by Rose Pressey
“He’s so sweet,” Charlotte said.
After hanging up, I dialed Heather’s number. I needed to hear her encouraging words.
“You aren’t going to believe what happened,” I said.
“Where are you? Sounds like you are driving,” she said.
Actually, I just pulled over. “I’m in the gas station parking lot in Bellewood.”
“What are you doing there?” she asked.
“I came to the thrift shop.” I glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure no one was approaching the car.
“Oh yeah, did you find anything?” she asked as if this was a casual conversation.
“No, I didn’t have a chance to look.”
“Were they closed?”
“Someone tried to take my car. Or at least I think that was what he was doing,” I said.
“That’s terrible. Did you call the police?”
“I called Dylan and I snapped a picture of the man who tried to take it.”
“Since you have a picture it shouldn’t be too hard to look for this person,” Heather said.
“It kind of will be hard. The problem is, I only got the back of him.”
“Oh, I guess that will hamper your efforts,” she said.
“I’ll give the photo to the police. Maybe they can do something with it,” I said.
“Please be careful on the drive back,” Heather said. “I’ll come over to your house to check on you.”
“Tell her there is no need for that because Detective Valentine is checking in on you,” Charlotte said.
She sounded extremely happy about that.
“It’s okay. I think I’m going to Savannah anyway.”
“Why would you do that?” Her voice filled with concern.
“I planned on talking with Meaghan, so I’ve driven this far, I might as well go now.”
She sighed. “Just be careful.”
Chapter 26
Sam’s Surefire Sleuthing Pointer
Study your surroundings before getting involved.
You don’t want to get into a situation
you can’t get out of.
I knew that if my parents found out I was in Savannah and didn’t stop by for a visit they would be hurt. They had moved to Tybee Island when they retired. My father enjoyed playing golf, and my mother spent her free time in the garden and coming up with healthy, flavorless meals. Fashion must have skipped a generation because she spent very little time thinking about it. It was a good thing I’d taken after my grandma Pearl.
“Where are you going?” Charlotte asked.
“I have to drive by my parents’ first. They don’t know about you all, so I expect you’ll be on your best behavior while I’m there.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to see them again.” Charlotte clapped her hands together.
“Are you going to see Meaghan?” Sam asked.
“Yes,” I said matter-of-factly. “I’ve been putting it off, but it has to be done.”
“It’s so late. Maybe you should wait until the morning.” Sam leaned his arms against the back of the seat.
Charlotte gestured with her index finger. “He does have a good point.”
“I can’t believe you all aren’t pushing for me to go right away.” I sighed. “We’ll see what happens after I visit my parents. I guess it’s getting late. I could wait until the morning.”
“That’s probably for the best,” Sam said.
I’d shifted into gear ready to pull out onto the road when my phone rang again. When I looked at the caller ID, I recognized the number right away. What was Dylan calling for again so soon?
“I was worried about you,” he said when I answered.
My stomach did a little dance. “I’m fine now.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m not still worried about you,” he said.
It was nice to know that he cared. That was something that would make Charlotte extremely happy.
“Thanks for being concerned, I really appreciate it,” I said.
I felt Charlotte’s eyes on me.
“So, out of curiosity, where are you headed?” Dylan asked.
“Actually, I decided to go to my parents’ house,” I said.
“That’s probably a good idea. Remember, call me when you get there, okay?” he asked.
Was he aware of something that he wasn’t telling me? It wasn’t like him to ask me to call him just to let him know I was safe. If I hadn’t been afraid before, my fear had certainly grown by leaps and bounds now.
“Sure, I promise I’ll call you. Is there something you’re not telling me?” I asked.
“No, I just want to make sure you’re okay. Nothing to worry about.”
No matter what he said, now I didn’t believe him. His voice sounded strained.
I had to take his word for it though. If he said everything was fine, then I had to believe him.
“Okay, then, I appreciate your concern. I’ll call you,” I said.
“Talk to you soon,” he said.
I hung up and steered the car back onto the road.
“What was that call all about?” Charlotte asked.
I didn’t want her to know that Dylan sounded concerned. She was probably upset that I had forgotten to put the call on speaker.
“He was just checking in,” I said.
“He seems like a good guy,” Sam said.
“He is,” Charlotte answered. “Cookie needs to spend more time with him.”
“Thanks for the advice, Charlotte,” I said.
After a short drive, I pulled onto my parents’ street. I hadn’t told them that I was coming, so I knew the first thing my mother would think when she saw me was that something was wrong. I should have called first so that I wouldn’t scare her. But it was too late for that now. They lived on a quiet street near the water. The small cottage homes all looked similar except for the colors and the occasional variation of the front door or porch. My parents’ home was a light blue with white shutters and a black door.
I parked the car in the driveway. My father kept his old Volvo in the garage. Once they’d moved from Sugar Creek, they’d condensed to one car. They hardly ever went anywhere without the other one anyway, so they figured why have two cars. My mother had planted yellow daylilies that lined the pathway to the door. Two pots of yellow and orange chrysanthemums flanked the steps leading up to the front door.
“What a charming little house,” Charlotte said.
“Thank you. My parents love it.” I stopped at the door.
I knew I didn’t have to ring the bell, but at this hour my parents would have locked the door. I didn’t want to scare them by using my key. I rang the doorbell and within a couple seconds the front light flooded the porch. I knew that my father was probably looking out the window at me right now. Within a couple more seconds the door opened.
“Cookie, is everything okay?” My father’s face was scrunched in a frown.
He wore blue-and-white striped pajamas. His reading glasses were perched at the end of his nose. His gray hair looked perfect still, so I knew he hadn’t been asleep yet. He’d probably been reading one of his golf magazines.
My mother hurried up behind him. “Oh, Cookie, what happened? Did you have an accident?”
Her sleeping mask was on the top of her head. Of course my mother had taken the time to slip on her yellow robe, which matched her yellow pajamas.
My father stepped to the side and ushered me in. Sam and Charlotte followed me, just making it inside before my father closed the door.
“I was in the area and thought I would stop by before I went home.” My mother probably sensed my lie. She could smell them like a bloodhound.
My mother grabbed my arm and steered me toward the kitchen. “Well, for heaven’s sake, why didn’t you let me know that you were coming to town?”
The kitchen was decorated as my mother had always decorated with blue-and-white checkered curtains on the window and her vast collection of coffee mugs. No matter
where my parents moved, it always felt like home. The smell of my mother’s spices and herbs stirred my childhood memories.
“It was a spur-of-the-moment decision.”
My mother and father exchanged a look. No matter my age there was still part of them that treated me as if I were ten. I sat at the small white kitchen table.
My mother stood next to me. “What can I get you? Kale juice? Tofu cookies?”
“That’s disgusting.” Charlotte scrunched her nose.
“Doesn’t sound very appetizing,” Sam said.
“So why are you in town?” my father asked as he sat in the chair across from me.
I thought about telling them the real reason why I was in town. For a moment, I even thought about telling them the truth about the ghosts standing in their kitchen, but I came to my senses and thought better of it.
“I had to pick up some vintage clothing from a few places, so I thought I would just come by and say hello. Aren’t you happy to see me?”
They exchanged a look again. “Well, of course we are,” my mother said.
“Sorry if we made you think otherwise,” my father said.
My mother busied herself at the counter. “Well, one thing is for sure, you have to spend the night. It is too late for you to make the trip back.” She turned around and gave me the look. I knew that was my warning that she meant business.
After forcing me to eat chickpea cookies, my parents insisted it was time for bed. Never mind that it was still way before my bedtime. I figured I could use the extra rest since I planned to visit with Meaghan in the morning, so I didn’t argue with them. I never won the arguments with them, so it was futile anyway.
My mother led me back to the guest bedroom. It felt strange going to a room at my parents’ house that wasn’t mine. It wouldn’t be painted pink and have posters of heartthrobs from the forties and fifties. My mother thought there was something seriously wrong with me during my teenage years because all my crushes were on men who were already dead. Maybe that explained why I had attracted ghosts in the first place. When we made it to the end of the hall, my mother opened the bedroom door and gestured for me to walk in.
The room was decorated with a nautical theme. The bed was white with a white comforter and navy blue and white pillows.
“Okay, sweetie. Towels are in the bathroom. Do you need pajamas?”
“Well, I wasn’t planning on a sleepover, so yes.”
“I’ll be right back.” She rushed out of the room.
“Your mom is a sweetheart,” Charlotte said as she walked around the room checking everything out. “But I can only imagine what kind of pajamas she will bring you to wear. They’re probably made of hemp.”
Charlotte was probably right about that. After a couple seconds, my mother reappeared with a pair of satin pink pajamas in her arms. I recognized them because I’d given them to her for Christmas last year.
“I just never got around to wearing them,” she said when she saw me eyeing the pants and matching top.
“Thank you,” I said as I took the pajamas from her outstretched hand.
“Okay, I’ll make you a special breakfast in the morning,” she said as she pinched my cheeks.
“Yum. It will probably involve tree bark,” Charlotte said.
Sadly, she was probably right. I would have to suck it up and pretend that I loved whatever my mother made. It would make her happy and it was the least I could do. I could stop and get food on my way to see Meaghan.
I’d just settled under the blankets when a strange scraping noise sounded from right outside the window. Now this was the first time I’d spent the night in my parents’ new home, but I was pretty sure that sound wasn’t typical.
“What is that?” Charlotte asked.
Even though she hadn’t been speaking to Sam much, she stepped closer to him, as if he would offer her protection. Sometimes Charlotte forgot that she was a ghost. Whatever was causing that noise couldn’t be any scarier than her, right? I jumped up from the bed.
“Where did the sound come from?” I asked.
Charlotte pointed to the window on the right and Sam motioned to the window on the opposite wall. The noise sounded again and my heart sped up.
“I don’t know what that is, but I don’t like the sound of it,” I whispered.
I decided to check the window Charlotte had pointed out first. I tiptoed over and grabbed the curtain. My hand shook slightly as I held the curtain.
“I don’t want to look,” I whispered.
“Just go back to bed and pull the cover over your head. That’s what I would do,” Charlotte said.
“I can go outside and take a look,” Sam said as he walked across the room.
“No, that won’t be necessary; I have to be braver than that.” I pushed my shoulders back.
When I pulled the curtain back, a man’s face was staring back at me. I was so shocked that I tumbled backward, hitting the hardwood floor. I didn’t make a sound. The words had been knocked out of me.
“Who the heck was that?” Charlotte asked.
“I’ll go check it out,” Sam said as he disappeared through the wall.
I jumped up and pulled the curtain back again. The man had disappeared.
“I swear it looked like the man who had been messing around my car.”
It was hard to tell, though, because I’d only seen the back of him. This time I got a good look at his face. I’d never seen him before.
I didn’t see Sam outside.
“Where did Sam go?” I asked.
“I’m right here.”
I jumped and clutched my chest.
“Sorry if I scared you,” he said. “I didn’t see anyone out there.”
“That is odd. I know I saw him looking in the window. I’m going to look out the front of the house. I want to make sure my car is safe out there.”
“Whatever you do, don’t tell your parents. It’ll just worry them,” Charlotte said.
She was right about that. As long as I could keep it from them, I would. I eased the door open and peeked out. My parents’ bedroom door was closed. I had a mental flashback. This was just like being in high school again and sneaking out of the house to go to the drive-in movies in the next town over.
As I tiptoed down the hallway, another noise sounded from the front of the house.
“That sounded as if it was by the front door,” Charlotte said.
My legs wobbled as I made my way down the rest of the hallway and to the front door. Once in front of the door, I paused with my hand on the knob. I peeked out the door, but once again didn’t see anyone.
“This is too spooky,” I whispered.
I unlocked the door and eased it open. “What are you doing, Cookie, you shouldn’t open the door.” Charlotte tried to stop me, but her hands went through the door.
I ignored her and opened the door anyway.
Suddenly, a man appeared in front of me and I jumped back again. Dylan reached out and grabbed me before I fell.
“Whoa. Sorry, are you okay?”
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“You didn’t call and let me know you were okay. Plus, you didn’t answer your phone.” He frowned.
“Oh no. I must have forgotten and I think my cell phone died.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Well, that’s one way to get me to drive to Savannah.”
“How sweet is that?” Charlotte said. “He cared enough to drive all the way here.”
“I’m sorry that you had to drive all the way here,” I said.
“That’s okay.”
“How did you find me?”
“I’m a cop, I have my ways,” he said with a smile. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine. But I did see someone outside my room window.” I gestured over my shoulder. “I think it was the same man I saw at the store trying to take my car.”
“Where was he?” Dylan asked.
“Around the back of the house.”
I pointed.
“Wait here for me.” Dylan took off across the lawn and around the side of the house.
If my father saw him, he would freak out. I just hoped that no one was really there and that Dylan would be fine.
“It’s a good thing he showed up.” Sam stood on the front porch.
It did help ease my fears knowing that Dylan was here now.
I folded my arms in front of my waist and peeked out into the darkness. I thought about turning on the porch light, but I didn’t want to draw attention if the man was out there watching us. I just hoped that Dylan would hurry up and come back. The longer he was gone the more I worried that something had happened to him. After a couple of seconds, I spotted Dylan walking back from around the house.
“Did you find him?” I asked.
Dylan’s impressive stature was lit only by the hazy moonlight. “I didn’t see anyone. What did he look like?”
I held my arm up indicating his height. “He was probably six-foot-five with dark hair and a beard.”
“A big guy with dark hair? That doesn’t tell him much,” Sam said.
“Well, aren’t you going to ask him to come inside?” Charlotte asked. “After all, the man did drive all this way for you.”
“Would you like to come inside?” I asked.
Dylan looked me up and down. I forgot I was wearing the pink pajamas.
“Sure, if it’s okay?” he said.
There would be no way to keep this from my parents. “It’ll be fine. I’ll make you some coffee,” I said.
Just then light flooded the area. Dylan’s handsome face came into plain view. He shielded his eyes from the blinding light. The front porch was bathed in a yellow glow.
“Is everything okay?” my father called from behind me.
“They may want to check the wattage of that bulb,” Charlotte said.
I whipped around. “Dad, this is Dylan Valentine. Dylan, this is my father, Hank. Dylan just stopped by to make sure I was okay. He thought I was driving back to Sugar Creek.” This was a little embarrassing, but I would work through my blushing cheeks.
My father eyed Dylan up and down. “Oh, well, would the young man like to come in?”
I was surprised that my dad didn’t threaten to get his shotgun. I wasn’t sure Dylan would appreciate that. Not to mention my father didn’t even own a shotgun. He’d only fed that line to my potential suitors in high school. I never thought I’d be reliving that nightmare all over again.
