by Rose Pressey
Even if a little reluctantly, everyone followed me into the old building. The owner, who lived above the shop, left the door open for me so that I could bring the groups inside.
We stepped into the antique shop. It was crowded with items in every available space. There was just enough room to walk down the middle of the shop. Without warning and as if I had staged it, a small book flew off a shelf and landed with a thud on the ground. The women screamed and the man jumped, almost falling on his butt. I had warned them that it might happen. This was one of the more haunted locations in town.
“Please be careful and stay on the lookout for more things to happen,” I said.
We trailed through the building and I told the group about when it had been built and some of the stories people had recalled to me over the years. The walk through this place usually took about five minutes.
After I took them around the store, we stepped back onto the sidewalk. A chill whirled around us and I wondered if it was from the weather or the spirits. I had just a few more stops for them, and then we would head back to the graveyard. I knew they were anxious to hear about the place. I wondered if Hank and Cady would be waiting for me when I got back. Maybe Cady had talked Hank out of going after all.
The group had a lot of questions about the hauntings. Thank goodness I was able to answer all of them to their satisfaction. We made our way around to the other buildings and then headed back toward the graveyard.
“I hope everyone is enjoying the tour,” I said as we walked.
“It’s been great,” the women said in unison.
The guy smiled, but he hadn’t said much all evening. The older couple mostly just listened too.
“We loved it,” the woman said.
We’d almost made it back to our starting point. The cool air swirled around us again. I hadn’t expected it to be so chilly this evening, so I had to conclude that it was the paranormal at work. That was when I spotted the floating shadow again. This time it was in front of us near the cemetery gates. When everyone stopped and looked at each other I knew that they had seen it too.
“I think the shadow is following us,” the middle-aged woman whispered.
I hated to admit it, but I think she was right.
“We should get over to the graveyard.” I moved forward, trying not to act alarmed.
“Is that thing evil?” her husband asked.
I couldn’t lie to him. “To be honest, I don’t know. It seems to just be following us, so I don’t think it’s anything to worry about,” I said, trying to sound casual. Under the circumstances how casual could I sound though?
We finally reached the graveyard again. I glanced back to see if the shadow was behind us. Thank goodness I didn’t see anything. I should be happy that the tourgoers had experienced something, but it was a little disturbing to know that a spirit had followed us.
One by one we entered the graveyard. Clouds cloaked the night sky and the wind howled around us.
“This is the spookiest place I’ve ever been,” one of the women whispered.
“Please watch your step. The ground can be uneven.” I shone my flashlight on the ground in front of me.
They nodded and followed me past the gates and deeper into the cemetery. I started by telling them stories of the blue ghost whom everyone thought was haunting the graveyard. We weaved around the old tombstones and further into the older section.
Up ahead I spotted something on the ground. My heart sped up when I realized that it looked like a body. Was this a ghost? More than likely it was. If it wasn’t then I needed to go over and ask the person if he needed help. Possibly it could be someone who had had too much to drink and decided to take a little nap. It had been known to happen in the past.
“Hello,” I called out. “Are you okay?”
The man didn’t answer. I didn’t know what to think. Everyone paused around me.
“Is that a body?” the leather jacket guy said from over my shoulder.
I stepped a little closer. It was at that moment I realized who was on the ground. I screamed and threw the flashlight in the air. I spun around and clutched my chest.
The two men ran past me and over to the body. After regaining my composure, I grabbed my flashlight so that we could see better, and ran over beside the men. I focused the light on the man on the ground.
Hank Key was lying between two old headstones.
The middle-aged man turned to me and said, “He’s dead.”
Chapter 7
“What? No, that can’t be true.” Goosebumps rippled along my skin.
“I’ll call the police,” one of the women said.
My mind couldn’t register what I was seeing. This couldn’t be happening. I scanned the cemetery, but didn’t see Cady. Had she decided not to come? What had happened to Hank?
Looks of horror covered everyone’s faces. We stood in shocked silence until the police arrived. Luckily, it hadn’t taken more than a couple minutes. I was relieved when we were no longer alone with the body.
“The man is over there.” I pointed.
The officer peered across the darkened cemetery. For a moment he looked at me as if I was making this whole thing up. Like maybe it was a prank.
“He’s definitely gone,” the young guy added.
“Let’s step back now.” I motioned for everyone to follow me.
The officer took off in a sprint and another officer soon followed him. I’d only been with Hank a short time ago. How could this have happened?
The group gathered with me at the front entrance. I hated that I had pulled my tourgoers into this situation. But there was really nothing I could have done to avoid it. I would have to offer them a refund because I doubted they would want to ever come back now that this had happened.
I watched as the activity played out in the cemetery. After a few minutes, I spotted Brannon Landon. He must have felt my eyes on him because he quickly looked my way. Brannon looked especially handsome in his crisp blue uniform. He had strong cheekbones and an infectious smile. His thick dark hair was cut short, but peeked out from below his hat. I tried not to stare, but he was just gorgeous and occasionally I had to steal a glance.
After a couple seconds, Brannon stopped talking to the officer and headed in my direction. I ran through what I would say in my mind. I hoped that I didn’t seem too nervous, but after all, I had just discovered a body. It seemed I had a knack for this—it was the second time since I’d arrived back in Devil’s Moon a month ago. That wasn’t a talent that I wanted to possess at all.
Brannon walked over to me. “Rip, what happened?”
He looked shocked that I was here. I didn’t know what to tell him. I’d seen the body. What else was there to say?
I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “At the end of the tour we came back here. We made it to the oldest section and that’s when we saw him. They tried to help him, but it was obvious it was too late.”
“What time did you arrive?”
I knew he was going to ask a ton of questions now. My brain wasn’t functioning correctly after the startling discovery. “It was about eight, I guess. I just happened to look over and see the body on the ground. Seconds after that was when my group noticed him too. I imagine they are traumatized for life.”
Brannon glanced over at the group huddled together. “We’ll speak with all of them to see if they noticed anything.”
I wondered how long Hank had been there. I could have just been minutes away from the killer.
“He’s the author from the book signing, right?” Brannon didn’t take his blue eyes off me.
I knew I had to tell him about going back to Helmwood.
“Yes. There’s something else I need to tell you.” I looked down at my shoes.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I took Hank Key to the Helmwood house before I started the tour. He was supposed to take the tour tonight with his assistant, but they never showed up.”
When Br
annon didn’t say anything I looked up at him. He was staring at me. “Where did you last see them?”
“I left the house and they were leaving too.”
“You know that place is dangerous, right?”
I shifted from one foot to the other. “Yes, I know.”
I couldn’t tell him about what had happened to Hank at the house. Not yet. Besides, it had nothing to do with his murder.
Brannon placed his hand on my arm and steered me to the side just a little. Was he going to lecture me about going to the house and didn’t want anyone to hear?
He glanced around to see if anyone was listening. “There are signs of trauma to his body. This doesn’t look like an accident.”
My heart sped up. “You mean he was murdered?”
“I can’t say that, but I can say it doesn’t look like an accident,” Brannon said.
I took that to mean that Hank had been murdered. Chills ran down my spine. Hank had been murdered just steps away. Was the killer still around?
“Thanks for telling me everything. I’ll be back in just a few.” Brannon touched my arm and flashed a tiny smile.
Now I felt bad for not sharing everything that had happened.
As Brannon walked away, someone screeched out my name. When I whipped around, I spotted Tammy running toward me. I hurried over to meet her halfway. I was more than happy to put distance between me and the body. Thank goodness she was here because I didn’t want to be alone during this situation.
Tammy hugged me. “I just heard the news and I was freaking out.”
“I can’t believe this happened. It’s the author.” I wrapped my arms in front of my waist for warmth.
We looked over at the scene in silence. When I turned back and looked toward the alleyway, I spotted Cady running toward the police. Her face was filled with panic. Did she know that Hank was dead? A police officer stopped her from coming any closer.
Cady waved her arms through the air. “I demand to know what happened.”
The officer held her back, but she continued to try to push through. This was not going to end well. Where had she been? Why wasn’t she with Hank? I wanted to ask her right now, but I figured the police wouldn’t appreciate me getting involved in their case. The way that Cady was staring at me was getting weird and making me nervous. I just wanted to get away from her. She looked as if she was angry with me. What had I done?
Cady and I made eye contact. She lunged forward again, but the police officer kept her back. It looked as if she wanted to reach me. I stepped back, not that it would matter if she got around the officer.
“I’m watching you, Ripley Van Raden,” Cady yelled out.
Tammy and I exchanged a look of shock.
“What is wrong with you?” Tammy blurted out to Cady.
Cady placed her hands on her hips. “What is wrong with me? I’m not the one who murdered someone.”
My eyes widened. “You’re not accusing me, are you?”
“That’s exactly what I’m doing.” She glared at me.
“Don’t you talk to my best friend like that.” Tammy shook her fist at Cady.
This was getting out of control quickly. The officer directed Cady away from us and over to a police cruiser that had pulled down the alleyway.
I released a deep breath. “Thank goodness he took her away.”
“She’s still watching us though.” Tammy gestured.
“She can watch all she wants, but I had nothing to do with his murder.”
I didn’t feel as if I should even have to deny it. Why would I murder Hank? Or anyone for that matter? It was strange that she would accuse me. Was it just because I had been the one to find the body? There had been other people with me. I guessed I had been at the library and one of the last people to see him alive. But then again, so had Cady.
She had a lot of answers to give. At least it seemed the police were now talking with her. I wasn’t going to accuse her of anything, but she would likely be a suspect right away. I wondered if Hank had come with anyone else. He hadn’t mentioned having anyone else with him for the trip. As far as I knew it was just his assistant. Of course there was the ex-wife Melissa. She had been extremely annoyed with him.
“Don’t worry about Cady. She obviously had a screw loose the moment she walked into the library,” Tammy said.
“Maybe so, but it is upsetting to have someone accuse me of murder. She was the last one who was probably with him,” I said.
“I wonder if the police are questioning her about that. I bet they already have or they’re getting ready to.” Tammy crossed her arms in front of her.
Was it crazy that I was already running through a list of suspects? I supposed it was my natural inquisitive mind. Everyone in town would be talking about it. Of course they would be talking about me too. Two recent deaths and I was attached to both.
Just then a scream pierced through the night air. I whipped around and spotted the police holding Sandra back. Her legs buckled and she fell to the ground. Another officer ran over and helped her up.
“I want to know what happened,” Sandra demanded.
Obviously she wasn’t handling the news well. I felt sorry for her because I knew she was a big fan of Hank’s. Sandra looked very upset. She kept wanting to get past the police tape. She couldn’t possibly think that they were going to let her over to the body.
Hank had seemed kind and genuine, like he wouldn’t have any enemies. Of course, I knew very little about him, but who would want him dead?
I leaned closer to Tammy and said, “Sandra kind of seems a little too obsessed, don’t you think?”
“I was thinking the same thing. Her reaction was a bit dramatic. She must have been a big fan,” Tammy said.
“Do you think she followed him around?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t be surprised. How do you think he was killed?” Tammy asked.
“I don’t know. I didn’t see any signs of trauma. I hope that Brannon will tell me, but I can’t count on it.”
Tammy wiggled her eyebrows. “I have a feeling that he would tell you anything.”
Heat rose to my cheeks. “I don’t think so.”
“You know it’s the truth,” Tammy said.
I nudged Tammy. “Here he comes.”
Brannon eyed us suspiciously as he stepped back over, as if he knew we’d been talking about him. “Rip, I can have an officer drive you home if you’d like.”
“I can drive home. I have my car parked right in front of the tavern.” I pointed.
“If you’re sure?” Brannon looked at me.
“I can ride with her,” Tammy said.
I nodded. “We’ll be fine.”
Brannon gave a soft smile. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
Something told me he would.
“Talk to you soon,” I said.
Brannon joined the other officers still standing around and glanced over and smiled again.
Tammy quirked an eyebrow. “See, I told you he would tell you everything about what’s going on.”
“Just because he wanted to have an officer give me a ride home? That’s what you got from that?”
She shrugged. “Fine, don’t believe me, but it’s true. I know about these things.”
Tammy and I headed away from the cemetery. I turned and looked back for a quick glance. I still couldn’t believe what had happened. Things like this just didn’t happen in Devil’s Moon. It might be haunted here, but it was a safe town. Well, except for the recent murder, but I’d thought that was all behind us now. Our little town would definitely be on the news when word got out.
Sandra had vanished. One second I’d seen her talking with an officer and the next she was nowhere in sight. Cady was standing with a couple of officers. Her lips pressed together in anger when she spotted me. I looked away and hurried my steps. I just wanted to get home.
Tammy and I climbed into my car. I cranked the engine and fastened my seatbelt. Tammy leaned her head back on the car seat a
nd released a deep breath.
I pulled away from the curb. “Let’s get out of here.”
I glanced back in the rear-view mirror. The police lights flooded the area. I wondered how long they would be at the crime scene. There would be all kinds of rumors now about what had happened at the graveyard. Some said it was already cursed. This would only add to that. Plus the fact that Hank had been at Helmwood House before his death.
“I hope they find out who did this,” Tammy said.
“If anyone can solve the case, I think Brannon will.”
The headlights from my car cut the darkness and lessened the spookiness factor. The killer could be anywhere. I wondered if the killer had left town already. Had it been a random attack? Or had the murderer known Hank? I hoped the police would find out soon. I supposed it was none of my business, but I couldn’t help but want to know what happened. After all, the author had been at the library and then at the graveyard. I could only imagine the looks I would get around town.
We pulled up in front of my house. The place was dark. I hadn’t left any lights on and my neighbors were either not at home or already in bed.
As soon as I cut off the engine, I said, “Let’s hurry. You never know who is lurking around.”
“Don’t worry, Rip, everything will be okay.”
Why wasn’t she as worried as me? Normally I was the calm one and she freaked out.
Tammy walked with me up to the door. Leaves from the nearby tree had fallen and covered the porch’s floor with a kaleidoscope of colors. They crunched under our feet. I pulled back the screen door and hurried with my key and unlocked the main door.
“You sure you don’t want to come in for a peanut butter sandwich?” I asked.
She laughed. “It’s tempting, but I’m headed home.”
“Call me when you get there.”
With a killer on the loose we would have to be super alert.
Tammy quirked her lip into a lopsided grin. “This is kind of like I walked you to your door after a date.”
