by Rose Pressey
I just wanted to make sure Callahan was okay.
“You guys lead an exciting life,” Roger said from the back seat as I drove toward town.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“You fell asleep on the couch.”
“Yeah, well, we were tired,” I said.
Callahan’s car was parked in front when I arrived. At least I knew he’d made it to work. I parked behind him and headed toward the shop. The place was packed and Callahan was behind the counter, so I decided not to bother him. I could skip breakfast as long as I knew he was okay.
Chapter 13
I unlocked the door, turned on the lights, and flipped the sign to OPEN. At least being in the shop made me feel better, although I wasn’t safe anywhere from this dark shadow. Once I settled in to work that would help take my mind off things. When I had time, I would look into finding out more about the old house from my dream. Plus, I needed to find the previous occupants of Elisa’s house.
As I rearranged a display of the latest fiction titles, Stone popped into my mind. I wondered what had happened to him. I wished he would have told me more about speaking to spirits. Had something terrible occurred that made him never want to speak of it again? If that was the case, then I could understand why he wouldn’t want to talk about it.
I grabbed a stack of paperbacks and began placing them on the shelf. I was in a zone as I straightened the volumes. I’d always found this part of my job soothing. A hand wrapped around my shoulder and I tossed the books into the air as I spun around. Mindy screamed and then Marilyn followed with the same screech. I was pretty sure Marilyn didn’t even know why she was screaming. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t heard the bell jingle when Mindy had opened the door. Sometimes I slipped into a trance while working, but never that bad.
I clutched my chest. “What are you doing?”
Mindy blew out a deep breath. “Wow. You are on edge.”
Dark circles lined under Mindy’s eyes as if she hadn’t slept a wink.
I picked the books up from the floor. “Are you okay?”
“Why do you ask?” She forced a smile.
I wasn’t sure if I should tell her why I asked, but we were best friends and I would want her to share what she knew with me. Except I wasn’t telling her everything. I hadn’t divulged the news that I had been avoiding her because of the evil spirit.
“You just look a little tired,” I offered.
Mindy shrugged. “I guess I didn’t sleep well.”
After all these years, I knew Mindy wasn’t being completely honest with me. I guess we were both hiding things.
She held up a bag of doughnuts. “I brought your favorite.”
Blueberry doughnuts from Dad’s Bakery were my absolute weakness. The glaze that trickled down the sides of the melt-in-your-mouth cake made my taste buds dance. A burst of blueberry filled my mouth with every bite. Callahan knew his pastries couldn’t compete with my love for the doughnuts.
I tried not to stare at the bag. “You shouldn’t have.”
“I don’t care if you’ve had breakfast already, you can treat yourself and then come to class tonight.”
“I knew there was a reason you brought the doughnuts,” I said as I moved over to the register.
Mindy was determined to keep me in tiptop shape.
“You know you want one.” She rattled the bag.
“Mindy, I have two left feet.”
She grimaced. “Actually, I think saying you have two left feet would be a compliment. You’re even worse than that.”
“Thanks,” I said drily.
Roger laughed. “You do suck.”
I grabbed a doughnut from the bag. “After the insults, I need this.” I took a bite.
Mindy nibbled on a doughnut and then asked, “So, where have you been?”
I quirked an eyebrow, trying to play innocent. “What do you mean? I’ve been here.”
“You’ve been avoiding my calls. I know you, Larue, and I know something is wrong.”
“You should just tell her the truth,” Marilyn said. “Trust me, you will regret not doing it.”
“I guess I’ve been dealing with a lot of ghost issues,” I offered.
I had avoided being completely honest for the time being, but I wasn’t sure how long that would last.
“What are the ghost issues?” she asked as she bit off a bigger piece of the doughnut.
I glanced over at James who’d been staring. “I have a new ghost.”
Mindy casually glanced around the store. “Another one, huh? Where did this one come from?”
I paused, trying to figure out the answer to her question. “I’m not sure.”
James moved closer. “What do you mean you’re not sure? I told you where I’m from.”
“You haven’t given me a lot of details, James,” I said.
Mindy looked in the direction where I was talking. “His name is James?”
I shrugged. “That’s about all I know about him.”
James crossed his arms in front of his chest. “If you want to know more, Larue, I would be happy to give you the information.”
“Yes, later would be nice,” I said. “He says he’ll tell me additional information about himself.”
She nodded and flashed a half smile in his direction.
James winked. “Pretty girl.”
“He thinks you’re pretty.” I wiggled my eyebrows.
Mindy twirled the end of her ponytail around her index finger and giggled. “Thanks.”
I waved my hand. “Enough about me though, you seem stressed.”
She looked down and picked at the doughnut crumbs. “I’m fine.”
I knew she felt my stare. Before I had a chance to ask her more questions, the bell chimed announcing a customer. I couldn’t believe I’d been so zoned out before that I hadn’t heard Mindy come in.
At least this time, I had a real customer. The young woman wore a long, black dress that reached to her ankles and black sandals. Her dark hair was up in a ponytail. She seemed as if she was about Roger’s age, maybe seventeen.
She glanced our way, and I said, “Welcome to Book Nook. Please let me know if you need help.”
She stared at me for several seconds with her big, black eyeliner-rimmed brown eyes. Finally, she gave a half-hearted smile and then headed toward the non-fiction section. Mindy and I exchanged a look.
“Weird,” Mindy mouthed.
Yes, the young woman had eyeballed us oddly, but maybe she thought we were strange, too. Mindy and I watched her as she moved down the aisle, perusing the books. She did seem to put off an odd vibe, but I was on edge and right now, I might think everyone gave off an odd vibe.
“Maybe you should go over and ask if she needs help. That way you can find out what might be causing that spooky feeling,” Marilyn said, as is she was reading my mind.
Good idea. After all, it was my job to help my customers. I never wanted to act as if I was hovering over them, though. People wanted a chance to peruse the titles without a worker bothering them every few seconds.
I moved around the counter and over to her. “Are you finding everything okay?”
She stared at the books for a moment without answering. Finally, she eyed me up and down and then said, “I’m looking for any books you have on witchcraft.”
After my history with the witchcraft, just the word made me pause. I’d been asked to be the leader of the local coven, but had turned down the offer. I’d found out through a fluke that I was actually kind of good with spells. That didn’t make me qualified enough for the leader position, though.
The girl glanced over at me and I knew I had to answer soon.
“What kind of witchcraft book are you looking for?”
“Um, I want something that can help me reverse negative spells.” She averted her eyes.
I’d gotten a lot of practice with spells recently. I’d also had my fair share of bad ones directed at me. I knew she’d think I was meddling
if I asked too many questions, so I had to try to remain casual.
I scanned the shelf and pulled down a hardback. “This one would probably be a good place to start.”
She took it from me and immediately opened it. What kind of negative energy was she trying to get rid of?
I motioned. “I know of some others I could order for you and they would be here within a few days.”
She leafed through the pages for a bit and then clutched the book to her chest. “Yeah, how many others can you get?”
“Well, I can think of about three off hand.” The mention of spell books was bringing back some painful memories of the witch who had owned the shop across the street. Thank goodness, she was no longer in my life.
“Okay, I’ll take those, too.” She adjusted the tote bag strap on her shoulder and then started gazing at the other titles on the shelves.
“I’ll go order those for you.” I gestured over my shoulder.
She nodded, but didn’t look at me. I headed back over to where Mindy stood. Of course, Mindy and the ghosts had been watching the whole exchange.
When I stepped up, Mindy whispered, “What happened?”
I leaned close so Mindy could hear me. “I’m ordering more witchcraft books for her. I don’t know why she needs so many. With the history here in Magnolia, that makes me nervous.”
Mindy let her gaze wander over to the girl. “I think she’s up to something.”
I tapped on my keyboard, finding the titles I thought she’d like. The ghosts stood speechless as they watched this scene play out. Unknowingly, Mindy was doing the exact same thing with her mouth hanging open. When the girl turned and headed toward the register, they all tried to pretend they hadn’t been staring. Of course, the girl could only see Mindy.
When she reached the counter, I said, “I ordered the books for you.”
“This one will do for now.” She placed the hardback she was purchasing onto the counter. “How much do I owe you?”
I glanced at the screen. “That’ll be twenty four sixty five.”
She pulled the credit card from her pocket and handed it to me. I took it and rang up the purchase. Of course I made sure to check out the name on the card. Bethany McCarthy. I wondered if she was new in town.
When I pulled out a bag to put the book in, she grabbed it from the counter. “I don’t need that.”
“Oh, okay,” I said, sticking it back under the counter. “Can I call you when the books are in?”
“I’ll be back to pick them up.” She glared at me as if she didn’t want me to ask again.
I handed her the credit card. Without another word, she turned and headed for the door. We all stood in silence and watched her walk out. I wasn’t sure what it was about her. Maybe the strange aura? Maybe it was just the interest in the witchcraft books.
“Come on, let’s see where she goes.” Mindy motioned as she rushed across the room toward the front window.
I hurried after her, weaving around a non-fiction display table and a rack of paperbacks. Once we reached the window, Mindy and I pressed our faces up to the glass. I felt kind of ridiculous spying on a customer like that, and I was sure I looked more than a little ridiculous, too. That wasn’t going to stop me from doing it.
“Do you see her?” Mindy asked with her nose practically touching the glass.
I watched in the direction where the girl had walked. “I don’t see her. She must move really fast. Maybe she went in a store.”
“How can we find out where she went?” Mindy asked.
“I don’t know,” I said with my face still pressed against the glass. “Wait, I think I see her.”
Mindy moved closer to where I stood. “Where?”
I pointed. “She was down there at the end of the sidewalk.”
“Did she go into a shop?” Mindy asked.
“I can’t believe you two,” Roger said from over my shoulder.
“Leave them alone,” Marilyn waved her hand.
“I see her,” Mindy shouted.
Just then, movement caught my attention. Stone was getting into his car parked near the shop. He stared right at me, which was embarrassing since I still had my face smashed up against the glass. He probably already thought I was weird, now he saw me doing this. Mindy didn’t even realize someone was watching us. I wanted to motion for him to stop so I could talk to him, but he would probably run the other direction.
“There she is again. She just came out of that store,” Mindy yelled again, taking my attention away from Stone.
The young woman disappeared around the corner. Her movements didn’t tell us much, she just seemed as if she was enjoying a day of shopping. Nothing mysterious about that. I looked back in the other direction and spotted Stone pulling away from the curb.
“Darn it, he got away,” I said.
“Don’t you mean she?” Mindy asked as she quirked an eyebrow.
“Not her. Him.” I indicated toward his car.
Mindy followed my finger. “Who?”
“Stone, the psychic. He was standing there watching us look like fools.” I sighed. “I’ve been wanting to talk to him.”
“So, you need to track down two people now,” Mindy said.
My shoulders slumped. “More than two.”
“Well, the witchcraft stuff was probably nothing anyway,” Mindy said with a flick of her wrist.
“I hope you’re right.” I moved across the store with my friend behind me.
She picked up her purse. “Okay, I have to go. I’ll see you tonight.”
Not if I could find a way to get out of it.
“Goodbye, ghosts.” Mindy waved over her shoulder.
I wouldn’t be able to forget about the witchcraft stuff. Plus, I had the girl’s name from the credit card. At least I thought it was her name. Technically, it was probably wrong for me to try to find her with the info I had, but what if I accidentally bumped into her in town? I could wait until she came back in for the books, but maybe I didn’t have that long to wait. It would be better if I searched for her right away. As soon as I finished with work today, I would try to track her down.
“I don’t think I like what’s going on around here.” James scowled.
What was that supposed to mean?
Chapter 14
My part-time employee Gina had agreed to work the store for a while so I could run errands. She liked to get all the hours she could when she wasn’t in school. The first thing I wanted to do was hit the courthouse and research the names of previous owners of Elisa’s house. The courthouse was a short distance from Book Nook so there was no need to drive. With ghosts on each side of me, I moved down the sidewalk toward the large old brick building. Wouldn’t the people walking and driving around town be shocked if they could see the ghosts? Especially to see Marilyn Monroe.
After reaching the courthouse, I went to the area where I could find the land deeds. Since it was such a small town, there was no one else in the room waiting to be helped. The brown-haired woman behind the counter peered over her glasses at me when I walked in. I recognized her from coming into the bookstore, but I couldn’t remember her name.
“How are you?” she asked with a smile. “Can I help you find something?”
She looked eager to help, but by the expression on her face I figured she couldn’t remember my name either. Our conversation could be awkward if we didn’t know what to call each other.
“I need to look up information for 121 Heritage Street,” I said.
She studied my face for a moment and then smiled. “What a coincidence. I grew up in 122.”
“Oh, maybe she can give you information,” Marilyn said from over my shoulder.
“It’s a small world,” I said.
She went to the files and pulled out the information I needed. “I’ll make copies of this for you. Are you planning on buying the home?”
“Actually, I’m just doing such research for the current owners.” I tapped my fingers against the counter whi
le I waited.
She brought the pages over to me. “Really? What kind of research?”
“That’s a tricky question,” James said.
I jumped a little because I’d momentarily forgotten about the ghosts standing behind me. That didn’t happen often, but occasionally I did forget they were with me. Luckily, I didn’t think the woman had seen me jump. “Well, my research is really on the previous owners.”
She stared for a moment and then said, “I remember the woman and her son who lived there.”
“Bingo,” Roger said.
This was what I had hoped she would say. Finally, maybe I would get good info.
“They must have made an impression if she remembers them,” Marilyn said.
“Her name was Katherine Watkins. Her son’s name was Stone.”
The blood must have drained from my face. Marilyn gasped.
“Hey, that’s that dude’s name,” Roger said.
“What dude?” James asked.
“The psychic dude Larue just met,” Roger answered.
The names couldn’t be a coincidence. Now, more than ever, I had to find Stone. No wonder I had seen him walking around that house. Why was he back? He’d said he was from New York.
“Thank you,” I said as I clutched the papers and hurried for the door.
“You’re welcome,” she called out as I ran down the hall.
“She must think you’re nuts,” Roger said.
“That’s nothing new. Half of Magnolia probably thinks I’m bonkers,” I said.
“How are you going to find him?” Marilyn asked.
“I don’t know, but there has to be a way,” I said as I stormed out of the courthouse.
As I rushed down the sidewalk, I spotted Callahan headed my way. He wasn’t looking at me, so I didn’t think he had seen me yet. I couldn’t talk to him right now. Besides the fact that I had to find Stone, I also felt that intense energy around me again. I knew the dark shadow would pop up soon. There was no way I wanted to put Callahan in danger again. I ducked behind the nearby building and waited until he walked by.
