Haunting Danielle 27 The Ghost and the Mountain Man

by Bobbi Holmes

  “How did he get along with his brother, the one who started the livery stable?” Danielle asked.

  “Supposedly, he loaned his brother the money to start the business. I’m not sure if that’s true, and frankly I find it hard to believe.”

  “Why is that?” Danielle asked.

  “Growing up, I understood they had some sort of falling-out and had nothing to do with each other.”

  “Maybe it was over the business loan,” Danielle suggested. “Loaning money can ruin relationships.”

  “Perhaps. One thing I recall, it seemed the man was always about to die any minute. Supposedly he was sickly; the doctor was constantly at his house.”

  “That’s kind of sad,” Danielle said.

  “The old coot outlived me,” Walt said with a snort. “He was well into his nineties when I—well, you know. I have no idea when he finally passed.”

  “Do you remember his wife, the temperance lady?” Danielle asked.

  Walt shook his head. “No, she died years earlier. I was just a little boy. I’ve no memory of her ever being alive. He never remarried. Never had children.”

  They moved down the wall, now turning their attention to the other photographs in the display. Walt stopped at the third one and pointed to it. “That’s August Becker’s house.”

  Danielle leaned closer to the photograph of a two-story house with a horse and buggy out front. “Is that in Frederickport?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where? I’ve never seen it before.”

  “It’s not there anymore,” Walt said. “It’s where Beach Taco is now.”

  “Really?” Danielle looked from the photo to Walt. “They used to have residential houses along there?”

  “No one knows that. How come you do?” a male voice asked them.

  Walt and Danielle turned around to find a twenty-something man with dull gray eyes and scraggly dishwater blond hair standing behind him. He wore faded denims and a white T-shirt. Danielle thought he looked out of place at the museum.

  “Excuse me?” Danielle asked.

  The young man pointed to the picture they had just been looking at. “I heard what you said about that being where Beach Taco is now. No one knows that.”

  “But you did?” Danielle asked.

  “Cory, are you done?” Ginny asked as she walked up to the three. The couple she had been talking to had left the museum.

  “Yes, I was coming to tell you, but you were with those people,” he told her.

  “Thanks for all your help,” Ginny said. She then turned to Walt and Danielle. “Do you know Cory Jones?”

  “I know who they are,” Cory said, looking at Walt and Danielle.

  “I’m afraid we haven’t met,” Danielle said.

  “Cory’s my neighbor,” Ginny explained. “He’s been helping me bring some things that I’ve donated to the museum.”

  “They recognized August Becker’s house and where it’s at,” Cory blurted. “I didn’t think anyone remembered that house.”

  Ginny glanced at the photograph and frowned. “I don’t understand. I haven’t labeled that picture yet.”

  “I think Cory misunderstood,” Danielle said quickly. She glanced at Cory and then back to Ginny. “That’s what often happens when you overhear just part of a conversation. We naturally assumed that photo was taken in Frederickport, and since the house wasn’t familiar, I wondered where it had been. Walt’s done extensive research on the area and guessed it was where Beach Taco is now. Considering Cory’s reaction, I assume Walt was correct?”

  “Yes, he was.” Ginny said.

  “It didn’t sound that way to me,” Cory muttered under his breath.

  “Did you say you were leaving now?” Ginny asked Cory.

  “Yeah,” he grumbled.

  “Okay. Thanks again for all your help.” Ginny flashed him a smile.

  When he walked away, Ginny said, “I’m surprised you’ve never met Cory. He’s a little different, but he loves to be helpful. He grew up in the house next door to mine.”

  “I was wondering, when did August Becker die?” Walt asked. “Do you know?”

  “Right after the stock market crash of 1929. He lost everything. My grandmother used to say that’s what killed him, but I suspect his death had something to do with the fact he was a few months shy of his hundredth birthday,” Ginny said with a chuckle.

  “When did they tear his house down?” Danielle asked, looking back at its picture.

  “A few years later, I think. I still can’t believe you actually guessed where that house had been located. I really don’t see how you could look at that picture and come to that conclusion,” Ginny said while examining the photograph.

  “I remember that house,” a voice called out at the same time glitter began falling from the ceiling. Oblivious to the voice and glitter, Ginny continued to chatter on, talking about the other photographs she intended to include in the exhibit.

  Both Walt and Danielle glanced over Ginny’s shoulder and spied Eva hovering in midair so she could see over Ginny and get a better view of the exhibit.

  “Remember that house, Walt?” Eva asked. “Old Man Becker lived there. We used to dare each other to go knock on his door and then run like the devil before he answered it.” Eva laughed gaily at the idea.

  New visitors silenced Ginny, not Eva’s laughter. She excused herself so she could see to them, leaving Walt and Danielle alone with Eva. When Ginny left them, Eva’s apparition moved downward until her feet touched the floor.

  “You used to do a knock and dash?” Danielle asked with a giggle.

  “I believe it was Eva’s idea,” Walt said.

  “True,” Eva said with a sigh. “And I appreciate the fact you didn’t blame me when Old Man Becker caught you running away that one time and told your grandfather on you.” Eva looked at Danielle and said, “Your husband is a true gentleman.”

  Danielle chuckled. “Yes, he is.”

  Eva turned to Walt and said, “I met Old Man Becker right before he moved on. It was at the church service for his funeral.”

  “Was he surprised to see you?” Walt asked.

  “He asked me why I hadn’t gone to hell for my sinful life,” Eva said with a snort. “He obviously had a low regard for motion pictures, not to mention the theater.”

  “That was rude,” Danielle said.

  Tilting her head ever so slightly, Eva absently tapped her right index fingertip along her chin before saying, “Actually, he seemed rather relieved.”

  “Relieved?” Danielle asked.

  “Yes. Coming to the end of his road, so to speak, and worried about being held accountable for his own sins.”

  “I wonder what type of sins Becker worried about, sitting alone in that house all those years,” Walt scoffed.

  “I suspect it had something to do with inappropriate feelings for a young married woman. I believe it might have been his sister-in-law, from what he said back then,” Eva explained.

  “Would that be Ginny’s great-great-grandmother?” Danielle asked.

  Eva shrugged. “He didn’t go into specifics.”

  “I seem to recall Ginny mentioning there were about ten siblings in his family, so depending on how many of them were brothers, there could be quite a few sisters-in-law to choose from,” Walt noted.

  “Maybe that’s why he moved here,” Danielle said in a wistful tone. “When he left to find his fortune, one of his brothers stole the love of his life, so he moved away from the rest of his family and settled in Oregon and eventually married his kindred spirit, fellow temperance devotee,” Danielle said.

  Walt cocked a brow at Danielle. “Nice to know I have someone to go to when I need help working out a plotline.”

  Danielle grinned at her husband. “Always happy to help.”

  “In Old Man Becker’s case, I think it was more about an already married sister-in-law, from what he said. Of course, he didn’t get into specifics. He was rambling mostly, trying to work it all out
, wondering if he should move on or stick around. I think seeing me convinced him he could avoid punishment by remaining here. After all, he truly believed actors were doomed to hell,” Eva explained.

  “But he moved on?” Danielle asked.

  “Yes, I believe so. Although I suppose he might have followed his body to the cemetery and stuck around for a while. As you know, back in those days I avoided Frederickport Cemetery because Angela was there. She was simply too annoying. But since I’ve been going back there, I’ve never seen him. So I have to assume he eventually moved on,” Eva said. “But I don’t suppose you wanted to see me to talk about Old Man Becker. What’s this Marie told me about the ghost from the mountains following you down here?”

  Walt and Danielle took turns filling Eva in on the recent events involving their mystery ghost. When they finished, Eva let out a sigh. “There are no rumblings on my end. But I will certainly keep an eye out.”

  Fourteen

  Danielle was taking the lid off her slow cooker to check its simmering contents when a knock came at her kitchen door. She re-covered the cooker and glanced toward the knock. A moment later the door opened, and Heather stepped inside.

  “I didn’t hear you say come in, but I saw you standing there,” Heather said as she closed the door behind her.

  “Ahh, a peeping Tom!” Danielle teased.

  Heather shrugged. “I figure it’s payback for your cat snooping on me.”

  “Fair enough,” Danielle said. “Want a glass of iced tea?”

  “Sure.” Heather watched as Danielle reached into one of the overhead cabinets and retrieved two tall glasses. “What’s in the Crock-Pot? Smells good.”

  “Chicken. I’m making chicken tacos for dinner,” Danielle explained as she set the glasses on the counter next to the refrigerator. She opened the freezer and began filling the glasses with ice.

  “Sounds good. I came over to see if you’ve found out anything new about our mountain man, and I have a baking question.” Heather took a seat at the kitchen table.

  “Baking?” Danielle closed the freezer and opened the refrigerator. She removed the pitcher of tea and filled both glasses.

  Heather continued to watch Danielle. “Have you ever made sourdough bread?”

  “No. But Lily used to make it.” Danielle carried the glasses over to the kitchen table. After setting them down, she removed the lid of the cake plate sitting on the center of the table, revealing a stack of moist brownies. She nodded to the plate. “I’m more of a dessert baker. Help yourself.”

  Heather snatched a brownie, and Danielle re-covered the platter.

  “Although, I have toyed with the idea of giving sourdough bread a try. But I buy it from Old Salts, and they make great sourdough, so I haven’t bothered,” Danielle said.

  “I want to try. I like the idea I can make bread without relying on store-bought yeast and baking powder.” Heather took a bite of the brownie.

  “You still have to buy flour,” Danielle reminded her.

  “Now you’re sounding like Brian.”

  Danielle grinned in response.

  “By the way, I talked to Brian before I came over here. He said he saw you and Walt at the museum.”

  “Yes. In our quest to uncover the identity of our mystery ghost, we were hoping to go through some newspapers that were recently donated. But they aren’t there yet.”

  “He told me about the woman who donated those newspapers. And how Kelly is trying to set him up with her.” Heather glanced down at her brownie and pulled off a piece.

  “Ahh, he told you. Well, he didn’t seem very interested. He made an excuse that he had to talk to Walt about something so he could wait outside for Joe,” Danielle explained.

  Heather nodded. “Yeah, Brian told me that too. So, tell me, you think this woman would be perfect for Brian?”

  “Obviously Brian didn’t think so.”

  “Yeah, I suppose. But I don’t really get why he wants to hang out with me.” Heather took another bite of her brownie.

  “Can I ask you something?” Danielle asked.

  Heather swallowed her bite of brownie and looked up to Danielle. “What?”

  “Why do you want to hang out with Brian?”

  Heather shrugged. “He’s funny. When I first met him, I didn’t think he was funny. I thought he was kinda a jerk. But he’s got a silly side, and he’s more open-minded than most people. I remember how Ian totally flipped over the entire ghost thing, but Brian, well, he takes it all in stride.”

  “Life is short. Spend time with people who make you happy. Don’t overthink it.”

  Now finished with her brownie, Heather absently fiddled with her glass of tea. “Brian also told me Joe proposed to Kelly.”

  “Yeah, Lily mentioned it before I ran into them today. I congratulated Joe and Kelly when I saw them at the museum,” Danielle said.

  “Did you see Kelly’s ring?” Heather asked.

  “Um… yeah.” Danielle took a sip of her tea.

  When Danielle did not elaborate, Heather asked, “Well, what does it look like?”

  Danielle shrugged. “It’s a ring.”

  Narrowing her eyes, Heather studied Danielle for a moment. “Okay, spill it. What aren’t you saying?”

  Danielle looked at Heather and cringed. “It’s the most gawd-awful ring I’ve ever seen.”

  Heather’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  “I guess it’s a family heirloom. Lily told me about the ring when she told me about Kelly being engaged.”

  “And what did Lily think about the ring?” Heather asked.

  Danielle shrugged and cringed again. “She thought the same thing—but you have to promise not to say anything.”

  “Considering Kelly is trying to hook Brian up with her friend, does finding pleasure in knowing she has an ugly engagement ring make me a bad person?” Heather smirked.

  “Only if we tell Kelly what we think.”

  “Just imagine, that ring could have been yours,” Heather teased.

  “That was never happening.”

  Heather grinned at Danielle and then asked, “So, about Mountain Man, I guess you didn’t find out anything at the museum?”

  Danielle told Heather about Ginny and the new exhibit and that they had talked to Eva while there.

  “I’ll have to go down and check it out,” Heather said.

  “Walt and I are going over to Ginny’s tomorrow. She has more photos at her house, and she told Walt and me we could go through them. It was kind of cool to see that photo of Walt’s father.”

  “You want me to teach you about sourdough bread?” Lily repeated Heather’s request. The two sat in Lily’s living room, Lily on the sofa while Heather sat on the floor with Connor, pushing around toy trucks.

  “Danielle said you used to make it,” Heather said.

  “Yeah, that was before Mom killed Matilda,” Lily grumbled.

  “Your mother did what?”

  Lily let out a sigh and leaned back on the sofa. “Poor Matilda was always so faithful, reliable. I could count on her. When Dani inherited Marlow House, and I came up to Oregon with her for the summer, I really couldn’t bring Matilda with me, so I stuck her in the freezer.”

  “Ahh… I assume you’re talking about your sourdough starter. I read people often name theirs.”

  Lily nodded. “When Mom thought I’d died, and she cleaned out my place, she went through the freezer and had no idea what that stuff was in the jar, so she tossed it.”

  “Can’t you make new starter?” Heather asked.

  “I could. And I considered it. But Ian is not a big fan of sourdough bread,” Lily explained.

  “He doesn’t like sourdough?”

  Lily shrugged. “He says the crust is too hard. I could make it for myself and then cut it in half and freeze for later, like I used to, so it doesn’t go to waste. But I figure Old Salts makes pretty good sourdough, so I just buy it.”

  “That’s what Danielle says.”

 
“But if you want to try, I’m more than happy to help you. But first, you need to make your starter. That takes about a week. In the meantime, I’ll find my bread recipe for you. Do you have a digital kitchen scale?”

  “Yes.”

  “How about an instant-read thermometer?”

  “Yes.”

  “A Danish whisk?” Lily asked.

  Heather frowned. “A what?”

  “Don’t worry, I have an extra one I’ll give you. How about a cast-iron Dutch oven?”

  Heather nodded. “Yes.”

  “Great. So you need to get a glass jar. You can use a canning jar. I kind of like the little jars with the clamp glass lids. But it doesn’t matter. Do you have any all-purpose flour and wheat flour at home?”

  “I have both, and I also have a glass jar.”

  “Terrific. You’ll want to write this down,” Lily said.

  Heather grabbed her cellphone from her purse she had set on the floor by the sofa and prepared to enter Lily’s instructions in her cellphone’s Notes app.

  “Ready?” Lily asked.

  “Yes.”

  “There are lots of different starter recipes out there. This is just the one that worked for me,” Lily said.

  “Gotcha. So what do I do?” Heather asked.

  “In your clean jar, mix together a hundred grams of whole wheat flour and a hundred grams of lukewarm filtered water. Stir well.”

  Heather frowned. “Filtered water?”

  “I read chlorine the city puts in the water can interfere with the process. If you don’t have filtered water, just leave the water on the counter for a couple of hours first, and the chlorine should evaporate.”

  “Then what?” Heather asked.

  “Mix it well, then loosely cover and set it on the kitchen counter somewhere warm. If you cover it tightly, the jar can explode when the mixture expands.”

  “I don’t want that. Then what?”

  “Do nothing the next day. But on the third day, remove half of your starter, and then add a hundred grams of all-purpose flour to the jar and a hundred grams of warm water. What you’re doing is feeding the starter. Mix well. And then cover again, loosely, like you did before, and put it in a warm place. Then do the same thing every day for the next week. Your starter will start getting all bubbly when it comes to life. When you get to that point, I’ll help you with your first loaf of bread.”