Gem of a Ghost: A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery

by Sue Ann Jaffarian

  “Lainey, would you like to come to my home in Julian for the weekend? My parents will be there, and I’ve invited Keith, though I haven’t heard from him. Dr. Kitty said you would be able to go if you wanted.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Whitecastle, Keith did mention it, and so did Dr. Kitty, but let me think about it. Okay?” She wiped her wet face with the shredded napkin still clutched in her hand. “You’ve given me quite a lot to think about, and I need to sort it all out.” She walked over to the table, picked up her water bottle, and took a drink.

  “I’m staying in Julian through Sunday. Just call my cell phone, and I’ll come over and pick you up.”

  Back in her car in the Serenity parking lot, Emma placed a call to Kelly. As usual, it went to voicemail. Emma left her daughter a message letting her know she was going to be on the East Coast next week. Maybe after her business in Pennsylvania, she could pop up to Boston for a visit. Kelly was due home soon for the summer, but Emma didn’t want to wait to see her.

  “Boo!” shouted Granny, popping into the car and scaring Emma.

  “For Pete’s sake, Granny, even though your voice isn’t loud, it’s still unnerving when you do that.”

  The ghost laughed. It wasn’t often she caught Emma off guard, and the ornery spirit liked the prank. “310-555-8168,” Granny said.

  “What?” Emma turned.

  “310-555-8168,” Granny repeated. “It’s a phone number. Write it down before I forget. My memory ain’t what it used to be.”

  Emma punched the numbers into her phone but didn’t hit the call button. “Whose number?”

  “Don’t know, but that guy with the snaky hair called it after he spied on you and told someone everything he heard.”

  Emma immediately saved the number into her smartphone’s memory before it could get lost. “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure. He spied on you. I spied on him. I was looking over his shoulder, memorizing it.”

  That didn’t make sense to Emma. If it was Dr. Kitty having Jamal keep tabs on her discussion with Lainey, he could have easily walked into her office to give her a full report, and it would have been more private. Emma poked at the screen on her phone until she shut off the caller ID feature that would display her number to those she called.

  “What are you doing?” asked Granny. “Calling it?”

  “Not until I block them from seeing my name and phone number.” Done with the task, Emma hit the call button to dial the number Granny had given her. The phone rang several times before voicemail answered. Emma listened in disbelief before ending the call.

  “Who was it? That doctor?”

  “No, Granny, it wasn’t. It was Linwood Reid, Lainey’s stepfather.”

  twenty

  Emma hurried from her car back to the office area of Serenity. “I forgot to tell Lainey something,” she told the receptionist. The woman behind the desk waved her through the wide doors leading to the main part of the property.

  Emma made her way through the large waiting area with sofas and chairs arranged in various conversational groupings and headed for the community room. Emma was relieved to see Lainey back to leaning casually against the post. She wasn’t happy to see Jamal with her. Granny went on ahead and, without a word from Emma, set up shop next to them to eavesdrop.

  Emma had to think fast. As much as she wanted to grab Lainey and drag her away from Jamal, she knew that tactic wouldn’t work. Lainey liked Jamal, and it would make Emma seem like a hysteric—especially after the story about the ghost in the diamond. She had to tell Lainey what she knew without coming off as crazy and disruptive to the peace at Serenity.

  Before Lainey could see her, Emma went inside and approached the desk. “Do you have a piece of paper?” she asked the receptionist. “I want to give Lainey my daughter’s information, and it’s probably best to write it down for her.”

  The woman handed her a half-sheet piece of notepaper and a pen. Emma quickly jotted, Act naturally. Jamal works for Linwood Reid. Remember, Keith said to trust me.

  “You gotta get out there,” Granny said, popping up next to Emma. “Snaky is convincing her to dump Keith for good, leave Serenity, and go back home to her mother.”

  Folding the sheet of paper, Emma thanked the receptionist and, as calmly as she could, walked back out to the patio. When she caught Lainey’s attention, she waved and walked over to her.

  If Jamal was bothered to see her, he didn’t let on. He was in his early thirties, with the slim, strong body that goes with being a professional trainer. His workout clothing, black shorts and a tank top with neon blue racing stripes, fit him like a glove, showing off his buffed biceps and thighs to their best advantage. His dreadlocks were pulled back, fastened in place behind his head. He gave Emma a friendly nod of greeting when Lainey introduced them.

  “Did you forget something, Mrs. Whitecastle?” Lainey asked her.

  “Yes, I did.” She held up the folded sheet of paper. “Kelly wanted me to pass along this note to you. It’s important, so maybe I should wait for you to read it in case you have a response.”

  Emma turned to Jamal and smiled. “Kelly is my daughter. She and Lainey have been friends since they were little.”

  The yoga instructor smiled back, his smile wholesome and healthy-white against his mocha skin. “Lainey has mentioned Kelly.”

  Placing a hand gently on Lainey’s arm, Emma guided her a few steps away from the post and turned her slightly, hoping to keep Lainey’s face away from Jamal’s sharp eyes. She handed her the note and held her breath as Lainey read it.

  “This can’t be true.” Lainey’s words were short and incredulous. She started to turn to Jamal, but Emma cleared her throat in warning, stopping her.

  “It is. Kelly wanted you to be one of the first to know.”

  “I’ll need a minute to think about this.” Lainey studied the note with hard eyes, as if the words might change if she looked away.

  From behind them, Jamal said, “Sounds like girl talk. I’ll shove off and let you ladies chat.” He reached out and touched Lainey’s shoulder. She snapped the note shut.

  “Will I see you for class later on?” he asked.

  Lainey glanced over her shoulder. As a second thought, she tossed him a small, tight smile. “Absolutely, Jamal. Can’t wait.”

  As Jamal took his leave, Emma looked in Granny’s direction, trying to give her nonverbal instructions. The ghost understood.

  “Right,” Granny said. “I’ll follow him and see what he’s up to.”

  “Are you sure about this?” Lainey asked, her face twisted with concern.

  “Yes. I overheard him talking on the phone as I was leaving.” It was a lie, but Emma didn’t think this was the right time to explain about Granny. “I could be wrong,” she quickly added, “but he was standing by the edge of the building when we were talking before. I think he was listening. And I don’t think there are too many Linwoods in the world, at least not connected to you or this place.”

  “You actually heard him say Lin’s name.”

  “Yes.” Emma swallowed the lie in disgust. Phil was right, she was becoming adept at all kinds of unsavory behavior, but right now it was important to protect Lainey.

  “Why would Linwood Reid be following your every move?”

  “He always has, Mrs. Whitecastle.” She dropped down into a chair at a nearby table with a weariness too old for her youth. “As soon as I returned from Europe, he started watching me like a hawk and tried to marry me off. It was just after I turned eighteen. I stayed with him and my mother for a while, but he gave me the creeps.”

  Emma’s face darkened. “Was he inappropriate with you, Lainey?”

  The girl’s head snapped up. “You mean sexually?” She shook her head gently from side to side. “No, not at all. But he tried to control everything I did, everyone I saw. Like I told you before, he even tried to convince me to let him handle my money. You know, invest it for me.” She snorted with disgust. “But I can read,
Mrs. Whitecastle. I’m not some rich, spoiled bimbo with my head in the sand. Lin’s been under all kinds of investigation for years. Why my mother didn’t know that or didn’t pay any attention to it, I have no idea. She’s not a stupid woman, but she sure is when it comes to him.”

  She stood up again and stretched, trying to loosen the ugliness from her body, the note still clutched in her hand. She looked at it again, once more making sure it said what it did. “Keith didn’t say to trust you, Mrs. Whitecastle. He said to listen to you.”

  “Pretty much the same in this instance, don’t you think?”

  Lainey tossed the remark off with the shrug of youth before continuing. “As soon as I received my inheritance, I moved out. I wanted to get away from Lin. I just know he’s trying to get his hands on my money. He’s absolutely transparent about it. That’s why he tried to buy off Keith. If I don’t marry and something happens to me, my mother will inherit my estate and get the remainder from my father’s estate. It’s a lot of money—much more than my mother has on her own.”

  A cold ribbon of horror ran through Emma as she remembered that it had been Lin who’d recommended the horrible facility in Baja. Had Lainey not insisted on finding her own help, she might be imprisoned in a place in Mexico, drugged into unconsciousness while Lin plundered her bank account.

  “Why didn’t you return to Europe or go somewhere else?”

  Lainey sighed. “My mother and I aren’t close. You know that. But I felt I should stay nearby in case she needed me.”

  Emma reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. “You always had a good head on your shoulders, Lainey, and a good heart.”

  “And by staying here, I met Keith. Even if we don’t work things out, he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  Emma let her eyes graze over the grounds of Serenity, looking for any sign of Jamal or anyone else who might be watching them. “Lainey, I think you should come to Julian with me right now, not tomorrow.”

  “You think I’m in danger here? Even with Jamal around, this place is pretty secure.”

  “I’d rather be safe than sorry.” Emma cut her eyes to Lainey. “Wouldn’t you?”

  Lainey set her jaw with determination. “Absolutely. I’ll go pack.”

  “Don’t let her,” said Granny, showing up next to the table. “Snaky’s hanging around Lainey’s bungalow. I think he’s waiting for her.”

  “No,” Emma told Lainey. “I think we should go right this minute.”

  Lainey studied Emma. “I get the feeling you know something else.”

  “It’s just a gut feeling.” Emma patted her midsection. “I think we need to get you out of here as soon as possible. I have clothes at the cabin that will fit you, and we can pick up anything else you need along the way.”

  After giving the matters three seconds of thought, Lainey started for the front lobby of Serenity. “Let’s roll.”

  “Where are you two off to?” asked Dr. Kitty Garvey when Emma and Lainey crossed through the lobby. The doctor was emerging from a hallway that fed into the large waiting area. With her was the young man Emma had seen playing cards on her last visit. Dr. Kitty gave him some words of assurance and sent him off before walking over to Lainey and Emma with her uneven gait. She stood before them, her hands stuck into the pockets of her white physician’s coat, waiting for an answer.

  Lainey looked at Emma, waiting to take her cue. Emma wondered if she should tell Dr. Kitty about Jamal. If Linwood Reid had managed to connect with Jamal, he also could’ve tainted Dr. Kitty. Looking at the doctor, Emma took in the white coat over a flowing and colorful cotton skirt and simple knit top, accessorized with an impressive squash blossom necklace, and decided even if Lin had tried anything with Dr. Kitty, he would have gotten nowhere. Although her look was casual, almost a throwback to the sixties, Dr. Kitty’s general air was one of solid competence and professionalism.

  “Lainey’s coming to Julian to visit me for a couple of days,” Emma told the doctor. “You said it would be fine if she wanted to go.”

  “That I did.” The doctor looked over at Lainey, taking in her usual tee shirt and shorts with eagle eyes. “I think it will do you a world of good, Lainey, but won’t you need to take something besides the clothing on your back?”

  “We were on our way to the front desk to check her out,” Emma explained. “Then she’ll go get her things.”

  Observing the nervous behavior of the two women, Dr. Kitty stepped closer, her eyes a warning signal to anyone thinking they were going to BS her. “What’s really going on?”

  Lainey glanced at Emma, then handed Dr. Kitty the note she still held in her hand. The doctor put on her reading glasses and scanned it several times before motioning for Lainey and Emma to follow her back down the hallway to her private office.

  “Jamal knows your stepfather?” she asked Lainey once they were inside and the door shut.

  “Apparently so, Dr. Kitty.” She looked to Emma for support. “Though it’s news to me.”

  “He was listening in on our conversation,” Emma explained. “Then he was overheard speaking with Linwood Reid on the phone. There’s no reason for one of your staff to be in touch with Lainey’s stepfather.”

  The doctor gave it some thought. “I quite agree with that, but Jamal has been with us over a year and has never been a problem. On the contrary, he’s been an exemplary employee.”

  “Check the last couple of calls made from his cell phone,” Emma persisted. “One of them will be to Linwood Reid.”

  “People are allowed to know and speak with whomever they choose,” Dr. Kitty pointed out. “It’s what they say regarding patients that is my concern.”

  Lainey took a step closer to Dr. Kitty. “Jamal was trying to convince me to leave Serenity and return to my mother’s house.”

  That got the doctor’s attention. “Did he say that exactly?”

  Lainey shrugged. “He said he doesn’t think I need Serenity any longer, but that everyone needs family. He said I was lucky to have one that cared so much for me.”

  “I see.”

  The doctor motioned for them to follow her to a side door on the other side of the room. After knocking and receiving no response, she opened the door. It was another office, much like her own except messier. “This is Dr. Mike’s office.”

  They walked through the room toward another door on the outside wall. Next to the door was a large window that looked out onto a small parking area with a tiny carport. There was only one car parked in the stalls.

  “This is a private entrance,” Dr. Kitty told them as she unlocked the door. “Emma, why don’t you go back out the front way. Make sure you say goodbye to whoever is at the desk and that they see you’re alone when you leave. Then bring your car to this side area. If Lainey is being watched, I’d rather no one else know just yet that she’s left the premises.”

  twenty-one

  Emma climbed into her rental car at the Lehigh Valley International Airport, located midway between Allentown and Bethlehem in Pennsylvania. Her heart beat fast with a mixture of excitement and worry. She’d left Los Angeles at six thirty that morning. After a layover in Atlanta, she landed at Lehigh around five in the evening. According to the GPS in the rental, the town of Jim Thorpe was about a forty-minute drive from the airport.

  Lainey hadn’t returned to Serenity. She’d been with Emma in Julian since Thursday. When Emma returned to Los Angeles on Sunday to get ready for her trip to Pennsylvania, her parents stayed behind in Julian to keep an eye on Lainey. Everyone, including Dr. Kitty, thought it best if Lainey stayed out of Los Angeles and Serenity for the time being.

  Max Naiman was also on board with Lainey’s newest, though temporary, arrangements. He had popped in at the cabin to keep an eye on Lainey and had taken up rocking on the porch with Granny and Jacob. As Phil observed while watching the empty rockers moving back and forth, they were going to need more chairs.

  In spite of everything, Lainey was thriving in Julian.
She was an adept horsewoman and loved taking rides along the trails with Emma and sometimes Susan. She’d met the Millers years before when she was a girl and got along famously with them now. Through the online program Skype, Lainey communicated with Dr. Kitty and spent time catching up with Kelly.

  When Summer Perkins died, Emma had called Kelly to let her know what had happened. Kelly had been nearly hysterical. Summer had been one of her friends, and her own mother had not only witnessed her death, but now was saying something about a ghost being responsible. Since then she’d been avoiding her mother’s calls, responding to them through email only. Emma had considered simply letting Kelly think, like most everyone, that Summer had killed herself, but she didn’t think it right to lie to Kelly, especially since Emma was getting so involved with the matter. Instead, she gave her daughter some space. She communicated with her by voicemail and read the impersonal return emails with patience.

  On Saturday, Keith came down to Julian. He and Lainey spent many hours together, and it seemed like they might be able to work things out. Emma was happy for them. Keith seemed like such a nice, level-headed young man. When Lainey explained to him about the ring, he gave it a lot of thought before swallowing the theory, but he seemed relieved to think it might be a ghost trying to kill Lainey and not the idea of marrying him.

  Shortly after leaving the airport and getting on the highway, Emma slipped on her phone’s earpiece and checked her voicemail. The first call was from Phil. He was checking in from his trip. Contact with him was going to be sketchy over the next few weeks, as there would be days when he would not be accessible by phone. He said he loved her and would call the next chance he got. After a pause, he admonished her to be careful. The next message was from an irate Joanna Reid.

  “What have you done with my daughter?” Joanna screamed in a tirade. “I was told she’d left Serenity, but no one knows where she’s gone, or they aren’t telling me. I know you have her. This is kidnapping, Emma Whitecastle. You have a daughter. Leave mine alone.”