Deader Still: A Bridget Sway Novel (A Paranormal Ghost Cozy Mystery Series)

by Jordaina Sydney Robinson

  Petal beamed up at me. “Morning, sunshine.”

  Lucy spoke from the foot of the bed, her arms tightening around my legs. “It’s far too early for that much peppiness.”

  “Paaaa-aaam,” Petal sang and the arm lifted off my neck in a jerk.

  “What?” Pam sat bolt upright, alert and scanning the room. “What?”

  I put my hand over my eyes, as if I could block the nightmare out. “Why is everyone sleeping on me?”

  Petal lifted my hand from my face. “Not everyone, silly. Clem and Mark aren’t here.” Her voice took on a solemn edge. “That would be inappropriate.”

  “We accidentally overheard you and Oz in the garden last night.” Pam swung her legs over the side of the bed to the floor and reached to the ceiling in a long stretch. “We thought you might want some company.”

  Petal bounced off the bed and did a perfect pirouette. I watched her with barely concealed loathing. I hated morning people. “Why would I need company?”

  “You were crying like a little girl.” Pam scooted off the bed and started doing lunges across the room. First thing in the morning. Before a cup of tea or anything. What the hell was wrong with these people? Pam turned and lunged back towards the bed. “And in case you had nightmares about killing that Gracie person.”

  “I didn’t kill her.” I wasn’t touching the crying comment. As far as I was concerned it hadn’t happened.

  “Of course you didn’t.” Lucy patted my shin. “You were just the one they found covered in her blood, standing over her dead body with the bloody murder weapon in your hands.”

  I kicked Lucy off my legs and jumped out of bed. I just couldn’t take this much interaction first thing in the morning. “Out.” I stormed across the room and flung my door open. Oz stood there with a tray loaded with toast and four mugs of tea. It was hard to hate a person that brought you tea first thing in the morning.

  He arched an eyebrow. “Not a morning person?”

  I jerked my thumb over my shoulder. “Did you know about this?”

  “This is my house.” He walked past me into the room and set the tray on my chest of drawers. “You know nothing goes on here that I don’t know about.” I assumed that was a dig about my reclaimed makeup, which he’d confiscated.

  “Well, that’s not really creepy.” I snapped to his back. “And why is this happening in my room?”

  “Yay.” Petal clapped and threw her arms around Oz’s neck for a quick hug and then descended on the tray. “Tea.”

  “They want to be your friends.” He lowered his voice as he approached the door. “Let them.”

  I scowled at him and folded my arms. “No.”

  “Yes. Or we’ll have to talk about your essay.” He arched an eyebrow and my expression froze. “The one you wrote so eloquently explaining how attending your funeral has helped you understand your role in the afterlife. The one Petal handed in for you.”

  I adjusted my fringe with an attempt at casual. “Why would we need to talk about that?”

  His lips flattened into a straight line that told me he knew Petal had written it. “For some unfathomable reason, they like you. And you need the support.” He brushed my fringe out of my eyes. “Let them be your friends.”

  I held up a finger in warning. “Okay, but when they start breaking all your rules, remember you asked for it.”

  “Oh, I’m pretty sure it’ll work the other way and they’ll wear you down first.” He smiled and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  “Don’t bet on it.” I glanced over my shoulder and the three chattering women getting crumbs all over my bed.

  ∞

  “So what’s your excuse for standing us up?” Sabrina settled in the chair next to me at breakfast and unloaded her tray. Honeyed toast and coffee as usual. “And it better be good.”

  “My excuse? Excuse for what?” I stared blankly at her, my second cup of tea halfway to my mouth.

  I’d escaped from the housemate melee as soon as possible. I could only do “nice” in short bursts in the morning, or really at any point in the day, and quite frankly I was a little surprised at myself for wanting to be able to do it at all. I’d sat and had a cup of tea with them, had a shower while they ate toast and covered my room in crumbs, and then tunnelled to the canteen to eat in peace.

  “Oh, for crying out loud.” Sabrina lowered her coffee cup. “Again? Seriously? Just tell me it wasn’t in your locker.”

  I shrugged. “It wasn’t in my locker.”

  Her eyes darted over my face and she placed her coffee cup back on its saucer. “I don’t care for that tone.”

  “Heard you killed someone last night, Bridge. That should help you pass your assessments.” Pete was talking around his mouthful of porridge before his bottom had touched the chair. He was acting normal. So he was pretending the closet incident hadn’t happened even though he’d told Oz about Madame Zorina? Yeah, that wasn’t happening.

  “Hey.” Sabrina jabbed her toast in Pete’s direction. “She didn’t kill anyone. She’s going to pass these assessments just fine. And stop yelling at her for things she doesn’t know. Now shove some more porridge in your mouth and be quiet.”

  Charlie nodded his greeting around the table. “What is it you didn’t know and why was Pete yelling at you for it?”

  “I’m sure Pete will want to explain that one, Charlie, since he’s so talkative on the subject,” I said and took a sip of my tea.

  “What was I supposed to do? Not say anything to him?” Pete was talking and still shovelling in his porridge. It must have been a learned skill because he could talk as if his mouth were empty. I couldn’t do that. He lifted his spoon about to shove some more in his mouth.

  “Yes. That was exactly what you were supposed to do,” Sabrina snapped at him.

  “He found us in the supply closet.” Pete dropped his spoon into his porridge and prodded the table with his finger. “And he needed to know.”

  “You should have let her tell him,” Sabrina said.

  “Did I mention he found us alone, in the supply closet? I wasn’t getting out of there without an explanation.”

  Sabrina leaned over the table towards Pete, showing him her teeth and not in a smile. “You shouldn’t have pulled her into the supply closet in the first place, then you wouldn’t have been in that position. No—” Sabrina held up her hand before Pete could retort. “Say one more word on this, Pete, one more word, and my scalding coffee is going in your face.” Pete opened his mouth and Sabrina held up her finger in warning. “Don’t even think about testing me.”

  The frown on Pete’s face said he was thinking about testing her. Happily though, he didn’t actually do it.

  “I do so love our peaceful breakfasts,” Charlie said with a sigh and sprinkled some sugar on his cereal. “I believe there was some drama last night, Bridget. I’m almost afraid to ask.”

  I gave them the highlights and then I ate my buttery croissant in silence while they all digested the news along with their breakfasts.

  “Who do you think did it?” Pete asked, keeping a wary eye on Sabrina and her coffee.

  “I have no interest in who did it, Pete. I’m just focusing on passing my assessment.” I didn’t trust them not to report back to Oz with a detailed account of our conversation as soon as my back was turned.

  Pete waved his spoon at me and winked. “Sure you are, Bridge.”

  “I hope you’re not giving Oz too much of a rough ride over this. You’re doing everything he asks, right?” Charlie asked.

  “Why would you say that, Charlie?” I asked, my mug of tea halfway to my mouth. There must have been something in my tone because everyone stopped eating and turned to me.

  Charlie frowned slightly. “Because all these bodies you keep finding affect him just as much. Probably more since it’s his job to protect you and that’s difficult when your ward won’t do what you ask. Especially …”

  Sabrina was onto the hanging sentence like a blood
hound. “Especially why?”

  “Especially with there being so many bodies,” Pete supplied. “So just don’t give him a hard time, okay?”

  “Funny how they’re allowed their little secrets,” Sabrina said to me while frowning at Pete. Yeah, I didn’t think that was what Charlie had meant either.

  I grabbed my tray up and stood. “Sure, Pete. I’ll not give him a hard time.”

  “Luck for today,” Pete called after me, oblivious to my little dig.

  Charlie raised his teacup. “Seconded. And be careful.”

  “Thanks, fellas,” I said. Sabrina stood and followed me to the hatch. “I’m sorry about last night. Quickly fill me in?”

  “How about you fill me in about what’s going on with Oz first?”

  “Nothing’s going on with Oz.” I tried for a casual tone and a one-shoulder shrug.

  “Uh-huh.” Sabrina wasn’t convinced but she let it go. For now.

  I glanced around us again to check no one had sneaked up on us. “So, last night?”

  “Well, your friend Eric, who is quite the dish, got us into the office no problems. We checked out the files. Jenny’s wasn’t there and Warren’s read like an average angsty teenager. It was quite the disappointment.”

  “So where’s Jenny’s file? I asked.

  “I’ve no idea, which is a quandary. Unless someone has stolen it, it should’ve been with Watson or us. Unless …”

  I sighed. “Unless what?”

  “Unless she’s a GB plant again,” Sabrina offered with a shrug.

  “I do hate her so. And why did you say Eric’s name like that?”

  Sabrina grinned at me. “Because Edith said there’s only one person she can think of who could tunnel wherever he wanted without restriction. And his name wasn’t Eric.”

  “Don’t say his name.” I held up my hand as if that would stop her. “I’m not sure that anything bad would happen but let’s play safe today, shall we?”

  “I’m not stupid.” Sabrina lightly slapped my arm with the back of her hand. “Today will go better.” She gave me a quick hug and darted off up the corridor.

  “You’ve just jinxed me,” I called after her and turned to head to the front desk. Alex version 2.0 paled when he saw me coming. He even did that perfectly.

  “Please.” He held up his hands and backed up all the way until his back pressed against the cupboards. “Please don’t hurt me. I’m too handsome to die.”

  “Did you actually just say that to me?” I stared at him. “Personally, I think the fact that you believe that is plenty enough reason for you to die.”

  He screamed. Not the high-pitched girly scream I’d expected but short, sharp screams, almost like yelps. His eyes darted around the thankfully empty reception area for help.

  “Hey!” I snapped my fingers a couple of times to get his attention. I was out of patience with these idiots. “Is there a new locker assignment for me?”

  “Do you have a locker?” he asked, his voice breathy from his yelping screams.

  I frowned at him. “You know I have a locker.”

  “Does it lock?”

  “Really?” I gestured between us. “We’re going to do this again? Can’t you just assign me a new locker?”

  Alex version 2.0 shook his head vehemently. “I’m so sorry.” He shuddered and a perfect tear rolled down each cheek in synchronisation. “I’m so, so sorry.”

  Before I could question the yelping Alex version 2.0 about who I’d need to see about locker changes since Johnson wasn’t getting it done, Jenny summoned me early for the assessment. It was as if my time wasn’t even my own anymore. This afterlife business was killing my will to live.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I landed in the corridor as usual. And, as usual, when I walked through the double doors into the assembly hall, the rest of the seats were already filled.

  Jenny pursed her lips at me, tapping her watch. “You’re late, Bridget.”

  She hovered in front of the teacher’s desk with Matthew, Nancy and a short, chubby brunette girl who resembled Gracie only without the manic foot-to-foot stepping.

  “Why are you saying it like it’s my fault?” I asked, finding my usual seat. “You’re the one in charge of my punctuality.”

  “Now everyone’s here …” Jenny glanced pointedly at me. “Today we have another new face. This is Hannah and she’ll be standing in for Gracie today. So, today’s assessment will be role playing. Everyone will—”

  “Excuse me?” Jessica, the lady who’d been the first murder victim from the previous assessment and the role play enthusiast, raised her hand. “Aren’t we going to talk about Gracie?”

  Jenny narrowed her eyes at the woman. “No. Now—”

  “Well, don’t you think we should?” Jessica’s question received a chorus of murmured agreement.

  “No, I don’t.” Jenny gave the room a tight lipped smile. Or she might just have been grinding her teeth in frustration. It was hard to tell. “We don’t have time for—”

  “I would like to talk about it.” Jessica stood up from behind her desk. “I would like to talk about how someone brought a knife with them specifically for that purpose. About how it was pitch black in that room. About how maybe Gracie wasn’t the intended target. About how someone” – she stared directly at me – “in this room is a murderer.” Every other pair of eyes fell on me.

  Well, wasn’t this turning into another beautiful day?

  “She does have a point.” Tommy spoke up from the back row. “It is likely someone brought the knife with them specifically for that purpose.”

  And then everyone was talking at once, denying it was them. The only exceptions were Tommy, Warren, me and the assessment leaders.

  “Quiet!” Jenny held her hands high at the front of the room, her face reddened by either the effort of keeping hold of her temper or from frustration. Or possibly both.

  “Did everyone know what the activity was going to be?” Hannah’s nasally voice echoed in the silence as she looked around the room. “I thought it was a surprise.”

  “It was.” Jenny nodded. “Only Matthew, Gracie, Nancy and I knew what it was going to be.”

  Silence held around the hall while we waited for her to understand what she’d just admitted to. Or at least while Tommy, who raised an eyebrow at me, Warren, who grinned, and I waited for her to realise. I think the others were likely just enjoying the pause in conversation.

  “But obviously,” Jenny continued quickly when she realised she’d just incriminated herself, Matthew and Nancy, “the killer was just carrying the knife in hopes of an opportunity to use it.”

  “That seems unlikely, Jenny,” said Hannah and it sounded like someone was pinching her nose while she spoke. That was going to get annoying fast. “A kitchen knife is not something you can hide in your pocket.” Hannah might have verbally directed that comment to Jenny but she’d been watching Matthew when she said it.

  “Why don’t you mind your business, Hannah?” Matthew snarled at her. “This is complicated assessment stuff. You wouldn’t understand it.”

  Hannah’s face screwed up into a scowl but Jenny spoke before Hannah could retort. “How about this? For today’s role play, you can all question each other about last night.”

  “That’s not really role play is it?” A teenage boy on my right spoke up.

  I’d noticed that too but I hadn’t been about to say anything since it meant I’d get to question everyone. Not one to look a stupid assessment leader in the mouth and all. I wasn’t expecting anyone to admit to being the murderer but perhaps someone might slip up somehow.

  “Murder in the dark wasn’t team work either,” Jessica snapped at him. “But this is important.”

  “What exactly do you hope to gain from this?” Hannah asked Jessica. “If the murderer is in this room they’re not just going to admit it because you ask them.”

  Jessica jabbed a finger in Hannah’s direction. “Shut up. You’re just a stand in. You don
’t understand. This is complicated assessment stuff.”

  Hannah jabbed her finger in Jessica’s direction, her nasal whine jumping a couple of octaves and making me wince. “Don’t take that tone with me, you—”

  “She’s right,” Matthew snapped, his face screwed up in disgust as he glanced at Hannah. “Shut up, Hannah.”

  “Don’t you tell me to shut up.” Hannah squared up to Matthew. Her voice jumped another whiny octave. One more and only dogs would be able to hear her. “You have no right to—”

  “Okaaaaay.” Jenny clapped twice to focus the attention back to her.

  I watched Hannah and Matthew still scowling at each other. Hannah had purposefully antagonised him and he’d snapped right back. There was something up between them. Something that smelled like history to me. Romantic history. And, by the looks of it, a messy break up. Maybe Hannah was the person Matthew was involved with when Gracie had informed. Although that didn’t make much sense about why she and Matthew weren’t getting along. Unless maybe Gracie didn’t know who Matthew’s girlfriend was and Matthew had sold Hannah out for a shorter probation extension. Whatever had happened, Hannah had the whole scorned woman thing going on and Matthew was definitely on the defensive. I’d have to see if Sabrina had any gossip on it.

  “Everyone arrange your chairs in a circle.” Jenny drew a large circle in the air because obviously still no one knew what a circle looked like.

  After a couple of minutes of chair shuffling we’d managed courageously to form a circle, with much vocal support from Jenny. Matthew had taken the chair from behind the teacher’s desk at the front of the hall and placed it in the centre of the circle so we could swivel and face our questioners.