by Rose Pressey
I knew she was feeling me out to see if I’d overheard her conversation. I didn’t know whether to admit it or act as if I hadn’t heard a thing.
“I just got here,” I said.
Elise stared. “Well, would you like a tour?”
“Sure, that would be great.”
Elise wore jeans and a T-shirt with the company’s racing logo on the pocket. Her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but a few stray hairs had escaped. Dark circles underlined her eyes.
“I can show you the track, if you’d like. There are probably horses there now.”
“Danielle was supposed to meet me here,” I said, scanning the area to see if Danielle was nearby.
“Danielle is always late, but I’m sure she will be here soon.”
“You should go with her, Cookie,” Maureen urged.
“I suppose I could go for a quick tour,” I said.
“Cookie never does what I tell her that easily.” Charlotte pouted.
Ramon glared at Elise. If looks could kill, she’d be joining him in ghostly form soon.
I still couldn’t get over what Elise had said on the phone. Ramon knew that Elise was unhappy with him, so did he suspect Elise? Not wanting him to ride the horse was a big deal. And she hadn’t hesitated to announce that she was happy a new jockey would be riding the champion thoroughbred. Elise said it herself: she wanted to win the race at all costs.
As we walked toward the track, I spotted Mandy. She was standing by one of the barns, talking to a dark-haired man. She pulled out her phone and took a selfie of the two of them.
“Who is she with?” I asked.
Elise looked over. “Oh, that’s another famous trainer. Mandy loves to mingle and take selfies. She isn’t much into actually training the horse.”
“If she isn’t doing the training, then who is?” I asked.
She smirked.
“Oh,” I said. “So you do a lot around here?”
“Whatever needs to be done,” she said. “Technically I’m the racing manager, but I’m actually doing what Mandy is supposed to do. Of course, we have a fantastic horse groomer who takes care of the horse. To him the horses are like family.”
“It’s great to have so many wonderful people around the horse,” I said.
We reached the black fence that separated the barn area from the track. Saddled horses with jockeys on their backs raced around the track.
“It’s almost the big day. I’ve decided I’m retiring if I don’t win this race. I just can’t keep this up, so this is my last shot. I have to make this work.”
“It seems as if she’s willing to do anything to win,” Charlotte said.
Even murder?
Elise’s phone rang. “If you’ll excuse me.”
A horse was trotting by, so the noise was a bit loud.
When the sound faded, Ramon said, “I’m glad Elise is gone.”
“I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by what she said earlier,” I said.
He leaned against the fence. “Never mind that. I just need you to do something for me.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“We have to check out my locker.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Charlotte said with excitement.
Another horse galloped by. Ramon waited until it was gone so that I could hear him.
“The building is right over there.” He pointed.
“The building marked ‘private’? I can’t go in there,” I said.
“It won’t take long. No one will see you. Everyone is either gone or on the track.” Ramon gestured, urging me to go.
“Go on, Cookie, you should do it,” Maureen said.
“It’s a locker room. There will be men in there. Probably with no clothes on,” I whispered.
“No, there are no jockeys in there right now.” Ramon motioned for me to go ahead.
“What about Elise? She’ll wonder where I went.”
“You won’t be gone that long,” Charlotte said.
“She talks a long time on the phone. You’ll have plenty of time,” Ramon said.
The trio urged me to move forward.
I sighed and said, “Okay, but we have to move fast.”
What was I saying? They always moved fast. I had to move fast. Plus, even if they were slow, no one would see them. After looking around, I rushed over to the building.
“Isn’t it locked?” I asked.
“There’s a push code to get in.” He pointed at the door.
“Okay, what’s the code?” I asked.
He tapped his chin with his index finger.
“Hurry,” I said. “Can’t you remember it? Didn’t you go in there every day?”
“Okay, okay, it’s four six five seven.”
I punched in the numbers, and a little green light appeared.
“You’re good to go now,” Ramon said.
I pulled on the door, and it opened. “This is not right. I don’t think I should be in here.”
After peeking around to make sure I didn’t spot any naked men, I inched into the room.
“There’s nothing to see, Cookie. Don’t worry,” Charlotte said.
Not that I would trust her to tell me the truth. There was nothing she’d like more than to trick me into getting an eyeful.
“Which one is your locker?” I asked.
“It’s right down that aisle.” Ramon pointed.
“Please don’t let anyone find me,” I said under my breath as I headed that way.
After a couple of steps, Ramon said, “Wait. I was wrong; it’s over there.”
My heart thumped a little faster. I raced over to the next aisle.
“Which one?” I asked with panic in my voice.
Ramon held up his hand. “Wait. I guess it’s on the other side.”
I quirked an eyebrow.
“My bad,” he said.
“Oh, you’re just playing games with me now.” I placed my hands on my hips.
“No, no, I’m not playing. It’s over there. I’m just having a tough time remembering.”
“Obviously,” Charlotte said as she followed along.
I dashed over to the other aisle. “Now which one is it?”
Ramon counted down the lockers. “The sixth one down.”
I counted the lockers and stopped in front when I reached the sixth one. “Okay, do you remember the code? They may have changed it already.”
“Well, there’s only one way to find out.” Charlotte turned her attention to Ramon. “What’s the code, Ramon?”
Ramon tapped his index finger against his bottom lip again. “Let’s see. I always had a hard time remembering the combination.”
“Oh, great,” Maureen said.
“What’s the code? Hurry.” I wiggled my fingers.
“You’re making me nervous,” he said. “Why are you so impatient?”
“You’re nervous? How do you think I feel? No one can even see you. Plus, I’m in a locker room where I’m not supposed to be. It’s like breaking and entering.”
“Technically you didn’t break in. You had the code,” Maureen said.
“Exactly.” Charlotte punctuated the sentence with a point of her finger.
“Okay, enough.” I waved my hands. “Just give me the code.”
Ramon ran his hand through his hair. “Okay, okay. Three.”
I moved the dial and waited. There was a long pause. My heart sped up. The longer he took, the more likely I would be caught.
“Seven.”
Whew. Now we were moving. I turned the dial again.
“Six.”
I moved it around to the number. “How many more?”
“Five. That’s the last one.”
I hurried over to the number five. I sure hoped he had this right. If it didn’t work, I was out of there. Time to abandon the mission. The lock clicked, and I pulled on the door.
“It worked,” I said with relief.
“See, when you don’t pressure me, I
can figure things out,” Ramon said.
“Yeah, Cookie. You need to calm down,” Charlotte said.
I looked around the locker. “You have a lot of junk in here. You ever think of cleaning it out?” I asked.
“It is a pigsty,” Charlotte said as she leaned against the lockers.
“I thought about it, but never got around to it.” Ramon shrugged. “I suppose it doesn’t matter now, does it?”
“Well, other than someone else will have to do it for you now,” I said.
I stuck my hand in, afraid of what I might find. He had dirty clothing, magazines, books, shoes, and a mountain of equipment. I had no idea what all the equipment was used for.
“I don’t even know what I’m looking for. There’s nothing important in here.”
“Take a look at that duffel bag.” Charlotte pointed.
“Do I have to?” I asked.
“Come on, Cookie,” Maureen said. “Suck it up, buttercup.”
Easy for them to say; they were invisible. I took in a deep breath and grabbed the duffel bag. I set it on the ground and unzipped it.
“You act as if you’re going to find a bomb,” Charlotte said.
“I assure you there are no bombs in there,” Ramon said.
“Good to know,” I said as I shoved my hand inside and pulled out a couple of pieces of clothing.
“Take everything out,” Charlotte instructed.
I pulled out more clothes. “More of the same.” That was when I saw the envelope. “Wait. Here’s something.”
I pulled it out and read the address on the front. “It’s a letter from Lewis.”
“Who’s Lewis?” Maureen asked.
“You remember, he owns the horse that Ramon was going to ride in the Derby.”
“Oh yes,” Maureen said with a chuckle.
“What does it say?” Charlotte asked, motioning for me to hurry and read the letter.
“I’m reading. Hold on.” I scanned the letter.
“Well?” Charlotte asked.
“Lewis explains to Ramon that he can’t have more money. And he doesn’t appreciate Ramon’s behavior,” I said, casting a glance at Ramon. “What is this about? Were you asking for more money?”
Ramon grabbed at the letter, but his hand went right through it.
Charlotte laughed. “Newbie. You will have to practice a lot before you can move anything. Things have changed now that you’re a ghost.”
He scowled, not the least bit amused.
I moved the letter away. “Why are you trying to get this? I’ve already read it now. So? What’s this all about?”
Ramon paced across the room. “Okay, yes, I asked for more money. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is it seems as if you were threatening him. Was that why he referenced your behavior?” I asked.
“That’s not very nice, Ramon,” Charlotte said with a click of her tongue.
“Bad. Very bad.” Maureen waved her finger.
“Okay, let’s give Ramon a chance to explain.”
Though I wasn’t sure there was any explanation for this. The letter was pretty clear. He wanted more money; otherwise, he would start doing things that the owner wouldn’t like.
I read more of the letter. “He told him he would lose the race on purpose.”
Charlotte gasped. “That’s just downright rotten. Lower than a snake’s belly.”
A noise echoed through the room.
“Someone’s coming,” Charlotte whispered.
I had to get out of there. I stuffed the belongings back into the locker and eased it shut. If someone saw me, they’d think I was stealing something. Footsteps sounded from the other side of the lockers. The person was walking down the next aisle. Someone whistled. I hoped they had no idea I was there. Pressing my back against the lockers, I inched along, trying not to make a sound. I couldn’t breathe. The noise from the locker door being closed made me jump. I froze on the spot. What would I do next?
“I’ll see what the person is doing,” Charlotte said.
Maureen followed Charlotte around the corner.
“Whoa,” Charlotte called out.
“My eyes, my eyes,” Maureen screeched.
“He doesn’t have a stitch on,” Charlotte said as she ran back over to me.
Maureen was hot on her trail. I had to make a run for it. There was no way I wanted to be stuck in the locker room with a naked man. The distance to the door seemed to stretch on forever. Relief washed over me when I made it to the door.
“What are you doing in here?” the man asked.
He was standing there with nothing more than a towel wrapped around his waist.
I yanked the door open and ran out without saying a word. “I hope I never see that guy again.”
I’d managed to get into Ramon’s locker. Now I had even more unanswered questions. The letter from Lewis to Ramon gave Lewis a motive for murder. Lewis had plainly told Ramon that he couldn’t have more money. Ramon admitted he was trying to get more money from Lewis. What had Ramon been thinking?
Chapter 10
Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Nothing haunts you like the things you didn’t buy.
If you like something, buy it
because it will probably be gone
if you return to purchase it.
Just as I got back to the bed-and-breakfast, my phone rang.
“Oh, it’s Heather,” I said excitedly.
I was having fun in Kentucky, but I missed Heather and being back home. Wind Song weaved around my legs as I walked across the room.
“How is it mingling with the celebrities?” Heather asked.
I knew she didn’t want to mention the murder. I hadn’t told her yet that Ramon was attached to me.
“No mingling for me,” I said as I sat on the bed.
“Well, maybe soon. Listen, there’s a reason I called other than that I miss you.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Your mother and I have been thinking about Maureen’s killer.”
“Really? What about it?”
“There’s something you need to do. You need to get a Ouija board for Wind Song.”
Wind Song was sleeping on the chair by the window.
“Why do I need to do that?”
“Well, you don’t have one, and I’m sure she has a lot to say.”
Heather was probably right.
I sighed. “Where would I find something like that?”
“There are several occult shops nearby. I took the liberty of looking them up for you. I even mapped them out to find the one closest to the bed-and-breakfast where you’re staying.” Heather’s words were rushed. She always talked fast when she was excited.
“Sounds like you have this all planned out,” I said.
“Write this address down,” she said. “You can put it in your phone to get the directions.”
I’d rather have Heather here with me to find this place. After writing down the address, I clicked off of the call with Heather. I wondered what the bed-and-breakfast owner would think if I brought back a Ouija board. Yeah, that was something I wouldn’t tell her. She’d kick me out for sure for something like that.
After feeding Wind Song, I tiptoed down the stairs and out the front door. I got into the Buick with the ghosts and headed in the direction of the occult shop. At least I hoped that was where I was headed. Fingers crossed that Heather had looked up the right place. The traffic was making me nervous as people whizzed from lane to lane and cut each other off.
“We’re looking for Third Street,” I said. “I think it’s close to Churchill Downs.”
“There it is.” Charlotte pointed to the exit sign.
I whizzed the car over and got off the highway.
“I thought you said you were from a small town. You’re driving as if you were in New York City,” Ramon said from the backseat.
“I lived in Atlanta for a while.” I merged into the other lane.
“Maybe we should have called this place to make sure they have the boards,” Maureen said.
“That’s probably an item they keep in stock,” Ramon said. “I know where you’re going now. I’ve been to this place before.”
“You have?” I asked.
“Yes, with a friend.”
“Your friend does magic?”
“I guess you could say that,” he said.
Ramon was being cryptic. It sounded like he didn’t want to tell me more.
I spotted the sign for the shop. It was black with white letters that read MOON AND EARTH. Smaller letters underneath the phrase spelled out M AGIC HAPPENS next to a drawing of a moon and clouds. Now I just needed to find a place to park.
“There’s a spot.” Charlotte pointed to a space between a van and a truck.
“Do you actually think I can squeeze this car into that tiny space?” I asked as I passed up the spot.
“Well, you won’t know until you try,” Charlotte said.
“Oh, I know already. I’ve been driving this big beauty for a while now, and I know there is no way.”
“If you say so.” Charlotte studied her fingernails.
She did that a lot when I didn’t do as she said.
“Look, here’s a parking lot. I can park here.” I whipped into a small parking lot at the side of a building.
I pulled the car into the first available space, got out, and headed for the sidewalk. A slight breeze caressed my skin. Not a single cloud appeared in the brilliant blue sky. The bell on the door announced us as the ghosts and I stepped into the shop. It was so dark in the space that I could barely see.
The smell of incense lingered in the air. It reminded me of Heather’s shop back home, which made me homesick. I had to get hold of myself. I would only be gone for a few days. This shop had a lot more novelty items and fewer spices and herbs than Heather’s. I liked her place much better, but I was a little biased.
“There’s that smell again,” Charlotte said, waving her hand in front of her nose.
“You can’t smell anything,” I whispered. “You’re just being dramatic.”
“As usual,” Maureen added.
“Whose side are you on?” Charlotte frowned at Maureen.
“Were you talking to me?” a male voice asked from over my shoulder.
I jumped and spun around, clutching my chest. I had no idea anyone was behind me. How would I explain this one away? The young man wore a black T-shirt and jeans. His blond hair reached to just above his shoulders. It looked as if he’d just gotten out of bed.