by K. M. Waller
Ris stopped suddenly. “I feel a presence in the room.”
A whoosh of air rushed through the middle of the table, blowing out the candles and ruffling everyone’s hair.
Then the candle in front of Samuel lit up. He sucked in a sharp breath and glanced at Ramona. “I want to go back to ghost hunting but I don’t want to do it with you. I need you to leave.”
His candle went out and the one in front of Ramona lit up. Her smooth brow forced itself into a furrow. “I have only ever wanted your money.”
The spell worked. One by one, they were beginning to tell things they felt guilty about.
Her candle went out and the one in front of Lex lit up. He quickly blew it out and Amira narrowed her eyes at him. The agency amulet allowed him to resist the spell. Blowing it out wouldn’t work for anyone else. Too bad, she almost wished she’d get to see what Lex felt guilty about.
Dee’s candle lit next, and she grabbed her necklace and rubbed it hard. Before she could speak, another huge gush of wind blasted through the room.
Ris’s eyes widened with shock and Amira immediately knew her sister hadn’t conjured up the second wayward breeze. The ghost was going to join the séance. Lex’s worst fear was realized, and he’d be insufferable with the “I told you so.”
The white shape materialized in the middle of the table.
“So cool,” Ris said.
“Not cool,” Amira reminded her.
Mellie swooped around the room and settled in front of Ramona. She pointed at her as if in accusation and then moved through her and out of the room. All the candle lights immediately sparked back to life.
The group remained in a stunned silence until Mellie left the room.
Samuel stood up so fast his chair crashed to the floor behind him. “Wait! Mellie, come back.”
He charged out of the room.
Ramona’s face broke and tears streamed down her face. “The ghost is going to kill me. Did you see her vengeful face? She came for Samuel’s mother and I’m next.”
“Why would the ghost be after you, Ramona?” Amira asked.
“Yeah, what did you do to tick it off?” Ris echoed.
“She must be in love with Samuel and she’s getting rid of anyone close to him.”
Amira shook her head. “That can’t be right. Cookie said the ghost didn’t appear until you and Samuel came to the B&B. The ghost couldn’t have pushed Mrs. Chase down the stairs.”
Cookie stood but only walked a few steps before collapsing to the ground beside Tim’s chair. “I can no longer live with the guilt. I pushed Sue Chase down the stairs.”
Tim pushed her back. “What are you talking about?”
“I wanted her to tell Samuel to give you a job with his show, and she said she would. Then she changed her mind and wanted Samuel to end his show before you got your chance. The argument turned heated, and in my anger I gave her a shove.”
“She died of a heart attack,” Dee said, still holding on to her locket.
“She grabbed her chest and waved her arms at me and I thought she was trying to hit me. But the reason she fell is because of me.” Cookie hid her face on Tim’s leg. “If I do not confess my sins, I will be haunted next.”
Amira turned to Lex, amazed that even though the guilt spell had stopped, they were still getting confessions. “Should we call someone about this?”
He leaned in and whispered, “If we call the local sheriff after this séance, we’re going to have to bring in the mind erasing group from LSP.”
Samuel charged back into the room. “I lost her. But I know I can find her again.”
When he saw Cookie on the floor, he glanced around the room. “What’s wrong with her?”
Ramona stood and faced Samuel. “Good luck having a career without me. I’m leaving.”
Tim pushed his aunt off his leg and grabbed Ramona. “Take me with you. I’ll treat you better than he ever could and I’m twice the talent.”
Tim returned to Cookie, and they spoke in hushed tones.
Amira grabbed Lex’s sleeve and they stood up together. “Should we let them leave?”
He pulled her back away from the chaos. “If they were controlling Mellie, I don’t think they’d be willing to pack up and head out the door so easily. I think we just eliminated three of our suspects. Not bad for a séance gone wrong.”
“It can’t be Dee. I don’t think she’d hurt Samuel or me by using Mellie.”
“Then we have to go back to the theory that our ghost isn’t being controlled by anyone. She’s simply acting out for attention.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“If we don’t get this wrapped up by the end of tonight, we’re going to have Sparsh and Gramps on site like in Burberry. They will not be as forgiving this time with our screw up.”
Amira glanced around the room.
Jordie and Ris huddled in one corner, and after they nodded agreement on something, Jordie broke away to stand in the middle of the room.
“I knew you all was faking this ghost stuff.”
“What?” Amira asked, almost involuntarily. What was he up to?
“My girl bet me that the so-called ghost was a fake, and she could prove it with the séance. Man, I ain’t backing a show that’s full of phonies. And neither is my daddy.”
Ramona pulled away from Tim’s embrace to face Jordie. “What are you talking about?”
Jordie walked over to a fake ficus plant in the corner. He removed one of the cameras Lex had planted not long after they’d arrived. “This tiny projector made the ghost appear.”
“That tiny little thing made a ghost appear in the middle of the table? A ghost of a girl who everyone knows?” Ramona shook her head. “What about the breeze in a room with all the windows closed?”
“The ceiling fan is on in the other room.” Jordie shook his head and walked up to Lex. He slapped the camera into his palm. “You should be ashamed of yourself for trying to trick everyone.”
Dee moved in behind him with an accusatory glare meant for Lex and Amira. “Is that why you’ve been showing the picture of Mellie Waterson around? No one thought anything about the girl until you two brought down her picture.”
Jordie shook his head. “Shame on you two. Doing anything to get a show out of Samuel Chase.”
Amira didn’t know whether to play along by admitting guilt or defending the preposterousness of the idea. All the occupants in the room appeared to go along with Jordie’s explanation. She gave him credit for quick thinking to debunk the ghost, but they still hadn’t removed the ghost from the premises.
And they were about to be escorted out by a very angry group of people.
Even Cookie had pulled herself up from the floor to glare at them. Amira looked to Lex for guidance.
Samuel spoke up before anyone else had a chance throw accusations. “Enough. Everyone get out.”
Dee stretched a hand toward him. “Samuel?”
“You too, Dee.” His shoulders slumped, and he exited the room.
“This is my fault,” Amira said to Lex. While Samuel’s body language had shown defeat, Amira felt it deep within her. “If we’d spent the weekend only looking for the object instead of pushing for a resolution for Mellie, this wouldn’t have happened.”
∞∞∞
Lex had to salvage the assignment. If none of the players appeared to be in control of the ghost, then the ghost was just a mean girl playing tricks on the group. And she’d succeeded superbly. Everyone’s secrets were exposed.
Ramona pulled Tim toward the door but Dee stepped in their way.
“You’re a leech and now you’ve hurt Samuel,” Dee said.
Ramona huffed and waved her hand. “Sammie has had a mental break that cannot be repaired. You’re welcome to stay on this sinking ship, but I’m backing a new horse in the race.”
“He’s always deserved better than you.”
“Who? You?” Ramona leaned forward and laughed in Dee’s face. “He barely notices you. How cliché to
be the lovelorn assistant. Did you know that trinket he gave you didn’t even belong to his mother? As if I would have let you have it if it was an antique. It was some crap she’d found at that so-called antique store.”
“Uh oh.” Amira took a few steps back and pulled Lex with her.
Dee lunged at Ramona, latching on to her hair and pulling with all her might. The older woman clawed at her hands and then moved to her neck. Dee’s shirt ripped and the necklace in question flew across the room and landed with a muted click.
Tim, the only man brave enough to separate the women, pulled and yanked at Ramona until she came free from Dee’s grasp.
“This is the best séance ever,” Ris said.
A puff of Ramona’s hair floated in the air, but other than that, she didn’t appear any worse for wear. Dee put a hand to her neck and looked around for the necklace. Tears streamed down her face.
Amira picked it up and held it by the chain. Her mouth formed an O. She glanced at him and her lips curled into a grin.
Of course. Every time Dee got upset about Samuel and Ramona, Mellie had caused some mischief. Dee controlled the ghost—unknowingly. Ha, something to tell Sparsh to add to his beloved manual.
Amira handed the locket to him and once in his hand, it immediately fired up the agency amulet. Finally. He turned back to Dee. “Samuel gave you this?”
“We don’t need to be here for a recap.” Ramona appeared to grab what was left of her dignity and stalked out the door. Tim shrugged and followed close behind. He glanced back at his aunt, but only shook his head.
Amira hoped their close relationship wasn’t ruined after Cookie’s confession.
Cookie stood and straightened her pink shirt. “I think I will bake something.”
Jordie, Ris, and Amira circled Dee.
“Samuel found it in his mom’s things and gave it to me a couple of weeks ago,” Dee answered.
Amira took the necklace from Lex. “Do you rub this every time you get upset with someone?”
She shrugged. “I guess it’s been a habit I formed over the last few weeks.”
Ris sank into the nearest chair. “That’s why my spell didn’t work. She didn’t know she should feel guilty. Other than that, my magic is on point.”
Dee glanced at them, the tears returning. “I don’t understand what y’all are talking about. Can I have my necklace back?”
Amira handed the locket back to Lex. She then put a comforting arm around Dee. “I promise Lex will return the necklace in about an hour or so.”
She wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. “I don’t care what you do. I’m going to bed.”
Dee walked out and only he, Jordie, Ris, and Amira remained.
Amira turned to him. “You were right. This assignment was simple, and I made it more complicated for no reason.”
He held up the necklace. “We can make it uncomplicated by calling on Mellie and getting an explanation.”
They sat down at the table and Lex held the locket pressed against the LSP amulet. “Mellie Waterson, come forth.”
The white wisp appeared and Mellie materialized in a chair at the end of the table. “Took you guys long enough,” she said.
“What the heck, ghost fiend!” Ris shouted.
“Down girl,” Jordie said and shushed her. “Let the senior agents handle this.”
He met Amira’s gaze and gave her a nod of encouragement.
Amira took a deep breath, then smacked her hand against the table. “What the heck, Mellie? You can talk now? Why did you hit me with a lamp?”
Lex hid his smile. Amira and Ris were more alike than either wanted to admit.
Mellie rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t in control and Dee had no idea what she was doing. Her emotions are all over the place. Like she’s retentive—is that the word?”
“Repressed?” Ris offered.
Mellie nodded. “Yeah, something like that. Anyway, she rubbed the locket and I showed up like a genie of the lamp. I tried to guess what she wanted me to do.”
Lex narrowed his eyes, unconvinced Mellie hadn’t enjoyed creating chaos in the house. “Dee wouldn’t have wanted you to harm Samuel with that fall on the stairs.”
Mellie shrugged, an impish grin framing her young face. “I’m not psychic.”
“What about hitting me?” Amira asked. “I don’t believe Dee would have wanted that either.”
“I saw your paranormal manual when I went through your room. I knew I could finally get out of here.” Mellie sat back in the chair and propped her ghost boots on the edge of the table. “Y’all were floundering, so I had to give you a smack to move things along. I said I was sorry.”
Amira glanced at Lex and he shrugged. He gave her a nod and sat back with his arms crossed. They might not be the answers she wanted, but they were answers.
“Why didn’t you cross over years ago when you died?” Jordie asked.
“Because no one has found my body. I know they tried, especially my parents, but everyone stopped looking. I was stuck in the antique shop for like a really, really long time, attached to the locket. That place bored me to tears. And what kind of jerk would I have been if I’d haunted Miss MaryAnn. She’s such a sweet lady. What luck that Sammie’s mom bought my necklace.” She glanced at Amira. “And then you came. You’re the only one who’s cared about what happened to me in like forever.”
Amira’s eyes watered.
“Who murdered you?” Lex asked.
“No one,” she answered. “I fell down a hidden mine shaft.”
“No way!” Ris stood up. “Then why couldn’t they find your body?”
“From what I could tell, they were searching in the wrong direction. Little Foot, my horse, must have taken the long way home after I didn’t come back up from the mine. My bones are in a hidden gold mine shaft south of town. I found it inside an abandoned house when I took a ride one day. It was so cool.”
“How did your necklace get to the antique shop?”
“I hadn’t worn that necklace since I was thirteen. I won the locket at a fair. One day I put it in a box and forgot about it. My parents probably had no idea it was in the box of things they gave to Miss MaryAnn.”
“If it wasn’t that important then why did you attach to it?” Lex asked.
She shrugged her transparent shoulders. “I don’t think we ghosts get to choose. One minute I slipped and fell into a hole, and the next I woke up at the antique store able to pass through walls.”
“Are you ready to cross over now?” Amira asked. “Do you want me to take you to see your parents one more time?”
“Anywhere is better than here. The people in this house are crazy. And I said my goodbyes to Mom and Dad a long time ago. Seeing them again would just hurt.” She looked at Lex. “Do your thing. I’m ready.”
Lex nodded with relief, probably the second most ready person in the room to send her on her way. He held up the amulet. “Mellie Waterson, please cross over.”
A jolt of warmth rushed down his arm to the necklace.
Mellie waved goodbye and faded into the air.
“That’s it?” Ris asked. “I really thought we had some huge murder mystery going on.”
Jordie bounced up. “I’m good with it being simple. Ya know, Britton has a drive-in theater. Wanna see what’s playing? I got a real nice ride.”
Ris shrugged. “Sure.”
Lex clenched his jaw. Jordie had better not put even the smallest scratch on that rented car.
He and Amira remained at the table long after the headlights of Jordie’s rented Rolls left the parking lot.
“We have to tell someone about Mellie,” she finally said. “Her parents deserve closure.”
Lex reached over and grasped her hand. “I’ll have someone at the LSP call in with an anonymous tip.”
She lifted her gaze to the ceiling. “What do you think will happen to Samuel? Should we tell him about Cookie accidentally killing his mom?”
“I think we should leave tha
t between Cookie and Samuel.”
“I’m going to agree with you this time.”
He grinned, enjoying the moment a little more than he should. “That would be a nice change.”
She glanced around the room. “Should we leave tonight?”
“We are booked until tomorrow morning. I say we use the last evening as a mini-vacation. I think I saw a Scrabble game in the main living area.”
Amira hopped up. “I’ll go make us some tea and meet you there.”
Lex waited until she left to pull out his cell phone. He texted an “all done” to Sparsh. He silently prayed that they wouldn’t have another assignment until after the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. But knowing Gramps, he should prepare for the worst and spend as much quality time with Amira as possible.
∞∞∞
The next morning, Lex tapped lightly on Amira’s door. He’d made a quick run into town for a gift and didn’t want to wait for their return to Burberry to give it to her. Samuel was still angry with everyone for the night before and he wanted them out before noon.
Ris opened the door and gave him a wink. “Are you here for some smoochy times with my sister?”
Amira pushed Ris out the door with a shove and beckoned him inside.
Ris laughed and her voice echoed in the hall. “If this room is rockin’, don’t come…”
“Don’t be crass. Get your stuff packed and meet us by the car.” Amira slammed the door in her sister’s smiling face. “She really is the worst sometimes.”
“I have to admit, I wouldn’t mind some ‘smoochy times’ when we get back to Burberry,” he said. “But first we need to talk.”
Amira moved her suitcase from the bed to the floor. She folded her hands in front of her and gave him her full attention.
“I was thinking how miserable everyone in the house was simply because they wouldn’t admit their true feelings.” The words stalled in his throat. Gramps hadn’t exactly taught him how to deal with his feelings properly either. But he’d realized with all the repressed emotions between the occupants of the B&B that not saying what you mean equaled disaster in the end. He took a deep breath and pressed on. “I’m glad you admitted that my actions smothered you. I knew something was wrong, I just didn’t know what.”