Horribly Haunted in Hillbilly Hollow (Ozark Ghost Hunter Mysteries Book 1)

by Blythe Baker

  I headed to the Hollow Diner to grab a bite, and texted Suzy and Billy in case either of them wanted to join me before the vigil.

  I sat down and immediately recognized the waitress who came to take my order as Sherrie Selby. She was in our class in school, and we never got along. She always teased me about my grandparents’ house not being big or fancy like hers. The summer after our senior year, though, her father ran off with a backup singer from one of the shows down in Branson, and her and her mom had to sell the house and move into a trailer on a small piece of property at the outskirts of town.

  Sherrie was still pretty and blonde, but the years had not been kind. She definitely had a hard edge about her, and looked much older than thirty.

  “Emma Hooper! What in the world are you doin’ in town?” she asked, slapping a laminated menu down with a thwap!

  “Hi, Sherrie. I’m in town visiting my grandparents for a while. How are you?” I asked politely.

  “I’m real good, thanks. How ‘bout you?” Sherrie smiled but I could tell she wasn’t especially fond of the idea of welcoming me home.

  “Oh, just great, thanks. Could I get a root beer please?” I smiled up at her.

  “Well, if it isn’t my favorite doctor.” Her tone suddenly got soft and syrupy sweet.

  I didn’t have to turn around. I knew it was Billy walking up behind me.

  “Sherrie,” he said with a brief nod, then plopped down in the booth next to me, resting his arm on the back of my chair. “Hi, Emma,” he said squeezing me as he whispered into my ear, “Play along.”

  “What kept you so long?” I replied, leaning next to him. “I didn’t know how long it would take you to finish up at the clinic, so I didn’t order you a drink yet. What can Sherrie bring you?” I fluttered my eyelashes at him and we both tried not to crack up.

  “Coffee would be great, thanks, Sherrie,” he said and quickly turned back to me.

  I backhanded him in the stomach as she walked off and he put his arm down.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, looking up at him from under my brows.

  “She’s always tryin’ to get me to ask her out. She swears I keep dodging her because I’ve been holding a torch for you since high school.” He shook his head.

  “You’ve been what? I’m sorry?” I asked, incredulously.

  “It’s not – I – she’s exaggerating,” he said nervously, then mumbled something I couldn’t hear under his breath.

  “Sorry, come again? Didn’t quite catch that,” I said, raising an eyebrow at him and enjoying watching him squirm.

  “It’s nothing. I said…I said it’s not a torch. A match, maybe.” Even through his tanned skin, I knew his face well enough to see when he was blushing. We both laughed.

  “Well, a fireplace match at least, I would hope.” I changed the subject. “Have you heard from Suzy?”

  “Yeah, she and Brian are going to meet us here in just a bit. Thought we’d grab a bite then head over to the church. Are your grandparents comin’?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’m sure they’ll be here. Oh! I almost forgot.” I pulled the pin out of my bag to show him. “Guess who’s an official member of the historical society now?”

  “Hey, congrats! You won Mrs. Blackwood over, I see.” He smiled.

  “Yes. Just. While we were talking she went off on some tirade about how much it costs to maintain the fort, and how people don’t think about how serious it all is. It was like she was off in her own world. It was really strange.”

  “What’s strange?” Suzy asked as she walked in with Brian.

  “Brian! So good to see you! I’d get up to hug you, but I’m pinned, as you see,” I said, pointing to Billy who was on the outside of the booth.

  “Great to see you too, Emma. Suzy’s been on and on about you being back since you got here.” Brian smiled at Suzy with a look that was pure love. She was right, he really did seem like a good guy these days.

  “Yeah, yeah, everybody is glad Emma’s back.” I felt Suzy kick my shin under the table.

  “Ow! What was that for?” I looked at her, wide-eyed, as I rubbed my shin.

  “Oh, sorry! Short legs. That wasn’t meant for you.” She gave Billy a stern look, then returned to me. “As I said, what’s strange?”

  Sherrie returned and set down my root beer and Billy’s coffee. “Hey Sherrie,” Suzy said, “He’ll have a pop,” she crooked a thumb at Brian, “and I’ll have a diet because I have a dress to fit into soon. And, could we get menus too please? Thanks!” She quickly returned her gaze to me, waiting for a response.

  “Oh, well, when Mrs. Blackwood was interviewing me for the historical society, she went off on some tangent about money, and people not understanding how important the fort was…really strange.”

  “Tell ‘em.” Suzy slapped Brian in the chest with the back of her hand. “Tell ‘em what you told me, go on.”

  Same ol’ Suzy – still bossy!

  “Oh, well, I was picking up a chandelier for my mom at Teller’s last week.” He looked around and leaned in as if he thought a secret could be kept long in a town this size. “Anyhow, I see Mayor Teller talking to Preacher Jacob over in his office. The office door was cracked open, so you could hear ‘em a little. Anyway, they were arguing, and Preacher Jacob kept shakin’ his head back and forth and Mayor Teller was making that chopping motion with his hand, like he was tryin’ to make a point.” Brian demonstrated.

  He continued with, “The only thing I heard him say clearly was when Teller raised his voice real loud. Man, his face was red.” Brian shook his head at the memory. “Anyway, he said, ‘I need to see it! I’ll pay any price,’ then something like, ‘I don’t care – bring it to me’. Just then, the shop clerk, Lena, she walked out from the back with the chandelier, and as she walked by Teller’s office she shut the door. So that was all I could hear. Crazy, really. After that, I saw him at church on Sunday, then he was just gone. I couldn’t believe it.”

  “Wow, that sounds like it was quite an exchange,” I said. “Did you tell Tucker?”

  “I did, but he didn’t seem to think there was much to it,” Brian replied.

  Suzy looked at me, and she and I mouthed the same words at the same time: box of rocks. We both started laughing hysterically.

  “Any ideas what they’re laughing at?” Brian asked Billy.

  “No clue, man, no clue,” he replied.

  “Oh, Suzy, I nearly forgot! When I picked up my suitcase, I saw Don Clark at the airport. You know, from Ozark Mountain Lightning?”

  Billy looked at me and we both immediately started singing Hello Suzy Q.

  Suzy rolled her eyes. “You’re both gonna get it, just so you know!” She picked up one of Brian’s fries and threw it at me. “And you started it!”

  After chatting for a while, we all headed over to the vigil.

  Chapter 12

  When we got to the church, all the older folks, including my grandparents, had lawn chairs on the sidewalk and crowds of people were already in the street. Tucker and his deputies had the street blocked off to through traffic, their white headlights flashing onto the storefronts across from the church.

  Suzy, Brian, Billy, and I stood behind my grandparents, and Suzy’s grandmother, who was sitting beside them. Danny Baxter, the Youth Pastor, stepped up and said a few words while some of the teenagers from the congregation passed out candles stuck through little paper plates to everyone gathered.

  Next to Danny stood Betty Blackwood, who followed him, walking to the top step of the church door to reiterate the reward the historical society was offering. She may have just been historical society president, but she should’ve gone into government politics the way she worked that crowd. I couldn’t help but feel she didn’t miss Preacher Jacob quite as much as she would like to have people think.

  I half-expected Prudence to get up and say something about Preacher Jacob, but she was an absolute wreck. Her mother, Margene, was doing her best to hold her up as she sobbed and w
ailed. Eventually, she got some help from a couple of the older church deacons. One of the old men from the sidewalk stood up and waved them all over to where he was, offering Prudence his aluminum, green-and-white webbed chair. She collapsed into it as if she had lost all will to go on.

  At the end of the vigil, Tucker stood up and reminded everyone again that they wanted to speak to anyone who saw Preacher Jacob on the day of his death, or who had any information on anything unusual in the area near the old fort that night.

  As he spoke, Suzy and I both leaned forward, around Brian and each put a hand up to shield our lips from onlookers as we simultaneously mouthed the words, ‘crazy handsome.’ We suppressed an inappropriate giggle as we each covered our mouths with our hands and stood back upright.

  As people started to scatter, Grandma said she’d like to go by Margene Huffler’s place and help her see to Prudence.

  “Emma, that means you need to ride back with me,” Grandpa said.

  “Oh, Mr. Hooper, I’ll make sure she gets home,” Suzy said putting a hand on his arm sweetly.

  “Oh, okay,” I replied, handing Grandpa the keys to the old truck. “My suitcase is in the back, so could you leave the truck unlocked when you get home please?” I leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek.

  “Always do. Be careful, kids,” he said to all of us and none of us in particular before he picked up the folding chairs and walked down the block toward the truck.

  I walked with Suzy, Brian and Billy back toward the end of the business district.

  “Well, we’re over here,” Suzy said. “Talk to you tomorrow, Emma. Goodnight, you guys.” She grabbed Brian’s hand and turned down the side street.

  “Wait a minute, you’re supposed to take me home,” I protested.

  “No, I said I’d make sure you get home. Billy, take her home. ‘Night!”

  She laughed and walked off with Brian, who just shrugged apologetically.

  Billy and I turned to look at each other, and said in unison, “She’s so bossy!”

  We laughed, and I told him, “I’m sorry. If I’d known you’d get saddled with driving me, I would’ve gone with Grandpa.”

  “I don’t mind. The truck’s at my house. Hey – since we have to go by, you can pop in and see my place!” His smile was beaming and I couldn’t say no.

  “Sounds great. Let’s go!”

  We walked the two blocks further to Billy’s, and he let me in the front door.

  I was in awe when I saw the inside. There was no telling how much he had spent remodeling the place.

  “You did all of this?” I asked as I waved my hand around in the air.

  “Pretty much. I did have some help for the big stuff, though. Like putting in the ceramic tile in the kitchen, and the plumbing – not willing to take a DIY risk with that. I refinished the floors though…installed all those light fixtures.” He pointed to some beautiful antique-style light fixtures above us. “Come on, I’ll show you my favorite room.”

  He took me through the open living room to a wall of glass at the back of the house, and slid open the back door. We stepped out into the back yard. There was a huge deck with an outdoor kitchen and a fire pit surrounded by big, soft lounge chairs.

  “Wow! You made fun of me for watching detective shows, but you must watch home improvement TV nonstop. This is amazing!”

  I couldn’t remember having been in a home that was any nicer than his was. As we walked through it, I had remembered the dark, burgundy wallpaper and hunter green carpet that had been inside before. The modern, hardwood floors, big windows, and light colors were a nice contrast and a huge improvement overall.

  “Have a seat – I’ll grab you a pop. We can chat a bit before we head out.” He hopped up the two steps onto the deck, then quickly turned back. “I mean, if that’s okay with you?”

  I nodded, and he smiled, going back inside to retrieve two bottles of pop. I decided to make myself at home on the comfortable chair.

  I lounged back on the chair, thinking how relaxing it must be to sit out here and read, or just look up at the stars.

  Suddenly, something furry leapt up onto the chair next to me, and I jumped. The chair lost its balance, and I fell back, feet over head, and found myself face down on the lawn next to the upturned chair.

  I heard a yip, and before I know it, the little fur ball was standing directly in front of me, and we were eye-to-eye as I lifted myself up on my elbows. It immediately licked my face, yipping again, and wagging its tail.

  “You could warn a girl before you pounce, you know!” I said to the cute little furry face.

  “What?” Billy asked, coming back outside. “Oh no! Emma! Are you okay?”

  He put the pop down on the edge of the fire pit and grabbed me underneath the arms, pulling me to my feet.

  “There you go. You’re okay, I think. Nothing hurts?” he asked, looking carefully at my eyes in doctor-patient examination mode.

  “I think it’s broken,” I replied, rubbing my hand across my chest just under my neck.

  “What’s broken? Show me! Where?” He urgently began scanning my neck and collarbone.

  “My pride. It’s toast!” I smiled at him.

  “Emma.” He raised an eyebrow at me. “That’s not funny to do to a doctor, ya know.”

  “Right, right. Dr. Billy. I keep forgetting. Sorry!” I smiled.

  He turned the chair back right side up and I sat down, more cautiously.

  The pup put its paws up on the edge of the chair, and I picked her up this time, making sure she didn’t startle me again. Billy sat on the foot of the chair next to me, and I couldn’t help but think he wanted to weigh the chair down to make sure I didn’t flip it again.

  “She’s so cute! What kind is she?” I asked.

  The pup immediately curled up on my lap, her little tail wagging a mile a minute.

  “She’s, well, she’s a Maltipoo. Her name is Halee,” he said sheepishly.

  “A Maltipoo? Didn’t you have Labradors and Coon Hounds growing up? Big tough guy grows up and gets this sweet little baby?” I gave a full belly laugh.

  “What can I say? One of my patients had to give her up. When I saw that fluffy hair, and those big, dark eyes, I couldn’t resist.” He reached over and patted her on the head.

  She seemed to be pretty happy to be getting petted by two people at one time. I could just imagine her putting those little paws up on Billy’s leg, and him looking down into those big puppy eyes and giving her whatever she wanted.

  “Mm-hm. So this is the lady in your life? Does Sherrie Selby know? She’ll be crushed!” I laughed again and he threw me a feigned look of being wounded.

  “If you’re just gonna insult me all night...” he started.

  “No, I’m just kidding. I’m kind of glad you asked me to come over for a bit before we headed back. There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about, but I wasn’t sure how to say it, exactly.”

  He leaned forward a bit in anticipation.

  I nervously looked down, stroking Halee’s head between her ears.

  “It’s about the accident. I told you about getting hit, in New York. I didn’t tell you the whole story.” I went on to tell him how I’d heard the singer and his friend talk about seeing ghosts after a head injury when I was at the airport, and how I’d had a similar experience. “So, what do you think? Have you ever heard of it? Is it something…I’ll ever get past?”

  “Hang tight, I’ll be right back.” He disappeared into the house and came out a moment later with a tablet. “I’ve got some professional references downloaded on here. Let me see what I can find.”

  He scanned the device for a couple of minutes. “Okay, here we go! You’re – I’m asking from a purely medical standpoint here – you’re not on any medications are you?”

  “Oh, no. I was on an anti-inflammatory when I first got out of the hospital, but nothing now,” I replied.

  “Okay, that’s good…” he continued reading. “And
do you remember the doctor saying it was a diffuse injury or focal?”

  “Diffuse sounds familiar. Please tell me that’s a good sign,” I said.

  “It could be. Emma, it sounds like you had a pretty serious injury. If it was diffuse…” He moved his hand back and forth all over his scalp area to demonstrate. “…that means it was more widespread, but that type of injury is associated with hallucinations like you describe, especially when they begin soon after the injury. When was the onset?”

  I was floored by how proper and official he sounded talking about medical stuff. I knew he was a doctor, of course, but he was also little Billy Stone.

  I said, “Um, the onset, like when it started? As soon as I got out of the hospital. Three days, maybe?”

  “Okay, well, that could be a good sign. As the axons heal, those are the nerve cells that carry cerebral activity, they’ll rewire themselves and you should start feeling back to normal. It could take weeks, or months maybe, but it should happen.”

  He put the tablet down on the empty chair next to us and patted Halee, who was comfortably draped across my lap, on the head.

  “Thanks. That does make me feel a bit better. It’s just uncanny, though, that I saw that…that…whatever it is in the field the same night Preacher Jacob was murdered. I don’t understand it.” I sighed.

  “Probably just coincidence – or projection. You heard from Tucker about Preacher Jacob the next morning, and you made that blob become him because it fit. Your brain was just trying to make sense of something nonsensical,” he replied.

  Darn he was cute when he was being all smart and logical.

  “Billy?” I asked.