by Rose Pressey
I hurried down the alleyway to the graveyard. No one was waiting there for me. I always liked to reach the tour first. I hated being late. When I looked at the gate, I spotted it. The killer had left another letter at the graveyard. I looked around to see if the person was still there. Now I was nervous to be here alone.
I guided the tour-goers to the first stop—the tavern. The wind was chilly this evening, so I was glad for the temporary warmth inside the building. The bartender waved at me to come over. Couldn’t it wait?
“I’ll just be a second,” I said to the group and then made my way across the room. “Is there something wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing wrong. I have a letter here for you. It was by the register when I got here.”
I frowned. This was strange. I feared I knew what the letter was about. I couldn’t believe the killer had left one at the tavern. The letter felt as if I was on fire in my pocket—okay, not literally, but I was acutely aware of it. That was all I thought of while in the tavern. A ghost could have jumped right in front of us while there and I probably wouldn’t have noticed. I was too distracted by the letter. Now we were on to the next stop and I hoped that would finally take my mind of the message.
The group stayed close with me, as if I would be able to protect them if something jumped out at us. They whispered and chatted amongst themselves, but paid attention when I spoke. At least I had their attention. That meant I was doing something right.
The next stop was in an old red brick building. A black awing hung over the bookstore’s entrance and a white and black storefront sign was above the door. The distinct smell of books surrounded us as we stepped through the door. I inhaled a deep breath to enjoy the scent. I couldn’t help myself. The aroma was intoxicating. The store hadn’t changed a bit since I was a child and my mother brought me here every week. She loved books just as much as I did. I suppose that was where I’d picked up the passion for the written word. It was just my opinion, but I thought the ghosts liked hanging out at the bookstore and library the most. Or maybe that was just because if I were a ghost I’d enjoy hanging out at those places. Yeah, that was probably it.
Once at the bookstore, I realized there was something on the door. It couldn’t be, right? I swallowed hard at the thought. I took the letter from the door and guided everyone inside. As the group walked inside, I took the time to read the letter. Just as I suspected, it was like the other one I’d found. So that made one at the tavern and now one at the bookstore. Who was doing this? This letter was D. Was the word ‘mind?’ The killer had put a lot of time and thought into this. What else was he planning? The owner had taped the letter for me to the door. I couldn’t believe the killer had gone to all of this trouble. I knew he was getting pleasure from this. Why was this person leaving the message for me? I hoped that I didn’t meet the same fate as Alex.
When we walked into the antique shop, I looked around expecting to see a letter. So far, I saw nothing. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was short-lived though. When I made it across the room and saw the envelope on the desk, I knew before spotting my name on the front that it was for me. I wasn’t surprised. I knew the tour-goers were wondering what the heck was going on with the letters. I couldn’t wait to see what this one said.
The letter gave me another letter toward the message. This one was Y. It also stated that there was another letter waiting for me at the next stop.
There was one more stop on the tour before we went back to the graveyard. I really didn’t want to go there, but I also wanted the letter. I took the group up the steps to the front porch. Did they know what had happened at the funeral home? No doubt there would be another piece to the puzzle. I hoped this visit didn’t end like the last one.
We stepped inside the house. I wasn’t taking them too far inside. Soon I spotted the letter on the bottom of the staircase. While still talking to the group, I hurried over and picked up the letter. I kept showing them around the bottom, avoiding the area where Alex had been found. It wasn’t like the house had never had a dead person—it had been a funeral home. I should be tougher.
I read the letter as I talked. Now I had an O to go with the Y. Someone had to see the person. There was only one way to find out. I would have to talk with everyone. I wasn’t sure I had enough time on my lunch hour, but it would be a start.
I was glad to be home. At least I hadn’t experienced any spooky dark shadows tonight. I hoped they weren’t waiting at my place. Brannon wasn’t with me, so I figured I would be safe from the shadows. I worried that they were around him now. I unlocked the door and stepped inside.
Right away, I spotted something different. The letter was on the floor of my apartment. The note attached to the front was from my neighbor. Apparently my neighbor had found the letter addressed to me on the foyer floor by the front door.
***
The next morning, I arrived at the library. I was the first one there. I’d told the others they could come in a little late. I had expected to see another letter waiting for me. To my surprise, so far there was nothing.
Annie sent another text. Good morning.
“Have you noticed anything strange?” I asked.
Nothing out of the ordinary. Jane Austen was chasing a mouse.
Ugh. A mouse in the library? I hoped she chased the mouse away. If the board members found out they’d claim it was all my fault. Maybe there would be another letter waiting for me at home later.
I decided to check the video surveillance. The cameras rotated in the rooms, but they still might have picked up something. I hoped I didn’t spot that mouse.
“Annie, I’m going to check the videos,” I said.
I’ll let you know when Tammy and Monica arrive.
“Thank you, Annie.”
The library didn’t open for another thirty minutes, so I still had time to check the videos. I walked down the hallway toward my office. My footsteps echoed around the library. The silence was eerie and beautiful at the same time. I never felt as if I was alone in the library and that wasn’t just because of Annie.
Once in my office, I turned on the computer. I sorted through a few papers while I waited for the program to pop up. I usually only checked the videos if there was a specific reason to look. It had taken a lot of talking to convince the board members that we actually needed this video. After recent events I knew it was completely necessary. They should have seen that right away as well. Brannon had helped by talking to them and reminding them how good it was for security. He had a way with words, so that had helped sway them too.
Finally, the program loaded and I clicked through to the appropriate screen. I didn’t even know where to begin. How long had the letter been there? I supposed I should just look after Alex had been murdered. It would have strange and chilling if it had been left before the murder. That would mean the person had planned for me to find Alex. In the back of my mind I kind of thought that was true. I didn’t want to believe it, but I did think it was true. I just had to figure out who and why.
I almost dozed off while watching the footage. Nothing had happened. Patrons came and went, but there wasn’t much else. It was hard to tell, but I thought I caught Monica flipping off a customer behind the man’s back. I couldn’t be sure though. That would have been grounds for immediate dismissal. I had to ask Monica to be nicer to the patrons, but she had a way of justifying her actions by saying she was only kidding around.
I thought about stopping the video right there, but that was when I spotted something. At first I thought it was a shadow, but then the spirit materialized even more. It took on somewhat of a human shape. It remained a shadowy figure though and never took on any human features.
The shadow moved across the library floor. It disappeared around a stack and then Brannon appeared on the video. Wow. This thing really was following him around. Brannon seemed to have no idea that it was there. It was disturbing to watch this thing follow him around. I had to find out what this thing wanted with Brannon. Why was i
t around him? Brannon moved down the aisle and the shadow reappeared behind him. I wanted to yell out to the screen for Brannon to look behind him, but then I remembered this wasn’t real time.
Brannon pulled a book off the shelf and read a few pages. While he did this the shadow disappeared. I released a deep breath, relieved that it was gone. But where was it now? Was it with Brannon now? I had to show him this video.
I spotted something else odd on the video. The shadow figure wasn’t the only thing following Brannon. Monica was there too. I’d noticed her in the background several times. She was definitely going wherever Brannon went. She was watching him. Some people might call it stalking. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that just yet. If she kept it up though she was verging on restraining order level. That was disturbing. What was she doing? Maybe no one had ever talked to her about personal boundaries and space.
Noise sounded from the front of the library.
“Annie, is that you?” I called out.
Just as I stood up from my desk I received a text.
Monica has arrived.
I hurried and clicked off the computer. Just in case Monica came back to my office, I didn’t want her to see the video footage. She would realize that I knew what she was doing. Though I didn’t exactly know what she was doing. I hurried out of the office and toward the front. I wanted to talk with Monica. I wouldn’t tell her exactly what I’d seen on the video.
“Good morning, Monica,” I said when I reached the front.
She leaned against the counter. “It’s so early. I don’t see how you’re so cheery this early.”
I didn’t think I was really all that cheerful. Maybe she just was too crabby. She was talking about staying out too late at the tavern last night. Apparently there was a new band playing. As soon as she stopped talking, I would ask her about the video.
Maybe she needs coffee. Annie had sent a text.
Monica grabbed a stack of books. “Why does everyone have to drop the books off overnight?”
I wasn’t even sure how to approach this topic. Maybe I would just wait to ask her about following Brannon. I supposed that really wasn’t that important right now. Though I wondered if she had seen the shadow following Brannon.
“Monica, I need to ask you a question.”
She paused with the books in her arms. “These are heavy.”
I frowned. “It’ll just take a second. Did you happen to notice anyone acting strange here in the library?”
She snorted. “Are you kidding? Everyone acts strange.”
“Okay, let me ask that differently. I found something in one of the books.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “What did they leave? There are so many creepy people around here.”
“Well, don’t worry about that. It was just a note.”
She shifted the books in her arms. Something seemed different about her behavior now. She seemed nervous. I thought she knew that I was aware of her following Brannon. I figured I would go ahead and ask.
“Did you see Brannon here the other day? Did you happen to notice anything about him?”
She snorted. “No, how would I? I didn’t pay any attention to him. If you’re done now I need to get rid of these books.”
“Yeah, sure.”
She hurried away. Just then Tammy walked in. I couldn’t wait to tell her about what had happened.
Tammy must have read my face because as soon as she looked at me, she said, “What happened?”
I motioned for her to follow me. I didn’t want to talk where Monica might hear us. Tammy followed me back to my office. I stepped in and closed the door behind us.
“Am I being fired?” she asked.
I laughed. “No. Don’t be crazy.”
“Whew. I was getting worried. This looks serious.”
“I wanted to tell you about what I saw on the video.”
“I don’t know if I want to hear this. Is it about a ghost? Or heaven forbid, a lot of ghosts?” Tammy asked.
“Well, yes, but that’s not all. Brannon was in the library and that strange shadow was following him, but that wasn’t all. Someone else followed him.”
“Should I sit down for this?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Monica was following Brannon. She was acting really strange about it.”
“She is weird. Did you ask her about it?”
“When I mentioned Brannon she just acted nervous,” I said.
“We really need to keep our eyes on her.”
I’ll keep my eye on Monica for you, Annie said in her text.
I turned to find Annie standing behind me.
“Thank you, Annie. You don’t have to do that.”
You have enough to do. I feel someone should watch her.
“Do you know something that I don’t and you’re afraid to tell me?” I asked.
I would tell you everything, Rip.
Chapter 11
My first stop would be the antique shop. I knew that Mr. Byrd would be working. He’d give me the most information. He always paid attention to detail. I stepped into the antique shop. At first I didn’t spot him, then he popped up from around the corner.
“Good afternoon. I’m glad you got the letter.” He placed an old vase onto the shelf.
“That’s why I’m here. Do you know who left this here for me?”
He shook his head. “The letter was left under the front door for you. I thought it was a little odd.”
It wasn’t the first time something odd had occurred where I was involved.
Once in the bookstore, I peeked down the aisle for a worker. I didn’t see any customers either.
“Hello. Is anyone here?” I called out.
“Coming.” The woman ran down the aisle as if she was being chased.
I glanced over her shoulder. Was she being chased? Thank goodness no one was behind here. I was definitely paranoid.
“I got the letter that you left for me.”
“Good. Glad I could help.” She straightened a pile of books on the nearby table.
I aligned the stack in front of me. Habits were hard to break. “Did you happen to notice who left the letter? Did they hand it to you?”
“It was left under the door.”
I figured she was going to say that. “What about surveillance video? Would you be able to show me video from around the time it was left?”
She furrowed her brow. “Sorry, like I told the police, the camera’s not working.”
“The police were looking for the video too?” I asked.
“They thought maybe the camera would have caught the murdered guy walking around… before he was killed, of course.” She chuckled. “Something about knowing his killer and being together before the murder.”
“They told you that?” I was shocked they would have shared that information. Maybe I wasn’t as good with my sleuthing skills as I thought.
She waved her hand. “No, I just assumed. Like I said, no video though. Sorry I couldn’t help more.”
“Thanks anyway.” My shoulders were slumped as I walked out of the shop.
Back at the tavern, I had to speak with all the people working last night. I spotted the bartender who had been working, but I figured the others wouldn’t be there until later this evening.
The bartender waved. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”
Walking over to where he sat, I pulled out a chair and plopped down. I released a deep breath.
“Long day?” he asked.
“Yeah, you could say that. Long week.”
“What happened?”
“Well, besides the obvious. The letter you gave me last night. Do you know who left it?” I asked.
He pinched his brow together. “Now that you mention it, I didn’t see who left it. I was busy making drinks. When things finally settled down, I glanced down and spotted the note. It had your name on the front, so I just put it aside for you. I thought it was odd.”
I couldn’t believe that all of this had t
urned up nothing. I wouldn’t give up though. I couldn’t. I hoped no one else was hurt while I tried to figure out the puzzle.
I headed back to the library. I had all the letters in hand. I guessed I should give them all to the police now. They would want to know why I hadn’t turned them over right away. I figured that less than twenty-four hours was soon enough. I reached the library.
Tammy looked up at me as soon as I stepped inside. “Did you find out anything?”
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
“Don’t be discouraged.” She hugged me.
When would the next one show up? There had to be another one waiting for me. Was it here already? The thought sent a chill down my spine. I went to my office. My work would keep my mind off it for the rest of the day. Maybe I would figure out something in the meantime. Annie sent a text that she was concerned about me.
“Don’t worry, Annie. I’ll be okay.”
She was worried about Brannon too.
“I’ll make sure he’s okay too.”
Would more letters show up on tonight’s tour?
Brannon came by to pick up the letters. Surprisingly, he didn’t question why I had waited to give them to him. He studied the pages.
“What do you think?” I asked.
He ran his hand through his hair. “Honestly, it could be anything. Maybe the letters are from a copycat.”
“I suppose I hadn’t thought about that. That would be a sick person to want to play with someone like that. It’s taking away from the real investigation.”
I couldn’t help thinking that maybe the killer really wanted me to figure out their identity.
“Look at this,” Brannon said.
I leaned closer. Of course I was a little embarrassed to admit I sniffed Brannon when he wasn’t looking. He just smelled so good that I couldn’t help myself.
“You can make out the rest of this sentence. It’s as if the author of this letter wrote it out on something else and the pressure from the handwriting left an indentation on the page.”