Had there been a news bulletin? I looked at Annie and then to Tammy. They were both waiting for an answer.
“Someone broke into Crystal’s place. They think the person was looking for something, but we don’t know what.”
“This is getting dangerous,” Annie and Tammy said in unison. It was as if they’d coordinated what to say. Except the message from Annie had been in the form of a text.
Chapter 10
It was almost time to leave the library for the evening. I just had a few things to finish up. It had been an uneventful day, which was a good thing as of late. I had a tour tonight and I hoped that it went the same way. Before heading out, I wanted to give the woman from the coffee shop a call. I pulled out the number that Christie had given me. After a few rings, she answered.
“I hope it’s okay that I called,” I said. “This is Ripley Van Raden. You gave me your number. I was asking about Melissa.”
An audible sigh came from the other end. That wasn’t a good sign. As I suspected, she said, “I didn’t remember any names.”
“Oh…” I said, not hiding the disappointment in my voice.
“There was this guy and he came around the coffee shop a lot harassing her.”
That didn’t surprise me.
“Was he there with a group of people?” I asked.
“Not that I ever saw. He came in with another woman. She had strange hair. That’s all I remember. I did catch him reading the book over Melissa’s shoulder. She’d had no idea he was standing behind her. She kind of freaked out about that.”
“I can imagine,” I said.
“Melissa mentioned that she thought something bad was going to happen, but she didn’t tell me what that bad thing was. She was afraid to go to the police. She thought maybe someone else would figure it out and then she wouldn’t be directly involved. Now I wish I had helped her more.”
“I’m sorry. I wished I could have helped her too.”
“Listen, I have to go,” Christie said.
“Sure. Thanks again for talking to me.”
“No problem,” she said and then hung up.
The bad thing that Melissa was worried about had to have been her own death, right? Did she know that the killer was after here? Why not just go to the police?
I fed Jane Austen and scratched her head before grabbing my bag and heading for the door.
“Good night, Annie,” I called out.
I hadn’t seen her for a few hours. What was she up to? It wasn’t like her to be so quiet. Tammy had already left and I was waiting on Crystal to meet me by the front door so we could leave.
My phone alerted me that I had a text message. I assumed it was Annie saying goodbye, so I took my phone from my bag and peered down at the screen.
Now you’re a part of this too.
I glanced up, looking for Annie. She was nowhere around.
“What does this mean, Annie?” I asked.
She was still nowhere in sight and I had no idea what this strange message meant. What was she trying to tell me? Just then Crystal came from the back part of the library.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked.
I probably still had that confused expression on my face.
She frowned. “Is there something wrong?”
Crystal stood beside me now. I was still holding the phone in my hand, peering down at it. She looked at the screen and read the text message out loud. I guessed she could tell that I was upset. Suddenly Crystal let out a gasp and stepped back.
“What’s going on?” she demanded.
“What do you mean?” I frowned.
She pointed at my phone. “That text message. The number… it’s from Melissa.”
I was sure the blood rushed from my face. “What are you talking about? How do you know that?”
“The number… that was Melissa’s phone number. Is this some kind of sick joke? What’s going on?” She frowned.
Telling someone that I received text messages from the other dimension wasn’t easy. I looked around to see if Melissa’s ghost was in the building. I didn’t see anything or anyone… Annie still wasn’t there either. There was no way I could tell Crystal that I got text messages from ghosts. Regardless, I had to find out what this message meant.
“It must be a mistake,” I said. “Are you sure this is her number?”
Crystal pushed the hair out of her eyes. “Yes, I’m positive.”
“I’ll tell the detectives. Maybe someone took her phone.”
“Then why are they sending you a message?”
“Well, I have been looking into her murder,” I said.
“This is terrifying,” Crystal said. “Just to know that there’s a killer out there and now that they’re possibly sending you messages.”
I felt bad because I couldn’t tell her that I didn’t think the message was from a killer. I didn’t want her to worry.
I slipped the phone back into my bag and opened the door. “Let’s just go and you can get some rest for the evening. Don’t worry, I will contact the police, okay?”
Crystal and I stepped out of the library and I locked the door.
“Just be careful,” she said.
Her friend was waiting out in the car at the street.
“I promise I will,” I said as we moved down the steps.
“Do you want a ride?” She motioned toward the car.
“No, that’s okay. It’s a short walk to the cemetery.”
She gave me that look that I got from a lot of people, like it was crazy to be hanging out in a graveyard. It kind of was, but it was my job.
“Just be careful, okay?” she said as she got into the car.
I grinned. “I’ll be fine.”
She pulled away from the curb and I headed down the sidewalk. As I walked to the cemetery, the text consumed my thoughts. Was someone just playing tricks? Did someone really have her phone? I needed to ask Brannon if they had found it. As I walked I dialed his number. After the tour tonight we had the investigation and I wondered if he remembered. I hoped he was looking forward to it as much as me.
“Are you ready for the investigation tonight?” he asked when he picked up.
“I’m ready, what about you?” I wondered if he heard the excitement in my voice.
He laughed. “I’m always ready. You’re not calling to cancel, are you?”
“No, no way. I’m not canceling,” I said. “But I do have a question to ask you and I hope that you’ll answer me truthfully.”
“Well, if it’s about the murder I will try, but I can’t guarantee that I can give the answer you need,” he said.
I would have to ask him anyway and hope for the best.
“Did they find Melissa’s cell phone?”
He paused and then said, “Not that I know of. Why do you ask?”
I wasn’t quite ready to tell him what had happened yet either. I needed more time to wrap my mind around it. Maybe that was the wrong thing to do, but right now I felt I had to keep it from him.
“Oh, I was just wondering if they had checked her calls,” I said.
That sounded lame, because of course they would have checked the calls. It was probably one of the first things they’d done.
“We just got back the records, so we’re going through them now to see who she had contact with. But I know you, Rip, and I think that there’s more to that question then you’re letting on.”
I supposed it was kind of obvious to him since he was a police officer. Part of his work was to read people. Now how would I keep up this lie without him seeing right through it?
“That’s all I wanted to know,” I said, trying to sound sincere.
“Don’t withhold information from me, okay?”
Now he really was putting me in a bind. “Of course not.” I had reached the alleyway which was my shortcut to the graveyard. “Listen, I’m about to start the tour. I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay, see you soon.” He sounded suspicious still.
Gathering the
group around, I handed out the flashlights. The owl hooted from the nearby treetop. The moon disappeared behind the clouds. A thickness hovered in the air, making me think that something out of the ordinary might happen. What was ordinary for Devil’s Moon? I hoped that I was wrong about that feeling.
Mrs. Clatterbuck stood at the edge of the cemetery keeping her eye on me. I noticed the scowl on her face all the way from where I stood. Her brown pocketbook was clutched under her arm, full of ghostly contents.
Pushing negative thoughts to the back of my mind, I started the tour, guiding people to the first couple of locations. The thickness still hung in the air, surrounding us as if we were in a supernatural embrace. And not the good kind either. Luckily, nothing had happened yet.
We were at the new stop on the tour when I spotted the woman who had been dragged out of the café and taken to the police station the other night. I really would love to talk to her and find out what her deal was. She walked past and then went into the café. I couldn’t they would actually allow her in there after the way she’d acted. Since the tour was almost over, I hoped that I could catch up to her. Once I took the group back to the cemetery, I’d collect the flashlights and then hurry back to the café. I thought I had just enough time before Brannon arrived to take me to investigate the house at Edgewood.
I hoped the people didn’t think that I was rushing them, although I was sure I did hurry just a little. I dropped off the flashlights and rushed out of the tavern toward the café. Good thing Tammy wasn’t working because she would have wanted to know where I was headed in such a hurry.
The café was crowded as usual, but then it was Friday night, so everyone was out after the football game. I scanned the crowd looking for the woman. It would be just my luck if she’d left already. Maybe she had gotten a to-go order.
Just as I was ready to give up, I spotted her in the corner of the room, sitting at a booth. She was all alone. This was my perfect chance to talk to her. My eyes were focused on her the whole time as I moved across the café. She didn’t look up, too focused on reading her book. A plate of food sat in front of her. I hated to disturb her while she ate, but I didn’t know what other time I would get this chance. I stepped up to the table and she finally looked up at me.
“Can I get some more water?” she asked. Then she looked backdown at her book.
“I’m sorry, I don’t work here,” I said.
She looked over at me with a frown. “Can I help you then?”
Wow, she was right to the point.
“I’m sorry to disturb your meal, but I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions. I noticed that you’re new in town.”
“I’ve heard that outsiders weren’t welcome in small towns, but I didn’t think it was true.”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing like that. It’s just that, well, do you know Melissa Mathers?”
She set her glass down and focused on me. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked this question after all.
“Yes,” she snapped. “As a matter of fact, I do know her. She’s the floozy who stole my boyfriend.”
I was left speechless by that admission. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you know that she was murdered?”
The woman’s eyes narrowed. “Is there a point to this question?”
I didn’t want to tell her I was looking for the murderer. “No, I suppose not,” I said.
She tossed her napkin down and grabbed her book and bag. “Good. Then I’m out of here.” She putsome cash on the table and headed across the café.
She walked toward the door. When she was halfway to the door something dropped from her bag. It was probably just a receipt, but nonetheless, I had to know what it was. I hurried over, but before I reached the paper, the waitress stepped on it. She was now standing there taking someone’s order. I waited with bated breath for her to move. After what seemed like an eternity, she moved away. Before anyone else had a chance to get it, I reached down and snatched the paper up. By the way I acted people might think I’d found a winning lottery ticket. I hurried outside so that I could take a closer look.
I unfolded the paper. Words were written on it, but I didn’t know exactly what it meant. It definitely wasn’t a list—it looked more like a spell. Maybe some kind of chant.
Just then Brannon walked up. I almost dropped the paper, he startled me so badly. I showed the paper in my pocket so that he wouldn’t ask about it.
“Hey, what are you doing out here?” he asked. “Getting something to eat before the investigation?”
“Oh, no. I was just talking to a friend who lives here, but she’s gone now so I’m ready.” I probably sounded so suspicious.
Brannon looked around as if he would see my friend. Now that I had spotted the woman, I was curious if he’d discovered anything about her.
“What happened with the woman that you took to the station?” I asked.
“Krista Meyer? She apologized so we ended up letting her go. She said she was visiting a friend in town.”
Did she mean a dead friend? Though I knew she wouldn’t consider Melissa a friend. Yeah, I was definitely leery of her.
“So if you’re ready we can leave,” Brannon said and pointed toward his car parked at the curb.
“Sure, I’m ready.”
As we walked toward his car I was on high alert, looking for anyone suspicious. Now I had to be on the lookout for the strange woman from the tour, Jaden, and the other mystery woman, Krista Meyer. Plus, I had to find out what the words on the paper meant. So much mystery and so little time.
Chapter 11
It was about an hour’s drive, so Brannon and I would have plenty of time to talk. A crackle of energy always passed between us. I knew Brannon felt it too.
He glanced over at me and smiled. “I’m excited for tonight. What about you?”
“I just hope we get some good evidence,” I said.
“I’ve been working on some new paranormal equipment,” Brannon said. “I think you’ll love it. Let’s just hope that it works.”
Brannon wanted to come up with experimental stuff that would help with the search for the paranormal. He explained all about his new piece of equipment. His excitement was contagious. It made me excited and I hadn’t even seen the thing yet.
While we drove along the old country road, I discussed some of what I had found in the books with him. I still kept some things a secret though. Sure, I felt bad for doing that, but I would be happy to share with him after I figured everything out. I could understand why he wouldn’t want to jeopardize the investigation by sharing stuff with me, so I had to take matters into my own hands.
Finally, we turned down the road that led to the haunted house. The isolated road had very few houses and almost no traffic. It was also pitch dark, so it was hard to see. The only illumination we had was from the headlights of Brannon’s car. The thick clouds hid the moon.
“The place is just up ahead,” he said.
“Someone could get lost out here,” I said.
“Well, I like to think that would never happen,” he said.
Yeah, I hoped so too. Brannon slowed down the car and I noticed the driveway up ahead. He pulled the car in between the stone columns. It looked as if there had once been a gate, but that had been since removed. Tall cedar trees, oak, and magnolia trees surrounded the property, as if to protect it from strangers.
“There’s a lot of land here,” I said.
Lightning flashed in the distance and I knew it was going to rain soon. We couldn’t have picked scarier surroundings.
“Are you okay?” Brannon asked as he shoved the car into park.
I didn’t take my eyes off at the house. “I’m okay and ready to do this.”
I got out of the car and met Brannon at the trunk. He opened it up, displaying all of the equipment. I assumed the big box thing was his new project.
“We’ll use the new thing last,” he said with excitement.
I figured he would want to use it first, but instead
he handed me the ghost box. Brannon knew this was my favorite piece of equipment. Then he grabbed a bag of other stuff out of the trunk.
“What is the big box?” I pointed.
Excitement flashed in his eyes. “It emits a vibration that with any luck will attract ghosts. Once the ghosts are there, their energy will be transferred into words from the database. Maybe we’ll get a message.”
His enthusiasm was adorable.
He closed the trunk. “Are you ready?”
“Let’s do this,” I said.
I was nervous and excited at the same time.
Brannon and I walked toward the house. I glanced around at my surroundings. Darkness surrounded us. The gray clouds covered the sky. It was so isolated. I was just glad I wasn’t here alone.
“Just be careful,” Brannon said.
He was so cute, as if I’d never done this before. I stepped forward and stumbled. Okay, that was embarrassing. After he had just told me to be careful.
We inched up the steps as if moving toward our prey. I couldn’t believe no one was living in this beautiful home. It was just sitting out here all alone and abandoned. I would love to buy the house. Of course I said that about every place I went. I wondered if it would ever be for sale.
Brannon and I reached the front door. He grabbed the doorknob and twisted. After a brief pause, he pushed the door open just a little. It creaked like a Halloween soundtrack. Something flew blazing fast past us, out the door, hissing all the way. I jumped back and clutched my chest. A black cat had run out of the place. His green eyes glowed in the dark as he peered out from the nearby bush.
Brannon laughed. “That’s like something out of the movies.”
This was definitely a scene out of a movie. I just hoped there weren’t any killers around here. I composed myself and then followed Brannon inside the old house. As I tried to adjust my eyes to the interior light, I wondered what other animals would jump out at us. I was more scared of them than the ghosts.
We flipped on our flashlights at the same time. The place was pitch black. I shone my light toward the floor. The old hardwood was full of nicks and scratches. Papers were scattered about the floor.
Haunt the Haunt, Walk the Walk (Haunted Tour Guide Mystery Book 3) Page 8