Officer Next Door (Lock and Key)

by Ranae Rose

  A little shiver zipped down Alicia’s spine. Something about the way Kerry spoke – so matter of fact – made the purported hauntings seem more real than any ghost story might have.

  “Well, I’ll be thinking of that next time I’m alone in a room at Wisteria,” Alicia said.

  “You might see the Lady in White,” Sasha said, smiling as if she relished the creepiness of it all.

  “Okay, who’s the Lady in White?” Alicia took the bait, unable to help being curious.

  “Elizabeth Jewell. She was the youngest daughter of the house’s original owners. She still walks the grounds at Wisteria, nearly two hundred years later.”

  “You should give ghost tours in your spare time,” Grey said. “You sound like one of those ghost documentary narrators.” He grinned, beaming particularly brightly at Kerry, whose usual serious expression barely wavered.

  “I’m dead serious,” Sasha said, shaking her head. “She died just outside the main house, right on the lawn. It was murder. Haven’t you ever heard the story?”

  Grey looked thoughtful. “Mighta. Why don’t you refresh my memory?”

  “She was killed by a thief named John Hastings – a former pirate who was lying low, hiding out in a cave along the coast. He’d been sneaking into houses at night to steal food and valuables. The night he targeted Wisteria, she was outside on the grounds. No one really knows why, though most people think she was planning to meet a lover. Anyway, she got in Hasting’s way and he slit her throat, left her for dead. A slave found her body the next morning.”

  “And now she haunts the place.” Grey leaned back in his chair, his grin spreading a little wider. “Can’t move on – her soul was too traumatized by the murder and all that?”

  Sasha shrugged. “Wouldn’t you be traumatized?”

  “Hastings sounds like he’d fit right in at Riley. How did they know it was him that killed the girl, if no one saw?”

  “He confessed. He was caught thieving in Wilmington a week later, and he confessed before they hung him.”

  “At least he didn’t get away with it.” Grey looked satisfied. “Doesn’t Elizabeth’s ghost know justice was served? You’d think she’d be able to move on.”

  “Well,” Sasha stood, pushing back her chair, “they say that she stayed behind at Wisteria to prevent the same thing from happening to others. When she appears, it’s supposed to be a warning – a harbinger of danger. You could say she’s our guardian ghost.”

  The day’s heat had only begun to fade, giving way to a muggy Carolina night, but Alicia felt a sudden chill anyway. “What does she look like?”

  “I’ve never seen her personally,” Sasha said, “but she’s always in a white dress. An old-fashioned one, like they wore back then. I heard she has dark hair.”

  “Transparent too I bet,” Grey said. “Glides through walls, floats instead of walks…”

  “Ha ha.” Sasha crossed her arms beneath her sizeable bust. “For your information, the Lady in White is my favorite Wisteria ghost. A spirit with a purpose – I like that. The others are just hanging around for the sake of creeping people out, as far as I can tell.”

  “So you’re saying there are other ghosts too?”

  “Of course there are. And now, I’ve got to get those brownies out of the oven.”

  “What do you think?” Grey turned to Kerry as Sasha disappeared into the house. “Just how many ghosts does Wisteria have?”

  “It’s hard to say – so many people have lived and died in that house. I’ve heard of at least four different ghosts – ones guests claim to have seen.”

  “Have any of them seen the Lady in White?”

  Kerry tipped her head to the side. “I remember one woman claiming to have seen her outside, on the grounds. Where Elizabeth was murdered.”

  “And did anything bad happen to that woman afterward?”

  Kerry shrugged. “She was a tourist. Stayed the night and was gone the next day. Who knows?”

  “Maybe Elizabeth was trying to warn the woman away from Brutus,” Alicia said, trying to inject a little levity into the matter. Grey seemed to find all the ghost talk amusing, but she kept thinking back to the woman in the white skirt she’d glimpsed that morning. “That monster gives me the creeps.”

  “Monster?” Liam asked.

  “Brutus is Wisteria’s resident gator,” Kerry said. “He likes to hang out in the creek behind the house. He’s never really bothered anyone, but he looks intimidating.”

  “He makes it hard to give tours sometimes,” Alicia said. “It’s my job to convince couples that they’ll have the charming, idyllic wedding of their dreams at Wisteria, and then there’s this ten foot dinosaur sunning himself in the backyard.”

  “A lot of the tourists think he’s exciting,” Kerry said. “I once saw a couple from Maine spend an hour taking pictures of him. I don’t think he’s going anywhere anytime soon; he’s been hanging around Wisteria since before I started working there. He was smaller when I first arrived, too.”

  Talking about Brutus had its advantages; although the giant reptile seemed more like something that belonged on the set of a horror movie than on a bed and breakfast lawn, thinking about the actual danger he represented made Alicia’s uneasiness over the Lady in White seem kind of ridiculous.

  Sasha emerged from the house with a tray of brownies. The rich chocolaty scent preceded her, blending with the aromas of pine needles and distant salt water that always seemed to be hanging in the air.

  A hunger pain sailed through Alicia’s stomach, reminding her that the only thing she’d had for dinner so far was half a glass of sangria. Consumed on an empty stomach, the mild drink had her feeling faintly light-headed – or maybe it was just Liam’s presence that did that to her.

  Either way, grounding herself with a few bites to eat seemed like a good idea. She had one brownie, and then another – everyone did. Sasha’s baking compelled every single person on the porch to go for seconds, including Henry. “These are really good,” he said.

  Sasha grinned like she’d just received some sort of prestigious culinary award. “It’s my own special recipe.”

  Maybe it was because the tray of brownies compelled him to stay close, but Henry didn’t stray far from the patio table after that.

  “I wish I had something else to offer everyone for dinner,” Alicia said, “but I haven’t been on a real grocery shopping trip since I moved in.” Mostly, she’d been surviving off of coffee, cereal and extra food from the restaurant at Wisteria, courtesy of Sasha. It wasn’t exactly living rough, but it didn’t leave her with much to offer guests.

  “We’ll have to be better prepared next time,” Sasha said. “We should all get together again, and I’ll cook dinner – maybe a low land boil, or gumbo. Southern style sea food is my specialty.”

  Alicia didn’t try to stop Sasha, even when she went so far as to suggest an actual date for the group dinner. It was nice to have friends and acquaintances so soon after moving, and Sasha hadn’t made a single cucumber comment. So far, the evening had turned out to be more enjoyable – and less embarrassing – than Alicia had expected.

  Before she knew it, everyone seemed to have agreed to get together again, and a giddy, tingly feeling that had nothing to do with alcohol filled her. When she excused herself and made her way into the house, headed for the bathroom, she caught herself humming under her breath.

  She stopped immediately when she heard something else – something strange.

  It was a small sound, and soft. Like the whip of fabric – skirts or a dress, some sort of long garment – going around a corner, and the suggestion of a footstep. She wouldn’t have thought anything of it if anyone else had been in the house, but they weren’t.

  She was alone.

  A chill struck her, and she wrapped her arms around herself as she stared down the hallway that led to the bathroom and beyond, into the little living room. If she’d been blindfolded, she would’ve sworn someone had just walked down it.
>
  Despite the fact that she’d had her eyes wide open and had seen nothing, she had to check – had to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the living room was empty. Heart racing, she crept down the hall, hugging herself.

  She breathed a little sigh of relief when she reached the living room. It was completely empty, of course – exactly as she’d left it. The couch she’d brought from DC was strewn with jewel-toned throw pillows, and a box sat in one corner, still half-unpacked. Nothing was out of the ordinary at all. Still, she stepped gingerly as she retreated to the bathroom, unable to help straining to hear any noise.

  Everything seemed loud after that – from the splash of water as she washed her hands, to the rush of her own breath. Maybe it was the combination of sangria, ghost talk and Brutus combined, but her giddiness had evaporated, leaving her strangely on edge. A sense of dread colored her thoughts as she remembered waking up less than a week ago to the impression of someone – or something – standing over her bed. Had she only imagined it?

  God, she hoped so.

  The hallway still seemed cool when she emerged from the bathroom. At this rate, if she kept getting creeped out over every little thing, she wouldn’t even have to turn on the air conditioning. Goose bumps remained on her bare arms and shoulders as she emerged from the hall and into the kitchen, stopping by the staircase that led up to the partial second-story’s one room: her bedroom. What if…

  She climbed the stairs, unable to stop herself. She had to see for herself that no one was in the house. Then, she could write off the sound as a glitch in her imagination.

  Her room featured a bed and dresser situated beneath a sloping ceiling. A large window set into the highest wall admitted enough evening light to show that the room was empty, even before she flipped on the light switch. Still, she took a few moments to visually inspect the space, taking her time until the goose bumps faded from her skin. By the time she climbed back down the stairs, she was finally, mostly calm.

  Until she saw a figure looming in the middle of the kitchen, anyway.

  CHAPTER 5

  The figure was at least six feet tall. Clasping her hands to her chest like a starlet in an old black and white horror movie, Alicia barely stifled a gasp.

  “Liam?” she said, but the realization had come too late – she was falling.

  She caught the railing at the last second and managed not to tumble down the last five steps. Still, she felt herself blush from head to toe as she pulled herself up, straightening and taking careful, shaky steps until she reached the safety of the kitchen floor.

  “Didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, his blue eyes locking on her.

  “It’s okay. I just— Well, all that talk about ghosts… I thought I heard something, and then of course I had to check out the house to make sure I imagined it. I can tell by your expression that you think I must be crazy.”

  “Not at all. If I heard a strange noise, I’d do the same thing. What did it sound like?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing, really. I’m sure it was nothing. I get creeped out easily, especially living out here all alone. It’s peaceful, but it can be kind of spooky too.”

  “You’re not all alone – you’ve got me next door.”

  Her blush deepened. “Yeah. Well. I had dozens of neighbors back in DC – living here is definitely a change of pace.”

  “Speaking of neighborly stuff, I came in to ask you whether you wanted me to fill in that crack in the kitchen window’s casing. I should have just enough time before it gets dark if I go and get my stuff now.”

  “Sure. If you really don’t mind.”

  “Not at all. I’ll be right back. If you want, I could bring over my grill and some burgers. I was going to grill a few for myself, Grey and Henry anyway.”

  Alicia couldn’t deny that she could use some protein to ward off the effects of alcohol and sugar, especially if she was going to be spending the rest of the evening in Liam’s presence. “If it’s not too much trouble, that would be great.”

  “It’s no trouble at all. I’m no master chef, but grilling is one thing I can handle, and burgers will only take a few minutes. I’ve got some patties and beer waiting in my fridge.”

  After he left, she took a moment to collect herself before joining the others on the porch. As she took her seat at the patio table, Sasha waggled an eyebrow in her direction.

  She pretended not to notice. “So, what did I miss?”

  “We were just talking about some of the new inmates Riley’s getting,” Sasha said. “You know those two brothers who got caught dumping bodies in the Green Swamp?”

  Alicia shook her head. “No.”

  “The Levinson brothers – it’s been all over the news. Last year they robbed a bunch of stores, then murdered two cops who’d been working on their case. Tried to hide the bodies in the swamp over in Brunswick County? They went to trial a few weeks ago and were convicted. Now they’re being transferred to Riley – close security for the rest of their lives.”

  Alicia frowned. “This is the first I’ve heard about it. I haven’t had satellite installed out here – it’s been weeks since I’ve watched TV.”

  She silently vowed to call the next day and arrange to have it installed. It seemed like a good idea to stay abreast of local news, especially if there were notorious murderers on the loose in southern North Carolina.

  “They won’t be dumping anymore bodies,” Grey said. “In fact, they’ll never see another swamp. They’ve been to prison before – Riley, actually – and were released, but that won’t happen this time. Both were served with life sentences.”

  Swamps, alligators, ghosts and murderers – as much as she was enjoying the evening, the topics conversation had been revolving around had Alicia breaking out in goose bumps again. She’d figured she’d left danger and drama behind in the city.

  She still wouldn’t have traded her new life in Riley County for the world, but one thing was for sure: she was glad to have an officer next door, and not just because Liam had returned with a bucket of tools, a small grill and a smile that made her tingle all over beneath her sundress.

  * * * * *

  It was evening, the cicadas were singing and Alicia was crossing the property line, wearing a pair of jean shorts and a tank top – an outfit that showed off even more of her gorgeous body than her little purple dress had the day before. Liam had just finished an after-work shower – all too necessary, especially in the summer – and stood at his kitchen window, watching her approach. All was going according to plan.

  Normally, he didn’t consider himself the scheming type. However, he’d definitely had an ulterior motive when he’d leant a sack of sugar to Alicia the night before. Just like he’d anticipated, she was returning with it. That was a damn good thing, because as much as he was looking forward to the group dinner her friend had instigated, he didn’t want to wait until the next weekend to spend some time with his new neighbor again.

  “Guess I should’ve sent this home with you last night,” Alicia said when he opened the front door, “but I forgot all about it. Anyway, here’s your sugar.”

  Yeah, he’d forgotten about it the night before too – on purpose.

  “Thanks. You’re just in time – I’m almost out of sweet tea. I’ll need this to make another batch.” Inspiration struck him as he thought of the pitcher lurking in the back of his fridge. “Want to help me finish off what’s left?”

  “Sure.”

  He poured two glasses of tea and they settled in two seats on his front porch. He didn’t have a patio table like she did, but the chairs worked just fine, considering it was only the two of them. As he lifted his glass to his lips, he barely tasted the sweetness – Alicia distracted him too thoroughly for that.

  “You look a little red,” he said, eyeing the hint of cleavage that swelled above her top’s neckline. “Been to the beach?”

  “No, not this week.” She raised her glass and took a long drink, though not before he noticed that
her cheeks were tinted scarlet, too.

  He let it go.

  “So, did you get those two creeps at the prison yet?” she eventually asked, staring down at the ice floating in her glass.

  He nearly laughed. “We’ve got over a thousand creeps under lock and key over at Riley.”

  “I meant those brothers – the ones Sasha was talking about last night.”

  “The Levinson brothers? No, I don’t think they’ve arrived yet. They’ll be making their way back to us soon though.”

  “That’s right,” Alicia said, “Grey said they’d been to Riley before.”

  Liam shrugged. “Most people who make it out of prison find their way back in. It’s not unusual.”

  She was silent for a few moments. “So what’s it like – working at the prison?”

  “It’s a lot of things. Not like any other job, that’s for sure. Seeing the way people act in there, knowing the things they’ve done… Makes you rethink everything you ever assumed about the human race. Makes you look over your shoulder more often than most, too.”

  “Sounds kind of rough.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve been doing it ever since I was 21, so a dozen years now. What about you – how’s your new job?”

  “Brutus aside, it’s really pretty great. Wisteria is so gorgeous – I love spending the day there so much that sometimes it doesn’t even feel like work.” A small smile stole across her face as she spoke, and he could tell she meant it.

  “So you think you’re in it for the long haul – going to make Riley County your home?” He hoped, perhaps selfishly, that she’d do exactly that. If she moved away, any future neighbor would be a disappointment.

  She nodded. “I think so. I mean, the move has entailed a little bit of a culture shock, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t consider that a bad thing.”