” Bradley offered.
“Good,” Alex said. “I didn’t want her to overhear…”
“Overhear what?” Mary asked, coming down the stairs.
“Can we sit down?” Alex asked.
“Sure,” Bradley said. “Let’s go in the kitchen. Have you eaten?”
“I’m good,” Alex replied. “And I don’t want to take a lot of your time, but I needed to tell you right away.”
They all sat down around the table. Mary, her hands clenched in front of her, turned to Alex. “What’s wrong.”
“This morning when I was reviewing a list of deaths in the county that were initially listed as natural or accidental,” he began, “I noticed that three of them were recipients of Maybelle’s treasure.”
“Three?” Bradley exclaimed. “That seems pretty high for a coincidence.”
Alex nodded. “I agree,” he said. “I’m concerned that someone might have learned your secret.”
Mary turned to Bradley; her face filled with worry. “Stanley and Rosie,” she said.
“Yeah, we’ll have to let them know right away,” he replied, then he turned to Alex. “Is that okay with you?”
“Of course,” he said. “They are part of this too.”
“Would you mind giving us the names?” Mary asked. “So, we can do a little investigating on our own?”
“I’ve already sent them in an email them to you,” he said, “with the records of their deaths.” Then he turned to Bradley. “One of them died within the city limits, so you might be able to dig a little further than I can. And, because they were considered natural deaths, unless I can verify some kind of connection other than Maybelle’s, I can’t move them up on the priority list.”
“Thanks,” Bradley said and, trying to assuage Mary’s concern, added, “And we can’t rule out that it wasn’t accidental. Sometimes when people receive a large amount of money, they begin to participate in high-risk hobbies.”
“High-risk hobbies?” Mary asked.
“Drugs, gambling, fast cars, fast women,” Alex said, and then he blushed. “Sorry, Mary.”
She smiled and shook her head. “I worked as a Chicago police officer,” she said. “I know all about those. And, I agree most people might do that, but we looked into these people before we gave them the money. They shouldn’t have done crazy things like that.”
“Unfortunately, money changes people,” Alex said. “The number of cases of family members suing other family members because of a contested will is astronomical. People who were best friends one day, change overnight when money gets thrown into the mix. And the sad thing is, often if they had only spoken with each other and worked things out in a kind and civil way, it would have saved them the lawyer fees and the heartache.”
“I still don’t accept that in less than two months their personalities could have changed that much,” Mary said, shaking her head.
“Well, if you can find anything that links them together and looks suspicious,” Alex said, “I can open an investigation about their deaths.”
“Alex,” Bradley said thoughtfully. “Would you mind also sending us the complete list of deaths?”
Alex shrugged. “Sure, I can do that,” he replied. “Why?”
“Well, maybe there are some connections to the other accidental deaths on the list,” Bradley said. “You pointed these out because they were familiar to you. But the others might be in a similar category.”
“Oh, I get it, if you have more of a sampling, you have more of a chance narrowing in on a cause,” he said.
“Exactly,” Bradley said. “Any information would be helpful.”
Alex stood up and nodded. “I’ll send the information to both of you as soon as I get back to the office,” he said.
“Thanks,” both Mary and Bradley replied.
Alex turned to leave, then stopped and looked back at them. “Oh, you might want to stop distributing Maybelle’s money for a little while,” he said. “Until we can figure out what’s going on. Besides, I’ve got a friend who’s coming into town later today who I think might be able to provide a little expertise in that area too.”
“Well, we’re not going to do anything that will put anyone at risk,” Mary said decidedly. “So, yes, we’ll stop sharing her money and, at this point, we will be more than happy to hear what your friend has to say.”
Alex nodded, then smiled. “I think you’ll like him,” he said. “He’s a bit of a character, but he’s great at what he does.”
“Can’t wait,” Bradley said. “Why don’t you bring him over tonight. For dinner?”
He glanced at Mary for agreement, and she nodded. “Yes, dinner would be great,” she agreed.
“Okay, thanks,” Alex replied. “Dave’s from a big family, he’ll love coming for dinner. See you both later.”
Chapter Eleven
Later that morning Mary walked to the front window and gazed across the street at the beautiful old Victorian Home. She had always admired the grand, old house and she knew she should be overjoyed to be the owner. But, with all the mysteries inside, she knew that step one of the renovating had nothing to do with paint.
“Good morning.”
Mary turned quickly when she heard Mike’s voice behind her. “Hi,” she replied, her heart pounding in her chest. She had been nervous all night, worrying about the response she might receive. Wondering what she might have to do if she were turned down. “How did it go?”
Mike shrugged and glided closer. “Well, at first it wasn’t going well at all,” he admitted. “He wants your family to be your top priority.”
“Whether I get my skills back or not, my family will always be my priority,” she replied with certainty.
Mike smiled. “Yeah, that’s what I said,” he said. “And He agreed with me after a bit. Then the tides turned when someone named Sophie came to speak with us. It turns out her husband was one of the people who got the money.”
“Oh, which one?” Mary asked.
Mike shrugged. “She didn’t say, but He knew,” he replied. “And He also knew that Sophie’s husband had been murdered.”
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br /> “Oh, no!” Mary exclaimed. “Alex just told us that some of the people who have received the money have died and he was suspicious.”
“Yeah, he should be suspicious,” Mike replied. “And now Sophie’s husband is stuck here until he can figure out what happened.”
Mary paused and studied Mike. “So, what does that mean for me?” she asked.
“You’re back on duty,” he replied with a smile. “And, so am I?”
“You’re not Mikey’s guardian angel anymore?” she asked.
“Double duty,” he replied. “You and Mikey are a package deal.”
Mary breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly realized how concerned she’d been about the decision. “Thank you, Mike,” she said. “This is wonderful news.”
“Yeah, but you need to take it easy,” Mike replied. “No shoot-outs or high-risk situations.”
She started to nod and then stopped. “So, what do you mean by high-risk?” she asked.
“Mary,” Mike replied. “You know what that means.”
Walking to the closet, she pulled out her coat and slipped it on, then she bundled Mikey up and put him in his stroller.
“Mary,” Mike said. “Where are we going?”
She shrugged. “We are just going to take a short walk across the street,” she replied.
“Mary are you sure you should be doing this?” he asked. “We have no idea…”
“Mike,” she said, interrupting him. “This is my house. If I can’t clear a ghost or two out of my house, what good does it do having my abilities back?”
“Don’t you think you should try them out on something less spooky first?” he asked.
Mary studied him for a long moment and shook her head. “Like a murder victim?” she asked.
He sighed. “Okay, fine, let’s go check out the haunted house,” he replied. “But, for the record, I am not happy about this.”
They walked across the street and Mary pushed open the wrought-iron gate in front of the house. As soon as she pushed the stroller through, the gate clanged shut behind her. This time, instead of jumping, she turned around and focused on the area.
“Are you okay?” Mike asked.
She nodded, still focused. “I’m just a little out of practice,” she replied. Suddenly, she could see the ghost of the man she’d seen in her dreams. His hands were still on the gate, and he was chuckling.
“Did you think that was funny?” she asked him.
Startled, he stared back at her and then shook his head. “She can’t see me,” he muttered to himself. “That’s ridiculous.”
He started to move around her when she stepped in front of him and replied, “Not as ridiculous as you might think.”
Stopping dead in his tracks, his eyes widened. “You can see me?”
“Yes, I can see you,” she replied and then added. “Gilbert.”
His jaw dropped, and he immediately pulled out a linen handkerchief and mopped his brow. “How do you know my name?” he stuttered. “How can you see me? No one has ever been able to see me!”
“I not only know your name,” she said. “I also know that you used to work for Mr. Finders.”
He shook his head. “Are you a mind-reader?” he asked, stunned.
“Naw,” Mike inserted, making himself visible to Gilbert. “She’s a ghost-talker.”
Chapter Twelve
“I didn’t know ghosts could faint,” Mike said, looking down at the bespectacled ghost laying on the ground in front of them.
Mary shook her head. “Neither did I,” she said as she also gazed at the ghost on the ground, then looked over at Mike. “Although, I do have some sympathy for him. You generally startle me when you suddenly appear, and I’m used to it.”
“But a ghost?” Mike asked, astonished. “Ghosts aren’t supposed to be frightened.”
Mary shrugged. “Ghosts are people, too,” she said. She looked back down at the unconscious ghost. “Gilbert. Gilbert, can you hear me?”
The ghost emitted a low, raspy moan. “That would have been scary if I wasn’t watching the little dude who was doing it,” Mike said. “This guy has zero points in the scary column. He looks like an accountant.”
Gilbert opened his eyes slowly and glared at Mike. “I am an accountant,” he said scornfully. “And we can be frightening, believe me.”
Mary shook her head. “I’ve had personal experiences with several accountants who were very scary,” she admitted. “Very, very scary!”
Gilbert turned towards Mary and nodded. “See,” he exclaimed. “She knows how scary I can be.”
“But why do you want to be scary?” Mary asked. “You seem like a nice person.”
He sat up and wrapped his arms around his knees. “I have to,” he said with a slight shrug. “I have to protect Maybelle’s house and the…”
He stopped suddenly and clapped a hand over his mouth.
“We know about the gold,” Mary said and watched Gilbert’s eyes widen.
“You know?” he stammered, pushing himself up and standing in front of them. “Well, I don’t care if you know, you’re not going to get your hands on it. I’m going to stop you.”
He lifted his hands in a boxing stance and planted himself between them and the house. “You will not get the gold. You’ll have to go through me first.”
Mike shook his head and then slipped through the ghost. “Dude, it’s not that hard when you’re a dead guy,” he said. Gilbert jumped to the side and looked back and forth between Mary and Mike.
“It’s not your gold,” he insisted, his voice raising. “It belongs to…”
“The people who Mr. Finders cheated,” Mary said, interrupting him. “We know.”
Gilbert slowly lowered his hands. “You know? How?” he asked.
“Maybelle told me,” Mary said. “She’s asked me to locate the descendants of the original investors and return the money to them.”
“Maybelle?” Gilbert gasped. “But Maybelle’s dead. I watched over her until she died.”
“Maybelle is in the same situation you seem to be,” Mary said. “She can’t pass over until the gold has been returned to the investors.”
Gilbert stared at the house. “She’s in the house?” he asked, surprised. “With me?”
Mary studied him and slowly nodded. “You didn’t know she was here?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I can only see the living people who come into the house,” he said. “No one else.” Then he paused and shrugged. “Well, no one else except for the customers.”
“The customers?” Mary asked with trepidation.
Gilbert nodded. “Yes, the customers who are still waiting for their money,” he said. “They are all sitting in the parlor.”
Mary turned to Mike. “The customers,” she said.
Mike nodded slowly. “Yeah, the customers,” he repeated. “Aren’t you glad you insisted on getting your abilities back?”
“Thanks,” she said. “Thanks for rubbing that in my face.”
Mike grinned. “No problem,” he said, then he turned to Gilbert and motioned with his head towards the house. “So, about how many customers are hanging around in there?”
“Not that many,” Gilbert replied. “Only twenty or so. There are twenty chairs in the parlor, and they’re all filled up.”
Mary’s eyes widened. “Twenty? There are twenty ghosts in my house?”
Mike whistled slowly and shook his head. “Well, on the positive side, maybe they can help paint.”
Mary turned to the angel. “Mike,” she said.
He grinned. “What Mary?” he asked.
“Shut up,” she ordered.
Biting back a chuckle, he nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Twenty ghosts!” Bradley exclaimed.
“Shhhhh,” Mary cautioned, looking around the corner of the kitchen into the living room to make sure Clarissa wasn’t within hearing distance. “I don’t want Clarissa to hear and get freaked
out.”
“Clarissa?” Bradley whispered. “I’m freaked out. What are we going to do with twenty ghosts?”
Mary shrugged. “Well, I don’t know yet,” she admitted. “I decided not to go in and brave the ghost mob with Mikey in my arms.”
“Do you think they might have hurt him?” Bradley asked, concerned.
She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so,” she replied. “I’ve been in there with him a number of times, and there’s been no problem at all. But I guess the idea of twenty was a little overwhelming.”
Bradley nodded. “Yeah, I guess so,” he replied. “So, after dinner, we can ask Rosie and Stanley to stay here for a little while with Mikey and Clarissa, and then we can go over together. Does that work for you?”
She smiled up at him. “That works well,” she agreed. “Thanks for coming with me.”
“Are you kidding?” Bradley replied. “We’re a team. Besides, I want to see who was singing to me the other night.”
Mary shivered. “I think she isn’t included in the twenty clients that Gilbert mentioned,” she said.
“How many damn ghosts do you think we have in our house?” Bradley asked.
Shaking her head, Mary met his eyes. “I don’t even want to guess.”
“Mary…” Bradley began, but the sound of the doorbell interrupted him. He sighed and shook his head. “We’ll talk about this later.”
She nodded and breathed a sigh of her own, but this one was of relief. She hadn’t wanted to explain to Bradley what she was thinking.
“I heard the sigh,” Mike said softly, appearing behind her. “What’s up?”
Mary glanced around the corner again. Bradley was nearly at the door, so she had to make this quick. “I have a hypothesis about the twenty ghosts in the house.”
Mike nodded. “Go on,” he urged.
“Well, Gilbert told us he thought there were twenty ghosts in the house because all twenty chairs in the parlor were filled,” she whispered.
“Yes?” Mike replied.
“So, what are the odds that none of the ghosts waiting in the parlor have already been helped by us?” she said.
Mike shrugged. “I don’t know, we’ve helped a lot of people in a short amount of time,” he said. “I would think that at least one chair would be empty.”