Haunted on Bourbon Street (Jade Calhoun Series: Book 1)

by Deanna Chase

  “What is it?” Bea came around the hedge.

  “Where did the dog go?”

  “What dog?” Bea frowned.

  “The golden retriever,” I said still searching.

  “You saw a golden retriever?”

  I nodded.

  “Oh wow.” Bea grinned.

  “Wow, what? What the hell is going on?” Agitation took over.

  Bea waved me over. “Come back to the table. I have something to show you.”

  As I reclaimed my seat she handed me another old photo in a silver frame. “Take a look at this.”

  “Oh my God! Who is this?” I pointed to the strawberry blonde woman standing next to Bobby.

  “It’s a remarkable likeness, isn’t it?”

  I gaped.

  “That was his wife,” Bea said.

  “Was his wife? Is she—”

  “She’s still living, but she moved up north years ago. After Bobby died, she couldn’t stand being here, so she moved to be closer to her family. I haven’t talked to her in years. But you look just like her.”

  “I guess that explains why he attached himself to me.” I felt downright creepy now. Visions of our nightly encounters flashed through my mind. Ick. He thought I was someone else.

  “Now look at this.” She handed me another photo. This one showed Bobby a few years younger and a dog. A golden retriever.

  “No way.” I set the picture down.

  “I’d say it has to be him. His name was Duke, and he belonged to Bobby.”

  “Have you seen him lurking around?”

  “No. Never.” She shrugged. “But they lived in the big house, not this one.”

  I got up and moved around the hedge. The golden retriever was sitting exactly where I’d seen him before he vanished. “Heya, Duke.” The large golden dog lifted his head in response. “So it’s true.” How freaking odd! Just then my pants started to vibrate. I jumped, forgetting I’d set my phone on vibrate before class started. “Oh crap.” I laughed and pulled it out of my pocket. “Excuse me a moment.”

  Bea nodded.

  I strode across the lawn. “Hello.”

  “Hey, girlfriend,” Kat said. “Long time no see.”

  “Hey, yourself. Phone tag was getting old. Where are you?”

  “Whole Foods, where are you?”

  “At Bea Kelton’s house in the Garden District.”

  “Who?” she asked.

  “A student. She owns the Herbal Connection and asked me for lunch.”

  “That’s, cool. I called because I wanted your help with something. What are you doing later?”

  “I was planning a nice long soak in my tub.” I eyed Duke as he moseyed up to me.

  “Do you think you can put it off? I need something special for an order, and I want to raid your bead stash.” Kat was a silversmith and periodically bought glass beads for her jewelry line.

  “Sure. I don’t know when I’ll be home, though. I’ll need to get a ride from Bea.”

  “You’re on my way. I can pick you up.”

  “Perfect.” I walked back to Bea, relayed the address and sat down at the table. “My friend Kat is on her way. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Of course.”

  I pushed the lettuce around on my plate and for the first time that afternoon I realized I wasn’t getting any of her emotions.

  “Bea, what is it about this place? It’s…different.” I wasn’t sure what to say. I was seeing ghosts, and my emotional radar was out. Not that I minded. It was kind of nice to not be tuned in.

  “It’s a protection ward. I like the silence.”

  Uh, okay. A protection ward. She had to be a paranoid witch. I started to get really uncomfortable. I’d known plenty of witches, and they scared the crap out of me. And for good reason. They were the reason I’d lost my mom.

  “What’s wrong?” Bea peered at me.

  “Nothing. I just—wait, can you see Duke?” The retriever had moved and was currently sitting next to me.

  “No. Is he here?” she asked, looking around.

  “Yes.” I pointed to my feet, then looked up and swallowed. “And now Bobby is sitting next to you.” Did he follow me everywhere? This was too weird.

  She turned to the empty chair and chanted something under her breath I didn’t understand. The warm air chilled, and Bea’s anxious excitement washed over me. Bobby’s outline grew stronger. The golden retriever bounded up to him, tongue wagging. He reached down to pet him with a grin on his face.

  I jumped again when the phone started vibrating.

  “Kat?”

  “I’m out front. Are you ready?”

  “Yes, I’ll be right there.” Flipping the phone closed, I turned to Bea. “My friend is here.”

  Disappointment swirled around her, but her smile didn’t waiver. “Of course.”

  I took a deep breath. “Before I go, there’s something I have to ask.”

  She sat up and nodded.

  “Does Bobby have any history of violence?”

  Her brow creased. Defensiveness crept into her voice. “No. Not ever. Why would you ask that?”

  Closing my eyes, I forced the words out. “He’s been hurting my friend, Pyper. It happens in her sleep unless she’s near me.”

  Fierce denial engulfed me, squeezing until I sputtered, “Bea, stop. Please.”

  Her energy vanished. Gooseflesh popped out on my bare arms. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice stiff. “I have trouble believing Bobby would ever hurt anyone.”

  I stood on shaking legs. “Thank you for having me and telling me about him.”

  She stared across the yard with unfocused eyes. After a moment she spoke in a detached eerie tone. “I sense the truthfulness of your words, though what you believe to be true doesn’t make it so.” She turned back to me. Her expression cleared. “Please ask your friend if we can meet. I’ll see what I can do.”

  “I will. I’ll call you tonight. Thank you.” I gave her a tentative wave as I crossed the yard, making a beeline for Kat’s car.

  “Thank God you’re here. That place was starting to freak me out,” I said, jumping into the passenger side.

  “Why?” Kat put the car in gear and drove off.

  “She’s a witch.”

  “Really? Did she tell you that?” Kat glanced my way.

  “Not in so many words, but she lifted a ward. I know she has some kind of special powers, but we didn’t talk about it.” I flipped the visor down to cut out the sun. My eye caught something in the rearview mirror. I groaned.

  “What?” Kat asked.

  “I just inherited a ghost dog.” Duke was in the back seat, his head hanging out the window.

  ***

  “So, you’re saying Ms. Kelton’s dead golden retriever followed you home?” Kat sat cross-legged on the hardwood, pawing through my bead stash. Since I didn’t have a dining table, I’d spread out half a dozen trays right there on the floor. She set a few aside and cocked an eyebrow.

  “Not exactly,” I said as Duke staked out a place on the couch.

  “Not exactly? Do you mean you dognapped him?” The incredulous look on her face suggested she thought I was joking.

  “No, he jumped in the car, and you drove him here. He followed us up the stairs.”

  “Are you even allowed pets?” She laughed.

  “Ha-ha. Very funny.” Frowning, I grabbed a beer and slammed the refrigerator door.

  “Oh come on, it was a little funny. Do I get one of those?” She tilted her head toward my Guinness.

  I shrugged, stepped out onto my balcony and sat down. Leaning back in my chair, I sighed heavily.

  Kat appeared with a beer in her hand. “What is it?” She pulled a chair next to mine.

  My eyes filled. I tried to blink back the tears. Breathing deeply, the air came in ragged, short spurts. “Oh, Kat,” I whispered as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

  She shifted and her reassuring hand closed over mine. “It’s okay, sweetie,�
� she murmured. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “There’s just so much going on. I don’t think I can handle much more.” I sniffled loudly. “And, now I have a ghost dog!”

  Kat squeezed my fingers. “It’ll be okay. Bea said she’d help. At least now you know who you’re dealing with and why he’s attached to you. And a ghost dog is really a great thing, the way I see it.”

  “Huh?”

  “Well, it’s a golden, and you love goldens. With a ghost dog, you don’t have to feed him, walk him, pick up his shit or even clean up all that hair. You get a companion, and you don’t have to worry about how long you leave it home alone, if it’ll chew your favorite shoes, track dirt in the house, drool on you or get sick. You don’t need a vet or need to register it. Plus, it could still be a guard dog, I suppose. At least, warn you when something isn’t right.”

  My lips quirked as she went on. “Do you suppose he’ll still want play toys? What about treats? You know how much goldens like to eat. Maybe you could get plastic doggie treats. That way he can pretend, and you don’t have food out rotting. He’ll want a doggie bed too, I suppose.”

  I chuckled. “He’s already made himself at home on the couch.”

  “That didn’t take long, did it?” She turned, looking in the window. “Is he on the right side?”

  “Nope, left.”

  “Your couch is sagging then.”

  “Of course it is. It’s used.”

  She smiled. “You’re going to be okay. We’ll call Ian with the new info. He keeps saying if he knew why the ghost was here it would help. Maybe this is the piece of the puzzle he needs to finally get something done.”

  I nodded. “I suppose I should tell Kane, too.”

  “Why?”

  I shrugged. “Just seems like he should know.”

  Kat got up. “I’m gonna use your bathroom, but when I get back I want the full scoop on Kane. You never gave me all the details.”

  She went back inside while I dialed Ian and left a detailed message about Bobby and why he was stalking me. Afterward, I called Pyper and filled her in. To my relief she offered to relay the information to Kane.

  Then I retrieved Bea’s number and was disappointed when her phone automatically when to voicemail. “Hello, Bea. I’ve talked to Pyper, and we’re both anxious to meet with you as soon as possible.” I left my number and as I put my phone down, Kat reappeared.

  “All right, dish,” she said.

  Obediently, I replayed the gory details of my short affair with Kane.

  “Okay, let me get this straight,” Kat said. “You’re mad at him for invading your dreams?”

  “Yes. Wouldn’t you be?”

  “With the dreams you described?” She laughed. “No.”

  I glared at her in exasperation. “It isn’t the content of the dreams so much as the invasion.”

  “Kind of like how you read his emotions and don’t tell him?” She raised her brows.

  She was right, of course. Hadn’t I already had this same debate with myself? Hearing her say it out loud only made me feel worse.

  “You’re going to tell him, right?” She peered at me.

  I slumped, dejected. “You know why I don’t tell people.”

  “Probably some of the same reasons Kane isn’t eager to share the details of his gift.” Kat leaned back, fingering the top of her beer bottle. “You need to tell him.”

  “But what if—”

  “He’s not Dan. So stop the what-ifs right this instant. You can’t live your life around how Dan acted. Kane is his own person. You should give him the chance. You might be surprised.”

  “But I—”

  “No buts. I know Dan hurt you. But you have to at least accept that part of the blame was yours for not telling him sooner.”

  “He cheated on me!” I said, automatically defaulting to my ingrained indignation of how I’d been wronged even though I knew she was right.

  “He was hurt, Jade.” She took a deep breath. “I know it was wrong. Of course it was. But you kept your gift from him for seven years, if you count the time we were all friends in high school. You’ve known Kane for, what, two weeks? What if this had been happening for years and he never told you? How would you feel?”

  The beer turned stale on my tongue. “Awful. Betrayed. Horrified.”

  Kat reached her hand out and clasped mine again. “You made a mistake. It’s understandable, given your history, but don’t let your fears get in the way of a good thing with Kane. If he’s so easily scared away, he isn’t good enough for you.”

  I gave her a sad smile. “I really like him.”

  “I know, honey. That’s why you need to tell him.” We sat in silence for a long moment, until Kat said, “You’ll find a way.”

  “I hope so.”

  She grabbed my arm and pulled me back inside. “Enough. Let’s go in so I can keep rummaging through your beads.”

  Hours later, after Kat had left, neither Ian nor Bea had returned my calls.

  Chapter 16

  A variety of Voodoo dolls lined the windows of The Herbal Connection. I did a double take and checked the store sign.

  “I thought you said this was a new age shop?” Pyper stood next to me, a skeptical frown on her face.

  I’d offered to conduct a cleansing ritual on Pyper to neutralize any negative energy. It was a long shot, but at this point we were ready to try anything. “It was the last time I was here.”

  “Looks more like Marie Leveau’s.” The shop named for the famous Voodoo Priestess was located at the other end of Bourbon Street.

  I shrugged. “They’re probably trying to cater to the tourists.”

  The door jingled as we walked in, and my skin tingled with pleasure as I inhaled the strong fresh rain scent. Kane’s scent. But he was back at the club, which only meant one thing. The store’s ‘happy place’ charm had evoked it. Damn, I was in trouble.

  “Do you think that cinnamon chocolate scent is a candle or incense?” Pyper asked.

  “I’m sure you can get it in either.” If Bea could charm a whole shop, certainly she could do something as simple as a candle. Though I wasn’t sure why Pyper would need it. Clearly her happy scent was the café.

  A woman at least half Bea’s age clad in a chic, stylish, bohemian tunic and leggings greeted us. Now this is the kind of person I expected to see in an herbal shop. Her energy had the same lightness as Bea’s, but as I tried to get a read on her emotions all I sensed was a cool void. Weird. I’d never had that happen before.

  “Hi,” I said. “Is Bea around?”

  “Sorry, she didn’t come in today. Can I help you?”

  “Yes, we need a Desert Sage smudge stick.” I pulled a bill out of my wallet, but Pyper put her hand over mine.

  “I got it.”

  I smiled and turned toward the clerk. “I hope Bea isn’t sick.”

  “I’m not really sure. She left me a note letting me know she wouldn’t be here, so she either came in last night or this morning. I can leave her a message if you like.”

  “It’s all right, I have her number. Thanks though.”

  “Anything else?” the clerk asked.

  I shook my head.

  As she finished the transaction, a small twinge of curiosity flowed from her. I reached deeper to find her emotions and was rewarded with a brilliant white light bouncing off the honey-colored hair piled on top of her head.

  “Wow,” I said and stepped back.

  “What?” Pyper asked.

  “Oh, sorry. Nothing.” I bit my lip.

  The clerk’s energy went from white to purple and back to white as she studied me. Realization seemed to dawn and she smiled. “An empath. That explains the bright purple pulsing around you. I can see auras and,” she waved her hand, “other things.”

  I froze. Who was she?

  She leaned in close to me. “You’re friend has something attached to her. Something dark.”

  “Dark?” I repeated. Did Bobby follow us eve
rywhere?

  “Really dark. The worst kind of dark. I’m not sure the smudge will work, but you can try.” She looked unconvinced.

  “Can you tell what it is?” Pyper turned her head, checking over her shoulder.

  “I don’t know. It’s just black, but it isn’t your aura. Yours is red, with tinges of yellow. Very dynamic.”

  Pyper straightened and smiled. “Really? That’s so cool.” Apparently her aura trumped the dark thing following her.

  “Anything else you’d suggest, besides the smudge?” I glanced around the shop, hoping something would jump out at me.

  “You’d be better off asking Bea. If I see her, I’ll let her know you could use her advice.”

  “Thanks.” I handed her a card. “I’m Jade, and this is Pyper.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Lailah. Come see me sometime, and I’ll read your auras more carefully.” She slid a card in the bag and handed it to Pyper.

  I waved and tugged Pyper out of the store.

  ***

  Pyper grabbed a piece of cheese pizza. “Auras, huh? Do you think that stuff is real?”

  “Sure, don’t you?” I sipped my lemonade. It was just wrong to have pizza without beer, but I couldn’t drink and smudge and expect it to be effective.

  She shrugged. “I guess I should be open to anything now. Dreamwalking, ghosts and now smudging. Why not auras?”

  “Doesn’t all this freak you out?” If I hadn’t been exposed to all kinds of odd occurrences growing up, I’d be running for the psych ward right about then. Pyper’s ability to take everything in stride left me in awe.

  “No. Not really.” She paused. “All right, the ghost shit does, but the other stuff, no. I think it’s kinda cool. It reinforces my belief of all of us being connected. Some of us just see it better than others.” Her calm energy floated in soothing waves toward me.

  “How can you be so cool about it, with everything happening?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe it’s an act.” She grinned.

  “It’s not. I can see it isn’t.”

  “You’re that good at reading people?”

  “Yes. I am.” I saw no point in denying it.

  “Interesting. Anything you want to share?” She peered at me.

  “Like what?” I pretended deep interest in my veggie pizza slice.

  “Like maybe you want to tell me what an empath is and what was going on back there?” Her eyes gleamed.