by Rose Pressey
My eyes widened and my mouth probably dropped open. Me? Why me? I’d never broken the law. Not even a speeding ticket. I wasn’t going to start now by murdering someone.
He tapped the table, turned and then walked away. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. My comfort food was of little comfort now. It would take more than a cheeseburger to console me.
As I scanned the restaurant it felt as if the whole town was watching me and pointing an accusing finger. Was it all because I ran the ghost tour? Or was it because I’d recently returned to town? They acted as if they didn’t know me. I mean, sure, a murder had occurred less than eight hours after I’d started the job, but was that any reason to be so testy with me? Surely they could trust me more than that. All the women who’d been at the library had been residents of the town all their life. I felt as though they could be trusted too.
I thought about leaving after the visit from the police chief, but I figured I’d wait until the action died down. Everyone knew that he’d come over and talked to me. If I sat there for a few more minutes they would become distracted and I could slip out.
I had gotten myself into a pickle and the crazy thing was I hadn’t even done anything. I wondered if Brannon knew that everyone in the library was under suspicion. Maybe he hadn’t had the heart to tell me. Or maybe he was trying to get more info from me and that was the reason for the visit.
I nibbled on a couple French fries, trying to get my appetite back. When I glanced up, Brannon walked through the door. He looked around the diner for an available table. The chief noticed him and nodded. Brannon didn’t go over to his table though. Once again, he looked my way before I had a chance to look away, so he caught me staring right at him. A huge smile spread across his face and he immediately headed toward me. I hoped I didn’t have ketchup on my face. I dabbed at my mouth with the napkin quickly before he reached the table.
Brannon stood beside my table. “Do you mind if I sit down?” He gestured toward the booth across from me.
I waved. “Sure, have a seat.”
So far he was acting much less suspicious of me than the chief. Brannon slid into the booth across from me. He looked over at my burger. “How is it?”
I glanced down at the half-eaten food. “It was okay.”
He quirked a brow. “Was? What happened to it?”
“The police chief is what happened to it.”
He frowned. “I’m not following you.”
“He stopped by to talk for a second. He told me that everyone who was in the library that night is under suspicion.”
Brannon stared at me for a moment, but didn’t speak.
“I guess you weren’t going to tell me that?” I asked.
Brannon studied my face and then said, “I didn’t want to upset you. It’s routine, really. You don’t have to worry.”
Maybe it was standard procedure, but that didn’t make me feel any better.
“Don’t let it worry you too much, okay?”
I nodded. “I’ll try not to let it get to me, but we are talking a possible murder.”
He looked around to see if anyone was listening. At that moment the waitress walked over. She smiled brightly at Brannon. I hadn’t gotten the same treatment from her. That didn’t surprise me much though since Brannon was a good-looking guy.
Brannon placed his order for a cheeseburger and fries and then paused for the waitress to walk away. He took a drink of his water and watched me over the top of his glass. Finally, he placed the glass on the table and said, “Ripley, I don’t want you to feel alone in all of this. I will help you if you need anything.”
I eyed him suspiciously. “Yeah, but do you just want to help me because you want to investigate the library for ghosts?”
His eyes widened. “I can’t believe you would think that. Do I seem like that kind of guy?”
“No offense, but I haven’t had great experiences with men, so I tend to be a little suspicious.”
“I know you didn’t do anything to Marion,” Brannon said.
I waved my hand. “Of course I didn’t.”
The waitress brought his food and we were silent for a moment. After he took a bite of the burger and finished chewing, he said, “You know, I wouldn’t be opposed to you allowing me to investigate the library too.”
“What? No way. After what happened? I don’t need help or the attention of a ghost hunt. I’ll figure this mess out on my own.”
Brannon didn’t know the half of it. He had no idea that ghosts could really communicate. Besides, I really didn’t need his help. I’d let my ex help in my life too much. Anyway, why hunt for the ghost when she was sending me messages all day offering misguided advice?
“Other than having a homicide investigation around, how are you enjoying life back in Devil’s Moon?” he asked as he finished off his burger.
I stuffed another French fry in my mouth and the said, “It’s good to be home… I guess.”
“I’m glad you’re back. No one told me that the prettiest girl in town had left.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. “If you think compliments will get you in that library you are wrong.”
He laughed. “It’s worth a shot.”
“Why did you move to Devil’s Moon?”
The light reflected in his blue eyes. “My ex-wife is from Devil’s Moon.” He pushed his plate away.
I stared at him for a moment. “Your ex-wife? Who is she?”
“Darlene McGuire.”
I nodded. “I remember her. She was a couple years ahead of me in high school. What happened? I’m sorry. Was that rude of me to ask?”
He placed his napkin on his plate. “She decided she didn’t want to live here anymore. She moved to New York with her boss.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I guess we have something in common then.”
Brannon’s eyes widened. “Your ex-wife cheated on you too?”
I chuckled. “No, my fiancé cheated with a friend of mine.” I looked at my watch. “Oh, I’m going to be late for the tour.”
I pushed to my feet and reached for the ticket. He placed his hand over mine on the table, which made my heart race. Our eyes met.
“I’ll pay for it,” he said.
“No. you don’t have to do that.”
“Please, I want to.” He looked up at me with those big blue eyes and I figured it would be hard for any woman to say no to him. Darlene was crazy for cheating on him.
I offered a smile. “Okay. Thank you.”
Brannon turned in the booth to watch me walk away. “Have fun on the tour tonight.”
As I walked toward the door I glanced back and smiled. Brannon Landon was completely unaware of his charms. Funny thing. I didn’t even pay attention to see if anyone was watching me. I really didn’t care now.
I rushed down the sidewalk toward the tavern where I was scheduled to meet everyone. I knew I had at least four confirmed tour goers tonight.
I’d almost reached the building when my phone dinged. I knew the alert was for a text message. Should I check it? I was torn. Finally, I reached in my purse and pulled out the phone. When I looked at the screen it was blank. There was supposed to be a message there, but it was empty just like before. It didn’t have the number or name of the sender either. I needed to get my phone checked. Maybe it was going kaput.
Chapter Fifteen
I shoved the phone back into my purse and rushed the rest of the way to the tavern. Thunder rumbled in the distance. A gush of wind sent the fallen leaves dancing down the sidewalk in front of me. Traffic was steady through town and quite a few people moved along the sidewalks. As I neared the tavern I saw that the group was already waiting for me out front. I wasn’t late, but I hated that I hadn’t arrived before them. Brannon had been too much of a distraction.
I greeted the group and then started my usual spiel. “Many sightings of ghosts have been reported in the town of Devil’s Moon. Follow along with me tonight while I take you to some of the most haunted spots.”<
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I had the group’s full attention. There were four middle-aged women tonight. They chatted and giggled amongst themselves, but followed me when I headed toward the first building. The bookstore had a cute black awing that covered its entrance and a white and black sign above the door welcoming patrons. That distinct smell of books surrounded me every time I stepped into the space. I never grew tired of that aroma. I knew where every section was in the store. It hadn’t changed since I’d been gone from Devil’s Moon. As a child my mother had brought me in once a month to buy a new book. When I got older I just brought myself to the store. Probably more often than I should have according to my bank account.
We stepped into the historic red-brick building that housed a bookstore. There must be something about books and ghosts, because there was one at the bookstore and now one at the library too.
I was telling the women the stories that employees and customers had shared with me when a loud bang sounded from across the room. The women jumped and then looked to me for an explanation.
“What was that?” the brunette with the pink dress asked.
I shook my head and inched closer to the doorway. The owner of the bookstore was in the upstairs part of the building. The business was officially closed for the day so we were the only people inside.
There was a doorway that led to the back area of the store. The staircase to the second floor was back there. I peeked in to see if the owner was back there. He wasn’t there. I turned around to face the women.
“Okay. I guess it was nothing. We should move on to the other location.”
As we walked toward the front entrance a book flew off the shelf and landed on the floor in front of us. The women screamed, which made me jump. They rushed around the book and to the door.
When I reached them out on the sidewalk, the gray-haired woman said, “Did you see that? It flew right off the shelf.”
“It must have been the ghost,” the other woman said.
Well, at least they got their money’s worth tonight. They would tell everyone about their ghostly experience on the tour.
“Would you like to continue, ladies?” I asked.
They might have been frightened, but that didn’t stop them. “We want to see the rest.”
I smiled. “Okay. Let’s head over to the graveyard.”
The women giggled again as I led them down the sidewalk. Apparently, they hadn’t been that scared. As we walked by the tavern again, headed toward the graveyard, I spotted the ghost of the man. This time I decided to point him out to the women.
“Do you see that man over there?” I asked.
“What man?” they answered in unison.
“The one in the blue shirt? You can see right through him.” I pointed.
Their eyes widened. “We don’t see anyone.”
I studied their faces and then looked back where I’d seen him. No one was there.
“You saw a ghost? Are you putting us on?” the woman asked.
“No, ma’am, I wouldn’t make up something like that. He was standing right over there by that window.” My phone sent an alert again. I glanced at the phone and saw that it was a text.
There was no time to read it now. I motioned for the women to follow me again. We reached the graveyard and there was something different about it tonight. Like a heavy fog, but there was no real fog to be seen. One thing was for sure, I kept an eye out for the ghost. I just wanted someone else to see him other than me.
We weaved around the headstones. Some of the stones had crumbled years ago. They were probably too far gone to save now. Clouds scudded in front of the moon, making visibility even harder. That familiar scent of fall hung in the air. The smell of fall was one of the things that I had always missed when I’d left Devil’s Moon. Now here I was back and standing in the middle of Devil’s Moon Cemetery.
The graveyard seemed to come to life at night. As if the souls of those buried there roamed the space with me. I couldn’t always see them, but I felt their presence. I felt them around me. It would surprise me if they didn’t appear to me some night.
As I led the ladies through the graveyard and shared stories of hauntings, I spotted Mrs. Clatterbuck. That was the last thing I needed. She was determined to put my tour out of business. I was determined not to let that happen.
I ushered the women toward the entrance, cutting the tour just a little bit short. We’d had a lot of excitement for one evening. Making the tour shorter tonight was better than dealing with Mrs. Clatterbuck in front of customers. If she needed to discuss something with me then she would just have to wait.
The women thanked me for the tour, but wanted me to walk them at least halfway to their car. Occupational hazard, I supposed. I agreed. It was the least I could do after scaring them. Of course, technically it had been the ghost who scared them.
After leaving the women, I headed toward my apartment. Brannon’s face popped into my head as I remembered when he’d walked me home and our earlier talk over burgers. Maybe I should let him investigate the library. I mean, the board probably wouldn’t find out.
No, Leslie would find out and she would tell on me. If I did let him investigate it would have to be a secret.
I looked over my shoulder. It felt as if someone was back there. But each time I looked back, no one was there. Was I sensing the ghost? When I looked back again, I could have sworn I saw a shadow duck behind a building.
The shadow looked like the most realistic ghost that I’d ever seen. I had a bad feeling about this. This time it wasn’t a ghost… a real person was following me. I reached my apartment, opened the gate and hurried toward the front door. I couldn’t shove the key in the door fast enough. For someone who dealt with ghosts, I sure was a scaredy cat. I could deal with ghosts, it was the living I was most afraid of.
Once inside, I locked the door and turned on the porch light. A yellow glow flooded the front of the house. When I peeked out the door curtain I didn’t see anyone.
Thank goodness no one was there, but I knew that I hadn’t been imagining anything. The person behind me had been real. Whether or not they had been following me or not, I didn’t know. Remembering that I had received a text, I pulled out my phone.
Help me.
That was all that was written on the screen. Why was I getting this message? I’d have to ask Annie if she was sending it. Who wanted my help?
After changing into my black pajamas with green cats on them, I peeked out the window one last time. No one was there. But the darkened night did little to ease my fears. I climbed into bed, trying to force the thoughts of everything that had happened out of my mind.
I wasn’t sure how long it had taken me to drift off, but it felt like hours. Once I was asleep I dreamed of ghosts. The man I’d seen by the tavern was waving for me to follow him. Just as I’d started to follow him down the darkened alleyway, Annie appeared. She pulled me out of the alleyway and wouldn’t allow me to return.
I woke up before I’d found out what the man wanted. I was glad Annie had stopped me from following him though. The dream probably meant nothing, but I still had to know who the ghost was and what he wanted.
Chapter Sixteen
The next morning came entirely too soon considering I hadn’t gotten enough sleep. I had no idea what was going to happen at work today. Would there be a police presence? Would they come back to talk to me? Leslie had been in the library for a short time before Marion had been killed, but she’d left before the actual incident, so the police probably wouldn’t want to talk with her much. Only me. Lucky me. I would just answer their questions and that would be it. As long as I told the truth there would be nothing to worry about.
After dressing in a black pair of pants and a white sweater with black boots, I headed toward the library. Of course I kept my eye out for the ghost or anyone strange who might be following me. I hated that I had to be paranoid, but better safe than sorry.
Pots of chrysanthemums dotted the sidewalks and old-fashioned w
ooden streetlights decorated the streets and guided the way during the night. Nothing much had changed since I’d left Devil’s Moon. I reached my favorite building in town. The old brick two story with the black wrought balcony on the second floor was on the corner by the entrance to the graveyard. I always thought it would be fun to sit up there and just watch the beauty of Devil’s Moon from afar. A few new stores had come along since I’d been gone. Like Dana’s coffee shop, Sue’s salon, Katherine’s cupcake shop, and Marion’s home décor. It was a nice selection of stores, but a tragedy now surrounded all the women.
Luckily, I made it to work without any incidents. As far as I could tell no one had followed me. Maybe they were saving that for after work when it was dark. I would see if I could get someone to walk home with me. Leslie lived nearby. Yeah, fat chance she would walk with me. She’d let the bogeyman get me first.
As soon as I pushed through the massive doors I spotted Annie right away. She was standing by the front counter. Leslie was behind the counter, but she had no idea that the ghost of Annie Gibson was right next to her.
“Good morning, Leslie.” I waved.
“It’s about time you got here,” she snapped.
My text dinged right away and I knew it was Annie expressing her displeasure with Leslie’s attitude. I couldn’t say that I liked it much either.
Leslie waved her arms dramatically. “I have a bunch of books to take care of.”
“Okay, calm down. Just go do your work and I will handle the desk for now.”
She stomped away, mumbling something under her breath as she went. Leslie was really pushing my buttons.
I walked by Annie. “I can’t talk right now, Annie,” I whispered.
I would have to try to ignore her. Jane Austen strolled beside me, meowing with every step I took. I knew that she wanted to be fed right away. I went to the cabinet where her food was stashed and poured it into the bowl. Next, I added water to the dish beside it. She looked at me as if I should leave her alone to eat in peace, so I turned my attention to the front desk.