by K E O'Connor
Luke studied us for another moment before nodding. “If anyone wanted Felicity dead, it was that louse of a boyfriend. I’m no angel, but he doesn’t know the meaning of the word faithful.”
I gasped. “Barnaby was cheating on Felicity?”
“I saw him with another woman a few weeks before Felicity died.”
“Who was it?” Helen asked.
“Not a clue. I recognized Barnaby. He drives a distinctive soft top with a personalized plate. The woman had a hat on, so I couldn’t see what she looked like. They were more than friends.”
This was unexpected news. I’d come here thinking Luke was a suspect after becoming entangled in a relationship with Felicity. Instead, he led me back to Barnaby as a love rat.
“Would you recognize this woman if you saw her again?” I asked.
“Doubtful. I didn’t get a good look at her. Barnaby had his hands all over her. You don’t handle a woman like that unless she’s yours.”
“You don’t handle a woman like that at all unless she asks you to,” Helen said.
Luke snorted a laugh. “Whatever you say, blondie.”
“Does Barnaby know much about the toxic plants Felicity worked on?” I asked.
“Barnaby doesn’t have a clue about much, other than how to waste time. I don’t know what the guy’s still doing hanging around here. Felicity’s been gone six months.”
“He didn’t start a relationship with this mystery woman after Felicity died? You definitely saw them together when Felicity was still alive?”
“Positive. It might be nothing. I don’t go around spying on him. I’m too busy to do anything as pointless as that.”
“Did you speak to Barnaby about who he was seeing behind Felicity’s back?”
“It’s not my business.”
“Would Felicity have confronted Barnaby about the affair if she’d found out?”
“You ask too many questions.” Luke’s eyes narrowed as he stared at me. “If you’re not cops, you must be undercover reporters. Are you sniffing around for a story and trying to screw up this product launch?”
“We aren’t police or reporters,” I said. “I don’t like to think of Felicity being mistreated when she was alive. She deserves better.”
“I don’t disagree. She never gave me any hassle. If you find out somebody harmed her, send them my way. I’ll teach them a lesson.” Luke cracked his knuckles. “She was a kook but a harmless one. And before you start asking ridiculous questions again, we were not in a relationship. Now, if you’re done with your questioning, you need to bugger off. I’ve got work to do.”
“One last question,” I said. “Were you here the night Felicity was found?”
He scowled at me and nodded. “Sure, I was working in the end barn. Others can testify before you try to pin this on me. Now, get out of here and take your sickly-sweet brownies with you.”
“My brownies are not sickly sweet,” Helen said.
Luke shook his head before turning and stalking away.
“What’s wrong with that man?” Helen said. “No one dislikes my food. There’s got to be something seriously malfunctioning inside that head of his if he doesn’t like brownies.”
“He’s the first person we’ve met to turn down your brownies,” I said. “Still, that means more for us, so that’s a good thing.”
Helen scowled at Luke. “I guess so. At least we know Felicity couldn’t have been romantically involved with him. He’s such a pig.”
“Some women like pigs.” I flicked open the lid of the brownie tin and helped myself to another one.
“I can’t believe Felicity would be into Luke. She seemed adamant in the kitchen that she had nothing to do with him.”
“What about this mystery woman of Barnaby’s?” I turned, and we walked slowly out of the barn back toward the house, Flipper glued to my side in the hope of getting some brownie.
“You need to interrogate Barnaby,” Helen said. “Maybe his cheating behavior caught up with him, and he did something about it to keep her quiet.”
I nodded as I bit into Helen’s brownie and gave a contented sigh at the comforting taste of chocolate as it melted on my tongue. If Barnaby’s infidelity was real and had been discovered, he would have an excellent reason to want Felicity dead.
Maybe there was more to Barnaby than I’d originally thought. It was time to find out.
Chapter 10
I was licking chocolate off my fingers when Zara raced out of the house, a panicked look on her face.
I looked past her at the house, wondering if the ghosts were causing a problem.
“I’m so glad I found you both.” Zara gasped as she reached us. Her pants were wet up to the knees and her shirt sleeves rolled up. “It’s such a disaster.”
“What’s going on?” I asked. “Is there a problem in the house?”
“The house is fine. Our office has been flooded.”
“What happened?” Helen asked.
“Somebody left the taps on in the washroom. I went back to grab some paperwork and discovered two feet of water. They must have been on since we left this evening. And all the electrics have blown.”
“That’s terrible,” I said. “Did someone go in after we left, or did a pipe burst?” It was a chilly evening but not cold enough to cause plumbing problems.
“The pipes looked fine.” Zara raked her hair off her face. “Have either of you been in the washroom this evening? I won’t be angry if you left a tap on by mistake.”
“I didn’t use the washroom before I left this evening,” I said.
“I haven’t been over to the offices today,” Helen said. “I’ve been in the kitchen.”
Zara sighed. “I didn’t think so. This isn’t the first time there’s been a problem like this.”
“You’ve had a flood before?”
“Nothing as bad. I came into the office after lunch a few months back to find the sink about to overflow. I was the only one working there that day. It must be a problem with the faucet. Maybe a loose connection or something. I’ll have to get Luke to take a look. This can’t keep happening.”
“Maybe it wasn’t a human hand that turned on the tap,” Helen whispered to me.
That was exactly my thought, although I hadn’t felt any ghostly presences in the office.
Zara looked back at the office, and her shoulders sagged. “It’s such a mess. It will take weeks to get dried out and cost a small fortune to get the electrics sorted.”
“Everything relating to the party is backed up on a remote server,” I said. “All the information we need is safe.”
Zara grabbed my elbow. “Lorna, you’re a lifesaver. Of course, I knew you’d have done something so clever. We can manage without the fancy offices for a little while.”
I looked at the house, and a sense of dread slid down my spine. I knew what was coming next, and I wasn’t going to like it.
“There’s plenty of room in the old house,” Zara said. “We’ll set up a temporary base there and carry on. The laptops didn’t get damaged. We’ll transport anything usable and dry to the house and take over a sitting room.”
I forced myself to smile. The last place I wanted to work was inside that creepy old ghost-filled neo-gothic nightmare.
“We’ll make it work.” Helen nudged me with her elbow. “The party is still on track.”
I nodded. “Yes, we will.” There was nothing to do other than put on my big girl pants and deal with this. I could handle a few ghosts, get the job done, ensure the party went without a hitch, and still solve the mystery of Felicity’s murder. I might just have a few frozen toes and lightheaded episodes whilst I did so.
“Let’s get to work,” Helen said. “I have to finish the sausage rolls then I’ll come to help you move things into the house.”
“Thanks, Helen. That will be appreciated,” Zara said.
Helen headed to the kitchen, and I followed Zara to the office.
Zara opened the office door carefully,
a frown on her face. “This leaky tap is so odd. You’d expect it to be a leak in a pipe, but the water was gushing out like someone turned on both taps at full blast.”
I peered in to see the ruined wooden floor and water-stained desks. “It is unusual. Are you sure nobody else was able to get in?”
“Unless you saw somebody while you were here,” Zara said. “If somebody did do it deliberately, why would they? I can’t understand why anybody would want to ruin our offices.”
I could think of several dozen someones, but none of them were alive. “It must just be a plumbing issue. One of those freak events.”
Zara stuck her hands on her hips as she looked at the soggy mess around us. “I’ll grab some plastic crates from the barn. We’ll load up what we can and take it to the house before it gets too dark and cold and we can’t see what we’re doing.”
I watched her go before grabbing a broom from outside and sweeping out some water.
“Felicity, I don’t suppose you had anything to do with this,” I said into the silence of the office. “Are you getting back at Zara for something?”
There was no response from Felicity, and I didn’t get any sense she was watching me.
I paused in my sweeping. “Does anybody else want to step forward and admit responsibility?” The house was full of ghosts. Any of them could have drifted out and decided to play an early Halloween trick on Zara.
I heard Flipper bark from outside the office. I glanced out the door to find him sitting next to Miltonia.
“Hey! I thought you were hiding with Helen.” I bent and tried to stroke her, but she shied away.
Flipper nudged Miltonia with his nose as if telling her I was a safe pair of hands.
I stood up. “I get it. I’m a stranger. You take your time getting to know me.”
Flipper stared intently at Miltonia and nudged her again.
“She’s sad,” I said to Flipper. “Miltonia misses her mom. She’s grieving for her.”
Flipper put a paw over his nose and whined softly.
“I know it’s horrible. At least, she’s got you for company. That will cheer her up. Go easy on her, though. She’s a lot smaller than you.”
Zara appeared with two plastic crates, and we spent the next ten minutes loading everything we needed to run the office from the house.
I looked regretfully over my shoulder as I closed the office door and picked up my crate. I did not want to go inside that house, but I had no choice. I’d have to make the best of it, but my insides chilled at the thought of working every day with so many unquiet spirits around me.
“Miltonia!” Zara called. “Come on, girl. You don’t want to stay outside on your own.”
Miltonia looked at Zara then Flipper. She turned her back and stared at the office door.
“No, we can’t go in there. You’ve got to come into the house.” Zara patted her leg as she balanced the crate on one hip.
“She might follow us if we go ahead,” I said. “Flipper has been making friends with her.”
Zara shook her head. “I wish I knew what went on in that little dog’s head. It’s so sad to see her like this. Although, she does seem perkier since you arrived.”
I looked back at Miltonia as we walked to the house. She was one stubborn dog and still stared at the damp office as if willing the door to open.
I followed Zara into a high-ceilinged room. The windows were stained glass, and several old wooden pews were set alongside the walls.
“I was thinking this room,” Zara said. “We need to bring in tables, but it’s the least cold room in the house.”
I spotted three ghosts lurking at the other end of the room. “How about somewhere smaller? It’s just you and me, so we don’t need this much space. I don’t mind putting on an extra layer or two if the other rooms are on the chilly side.”
Zara adjusted the crate on her hip. “We could try the sitting room. It is cozier and has a working fireplace, so we can have an open fire. That will keep out the chill.”
“That sounds great.” I hurried out of the room, making sure not to pay the ghosts any attention.
The sitting room was dominated by a large stone fireplace at one end. Two bookshelves sat on either side of the fireplace, and there was a worn pink velvet couch with a large, dark oak table at the other end of the room.
“How about this?” Zara asked.
I looked around. So far, so good. There were no ghosts inside this room. I checked Flipper, and he looked happy with our new office. “This looks fine. We can get plenty of work done in here.”
Helen walked into the room a moment later. She looked around and gave me a discreet thumbs-up, which I returned. “Is there anything you need me to bring over from the office?”
“There are a couple of boxes of folders,” Zara said. “Don’t worry. I’ll get them. You can bring Miltonia.”
Helen’s hand fluttered across her chest. “Oh, Lorna should do that. She’s really good with dogs.”
I shook my head. “No, you do it. I’ve got to get the office set up. And Miltonia has taken a shine to you.”
Helen grimaced. “I don’t have time to babysit her. I’ve got so much cooking to do.”
Helen was not getting out of her new dog ownership responsibilities so easily. “That’s fine. Miltonia can stay in here with Flipper. You can visit her.”
Helen glowered at me, knowing she was being set up. “Okay, I’ll go get her, but she’ll have to walk. I’m not carrying her, or I’ll get her muddy paw prints all over me.”
I smiled as I watched Helen go. She might be resisting the pull of being owned by a dog, but it would be good for both of them, and Helen was bringing Miltonia out of her grief.
Helen returned a few moments later, an exasperated look on her face. Miltonia was in her arms, wrapped in a blanket, her little tongue poking out the side of her mouth.
“She wouldn’t walk.” Helen placed the dog on the floor. “Miltonia laid on her back and whimpered when I tried to get her to walk. I had to swaddle her like a baby.”
Miltonia looked up hopefully at Helen.
“You stay here.” Helen patted Miltonia’s tufted head. “I’ll make tea, and everyone can try my spooky scones before bed.”
“What’s spooky about them?” I asked.
“I used a pumpkin-shaped cutter,” Helen said. “And pumpkin spice in the mix.”
Zara smiled as she headed out of the office. “They sound great. I’d be happy to sample one, and tea will be lovely. I’ll be back soon. I’ll go grab those folders.”
Helen left the room to make the tea, and Miltonia whined as soon as she couldn’t see her.
I tried to pet her, but she shied away and hid under the table. “Don’t worry, pooch. I won’t hurt you.” I left her to settle and started setting up the laptop.
A shiver ran down my spine. I ignored it. It was followed by several others.
Flipper shoved his head into my lap and looked up at me.
“I’m okay, just ignoring our unwanted guests.” I kept my attention on the screen. If I didn’t acknowledge the ghosts, they wouldn’t know I could see them.
A persistent, icy-cold tapping began on my left shoulder. I ignored it. After a minute, the tapping stopped.
I rubbed my arms and moved around the desk to set up Zara’s laptop. I glanced out the side of my eye and saw a stern-faced woman glaring at me, her hands clasped in front of her.
I plugged in Zara’s laptop and focused on that. But when an icy-cold hand slapped my backside, I couldn’t ignore it.
I spun around, my eyes narrowed. “Who did that?”
The ghost of a young man with a cheeky smile on his face peered at me.
“Don’t you dare do that again,” I said to him.
The ghost’s smile faded, and his eyes widened.
I sighed and shook my head. “No, this isn’t happening. You get out of here. I don’t want any trouble.”
The ghost whirled round me several times, trying to
slap my backside again.
I shrieked and dodged around the room to avoid his hands, running straight through the stern-faced female ghost as I did so. Flipper chased after me, barking and snapping at the ghost as I resisted the black dots in my vision, warning me I was about to faint.
“Get away from me.” I threw a couch cushion at the ghost. “This isn’t a game. I’m not playing.” I ran around, dodging chairs until I had my back pressed against the bookshelf and the ghost hovering in front of me.
Flipper stood between us growling, his hackles up.
I let out a sigh through my chattering teeth. “See him off, Flipper. If this ghost is going to be a nuisance, we don’t want him here.”
The ghost pointed at himself and then at me.
“Yes, well worked out. You know I can see you. That doesn’t mean you get the right to manhandle me. Now, get out of here before I set my ghost nipping dog on you.”
Helen pushed open the door, carrying a tray of pumpkin-shaped scones filled with cream and jam and a large pot of tea.
“Be careful,” I warned her. “There’s a smack happy ghost in here. He’s fond of ladies backsides. If he likes mine, he’s going to be in love with yours.”
Helen hurried to the table and set the tray down before turning and placing her back against the wall. “We’ll have none of that,” she said sternly. “We’re both ladies. You learn some manners, or we’ll chase you out of here.”
“You’d better listen to her,” I said to the ghost. “Helen is married to a policeman. He won’t be happy if he finds out you’ve been messing with his woman.”
The ghost scowled before turning and advancing on Helen. Oh no, that was the wrong thing to say. I didn’t want to anger him. I thought, if he knew he’d have the police on his back, he’d disappear.
“Helen, you might like to make a run for it,” I said.
Her eyes widened as she looked around the room. “Why? What’s he going to do?”
“By the looks of it, nothing good.”
I staggered to the side as an icy rush of freezing air shot through me. Felicity popped into view and flung herself at the other ghost. She grabbed him around the shoulders and pulled him backward, away from Helen.