by Rose Pressey
“Yeah, I can do that,” he said.
I sensed the hesitation in his voice. Either that meant he thought I was strange for asking or he was a little bashful around Tammy. I needed to calm down because I was already planning their wedding in my mind. This guy could be a creep or some kind of weirdo for all I knew.
“I’ll talk to you soon,” I said.
“Goodbye, Ripley,” he said.
I’d barely moved the phone from my ear when I was alerted to a text message. Apparently, I was extremely popular today. The message was from Annie.
Forgot to tell you that I gave someone your phone number.
Now she told me.
Charlie had been correct, Annie had given out my number.
“How did you know he wanted my number?”
Where was Annie hiding? She wasn’t in the room with me, so I typed out the message and hit send.
Ghosts just have a way of knowing these things.
Do you think he is a good guy?
I wouldn’t have given your number if I didn’t.
Well, I hope not.
I think Tammy has her eye on him.
I agree and if he’s a good guy then I think we need to play matchmaker. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.
I laughed.
I’ll keep you informed.
What would Tammy say about our matchmaking efforts? Tammy was used to me talking to the ghosts, but would she be interested in dating a guy who talked to them too? I really needed to know more about his psychic abilities. I had so many unanswered questions. Where was he from? A little detective work and I would get to the bottom of this. Although he might not answer my questions truthfully.
I couldn’t even figure out why I had a doppelgänger following me around, so what made me think I was qualified to be a detective with this guy? I suppose first I needed to tell Tammy and let her know that the guy I had been asking about her. It had been a bit strange the way he asked about her, but I still wanted to get her reaction.
Our eyes met as I strolled toward the reference desk.
Tammy raised an eyebrow. “Is everything all right, Rip?”
The suspicion in her eyes said a lot about the trouble I constantly got myself. Her first reaction was to assume that something was wrong.
“Everything is fine,” I said.
“Wait just a minute,” she said, holding her hand up. “I know by the tone of your voice that’s not true. Should I sit down so you can give me the news? I can handle it.”
I chuckled. “It’s not bad, I think. Though maybe you’ll think it is."
“You’re making me nervous. Out with it, she said, wiggling her fingers.
“Remember the hot guy?”
“The one with the gorgeous blue eyes and beautiful face?” she asked without hesitation.
“Yes, that’s the one,” I said.
“What about him?” she asked. “Don’t tell me he’s the killer.”
“I hope not,” I said.
I suppose I hadn’t thought about that. He was new in town and had mysteriously shown up at the library. Oh my gosh, what if I was trying to fix Tammy up with a killer? No, I was jumping to conclusions. I needed to just calm down.
“He was asking about your status,” I said.
“Really,” she said with a flirtatious tone in her voice.
Chapter 14
Taking a break from work, I decided to go over to that gym and have a look around for myself. Maybe I would ask a few people if they had ever seen a guy matching the description that I’d received from the boutique owner.
I pulled into the parking and whipped into a space. For a couple minutes I sat in the car wondering if I really wanted to get out. After releasing a deep breath, I climbed out from behind the wheel and I headed inside. I really needed to think about joining this place. But I got a lot exercise from all the walking around town. It wouldn’t hurt if I picked up a few weights and added some muscle to my biceps. Especially if I was going to fight off a killer.
The parking lot was pretty full as I walked across toward the entrance. I kept my eye out for anything suspicious. Nothing stood out as unusual. The cars in the lot had a special sticker for membership in their windows. Would my car be towed for not having that sticker? I sure hoped not.
“May I help you?” the toned brown-haired woman asked.
I marched up to the counter. I knew this was going to sound like a strange question.
“I’m looking for a guy who might be a member here.”
“I’m sorry but I can’t give that kind of information about members.”
“Yes, I suppose that would be a problem,” I said. “Here’s the thing. I’m looking for a potential killer.”
Her eyes widened.
“You don’t want anyone in your gym like that, do you?” I asked.
“Of course not,” she said with a shaky voice.
“You don’t have to tell me where the guy lives, just if you’ve seen him around here.”
She looked around as if she didn’t want anyone to know what we were discussing. "I suppose I could do that.”
“He has red hair and is muscular.” I chuckled. “I suppose there’s a lot of muscular guys around here though.”
“Pretty much,” she said.
“I wish I had a picture of him. What about a woman with blond hair. She’s really gorgeous.”
“There are a lot of pretty women who come in here,” she said.
“Right, I suppose there is,” I said.
This was getting me nowhere. How disappointing.
“Well, if you see anyone that matches that description can you give me a call?” I jotted down my number and handed her the paper.
The likelihood that I would get a call from her would probably be slim. Nevertheless, I had to try. Maybe I should actually join the gym and then I could come in here and look for myself. But without knowing what time he would be here it would be a limited possibility that I would actually encounter the guy.
“You know I might want to join,” I said.
“Really?” She perked up then. “I can show you around if you’d like.”
“Okay, I guess that would be all right.”
Maybe this guy was here right now. Could I get that lucky?
“Follow me,” she said motioned.
She wore black yoga pants and a pink sports bra. I felt out of place in my cardigan and khakis. I stepped into the open area with all the equipment. There were treadmills, stair climbers, weights etc. Toward the back of the room was where I assumed all the classes were held.
“I’ll show you the locker rooms too.” She motioned.
So far there was no sign of that guy. I wasn’t even sure who I was looking for. Would I recognize him if I saw him?
Before I knew I knew it I had signed up for membership. Maybe this was a good thing. I could get fit and find the killer. Such a lofty goal. On both counts. I took my membership card and thanked the woman.
“Can you let me know about seeing the people I described?”
“Yes of course. I’ll call you,” she said.
“Thanks again,” I said as I headed out the door, looking around the parking lot.
Maybe by some slim chance I might actually see the guy.
Back at the library a short time later I was excited to see that the call was from Brannon.
“What did you find out?” I asked when I answered.
“I’ve got some news,” he said.
“Sounds like it might be good news,” I said.
“Possibly. It’s about the victim. Apparently, she had quite a bit to do with the paranormal.”
“Really?” I said. “Nothing about how Abigail and Meredith knew each other?”
“We’re still working on that,” he said.
“Oh…,” I said.
“Aren’t you interested in what Meredith knew about the paranormal?” Brannon asked.
“Yes, of course, it’s not every day you meet someone i
nto the paranormal. How was she connected to it?”
“She actually ran a paranormal museum.”
“You’re kidding,” I said. “Where is it?”
“Not far away. It’s in Nashville. That’s only a couple of hours’ drive from here. I’d love to go there and check it out,” he said. “What do you think about that?”
“I think that sounds like a great idea,” I said.
“Since tomorrow is Sunday and you don’t have a tour, what do you think about going then?”
“I think it would be okay, but I’m not sure how this will work.”
“Well, we drive there of course,” he said with a chuckle.
“I mean, if she’s no longer here, then how will we get into see the museum?”
“I’m glad you asked,” he said. “I managed to track down a friend who is taking care of the place until I suppose the estate is settled. And she agreed to let us have a look around. I told her we were paranormal investigators. And that we might be interested in buying the museum.”
“Buying the museum?” I said. “Are you just telling her that so that we can get in or are you serious?”
“Well, you never know,” he said. “It’s kind of a neat idea, don’t you think?”
“I suppose,” I said. “I never thought about it until now.”
“We’ll have plenty of time to discuss it on the trip there,” he said.
“This should be an interesting trip,” I said.
“A paranormal museum?” I said out loud when I ended the call.
***
The next morning bright and early I jumped out of bed to get ready for the trip to Nashville. After dressing in my jeans and new yellow blouse, I slid into some comfortable shoes and stepped out on the front porch just as Brannon pulled up. I locked the door behind me and hurried down the path toward his car.
Brannon got out and immediately hugged me. “You look fabulous. How are you?”
“I’m great since there has been no sign of the doppelgänger. Do you like my new blouse?” I asked, spinning around to model for him.
“I like everything about you,” he said.
After kissing him on the lips I hurried around to the passenger side. He opened the door for me and I slid in. So far, no sign of a doppelgänger this morning either. I hoped it remained that way for the rest of the trip. Well, for the rest of forever. Brannon pulled away from the curb and we took off toward Nashville. Two hours later we had arrived.
“I can’t believe you found this place,” I said.
“It took a few phone calls but I’m glad that I found her,” he said.
“What’s her name?” I asked.
“Nancy. She’s a realtor in town.”
After the two-hour drive, we pulled up to the old federal-style brick house. A black sign in front welcomed people to the Nashville’s Haunted Museum. Written all in gold letters, in smaller print underneath was a warning to enter at your own risk.
“Do you know when this place was built?” I asked.
“I think Nancy said sometime in 1851. She was really giving me the sales pitch on the phone.”
“It’s beautiful,” I said. “I can’t wait to get in there.”
Brannon and I got out of the car and stood on the sidewalk staring at the two-story house. Shady elm trees dotted the front and side of the surrounding lawn. We stood in silence for quite a while, just taking it all in.
“Is Nancy meeting us here?” I asked.
He looked around. “I don’t see a car, but yeah, I hope she’s here soon.”
“I hope she didn’t forget or change her mind,” I said. “Do you know if Meredith lived here?”
“I don’t think she did. The place was used strictly as a museum.”
‘What did she have in there?” I asked.
“Nancy said all haunted items,” he said.
“Wow, it’s like a paranormal hurricane in there,” I said. “It very well could be one of the most haunted places we’ve ever been.”
“I guess we’re about to find out,” Brannon said.
Just then a large black car pulled up, stopping in the circle part of the driveway. The petite brown-haired woman got out of the car and waved at us. We walked over toward her. She attempted a smile, but she seemed a bit guarded. Not that I blamed her after what had happened to her friend.
“Are you Nancy?” Brannon asked.
“Yes, nice to meet you,” she said as she shook our hands.
“I’m Ripley Van Raden,” I said, shaking her hand. “Brannon and I investigate together.”
She eyed me up and down and then smiled. “That’s very nice. Well, if you’d like I can take you inside for a look. I really don’t like to stay, so after I let you in, I’ll leave you alone and you can look on your own.”
“You don’t like the house?” I asked.
“I don’t know about the house, but I certainly don’t like things inside,” she said.
“That’s understandable,” Brannon said. “The haunted items can have a lot of energy.”
She motioned for us to follow her. “I’ll let you in.”
What had we gotten ourselves into? We might have bitten off more than we could chew. Nancy led us up the front steps of the large porch. Large ferns in black urns flanked each side of the door. Nancy pulled a key from her pants pocket and unlocked the door. It was After stepping inside, dead silence surrounded us. The dimly lit space had only a few streams of sunshine that created dust motes floating through the air. The rooms to the left and to the right held display cases full of items. Wooden pedestals and tables filled the space with the items on top.
“Wow, this is a lot of stuff,” I said.
Even though I felt a bit antsy, I couldn’t wait to take a closer look.
“How long had she been collecting?” Brannon asked.
“Only a few years. This place was becoming quite popular. I suppose some people like to be scared. Anyway, I’ll be taking off now. If there’s anything you need call me. I’ll be back to lock up when you’re finished.” Nancy headed for the door.
She sure was in a hurry to get out of there. I sensed a presence already, so I couldn’t say that I blamed her for wanting to leave. But this was what Brannon and I did, so I had to be prepared for whatever might happen.
Nancy gave me one last look before closing the door. “Are you sure you want to stay?”
I smiled. “I’m sure.”
She attempted a half-hearted smile and then walked out the door.
“Wow, she was in a hurry,” Brannon said.
“Yeah, I can’t say that I blame her. The air is heavy in here.” I waved my hand in front of my face as if that might help me breath better.
Brannon pulled out some of his equipment and handed me the recorder. “Let’s see what we can find.”
“Should we split up?” I asked.
“If you want to, I want to.” Brannon held the electromagnetic field reader in front of him.
I smiled and said, “I’ll go to the right and you go to the left.”
“Call out if you need me,” he said. “Wow, the readings here are off the charts.”
Brannon and I took off in opposite directions. I eased into the room to my right. Pausing for a moment at the entrance, I scanned the room to decide where to start. There was so much stuff that I wasn’t sure what to look at first. With my recorder turned on, I stepped up to the first display case. A large baby doll in a yellowed dress stared back at me. Honestly it felt as if the doll might knock over the case and come after me. I thought for sure the doll was staring directly at me.
“Is anyone here?” I asked, hoping to catch something on the recorder.
Of course, there was no answer right away, but maybe when I checked later someone would speak to me. Footsteps sounded from behind me. I spun around but no one was there. A loud bang came from somewhere upstairs. Brannon and I ran out into the hallway, almost bumping into each other.
“Should we go check it out?” he ask
ed.
I pushed back the sinking feeling in my stomach and said, “Sure, let’s go look.”
The stair treads groaned as I eased up the steps. Brannon followed right behind me. I wasn’t sure which one was worse, going first or being last. Either way, it was scary. When I reached the top landing, I paused, looking to see if there was anything at the top of the stairs. No sign of anything yet. But I had no idea what might be waiting for us at the top.
“Shall we continue?” I asked.
Brannon nodded. “Let’s do it.”
We headed the rest of the way up the stairs and then I stopped at the top landing. I was unsure of where to look first. Several doors lined the hallway. Slowly we moved to the first door. It was open. Brannon motioned for me to stay back while he checked. He was the trained professional, so it was fine by me if he checked it out first. He shook his head letting me know the room was empty.
Brannon and I checked all the rooms on the second floor, but we couldn’t figure out where the noise had come from. One of the rooms was locked, so we were unable to see what was in there. Perhaps it was just an office space or a room for extra items that weren’t displayed yet. I had no idea. All the other rooms had been full of creepy items in cases like we’d seen downstairs. The cases held everything from faux fruit to old-looking vases. It was quite an eclectic collection.
“Take a look at this,” Brannon said, pointing to one of the cases. “Haunted bloomers?”
I laughed. “I don’t even want to know.”
A shuffling noise came from somewhere behind us. I spun around and out of the corner of my eye I saw what looked like a woman walking down the steps.
“Go,” I said.
We hurried down the steps toward the landing. I tried to be careful so that I wouldn’t tumble all the way to the bottom. Once I was at the landing, I peeked over the side of the banister and I saw her. Brannon and I exchanged a look. I couldn’t believe what I saw. It was the murdered woman. Did Meredith have a twin or was I seeing things? It couldn’t possibly be her. I didn’t know what to think. Another doppelgänger?
“We have to follow her,” I whispered.
Brannon and I walked the rest of the way down the steps, moving carefully so that we wouldn’t draw attention to ourselves. Could this really be her doppelgänger? Another one? Was there some kind of connection between this one and my doppelgänger? It couldn’t be a coincidence that Meredith had come to Devil’s Moon and there was a doppelgänger there too.