Ghostly Apparitions (A Ghost Hunter P.I. Mystery Book 1)

by Aubrey Harper

“You have excellent taste, I’ll give you that.”

  The package with the dress was waiting for me when I got back to my office.

  Just in case you have nothing to wear, the note had said.

  Gran thought it crossed the line, I thought it was sweet, and Sarah heard wedding bells where none were ringing. I had a feeling that she was trying to stave off her own wedding wishes by focusing on my marital prospects.

  “Do you really think it’s wise, though?” Sarah had said when I told her about our general plan. “Jonathan doesn’t like Jonah much. He says that he’s trouble with a capital T.”

  “Did he really say that?” I grilled her.

  “Maybe not those exact words but you know what I mean.”

  “You promised you wouldn’t tell anything to Jonathan, remember?”

  Sarah quickly nodded. And then made a zipping motion over her lips. “Of course I’d never betray your trust, cousin.”

  “Good, because Kane seems pretty excited about it. He says that we even might figure out who killed Bart and Derek tonight.”

  Sarah looked uncomfortable. “That sounds like a job for the police, don’t you think? I really don’t like the thought of you getting mixed up in all of this.”

  “Neither does Gran, which is why you shouldn’t tell her anything either. All she thinks is that I’m going to a party with Jonah at ‘that awful man’s place’ as she calls it. Kane and I have everything under control. Plus, Donna will be there too. The last thing we need is cops showing up for no reason.”

  “You promise to text me if anything fishy starts to happen, right?”

  “Of course. I’m not a fool.”

  Sarah finished putting the finishing touches on my look and when she was done and I had a chance to look at myself in the mirror, even I couldn’t recognize the person in the mirror at first.

  “I look so…”

  “Glamorous?” She finished the sentence for me.

  “Something like that.”

  “I have to warn you, he has some kind of test planned. I don’t know what it entails but I’m pretty sure it involves ghosts. Gosh, I can’t believe I’m even saying these words. What has my life become?”

  Jonah was talking like this all the way to the party. It was clear he was nervous about something.

  “How did you get your car fixed so quickly? It looks practically new.”

  “That’s because it is. Didn’t you notice it was a slightly different shade?”

  I honestly didn’t, but then I had other things on my mind. Like the impending party. If Jonah was revealed to be the embezzler, all hell might break loose, in a manner of speaking, anyway.

  “So Crane just bought you a new car?”

  “God no. It was already in the garage. Some of his other guys use it. Now they’ll have to carpool I guess.”

  Lifestyles of the rich and those who work for them. Will this be my future once tonight was over? I doubted it.

  “You really should prepare yourself,” he reminded me.

  “You’ve already said that. A couple of times.”

  “Sorry. I’m being a bit annoying, aren’t I?”

  “No, no. Nothing like that. It’s nice to know you care but I’m more than capable when it comes to ghosts. Is there something I should know about this…what is her name, anyway?”

  “She calls herself Madam Darke, and to be honest, she kind of creeps me out. Her eyes are unnaturally light and every time she looks at me I feel like she’s casting some kind of spell. Magic isn’t a real thing, too, is it?”

  I laughed. “I wouldn’t know. It’s not my area of expertise.”

  “Of course. Sorry if it felt like I was implying anything.”

  “Jonah, relax. I’m pretty sure I can handle this Madam Darkness or whatever. She sounds like quite the personality, I’ll give you that. But in my experience, the bigger the personality, the less there is underneath it.”

  “I hope you’re right. Crane seems pretty taken with her, though…”

  Just then we pulled up to the gate. Two employees opened the gates and let us through. I was on the lookout for Kane’s van but didn’t see it yet. They must not have arrived yet.

  The big house loomed over me when I got out of the car.

  I wondered if Sarah was right and I was walking into some kind of trap. There was only one way to find out.

  Twenty-Three

  The house wasn’t as crowded as I expected it to be. It actually had more servants and bodyguards than it had guests. Did we arrive early? Perhaps. Only time would tell.

  I hated leaving Rebecca and Bart outside the house, but there was no way they could get in through the barrier. I took a quick look around but didn’t see any visible signs of either iron or salt on the ground.

  I took a glass of champagne to calm my nerves as soon as a server passed us by.

  “Nervous?” Jonah asked as he led me deeper into the house and presumably, the party.

  “A bit,” I admitted. What use would it be to lie to him?

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be here if things get too much for you.”

  I appreciated his words but they didn’t bring me much comfort at all. I would have felt a lot safer with Kane and Donna there, the only two people I really trusted right now.

  Then I saw them. Crane and the mysterious woman, their backs to us. They were staring into the flames of the fireplace, or at least that’s what it looked like. Was she telling him his fortune? There was only one way to find out.

  Crane heard us approaching and immediately turned around, a wide smile on his face.

  “Ms. Good. How good to see you.” He didn’t extend his hand, instead, he turned his attention to the woman next to him. She was in her late forties or early fifties. She had dark, almost black hair and piercing green eyes. “This is Madam Darke,” he said as a way of introduction.

  “I’m Meredith Good,” I said, lifting up my champagne glass. I had the distinct feeling Madam Darke wasn’t really the shaking hands type either.

  “I’m looking forward to our little match tonight. Are you?” Madam Darke asked.

  Her dress was tight and sparkling and kind of hypnotizing as well. It was hard to concentrate on anything when those flashes of light reached my eyes.

  “So am I. I love what you’ve done with the place,” I said sarcastically.

  Madam Darke smiled a smile that reminded me of a snake.

  “Mr. Crane values his privacy. But we’ll be able to see them soon enough.”

  I didn’t like Madam Darke. I didn’t know what to make of this charade. Was this just a paycheck to her or was she trying to prove something?

  Before I knew it my champagne glass was empty and I was itching for another one. I got one soon enough and a couple of small sandwiches to boot.

  Madam Darke laughed in an amused way. “The main course should be served shortly. There’s no need to gorge yourself.”

  Crane chuckled at that. “Now, now, ladies, let’s keep things civil. We shall know soon enough which one will get the job.”

  “This is all about that job you offered me?” I asked Crane.

  He nodded in the affirmative. “Why of course. Why else did you think we were having this little soiree?”

  “I told you that I wasn’t even sure I wanted it,” I reminded him.

  He chuckled at that too, as if the idea that someone would say no to him and his money never occurred to him.

  “Surely we can talk about such things later,” Jonah offered. “Let’s just enjoy the evening for now.”

  “Excellent idea,” Madam Darke said as she touched Jonah on the shoulder. Then her hand moved down his right arm. Their hands touched and Jonah pulled away as if something very cold had touched his warm skin.

  “You’re a strong one,” Madam Darke said. “There’s nothing you can’t accomplish if you just put your mind to it.”

  Was she reading his fortune or was she just making conversation? It was hard to tell.

  �
�Thank you, I guess,” Jonah stuttered.

  Thankfully, Madam Darke and Crane got distracted by some new guests arriving.

  “What was that about?” I asked Jonah. “Why did you pull away like that?”

  “I don’t know…her touch just felt…wrong somehow. Maybe because of the way she talked to you? I don’t know.”

  I’d never seen Jonah so flustered. Madam Darke had certainly gotten to him, and with a name like that, I wasn’t surprised. She was putting on a show, that much was clear. I just wondered how much of it was actually real.

  Not soon after, Kane and Donna arrived. I immediately went to greet them while Jonah was busy composing himself.

  “You guys made it,” I said with some relief.

  “It took some time to get this one into that suit,” Donna said.

  I looked at Kane and had to admit that he looked pretty suave. His beard was a bit overgrown for the look, but he still managed to pull it off. He wasn’t the clean-shaven type. Unlike Jonah.

  “Hello private detective,” Jonah said as he came next to me. I felt his hand on the small of my back. Was he trying to tell Kane that I was his somehow? I pulled back a little and moved toward Donna. “What brings you here?”

  “I’m her plus one,” Kane said, pointing to Donna. “Do you have a problem with that?”

  Jonah laughed. “Not at all. The more, the merrier. These events kind of get stuffy so it’s nice to have more people closer to my age here.”

  A bell rang out.

  Jonah came closer, his hand back on the small of my back. “The dinner is served,” he said as a way of explanation.

  “That’s pretty early,” Kane said. “We just arrived. Crane isn’t expecting any more guests?”

  “No,” Jonah said. “Everyone is here as far as I know.”

  Jonah led us to the extravagant dining room. Donna and Kane sat next to me while Jonah sat on my other side at the edge of the table. Crane, of course, had the head chair. To his left side, there was Madam Darke. She looked across the table at Jonah, then at me. Then her eyes settled on Kane.

  “Very interesting group of people you’ve assembled here, Warwick,” she observed.

  Next to Madame Darke were two older men and one older woman. None of them looked too happy to be there.

  The appetizer, and then the main course were served. There was a lot of food on the table and all of it was exquisite. When you were a billionaire, you could afford the best of chefs and that’s exactly what Crane had done.

  Madam Darke didn’t eat too much. “The spiritual forces are more accessible on an empty stomach,” she said.

  I just kept on eating. “That hasn’t been my experience,” I said.

  Madam Darke gave me a dark look. The kind of look that was probably capable of cutting a person down. Thankfully, I didn’t much care what Madam Darke thought of me.

  Kane enjoyed his food as well. Donna, on the other hand, didn’t have much of an appetite. In fact, she looked like a bird caught in a cage. She looked sheepishly from Crane to the group of people I didn’t recognize but apparently she did.

  “Crane’s accountants and lawyers,” she whispered in my ear after the conversation at the table had gotten louder. I laughed as if she’d told me a joke.

  We had our dessert and some coffee to boot. I had to admit that all of it was quite good. Everyone seemed in good spirits, except for maybe the accountants and the lawyer.

  Crane rang a bell I didn’t even know was there.

  “Let’s get settled,” he said and the room immediately got dead quiet. “There’s a reason I wanted all of you here.”

  I waited in anticipation much like the rest of the guests.

  “That reason is that I know someone has been stealing from me. And tonight, I’ll find out just who.”

  If before the room was dead quiet, now it felt like it was filling up with silent screams.

  The accountants fidgeted in their seats, fiddling with their ties. The lawyer didn’t look up from her plate.

  Jonah looked uncomfortable as well. He threw me an apologetic glance and I smiled reassuringly. I knew he couldn’t have seen this coming.

  Donna didn’t look up from her plate. Kane took another swig from his wineglass.

  “One of the people at this table is stealing from me and by the time the night is over, that person will be sitting in a jail cell.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. For a second there, I thought Crane would have that person murdered. Just like Bart and Derek…

  “Sir, may I speak?” Donna asked, choosing her words carefully and speaking in an even tone. It was hard to tell what exactly she was thinking by drawing attention to herself.

  “Of course,” Crane said. Then he looked over at Madam Darke.

  Madam Darke looked through Donna and then nodded.

  Crane motioned for Donna to start talking.

  “I think I know who’s been stealing from you.”

  It felt like the whole room stopped breathing.

  “Just spill it, silly girl,” Crane said impatiently. “If you’re right, there may be a raise in your future.”

  “Sir, I worked for Bart.”

  “And he worked for me. You are still in my employ as far as I’m concerned. Whether that will continue after tonight shall remain to be seen.”

  “Sir, I think Jonah is the one who’s been stealing from you and I think I can prove it.”

  All eyes turned on Jonah.

  Jonah got up from his seat.

  “You can’t be serious? I’ve been nothing but loyal to you,” he said to Crane. “You know that.”

  “Since Bart’s been murdered, I don’t know what to think,” Crane said. Madam Darke comforted him with a touch on the arm. He seemed thankful.

  Crane seemed genuinely upset by Bart’s death.

  “At first I thought it might be Bart,” Crane continued. “But then he was murdered and now I don’t know what to think.”

  “Sir, I promise you I didn’t steal from you,” Jonah said again. “Why would I do that? You provide me with everything I would want or need.”

  Crane ignored Jonah and put his full attention on Donna instead.

  “How can you prove what you’re saying is true?”

  Donna explained about the discrepancies in the books. “There’s a withdrawal that’s supposed to go through tonight. If I could just have access to Jonah’s computer, I can prove it.”

  “Very well,” Crane motioned to one of his guards. “Get his laptop and any other electronics you can find.”

  “This is crazy!” Jonah said, going after them. He was stopped by two burly men.

  “No one leaves this room until I say so.”

  I looked at the table and was thankful that Crane had the forethought to have all our knives taken away. Otherwise, I didn’t know what would have happened.

  The two men pushed Jonah back down to his chair.

  Jonah fixed his suit. “I’m capable of sitting down myself, thank you very much. And I’m pretty sure my name will be cleared soon enough anyway.”

  Crane had a blank look on his face. It was clear that this wasn’t easy for him either, but that it needed to be done.

  We waited for what seemed like the longest time for the bodyguards to come back. When they finally did, they were carrying a laptop and an iPad. Crane then ordered for Jonah to give up his phone.

  “How long will this take?” Crane asked Donna.

  “Not long at all, sir,” she said.

  She did her technical wizardry after Jonah helpfully provided his password.

  “Here it is! I found it!” She said after some furious typing.

  Kane leaned in and saw for himself. “She’s right,” he said. “Here it is in black and white.”

  Jonah looked flabbergasted.

  “That’s not possible!” He protested while the guards held him down.

  Crane’s accountants looked over the data.

  “Mr. Crane, we’ll have to do a more thorou
gh check of his computer, but it does appear that Jonah has been stealing from you.”

  All eyes were on Jonah again.

  “I didn’t do it! You must believe me! It was Bart! I killed the bastard just for you, Mr. Crane. He’ll never steal from you again!”

  Did Jonah just confess to being the murderer?

  Twenty-Four

  Gasps and looks of shock went around the room. Even Kane seemed a bit taken aback.

  “I can’t believe he actually confessed,” Kane muttered to himself.

  “Thank you, Donna,” Crane said. And then to his guards: “Keep him restrained until the police arrive.”

  Crane motioned to one of the guards and the guard left the room, cell phone in hand, presumably to alert the police.

  “Now that that’s been settled, would anybody else like to confess anything?” Crane asked the rest of us.

  “No, sir,” Donna said. “I’m just glad the man who killed Bart will be behind bars.”

  “You’re definitely getting that raise,” he said as he lifted his glass.

  “This is all wrong! I didn’t steal from you!” Jonah was relentless.

  Crane ordered for the guards to take Jonah out of his sight.

  “Why does he keep insisting it’s not him?” I mused out loud. “If he’s willing to confess to murder, why not to embezzling?”

  “Yeah, that part struck me as strange as well,” Kane agreed.

  “He’s hoping Mr. Crane will get him off somehow,” Donna offered.

  “I don’t condone murder, Ms. Smith,” Crane said sternly. “I only told Jonah to look into it, not to actually hurt anyone. But it seems he’s killed two people. How unfortunate. That boy had a bright future at my company. He could have done great things someday.”

  “Can we leave?” Donna asked. “I’m quite tired actually.”

  She didn’t look all that tired to me, but she sure looked in a hurry to go.

  “No,” Crane said. “The police will have to question everyone, and since you were a crucial part of getting him to confess, they’ll be interested in you most of all, Ms. Smith.”

  Donna sighed and sat back in her chair. Then she proceeded to take a large gulp of her glass of wine.