The Ghost and the Mystery Writer

by Anna J. McIntyre

  “Why is he stopping there?” Brian asked.

  “I guess he wants to talk to Carla again.”

  Carla sat across the booth from Chief MacDonald, staring at the photocopy of the letter he had received. After a few moments, she looked up at him. “Where did you get this?”

  “You don’t know?” he asked.

  Setting the paper on the table, she shook her head. “Steve really did kill her?”

  “I don’t know. I was hoping you might be able to tell me who wrote that letter.”

  Carla frowned. “Why would I know who wrote this letter?”

  “Whoever wrote that either witnessed the murder or knew about Jolene blackmailing Steve and wanted to implicate him for some reason. You knew about Jolene blackmailing Steve, and I imagine you weren’t happy with the fact Steve was so casual about breaking up with you.”

  “Are you suggesting I wrote this letter?” Carla gasped.

  “I don’t know who wrote that letter.”

  With a shove, Carla sent the letter moving the rest of the way across the table to MacDonald. “If I witnessed a murder, I would come to you; I certainly wouldn’t send a letter like this. And if you recall, I did come to you and tell you I suspected Steve. Why would I do that if I actually saw him murder that woman?”

  “But if you didn’t witness the murder, yet suspected he might have been the killer—and you knew he had a motive, and you felt unsafe, then I could see how you might write a letter like this. Who else knew about the blackmail?”

  “I don’t know. Aside from you, I never told anyone about the blackmail.”

  “Do you own a typewriter?”

  “Typewriter? Who has a typewriter these days?”

  “So I take that as a no?”

  “I don’t own a typewriter. I have a printer for my computer.”

  “Do you know anyone who has a typewriter?”

  Carla shook her head. “Like I said, who has a typewriter these days? But I suppose this letter proves one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I was right. Steve Klein murdered Jolene Carmichael.” Folding her arms across her chest, Carla slumped back in the booth seat and glared off into space while muttering, “Damn, I certainly know how to pick them.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Danielle stood a moment at the attic doorway, silently observing Walt, who gazed out the window, watching the last hour of daylight.

  “I’m going now,” she said in a soft voice.

  Turning from the window, Walt smiled at Danielle. His eyes swept over her, noting she had changed into leggings and a mauve sweater. Her hair, fashioned into a fishtail braid, was still damp from her recent shower.

  “You aren’t going to a restaurant?” he asked.

  “No. Cookout on the beach. Have a bonfire, maybe roast some marshmallows.”

  Walt turned back to the window and looked out. “It’s been a few years since I’ve been to a cookout on the beach.”

  Danielle walked to Walt and looked outside. “Hillary’s downstairs in her room, still at her typewriter. I expect her to be there until we get back.”

  “Did she have dinner yet?”

  “She went out after the chief left, grabbed a burger, and brought it back here. Went right to her room with it,” Danielle explained.

  “Something odd about that one—especially after what I overheard—but she’s obviously a dedicated writer.”

  “I’d love to know what the deal is with her and Melony. Maybe I’ll learn something tonight.”

  “Who’s all going to be there?”

  “Lily and Ian, and Adam and Melony.”

  “And you and Chris?” Walt asked in a soft voice.

  Danielle shrugged. “Just some friends getting together.”

  Still staring out the window, Walt said, “I like Chris, Danielle. He annoys the hell out of me—but I like him.”

  “He likes you too.”

  Walt sighed and then said, “That’s not what I’m talking about.”

  Danielle looked curiously to Walt. “What are you talking about?”

  “We already know you and Chris are friends. But being friends doesn’t mean something more can’t develop. In fact, it’s best to begin as friends.”

  “Are you trying to play matchmaker, Walt?”

  Walt looked at Danielle and smiled softly. “I want you to be happy. That’s all. And I think you might be happy with Chris.”

  “Who says I’m not happy now?” she asked defensively.

  Walt’s serious yet sweet expression instantly transformed into a mischievous smile. “Plus,” he added, now grinning, “you really aren’t getting any younger.”

  Kneeling on his kitchen floor, Chris moved cans of beer out of the open refrigerator and placed them in the ice chest. He glanced up at Danielle, who leaned back casually against the kitchen counter, absently toying with the glass of wine he had just poured her. She had been the first to arrive.

  “Are you okay?” he asked as he stood up and grabbed some ice from the freezer.

  Danielle glanced over at Chris and smiled. “Umm…sure…why?”

  Chris dumped the ice into the open chest. “I don’t know; you just seem a little preoccupied.”

  Rubbing a finger around the rim of the wineglass, she watched Chris. “I think Walt just gave me his permission to…” Instead of finishing her sentence, she took a sip of wine.

  Chris placed the lid on the ice chest and stood up. “Permission to what?” Wiping his damp hands on the sides of his jeans, he turned to face Danielle, waiting for her to finish her sentence. When she didn’t, he said, “Permission to what? What did Walt give you permission to do?”

  Nervously flicking the tip of her tongue over her lower lip, she looked into Chris’s blue eyes. “For you and I…to…well…be more than just friends.”

  Chris cocked his brows and smiled. “And you needed Walt’s permission for that?”

  “No,” Danielle said quickly and then took another sip of wine. “It’s just that he said he liked you…”

  “And I like Walt. He drives me crazy sometimes. But he’s a good guy.”

  Danielle chuckled.

  “What’s funny?” Chris asked.

  “He said practically the same thing about you.”

  “Did he?”

  Danielle took another sip of wine and then said, “Actually, it’s not the first time he’s said something like that.”

  Chris took several steps to Danielle. Standing before her, he reached out and gently took the wineglass from her hand and then set it on the counter behind her. Her eyes followed the departing glass and then looked up into Chris’s eyes. His hand moved from the wineglass to Danielle’s chin and tipped it up slightly, toward his face.

  She started to say something, but just as she opened her mouth to speak, his lips brushed over hers. Closing her eyes to enjoy the kiss, the doorbell rang.

  “Damn,” Chris whispered against her lips.

  Now smiling, Danielle opened her eyes. “Your company has arrived.”

  “Whose idea was this cookout anyway?” Chris grumbled as he moved away from Danielle.

  “Yours.” She picked her wineglass back up and watched Chris walk to the front door.

  “Adam and Melony.” Chris shook his head. “I didn’t see that one coming.”

  Chris stood with Danielle by the sliding glass door, looking outside. Just beyond the patio, Adam helped Ian build a bonfire while Melony and Lily stood nearby chatting. Chris and Danielle had come back inside the house to get the cooler of beer and another bottle of wine.

  “They’re just childhood friends,” Danielle said. “I like Adam, but come on, him and Melony? Maybe Melony is from Frederickport, but she’s definitely a Park Avenue girl. No way would she wear a scrunchie.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Did you ever watch Sex and the City?”

  “Yeah, what does that have to do with a scrunchie?”

  “There was
this episode where Carrie is talking to a guy she’s seeing—he’s another writer—and in his book he has his female character—a New Yorker—wearing a scrunchie. Carrie is adamant that she and her friends would never wear one.”

  “Next question. What is a scrunchie?”

  Danielle laughed. “It’s a fabric rubber band thingie used to hold a ponytail.”

  “Ahhh…well…I don’t know if Melony would wear a scrunchie or not, but there’s some chemistry going on between those two.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” Danielle started to open the sliding door but then paused. She glanced over to Chris. “Do you think Jolene will show up again?”

  “It’s entirely possible, since Melony’s here.”

  “If she does, I wish there was some way to get her to tell us who killed her. But I don’t see that happening with an audience.”

  “When I saw her, I don’t think she realizes she’s dead yet,” Chris told her.

  “But she showed us where her rings were,” Danielle reminded him.

  “True, but she probably followed her killer and watched him dump them in the water. She was just trying to get them back. But did she understand she’s dead? I don’t think so. Not from how she acted with me.”

  Lily and Ian’s contribution to the dinner was the steaks they had purchased before coming over to Chris’s house. Adam and Melony had picked up some salads at the deli and French bread from Old Salts Bakery. Danielle brought marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers to make s’mores for dessert. Chris provided the beverages and grilled the steaks. After dinner they all sat around the bonfire, roasting marshmallows.

  Instead of beach chairs, they had spread blankets around the blazing fire. Sadie napped on the blanket she shared with Lily and Ian. Danielle glanced over to Melony, who shared a blanket with Adam. By the way the two continually exchanged whispers and private jokes, she suspected Chris might be right.

  Removing a marshmallow from the fire, Danielle blew on it a moment, trying to cool it down before slipping it from the stick. Just as she pulled the gooey marshmallow off, Chris reached over and snatched it from her, popping it into his mouth.

  “You brat!” Danielle cried out. Unable to maintain the proper amount of outrage, she smacked him with her now empty stick.

  Chris started to say something, but he was distracted when Jolene suddenly appeared, hovering over Melony.

  “I’d stab him with your stick,” Lily said with a laugh.

  Danielle, like Chris, was now distracted. Mesmerized, they watched Jolene, waiting to hear what the spirit had to say. The others—Melony, Adam, Ian, and Lily—prattled on, discussing marshmallow thieves and appropriate punishment, oblivious to the new arrival.

  “What are you doing with him!” Jolene shouted, pointing to Adam. Jolene then turned her attention to Adam. “I told you to stay away from my daughter! You’ve ruined her!”

  Sadie woke up, jumped up from her place by Ian, and began barking at the intruding spirit. In the next moment, Jolene vanished. Danielle and Chris exchanged quick glances.

  “Sadie!” Ian snapped. “What are you barking at?”

  Sadie let out a woof, glanced around and then reluctantly returned to her place on the blanket. After making several perfunctory circles, she plopped down with a grunt.

  Ian scowled at his golden retriever, shook his head, and reached over and ruffled the fur on her back. “Crazy dog,” he muttered.

  Chris stood up and stretched while surveying the area, looking for any sign of Jolene. Walking a few feet from the bonfire, he glanced down the beach. “Hey, looks like we aren’t the only ones having a bonfire tonight.”

  “Oh yeah?” Ian asked. “Who’s having a bonfire, and why weren’t we invited?” They all laughed.

  “Looks like it’s at Pete Rogers’s house,” Chris told them.

  “Pete Rogers?” Melony looked to Adam. “Hey, you want to walk down there with me? I’d love to say hi to Pete.”

  Moonlight lit the way for Adam and Melony as they walked down the beach from Chris’s house to Pete’s. It wasn’t a far walk, yet when they were about twenty feet from Pete’s bonfire, they paused a moment and watched. They hadn’t expected him to be alone. Nor had they expected him to be standing by his blazing fire, ripping pages from a book and feeding them to the flames.

  “What is he doing?” Melony asked in a whisper.

  Adam shrugged. “It’s tax time. Maybe he prefers fire to a shredder.”

  They continued on their way, and when they were about six feet from Pete, Melony called out, “Hello, Pete!”

  Startled, Pete looked in their direction and squinted, trying to see who it was. At the same time, he shoved whatever he had been ripping pages out of into a sack by his feet.

  When they reached him, Melony said with a smile, “I bet you don’t know who I am.”

  Pete’s eyes widened and recognition dawned. “Melony!” He then greeted her with a warm hug and then stepped back to have a better look. “Still a pretty thing. But now a young woman, all grown up.”

  Melony laughed. “Not so young anymore.”

  “Oh peshaw! From where I’m sitting, you’re just a babe.”

  Pete gave Adam a quick greeting and then turned his attention back to Melony. His expression grew serious and he reached out, taking her hand in his. “I’m real sorry about your mother.”

  “Thanks, Pete. I know you and my parents were good friends.”

  Pete nodded. “We had some fine times back then.”

  “I remember those cookouts on the beach.” Melony glanced at Pete’s fire. “I didn’t really expect you to be alone when I noticed your bonfire. Thought you’d be out here with all your friends.”

  Pete shook his head. “So many folks have either moved away or died.”

  “Pete, do you know if Mother had a problem with anyone since she moved back to Frederickport?”

  “I heard Danielle Boatman decided not to make a donation to the museum because of some problem she had with your mother.” Pete looked over to Adam and arched his brow. “And I understand Adam here had a bit of a ruckus with your mom over some treasure she was trying to claim.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Before going to Marie Nichols the next morning, Danielle stopped at Old Salts Bakery and picked up freshly baked cinnamon rolls. When she arrived at Marie’s, the coffee was already brewed, and Marie had set cups and napkins on the kitchen table.

  “Do you want to know what one of the best things about being my age is?” Marie asked.

  From what Danielle recalled, Marie was approaching her ninety-first birthday. “What’s that?”

  The two women sat at the kitchen table. Marie pulled a cinnamon roll out of the sack and set it on the napkin in front of Danielle, and then she took a roll for herself. “I don’t fret about calories anymore.”

  Danielle laughed.

  “Of course, that annoying doctor of mine keeps harping about salt.”

  “Sugar isn’t terrific for us either,” Danielle said as she took a satisfying bite of the sweet roll.

  “Nothing delicious ever is.” Marie sipped her coffee.

  Danielle nodded and took another bite of her roll.

  Setting her cup on the table, Marie looked over at Danielle and asked, “Have you heard anything about Jolene’s case? Have they any new leads on her murder?”

  Danielle picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth. “I think they have a few leads, but they’re keeping quiet until they learn more. Did you know Jolene’s daughter, Melony, is staying with us?”

  Marie nodded. “Yes, Adam told me.”

  Danielle set her half-eaten roll on the napkin and looked over at Marie. “Can I ask you something?”

  Marie smiled. “You want to know about Adam and Melony?”

  “How did you know?” Danielle grinned.

  “I heard you all got together last night at Chris’s for a bonfire. I remember when I was younger, we used to do that a lot.”

  “I
just wondered if they…well…did they used to date or something?”

  “Just between the two of us?” Marie asked in a whisper.

  Danielle nodded. “Promise. I won’t even tell Lily.”

  Marie took another sip of her coffee and then said with a chuckle, “I imagine you will.” Setting her cup back on the table, she said, “Adam and Melony ran away together when they were kids.”

  “Ran away?”

  Marie nodded. “They weren’t gone long, a couple days.” Marie shook her head. “Adam’s folks were sick about it, and of course, Jolene was furious, kept blaming Adam, said she was going to have him arrested. But those two were the same age—both minors—wasn’t like some older boy leading her astray. And quite frankly, Melony always had a mind of her own. I doubt Adam, or anyone, could get her to do something she didn’t want to do.”

  “What happened?”

  “They found them after a couple days, and her parents sent Melony off to boarding school.”

  “Did Adam and Melony ever see each other again?”

  Marie shook her head. “Not as far as I know. And then when Melony eventually married, Jolene couldn’t wait to tell Adam—rub it in. Silly woman, it had been years since those two ran off; they were just kids. But one thing about Jolene, she knew how to hold a grudge.”

  “What happened?”

  “This was just after Doug had died, and Jolene was preparing to move. From what I understand, Adam was at some cocktail lounge with some friends in Portland and had a bit too much to drink. Happened to run into Jolene and her party as they were leaving the restaurant. Jolene sees Adam, marches up to him, tells him Melony is on her honeymoon and then starts telling Adam what a loser he is and starts going on about the wonderful man her daughter just married.”

  “From what I understand, Melony is getting a divorce.”

  Marie picked up her roll. “Yes, Adam mentioned that.”

  “So what did Adam say to Jolene?”

  “Like I said, he’d had too much to drink. Foolish boy, he threatened to kill her.”