Purrfect Haunt

by Louise Lynn

  Colton nodded, and licked a glob of orange curry sauce from his lip. "You had a long day too, I take it?"

  Hazel didn't even need to think before she nodded. "Oh yeah, probably not as long as yours though. Tonight we get to eat and watch something funny. Do you have any suggestions?" She picked up the remote and flicked on the TV and Netflix.

  Colton chuckled. "As long as it actually is funny, I don't care."

  She wondered if he’d stay awake long enough to enjoy anything, but she didn't tell him that. From the smears of blue under his eyes, it looked as if he hadn’t gotten to sleep until some point early that morning, and even then it hadn’t been for long. Being sheriff meant he didn't get to come into the office when he felt like it, especially with this crime hanging over the town.

  So, Hazel decided not to tease him, chose a show she knew he liked, and hit play. Then, she settled against his shoulder to finish her Indian food.

  Just as she predicted, he nearly fell asleep in his tandoori chicken. By the time episode was over, his head was tilted back and he was snoring lightly.

  Hazel kissed his cheek and let him doze while she cleaned up their dinner dishes.

  * * *

  "It's worse than I thought," Colton said the next morning as they walked up to CATfeinated. He held Anthony Ray's leash, and Hazel noted that he said that before they stepped inside.

  She paused a few steps from the front door, and pulled her mustard knit cap down over her ears.

  "What's the worst bit? The last video they posted, the near impossibility of the crime, or the number of suspects?"

  Sheriff Cross let out a bark of laughter. “Okay, you make it sound even worse than I originally thought. I think we have three solid suspects, and you'd better not get upset when I include Tess Turtledove in that list. She took off the night of the crime, and she basically threatened the deceased. That doesn’t look good."

  Hazel’s stomach sank. “Can I talk to her first? I know it looks bad, but Tess is. . . Tess. She’s a bit odd, and she probably wouldn't talk to you anyways. Well, it wouldn’t make any sense when she did."

  Sheriff Cross raised his eyebrows. "You do have a way of getting information that no one else can. Okay. Go for it, but I need her statement afterward. We’re going to spend all morning going over the footage we got yesterday."

  “Footage? Of what?"

  Anthony Ray perked his ears, as if Colton said ‘tuna’ or ‘squirrel.’

  Sheriff Cross rubbed his freshly shaved cheeks. “Ghost Hunters Extreme. Yesterday we got access to their cloud drive thanks to Josh Hopkins. It’s going to take ages."

  Hazel chewed her bottom lip, uncertain if she should mention the idea that popped into her head. “You sound like you could use some help. Michael could do it, if you want it."

  Sheriff Cross nodded. “Actually, that would be great. I’ll have Simmons bring some of it over to your studio for him. Just make sure he knows not to talk to anyone."

  Hazel smiled and glanced at a pile of yellow and red leaves blown by the wind. “Who’s your strongest suspect so far, besides Tess." She may not have known Tess well, but she didn’t think the young woman could kill someone.

  He looked around. “The other members of the crew, since they both claimed the other wasn’t there when the lights went off. Josh had to go to the bathroom, and you said Emma wasn’t at the door when you arrived. Patricia Corning knows the house best, but she claims she was sleeping at the Lodge when everything happened."

  Hazel remembered Patricia leaving. She also remembered the odd cuts in the video Emma posted, and how it didn’t add up to what really happened that night. Who’d been the one to edit it, Josh Hopkins or Emma Grand? “But how did they kill him if they were outside the door at the time?"

  His forehead creased. “That’s what we need to find out. And we need motive, a good one. The idea that there’s a third person. . . ."

  Her blood chilled. Yeah. She didn’t like that either. “It has to be someone alive. Someone who was there that night. Not me or Michael, by the way."

  “Or maybe it was—"

  “If you say a ghost, I’ll find a new sheriff," she warned.

  He chuckled, though it was laced with weariness. “Never. I’m actually concerned about these rumors. Ghosts. An axe murderer on the loose right before Halloween. That’s a horror movie."

  When they finally stepped into the coffee shop, Hazel knew exactly what Sheriff Cross meant. Everyone was huddled at tables and whispering, their voices hushed and worried; their glances furtive.

  Celia's eyes went wide when she spotted them, and when they made their way to her through the line, she slid their standing orders across the counter. A latte and sesame cream cheese bagel for Hazel, and plain coffee with a sesame cream cheese bagel for Colton.

  "And here you guys didn't believe me about Massacre Mansion," she said and shook her head.

  Hazel rolled her eyes. "It wasn't a ghost. I don't care what everyone in town says. I was there."

  Celia shrugged. "I know. Can you explain it yet? Because the only thing I've heard is a ghost killed that guy." She kept her voice low, but that didn't mean some of the people close to the counter couldn't hear her.

  "No, but we have several good leads, and we’re narrowing down our suspects," Sheriff Cross said in his most Sheriff Cross of voices. It was the kind he’d used when he first met Hazel, and it used to drive her crazy. Now, she appreciated it when it wasn’t aimed at her.

  “I hope you're right, Halloween is tomorrow night, and it's one of the biggest holidays around here," Celia said with a frown. “We always have the Halloween Fair, even if there’s a blizzard."

  She was right. Cedar Valley loved their holidays, and the Halloween Fair was a perfect example. Lake Street was often the prime hub of activity, since the homes in the area were so disperse. It wasn't quite as big as the Shakespeare Festival, and it was more local oriented than tourist, but it still held some of Hazel's fondest memories.

  If they couldn't solve this crime soon, they might have to call it off for safety reasons. It wouldn’t only disappoint the local kids, but it’d hurt the businesses too.

  She noticed Sheriff Cross frowning, and nudged his shoulder. “We'll figure it out. We always do."

  He nodded stiffly and let out a breath. "Hazel's right."

  Celia smiled at them both, but Hazel feared her best friend wasn't reassured.

  Sheriff Cross didn't have time to stick around. He gave Hazel a quick kiss before he left for the Sheriff's Office. However, Hazel decided to eat her breakfast there. She bent down to give the cafe's official mascot, Ophelia, a few pets before she headed out to the porch.

  She had a feeling Celia would follow, and she was right. To her surprise, Marcus was already out there, sipping a mug of coffee with a pile of papers in front of him.

  "New case?" she asked.

  He smiled, his teeth bright white against the smooth ebony of his face. "Old one, actually."

  Celia gave him the warmest smile Hazel had ever seen her friend give a man, and bent to kiss his closely shorn head as she took the seat next to him. "I decided to keep it a surprise. He can tell you more about it. Apparently, someone here likes digging up the past just as much as you do."

  Hazel took a seat opposite and glanced at the papers. They were Xerox copies of old newspapers, the print in tight little columns that meant it was from around the turn-of-the-century. “Are you researching the Pearl House?"

  Marcus nodded. "Hope you don't mind. That Massacre Mansion story was fascinating. But I'm more interested in the actual history than ghost stories, no offense," he said and squeezed Celia's thigh.

  She stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "He's almost as much of a stick in the mud as you are, Hazy."

  Hazel glowered at the use of the nickname she hated. "Stick in the mud or just plain logical?"

  Celia shrugged. "Same difference. He found some interesting things, didn't you?"

  Marcus nodded and took out a h
andful of papers. He presented them to Hazel. "I thought you'd be interested in this. It's all the Cedar Valley Post articles after the murders happened. It's mostly sensationalized, and unfortunately whatever official police reports were taken at the time have long since been lost, so this is all that remains. There are a few accounts from Reno as well, but those are even more outlandish. However, some of the details seem to match with the story. A maid, cook, and Mr. Pearl were all found dead on the grounds, killed with an axe. However," he said and cast a glance at Celia, who pouted. "There's no mention of the stable hand being among the deceased. It says after the incident Dora was missing and so was her fiancé, Earl Murdoch. Neither of them were ever heard from again."

  Hazel gaped and took a big gulp of her latte. "Wow. This is actually helpful. Not that Celia’s insight isn’t helpful, but you know," she said and nudged her best friend’s boot under the table.

  Celia narrowed her eyes. "I knew you’d appreciate it. How did the stable hand get into the story if he wasn't even a real person?"

  Hazel shrugged and took an oversized bite of her bagel. She chewed and swallowed before she answered. "Just to add an air of romance, I guess. The windows in her room were nailed shut, so maybe she had a habit of sneaking out at night and her dad wanted to put a stop to it?"

  Marcus's eyes went wide, and Celia raised her perfectly shaped brows. Her beautiful curls were tied back into a loose bun that day, though a few tendrils framed her oval face. "Good thing we didn't know about that sooner. My mama might've tried to nail my window shut when I was a teenager," she said and shook her head.

  Hazel couldn't help but chuckle. She had no doubt Rosalie Parks would've nailed Celia's window shut if she’d thought about it. "Do you want to share this info with Sheriff Cross or shall I?" Hazel asked Marcus.

  He smoothed a hand over his tie. "Either way is fine with me. I hope he won't feel like I'm stepping on his toes if I do share it."

  Hazel chewed her bottom lip. "You're not trying to solve the murder in his steed, after all. That's what I did to make him angry."

  Celia giggled. "Now he thinks you're good at it, so it all worked out in the end. Who knew I'd fall for a guy who’s such a history nerd."

  “You love it," Marcus said, slung an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her close for a kiss.

  Hazel finished her breakfast and stood. "If you find anything else, let me know."

  Marcus nodded. "I'll keep looking. The library has a lot of interesting resources."

  Hazel imagined they did, and wondered why she hadn’t accessed it before. She was too used to the convenience of the Internet to go looking for records in person—something her father would probably scold her about.

  At least now she had a few more facts to fill in the blanks of the original crime, just in case it had something to do with the current one. With the newspaper articles tucked into her purse, she headed out to uncover more of the truth.

  Chapter 13

  First, Hazel dropped by her photo studio to give a heads up to Michael about the Ghost Hunters Extreme videos that Simmons would be bringing over. Michael bounced in his seat and grinned, happy to have the chance to help with a real investigation. Plus, since her only client for that week was Patricia Corning, and that entire thing might be on a permanent hold, it gave him something interesting to do besides running the studio’s gift shop.

  Next, Hazel went to the place she assumed Tess would be—Esoterica.

  The streets were nearly deserted, odd for the day before Halloween. Most of the time, people were running around trying to get last-minute candy and costumes. Now, the few people who were on the streets had their heads down, and they cast suspicious glances at everyone they passed.

  Hazel frowned. Sure, Halloween was supposed to be the spookiest holiday, but it shouldn't make the entire town suspicious of each other.

  When Hazel arrived at Esoterica, windswept and chilled, she ducked inside and cast a quick glance about for Tess.

  Instead, she found Patricia Corning and Emma Grand huddled together in the corner, talking in hushed voices while Maureen tried not to frown at them.

  "Where's Tess? I really need to talk to her," Hazel said to her mother.

  Maureen’s brows drew together. "I'll have to tell you the same thing I told one of the deputies. I have no idea. I haven't seen her since yesterday, and that's not like Tess at all."

  “Does she have a cell phone? If you could give her a call and–"

  The look her mother threw her told Hazel everything she needed to know. Tess have a cell phone? Probably not.

  "I've tried her home phone, and she hasn't answered. I tried to tell the deputy I was worried about her, but they have a lot on their minds," Maureen said and glanced at Patricia.

  Hazel nodded and noticed that Emma and Patricia were both looking in her direction.

  "Tess? If you're looking for her, I hope it's because the police want to talk with her. She has a lot of explaining to do," Emma said as great fat tears trickled from her eyes.

  “They do," Hazel said and glanced at the things the two women held.

  Patricia had a stack of tarot cards, and several occult style books. Emma held a fistful of incense and a candle. She was surprised they didn't have any sage on them, considering.

  "I'm afraid I only know what Maureen told me of Tess, but if what Emma said was true," Patricia shook her head. "That girl might be a danger to herself or others."

  Maureen’s lips drew into a line, but she didn't argue with them. Hazel wondered if it was because they were paying customers, or because Tess had been there the night of the murder. Either way, it wasn't like her.

  "What do you mean?" Hazel asked and leaned against the counter her mother stood behind.

  "You live in the same town and you don't know? Well, I guess she's good at pretending to be someone she's not," Emma said and pushed a strand of hair behind her ears.

  Unlike Tess, who tended to look permanently startled, Emma appeared sincere in everything she did. She had the sort of face that could sell a used car, even if it was missing a door.

  Hazel wasn't sure what to think of that. She didn't know Tess well, but she did trust her mother's instincts. She was usually right.

  "Tess had a good heart, regardless of her behavior, which I admit some people find a bit unsettling," Maureen said. The last word came out as if it were an insult to people who found Tess strange. And Hazel figured her mother thought it was.

  "I know you're friends with her, but did she ever tell you about Cameron?" Emma said and crossed her arms, her eyes large and pleading.

  Patricia looked back and forth between the two of them. "What does that poor young man have to do with any of this? Did he and Tess know each other?"

  Emma wiped a fresh tear from her eyes.

  Maureen pushed up her glasses, and Hazel could tell from the look in her eyes she was moments away from raising her voice, and trying hard to contain it. “Tess didn’t speak of her private life, and I didn't ask."

  Hazel raised her brow at that. Her mother didn't butt in somebody's personal life? That was a first.

  "Well, it’s not a surprise she didn't say anything because Tess was obsessed with Cameron. She'd been harassing him with texts and emails for years. And then, when Cam comes back to Lake Celeste for the first time in ages, this happens." Emma’s voice cracked, dissolving into sobs.

  Patricia draped an arm around Emma and pulled her close. “There, there. I know it's terrible when your friend was a casualty, but that house is evil. That ghost–"

  Emma shook her head wildly. "The ghost may have killed Cam, but I know who roused it. Tess. And she did it to get even with Cam!"

  Hazel stared at them, her mouth dropped open.

  Anthony Ray sniffed at the corner of Patricia's boot and then batted it with his paw before moving away from the woman. He didn't even glance at Emma.

  "I heard from Josh that Tess is the one who broke up with Cameron, and he was the one distraught about it,
so why would Tess bother him?"

  Patricia frowned. “You don't have to give the girl the third degree right now after everything she's been through. Don't you have any manners, Hazel?"

  "She has plenty of manners, Patricia, and that girl was in the house the night of the crime. My Hazy here has solved six murders, and if she wants to question this young woman, she can," Maureen said, hands on hips.

  Hazel threw her mother a grateful smile. “I'm helping with the police investigation, and though you may have spoken to the deputies or the sheriff, if there's anything else you can fill me in on, it would be great," she said with a smile she hoped was sunnier than it felt.

  Patricia's face froze in a look between shock and annoyance, while Emma wiped her eyes on a crumpled handkerchief from her pocket. "No, it's okay, Ms. Corning. I don't mind answering questions. I don't have anything to hide. Everyone can see I couldn't have possibly done this. The video that I released yesterday shows me outside the room."

  Hazel crossed her arms. “That video was so heavily edited, I’m not sure that’s actually the case. When I got to the room, you weren’t anywhere to be found."

  Emma’s eyes widened. “What? I was looking for a key. For Cam! To help him!"

  Hazel crossed her arms. “That’s a lie. You asked where Cameron was. If you knew, why ask? You and Josh are hiding something, but I’m sure the sheriff and deputies will find what they need from the raw footage."

  “What raw footage?" Emma said, her face paling.

  She didn’t know? Interesting. “The footage Josh Hopkins gave the Sheriff’s Office access to yesterday."

  Emma dabbed her eyes and her shoulders stiffened. “Oh. Right. I forgot. But that doesn’t prove anything! The footage I posted yesterday wasn’t a hundred percent from that night, alright? We shot some of it the night before as a dry run. And Cam locked himself in the room then too. We—it wasn’t supposed to end with him really getting hurt though. He wasn’t supposed to die!"