Giving Up the Ghost

by Marilyn Levinson

  "I'm not acting up, just clarifying. We do lots of clarifying in class, don't we, Ms. Meyerson?"

  "Some of the time, yes," Gabbie agreed cautiously, not wanting to get caught in a squabble between mother and daughter. To change the subject, she said, "We had a great afternoon out with the Photography Club, didn't we?"

  Theo shrugged. "I guess."

  Gabbie was piqued. This wasn't the same Theo who had loosened up halfway through the afternoon and enthusiastically called her over to extol the beauty of her tree.

  Jill glanced at her watch. "I'll be back in a moment. Just want to check on dinner."

  Theo offered no conversation, so it was difficult to pretend she couldn't overhear Jill on the phone. She asked for Fred, then demanded, her voice rising, "When will you get home? You knew we were having company!"

  When Jill returned to the living room, her cheeks had two red spots. "I'm afraid Fred's been held up at work. He said to start without him."

  "Sure, whatever's best for you," Gabbie picked up her wine glass and followed her hostess to the table.

  The meatloaf, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and salad were delicious. Gabbie took great pleasure in the first real home-cooked meal she'd eaten in ages. But her enjoyment was marred by the tension between Jill and Theo, and by Fred's glaring absence. She did her best to be an attentive guest and asked questions about Chrissom Harbor. Theo picked at her food and spoke only to contradict her mother.

  "And what does your father do?" Gabbie asked Theo.

  "He's a chemist at Forsythe Labs." Her pride rang out like the ping of good crystal.

  "I've heard of Forsythe. They're fifteen minutes from here," Gabbie said. "How convenient."

  Theo frowned. "Daddy had a more important position when he worked in the city, but Mom made him change jobs."

  "Theo, what a thing to say!" Jill protested.

  Gabbie was beginning to wonder if coming here tonight was a mistake when they all turned at the sound of a key in the door. Fred came in and draped his jacket over the wrought iron divider that separated the narrow hall from the living room. He strode purposefully into the dining room, a gleam in his eyes. A far cry from the lethargic man Gabbie had first seen in Logan's Place. Someone or something had perked him up.

  "Hi, sweetie." Fred kissed his daughter on the forehead. He turned to Gabbie. "And you must be Mrs. Meyerson."

  She didn't correct him, but smiled and shook his extended hand.

  "Sorry I'm late," Fred said to Jill. "Ralph needed the report for this week's conference and I couldn't start working on it till four-fifteen."

  Jill left her seat and headed for the kitchen. "I'll get your food. I've been keeping it warm."

  "Go easy on the portions. I'm not very hungry. I had a sandwich while I was working."

  Bastard. "I've already eaten" had been one of Paul's ploys when he wanted to get at her. But Jill obviously knew enough to ignore her husband's request. She brought in a plate loaded with food. Gabbie watched Fred gobble down his meatloaf and vegetables. He drank deeply from his wine glass.

  "Good wine," he said to Gabbie. He reached for the bottle and read the label. "Mmm, no wonder. That was a good year for Mondavi."

  Gabbie, who had chosen the bottle on the say-so of the wine merchant, nodded knowingly. "I've never gone wrong with Mondavi."

  Now that she'd caught his attention, Fred regarded her intently. "So you're Theo's new English teacher. She's pretty impressed with your take on Gatsby. Stayed up late last night to finish the book."

  "Thanks a lot, Dad!" Theo had turned cherry red, as if her father had exposed her for doing something reprehensible instead of reading ahead. But then kids like Theo hated to be suspected of playing up to their teachers, even when they weren't.

  Gabbie found it interesting that, although her father had embarrassed her, Theo showed him none of the animosity she'd been spewing at Jill. Annoyance, yes, but affection ruled the father-daughter relationship.

  "Things get nicely tied up at the end, don't you think?" Gabbie said.

  Theo missed the irony in her tone. "For Daisy and Tom," she answered scornfully. "They cause all the trouble, then get off scot free."

  "We might call them careless," Gabbie offered.

  Theo's gray eyes stared at her, then she nodded slowly. "Careless, yes. They don't give a damn about other people. People like that don't deserve to live."

  Gabbie shivered. Emotions were flying fast and thick, turning her stomach into knots. She wanted to bolt but couldn't think of a decent exit line at the moment.

  "Everyone ready for coffee?" Jill set a steaming carafe of coffee on a trivet. "Theo, would you please help me clear the table?"

  Theo groaned as she pushed herself up from her chair.

  Action was better than just sitting there. "Let me help," Gabbie offered, starting to rise.

  "I've got it." Theo picked up Gabbie's dish and salad plate.

  The phone rang in the kitchen. Fred gave a start, and then shook his head as his daughter hurried to answer it. "You'd think people would have the decency not to call during dinner hour."

  Liar. You thought it was your little playmate. But maybe she wouldn't be that foolish. Angry on Jill's behalf, Gabbie felt the urge to goad him. "People call now because they figure you're home and they can reach you."

  Fred looked meaningfully at Jill. "Well, at least we haven't been getting any more of those mysterious hang ups."

  A red blush spread from Jill's throat to her forehead. "I'll be right back with the cake and fruit."

  Gabbie noticed she hadn't bothered to remove Fred's dishes from the table. Not wanting to remain alone with Fred, Gabbie cleared his setting and carried it into the kitchen.

  "Thanks," Jill said as she passed, both hands filled with dessert. "Just leave everything on the counter. Please get the small pitcher of milk from the fridge."

  Theo was nowhere in sight. Gabbie took out the milk and was about to close the refrigerator door when she heard Theo's muffled voice coming from the hall.

  "Calm down, Charlie. I can't make out a word you're saying. Did they hurt you?"

  Gabbie held her breath while Theo listened, hoping the girl wouldn't suddenly turn toward the kitchen and find her eavesdropping. She had no business straining her ears to catch what Charlie was telling Theo. Then she felt a flair of anger. Damn it, Charlie was her student, and she could well imagine who had come after him.

  "They took out the memory card--you told that me three times. Is your camera okay?"

  Gabbie hoped fervently that losing his SD card was the worst of it. Obviously it was.

  "I have an extra card you can borrow. You can shoot some more pictures on your own. I'll go out with you, if you like." A pause. "I know the snow probably won't be on the trees, but so what? Ms. Meyerson won't care."

  "Gabbie!" Jill called. "Where are you?"

  "Coming." She started walking toward the dining room when Theo's voice stopped her cold.

  "I'll think of something. Those bastards deserve a bullet right through their heads." There was a pause, and then she said. "We're almost done. I'll come over as soon as I can."

  After dessert and coffee, Gabbie helped Jill clear the table. Theo had never reappeared. Fred looked up from his newspaper, which he was reading in a living room chair as she prepared to leave, and called out, "Nice meeting you, Gabbie. I hope we see you again soon."

  Jill walked her to the front door and hugged her. In a low voice, she said, "I'm so glad you came, though it didn't turn out quite as I'd planned, what with Fred coming home late and Theo being...Theo."

  "Ssshh." Gabbie put a finger near Jill's lips. "I was glad to be here. You're a wonderful cook and hostess."

  Jill shook her head. "I should have known it would be like this. Theo's so resentful. Ever since... I just thought since you and I hit it off--"

  "In the bathroom," Gabbie put in and grinned to lighten Jill's mood.

  Jill returned the smile. "I thought we could be friends."


  "Me, too," Gabbie said. When she pulled the door shut behind her, she realized it was true.

  She looked around before getting into her car. Her gaze went automatically to the window of the house next door, where someone had been watching when she'd arrived. The upstairs windows were dark, but the downstairs lights were on in the room she now knew was the den.

  Pulse racing, Gabbie crossed the lawn and peered into the window. The blinds were closed but not completely. She felt conspicuous, playing peeping tom, with no bush or tree to hide her activity.

  Inside, Charlie was watching TV. If this was Sonia's house, what was Charlie doing here?

  Then it dawned on her. Sonia and Charlie had the same last name. She must be his aunt.

  As though to verify her conclusion, Sonia came into the room and handed Charlie a cup. He put it to his lips and began to drink. Hot chocolate? Sonia patted Charlie's shoulder and sat beside him on the sofa in the dimly lit room.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  "See anything interesting?"

  Gabby jumped a foot. She spun around and gasped when she caught sight of Darren Rollins's grinning face. "My God, you scared the living daylights out of me!"

  "Sorry," Darren said, not sounding sorry at all.

  "I--I was wondering who was watching me before, when I came to visit the Leverettes. It was Sonia Russell."

  As they walked across the lawn to Gabbie's car, Darren said, "Have a tough time getting through dinner with America's most dysfunctional family?"

  "Yes. No," she said. "How did you know?"

  The streetlight backlit Darren's face. He was grinning again, showing teeth white enough for a toothpaste ad. "We've all been there, done that. Jill asks and we go out of kindness." He lowered his voice. "I'm sure you've heard Jill and Cam were involved. Things have gotten worse for the Leverettes since he died."

  "God! What an incestuous town. Do you all keep tabs on what's happening in each other's home? When people go to the bathroom? Have sex?"

  Darren's tone turned solemn. "Gabbie, I'm the law here. I make it my business to keep abreast of things."

  Breast. Her face grow warm as she imagined his hands running down her breasts. She suddenly felt hemmed in. It was time to make tracks. She unlocked her car, and then turned to him as an awful idea occurred to her. "Were you spying on me?"

  He grinned. "Spying on you?"

  "Before Sonia was spying on me. More important, Charlie's there now. He called Theo during dinner and I overheard her part of their conversation. He was upset because someone roughed him up. I'd guess Barrett and Todd." Her dread of involvement overcame her. She put her hand over her mouth.

  "I shouldn't have said that. It's really none of my business."

  The grin disappeared. "Of course it's your business. Evil is everyone's business."

  He jutted his chin toward Sonia Russell's house. "She called the station, but when I tried to talk to Charlie, he wouldn't say a word. Looked scared as a bunny rabbit and fought to hold back his tears. He's worried things will get worse if they find out he snitched."

  Gabbie threw her hands into the air. "It's wonderful how fear works to protect the bullies of the world."

  "Not always, I hope. Did you get any specifics?"

  The compassion in his voice humbled her and urged her to answer. "They took the SD card from his camera. We--the Photography Club, that is--were out in the woods this afternoon, shooting pictures. Can't you do anything about those bullies?"

  "Believe me, we're working on it. But with kids like Charlie refusing to file a complaint, it's damn near impossible to press charges."

  "Interesting how it was Barrett and Ross who found Cam's body on the beach," she said.

  "Interesting, meaning maybe they pushed him over the edge to his death?"

  "Just mentioning what I read in the library." She started to get into her car a second time when she felt his hand on her shoulder. She hoped he didn't hear her breath catch in her throat.

  "Want to go out for a cup of coffee?"

  "Aren't you on duty?"

  "I fix my own hours. Work a hell of a lot more overtime than I put in for."

  Go for it, encouraged her adventurous side. Get out while the going's good, commanded her voice of reason. Having had enough excitement for one day, Gabbie opted for the straight and narrow.

  "I'm kind of tired." It was true enough, so why did it strike her as a flimsy excuse?

  "That's too bad." After a pause, Darren said, "Would you like to do something tomorrow night?"

  "You mean Saturday night?"

  "Yes. Is that a problem?"

  Gabbie considered. She hadn't been out on a Saturday night in months. Neither the idea of going to a movie alone nor watching TV with a ghost was appealing. She needed some fun in her life. One date with a guy she found attractive wasn't cause for alarm. Besides, she told herself, she'd have Darren's undivided attention and the perfect opportunity to milk him for information about the various suspects.

  "Sure. Why not?"

  The grin was back. "Great! Let's make it for dinner. And I don't mean Logan's."

  "I could use time away from Chrissom Harbor, too," Gabbie admitted. "I thought I'd found a quiet spot where the natives would leave me to myself. Instead, I find myself caught up in various situations."

  Darren raised his eyebrows. "What were you escaping from?"

  Gabbie shrugged. "Just...things."

  She was afraid he'd press her for answers, but he merely nodded and said, "The restaurant I have in mind is some distance from here. I think you'll like it."

  "Great. Surprise me." She waved as she drove away, and was pleased that Darren waited until she was halfway down the block before he got into his car.

  * * * *

  Cam called out to her as she climbed the stairs to her bedroom.

  "Tomorrow, Cam. I'm exhausted."

  "Please, Gabbie. I'm desperate for news."

  Gabbie trudged back down the stairs and plopped down on the den couch, where she let out a gigantic yawn. "I pay rent here, you know. I'm entitled to some privacy."

  "I know, I'm sorry, but I had to hear all about your dinner at Jill's. Did she mention me?"

  "Not once," Gabbie said ungraciously. "She was too busy juggling dinner and playing the good hostess. It wasn't easy, with her family out to undermine her efforts. Fred came home late--I got the definite impression he'd been with a woman--and Theo was insolent and deserved a good swat on her butt."

  "Poor Jill."

  "I like her, all right, but the evening was too gut-wrenching after my own descent into hell." She bit her lip, shocked by her revelation, but Cam hadn't noticed. He was too wrapped up in self-recriminations.

  "It's all my fault," he muttered. "She wanted to go away with me. She told me her life was unbearable, but I was too intent on putting CH far behind me to listen."

  "Too selfish, you mean."

  "Right." He sank onto the couch and covered his face with his hands.

  Gabbie discovered she was suddenly wide-awake. If she went to bed now, she'd only toss and turn. She sat down on the couch again, leaving two feet between them.

  "Tell me about the last day."

  He looked at her quizzically. "You really want to know?"

  "Of course. Besides, telling me might jog your memory. You might remember the identity of the murderer."

  "Let's see. I spent the morning packing and doing last minute things--stopping the mail and the newspapers. I called the rental office to cajole Mary Hanley to put real effort into renting the place."

  "Mary Hanley," Gabbie said, "Tell me more about her."

  Cam's eyes widened in astonishment. "You don't seriously imagine she bumped me off?"

  Gabbie shook her head. "Why is it every time I mention a name to you or to Darren, you both assure me the person is innocent?"

  Cam grinned. "Somewhere, somehow, you saw Darren tonight."

  Damn! She wished she hadn't mentioned Darren's name. Still she wasn't about to
lie. "He caught me peeking into Sonia's window. She was comforting her nephew after his run-in with some kids, probably Barrett Connelly and Todd Ross."

  She fidgeted as Cam's grin grew wider. "Darren's a good guy. I'm surprised he hasn't asked you out by now."

  She opened her mouth to answer, and then thought better of it. Not that it mattered. Either she was as transparent as glass, or Cam had the knack of reading people.

  He laughed, an eerie, hollow sound. "So you guys are getting together. Great. I knew you were his type."

  "I am not his type. He is not my type. This is about you. Remember, you asked me to find your murderer and Darren's my best source of information. Which is why I agreed to have dinner with him tomorrow night."

  Cam winked. "Still, I get these vibrations about the two of you."

  "Cam," she said firmly, "don't say another word on this subject, even as a joke, or I'll never set foot in this room again. I may even pack up and leave town ASAP."

  Something in her voice made him realize she meant what she'd said, because he went quiet and nodded. "Sorry."

  "That last day--what time did Jill come over?"

  "About four o'clock. She knew a limo was coming at six-thirty to take me to the airport. Her eyes were all puffy and I knew she'd been crying. We'd said our good-byes the night before.

  "She told me she'd tried to keep away but felt she had to give our relationship one last shot." He swallowed, as if remembering. "She insisted we belonged together and my leaving her behind was criminal." His voice went soft. "She said she didn't know if she could live without me."

  "I'm pleased to see that she can," Gabbie snapped. "What time did she leave here?"

  "I've no idea, but she didn't stay long. When I told her this was the best way and I'd send for her when I was settled, she gave me a cynical smile. 'Sure you will,' she said, and walked out before I could answer."

  "So," Gabbie said, "if Jill didn't throttle you as you deserved, that means someone else came along and did the job."

  "And stole the money. Don't forget the money."

  "I did for a minute," she admitted. "Where did you get all that cash? You never said."