If the Haunting Fits, Wear It

by Rose Pressey

  She didn’t take her eyes off me as I headed up the stairs. Hannah didn’t have to say a word for me to know what was on her mind. She thought I’d lost my marbles.

  Chapter 13

  Grandma Pearl’s Pearls of Wisdom

  Beauty is only skin deep,

  but ugly goes clean to the bone.

  The next morning, I jumped out of bed, ready to start the day.

  “Look how fast she moves when she knows she’s meeting Dylan.” Charlotte stood by the door, looking at her fingernails.

  “I heard that,” I said as I finished brushing my teeth.

  I put down the brush and headed for the closet.

  “To be honest, I’d move that quickly too if I had a handsome man like that waiting on me,” Maureen said as she sat in the chair by the window.

  “What to wear?” I said as I looked at the dresses I’d brought.

  “Wear the striped one,” Charlotte said.

  I decided on a 1950s cotton dress with blue roses that cascaded down the fabric. It had a full skirt and a sleeveless bodice. A blue-ribbon belt was tied around the waist. I paired the dress with my red sandals with three-inch heels. A tiny strap was fastened with a gold buckle around the ankle.

  “You look pretty,” Ramon said.

  “Thank you, Ramon,” I said as I buckled the strap on my sandal.

  Before I met Dylan for breakfast, I decided to visit the police station. The ghosts thought I wouldn’t be able to get any information from the detectives. I wanted to prove them wrong. How I would achieve that, I didn’t know. I’d grabbed some coffee and slipped away from the house before Hannah realized I was gone. I didn’t have time for small talk this morning.

  I pulled up to the police station. Thank goodness, I hadn’t gotten lost trying to find the place. It was tucked away in a building that houses other businesses. It looked more like a warehouse, but it was just a small substation for the area. The big precinct was downtown.

  “This isn’t the restaurant.” Charlotte frowned. “What are you up to?”

  “I’m going to talk with the detective first.”

  Charlotte scoffed. “Good luck, Cookie. I just think that you should ask Dylan to do that. There’s nothing wrong with asking for a little help.”

  “No, there’s nothing wrong with it, but I have to try things for myself first.” I shut off the engine.

  Maureen and Ramon had already gotten out of the car. Apparently, they were eager.

  I got out from behind the wheel and closed the door. Once I was inside the station, the young officer behind the desk asked if he could help me. This place was a lot busier than the station in Sugar Creek.

  “I would like to speak with Detective Anderson, please.”

  “What is your name?”

  “Cookie Chanel. I found the jockey at the museum event at Churchill Downs.”

  The officer looked me up and down as he picked up the phone. He turned his back away from me so that I couldn’t hear what he said. When he hung up, he said, “Detective Anderson will be with you soon.”

  Stepping away from the counter, I gave the ghosts a smirk.

  “No need to get cocky, Cookie,” Charlotte said.

  Maureen and Ramon laughed.

  “Go ahead and make fun,” I said. “I’ll get the last laugh.”

  A couple of seconds later, the detective called out to me. He’d probably overheard me talking to the ghosts. His dark hair had just a sprinkling of gray. His white button-down shirt was rolled up at the sleeves and tucked into his tan slacks. His blue tie was loose, as if he wanted to take the thing off.

  “May I help you?” he asked.

  “Detective, I’m the one who discovered Ramon.”

  “Yes, I remember.”

  “You’re unforgettable, Cookie,” Charlotte said. “Not necessarily in a good way though.”

  “What can I do for you?” He studied my face.

  “Do you have any leads in the case?”

  “You can’t just come out and ask him that.” Charlotte tossed her hands up.

  Okay, maybe I didn’t have the best plan, but at least my question was out there now. I’d asked, and there was no taking it back, no pretending I was here for another reason.

  “I can’t discuss the case. Sorry,” he said. “Do you have any information for us?”

  He eyed me suspiciously, as if I’d been withholding details. How would I tell the detective about the letter I’d found and overhearing the conversation? I liked Lewis and Elise, but I couldn’t hide the fact that one of them could possibly be the killer.

  “Um, actually I overheard Elise on the phone,” I said.

  “I thought you were getting information, not giving,” Maureen said.

  The detective shoved his hands into his pockets. “Tell me more.”

  “She just basically said she didn’t mind if Ramon was dead because now she could find a better jockey.”

  “That’s doubtful,” Ramon said.

  “Basically?” The detective quirked a bushy eyebrow. “Can you tell me word for word what was said?”

  “I don’t think I remember exactly.”

  “I can tell you,” Ramon said. “I’ll never forget her hurtful words.”

  Okay, now I had to pretend as if I’d remembered.

  “Well, maybe I can remember,” I said.

  Ramon repeated the conversation to refresh my memory.

  “Elise said she wasn’t sorry that he wasn’t riding the horse. Because he wouldn’t do as he was told.”

  “We’ll look into it,” the detective said. “Let me know if you think of anything else.”

  “That means he wants you to get lost,” Maureen said.

  Yeah, I got the hint.

  “Thanks. I will,” I said.

  The ghosts and I walked out into the parking lot. I suppose they had proved me wrong. I’d gotten zero information.

  “Will he look into it? He doesn’t seem interested in finding my killer,” Ramon said.

  “I’m sure he wants to find the killer. It just takes time,” I said as I opened the car door.

  I slipped behind the wheel and cranked the engine.

  “You need to have a plan, Cookie. Winging it doesn’t work,” Charlotte said from the passenger seat.”

  “You don’t need the cops anyway,” Maureen said from the backseat.

  When I arrived at the restaurant, I pulled into the spot right next to Dylan’s car.

  “He must be waiting for you inside,” Charlotte said.

  “Are you all going to talk in my ear the whole time I’m in there?” I asked. “You know I can’t answer.”

  “Aren’t you testy this morning,” Charlotte said.

  “She must be hungry,” Maureen said.

  “I think it’s time that you told Dylan about us,” Charlotte said.

  “He doesn’t know?” Ramon asked.

  “It’s not good to keep secrets,” Maureen said. “That’s no way to start a relationship. How would you like it if he was keeping secrets from you?”

  I looked in the rearview mirror at her. “He’ll think I’m bonkers if I tell him.”

  “You might be surprised by how understanding he is,” Ramon said.

  I got out of the car and closed the door.

  “What kind of place is this anyway?” Charlotte peered around.

  The diner was a bit eccentric, but it looked fun. It was a retro-style building and had colorful statues of animals all around the parking lot. A large horse with polka dots stood in front of the door. I stepped inside and saw that the front lobby was a gift shop full of kitschy novelty items. Colors of turquoise and pink decorated the place. Booths and tables filled the dining room.

  “This looks like your style, right out of the fifties,” Charlotte said.

  The petite hostess looked at me and said, “You must be Cookie.”

  “Yes,” I said.

  “Follow me,” she said with a wave of her hand.

  Charlotte and Maure
en laughed.

  “Dylan must have described you,” Charlotte said.

  I spotted Dylan as soon as we reached the dining area. He smiled broadly when our eyes met.

  “Here you are. The waitress will be with you soon.” She placed a menu down on the table in front of me.

  I slipped into the booth across from Dylan. The smell of syrup and coffee lingered in the air.

  “How do you like the place?” I asked.

  “It’s unusual, but I love it so far.” He took a sip of coffee.

  “Unusual like Cookie,” Charlotte said.

  The ghosts had slipped into the empty booth right behind us. Now they would eavesdrop on the entire conversation. Not to mention add commentary too.

  I picked up the menu and scanned the options. “I think I’ll have the blueberry pancakes.”

  Dylan smiled. “French toast for me.”

  After placing our orders, Dylan took a sip of his orange juice and looked at me. “I thought maybe you weren’t coming this morning.”

  “You were only ten minutes late,” Charlotte said, with her arms resting on the back of my seat.

  She was turned all the way around in the booth with her knees on the seat where her bottom should be.

  “Tell him where you were and ask him to help,” Ramon said.

  “Good idea. That will give you more time to work on finding my killer,” Maureen said.

  So much chatter. How was I supposed to concentrate on Dylan?

  A couple of minutes later, our food arrived. Blueberries were piled on top of the fluffy pancakes, and juice ran down the sides of the stack. Dylan’s French toast had a dollop of whipped topping in the center.

  “That looks delicious,” Maureen said.

  She was leaning over the back of my seat like a toddler now too.

  “Dylan’s looks good too,” Charlotte said from the other side. “Oh, the sweet syrup and the meltin-your-mouth butter.”

  The ghosts were getting carried away with the food. I took a few bites. While I chewed, I contemplated telling Dylan where I’d been. I traced tracks in the syrup with my fork.

  “There was somewhere I went this morning before I came here,” I said.

  He paused with his fork in the air. “Really? Where’s that?”

  He finished his bite.

  “I went by the police station and spoke with a detective.” I studied his face for a reaction.

  “He’s awfully quiet,” Charlotte said.

  “You just now went . . . this morning?” he asked.

  “Well, I didn’t see that coming,” Charlotte said.

  “Honestly, I thought you would have gone a long time ago. What did the detective say?” he asked.

  “He told me they really couldn’t say much. I told him that I had overheard Elise on the phone. She was glad that Ramon wasn’t going to ride the horse in the Derby.”

  Dylan took a drink from his mug and placed it back on the table. “Well, that doesn’t mean Elise killed him.”

  “No, it doesn’t, but it doesn’t rule her out either.” I wiped my mouth with the napkin.

  He grinned. “No, you’re right about that.”

  Charlotte appeared at the side of the table now. “You have to tell him about finding the letter.”

  I wanted to tell him, but I would have to admit that I had been snooping around. I suppose it wouldn’t surprise him to hear that I’d done that. And he’d been understanding about my visit to the police station. But still . . .

  I traced the rim of my glass with my finger, avoiding eye contact. “I was just thinking that maybe you could talk with the police.”

  “Cookie, this isn’t my case. I don’t work in Kentucky.”

  I looked up at him. “I think it’s important that we find the killer. What if I’m working with the potential killer? Wouldn’t you want to know?”

  “Good job, Cookie,” Maureen said.

  “That will really get him,” Charlotte said.

  Dylan stared. “I guess I could talk to them. There’s no guarantee that they’ll tell me anything.”

  “I guess we’ll have to search for clues ourselves.”

  “We?” he asked.

  “I think we make a good team.”

  He smiled. “You’re right about that. I think we make a good team too.”

  Every time Dylan said something like that, my stomach flipped and my body tingled. He had just the right amount of charm. Dylan was genuine.

  We finished our breakfast, and Dylan paid the bill as I checked out the gifts at the front of the store. I definitely had to take my parents a souvenir. For my father, I bought a Kentucky shot glass, and my mother would receive a mug with cherries on it for her collection.

  Dylan and I walked outside to our cars. A springtime breeze ruffled the leaves on a nearby magnolia tree. Golden beams of sunlight covered the area. Purple and yellow pansies cheerfully dotted the landscaping.

  He opened the car door for me. “I’ll see you later?”

  “I want to check out some of the thrift stores, but there’s an event tonight. I’d love it if you could come with me.”

  “Tell me what time to pick you up, and I’ll be there.”

  I smiled. “How about seven?”

  He leaned down and kissed me. “See you later.”

  I slipped into my car, and Dylan closed the door for me. I watched as he walked over to his car.

  “I can’t believe he agreed to talk with the police,” Ramon said.

  “You should believe it, Ramon. Dylan is in love.” Charlotte winked.

  Chapter 14

  Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping

  Check for missing buttons or faulty zippers.

  Also look for stitching that may need repair.

  Before I left the restaurant parking lot, my cell phone rang.

  “Dylan misses you already,” Charlotte said.

  “Sorry, Charlotte, but this call is from Danielle.”

  Charlotte frowned. “Too bad.”

  “Cookie, where are you?” Danielle asked when I answered.

  Oh no, had I forgotten an appointment? “I had breakfast, and I’m checking out some of the thrift stores.”

  “Oh, you have to take me with you. Maybe we’ll find a bargain.”

  She certainly was frugal for someone who has millions. Sometimes thrift shopping wasn’t about the money though. It was more about the thrill of the hunt. I was just happy that I hadn’t forgotten about something important. Once Dylan arrived, I had become a little distracted.

  “Can you pick me up?” she asked.

  “Sure. Are you at the hotel?” I asked.

  “No, I’m at the backside.”

  “The backside?” I repeated.

  “Of Churchill Downs. At the barn.”

  “Oh, good. I want to go back there,” Ramon said.

  “I’ll be there soon.” I headed toward Churchill Downs.

  Traffic was heavy, so it would take at least thirty minutes to travel across town. I wished I could have found a closer place to stay. I was lucky I’d found the bed-and-breakfast, though I was beginning to see why she had vacancies.

  Twenty-nine minutes later, I pulled up to the guard shack, and the man on duty waved me through this time. I suppose he remembered the car, though I didn’t think it would be so easy to get back where all the horses were kept. I parked and headed over to the barn. The smell of manure and hay filled my nostrils. As I neared, the sound of raised voices carried across the spring air. One was Danielle’s, and I soon realized the other was Mandy’s. They were arguing.

  “I know you took my stuff, so why don’t you just admit it?” Danielle said.

  “I can’t believe you are accusing me of that,” Mandy said.

  “This place is like a soap opera,” Maureen said.

  Maybe I should have made my presence known, but I wanted to hear what this was all about.

  “I saw you by the car,” Danielle said.

  “You must be mistaken,”
Mandy said.

  “I think I know when I see something,” Danielle said.

  “I don’t have to deal with this. I will talk to Lewis about this,” Mandy said.

  “Go right ahead. I don’t know what good you think that will do,” Danielle said.

  “I’m going around the corner so I can see if they start throwing punches,” Charlotte said.

  “I’m coming with you.” Maureen followed Charlotte.

  Ramon stayed with me. “I don’t want to deal with any more drama. I had enough of that when I was alive.”

  The arguing stopped. I hoped one of them didn’t come around the corner and catch me eavesdropping. I stepped forward so that it would look as if I was just walking around the barn and that I hadn’t heard a word of what they’d said. I bumped right into Mandy. She stopped and glared at me.

  A fake smile spread across her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know someone would walk around the barn like that.”

  “Wait just a cotton-pickin’ minute. What is that supposed to mean?” Charlotte placed her hands on her hips.

  Charlotte had a quick temper.

  “I don’t like the way she looked at you.” Maureen walked a circle around Mandy.

  “Ask her about the fight,” Charlotte urged.

  “Well, I’ll see you,” Mandy said as she stepped around me.

  “Ask now, or you may not get a chance again,” Maureen said.

  I was nervous to ask—Mandy had an intimidating demeanor—but decided to do it anyway.

  “Mandy, I couldn’t help but overhear you arguing with Danielle as I came around the barn.”

  Now was the time she’d tell me to mind my own business.

  She eyed me up and down.

  “She is kind of scary, isn’t she?” Charlotte said.

  “She’s not scary—”

  “You just have to . . . get to know her.” Charlotte finished Ramon’s sentence for him.

  Mandy crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Danielle is volatile. She’s impossible to deal with. She had the nerve to accuse me of stealing from her. I would never do something like that.” Mandy peered at me with a doe-eyed look.

  “Tell her that flirty look doesn’t work on you. Maybe it worked on Ramon,” Charlotte said.

  “She really upset me.” Mandy stared at me as if she was waiting for me to say something.