Haunted Is Always in Fashion

by Rose Pressey

  I released a deep breath. “I think they knew.”

  “It’s probably for the best anyway,” Juliana said.

  I made the next turn and headed for the highway. It was getting dark. “We’ll just head back to Sugar Creek. I’ll give Dylan the license plate number and maybe he can find out more information.”

  “You’ll have to tell him why you were following this criminal,” Heather said.

  I tapped the steering wheel in aggravation. “Good point.”

  Once again, I may never find out the answers to all my questions.

  Chapter 19

  Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping

  Sometimes the best part of vintage shopping

  is the thrill of the hunt.

  I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel in rhythm to Buddy Holly singing “Peggy Sue” as I mulled over all we’d learned. “You know what? I think Hunter hid something in the hat and that’s why he and Victor seem so anxious to find it. Now what should I do?”

  Everyone stared at me but didn’t respond.

  “I should just ask Hunter what he hid.” I looked in the rearview mirror at Juliana. “Do you think he would tell me?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know anything anymore. Everything I thought has turned out to be different.”

  “He’s staying at a hotel in town, right?” Heather asked.

  “That’s what Dylan said.” I steered the car.

  “You’re going there now?” Charlotte asked, but based on the tone of her voice it was more like an order.

  “Yes, I’ll go now.”

  Charlotte settled into the seat. “I knew you’d do the right thing.”

  When we reached Sugar Creek, I turned onto Highway 10 and headed toward the Red Rose Hotel.

  “Are you just going to come out with the question or will you ease into it?” Heather asked.

  I made the next right and pulled into the hotel parking lot. “I guess I should ease into it. That way it won’t seem so confrontational.”

  “That’s good,” Juliana said. “He doesn’t like confrontation.”

  “Juliana says he doesn’t like confrontation,” I repeated for Heather.

  “Who does?” Heather said.

  Everyone looked at Charlotte.

  “I’m not afraid to tell anyone that either.” Charlotte punctuated the sentence with a point of her index finger.

  I laughed. “Point proven.”

  Eying a parking spot toward the front, I headed that way. Within a second, a bang rang out and the front window was pierced. Everyone in the car screamed. I punched the gas and took off, narrowly avoiding the other parked cars. My heart raced and my body shook. Needless to say, it was difficult to drive, but I managed to get away from the hotel.

  “What was that?” Charlotte yelled.

  Heather inched up in the seat. “Look! There’s a bullet hole in the windshield. Someone shot at your car!”

  Fear raced through my body. Was it an accident? Or had someone shot at me on purpose?

  “You’re lucky to be alive, Cookie,” Charlotte said.

  “Are you okay, Heather?” I touched her arm.

  She stared straight ahead and seemed to be in shock. I’d never seen her speechless.

  “We were almost killed,” I said breathlessly. “A bullet went right through the windshield.”

  “Are you sure it was a bullet?” Juliana asked.

  “Considering there’s a bullet in the backseat, I’m pretty sure that’s what it was,” Charlotte said.

  I pulled in behind a building down the street, stopped the car, and took a deep breath. Leaning over the seat, I spotted the bullet. I reached back, picked it out of the cushion, and put it in my pocket.

  “This is scary,” Juliana said. “It’s like when someone shot at my car. We all know how that ended.”

  Luckily, no one was hurt. The windshield hadn’t even shattered.

  “Do you think it was aimed at me?” I asked.

  “Even if it wasn’t you need to call the police. People can’t just shoot guns in a parking lot.” Heather had finally snapped back to attention. “How dare they do that! You have to call Dylan so he can arrest them and throw them in jail.”

  I knew by the tone of her voice that she was angry.

  “Heather’s right,” Charlotte said.

  With a shaky hand, I dialed Dylan. Now I had to really explain why we were there.

  He answered on the first ring. “Detective Valentine.”

  “Dylan, I’ve been shot at.” I rushed the words.

  “Cookie, where are you?” he asked with alarm.

  Okay, that wasn’t the best way to start the call. I’d caused him to panic.

  “We’re okay though,” I added. That was little help now that I’d already scared him. “My car window is broken.” No one messes with my Buick! I took another deep breath and told him what had happened and where we were.

  “I’ll be there soon.” He hung up.

  What would we do until the police arrived? Even though I thought we were hidden behind the building, I was afraid the shooter would find us. My car was kind of a showstopper. Everyone noticed it. What if they shot at us again and were successful? The thoughts sent a shiver down my spine.

  It couldn’t have been more than a minute until the cop cars pulled up. Dylan whizzed the cruiser into the lot, screeched to a stop beside me, and jumped out. As soon as I climbed out of my car, he wrapped his arms around me and his earthy scent encircled my body.

  “Wow, that’s some police service,” Charlotte said.

  “Are you okay?” He looked me in the eyes.

  I pulled away a bit and used my hand to mimic a gun. “The bullet went through the windshield.”

  “We’ve blocked off the parking lot of the hotel. We’ll have to check your car and test anything we find.”

  “Thank you for coming here.” Emotion overwhelmed me. Blinking back tears, I hoped I didn’t break down completely.

  “Cookie, you know I’d do anything for you.” He touched my cheek. “We’re searching for the shooter and interviewing witnesses.”

  “I just hope they find something.” The hole in my windshield sent shivers down my spine.

  “Why were you there?” Dylan asked.

  “Make up an excuse,” Charlotte said.

  Usually I wouldn’t agree with her, but I figured I would leave out a teensy bit of the truth. Lying to Dylan made me unhappy, but it was necessary. Telling him that Juliana had wanted to see Hunter wasn’t an option. I could only imagine that conversation. It would go something like “Well Dylan, Juliana’s ghost wanted to see her boyfriend.”

  Dylan wouldn’t believe anything I said for the rest of my life. He knew that Hunter was staying at the hotel. And he knew that I knew. Oh, I might as well tell the truth. Dylan would see right through my lie. My internal debate was out of hand.

  I quickly flipped back to thinking that my little fib was a good idea and said, “Okay, to be honest, I just wanted to see if Hunter was still in town.” I attempted to keep my expression neutral so he wouldn’t be able to see my lie. Besides, it wasn’t a lie totally. I just hadn’t told him the full truth.

  Dylan ran his hand through his thick dark hair. “Cookie, this has gotten way too serious. You can’t continue getting yourself into these situations.”

  “What does he think he can do to change that?” Charlotte paced beside the Buick.

  “He can solve my murder,” Juliana said.

  “Cookie, I have to be honest with you. I’m afraid for your safety.” A frown darkened his brow.

  “I understand, but I had no way of knowing I would be shot at just by driving through the parking lot. It may have nothing to do with Juliana’s murder.”

  “He can’t argue with that,” Charlotte said.

  Dylan was about to respond when another officer walked up and pulled him to the side.

  “I’ll be right back, Cookie.” He walked a bit farther away with the officer.


  “What do you think’s going on?” Heather asked.

  “Maybe they caught the shooter,” I said.

  “I’ll go find out,” Charlotte had taken two steps when Dylan headed toward us. “Never mind.” She waved her hand. “They found Juliana’s aunt nearby.”

  “What does that mean?” Juliana asked.

  “Aha!” Charlotte said. “So she is the killer.”

  When Dylan arrived, I asked, “Did Regina confess?”

  The expression on his face changed immediately, becoming shadowed with suspicion. “Regina stated that she doesn’t have a gun and she would never hurt Cookie. We found no gun on her person.”

  “What made the police ask her in the first place?” Juliana asked.

  “She was near Hunter’s car. That’s why we asked her in the first place.” Dylan answered Juliana’s question without realizing it. “Apparently Victor had asked her to meet him there.”

  “What did he want with her?” I asked.

  Dylan motioned to another officer and then focused his attention on me again. “She said she didn’t know.”

  “Then why would she meet him?” Charlotte asked.

  “We’re looking for Victor now.”

  I supposed it was time to tell him that I knew where Victor lived. I looked down at my feet. “Yeah about that. I know where he lives.” I felt Dylan’s stare.

  “And how do you know that?”

  I looked up and shrugged. “I just happened to pass by and saw him?”

  Dylan shook his head.

  “Okay, I was visiting Hunter’s grandmother. She said Victor lives next door. I saw him there.”

  “Why would you do that?” Dylan asked.

  “I just thought maybe she could offer information.” I stared at my shoes.

  “We’ve already talked with her.”

  I looked up again. “Yes, well maybe she forgot something.” I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

  “I know you’re trying to help, Cookie, but we have everything under control. Do you not trust me?”

  “No, it’s not that,” I said.

  He didn’t take his eyes off me. “I’m not so sure.”

  “Now you’ve hurt his feelings, Cookie. Apologize right now,” Charlotte said.

  I shook my head at her. “So if you know where Victor lives, why don’t you go get him?”

  “We don’t know that he did anything wrong. Besides he doesn’t live there.”

  “But I saw him there. He was with a woman. They left together. He even tried to convince Hunter’s grandmother to sell her house.” I rushed my words.

  “It sounds like you spent quite a bit of time there.” Dylan quirked an eyebrow. When I didn’t answer, he continued. “It’s Victor’s aunt’s house. She’s out of the country right now and he’s house-sitting.”

  “Oh, I guess she led me to believe that he lives there now,” I said.

  “Nonetheless, we’re keeping an eye on him.” Dylan crossed his arms in front of his chest. “It’s not as if I wouldn’t have found out what you’re up to. I’m sure it will get back to me soon enough that you were there.”

  “If you are watching Victor, why don’t you have anyone watching Hunter?” I asked.

  “Yeah, tell him, Cookie,” Charlotte said.

  “Well, that’s a problem we’re addressing.”

  “If a police officer had been at the hotel, maybe we wouldn’t have been shot at.” I looked over at my car. “Is it okay if I leave now? It’s been a long day.”

  “Yes, you can go. Cookie, I’m sorry if I sounded rough, but I just don’t want you hurt.”

  “He also doesn’t want you involved with the investigation,” Juliana said.

  As usual, Charlotte had something to add. “It’s because he thinks Cookie is questioning his skills as a detective.”

  All this ghost chatter was giving me a headache.

  Chapter 20

  Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife

  You never have to worry about

  being out of style.

  Thank goodness the garage was right around the corner from my shop. Leaving my car there the next morning to have the windshield repaired was a tough thing to do, but I was assured they’d take good care of her and have it ready by end of the day.

  Back in my shop, I tried to relax from the stress of the day before. I was still worried about Heather. She hadn’t dealt well with our brush with death. It was understandable. I just felt terrible that I had put her in that situation.

  She’d said she’d known the consequences and that it had been her decision to go along to the hotel, but I still felt bad. I’d have to make it up to her.

  I worked in the windows of my shop, setting up the displays. Styling the windows always brought me comfort and relaxation. Although at the moment it seemed almost impossible to do that, I was styling the windows with a jack-o-lantern and skeletons for Halloween. It was the busiest time of year for me. Everyone liked to shop for costumes. Since I knew vintage items weren’t just for Halloween, I’d dressed one of the mannequins in a fifties poodle skirt.

  A noise caught my attention and I looked over my shoulder. Wind Song was sitting on the counter. If I hadn’t known better I would have sworn she motioned for me to come over with her paw. I set down the blouse in my hand and walked over to her.

  “Is everything okay?” Charlotte asked from the settee where she and Juliana were lounging.

  Wind Song meowed loudly.

  “Is she hungry?” Juliana asked. “Maybe she’s sick?”

  “No, I can tell by her meow that she wants to use the Ouija board.”

  I dialed Heather. “It’s time. Bring the Ouija board.”

  Within seconds, she walked through the door.

  I said, “She wants to give us a message.”

  Heather placed the board on the counter and Wind Song immediately placed her paw on the planchette. We watched as she spelled out a word. D. I. S . . .

  “Disappeared?” Heather rubbed her arms. “That sends a shiver down my spine.”

  “What does she mean?” Charlotte asked.

  “I don’t know, but it’s a little scary.”

  “It has to be some kind of warning,” Heather said.

  That’s what I was worried about. My phone rang and we all jumped. We were a little on edge.

  I peered at the screen. “It’s Dylan.”

  “Cookie, how are you?” Concern filled his voice.

  “I’m okay now. My car is in the shop and I’m working on the window displays.” I left out the part about talking to my psychic cat, of course.

  “It amazes me how well you bounce back from this stuff,” he said.

  “I have to be strong. There’s no time to let the stress get me down.”

  I sensed from the tone of his voice that concern wasn’t the only reason for his call. I waited for him to drop the bad news on me.

  “I have something to tell you,” he finally said.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “Victor and Hunter have disappeared.”

  “What? They left together?”

  “What is it?” Charlotte, Juliana, and Heather all asked the same question at the same time.

  “We don’t know if they are together. Hunter has checked out of the hotel and we’ve lost track of Victor.”

  “If they both disappeared at the same time that must mean they’re together.”

  “Disappeared?” Charlotte echoed.

  It hit me. Had Wind Song been trying to tell me about Hunter and Victor? Had the cat known it even before Dylan had called?

  “So it they aren’t around at least it’s a little safer?” I asked.

  “That’s if they were involved.”

  I glanced over at Juliana. I knew she didn’t like to think that Hunter could have had something to do with her murder.

  “It still might not be safe. Just don’t let your guard down.” The edge to Dylan’s voice warned of the seriousn
ess of the situation.

  “I never let my guard down. Even if there wasn’t a murderer running around, I pay attention.”

  “We’ll still be on the lookout for them. As of right now, we don’t have anything to link them to the crime. Just being suspicious isn’t enough.”

  “I’ll make sure to be on the lookout,” I said.

  He changed the subject. “Are you free for dinner?”

  I glanced over at Charlotte and Juliana, feeling as if I had to ask them if I was free. What was I thinking? “Sure, I can make it.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that,” Dylan said.

  Would he be upset if I asked him about the case at dinner? Probably so. I would try to keep the topic out of the conversation unless he mentioned it. But would it be wrong if I steered the conversation that way and made him think it was his idea? Yeah, he probably wouldn’t fall for that either.

  “I’ll see you tonight,” he said.

  “See you then,” I said and clicked off the call.

  “What was that all about?” Charlotte asked right away.

  Wind Song jumped down and pranced over to the window.

  “The police can’t find Victor or Hunter.”

  Juliana walked away. That was a little too much for her to handle.

  “Uh-huh. Just as I suspected.” Charlotte tapped her fingers against the counter.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  She paused. “I don’t know for sure, but I can guarantee that it isn’t good. You’re meeting Dylan tonight?”

  I straightened a blue and white Dior polka-dot dress on the hanger. “He asked, so I figured why not.”

  “Maybe he’ll have more information for you.”

  “I don’t want to bring it up. He already doesn’t want me to be involved.”

  Charlotte crossed her arms in front of her waist. “Getting what you want isn’t always possible.”

  Didn’t I know that. I went back to dressing the window.

  Juliana and Charlotte were chatting away. My dinner with Dylan had sparked their excitement. Not only were they excited about the potential clues they thought we’d discover, but Charlotte was already planning my outfit for the evening. I pretended I couldn’t hear them.