by Fiona Grace
“Maybe sleep on it?” Brynn said.
At that moment, Mia’s phone pinged. It was a text from Johnny.
Did you get home safely?
XOXO, Your BF
Mia laughed, which was a relief after the ghost of her father had appeared.
“Who is it?” Brynn said.
“Johnny, just seeing if we got back safely,” Mia said and smiled.
“So, you and Johnny, huh?” Brynn said.
“It’s not what you think,” Mia said.
“Look, I know you two were staging that little performance for Mark,” Brynn said. “I don’t blame you.”
“You knew?” Mia said, surprised. “I didn’t think you noticed. Graham was dominating your attention.”
“Not all of it,” Brynn said and smiled. “Now that I’ve seen you with your friends, I realize how incompatible you and Mark are. He’s not the right guy for you.”
“Thanks, Brynn,” Mia said.
“I think he’s in love with you,” Brynn said.
“Who, Mark?” Mia said as she took off her jewelry.
“No, Johnny.” Brynn said, sipping her chocolate.
“Johnny? I doubt that,” Mia laughed.
“I’d be careful if I were you, Mimi. I can tell when a man is hung up on a girl, and Johnny is hung up on you,” Brynn said as she strolled over to the hall closet. She pulled out a stack of sheets. “I’ll take the couch tonight.”
As Mia got ready for bed, she thought about her sister’s words. If what Brynn said was true, what would she do about her romantic predicament? Every day it was becoming clearer she was attracted to two different men.
Hugh Wolfe was down to earth, charming, and handsome. But there was a magnetic pull between her and Johnny she couldn’t deny. What was it about Johnny? He was sexy, of course, but there was something deeper, something soulful about him, and he always surprised her.
She pulled on her sleep shorts and a muscle T-shirt. Then she remembered to check her messages. The first one was from Ollie Cooper.
“Hey, Mia, we’re calling a crew meeting for nine a.m. to discuss the next episode. See you then.”
There was a beep and the next message played. A familiar, stern voice came on the phone, and Mia felt a deep sense of dread.
“Mia Bold? This is Detective Charlie Waite calling. I need you to come down to the station to answer a few questions. We’ve come to a dead end here. And well, all roads lead to you. I’ll be in my office in the morning. Don’t make me come look for you.”
Suddenly, the seriousness of her situation hit Mia hard. It felt like a bucket of cold water had been thrown over her head. As much as she wanted to figure out what was going on with her dad, Mia realized there was a very real threat to her own life. If she didn’t find out what happened to Cindy Moore fast, there was a good chance she could be arrested for a crime she didn’t commit. A nervous dread overwhelmed her. Her dad and whatever he was up to would have to wait. She really wanted to talk to someone about the case. She thought about discussing it with her sister. But Brynn didn’t know about what had happened at the Elmwood House and Mia wanted to keep it that way. She had enough on her mind with the recent problems with Jeffrey. Mia tiptoed into the living room to see if Brynn was still up. But she was fast asleep, nestled in a pile of covers, her blonde hair puddled on the pillow, with Rose curled in a ball, purring against her chest.
She just could not bring herself to drag Brynn into this situation.
Mia went back into her room and climbed into bed. Who could she call? She thought about Hugh, but he didn’t know about the Elmswood House either. Mia didn’t want to drag the new guy she was dating into a murder mystery where she might very well be the prime suspect. Sylvie was perfect but she was probably fast asleep.
Then there was Johnny, the night owl. The thought of him made her heart beat faster. Don’t be silly, she told herself. No matter what Brynn said, Johnny Astor was just pretending to be her boyfriend. He was so popular, there was no way he could possibly be interested in her. But he knew about the case and nothing Mia said would faze him. She took a deep breath and dialed.
“Mia? What a nice surprise,” Johnny said when he answered the phone. “Can’t keep away from me, huh?”
“Ha, ha,” Mia said. “Thank you for being my pretend boyfriend. I think you might have fixed my problem.”
“Rescuing damsels in distress is one of my side hustles,” Johnny said.
“Listen, remember when you said Detective Charlie Waite called to get your alibi on the night Cindy Moore died? And you said he brought me up in the conversation?”
“He brought you up a few times,” Johnny said.
“Well, he left a message. He wants to see me tomorrow,” Mia said.
Johnny got quiet. Mia loved the way he always seemed to consider things before responding. He was a very thoughtful person, really.
“Well, that seems serious,” Johnny said. “I guess we better find out who killed Cindy Moore fast. What have you found so far?”
“Well, I spoke to her business partner, Doug Tanner. He didn’t know much. So Sylvie and I looked through Cindy’s appointment book.”
“How did you—” Johnny said, surprised. “Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.”
“Anyway, we talked to the first client in the book, Howard Adler. He admitted to making the appointment, but said Cindy cancelled the showing due to another client. There was a name scribbled all over her book, the guy she mentioned to us—Mr. Fat Cat.”
“So the number one suspect is Fat Cat? What about the owner?”
“Connie Carol has an alibi. The night of the murder she was hustling seniors in a poker game,” Mia said. “And she changed her mind about selling the house.”
“So basically, we need to hunt down Fat Cat?”
“Exactly. I found his name in one of the online real estate forums. It seems he was snooping around and asking a lot of questions about Elmswood House.”
“Listen, Mia. I’ll pick you up in the morning. After the BB&C meeting, you and I can head down to Swampscott. Maybe that real estate guy knows more than he’s letting on.”
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Mia pulled her boots on, straightened out her outfit, combed her hair, dusted her cheeks with blush, brushed on some mascara, and glossed her lips. Why was she always so nervous whenever she was about to see Johnny? It was as if she had no control over her body. There was a friendly rap on the door.
“Brynn? Can you get that?” Mia called out from the bathroom.
“Sure, Mimi,” Brynn said and opened the door.
Mia could hear Sylvie and Brynn greeting each other. She checked herself one last time. She looked casual but professional in black slacks and a silky dove-gray blouse. She completed the look with small silver hoop earrings.
“You ready?” Sylvie called out.
“In a second,” Mia yelled as she fluffed her hair before walking out to greet Sylvie. Tandy danced around, happy to see her too. Rose jumped up on the table and sniffed the air with her pink nose before rubbing her flank against Sylvie as she set down her giant pack of equipment.
“What’s in the bag, a way to patch into the matrix?” Brynn said, sipping her coffee.
“Oh you know, mega files of Mia and Johnny jabbering away,” Sylvie said and grinned. She was forever shuttling hard drives between the office and home.
“I’m almost done,” Mia said. “Johnny should be here any second.”
“Johnny, huh? He’s picking us up?” Sylvie said, curiously. Her hands were tucked into her bomber jacket and she wore a tartan skirt and black tights along with her customary Doc Marten boots.
“He’s looking out for her,” Brynn said and giggled.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Sylvie said.
“Knock it off, Brynn,” Mia said, sweetly. “She’s just making jokes about dinner last night.”
“Did something happen at dinner?” Sylvie said.
“Mark showed
up and Jeffrey had a black eye,” Mia said.
“That ghost in room seventeen, huh? I heard of a guy who ended up having chunks of his hair pulled out,” Sylvie said.
“Really?” Brynn said, growing a little pale. She touched the bracelet Hazel gave her. “According to Mia’s witch friend, I’m protected.”
“Don’t worry, that bracelet Hazel gave you will do the trick,” Sylvie said. “You’re good.”
Mia grabbed a distressed brown leather blazer off the coat rack and checked the equipment in her bag.
“Ready,” she said and slung her messenger bag over one shoulder.
“Can I ask you a question before you go, Mia?” Brynn said.
“Sure,” Mia said.
“Should I call that agent friend of Graham’s?” Brynn said.
“Why not?” Mia said. “Graham might be a little eccentric, but he has a lot of Hollywood contacts. What would Jeffrey think?”
“I don’t care what Jeffrey thinks right now,” Brynn said, pouting.
“Well then, your biggest problem is Daniel. You know how he feels about showbiz. If his stepdaughter and his daughter both end up in the business, he might blow his top.”
“Are you talking about our Graham?” Sylvie said, eyebrows raised in surprise. “The producer who escaped from Quentin Tarantino’s wardrobe department?”
“Yep, he thinks Brynn would be great in commercials and gave her a contact to call,” Mia said.
“She would,” Sylvie said. “Just look at that face.”
“Oh, you’re sweet,” Brynn said, blushing. “I’m going to meet Mom and Dad later. I’ll lock up when I leave. Have a fun meeting.”
Mia clipped on Tandy’s lead and they headed downstairs. The minute Tandy was outside, he buried his nose in the flowers and started happily chomping on grass.
Johnny was waiting across the street, dressed in a dark maroon shirt, leather jacket, and jeans. He waved at Mia and Sylvie as they crossed the street.
“Hey there, boy,” Johnny said and ruffled Tandy’s ears. “Shall we?”
They started down the street toward the office.
Tandy trotted beside his human pack, sniffing each of the vendors who were out in force. As they passed Charnel Tours, there was a congregation of Salem’s magical community milling in front of the building. A large sign announced there was a psychic fair and the magical readers were setting up their tables with the tools of the trade: tarot cart decks, crystal balls, crystals, scrying pendants, rune stones, and ointments. The air smelled of burning sage.
Albee Abernathy was out front overseeing the production. He spotted the three of them and tipped his hat in their direction.
Tandy growled slightly at the sight of the tour guide.
“Hey, Johnny,” Sylvie began. “Any idea what’s on the agenda for today’s crew meeting?”
“I suspect there’s a deadline with the cable network,” Johnny said. “There always is. Speaking of deadlines, what are we going to do about Detective Charlie Waite?”
“Why? What happened?” Sylvie said, turning to Mia. “Is he still bothering you?”
“He called me again. He wants to see me today,” Mia said.
“Hoo boy,” Sylvie said. “So, you’re still a suspect?”
“Looks like it,” Mia said, distracted. Down the street, a man was walking toward her with purpose. His blond hair and athletic gait were familiar.
“Oh no,” Mia said with a sinking sensation like she was swimming in quicksand. Of course she knew him—it was Mark. He started jogging toward her, his expression strangely deluded. Mia got the distinct impression last night’s performance had barely made a dent.
“Isn’t that your ex-boyfriend at twelve o’clock?” Johnny said.
“Yes,” Mia said miserably. “Here we go again.”
“It’s showtime,” Johnny said. Suddenly, he slipped his arm around Mia’s waist. Mia looked up at him, startled, as her heart began to pound.
Sylvie gave Mia and Johnny a questioning glance.
“What the—” Sylvie said, surprised at their new familiarity.
“Just play along,” Mia whispered to Sylvie.
There was an oily puddle on the ground in front of them.
“Hold on a second, darling!” Johnny said loudly and swept Mia up in his arms. Then he stepped across the puddle and stole a kiss before letting her down gently on the other side of the puddle. Mia blushed and Tandy leaped up with excitement.
Mark stopped in his tracks and shoved his hands in his pocket. He stared at the elaborate gesture, baffled and disturbed by Johnny’s attention toward Mia. He opened his mouth as if to say something before shaking his head. Then he abruptly crossed the street to avoid them. Mia glanced back to see Mark disappear around the corner.
“My lady.” Johnny bowed and genuflected with his hand. “The dragon has been dispatched.”
“Very gallant, Sir Astor,” Mia said and curtsied.
“Good grief! What is going on with you two?” Sylvie said, stumped by their odd behavior.
“Johnny’s been pretending to be my boyfriend,” Mia said.
“What?” Sylvie said. “Because of your ex?”
“Mark’s been impossible,” Mia said. “He won’t take no for an answer.”
“That should do the trick,” Johnny said.
“Your dinner must have been interesting,” Sylvie said skeptically. “So, you’re just pretending?”
“Of course!” Mia said, her cheeks rosy and her heart beating fast after the excitement of being swept into Johnny’s arms.
“Absolutely,” Johnny said, glancing at Sylvie with an innocent expression on his face.
“Hmmm,” Sylvie said and stared back at him skeptically. “The next meeting of Love Addicts Anonymous should be a doozy.”
They reached the Bell, Book, and Candle building and headed up the steps. The crew was already there. Mia immediately noticed that Ollie looked worried and was drumming his fingers on the conference table. Graham was sitting at his desk talking on the phone. Will and Jake waited at the conference table staring at their phones. Tandy checked in with each of his human friends before finding a chew toy and settling down to give his jaws a workout.
Mia, Sylvie, and Johnny joined the others around the table.
“Well,” Ollie said. “As you all know, the tragic death of Cindy Moore has thrown off our shooting schedule. We can either put our faith in the cops and hope Elmswood House is cleared in time, or we can go with another location.”
“Maybe it’s just as well,” Mia said. “The house was creepy before Cindy died. Now the whole thing just feels tragic.”
“You have to admit, Mia,” Johnny said, “Elmswood House is an amazing find. It’s unique. And we are in the ghost hunting business, so there is no avoiding creepiness and dark histories.”
“At least someone appreciates the location,” Graham said.
Sylvie nudged Mia and whispered, “Does Graham think you and Johnny are an item?”
“He didn’t seem to notice,” Mia whispered back. “He was too focused on Brynn.”
Jake cleared his throat and put down his phone.
“Mia’s right, the house is creepy as hell!” Jake said. “But as far as filming goes, it’s going to look terrific. So, if what you’re looking for is drama, that house is a great location.”
“I agree,” Will said and darted a glance toward Mia. “Sorry!”
“Okay, but with the police involved and all, I just think there are more straightforward places to shoot,” Mia said, trying to remain calm but the anxiety was building. All she had to do was think of that house and her nerves were on edge. “Whatever is going on in that place is—” She broke the thought off.
“—What?” Ollie said.
“I’m not sure, just wrong,” Mia said.
“Nobody else has filmed there, which makes the location pretty marketable,” Johnny said. “And I have to admit I was intrigued after Albee told us about the ghost of Lydia Humphrey.
”
When Johnny mentioned Lydia Humphrey, Mia suddenly felt ill. Her stomach churned and she thought she might be sick, just like the day she discovered Cindy Moore’s body.
“Mia?” Johnny said, noticing her cheeks drain of color.
“I just need a little air,” Mia said and pushed away from the table.
“Okay, guys,” Sylvie said. “While our stars are getting some air, I want to go over some points about editing—”
Mia was grateful to Sylvie for covering as she stepped outside.
Johnny and Tandy followed her as she walked over to the steps and sank down, leaning her forehead against the iron railing. Tandy settled at the step where her feet rested.
“What’s going on with you, Mia?” Johnny said. “Every time we talk about that house, you get weirded out.”
“I didn’t tell you everything,” Mia said, resting her chin on her knees.
“You mean the day you found Cindy Moore?”
“Yes, the day I found her, I was breathing in gas, so maybe that explains it. But I heard something run across the ceiling. When I looked outside, I saw her.”
“Lydia?” Johnny said and sat down beside her on the steps.
“Yes,” Mia said as a wave of dread washed over her.
“You know I’m here for you, right?” Johnny said. “You can always tell me about whatever is bothering you.”
“I was embarrassed,” Mia said.
“I know it’s hard for you to admit you saw a ghost,” Johnny said. “But I think there’s something special about you, Mia. This isn’t the first time you’ve seen things. You saw those ghosts at Howard Street Cemetery.”
“There’s no proof what I saw were ghosts,” Mia said. “And when it comes to Lydia, I prefer to think the carbon monoxide made me hallucinate.”
“Look, you know I believe in the supernatural,” Johnny said. “And you’re a skeptic. But let’s both try to keep an open mind, deal?”
“Deal,” Mia said and smiled.
“As soon as this is over, let’s go down to Seaside Estates,” Johnny said. “Do you think Cindy’s business partner could have killed her?”
“Doug Tanner?” Mia said. “The day Sylvie and I paid him a visit, he seemed almost happy that she was gone. He said that having Elmswood House on the books was terrible for his business.”
