by Rose Pressey
Charlotte stood between us. Ken of course had no idea. “That sounds perfect.”
Ken paid for the food, and we headed down the street toward the tour.
“He sure is enjoying your company, Cookie,” Charlotte said.
She didn’t need to tell me that. I was enjoying his company too. Why did things have to be so complicated? I went forever without having any prospects of a date, and now there were two men in my life.
Soon we reached the building where we would purchase the tickets and where the tour would start. Ken purchased our tickets while I waited on the sidewalk with the ghosts. There was a bright blue cloudless sky and a gentle breeze; it was a perfect day for a walking tour.
“Don’t you think you should tell Dylan what you’re doing?” Ramon quirked an eyebrow.
“You be quiet.” Maureen waved her finger. “I know what you’re trying to do.”
The tour guide led the way down the sidewalk. Ken and I walked side by side down the sidewalk, looking at the grand Victorian homes.
“My name is David Domine,” the handsome blond tour guide said. “Follow me as I lead you through one of the most architecturally exuberant neighborhoods in the country.”
We followed along, clinging to his every word. Even the ghosts were enthralled.
“Construction of the homes started in the eighteen eighties,” David said. “Styles included Châteauesque, Richardsonian-Romanesque, Italianate, Victorian Gothic, and Queen Anne.”
I peered up at the magnificent structures. All of the mansions were well taken care of. It was almost like stepping back in time. I almost expected to see men and women in period dress. Trees lined the sidewalks, and even though there was traffic and noise, it was still an enjoyable time. Amazingly, the ghosts were being quiet and enjoying the narration of the tour. In spite of having a good time, I couldn’t help but feel like someone was watching us. I turned around several times, but the people behind us were just listening to the tour and not really paying attention to us.
As we stood in front of one of the grand homes, I looked across the way and saw the two men—the ones who had followed me at the parade and, I assumed, the ones who had shown up at the bed-and-breakfast. This wasn’t a coincidence.
I touched Ken’s arm. “Do you see those men over there?”
Ken followed my pointing finger. “Yes.”
“Those guys are the ones I think were at the bed-and-breakfast.”
Charlotte pointed. “That’s them, Cookie. Do something.”
Ken looked at me. “What makes you think that?”
“They followed me at the parade too,” I said.
When the men realized we were watching them, they turned around and walked away.
“I don’t want to let them get away,” Ken said. “We need to follow them.”
“Yes, that’s it. Follow them.” Charlotte gestured for us to hurry.
“They’re getting away,” Maureen said.
“Follow them? Are you sure? That sounds kind of terrifying,” I said.
“Well, I’m going to ask what they’re doing, so I have to. I really don’t want to leave you here alone.”
I nodded. “Let’s go.”
We broke free from the group and headed across the park area, trailing behind the men. They glanced back and quickened their steps. We had to hurry to keep up, but ultimately, they reached a white truck and jumped in quickly. The guy cranked the truck and took off.
“Wow, they were in a hurry,” I said.
“Did you get a good look at the truck?” Ken asked.
“I saw what was written on the side.”
“Really? What was that?” Ken asked.
“Churchill Downs,” I said.
“It’s just too bizarre, Cookie,” Charlotte said.
Did Ramon recognize the men? I supposed he wouldn’t know everyone who worked at Churchill Downs.
“What are we doing now?” I asked. “How will we find out who they are?”
“I’ll check around. I think I can get some information out of Churchill Downs, especially since they were driving a company truck. Not to mention that they followed you and threatened Hannah.”
“Good thinking, Ken,” Maureen said.
Ken placed his hand on the small of my back and helped me cross the pebbled path. “For now, we can leave. It doesn’t look like they’re coming back.”
“I’m glad,” I said. “I never want to see them again.”
I just hoped that Ken could find out some information on them. I wanted to put a stop to whatever they were up to.
A couple minutes later, we fell back into the tour. The guide hadn’t seemed to notice that we were gone. We’d had to hurry down the sidewalk a bit to catch up with them, but we hadn’t missed too much. Of course, I was on the lookout for the men for the rest of the tour. Once the tour was complete, we headed back to my car.
“I’m glad that you enjoyed our time together today,” Ken said as we stepped beside my car.
“This was a date, Cookie,” Maureen said.
The ghosts were leaning against my old Buick, watching us.
“Just in case you didn’t know,” Charlotte added.
I hadn’t thought of it at the time, but I suppose one could classify this as a date. I just figured it was two friends hanging out. Dylan might see it differently though. Now I felt terrible. I hadn’t even thought of it as a date. Had Ken thought it was a date?
After Ken kissed me on the cheek, he took off for his car.
“Not a date, huh?” Ramon leaned forward from the backseat and propped his arms on the back of my seat.
“Leave her alone.” Maureen waved her hand at Ramon.
After starting the car, I glanced over. That was when I realized that I’d left my car unlocked. There was a note on the seat beside me. I reached down and picked it up. This was definitely a note and not just a receipt that had fallen out of my purse. I’d read only a couple of words when I realized that it was some kind of a strange poem, or at least an attempt at a poem. Had Mandy left this?
I looked around to see if I could spot anyone who might have left it, but there was no telling how long it had been there. Someone could have left it right after I went into The Bourbon Bar.
Chapter 30
Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Wearing a vintage piece
that was once trendy is a great way
to add new flair to your modern outfits.
Later that evening, I received a text message. I didn’t recognize the number. Whoever had sent it asked me to come to the barn. I replied, asking who had sent the text, but I got no further messages.
“That seems odd, Cookie. I don’t think you should go,” Maureen said.
“You might as well be talking to a wall, Maureen. This is Cookie Chanel, and she doesn’t always do the wisest things,” Charlotte said.
“Oh, and you’re one to talk,” I said. “Like you always did the best things.”
“Exactly my point. I made a lot of mistakes, and I’m just trying to make sure you learn from my mistakes.”
“I understand, Charlotte, but this seems too important to pass up. What if it’s from Danielle? After all, she is paying for me to be here. If she needs my help, I should go there.”
“Well, she could also be the killer,” Charlotte said.
“Yes, there is that, but I still don’t think she could do such a thing.”
“Look, the car is already headed in that direction. I don’t think she’s going to listen to you all, ladies,” Ramon said.
Soon I had arrived at the barn. Normally things would have been quiet at this time of day, but with the Derby hours away, the place was busy with activity.
I parked the car and hurried over toward the barn. When I stepped around the side, there was no one there, only the horses. If only they could talk. I looked around for a minute but still couldn’t find anyone. I sent a message to the number that had texted me, but I received no further messag
es. I dialed Danielle’s number to ask if it was her. She didn’t answer, so I left a message.
“This is weird. I knew I had a bad feeling about this place,” Maureen said.
“I’ll just look around a little more, and we can leave,” I said.
I stepped over to the office door and knocked. No one answered, but I hadn’t really expected that anyway. I twisted the doorknob, and to my surprise, it opened.
“What are you doing, Cookie?” Charlotte asked.
“I didn’t expect the door to be unlocked.”
“Why did you try it in the first place?” she asked.
“I was curious.” I peeked into the room and called out. No one answered. “I wonder why the door is open.”
“I guess someone forgot to lock it,” Charlotte said.
I eased the door open a little more and stepped inside the room.
“What are you doing?” Charlotte whispered, as if someone would hear her.
“I just want to take a little look around,” I said.
“See, she is out of control,” Maureen said. “She starts out nervous about snooping, and now she is addicted to it.”
“I am not addicted, but I’ve decided that if I really want to solve this case I have to take a few risks.” I looked around the room.
“This is a huge risk,” Ramon said.
“What do you think you’re looking for?” Charlotte asked.
“I’m not sure. Nothing, I suppose.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Maureen insisted.
I went over to the desk and sifted through the drawers.
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea,” Maureen said.
“Oh, she won’t get caught. It will be okay,” Charlotte said with a wave of her hand.
When I pulled out the drawer on the far right, I noticed something at the bottom. It looked as if the drawer was lifted up slightly at the bottom. I picked at the edge and got the piece to come up.
“What is that?” Ramon asked.
“It looked like a secret compartment,” Charlotte said.
“That’s exactly what it is,” I said.
“What’s in there?” Maureen asked.
“All I see is a bottle of something.”
“Well, get it out and see what it is,” Charlotte said.
I pulled the bottle out. It was a clear bottle with clear liquid. There was a label across the front. Of course, I didn’t really understand what it meant or was for.
“That’s the stuff they give to the horses,” Ramon said.
Charlotte and I exchanged a look.
“Like what they say was given to you?” I asked.
Ramon stared at me as if he didn’t know what to say.
“I think we’re on to something,” Maureen said. “This doesn’t look good, Cookie. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know what to do.” I pulled out my phone and took a photo of the medicine bottle. “I can’t take it with me. I don’t even like that I picked the thing up.”
“You have to tell the police. I think we’ve found the killer,” Maureen said.
“You think it was Elise?” I asked. “Just because the bottle was found here doesn’t prove that she did it.”
“Why else would she have the medicine?”
“Doesn’t she give it to the horse?”
“No, only a vet would do that,” Ramon said.
“Maybe someone planted it here.”
“Why would they do that?” Charlotte asked.
“Maybe they wanted it to look as if Elise had done this,” I said.
“So we’re no closer to finding the killer?” Maureen asked.
“Maybe a little closer, but we’re far from solving the case just yet.”
Voices sounded, as if someone was nearing the office.
“Someone’s coming. You have to get out of here,” Charlotte said in a panic.
I tossed the bottle back into the drawer and replaced the liner that had covered the opening. At least I had a photo of the thing. I would show Dylan, and then we could go to the police with the info. I closed the drawer and jumped up from the seat. Once by the door, I paused. The voices were still nearby, but I had no idea if the person was coming into the office.
“What are you going to do?” Ramon asked.
“She’s going to get out of here, that’s what. Leave now, Cookie.” Charlotte gestured as if she was trying to push me.
I eased the door open and peeked out. Thank goodness, I didn’t see anyone, but I knew they were nearby. I had to hurry before someone caught me. If Elise really was the killer and she caught me in her office, what would she do? Would I be the next victim? I stepped out of the office, pulled the door behind me, and rushed down the aisle away from the door. At least now if someone spotted me, I could pretend I had just arrived.
“That was a close one, Cookie,” Charlotte said.
“I told you she’d get caught.” Maureen said.
“Well, she wasn’t caught. Just almost caught,” Charlotte corrected.
When I headed around the side of the barn, I noticed Elise. She was walking in the same direction, so her back was facing me. She had something in her hand, but I couldn’t tell what it was. After a few seconds, she tossed it on the ground. She kicked a nearby bucket.
“Wow, she seems pretty angry,” Maureen said.
She kept walking, so I went up to the spot where she had tossed the thing to see what she’d left.
“Well, it’s nothing special that would solve the murder case,” Maureen said.
Elise had tossed down the horse’s reins. That wasn’t a clue for anything, but she was angry, so I continued to follow her. She moved over to another barn and out of my sight. I hurried my steps so that I could catch up with her. When I peeked around the side of the barn, I spotted her. She had stopped by a white truck. It was marked with “Churchill Downs” on the side of the door.
“Is she meeting someone?” Charlotte asked.
“It looks that way,” I said.
As long as Elise couldn’t see me, I would stand there and wait for whoever was meeting her. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. From the opposite direction, I spotted Lewis.
“Oh, he must be meeting her,” Maureen said.
Elise and Lewis stood next to each other beside the truck. They were talking. I really wished I could hear what they were saying.
“You should move closer, Cookie,” Charlotte said. “You want to find out what they’re talking about.”
I decided to take Charlotte’s advice and move closer. How would I go undetected? I didn’t want Elise or Lewis to see me. There were a few trees nearby, so if I could get over to one of them, I’d be able to hide, and they wouldn’t see me.
“I can cause a distraction,” Charlotte said. “That way they’ll look in the opposite direction, and you can hurry over to the trees.”
I nodded. “That sounds like a good plan. What are you going to do to distract them?”
“I’ll just throw a rock or something.”
“Can you do that?” I asked.
“I can if I focus all of my energy. I’ll be drained for the rest of the day, so I might not be able to talk much.”
I quirked an eyebrow. Hey, why hadn’t I thought of that sooner?
“I know what you’re thinking, Cookie, and that’s not nice.” Charlotte placed her hands on her hips.
“Never mind that. Let’s do it,” I said.
Charlotte did exactly as she had said. She managed to toss a rock just a bit. That caught their attention. Elise and Lewis stepped over a bit toward the area where the rock had landed. I knew they’d never figure out what had made the noise. In the meantime, I had my chance to run. Now I was hiding behind an oak tree.
“I don’t know what that was,” Elise said.
“Well, regardless, back to our conversation,” Lewis said.
“Now we’re getting to the good stuff.” Maureen rubbed her hands together.
“I
realize what you think, Elise, but I just don’t want anyone to know what we’ve been doing.”
My eyes widened.
Lewis continued talking. “We’ll just keep it quiet. No one will have to know.”
I exchanged a look with the ghosts. What did Lewis mean by that?
“That sounds pretty ominous,” Maureen said.
“I told you he wasn’t a nice guy,” Ramon said.
“Well, we don’t have evidence that he did anything wrong just yet, but I have to admit that sounds pretty incriminating,” I said.
Their voices were still low. I moved forward so that I could possibly hear more clearly. That was when I stumbled on a tree root. I reached for the trunk and somehow managed to catch myself. Unfortunately, a loud groan escaped my lips in the process. Lewis and Elise looked around. My cover was blown. I couldn’t act as if they hadn’t seen me, so I just tossed my hand up and smiled.
“I’m just passing through,” I said.
They looked at me strangely at first, but ultimately, they waved and smiled in return.
“Do you think they believed me? Are they suspicious?” I asked.
“I think anyone would be suspicious of that,” Charlotte said.
* * *
Once back at the hotel, I picked up my phone and dialed Heather’s number. I needed to find out if she’d discovered any new information about Maureen’s death.
“Magic Marketplace. This is Heather, making your magical dreams come true. How may I help you?”
“When did you add that new slogan?” I asked.
“Oh, I just thought of it this morning. Do you like it?” Heather asked.
I knew by the tone of her voice that she was smiling.
“It’s interesting,” I said.
“You don’t like it,” Heather said.
“I just think maybe you need something a little more mysterious to go with the theme of your shop.”
“Ugh. You’re right. I sounded like an occult cheerleader—way too peppy. I knew I could count on you to tell me the truth.”
“That’s what friends are for,” I said. “How’s everything in Sugar Creek?”
“Things are great. I sold that blue Dior gown.”
“Wow. You’re doing such a great job,” I said. “How can I thank you?”
