Ghoul of My Dreams (Larue Donavan Series Book 4)
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GHOUL OF MY DREAMS
Book 4 of the Larue Donavan Series
By Rose Pressey
Larue Donavan is a small town girl who just happens to be a world-renowned psychic medium. Yes, she talks to ghosts, but not just any ghosts... lately she’s become a celebrity ghost whisperer. Famous ghosts just won’t leave her alone. Unfortunately, they’re not the only ones interested in Larue. Evil entities have their sights set on her too, and they keep popping up around every corner.
This time Larue finds herself in the presence of iconic film star Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn is a sex symbol in the afterlife too. Also there’s a mysterious man is in town and Larue wonders what secrets he’s hiding. She has a strong feeling he knows about the evil spirits. Plus, a young girl is interested in witchcraft, and Larue thinks her curiosity might be related to recent sightings of the shadow people. On a recent investigation, Larue might have unleashed a demon. Now she thinks it's after her and everyone she loves. But does that mean she has to push her best friend Mindy and boyfriend Callahan away forever? Does the mystery man hold the key to getting rid of the demons? Can Larue convince him to help? Larue might find the answers from the ghoul of her dreams.
"Rose Pressey’s book are fun!” Janet Evanovich
Praise for Me and My Ghoulfriends by Rose Pressey
“Rose Pressey spins a delightful tale with misfits and romance that makes me cheer loudly.”
Coffee Time Romance
“Her characters are alive and full of quick witted charm and will make you laugh. The plot twists keep you turning the pages non-stop.”
ParaNormalRomance
“I absolutely loved this book! It had me chuckling from the beginning.”
Fallen Angel Reviews
Rose Pressey’s Complete Bookshelf (click title to preview/buy)
Chase Charley Series:
Book 1: For Old Crimes Sake
Book 2: Seems Like Old Crimes
Haunted Tour Guide Mystery Series:
These Haunts are Made for Walking
A Walk on the Haunted Side
Haunted Vintage Series
Book 1 – If You’ve Got It, Haunt It
Book 2 – All Dressed Up and No Place to Haunt (July 2015)
Book 3 – Haunt Couture and Ghosts Galore (October 2015)
Maggie, P.I. Mystery Series:
Book 1 – Crime Wave
Book 2 – Murder is a Beach
The Halloween LaVeau Series:
Book 1 – Forever Charmed
Book 2 – Charmed Again
Book 3 – Third Time’s a Charm
Book 4 – Charmed, I’m Sure
The Hadley Wilds Series:
Book 1: Dead Girl’s Guide to Style
The Rylie Cruz Series:
Book 1 – How to Date a Werewolf
Book 2 – How to Date a Vampire
Book 3 – How to Date a Demon
The Larue Donovan Series:
Book 1 – Me and My Ghoulfriends
Book 2 – Ghouls Night Out
Book 3 – The Ghoul Next Door
Book 4 – Ghoul of My Dreams
The Mystic Café Series:
Book 1 – No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells
Book 2 – Pies and Potions
Book 3 — Spells a la Carte
The Veronica Mason Series:
Book 1 – Rock ‘n’ Roll is Undead
A Trash to Treasure Crafting Mystery:
Book 1 – Murder at Honeysuckle Hotel
Book 2 – Honeysuckle Homicide
The Haunted Renovation Mystery Series:
Book 1 – Flip that Haunted House
Book 2 – The Haunted Fixer Upper
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form, (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, incidents, places, and brands are the product of the author’s imagination and not to be construed as real. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Dedication
This is to you and you know who you are.
Acknowledgements
To my son, who brings me joy every single day and is the love of my life. To my mother, who introduced me to the love of books. To my husband, who encourages me and always has faith in me. A huge thank you to Marley Gibson. And to the readers who make writing fun.
Index
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 1
My name is Larue Donavan and I see ghosts. I talk to ghosts, too. For this reason, ghosts tend to follow me wherever I go. Sometimes I’m okay with that, but at other times, it can be a bit frustrating. I understand why they would want to be chatty if I am the only living person they can talk to, especially if they are trapped in a building and all alone. Being a ghost would probably get boring and I’d go bonkers quickly. So, for that reason, I’ve tried to help the spirits all that I can.
Recently, though, there has been a new development…
I’ve started seeing celebrity ghosts. Crazy, right? Most people wouldn’t believe me if they heard my stories. I can’t blame them. My experiences were kind of far-fetched. However, celebrities are people just like the rest of us. They lived and died, too. Therefore, on their transition to their next plane of existence, they could get stuck in the wrong dimension. So far, I’ve had visits from Abraham Lincoln, Elvis Pressley, and Mae West. What an odd combination, right? I’ve been waiting for the time when I’d have a whole band show up. That would be awesome. Maybe my streak of celebrity visits was over, though. It has been a while since Elvis left the building.
Rumors swirled around for years about the haunted house I was currently investigating. According to the current owner, the paranormal activity had recently increased. That was why I was here to help her.
The old, large, brick house was built in 1815. It was two-stories with a large front porch on the Federalist style home. A semi-circular window was above the porch and narrow side windows flanked the sides of the door. The street was lined with similar old homes. The owner was renovating, which usually stirred up activity. The experiences had gotten so bad that she couldn’t get contactors to work on the home. I was hoping I would be able to help her so she could get her remodeling finished. Sometimes, in order to help, it meant bringing the ghost back to my place. I only hoped I didn’t run into anything demonic this time.
A loud bang came from the room to my left. I knew I had to investigate. I eased toward the direction of the sound. The homeowner, had moved the furniture out of the space in order to paint the walls. I guessed the ghostly activity had ceased that job, as well. A dark shadow zipped around the corner and in
to the dining room. I froze on the spot.
“I saw you,” I called out. “There’s no need to hide. I’m here to help you.”
I stuck out my arm, hoping the ghost would speak into the small recorder I was holding. “Do you see this device? It can pick up your voice if you just say something.”
“Something,” a male voice said in a teasing tone.
I whipped around thinking for sure the ghostly whispers had been behind me. Great… I had a witty entity. How fun.
I continued. “That was very clever. Now, why don’t you really chat with me this time?”
I had an arsenal of equipment with me. If the ghost didn’t want to communicate with me using the recorder, then I could bring something else out of my bag of tricks.
I lifted another device from my pile of gadgets. “This Spirit Box can also pick up your words. Just use your energy to say whatever you’d like.”
The Spirit Box uses radio frequency to pick up the ghost’s words. It freaked me out the first time I used it. I hadn’t expected it to work so well. If the ghosts were being stubborn and didn’t want speak to me directly, this was a great way to trick them into activity.
Maybe I shouldn’t have interacted with this ghost. If he didn’t know that I could actually see and speak with him, then it would decrease my odds of having him attach to me. If I could get him to leave without going through all that, it would be better for both of us. Okay, mostly better for me. Chatting with ghosts used a lot of energy and always left me feeling drained. Not to mention they never knew when to leave.
“Get lost!” The electronic voice on the machine jabbered out for the ghost.
I placed my hand on my hip. “That wasn’t very polite.”
It looked as if this was going to be another difficult one.
“You’d better play nice,” I said, as I eased across the room. I peeked out into the hallway. “Where are you hiding?”
“I’m up here. I bet you can’t find me.”
Uh oh. That voice had come through without the use of any equipment again. I’d heard it loud and clear. But, so far, I hadn’t seen anything other than the dark shadow.
I didn’t like shadow people. There were solid-looking masses with no features. It usually signaled that it was an evil spirit. I really didn’t want to deal with one of those right now.
“I will find you,” I called out. “Don’t think you can hide from me.”
I didn’t get an answer this time, so I figured I’d have to hunt the ghost down. It seemed like the voice had come from upstairs, so I headed up the old staircase. The mahogany banister aided in my climb to the second floor. Once at the top landing, I paused. With several doors on either side of me, the ghost could be hiding anywhere.
“You’re getting warmer,” the ghost teased.
That sent a chill down my spine. This ghost was playing games with me, which didn’t interest me at all. I didn’t want to participate in paranormal hide and seek.
“Come out, come out wherever you are,” I sang sarcastically.
Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have provoked him with my teasing, but I couldn’t resist.
The ghost released a menacing laugh. Goose bumps appeared on my arms immediately.
“I’m over here,” the voice said tauntingly.
I thought the sound had come from the room at the end of the hallway. As I slowly made my way down there, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I opened the door. I neared the handle, reaching my hand out, and I knew I was about to find out. Of course, my anxiety was at an all-time high. I hated not knowing what to expect. I said a quick prayer for safety’s sake.
With my hand wrapped around the knob, I twisted. It was unlocked, so I inched the door open. I poked my head in and scanned my surroundings. Only an iron bed with a white spread and a small nightstand occupied the space. There was no sign of the ghost. Unless he was hiding in the closet or under the mattress. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least to find him in either one of those places.
“Wrong room,” the ghost called out with boisterous laughter.
I whipped around only to see he wasn’t behind me. “I don’t have time for this.”
“Then go away,” he answered.
“If you show yourself and talk to me like a man, then I will leave. Stop acting like a child,” I demanded.
Silence filled the house. A quietness that sent a chill down my spine. The spirit leading me on this hide and seek wasn’t the only one here. There was no way to prove it, but I just had the feeling.
“Oh, did I make you mad?” I stepped over to the other bedroom and opened the door.
This room was similarly furnished. A blue comforter covered the top of this bed. I seriously considered lifting the duvet and looking under there, but I didn’t want the ghost to jump out at me in case he was there. I couldn’t let my guard down and allow this ghost to know I was in any way scared of him. Of course, I was only human and I did get frightened sometimes, but it was always a bad idea to let the ghost know that particular tidbit of information. They used my fear against me.
“Okay. I’ll stop,” the ghost said.
I didn’t trust the ghost. Why would he stop teasing me now? I checked out the other two rooms, but saw nothing.
“Are you still here?” I called out.
No answer. Apparently, the ghost had stopped as he said he would. Something told me he remained, though. He was simply waiting for the chance to pop out. He was toying with me. I hated playing this game. Especially since I didn’t know the rules. The ghost was sure to win that way.
After looking through all the rooms upstairs, I headed back down the stairs. The old treads creaked under my feet. I’d only moved a couple steps when I thought for sure someone was behind me. I stopped and looked over my shoulder. No one was there.
Once at the bottom, I peered up the stairs. I’d honestly expected to see the ghost mere inches from my face when I turned around. Thank goodness he wasn’t there. That odd feeling was still there, though, so I knew he wasn’t gone for long.
“Are you going to play this game all day?” I asked.
That same silence filled the space.
“Okay, I’m leaving now. I’d better not get a call from the homeowner saying you’re bothering her again. The haunting stops here, buddy.” I said, using my best stern voice.
After gathering up my equipment, I headed toward the foyer. When I reached the front door, I stopped. I turned to face the spirit who obviously wasn’t going to show himself.
“One last chance to say something before I leave,” I called out.
This ghost was persistent and an odd one. The feeling I was being watched remained with me.
“I’m leaving now.” I twisted the doorknob, expecting the ghost to stop me.
It was as if I was telling him I would go on the count of ten, but started using half numbers midway through. Apparently, he wasn’t going to beg me to stay, so I needed to move on. I had to remind myself that I couldn’t solve every case I took on, but I didn’t know what I would tell the homeowner.
I slipped out of the house and over to my car parked in the driveway. After placing my equipment into the trunk, I closed it and looked back at the house one last time. There was no spectral face staring at me from an upstairs bedroom. The homeowner would want a full report. I walked over to the car’s door and opened it. That was when I saw him sitting in the passenger seat. He had dark hair that reached to his shoulders. He wore a red and blue plaid shirt with what appeared to be bell bottom blue jeans. I guessed he’d been living in the seventies.
He stared me right in the eyes. “Tag, you’re it.”
Okay, that was creepy.
“Who are you?” I asked, trying to remain calm.
“The Ghost of Christmas Past.”
Yeah, there was a wiseass teenager in my car.
He’d been slightly see-through at first, but now he was completely solid. It had been evident right away that he wasn’t of this dimension. No doubt, he’
d been the ghost playing with me in the house.
I didn’t try to hide the frustration in my voice. “What are you doing?”
“I thought I’d go for a ride. You don’t mind, do you?” He tapped his long fingers against the car’s leather seat.
I placed my hands on my hips. “Actually, yes, I do mind. I make it a policy not to entertain paranormal hitchhikers.”
Of course, that wasn’t true. I had ghosts with me practically all the time. He didn’t need to know that, though. I already had as many ghoulfriends as I could handle. I’d just gotten rid of a set of spirits, and I was enjoying my down time. I wasn’t ready to add another entity just yet. This was my vacation from the paranormal. Okay, if I’d wanted a real vacation from the supernatural, I wouldn’t have been on an investigation. That was true, but I found it hard to stay away. Especially when people needed my help.
He motioned. “Get in and take me for a ride.”
I sighed and tossed my bag into the car. I knew I might as well do as he said. It would take forever for me to get rid of him. I could tell by the mischievous look on his face, as well as the game he’d already been playing.
I pulled out of the driveway. I didn’t have a ghost follow me every time I went on an investigation, but it had been happening more and more often. If he was coming with me, then I had a lot of questions for this ghost.
I rolled up to a stop sign. “What is your name?”
He smirked. “Does it matter?”
Oh no. This one was going to give me a lot of attitude. I felt a headache coming on already.
I flicked on the turn signal and merged into the other lane. “I generally like to know who I’m talking to, so, yes, it does matter.”
He sighed and then said, “Roger Edwin. Are you happy now?”
Well, that was a start. Even if he had a mega attitude about it.
“My name is Larue Donavan. I’m a paranormal investigator and I guess you figured out I speak to the dead as well.”