by Rose Pressey
“What are you doing, Cookie?” Charlotte asked.
“I’m going to get this door open,” I said.
“This doesn’t look like a good idea.” Minnie’s eyes were wide with fear.
“Maybe not, but it is my only chance.”
On the count of three I was going to run with all my strength and slam into that door.
“Cookie, you realize that door is solid? You’ll break every bone in that little body of yours,” Charlotte said.
“It’s not as solid as the walls. I just think the latch is stuck. A little bump will work it loose. It’s not like I’ll knock the door down.” My heart thumped harder.
“Okay, as long as you realize you’re not Wonder Woman.”
One, two, three.
I ran and shoved my body against the door. It broke free, and I tumbled from the tomb and landed on the grass facedown. I groaned. The fresh night air and smell of grass greeted me. I wanted to cry.
“Cookie, are you okay?” Charlotte asked.
“She doesn’t look okay,” Minnie said.
The ghosts peered down at me. My shoulder hurt, but other than that I thought I was okay. I rolled over onto my back.
“I’m okay.” I scanned the area and realized we were alone in the graveyard. “Where are the cats?”
Panic surged through me when I realized Grandma Pearl and Tyler were missing. Since the day Wind Song had shown up at my shop I’d known where she was at all times. Now that I was without her I was panicking. Tyler was grumpy, but I didn’t want anything to happen to him.
“Do you see the cats?” I asked as I climbed to my feet.
I brushed off the dirt from my clothing and hands. Grass stains covered the front of my skirt. Now I regretted wearing this, but I was confident I could get the stain out.
“I don’t see them anywhere,” Charlotte said, looking around the graveyard.
“Here, kitty, kitty,” Minnie called out. “Grandma Pearl and Tyler, where are you?”
The slithering noise caught my attention. After spinning around, I backed up a few steps. The snake came out from the mausoleum. With my attention focused on finding the cats I’d almost forgotten about the snake. It moved to the right and slithered away.
I released a deep breath. “Thank goodness that thing is gone. Let’s look around and find the cats.”
“Maybe they’re at the front gate trying to attract someone’s attention,” Minnie said.
“Now I’d love to see that. What are they waving . . . their paws to flag down a car?” Charlotte chortled.
“It could happen. I bet that’s what they’re doing,” I said.
It was almost completely dark now. At least I could still make my way around the graves with the aid of my phone’s light. The wind picked up and leaves scuttled across the ground in front of me. Every slight movement had me on guard. I rushed toward the front. My legs could not move fast enough. When we reached the front gate Dylan’s car pulled up.
“What is he doing here?” Charlotte asked.
“I don’t know. How did he know I was here?” I asked.
Looking around for the cats, I called out, “Grandma Pearl? Tyler? Wind Song?”
I stood outside the front gate now. I still hadn’t spotted the cats, and a sinking feeling had settled in my stomach. Dylan opened his car door and got out. He stood there with the door open.
“What is he doing?” Charlotte asked.
Grandma Pearl and Tyler jumped out of the car. They had left to find Dylan.
“I can’t believe it,” I said.
Grandma Pearl and Tyler were my heroes. The cats ran over to me. Even Tyler, which surprised me. I picked up Grandma Pearl and hugged her. When I placed her down, I lifted Tyler up into my arms and hugged him too. He moved away and squirmed.
“Okay, you don’t like affection, I get it.”
He jumped from my arms.
Dylan hurried over to me. “Cookie, what are you doing?”
I blew the hair from my eyes. “I was locked in the mausoleum.”
He stared in stunned silence.
“You’ve finally shocked him silent,” Charlotte said.
Dylan shook his head. “How in the world did that happen? Or do I even want to know?”
“I’d go with the ‘you don’t want to know’ option,” Charlotte said.
“Someone pushed me inside. Somehow the door was stuck and there was a poisonous snake in there.”
“A poisonous snake?” Disbelief filled his words.
“You heard her correctly,” Charlotte said.
I shook my head. “Yes, a poisonous snake.”
“How did you get out?” he asked.
“I rammed my body into the door and the latch came unstuck. I can’t believe the cats came to find you. But how did you know where I was? They can’t talk to you,” I said.
Little did he know the cats really could talk.
“They talked to me the same way that they talk to you.” Dylan studied my face.
“What did he just say?” Charlotte asked.
There was no way that he knew about the cats.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“The cats use the board to talk with you,” Dylan said, staring directly at me.
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“Don’t play innocent, Cookie. He means he used the Ouija board,” Charlotte said.
My eyes widened. “You used the Ouija board?”
Dylan smiled. “I had to do it. They came to give me a message, so I knew it was important.”
“This guy is pretty cool.” Charlotte pointed at Dylan.
“Grandma Pearl spelled out the word graveyard, so I knew that must be where you were,” Dylan said.
“I would have liked to have seen that,” Charlotte said.
“This is incredible,” Minnie said.
“I bet you were surprised when you saw the cats,” I said.
“The cats were just walking down the street. I recognized them right away and knew something was wrong,” Dylan said.
“Where did you find a Ouija board?” I asked.
Dylan shrugged. “I made one. Just used some paper.”
“Whatever works. He improvises. I like that,” Charlotte said.
“Now that you have found the cats you need to figure out who pushed you,” Minnie said.
Dylan wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “Let’s get you out of here.”
“What about the person who pushed me?” I asked.
Dylan looked me in the eyes. “Are you sure someone pushed you?”
I studied his face. “Well, I’m not positive, but I can’t see how I would have fallen forward.”
He pushed hair off my cheek. “You have been known to be a bit clumsy.”
Charlotte scoffed. “A bit? She has two left feet.”
“I don’t think that was the case this time,” Minnie said.
“Did you see anyone?” Dylan asked.
I shook my head. “No, I never saw anyone.”
“I did see someone,” Charlotte said.
“That’s right. Charlotte saw someone,” I said.
“Who did she see?” Dylan asked.
“If I knew that we might know who pushed Cookie,” Charlotte said.
“Well, it was just out of the corner of her eye, so she’s not sure,” I said.
“I know by the look on his face that he doesn’t believe me,” Charlotte said. “Tell him I’m not happy with him.”
I sighed. “Charlotte isn’t happy with you.”
Dylan quirked an eyebrow and looked around. “Why isn’t she happy with me? What did I do?”
I pointed. “She’s right there. Charlotte isn’t happy because you don’t believe her.”
He turned his attention to Charlotte. “Sorry, Ms. Meadows, I believe that you saw something, but it could have been a bird, or a cat.”
“Or a ghost!” Minnie said.
Charlotte placed her hands on her hips. “It was a
person.”
“You just need some rest.” Dylan took me by the arm.
“And furthermore, it’s Charlotte. Don’t call me Ms. Meadows,” Charlotte said behind Dylan’s back. “He acts like he doesn’t know me at all.”
Dylan guided me over to my car with my gang of friends trailing behind us. The cats, ghosts, and I got into my car. This time I was in the passenger seat and Charlotte was forced to sit in the back. She didn’t complain this time. Dylan knew I wouldn’t want to leave my car behind.
“I’ll have someone drive me back for my car,” he said, starting the Buick’s engine.
“True love is when Cookie allows someone to drive her car,” Charlotte said.
“It is sweet of him,” Minnie said.
As Dylan drove away from the curb I peered out the window at the graveyard. It looked peaceful and hauntingly beautiful under the glow of the moon. It had been anything but peaceful while I’d been there. Was someone stalking and harassing me? I felt as if the snake had been in there on purpose. I was tired though and maybe my mind was overwhelmed with racing thoughts because of my exhaustion.
Dylan was right. I needed rest. Though I couldn’t help but wonder if the killer was after me. On the other hand, I had been in a graveyard. It could have been a deadly threat from the spirit world. If I wasn’t careful, a photo shoot might not be the only shots fired. I had to solve the case before it was too late.
Chapter 22
Charlotte’s Tips for a Fabulous Afterlife
The living won’t always ask for help.
Sometimes you just have to give it without solicitation.
The next morning over breakfast, I jotted down notes of what I knew about the case. Tina Fairchild was Tyler’s ex-girlfriend and definitely on the suspect list. According to Tyler’s friends, Tina had been stalking Tyler and the other models. Apparently, she hadn’t accepted their breakup and wanted Tyler back.
“What are you doing?” Charlotte asked from over my shoulder.
“Taking notes on the murder case, what else?” I tapped my pen against the pad of paper.
“A little light work over breakfast, huh? Nothing like thinking about bloody violence while enjoying a bowl of Cheerios.” Charlotte sat down beside me.
“All of the models,” I said as I continued to write. “And the model’s boyfriend Darrin.”
“Don’t forget the mystery woman Shanna Sizemore,” Charlotte said.
Minnie shuffled into the kitchen as if she’d just woken up. As far as I knew the ghosts didn’t sleep. Charlotte usually spent that time on the other side with her boyfriend. Was that where Minnie had been too?
I finished my bite of cereal and said, “How could I forget Shanna?”
“If you don’t stop making your list you’ll be late for work,” Charlotte said.
“You’re right. I let time slip away.” I jumped up from the table and put my bowl in the sink.
Now I had to hurry and dress so I wouldn’t have to speed to town. The last thing I needed was a ticket from Dylan. Today I felt like dressing up more than usual. Maybe because I thought it would lift my spirits. No pun intended.
I pulled out a special Chanel dress that I’d never worn. It was sleeveless with a pink form-fitted skirt and a white tank style on the upper part of the dress. My mother had discovered this when we were estate sale shopping near my parents’ house. I’d been saving it for a special occasion. If I waited around for that, though, I might never get a chance to wear it. Today was as good a day as any. I figured I should seize the day.
“You’re going to wear that?” Charlotte asked from over my shoulder.
She routinely stood behind me at the closet and critiqued my daily outfit selection.
“What’s wrong with this dress? It’s gorgeous,” I said as I held it up to examine.
“You never want to wear it because you’re afraid that you’ll stain it or ruin it.”
“It’s a beautiful dress,” Minnie said.
“Well, today I feel differently. Things are made to be used and enjoyed.” I admired the dress again.
“She must be sick,” Charlotte whispered to Minnie.
“Like I said, it is a beautiful dress, Cookie. I think you should wear it,” Minnie said.
“Oh go ahead, but don’t cry to me when it’s ruined.” Charlotte studied her fingernails.
“I promise not to cry to you, Charlotte,” I said.
After dressing I slipped into my black Chanel flats and grabbed the black quilted Chanel mini flap bag I’d scored off the internet for a great price. I headed for the door.
“Don’t you think that’s a bit much Chanel?” Charlotte asked.
Normally I would have said yes, but with this outfit I thought it worked. It wasn’t as if the labels were plastered everywhere on my outfit.
“Nope,” I said as I marched for the door.
“She’s in a sassy mood today. Look out,” Charlotte said with a click of her tongue.
The cats and ghosts followed me to the car. I peered over at the police car. With his eyes closed and head leaned back against the seat, it looked as if the officer was sleeping. Again. He’d slept yesterday too.
“Should I wake him?” I asked.
“That would be embarrassing for him,” Charlotte said. “I’m sure things will be fine. You’re just going into town to the shop. He’ll wake up and see the car is gone and come find you.”
“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” Minnie said. “After all, someone did try to get Cookie at her shop.”
Charlotte waved her hand. “It’ll be fine.”
So I slipped behind the wheel and cranked the engine. The officer slept through that so I pulled away from the curb. With the sun shining down on me I cruised the roads toward town. The Flamingos played on the radio.
“This is a beautiful day,” I said. “I have a feeling that nothing can go wrong.”
Charlotte grimaced. I took the hint that she didn’t share my sentiment. She was the one who said everything would be fine.
“If you say so, but never let yourself get too confident,” she said.
The blue sky stretched out endlessly. Traffic was light as there were no other cars in front of me. When I glanced in the rearview mirror though there was a black car with darkly tinted windows directly behind me. The windows were so dark that I couldn’t see who was behind the wheel.
The next thing I knew, the car bumped me. I wasn’t expecting it, so the jolt sent my car to the right. I tried to control the wheel and keep from hitting the ditch, but it was impossible. My car smashed into the ditch. For a short time the world spun. I suppose it was the shock from what had happened. The car sped past and didn’t seem concerned with what they’d done. I looked beside me to see if the cats were okay. They stared at me in stunned silence. Thank goodness they were all right.
“Are you all right, Cookie?” Charlotte asked with panic in her voice.
“I’m okay, but my car isn’t.” I looked around with shock.
“Your car can be fixed, but you can’t,” Minnie said from the backseat.
“Truer words have never been spoken,” Charlotte said.
Trying to get out of the car, I had to shove the door to get it open. Even though the car was slanted in the ditch, I managed to free myself. After climbing out, I moved around to the front of the car. The cats jumped out too. Charlotte and Minnie were already waiting at the front of the car. By the looks on their faces I assumed it wasn’t good news.
Standing in front of the car, I stared at the fender, hood, and headlights. It was definitely smashed. Viewing the dents and scratches was actually a painful sight. Luckily, it could be repaired. The damage could have been much worse.
“I know you’re upset about the car, but like Minnie said, it can be fixed. The most important thing to worry about is why that person hit your car. They wanted to harm you,” Charlotte said.
Now was when the real panic set in. “You’re right, Charlotte. That was no accident.”
I hurried back to the car for my phone. Charlotte and Minnie rushed along beside me. The cats were in front of me. They jumped up onto the seat while I reached for my phone. I had to call Dylan.
When he answered the first thing I said was, “I’m okay.”
“What happened?” Dylan asked.
“I had an accident, but like I said, I’m fine. The car, not so much.” I looked down the road to see if any other cars were coming.
I was all alone out here. For now I considered that a good thing. I didn’t want the car that had run me off the road to return.
“Where are you?” he asked. “Where is the officer who was supposed to be with you?”
“Highway 205. I was heading to work. He was asleep in the car so I left him.”
Dylan groaned.
“I’m near that old barn. The one that’s falling down,” I said.
“I’ll be there soon,” Dylan said.
“Thank goodness he’s coming to help,” Charlotte said.
“It’s a good thing Dylan can help. What would you do without him?” Minnie asked.
“First of all she would call a wrecker,” Charlotte said.
Mostly I tried to tune out the ghosts’ chatter. Right now I was trying to wrap my head around what had happened. One minute I was cruising along, and the next I was standing out here in the middle of farmland. An uneasy feeling remained with me. I knew I wouldn’t be able to shake it off for some time. Moving back to the front of the car, I stared at the dent in the front passenger side of the car.
Thank goodness a couple minutes later Dylan sped down the road. He rolled up to a stop along the road behind my car. The blue lights on his car swirled, but he shut off the siren before he got out.
Dylan jumped out of his car and ran over to me. “Are you hurt?”
I waved my hand. “It was just a fender bender really.”
“More like a fender crusher,” Charlotte said.
“Why didn’t you wake Officer Morrison?” Dylan asked.
“I didn’t think there was a reason for him to follow me.” I stared at Dylan’s face.
“Or so you thought.” Charlotte scoffed.