Lost Souls ParaAgency and the Ghostly Reunion: (Romantic Paranormal Mystery #2)

by K. M. Waller

  “Shouldn’t we find out why she’s being forced to haunt Samuel?”

  Lex shook his head with a frown planted on his handsome face. “Our assignment is to get rid of the ghost, not to provide it with a counseling session.”

  Amira folded her arms across her chest. “What if we free her and the person calls another ghost? Or calls her right back? We need to do more than put her on the freedom train to the light.”

  Lex took a deep breath. “Is this where you’re going to tell me that I’m wrong?”

  “Obviously, I don’t have to say it out loud.”

  “The longer we stay on an assignment, the more opportunity for exposure after hitting our ticking time clock Sunday night. We identify the ghost, we identify the object, and we send the ghost packing. If there’s something more to be done, Sparsh will let us know.”

  Amira tightened her grip. “We’re talking about the death of a teenaged girl who’s attached to this world. Shouldn’t we at least find out the circumstances of her death first before we decide to amulet her to the white light? What if she’s trying to tell Samuel something important?”

  “It’s bad enough Samuel has his own conspiracy theory about his mother haunting him, we don’t need to stir up speculation about the death of a teen to add to it all.”

  She tossed her head back and stared at the ceiling. “You’re impossible.”

  “True, but now that we’ve been seen by the ghost and don’t have to talk in code, next time you start an argument with me, I can do this.” He cupped the side of her face and leaned in for a long, slow kiss.

  She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the way he’d stopped their argument. When he pulled away, she could tell he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. She didn’t have the right ones either. Stepping back, she let out a soft sigh and glanced around the room to give her time to gather her thoughts.

  His room differed from hers in color scheme, but still had the same photographic shrine to Samuel Chase. However, these photos were in color. And in a class picture hung near the door, their ghost girl stood in the back row.

  Amira shoved Lex aside and ran to the picture. “That’s her.” She swung around. “This is the girl.”

  Lex removed the frame from the hanger. “And there’s Samuel. He knows the ghost.”

  Amira smiled and tapped the glass on the photo. “I told you she was here for a reason. And we have one more day to figure out why.”

  “If we’re going to widen this investigation, then I’d like to bring Jordie back into the fold.”

  She smiled at him. He’d almost framed that into a question that one partner would ask another. Finally, they were making headway.

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning, Amira slipped on a pair of jeans and a soft cotton button up shirt. After several more minutes of smoochy-time with Lex the night before, they’d decided she should take the picture to Samuel and see if the girl could be identified.

  There was no guarantee he would remember the girl. They’d removed the picture from the frame momentarily in hopes that it was connected to the ghost, but it would have been too easy if the photograph had warmed under Lex’s touch.

  Amira had also agreed that Jordie should join them. They needed an extra pair of eyes and hands.

  A shout from outside drew her attention to the window. Tim struggled to regain Charcoal’s reins. They stood at odds between the house and the first stable. The horse lifted his front hooves off the ground and danced backwards away from the house. Once his hoofs were firmly planted in the grass, he whinnied and stomped before he trotted to the opposite side of the stable. Either Charcoal was a truly spirited stud, or he was very upset about something. She circled back around to her original theory that the horses sensed the presence of the ghost and were spooked by it.

  Tim placed his hands on his hips and shook his head, frustration obvious in his movements. Whatever he wanted from the horse, he was not going to get.

  She pulled the curtains closed and grabbed her running shoes. If an intruder got into her room again, at least she’d be more prepared to run it down with the proper footwear.

  The picture of the ghost girl with a dark braid and sad eyes reminded her she had a long list of people to question.

  The hallway was ghost and people free. Amira made sure to hold the railing as she descended the stairs. The smell of cinnamon and sugar greeted her from the kitchen. Dee sat on a stool and tapped away at her tablet. She greeted Amira with a smile and pointed to a tray of cinnamon rolls.

  “Cinnabon has nothing on Cookie’s’ rolls.”

  “They smell divine.” Amira appreciated a well-baked pastry and briefly wondered how Ris and the aunts were handling the Tea Haven. Then just as quickly pushed thoughts of them aside. Ris and the great-aunts could handle things without her. They’d call if there was a problem. She crossed the kitchen to the stove. “Do you think Cookie would mind if I put on the kettle? I’d love a cup of tea.”

  Dee pointed to the cabinet above the stove. “The kettle and the tea are in there.”

  “Is she not around this morning?”

  “She’s in town buying groceries for tonight’s dinner.” Dee didn’t look up from her tablet, but her tone shifted to one of annoyance. She toyed with a heart-shaped pendant that dangled from a gold chain. “Apparently, there’s a potential sponsor for the new show coming in tonight.”

  “Really?” When had that happened? Since she’d been the one to create their cover, she would know if there was a sponsor for the fake project.

  “Ramona gets what Ramona wants.”

  “How is Samuel this morning?”

  “Ramona is taking him to Atlanta to see a doctor. They’ll return later this afternoon.”

  Drat. So much for getting Samuel to identify the girl right away. It’d be weird and rude of her to shove the picture under his nose and demand answers so soon after the accident.

  Dee grabbed her things from the counter and stood. She gestured at the framed class picture. “What’s with the picture? Do you need someone to rehang the frame?”

  “I’ve noticed the décor theme really doesn’t match the idea behind the B&B. The pictures are in black and white in my room and in color in Lex’s. And they all contain Samuel.”

  “Yeah, Samuel’s mom fired the interior decorator mid-project. She then hand-picked every bit of the country clutter you see on the walls, a lot of it from the antique store in town. She got a little carried away with pictures from Samuel’s childhood.”

  The price tag on the bottom of the horse figurine meant it could’ve come from the antique store that Dee mentioned. How did it connect to the girl? “Do you know the people in the photos with Samuel?”

  Dee shrugged. “I know the ones with the crew. You’d have to ask Cookie about his childhood photos. She’s been friends with his mom since he was a kid.”

  “Was Ramona here when it was being decorated?” Alone with Samuel’s mom when the accident happened? Just because they’d only seen one ghost didn’t mean the theory that Mrs. Chase roamed the halls could be debunked yet. The woman had a strong connection to her son and Amira could see why she wouldn’t immediately cross over.

  Dee shrugged. “She could’ve been here, but I don’t know for sure.”

  Voices from the main dining area carried into the kitchen.

  A sparkle lit in Dee’s eyes. “I think I hear Samuel.”

  They walked into the main dining room where Ramona hovered over Samuel. She placed several pieces of fruit on a plate in front of him. “You need to keep up your strength, sweetheart.”

  Samuel grunted and pushed a piece of strawberry around with his fork.

  Lex stood in the far corner and sipped his coffee. He nodded for Amira to follow him out onto the lanai. She did and he closed the double glass doors behind her.

  “What’s this about a sponsor?” she asked.

  He quirked an eyebrow. “Since you have taken the position of assistant, I h
ad to give Jordie another believable cover.”

  “What’s the sponsor?”

  “Sitting Pretty Port-a-Pottys.” Lex grinned. “His dad is the port-a-potty king of south Detroit and Jordie’s a trust fund baby who wants to use his daddy’s toilets for the renovations.”

  “I’m almost sorry this show isn’t real.” She grinned back. “Ramona’s going to eat him alive.”

  “I think he’s up for it. The undercover work will add to his LSP portfolio and count toward his quest of becoming a full agent.” He leaned against the railing and focused his gaze on her lips. “What did you find out about the photo?”

  She warmed under his continued gaze, and turned to the side so she could focus. “Dee wasn’t here when the B&B was decorated. Cookie is in town, and she’s harder to get a few minutes alone with than one woman should be. Dee did mention most of the knickknacks came from an antique store in town, so I think I’ll take the figurine and picture with me and see if the store owner knows anything about it.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  “Really? I thought you liked this divide and conquer setup we had going in order to speed things along.”

  “Jordie isn’t due until this afternoon, and Ramona and Dee aren’t going to leave Samuel’s side after what happened last night.” He leaned in close, his breath hovering near her neck. “Plus, I might get a chance to kiss you again.”

  Amira admitted that more kisses sounded fantastic. That they’d finally had a breakthrough on the romantic part of their relationship had her light on her feet. There could be a balance if they worked a little harder.

  She gripped the picture to her chest and followed Lex down the stairs into the backyard of the B&B. The rental car was still parked around front, and before they could make it to the parking lot, Tim’s twin-cab truck rumbled to a stop beside them.

  “Y’all headed into town?” he asked.

  Lex grumbled something unintelligible.

  Amira stepped in front of him. “We’re off to do a little sight-seeing. I heard there’s a great antique store on the square.”

  “I’d love to show you guys around. Maybe discuss my resume a little more?” Tim’s earnest expression enhanced his boyish features.

  Amira didn’t want to be rude, so she pulled the door open and swept an arm in front of her. “You can sit up front.”

  She hopped around Lex before he could object and put one foot in to climb into the rear passenger seat.

  An arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back, setting her down on her feet. Lex gave her an extra squeeze and let her go. “What kind of chauvinist would I be if I made you sit in the back?”

  With eyes narrowed, she slid into the passenger seat beside Tim. Lex took the seat directly behind her and pulled out his cellphone. While he tapped away at the screen, she rolled her eyes.

  Tim didn’t appear to be fazed by their exchange and adjusted his rearview mirror. Probably to catch Lex at a moment when they could talk about the fake show.

  Amira pointed to the stables. “I see Charcoal was in a mood this morning.”

  Tim’s mouth thinned and the earnestness from earlier faded. “He was fine until a few weeks ago. I could saddle him and stretch his legs every few days, but now…”

  “A few weeks ago when Samuel and Ramona returned to the B&B?”

  He nodded slowly. “I guess that sounds right.”

  She tapped her fingers on the door. There were so many clues that pointed directly at Samuel being the cause of his own misery. The ghost didn’t show up until he returned. The horses were acting weird. Even Samuel believed the hauntings were directed at him. If she had to take a guess as to who would use a ghost maliciously, she’d vote on Ramona. She didn’t hide her feelings on wanting a new ghost show for Samuel and it seemed she’d do just about anything to get it.

  Amira knew they were missing something. Hopefully, when Jordie joined the investigation, he could throw in some additional ideas.

  They remained quiet for the remainder of the ride into town. Amira smiled as they passed the welcome sign announcing the current population of a little over sixteen hundred. Britton had the feel and overall tone of Burberry, except where one was coastal, the other sat atop the hills at the bottom of the Appalachian Mountains not too far from the Chattahoochee River.

  Everyone would know everyone else’s business here. She wondered what they’d say about Samuel Chase and his ghost-themed bed and breakfast. Did the townsfolk know of the hauntings?

  Tim guided his truck down a one-way street and idled in front of a store named MaryAnn’s Afterlife Antiques.

  She blinked at the name of the store. Afterlife? It had to be a total coincidence they were investigating a ghost whose object may have come from this store. But after what she’d witnessed when Lex had blown into town a few weeks ago to investigate her family, she now doubted many incidents in life were actually coincidences.

  Tim cut the engine and joined them on the sidewalk in front of the store. He used his thumb to point over his shoulder. “I see my aunt’s car parked in front of the grocer. I’m going to say hi while you guys look around. We can meet up after.”

  Lex grunted.

  When Tim walked out of earshot, Amira thumped Lex on the chest. “What is your problem with him?”

  “Something about him puts me off. He’s too friendly.”

  “Be nice. He doesn’t know he’s not really going to get an audition.” She rubbed the place between her eyebrows with her ring finger. “Keeping up false pretenses is exhausting. I’m starting to understand why you want to get in and get out on an assignment. I can’t believe we’ve only been at this for a little over a day.”

  He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the shop’s entrance. “I like it when you say I’m right.”

  She huffed out a sigh.

  When she pulled the door open, a little bell announced their entry. For the first few minutes no one acknowledged them, and Amira broke away from Lex to browse the antiques on display.

  A cobalt blue and gold trimmed teapot caught her attention. When she lifted it and checked the bottom, her heart triple thumped at the price tag.

  “It’s a vintage Hall & Company six cup pot out of Liverpool, England.” An elderly woman with tightly rolled white curls approached from behind a curtain hiding the back stockroom. “Lovely, isn’t it?”

  Amira set it down gently on the table. “It’s beautiful and a little out of my price range.”

  “Do you collect antique teapots? I have a larger selection set up on tables a little farther back.”

  She almost answered about owning the Tea Haven, but remembered she was in Britton undercover. With a final wistful glance at the teapot, she turned her attention to the woman. “I’m staying at the Chase B&B for a few days and one of the staff mentioned most of the decorations came from this store. Are you the owner, MaryAnn?”

  “Yes, I am.” MaryAnn moved behind a counter in the middle of the store and sat down on a stool. “Mrs. Chase and I were close friends. I told Sue she didn’t have to buy from me, but she always did kind things for her friends.”

  Amira leaned her elbows against the counter. “Mrs. Chase is from Britton?”

  “All her life until she married Samuel’s father. A schemer, that man. She divorced him after a couple of years and brought back her son to raise him here. Poor as paupers until Samuel made it big on that ghost television show.” A frown appeared on MaryAnn’s face.

  “Mrs. Chase didn’t like Samuel’s show?” Amira guessed.

  “She didn’t like him messing with the spirits. The spirit world deserves a little respect, don’t you think?”

  Amira nodded. “I totally agree.”

  MaryAnn lowered her voice. “We’ve all heard about the strange things going on up at the B&B. You be careful.”

  “What have you heard?”

  “Samuel is trying to turn it into a tourist trap by terrorizing the guests.” She tsked to enhance her disap
proval. “Sue is probably rolling back and forth in her grave.”

  Lex sidled up beside her, and she started. He placed his hand on the small of her back again. “Did you ask Ms. MaryAnn about the horse?”

  So, he had been within earshot. Sneaky as usual. She reached into her bag and retrieved the porcelain horse. She placed it on the counter.

  “I wonder if this horse figurine came from your store. I’d love to find one to match it.”

  MaryAnn took the porcelain figurine and held it up. Her eyes misted and she sniffled.

  “Do you recognize this piece?” Lex asked.

  “That’s Mellie Waterson’s horse. I sold it to Sue a few weeks before she passed. Mellie’s story is a sad tale for these parts. That girl’s poor parents.”

  Amira gripped the edge of the counter. “What happened to her?”

  “No one knows. Mellie rode out on her favorite horse one Saturday morning twenty-three or so years ago and the horse returned that afternoon without her. She never came home. The entire town searched for weeks, but there’s so much empty space here. They eventually gave up.”

  Amira removed the class picture she’d brought along. Sadness overwhelmed her. She pointed to the girl in the back row. “Is this her?”

  MaryAnn handed the horse back to her with shaky hands. “That’s Mellie.”

  “How old was she when she went missing?” Lex asked.

  “Just about seventeen. Probably not long after that class photo was taken.” MaryAnn grabbed for a tissue. “I’m so sorry. My old age makes me weepy.”

  Amira clutched the figurine to her chest. The poor girl—Mellie. Their ghost girl had a name. A life she’d left behind far too young. Something sinister had happened, and her parents never got closure. She glanced at Lex, glad she’d pushed for them to find out more about the ghost’s personal life. It didn’t matter if the human-on-human crime wasn’t their jurisdiction; she’d do her best to find out what happened to Mellie before they sent her packing to the other side.

  Afraid her voice would be too scratchy with emotion, she allowed Lex to continue asking questions.