Haunt the Haunt, Walk the Walk (Haunted Tour Guide Mystery Book 3)

by Pressey, Rose

  My heart rate increased and panic started to set in again as I thought of the fact that I was potentially walking beside a killer. I’d known that investigating the murder was risky, but now it was even more evident.

  “You really don’t need to follow me,” I said in a short snippy tone.

  I wanted to let him know I wasn’t happy with him, but my statement might send him into some sort of crazy rage. His expression didn’t change, so obviously he wasn’t fazed by what I said.

  He shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked along, as if this was some kind of casual conversation. “I guess people think that I murdered Melissa.”

  Oh, boy, now I really didn’t want to talk about this. I shrugged my shoulders and avoided looking over at him. I kept walking.

  “I really don’t know,” I said.

  “I haven’t been going out with Melissa that long.”

  Well, it didn’t take dating her a long time to kill her. He could have done that on the first date.

  “She was a nice girl, but a little weird, I guess,” Bryce said.

  She probably would have said a lot worse about him.

  He continued. “I just think she got mixed up in some weird stuff. That’s probably what happened, but I don’t know how or why exactly.”

  I had no idea what he was talking about, although as much as I wanted to get away from him, I was a little curious now. I could let him continue to talk, but I still wanted to get away.

  As if I had asked the question, he continued talking. “She was into like séances and stuff. I’m not sure why, but she was calling back for ghosts to talk to her.”

  Now I had no choice but to be engaged in the conversation. That might explain the spell that I’d found. It seemed that Melissa wasn’t the only girl he was dating who was interested in that stuff.

  “Do you happen to know Krista Meyer?” I asked.

  See, I had fallen into his trap of talking to him. Now I would never get rid of him.

  “Why do you ask that?” He narrowed his eyes.

  Oh, great, now he was angry. Please don’t let him pull out a knife. I felt like I was in some sort of slasher film.

  “I’ve seen her around town,” I said.

  Once in front of the entrance to the tavern, I paused. I wasn’t going to walk any further with him and let him see where I lived. That would just be a bad idea.

  “I don’t know what she’s doing here,” he said defensively.

  “Word has it that she was into séances too.” I fixed my stare on him.

  Anger flashed in his eyes. “Who told you that?”

  I stood a little straighter, hoping he wouldn’t see my uneasiness. “It’s just something I heard around.”

  Wow, he really looked mad now.

  “Well, I don’t know anything about that. All I know is that I’m innocent. I didn’t have anything to do with Melissa’s murder. You believe me, don’t you?” He leaned in closer.

  He was much too close for comfort now, so much so that I felt his breath on my face. I stepped back. My back was up against the brick wall of the tavern. There was nowhere else for me to go. I didn’t want to talk to him anymore tonight. Based on his behavior, I was pretty sure I knew who had killed Melissa.

  “Look, you need to leave me alone now.” I attempted a stern look, but I doubted he was intimidated.

  He stared at me for a long moment, and then much to my surprise, he finally backed away. A creepy smile slid across his face as he stared at me. I hoped he wasn’t looking at me as his next victim. Before he had a chance to attack, I moved away from him and hurried for the tavern door. At least in there I would be around other people and he couldn’t do anything too drastic.

  I needed to tell Brannon about his behavior and see what he thought. Though I doubted Brannon would be happy that I’d talked with him in the first place.

  I looked over at the bar, but Tammy wasn’t working tonight. I didn’t recognize the bartender who was back there. I looked at the door. Bryce stood there watching me, but he didn’t make an attempt to enter. I was thankful for that. He turned and walked away. Thank goodness he was gone for now.

  I decided to wait a little bit before going back outside. I had a feeling that guy might be waiting out there for me. Calling Brannon for a ride home was the last thing I wanted to do. I wasn’t a damsel in distress.

  I weaved through the crowd and made my way over to the bar and sat down. The music wasn’t as loud tonight. Walking in here when a band was playing at full blast was always a stark contrast to the library. I’d gotten used to the quiet. Maybe I would have a drink and just wait the guy out. Bryce couldn’t stay out there forever. At least I assumed he couldn’t. He might be more resilient than I’d realized.

  The dark-haired bartender walked over and said, “What can I get you?”

  I hated to just say water, so I decided on Diet Coke.

  He smiled and said, “Wow, you live dangerously. Sure you don’t want any bourbon with that Diet Coke?”

  I smiled. “No, I think I better hold off on that tonight.”

  The last thing I needed was to be tipsy while walking home with a killer on the loose. I needed to keep my wits about me.

  The bartender poured my drink and placed it in front of me. “Can I get you anything else?”

  “I’m good.” I scooted the glass a little closer to me.

  He busied himself stacking glasses next to me, but he kept his eyes on me. I wondered what was going through his mind. Did I have something wrong with my face? Was there something in my hair?

  Finally, he asked, “It looks like something is on your mind. Are you okay?”

  Maybe he noticed that I kept looking at the door. Did my expression give away my anxiety that much?

  “Are you waiting for someone?” He stepped over in front of me again.

  “Not someone I want to see.” I traced the rim of my glass with my index finger.

  “Oh, I see,” he said with a wry smile.

  I took a drink and then placed the glass that down. “No, it’s not like that. I’m just concerned, I guess, about the murder that happened in town.”

  He stared at me for moment. “I knew Melissa.”

  I perked up, eager to find out more. “How did you know her?” I had a ton of questions for him now.

  “She’s been here a few times. We started talking and then became friends.”

  Tammy had never mentioned seeing Melissa in the tavern. But then Tammy only worked a few nights a week, so she could have easily missed Melissa. This guy must work hours that I usually wasn’t in the bar, which meant most of the time. The only time I really came in was to get the flashlights or talk to Tammy.

  Suddenly I had a flashback to the night when I’d first seen Brannon in here. The thought still gave me butterflies.

  “You’re Ripley Van Raden, the one who does the haunted tour, right?” He pointed at me.

  “Yes, that’s me,” I said. “Do you have any thoughts on who may have done this to Melissa?”

  His thick eyebrows pinched together in a frown. “No, I don’t suppose that I do. Did you know her?”

  I picked at my cocktail napkin. “No, I just worked with someone who knows her. I’ve never even seen Melissa. I don’t know what she looks like.”

  I assumed that there would be a picture in the paper soon, and I was kind of surprised they hadn’t featured one already. Devil’s Moon Gazette did things differently than most newspapers though. On top of that they only had one edition a week. I didn’t want to ask Brannon if he had seen a picture. That seemed tacky.

  The bartender pulled out his phone. “I think I have a picture of her here.” He scrolled through the screens.

  I leaned toward for a closer look and then he said, “I guess I don’t have one on here. I probably have a picture at home though. If you want I could bring it in. You could stop by tomorrow and I’ll show you. She was a beautiful girl with such a kind heart.”

  “Sure, if it isn’t too mu
ch trouble.” I sat back on the stool.

  “It’s no trouble at all.” He flashed a smile and winked.

  Tammy would say he was flirting, but then Tammy thought everyone was flirting.

  Just then my phone received another text. I was kind of over receiving text messages for the day. I seriously thought of turning off my phone. Sadly, I didn’t have the nerve to do that, so instead I peered down at the screen.

  Meet me outside.

  “Is everything okay?” The bartender stared at me.

  “What?” I was distracted by the eerie message. This one had come from the same number that Crystal had said was her roommate Melissa’s. Who had her phone? Was it the boyfriend, Bryce?

  He waved his hand in front of my face. “I asked if everything is okay?”

  “Yes, I’m okay.” I tossed the phone back into my pocket.

  With the way that my voice wavered, I knew that I didn’t sound confident. Maybe if I just took a little peek outside, if Bryce was still hanging around then I would know not to go out there. I couldn’t hang out in the tavern all night. The place closed in a few hours.

  I placed cash on the counter. “Thank you. I’ll stop back tomorrow if that’s okay.”

  He smiled. “That would be great.”

  I headed over to the door. At least no one was in front of it so I would get a good view outside. As I inched over I peered out into the darkness. The traffic along the street had settled down and I didn’t see any people. I glanced back and the bartender was watching me. He probably thought I was crazy. He threw his hand up in a wave.

  It was now or never. I had to make a move. I opened the door and stepped out into the darkness. If Bryce popped out and grabbed me I wasn’t sure what I’d do. I had to hurry home while I had the chance.

  The cool air surrounded me. My breath showed in front of me as I hurried along. The more I walked the more panicked I became. Every few seconds, I glanced over my shoulder. Thank goodness no one was back there.

  I was all alone walking down the sidewalk. Downtown had slowed to a crawl and no one was around. Now I was wishing other people would be out and about so that it didn’t seem spooky.

  The thought had just entered my mind when up ahead I spotted her under the streetlight. The glow illuminated her face, so I knew without a doubt it was the mystery woman from my tour. What was she doing here? Stalking me? Had she sent the message? Furthermore, why hadn’t the person sent me another text if they wanted me to meet them outside? I’d come out here and now I hadn’t heard another peep from them. I really didn’t have time for these games.

  The woman turned away from me. As far as I could tell she had no idea I was back there. And I hoped to keep it that way. If she didn’t know that I was back there, then I’d be able to follow her. Now maybe I could find out who she was.

  I hurried my pace so that I could catch up to her. She made it to the next street and then she turned to the right behind a building. Now that she was out of my sight, I hoped I didn’t lose her. Maybe she knew that I was back there. She might think that I was the one stalking her now. That would be awkward.

  Since she could no longer turn around and see me, I decided to run the rest of the way to the street she’d turned into. If she caught me running after her she might call the police. I finally reached the other street and slowed my pace in case she saw me. I wanted to appear as if I was casually walking down the sidewalk. I peered down the street, but she wasn’t there. I’d lost her again.

  It was as if she was a ghost.

  I froze on the spot.

  Maybe she was a ghost. That would explain how she kept disappearing. When I’d seen her standing beside other people, they’d never acted as if they knew she was there. That had to mean she was a ghost. But who was she and what did she want with me?

  Since she appeared to be gone, I had no choice but to go home. That was fine by me. It was still creepy as heck out here.

  Chapter 14

  The next morning, I headed to work while still trying to wrap my mind around what I’d seen last night. Who was the ghost and why was she following me around? Had I picked her up at the cemetery? I didn’t know what Melissa looked like, so could it be her? I needed to see a picture of her today. Luckily today was the weekly edition of the Gazette. Maybe her photo would be in there. I knew Melissa was new to town, but even Crystal should have a photo of her. The bartender had said he had a picture of her. If the newspaper didn’t show her picture today then I’d go back to see him.

  As I walked down the sidewalk toward the library, lost in thought, my phone alerted me that I had a new message from someone on the library’s Instagram account. I didn’t check it as often as I should. I had been using it last night though, so maybe someone had sent a picture. I swiped the screen and pulled up the page. There was a new photo waiting for me.

  It was of a gravestone. How odd. Grave Digger was the name on the account. I didn’t recognize the name. When I clicked on their icon to see who it was, the page was blank, as if they had deleted their account right after sending the photo. Wouldn’t the photo disappear too if the account had been deleted? I didn’t know how that worked. This really didn’t make sense. What was the grave marker for? Was someone trying to send me a message? If they were, I certainly had no idea what.

  The gravestone was old and looked like the ones in Devil’s Moon Cemetery. Of course, now I was curious and had to find it. If it was really in Devil’s Moon at all. The picture could be from anywhere. I studied it, trying to make out something, any little detail, that would let me know exactly where it was, but nothing stood out. I couldn’t even make out all of the name, just the first name Weston. How would I ever find this gravestone?

  I had to be at work soon, but I could at least give it a shot and try to find it. A quick trip to Devil’s Moon Cemetery wouldn’t hurt. I’d see if I had any luck there. I had the date of birth—October 31, 1854. I couldn’t make out anything of the last name, but the name Weston wouldn’t be common. Still, looking through all the graves would take some time. Tracking down records for the cemetery would take forever. I’d tried on several occasions and so far had little luck. Maybe the person would send a better photo. Then again, this whole thing could be nothing. Someone could just be sending me a picture of an interesting stone.

  I hurried across the street and over to the alleyway that led back to the graveyard. At least so far no one seemed to be following me this morning. Although I really would like to see the mystery woman again and find out if she was a ghost.

  The cemetery’s gates welcomed me once again. Sunlight flooded the graveyard, so it wasn’t nearly as spooky as usual. Though the place was hauntingly beautiful. With a loud groan from the iron hinges, I opened the gate and stepped inside. At least Mrs. Clatterbuck wasn’t waiting for me… yet.

  I’d check out the old section of the graveyard first. It was at the back and the newer graves were at the front. Even with the bright daylight, it was always spooky back there. Having the old section at the back of the cemetery meant it was further from the entrance, which meant it was harder to get out of there, away from any bad spirits. Nevertheless, I inhaled a deep breath and weaved around the stones and further into the cemetery. Surely it wouldn’t be too bad since it was light out. Maneuvering the maze of headstones, I made it to the back, going one by one looking for the name.

  I had no luck whatsoever. I’d started at the back and moved my way up toward the front, searching each grave. None of the headstones had the name Weston. There were similar stones, but none that matched the photo. I was slightly disappointed. Maybe I’d been foolish to think that I’d get that lucky.

  When I glanced at the time on my phone I knew that I had to get to work. The search would have to wait until later. Possibly I could think of some other way that would make finding the grave easier. Reluctantly, I gave up for now and headed out of the graveyard, back down the alley.

  A creepy sensation followed me with each step. An electric charge filled
the air. After a couple more steps, another notification dinged on my phone. I excitedly clicked on the link. Photos popped up, but it was just the same gravestone over and over again. What did that mean? Was this a mistake?

  “I don’t know what to do,” I said out loud, as if someone would answer.

  I hurried the rest of the way toward the library. The board members wouldn’t be happy if I was late. Lately my search for the murderer had distracted me. Mrs. Agnew was looking for any excuse to fire me. She still longed for the days when Mrs. Stanley was the librarian. Yes, Mrs. Agnew wouldn’t be happy if she found out, and she always found out these things. I would expect a visit from her soon.

  Anyway, I needed to speak with Crystal and get a photo of Melissa. If she wasn’t already at the library then I would check the newspaper right away. It was high priority that I see Melissa’s face.

  When the library came into view, I spotted Tammy opening the doors. She had beaten me there. My new nickname would be Overdue.

  After rushing up to the library, I made a little detour instead of going straight inside. Just in case the headstone was really in the graveyard that lay in front of the library, I made a quick trip around the headstones. To my disappointment, I didn’t find it there either. Where was it? Releasing a deep breath, I gave up.

  When I stormed through the door, Tammy jumped and clutched her chest.

  “Gosh, Rip, is someone chasing you?” she said, shifting her gaze around the room.

  “Oh, sorry, I guess I was in a hurry to get here,” I said with a wave of my hand.

  She placed her hands on her hips. “What’s going on?”

  “Is Crystal here?” I asked.

  “No, not yet. Why?”

  Annie stood over by the reference section. She waved and smiled, but so far she hadn’t sent a text. She was probably waiting until I was alone.

  After moving around the corner of the reference desk and placing my bag on the counter, I pulled out my phone. Pulling up the recent photo I’d received, I showed it to Tammy. “I don’t know where the headstone is, and I don’t know who sent me the picture. The account that it was sent from is now gone. But then they sent more pictures and that account is gone too.”