Just then I heard a whoosh of air, and the next instant Jezebel, one of the friendlier ghosts, came in. “Hey there,” she said. “I’ve been looking for you.”
“Oh, sorry. I’ve been out here having lunch. What did you need?” I asked.
Jezebel first looked pensive, then squared her shoulders before saying, “We could use some extra supernaturals in the haunted house. The haunt hunters have been having trouble recruiting anybody to come here, and there’s a lot going on.”
She was choosing her words carefully, but I knew what she meant. Between the murders that had taken place at Haunted Bluff and the threat posed by the Root of All Evil, Kip, Corey, and Cam were having trouble finding supernaturals who were willing to face the risk.
“I see what you mean. What do you have in mind?” I asked. This was a problem we had seen coming for a while, but I’d been procrastinating because I just hadn’t known what to do about it. If Jezebel had a good idea, it would solve a lot of my problems.
She floated toward the three of us and glanced out the window. “I do have an idea. I’ve been mulling it over. I was hoping I could come up with something else, but I’m afraid I haven’t. This might be the only way,” she explained.
“What’s your idea?” I asked, puzzled by her hesitation.
“I was thinking that there are whole lot of supernaturals here who don’t work in the haunted house. Maybe some of them would like to,” she said.
I was a split second slow to grasp what she was actually suggesting, but Pep understood right away, and gasped.
“Maybe my mother can set up a room that’s a pretend bank vault, and they can rob it. They’d feel right at home,” said Lark dryly.
Chapter Ten
Still in need of some fresh air after lunch, I decided to go for a walk to mull over what Jezebel had suggested. She had been right about one thing; it would be difficult to involve supernaturals from Down Below with anything that required following rules. It was abundantly clear that nobody Down Below liked those.
I told myself that Jefferson Judge might have some ideas. His brother might also have a suggestion or two, but Edmund was extra busy at the moment. He had always employed two servants to assist him, but both of them—plus a third who had been a recent hire—had arrested for murder not long ago, after which Edmund’s his life had spun into turmoil. Last I heard he hadn’t yet managed to find replacements.
Having formed the beginnings of a plan of action, I made my way through the kitchen on my way outside. There I ran into aunt Meg, who was just hanging up the phone. She gave me a startled look and blushed.
“Apple order arriving soon?” I teased her.
Her blush only deepened. “Don’t let whatever my girls told you go to your head. They’re just making stuff up,” she murmured.
Audrey, who was busy making a grocery list, looked up and said, with a wry gaze at Meg, “Nobody believes you.”
Meg rolled her eyes and hurried out of the kitchen. I smiled at Audrey and headed for the door.
Saltwater blasted me in the face when I stepped outside. I usually didn’t like that sensation, but today I didn’t mind. The cool breeze felt refreshing and the smell woke me up.
I turned the corner and headed toward the cottages, having decided to ask Evangeline directly about Elton. She might not be happy about it, but I had to know what she knew. There was a good chance she hadn’t told Chief Gray everything. In fact, I knew she hadn’t, because she hadn’t told him that Elton knew about supernaturals.
I knocked on the cottage door, and when there was no answer I strolled on down the path, assuming she must have gone out. Maybe on my way back I’d catch her.
As I walked, I pondered the question of who could have killed Elton. Was it someone who had been standing in the crowd yesterday, watching to see what the police discovered? We knew everyone in town, and I couldn’t think of anyone who would have any reason to eliminate the reclusive mechanic.
Maybe it was Aunt Meg’s secret boyfriend. I sincerely hoped not, because she seemed happy. But if it wasn’t one of the townspeople, or someone who came regularly to Shimmerfield, then who could it be? And if it had been someone just passing through, how would we ever know?
As I rounded the turn to check on Grant’s place, I stopped dead. His small cottage was tucked away from the others, a feature that I thought had always appealed to him. While he had been away, we had all pitched in to keep an eye on it.
Now I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Grant himself was standing on the stoop, speaking with one of his deputies. The two of them were lost in conversation and looking very serious. I was still a good twenty feet away, and when they continued to be oblivious to my presence, I considered turning around and going back.
The only trouble was, an electric current was suddenly shooting through me. Grant looked so good standing there, his blue eyes sparkling even at a distance. His broad shoulders were perfectly framed in the doorway. I was gawking. I couldn’t stop.
He was dressed formally. His dark clothes and cape looked freshly cleaned.
Just as I was deciding I couldn’t stand there staring any longer, Grant looked up.
If I’d had any doubt that he’d be pleased to see me, it melted away with the sudden big smile that lit up his face.
Without even thinking, I felt my feet carry me forward. I came down the path just as Grant stepped off his front door to meet me.
His deputy looked around a little bewildered, but when he caught sight of me he too smiled.
“Hey. I wasn’t expecting to see you yet,” said Grant as we reached each other.
I instantly felt a little self-conscious. Maybe he thought I was invading his privacy.
“Sorry. I was just going for a walk and wanted to check on the place. I can come back later,” I offered. Even as I said it I thought that was silly. He was home, so I didn’t need to check on the place anymore.
Grant’s smile only got bigger. He thought it was silly too. Maybe in a cute way, but given how I was floundering between staying and leaving, who could say?
His deputy was giving him a bit of a funny look, and I guessed it was because he wasn’t used to seeing his boss look so pleased.
“No, I’m glad you’re here. It’s never a bother. I just got home, and Jason came to tell me there’s been a murder,” he said.
“Yes, in Shimmerfield. A mechanic. No one knows him,” I said.
Grant was nodding. “I didn’t know who he was either. Are you all right?”
“Fine. The haunted house was open at the time. There’s been no sign that anyone else is in danger, but the Chief of Police has urged everyone to use caution. There’s a mandatory curfew just in case. Chief Gray did say he thinks it’s an isolated incident.” I was rambling like nobody’s business.
There was an awkward moment of silence. Jason shifted.
“All of that makes sense,” said Grant.
Now I started shifting from foot to foot.
“The cottage is in great shape. Thanks for looking after it while I as away. I didn’t mean to be gone so long,” Grant said.
My head bobbed up and down. This was hardly the time to scold him for leaving in the first place. I had been a wreck when he left, and then that pain had settled into a feeling that something was missing all the time.
“We’ve held the fort,” offered Jason. “Glad to have you back, though, sir.”
“Glad to be back,” said Grant. I wanted him to say it just to me, but he looked between the two of us as he said it.
“I’ll not keep you from unpacking. Want to come up to the house for dinner tonight?” I offered.
Part of me wanted to keep him all to myself, but another part knew that if I didn’t invite him, someone else would.
“I’m sure everyone in my family would want to hear any news you have,” I added, when he didn’t answer right away.
Grant chuckled. “Cookie already issued a command. When I finally got back from that
infernally hot state I’d gone to, I was to come up to the house for dinner right away. Now that you’re inviting me too, I guess I have no choice.” He smiled again and my stomach twisted. The way his eyes were sparkling, I knew I was in big trouble and would be for a long time.
After that we said our goodbyes. Grant had only just gotten home, and Jason clearly had information he wanted to discuss with his boss, so I excused myself and headed back toward the mansion
Surprisingly, I wasn’t even annoyed that Cookie had beat me to the invitation. And I didn’t have long to think about it anyhow, because as I was walking up the path I saw Evangeline in the distance.
Her mouth tightened when she saw me. I might just have been imagining it, but I was pretty sure she started walking faster at the same time.
Too bad for her. There was no way I was going to let her avoid me.
“Evangeline?” I called out. She glanced at me and then looked away, giving a clear signal that she didn’t want to speak with me.
Not caring what she wanted at the moment, I increased my pace. When I caught up with her, she rolled her eyes and didn’t even bother to hide it.
“I was wondering if we talk for a few minutes?”
“I’m busy at the moment. Can’t you wait?” she asked.
“I’d really prefer to do it now,” I said.
“Very well. Then say what you have to say,” she muttered.
She stood blocking her own front door, obviously having no intention of letting me inside. Given that there was no one else around, that was fine with me. “I saw that the chief came to see you. Are you all right? I didn’t realize you knew the mechanic.”
Evangeline sniffed at me. “Let’s not beat around the bush here. You want information. You are investigating this case.”
“I’m not technically investigating. I do want to make sure you’re okay. And yes, I would like any information you have, just in case.”
“If you weren’t investigating before, you will be soon, I’m sure,” she said.
“I don’t know about that,” I said.
“You will be. There is definitely more to this than meets the eye. Most of the time anyway, but sometimes there’s just enough. That’s all I have time to say the moment,” she said.
Before I could even begin to respond, she turned around, stepped into her house, and closed the door behind her. Clearly she had meant something in particular, but I had no idea what it was.
Frustrated, I turned toward the mansion. Grant was back, and I was happy about that no matter whether Evangeline was cooperative or not. But I was still a bit nervous about what else might going on, and Evangeline’s reaction seemed to confirm some of my suspicions.
There was something else at work besides the obvious. I just had to find out what it was. Before a killer struck again.
Chapter Eleven
My next task was to go Down Below. Jezebel had made an excellent suggestion about how to get more supernaturals into the haunted house, and I planned to follow up on it.
The first thing I did was to drop a note in the mailbox, requesting a meeting with the Fudge. If any of the supernaturals were going to be put on loan, we would need his permission.
Then I went to my office in Telegraph Hall, where I kept all sorts of papers and files on Down Below. This was an important part of my work.
I intended to look through the files, even though I knew we didn’t have a complete list of everyone who currently lived in the basement. My mother most definitely suspected the Fudge of harboring fugitives, probably because one of the rooms had a sign hung over the doorway that read, “Fugitives check in here.” There were plenty of Down Below dwellers that we would never know about.
Still, I wanted to see who was there that we did know. Did any of them have experience working in a haunted house, or in a similar field? Maybe some of them had been actors in their earlier lives, just for instance.
Once I came up with a handful of names, I had to think about my strategy. Without a doubt, the Fudge would want something in return. I just hoped he didn’t make publishing disparaging articles about the Garbo family in the Spooky Times something to bargain over. Articles about flowers coming up and spring starting might be boring, but they certainly caused less turmoil than the inflammatory stuff he’d been writing before.
After sitting in my office for a while, I chided myself for wasting time and told myself to get a move on. Whatever the Fudge came up with, I wasn’t going to imagine it sitting by myself in an office. What he wanted was always singular; you never knew until he told you.
I went to check the mailbox to see if there was any news and found a note saying that I could come Down Below after dinner. My stomach twisted a bit. It was usually a good idea to avoid Down Below in the nighttime hours.
While I waited, I went to tell Lark and Pep the good news. They would be almost as excited as I was that Grant was home, and even more so that he would be coming to dinner. I just had to hope that my mother and grandmother wouldn’t do anything too embarrassing.
I told myself to keep my hopes from getting too high. I wouldn’t want to be disappointed.
I found Lark and Pep in the kitchen eating lunch.
“Where did you run off to?” Pep asked.
I told them all about what had happened. Pep squealed with delight several times.
“Great! We get to see him soon. What did he think of the murder?” she said.
“Did I hear that we’re having a guest for dinner?” Audrey asked, bustling into the kitchen juggling several bags in her arms.
“Were you in town?” Lark asked sharply.
“Yes, I went to the market. We were running low on a lot of staples,” she said.
Lark started looking through her bags and frowned. “What is this?”
“It’s pesto,” Audrey said.
Lark made a face. “That’s a staple?”
Audrey rolled her eyes and continued on to the fridge.
“Grant is joining us for dinner, if that’s all right,” I said in answer to Audrey’s earlier question.
“I didn’t realize he was back in town,” she said. “It will be lovely to have him. Cookie behaves better when he comes around, for one thing. Have you noticed that?”
“She’s trying to marry me off,” I told her.
Audrey threw back her head and laughed. “I should have figured that one out. I knew she was being too kind.”
“Did you learn anything in town?” I asked. I tried to be casual, but I couldn’t quite pull it off.
“Unsurprisingly, the murder is all anyone is talking about,” said Audrey, shaking her head. “Poor things. No one feels safe. They can’t think of any reason why Elton would be murdered. Given that they didn’t know the man, they’re sure that something happened in his past that came back to haunt him. The only trouble is, even if that’s the case they’re still afraid that the killer isn’t done killing.”
“Have they found out where he lived?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Didn’t hear much about it. His home address was the mechanic’s shop where he was found. Everyone thinks he just slept above the garage. He lived for his work, and that sort of thing. Since he didn’t go to any town events, that’s not very far-fetched. No one ever saw him doing anything else. No one ever saw him period, apparently.”
“He had to spend his time somehow, and it looks like it was fixing cars,” Lark agreed.
“I’m sure the town isn’t in too much danger,” Audrey went on. “They’re taking precautions, and anyhow, if it’s something from Elton’s past, no one else is likely to be a target.”
I could think of one other person, well skeleton, who could be a target, but I wasn’t going to say that to Audrey. She wouldn’t be pleased that we had spent an afternoon letting Cookie walk through the woods.
Given that Grant was coming to dinner, I decided it would be smart to take a shower before he arrived, so I went up to the attic to get ready. Having my own bathroom was another a
dvantage of an attic home base, and I took full advantage of it.
Once I got out of the shower, I couldn’t decide what to wear. I’d be going Down Below after dinner, so my outfit had to serve several purposes. That gave me an excuse to wear something a bit nicer than I’d normally wear at a family dinner.
I just didn’t want to wear anything so nice that Lizzie commented on it in front of Grant. That would be terribly embarrassing. I finally settled on a cozy gray sweater and dark blue jeans.
Just as I was turning my attention to my hair, Rose appeared. “Where have you been all day?” I asked her.
“Rounding up mice. No, just kidding. I’ll do that tonight. I was helping Cookie look around the haunted house. She wanted to know if there were any other holes in the wall. We discovered that there weren’t,” said Rose.
“Did you learn anything else about the one that’s already there? Like maybe who put it there?” I asked. I had no idea what to do with my hair and was staring uselessly into the mirror trying to decide.
“Just leave your hair down and stop worrying about it. Your hair looks nice. At least it does after you take a shower and put some product in it. Looks like a downright mess first thing in the morning,” said Rose.
“Tell me how you really feel,” I said.
“I would, but I don’t think you can handle it,” said the cat, licking her paw nonchalantly.
I sighed and left my hair down. “Did you find out anything else?”
“Not a thing. Cookie thinks it’s very strange. She does think it was an inside job, though,” said Rose.
“How does she figure that?” I asked. We were now headed down the stairs. I’d be damned if Lizzie beat me to answering the door twice in a row.
“She didn’t explain herself. She said she was under no obligation to do so,” said Rose.
“She was probably just guessing,” I said.
I thought again of the strange prints I had seen on the ground where we’d discovered the hole in the wall. I told myself that they were probably from some animal that was always around, and I just hadn’t noticed them before.
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