The Ghost in Mr. Pepper's Bed

by Sigrid Vansandt

  Fritz, with a nod to her opinion, said, “Perhaps, but let’s not quibble. Did you enjoy my token of affection?”

  “It was exquisite, Fritz. Your presents are always…sublime.”

  Puffed up by Sonya’s sweet words, Fritz stretched out contentedly across the table and hummed an old Scottish ballad about star-crossed lovers.

  Willard trotted back in and growled at the table. One tiny canine tooth revealed itself as the side of his muzzle lifted slightly. He planted his two front paws on the back of a chair and barked ferociously.

  “Here, give him a treat, Fritz.” Sonya laid an appropriately sized dog treat on the table next to the materialized Laird of Dunbar. She watched as a wicked grin creased his mouth and he flicked the round meatball across the table with his finger. It took flight and flew like the ball had done earlier out of the room and into the living room. Willard followed it like a heat-seeking missile.

  At the same instant, the telephone rang and Sonya grabbed the receiver.

  “Hello? Sonya Caruthers speaking.”

  A worried woman’s voice came through clearly. “Sonya, it’s Marnie. Do you have some time today for a visit?”

  “Sure. Is something wrong?” Sonya asked.

  “Early this morning one of my tenants was attacked in his camper. There was a terrible ruckus and even a weapon fired.”

  “Umm, maybe you need the police, Marnie.”

  “I’m not sure. You see at about five o’clock this morning, Mr. Pepper in lot five was sleeping soundly, having a nice dream of being spooned by his wife.”

  “Well, that doesn’t sound so bad.”

  “Yes and no. His wife’s been dead for ten years. When he turned over, he nearly died of fright!”

  “Was it her?” Sonya asked.

  “He says so. But I never would have believed him until I saw his camper ablaze with lights, women screaming, and the camper rocking like it was caught in a tornado. We had only a gentle breeze last night.”

  “You may have something going on other than a ghost issue. Is now a good time for me to come over?”

  “Please do.”

  “I’m on my way.” Sonya hung up the phone.

  Fritz offered an opinion, “Sounds like a banshee, Sunny, terrible creatures to have on your bad side.”

  “Perhaps,” Sonya said, picking up her keys from their hook. “But it sounds like more than one woman to me. They supposedly heard more than one female voice.”

  “Poor man,” Fritz said shaking his head. “Either way, I don’t envy him. It’s an unlucky man who finds himself betwixt and between two angry women.”

  Chapter 4

  “We’d better get going, boys. Are you up for a spin on the moped?”

  Sonya looked around, but Willard was already off in the direction of the garage at the word moped and Fritz was nowhere to be seen. Going through the house to make sure all was tidy and locked up, Sonya picked up her sunglasses, a doll-sized pair of goggles, put three rawhide bones in her big satchel and slung it on her back.

  The back door led to an old carriage house situated in the back of her property. It was conveniently located on an alleyway shared by all the houses on her side of the street. Willard waited impatiently at the newly installed garage door.

  Sonya knew by the dance he was doing, shifting quickly from one front paw to the other, that he was antsy to get going.

  “Let me get the door,” she said thinking how the five pounds of fur at her feet could be extremely pushy at times. Once inside, Sonya lifted a wiggling Willard up and put him into a cushioned crate that was strapped to the back of the two-wheeled vehicle. Without fighting her, Willard was fitted with a pair of miniature goggles over his eyes and an aviator cap made of leather.

  “You look dashing, Willard. As a reminder, please don’t bark at the Dalmatian, who lives at the end of the block. He always chases us down the street and I don’t have time to stop today and walk him back home. Got it?”

  Willard snorted. He’d become convinced the Dalmatian was the culprit who had nipped off with the tasty ham bone Sonya gave him two Christmases ago. One of Willy’s favorite things to do was to ride past the Dalmatian and bark ferociously trying to stir up trouble by foisting insults on the other dog about the supposedly missing bone. The Dalmatian, in response to the verbal accusations, always leaped off its front porch and ran barking behind Sonya’s moped trying to catch Willy but never being quite able to make it.

  “Willard, keep it pleasant today. I’m going to the RV park and no fussing with Lewis and Clark, Marnie’s dogs, either.”

  Sonya put on her round white helmet, which resembled an egg and tucked her hair in on all sides. She adjusted her sunglasses on her nose and sat down on the moped. At the turn of a key, the engine hummed to life. With a look over her shoulder, she said loudly enough for Willard to hear, “You’ll get your treat at Marnie’s if you behave yourself with the Dalmatian as we go by.”

  Sonya slowly guided the moped down the alleyway with Willard looking over the top of his crate through his big-eyed goggles. The wind picked up with their speed and soon they were zipping down Pickwick Street and onto Main Street. Slowly, Fritz materialized on the front handlebars in a sitting position.

  “Fritz! You can’t be seen riding like that. It will scare people. Besides, it’s like looking through fog and it makes seeing difficult.”

  “Make up your mind, woman. To materialize, or not to materialize, that is the question!”

  “Fritz! I can’t see around you,” Sonya said as the bright red moped swerved and wobbled in the road. Willard barked excitedly at the reappearance of Fritz while bystanders scratched their heads at the vision of a yapping, cap-wearing terrier, a zippy moped-driving lady, and what appeared to be a blobby-foggy substance hovering on her handlebars passing by on the road.

  Fortunately, within five minutes, they came to the outskirts of town where they were less conspicuous.

  Highway 59 linked Willow Valley to the outside world. The picturesque town was a favorite with tourists most times of the year. It hosted different events to draw people in, such as antique car shows and arts and crafts fairs, but the one event that put the town on the map was Dog Days.

  The three-day event was the brainchild of Willow Valley’s mayor, Tobias Miller, during the 1980s. People came from all over the Midwest to parade their pooches along the sidewalks, watch dog treat preparation demonstrations by regional chefs, and visit the many vendors lined along Main Street selling everything from canine cowboy-booties to doggy-strollers. The grand finale was a fashion and talent show sponsored by Posh Pups, a high-end organic food company based in St. Louis, where dogs and designers competed to win the coveted Golden Paw Award.

  Willow Valley’s fame as a pet-friendly environment meant that most of its businesses catered to the steady flow of animal lovers who visited, shopped, and sometimes camped for short or long stays.

  The Whispering Pines RV Park shared this pet-friendly attitude as well. It was an exceptionally nice place to live or stay, depending on its guest’s agenda. Charming flagstone pathways, stonework bathing facilities, and a main lodge built of limestone rock gave the park a nostalgic feel. Once Marnie Scott purchased the park, she renovated the outdoor barbecue pavilion and added a fire-pit area with hanging flower baskets.

  Sonya pulled up in front of The Pines’ office and removed her helmet. A barrage of barking erupted from inside the office. Willard had refrained from his usual antics with the Dalmatian, but at the friendly greeting from Lewis and Clark, Marnie’s two beagles, he yapped loudly as a pleasant fellow should when he’s excited to see his buddies.

  The door to the office opened and two practically identical beagles bounded out toward the white picket fence, which enclosed a yard for Marnie’s personal use. There was a huge display of sniffing, scratching, and general canine exuberance at seeing Willard and Sonya. Lewis and Clark were bright boys and whenever someone visited, they usually hoped to receive some form of a treat. Wi
th excellent noses, both beagles had already honed in on the savory something hidden somewhere on Sonya’s person.

  “When you are all three calm, I’ve got something for you,” she said fiddling with something in the pocket of her jacket. With a fierce determination to reign in their natural energy, Lewis and Clark sat down side-by-side and waited, focusing with rapt attention on Sonya’s face.

  Willard was eyeing Sonya carefully, too. She was excellent at keeping her promises and since he’d restrained himself from one pleasure, he hoped she wouldn’t forget about their deal and would reward him with another.

  “Here you are.” She handed each pooch a nice-sized bone and they all trotted off in totally separate directions to enjoy them without the threat of interlopers. Marnie bustled out and headed to the gate. Letting herself out, she motioned for Sonya to follow her.

  “We can talk as we walk,” she said giving Sonya a hug. “Better start with Mr. Pepper. He’s threatening to leave as soon as possible. I’d like to reassure him with the idea that I’m trying to settle things quickly.”

  They walked to a corner of the park where thick cedar trees flanked each side of the main entrance. There, sitting in a pleasant alcove of tall trees and bordered by a row of forsythia bushes, was a lovely classic Airstream camper. An elderly man in his seventies sat in a folding chair listening to a radio playing an Elvis tune. He was wearing a baseball cap, Bermuda shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, white sports socks that came up to his knees and his feet shoved into strap sandals. The two women approached with smiles.

  “Mr. Pepper, please let me introduce you to Mrs. Caruthers. She’s going to help us with our…problem,” Marnie said directing the gentleman’s attention away from fiddling with the radio dial and toward Sonya, who stood smiling a bit awkwardly.

  Mr. Pepper, upon seeing Sonya, hurriedly wiggled himself out of his chair and hustled over to the two ladies. He unconsciously smoothed his hair down and made an attempt at holding in his stomach. With a smile for Sonya, he invited the two women to join him at his seating area in a shady spot under his rolled out awning.

  “If you would, Mr. Pepper, please tell me what happened last night,” Sonya asked, making herself comfortable in the camp chair she’d been offered.

  “Well, it was like any other night. I let my cat, Henrietta, out and turned off the lights. Nothing unusual occurred until early this morning. I awoke from a dream of my wife lying down beside me and curling up next to me like she used to do for forty-some years.”

  Mr. Pepper blushed but continued. “I was still half asleep, but as my consciousness took over, I realized something was extremely wrong. That’s when I turned over and… it was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen. The camper went crazy, jumping around everywhere, and things were being thrown about everywhere. I finally managed to get out of bed and outside. There was screaming like two women were…for lack of a better word, fighting. That’s when I heard the gunshot. Up until that point, I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming, but that truly settled it and I made for Marnie’s camper.”

  Marnie and Sonya exchanged uncertain glances.

  “Sounds like we may have two female ghosts and they’re upset about something. Would you mind, Mr. Pepper, if I went into your camper? They might still be around and I may be able to find out what’s going on.”

  “Of course, please do,” Mr. Pepper said in a surprised tone. “I guess you’re used to this sort of thing.” He stood up and gallantly opened the door of his RV and let Sonya pass.

  Once inside, Sonya moved to the back of the well-made camper. Granite countertops, cherry cabinets, and stainless steel appliances made for a lovely environment. Feeling another presence, she immediately knew it wasn’t aggressive. In fact, it was rather sweet and timid. Sonya sent out a simple mental push, kind of like ringing the doorbell to the other side and waited. This presence wasn’t keen on communicating.

  Sitting on one of the benches of the dining table, she continued to put out invitations until she felt the spirit warm to the idea of talking. It was hesitant to come forward, so Sonya said out loud, “It’s okay to let me see you. I’m here because Mr. Pepper has had a terrible fright.”

  “His name is Saul,” came a woman’s soft voice. “It was his father’s way of being funny. Thank goodness, Saul had a good sense of humor, but I guess he had to with a name like Saul Tand Pepper.”

  A tinkle of laughter made Sonya smile. The voice had a New Jersey accent and there was a dry comedic tone to its timber.

  “How do you know Saul?” Sonya asked tentatively. She never assumed in these situations. A person could be haunted by almost anyone. Ghosts could be flakey creatures. They would follow people home who might be eating their favorite ice cream flavor or someone they overheard making a nasty comment about a beloved baseball team.

  “Saul is my husband. I’ve been keeping watch over him for a few days. There’s been a weird ghost hanging around here. It’s a woman and I ran her off this morning. She won’t be back.”

  “Do you have any idea why she was here?”

  “No, I didn’t exactly want to have a cup of coffee with her after I tossed the floozy out of here,” Eloise said haughtily. Then quickly changing her tone, as if she felt a bit guilty for being so short, she added, “I know she must be lonely and discontented with her situation. She knows she’s dead, but she can’t pass over.”

  “What’s your Christian name, Mrs. Pepper?” Sonya asked.

  “Eloise.”

  “Why didn’t you pass over, Eloise?”

  “You’re a bit nosy.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t even introduce myself. My name is Sonya Caruthers and my friend who owns this RV park wants me to find out who the ghost is and why it’s here. It may begin to frighten others, and I thought if I knew who you were, it might help me to understand this spirit better.”

  “Listen here, dear, that ghost has nothing to do with Saul and me. She’s from around here and I’ve never met her before. We’re from New Jersey and I’m buried back there. Saul always promised himself he would travel once he retired. After I passed away, he bought this camper and took to the road.”

  “Do you want me to tell Saul we talked?”

  “Sure and while you are at it, let him know he needs to go back home. Our daughter needs help with the grandchildren. He’s fiddled around out here long enough. Casey, our daughter, has three girls and a worthless husband. She needs her father to go back to Canton and kick Jeff, the jerk, in the pants.”

  “Will do. It’s been nice meeting you, Eloise. You didn’t answer my question though about passing over.”

  Eloise sighed. “Our time over there is different from yours in this dimension. We’re tied to our lives and our loved ones by threads of love, commitment, mistreatment and even anger. It’s like harp strings. One is plucked and we feel the reverberation. Some of us don’t answer the call for many reasons, but I go where my family needs me.”

  “It’s been a pleasure, Eloise. Take care and I’ll be seeing you.” Sonya stood up and Eloise waved and was gone. There weren’t any other energies in the camper. Sonya turned to go and heard a familiar yapping coming from outside. She looked out of the window and saw Willard, Lewis, and Clark zipping across the yard with tails straight out and expressions of high spirits on their canine faces. With a smile and a shrug, she let herself out of the camper and into the sunlight.

  Chapter 5

  “You’re a pretty good runner, Willy, and that bone your lady brought us was top-notch. Wanna see something interesting?” Lewis asked.

  “Sure. I smell someone cooking chicken, though. Wouldn’t it be better to check that out? Never want to pass up the chance of getting chicken,” Willard said, looking back and forth between Lewis and Clark.

  “He’s right, Lewis,” Clark added. “Chicken is being cooked somewhere close by.” Clark’s nose wiggled as the aroma of barbecued poultry wafted through the park.

  “True, but protecting Marnie is number one and if you look ov
er there,” Lewis’ nose directed their attention toward the pit, “that thing standing there makes my back itchy.”

  Willard and Clark gazed at the place Lewis indicated. An energy hovered by the huge open place in the earth where the backhoe was working at moving dirt. All three dogs barked at the intruder, but none of them made any attempt at chasing after it.

  “What is it?” Clark asked.

  “Looks like the same thing that lives in my house with Sonya and me,” Willard said.

  “Lives in your house?” Lewis said, sounding a bit thunderstruck and sitting back on his haunches. “Whatever that thing is, I don’t like it.”

  “I could tell you stories, boys. Sonya chases after those things all the time and she’s adopted one who enjoys nothing better than to torment me.”

  Lewis and Clark looked around for Marnie. Not seeing her, they made sure they were touching each other along their flanks for a sense of security.

  “Should we run it off?” Clark asked Willard.

  “I think so. It’s giving me that itchy feeling just by looking at it,” Lewis said.

  “Boys, I’m not sure about that. Sonya gets upset with me if I chase after those things. If she catches me, she’ll be disappointed, and I hate that more than anything.”

  Lewis and Clark shot each other a quick look.

  “We know what you mean. That’s the worst, but what if we went over and sniffed at it a bit? That wouldn’t hurt would it?” Lewis asked.

  “It won’t smell like anything, but you can feel them like you do people. Some are weak and some are strong. Some think they’re funny and puff air at the back of your head when you’re sleeping,” Willard said as he lay down thinking about Fritz.

  “Willy,” Lewis said in an authoritative tone, “I’m going over there to check it out. You and Clark stay put.”

  “I’m coming, too, Lewis,” Clark said and the two beagles cantered off noses low to the ground in the direction of the ghost.

  Every canine instinct within Willard needled him to follow. His skin itched with longing to go with the boys and give a good chase. He looked around and not seeing Sonya, he brightened. This ghost was a freebie. It might not even be one that Sonya was interested in, and in that case, it would be wrong to pass up this glorious opportunity. Willard practically leapt from his laying position and ran the remaining distance to where the boys were.