by Rose Pressey
That was when I realized that it was actually my shoes making the sound, echoing against the pavement. I released a deep breath. At least I felt a little better. Though the fear was still there. I picked up the pace again. I’d lost time messing around looking for the source of the footfalls. The road seemed to stretch out endlessly in front of me. I wasn’t sure if I couldn’t make it much further. How easily I was ready to give up. I was so tired that I was almost willing to let the ghosts get me. Almost.
I checked my phone again, but it still wasn’t working. Didn’t they have cell towers to cover all these areas?
Just then I heard a car. Oh, great. This was the part where a stranger stopped and shoved me into the trunk. I kept walking. Maybe if I didn’t look back the car wouldn’t stop. Though taking a ride into town would be tempting. No, I couldn’t risk getting in with a stranger. No matter how badly my feet hurt I would have to keep walking.
The car was right behind me now. It had slowed down. That was bad news for me. I didn’t look over as I kept walking.
“Rip, what are you doing out here? Are you okay?”
When I looked over I realized that it was Brannon.
“Get in,” he said.
I rushed over and got into the passenger side. I released a deep breath and leaned my head back against the seat. “Thank goodness you’re here.”
“What happened? Why are you out here all alone?”
“My car broke down back there. Didn’t you see it?”
“I spotted the car. Why are you out here on this desolate road?”
I tossed my hands up. “Why do I go to any of these haunted places?”
“What happened to the car?” he asked.
“I don’t know. It just stopped.”
Brannon turned the car around in the middle of the road and headed back toward my car. “I’ll take a look at it.”
“Just leave it. I’ll get a new one.”
He laughed as he pulled up in front of my car. His cruiser’s lights were flashing.
“Here’s the key,” I said, handing my keychain to him. “Just be careful out there.”
I watched as Brannon got out of the car. I hoped nothing happened while he was out there. I was on high alert just in case I needed to jump out and save him. He looked under the hood for a bit and then lowered it again. He went around and got behind the wheel. The headlights came on and the engine turned over.
A couple seconds later, he returned. “I can’t find anything wrong with your car. It seems fine.”
I knew the car had died. It was as if something wanted me out there alone. Thank goodness Brannon had come along when he did.
Chapter 17
The next day, Tammy reminded me that I desperately needed a trim and that it would do me good to have my hair styled. I supposed I could use a little pampering to get my mind off things. So that was what brought me to the salon today. I’d never realized how oddly shaped my head was until my hair was wet and my body was covered by the giant black cape. I grimaced at my reflection in the mirror.
“Just a little trim on the ends, remember?”
“You’re too paranoid that I’ll cut all your hair off,” Tammy said as she wielded the scissors.
I released a deep breath and said, “I’m going to trust you. Don’t let me down.”
The salon was full today. I’d just gotten off work so it was the only time I could make it.
“So you haven’t figured out where Ruby is from?” Tammy asked as she started snipping away at my hair.
“No one seems to know her,” I said, staring into the mirror.
“She has to be from somewhere around here,” Tammy said.
I’d been fooled before by spirits that seemed so real, but turned out to be from the other dimension. I really didn’t think that was the case this time. Ruby had done so much that I knew she had to be one of the living.
“Maybe we can ask around about her,” Tammy said.
“I’ve asked a few people already.”
“Did Brannon try to track her down?” Tammy asked.
“Yes, he did, but didn’t find anything. I wonder if she gave me a fake name.”
“Who are you all talking about?” the stylist next to us asked.
I sighed and then said, “There’s this woman who kind of took over my ghost tour. Ruby Redstone.”
“What does she look like?” the stylist asked.
“I guess she looks like me a little.”
“I’ve seen her. I know who she is. Or least who she claims to be,” the woman said while waving her comb.
“Who is she?” I asked.
Tammy had stopped working on my hair and was staring at the woman in anticipation.
“I saw her doing the tour,” the stylist said. “She wasn’t from around here, but she was friends with someone who is. Her name is Darlene McGuire.”
Tammy and I looked at each other.
“That can’t be a coincidence,” Tammy said.
“You know who I’m talking about?” the woman asked.
“I’m afraid I do. Darlene is my boyfriend’s ex-wife.”
“Oh…” the woman said in understanding.
“So where did Ruby live?”
“She lived in Bloomfield. I think she worked at the fashion boutique there. I take it by the look on your faces that this isn’t a good thing.”
“I smell a rat,” Tammy said.
“I think it’s something I should definitely look into. I don’t want to tell Brannon yet though,” I said.
“That’s probably a good idea. We need to find out more information first.”
“So are you going to talk to Darlene?” the woman asked.
“I suppose I should. I don’t know if I will just come right out and ask her though.”
“I think that will be the only way we can do it,” Tammy said as she finished my hair.
“Thanks for letting me know,” I said.
The stylist smiled. “You’re welcome, honey. Good luck. I wish I could help you more.”
“You’ve done more than enough.”
“Keep me updated and let me know what happens,” she said.
“I certainly will,” I said.
“What are you going to do?” Tammy asked.
“We should go to the place where Ruby worked. Maybe someone there would tell us something.”
“You want to avoid confronting Darlene?”
“I guess I’d rather not have to talk to her,” I said.
Tammy took the cape off from around my neck. “So are we going on a short road trip?”
“I guess we have no choice, right?”
“Let me get my purse.” Tammy headed for the back.
While she was gone I added a little more hairspray to my hair just in case. I didn’t want to ruin my perfectly coiffed style.
“Come on, your hair looks great.” Tammy grabbed my arm.
“Thanks again,” I said as we walked toward the door.
“Good luck,” she said.
Tammy and I climbed into her car and headed toward Bloomfield. I shifted in the seat as we drove along.
“You’re nervous, which is making me nervous,” Tammy said as she maneuvered a turn.
“Sorry, I keep thinking about what we’ll say and what we’ll find out.”
“No need to be nervous. You have me with you. We’ll just ask for information. . I think Brannon’s ex is behind this.”
I sighed and leaned my head back on the leather seat. “You’re probably right. Why doesn’t Darlene just leave me alone?”
“She probably won’t until you leave Brannon alone.”
“I don’t think that’s an option,” I said.
“I don’t think so either.” Tammy winked.
Within a short time we reached Bloomfield. It was like a much smaller Devil’s Moon. It was a haunted town too, but not nearly like Devil’s Moon. There were a few shops along the main street. Tammy pulled along the curb in front of the fashion boutique.
<
br /> She shoved the car into park. “Are you ready to go in?”
I inhaled and released the breath. “Let’s go.”
Tammy and I got out of the car and entered the shop. It was quiet except for the faint music that played in the background.
“They have some really cute things here.” Tammy touched a floral-pattern dress on the rack next to her.
“Remember, we’re here to ask about Ruby, not shop.”
Tammy nodded. “Right. Maybe you should act as if you don’t know what happened to Ruby.”
“Good idea,” I whispered.
I spotted a woman step out from the back. She had short blonde hair. It definitely wasn’t Ruby.
She smiled as she walked over to us. “Can I help you find something?”
“We’re looking for Ruby. Is she working today?” I asked.
Her mouth dropped open slightly. “You didn’t hear?”
“Hear what?” I asked, innocently.
“Um, she died.”
“That’s terrible,” I said.
After a brief pause, the woman asked, “Is there something I could help you with instead?”
Tammy and I exchanged a look. We were thinking the same thing.
“Here’s the thing…” Tammy said. “Ruby had been kind of harassing my friend.” Tammy gestured toward me. “Do you know much about Ruby?”
I expected her to tell us to get lost. Instead she nodded.
“Ruby was strange, so that doesn’t surprise me. I heard her talking about messing with someone in Devil’s Moon. That must be you. It’s no surprise she was murdered.” The woman’s eyes widened.
I knew what thought had popped into her head. Maybe I was the one who killed Ruby.
Tammy’s stance stiffened and I knew she was mad now. “What did she say?”
The woman eyed me up and down, and then said, “Ruby was just talking with this other girl Darlene.”
“The ex,” I mumbled.
“I think Ruby changed a lot when she started hanging with Darlene.”
“How so?” Tammy asked.
The woman shrugged. “She was just a lot meaner.”
“Did they say anything else?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Sorry, that’s all I heard. I didn’t want to get involved with whatever they were doing.”
“Thanks for the info,” I said.
I touched Tammy’s arm to indicate that we should leave.
Before Tammy turned around, she asked, “How long is that dress on sale?”
I pulled on Tammy’s arm.
“Until next week,” the woman said.
“Thank you,” Tammy said over her shoulder as I guided her toward the door.
I paused with my hand on the door. That was when it hit me. I recognized this woman. She was the one we’d seen in front of my place. When Brannon had seemed nervous, as if he recognized her. He’d seen her before because she was involved with Darlene.
I spun around. “You were involved in what they were doing. I saw you in front of my apartment.”
Her face filled with fear. Finally, she said, “Darlene wanted me to harass you as well, but I told her no. I didn’t have anything else to do with it. I promise.”
“What did she ask you to do?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Follow you and scare you. Do another haunted tour. Basically anything I could do. She was going to pay me. I didn’t take any money though.”
I stared at her for a moment. My stomach was twisted in a knot. “Come on, Tammy. Let’s get out of here.”
“Sorry,” the woman called out.
I didn’t even acknowledge her again as we stepped outside.
“Wow. I can’t believe that,” Tammy said.
“Darlene was behind the Ruby thing.”
“I wonder what else Darlene is trying to do to you?” Tammy asked as we got into the car.
“There was nothing I could do to stop Ruby. I don’t own the streets of Devil’s Moon,” I said as I buckled my seatbelt. “But I can stop Darlene.”
“It’s not fair what she’s doing.”
We pulled away from the curb.
“I will think of a way to put a stop to this,” Tammy said as she made a left turn.
I was almost afraid to hear what Tammy would come up with.
Chapter 18
Tammy and I were back at the library. We hadn’t discovered any other information about Darlene’s plan. Though we were looking into finding the man from the diary, Jacob.
“Rip, I found something I think you’ll want to see.” Tammy raced over and waved a piece of paper in my face.
“What is it?” She was so excited I thought maybe she’d picked the winning lottery numbers.
“I found the full name of the stranger. The one from the book.”
“You’re kidding,” I said, grabbing the piece of paper from her hand. “What does it say?”
“Apparently he worked at that train station. You know the abandoned one?”
“Yeah, that thing has been closed for years. I wonder what happened to him.”
I quickly read the article. It mentioned the opening of the new station. Once it had stopped being used years ago it became run down. There were distilleries all around it. Some of them had been abandoned while others were still in use.
“I have to go there after work,” I said.
“What do you think you’ll find?”
“Maybe I’ll find some lost treasure.”
Tammy shrugged. “If you think so, but you might ask around town now that you know more than the first name. Sorry, I can’t go with you, but I have to work at the tavern.”
“I’ll just head there real quickly. Once I’m done I’ll stop by the tavern.”
Tammy looked at me with concern in her eyes. “Maybe you should ask Brannon to go with you.”
I hugged her. “I’ll be fine.”
***
After work I drove to the old train station. I’d driven by it a number of times. It had always been spooky and today was no different. The sun was falling in the sky, leaving streaks of red and purple in its wake. Soon it would be dark, so I would have to hurry. There was a small space next to the station where I parked the car. I stepped out of the car and paused, peering around at the old buildings. The silence was eerie. The gravel crunched under my feet as I walked closer to the station. Tammy was probably right. I was crazy for coming here. I’d just look around a bit and then get back to town.
The small building that had been the train station had probably seen a lot of action back in the day. Now it was crumbling down, with peeling paint and a roof that was falling off. The windows had been smashed and the door was wide open. I eased over to the door and peeked in. Would there really be anything left of this man after all these years? The odds were low. I stepped inside the building, hoping that there were no stray animals ready to attack me. I also had to worry if the roof would drop on me.
I stood in the middle of the room. Dust floated through the air, making it difficult to breath. I looked around, but was convinced I wouldn’t find anything. However, that was when I spotted paper sticking out from a crack in the far wall. I stepped over and pulled on the paper. Surprisingly, it came out. I examined the blank page. It was as if I had been drawn here without even realizing it. The paper was the same as from Sarah Tyler’s diary. It had to be the same. Who had put it there? John? Had he ripped a page from her diary? How long had it been there? I looked around a little more, but found nothing else.
I stuffed the page in my pocket and decided to take a look at the distilleries while I was there. I’d always wanted to look around. The light was becoming less and less so I would have to hurry. I walked across the grassy area to the building. I’d just made it to the entrance when I heard the same crunch that had sounded when I walked across the gravel. Was someone stealing my car? I looked over, but my car was still there. I didn’t see anyone. I knew I’d heard footsteps, but where had they come from? Now I was nervous.
It must have been my imagination. I stepped into the building for a closer look. The smell of fermenting bourbon lingered in this structure. I was in the middle of the building when a strange feeling came over me. I figured I should get out of there. I’d seen enough and it was getting dark. Even if I had wanted to add a tour here, I would have to come back some time when it was light. Though if I did a tour it wouldn’t always be in the daytime. I’d have to get used to being there when it was dark.
As I turned around to leave, the noise came again. What was it? Was someone really here? Or was I hearing something else that sounded like footsteps? Maybe it was an animal. Or maybe it was a ghost.
I paused to listen. The noise had stopped again and I was beginning to wonder if I was just imagining things. But just as I neared the door, I heard movement. It definitely sounded as if someone was right around the corner of the building. I froze and my heart thumped wildly. What would I do now? How would I get out of there?
I waited for a minute. It was getting really dark now. I couldn’t stay there all night. I had to come out. Even if I did stay in there, if something was out there waiting for me it would probably come in and get me soon. I had no choice but to go out there. I tried to calm myself. There was probably nothing there. I was just being paranoid. It was nothing more than an animal or maybe it was the wind. Okay, maybe it hadn’t been the wind since the weather was calm. I eased over to the door.
On the count of three, I was going to walk out. Actually, I would probably run out to my car. One. Two. Three. I moved forward out the door as fast as I could move.
I never made it to the edge of the building. Someone grabbed me from behind. Everything went dark as I fell to the ground.
*
Someone was shaking me. I opened my eyes. A man was standing over me. My attacker? He was small in stature and looked like he was in his seventies. Why had this man attacked me? I tried to get up, but my body was still woozy.
“Are you okay?” the man asked.
“Why are you asking me that since you’re the one who attacked me?”
