by Rose Pressey
She noticed me. “Oh, Cookie. I didn’t know you were coming by.”
“I just thought I’d stop by and say hi. Is everything okay?” I asked.
“It sure doesn’t look like everything is okay,” Charlotte said.
Danielle blew the hair out of her eyes. “If anything gets done around here, I have to be the one to do it. The groom has disappeared, and now I’m stuck cleaning the stalls.”
“What do you mean he’s missing?” I asked.
She stepped out of the stall. “Corbin is gone. He just didn’t show up for work. I guess he decided he didn’t want to do this anymore. Which is kind of odd, considering he’s been working for us for a long time and has never done this type of thing.”
“Have you checked with friends and family? Maybe he’s just sick.”
Danielle brushed hay from her pants. “He lives alone, but neighbors say they saw him moving out of his place. I guess he just decided to take off. He could have at least said good-bye. He didn’t give a warning or anything.”
“This sounds suspicious, if you ask me,” Charlotte said.
Maureen stood beside Danielle. “Do you think Corbin could be the killer? Maybe that’s why he took off so quickly.”
“I know Corbin, and he’s a good guy,” Ramon said.
“Yeah, that’s what you said about Mandy too. I don’t think you’re a good judge of character,” Charlotte said.
Charlotte had a point. Maybe Corbin did want to get out of town before the police discovered he was the killer. What was his motive though? I’d heard Mandy had had some not so nice things to say to him. But other than the fact that Mandy had been mean to him, it seemed that he’d enjoyed working at the barn.
Maybe people were wrong though. Maybe something had happened to Corbin. What if the killer had killed Corbin too?
“Do you think something has happened to him?” I asked.
She pushed a lock of blond hair out of her eyes. “I doubt it since the neighbors saw him moving.”
“Is there something I can do to help?” I asked.
“Oh yeah, I can just see Cookie cleaning out a horse stall.” Charlotte laughed.
Sure, it looked like hard work, but I thought I could handle the task.
“Thanks, Cookie, but I’m finished now.”
“Let me know if I can help later,” I said.
“You’d better hope she doesn’t take you up on that,” Charlotte said.
“I’ll make sure to let you know.” Danielle scanned the area. “I need to make a call. I’ll talk to you later.”
As I walked away from the barn, the ghosts started chatting.
“You need to find Corbin,” Charlotte said.
“Yes, that would be great, but I’m sure the police are trying to track him down. If he truly left, he probably isn’t even in Kentucky now.”
“I hope he’s okay,” Ramon said. “Do you think if he was killed his ghost will show up too?”
“I don’t know what to think about ghosts.”
All ghosts couldn’t appear to me, right? I hoped not because I didn’t have any more space in my car. It was already crowded there. I turned the corner and bumped into a man.
“Cookie, you need to watch what you’re doing when walking around here.”
Olson Fine was the man who exercised the horses. At five foot two, we were the same height. He wore his riding clothes, and I assumed he’d just finished with the horses. With one hand, he clutched a heavy saddle I assumed he’d taken off a horse. He stood in front of me, staring at me with his dark eyes.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you,” he said.
“That’s okay. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going,” I said.
“I overheard you talking to Danielle,” he said.
“She was upset that Corbin isn’t here. What do you think happened to him?” I asked. “Do you really think he left for good?”
Olson looked around to see if anyone was nearby. Was he going to tell me some big secret?
“I don’t know what to think.” His voice was a little lower now.
That was it? That wasn’t some big secret.
“It’s crazy what happened,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “I saw you looking around in Mandy’s truck.”
“Uh-oh,” Charlotte said.
I didn’t know what to say.
“You can’t deny it,” Maureen said. “He obviously saw you.”
“I thought she was over there, so I was going to talk with her.”
He smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell her. I don’t like her anyway. She manipulates people, and she’s not good to the animals either.”
“That is not true,” Ramon said.
“Are you trying to solve this murder?” His fixed stare on my face didn’t budge. “Are you a private investigator?”
“I’m just interested in the killer being brought to justice,” I said.
Olson looked around again. “I have some information that might be useful.”
“Now we’re talking,” Charlotte said.
“Do tell,” Maureen leaned closer.
“What’s that?” I asked.
Once again, he scanned the area to see if anyone was watching us. “I saw Mandy around the vet’s truck the morning of Ramon’s death.”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean anything,” Ramon said. “She works with horses.”
“Yes, but she doesn’t administer drugs to the horses. That’s for the vet to do,” Charlotte said.
“Did she take anything from the vet’s truck?” I asked.
Olson moved the saddle from one arm to the other. “I’m not sure.”
“She looked as if she was suspicious though.”
“How so?” I asked.
“She kept looking around to see if anyone was watching her.”
“That does sound shady,” Charlotte said.
“Did you tell the police about this?”
He shook his head. “I was gone for a while, and I just got back. They haven’t contacted me.” He looked at the time on his phone. “I’d better go.”
“Thanks for the information,” I said.
“No problem. I’ll let you know if I find out anything else.” Olson walked away.
I scanned the area. Maybe I just had an uneasy feeling because of what he’d told me, but it felt as if someone was watching me. It was as if a set of eyes followed my every move. Peering to the right, I spotted a horse looking at me. I laughed. Now I knew who had been spying on me . . . at least I hoped that was who’d been watching.
* * *
After clicking off the call, I had somehow managed to get the vet info from Danielle. It had been hard to explain why I wanted that kind of information. It had nothing to do with fashion or Derby hats. Danielle was probably suspicious.
“Good detective work, Cookie,” Charlotte said with a wink.
“Thank you,” I said as I held my head up high.
I was kind of proud of myself for figuring out all of this. After all, I was completely out of my element here. I was much more at ease back home in my shop. Speaking of which, I missed it a lot. I was beginning to become a little homesick. This was no time for emotions though. I had work to do.
I hopped in the car and drove over to the location. Unfortunately, I got lost on the way there. The ghosts made it even worse by trying to help me find it. I ended up on the expressway and couldn’t get off at the right exit because of the traffic.
“Turn here,” Charlotte yelled.
I swerved into the right lane and managed to make the turn.
Once I found the correct address, I parked across the street from the brick building. When the traffic eased up, I was able to cross the street. The veterinarian’s office was in a brick structure that housed several other businesses.
“It’s much busier here than it is in Sugar Creek,” Charlotte said. “Though this is nothing compared to a place like New York City.”
“That’s a bi
g place,” I said.
“I often thought of myself as a city girl. I should have lived there. It’s too late now. Or maybe not. Would you consider moving to New York City?” Charlotte asked as she walked along beside me.
“No way,” I said.
“What about a visit?”
I walked up the steps of the building. “Maybe a visit.”
I stepped inside the building. The woman behind the desk looked up at me when I approached.
“May I help you?”
“I’m here to speak with Dr. Rivere.”
Her eyes darkened. “She’s not here now.”
That was disappointing. I had hoped to talk with her right away.
“Do you know when she will be back?” I asked.
Her expression grew even sadder.
I noticed the room was suspiciously empty. There were no people waiting with their animals. Maybe she was out on calls.
“I don’t know when she will be back. She hasn’t called to let us know.”
“What? That is odd.” Maureen and Charlotte stepped closer.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“She’s usually here by now, but she hasn’t called, and I’m beginning to become worried.”
This was not what I had wanted to hear. After what had happened recently, anytime someone was even a few minutes late, I worried.
“Thank you for the information,” I said.
I walked out of the building with the ghosts following.
“Do you think she is missing too?” Charlotte asked.
“I hope not, but it certainly makes me suspicious.”
“I wonder if the police know about this?” Maureen asked.
“Probably not,” I said as I crossed the street again. “I will tell Dylan and ask his opinion.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of something.
“Cookie, look out!” Charlotte screamed.
Chapter 20
Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Take into consideration the amount of repairs
a garment needs before purchasing it.
Are you willing to make the investment it needs?
I lunged forward and took a dive against the pavement, just missing the truck.
“Are you okay, Cookie?” Charlotte asked with panic in her voice.
I couldn’t speak. Hitting the ground had completely knocked the wind out of me. I was in complete shock at what had just happened. I managed to crawl up from the ground.
“Oh, good, she’s not dead,” Ramon said.
My dress had a tiny smudge on it, but other than that, I had only a small scrape on my hand. How I had survived was a mystery to me.
“Look at that—not a hair out of place nor makeup smudged,” Charlotte said with a smile.
She was trying to make me laugh, but I was finding it awfully hard. I appreciated her trying to make me feel better though. The black truck had driven off and managed to get away without me being able to get the license plate number or a description of who was driving. No one seemed to even notice what had happened. The other cars zoomed by without as much as a glance my way.
“Did you get a look at the driver?” I asked.
The ghosts shook their heads.
“I think we were just too focused on you,” Maureen said. “Plus, the truck sped away so quickly.”
“I can tell you one thing,” Charlotte said. “This was not an accident.”
“That is kind of a given,” Ramon said.
“Oh, be quiet,” Charlotte said with a wave of her hand.
I marched toward my car, brushing the dirt from my dress as I went. “I’ll tell you what is a given. I am going to find out who drives that truck and make sure they go to jail.”
“I think that if you find out who is driving that truck, you also will find out who murdered Ramon,” Charlotte said.
I opened the car door and slid behind the wheel.
“You think it’s the same person?” Ramon asked from the backseat.
“Yes, I do,” Charlotte and I said at the same time.
She was in the passenger seat now. Maureen was in the back with Ramon.
“Where are we going?” Charlotte asked as we pulled away from the curb.
“I don’t know,” I said.
I was angry and confused. Someone had tried to kill me, and I wasn’t about to let them get away with it without a fight from me.
“You need to tell Dylan,” Maureen said.
Charlotte and I exchanged a look. That was a possibility. It might be what I should have done, but I wasn’t completely convinced that I would tell him. He would only worry and not want me to drive anywhere without a police escort. I didn’t want him to worry, although it was true that if I told him, he might find out who did this. Even though I wasn’t sure what my next move was, I found myself driving toward the bed-and-breakfast. I needed time to regroup and think of a plan. Plus, I needed a change of clothing. I couldn’t solve this mystery with a dirty dress, now could I?
Chapter 21
Grandma Pearl’s Pearls of Wisdom
When life hands you lemons,
put a slice in your sweet tea.
When I stepped into the room, Wind Song was on top of the dresser. That sounded better than saying my grandmother was on top of the dresser. She knocked the tarot cards off with a shove of her delicate paw. They floated down and landed on the floor. Now the cards were scattered about.
“Grandma Pearl, what are you doing?” I asked.
She jumped from the dresser, sailed through the air, and landed on the bed. Grandma Pearl stared down at the cards.
“I think she’s trying to tell you something,” Charlotte said.
“I suppose she is, but what is the message? Grandma Pearl, what are you trying to tell me?” I asked.
She jumped down onto the floor, sitting in front of the cards. Next, she pulled out one card by dragging it away from the others with her paw. She repeated that two more times until she had selected three separate cards.
“I guess there’s your answer,” Charlotte said.
I reached down and picked up the three cards, although I had no idea what they meant. Heather had tried to explain each card to me when she’d given me the deck, but I just couldn’t remember. It was too much detail to take in at one sitting.
“You have to find out what the message is. It could be important,” Charlotte said.
I knew that it was important that we find out.
“What do you mean, Grandma Pearl?”
Wind Song licked her paws. Apparently, Grandma Pearl was finished talking. I knew Grandma Pearl enjoyed spending time with me, but I was pretty sure she didn’t enjoy the hair balls.
“Well, you’re just going to have to call Heather and ask her about the cards,” Charlotte said.
I placed the cards down and studied them. It was no use, I couldn’t remember anything that Heather had told me. I should have taken notes. I dialed Heather, but unfortunately, she didn’t answer.
“What will you do now?” Ramon asked as he paced across the bedroom floor.
His movements were silent across the large Oriental rug that lay in the middle of the floor.
“I know what you can do.” Maureen held up her index finger as if she’d had a eureka moment.
“What’s that?” Charlotte and I asked in unison.
“You can ask the guy at the occult shop.”
“That’s a good idea.” Ramon stopped pacing.
“Well, get your purse, Cookie. We’re going for a ride.” Charlotte hurried over to the door.
Within a couple of minutes, we’d slipped out of the bed-and-breakfast and were now headed toward the occult shop.
“I hope he knows what he’s talking about,” Charlotte said. “He looks awfully young.”
“Well, I also left a message for Heather. I’m sure she’ll call me back. In the meantime, we can try this guy.”
We pulled up to the shop. Traffic had died
down, and there were no people walking along the sidewalk.
“Why is it so quiet?” I asked as we walked along.
“Well, this is a high-crime area,” Ramon said. “So most people don’t walk around here after dark.”
“And you’re just now telling me this?” I hurried my steps as we approached the shop’s entrance.
The hours listed on the window said the shop closed in thirty minutes. When I stepped inside the shop, I didn’t see the guy we’d met before. I hoped that he was working. I probably wouldn’t ask anyone else. He seemed friendly, like he would want to help.
“You’re back with the ghosts.”
I spun around.
“Why does he keep popping up like that?” Charlotte asked with her hand on her heart.
“What brings you by this late?” He tossed the bangs out of his eyes.
I hoped he didn’t think I was weird for what I was about to ask. I pulled the cards out from my purse. “I wondered if you could tell me what these mean.”
He took the cards. “Uh-huh.” He looked at the first card. “Uh-huh.” He studied the second card. “Uh-huh.” Then the third.
“For heaven’s sake,” Charlotte said. “Just tell her what they mean.”
He held up one of the cards. “This card is for friendship.”
“Oh? Well, that’s not bad.”
“Yes, but this card.” He held up one that depicted a monster. It has horns and a devil.
“This is evil,” he said.
Maureen swayed a little as if she might faint. “Oh, Cookie, throw the cards away.”
“Getting rid of the cards won’t make what they mean go away,” Ramon said.
“The cards are connected. The last one means beware.”
“Beware of evil? That could mean a lot of things.” Charlotte paced around the guy.
He looked to his left as if he’d heard what Charlotte said.
“You brought the ghosts with you again?”
“You sense them?” I asked.
He looked around again as if he was trying to locate the spirits. “Yes, I guess you do too.”
I chuckled. “They’re with me all the time.”
He frowned. “That’s not good.”
Whether it was good or not was neither here nor there. The ghosts were not going anywhere anytime soon.