by Rose Pressey
Hauntin’ After Midnight
By Rose Pressey
“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 Review
The paranormal is attached to Ripley Van Raden twenty-four hours a day. At night, Ripley is a haunted tour guide. During the day, the paranormal finds her too. She’s the head librarian at the extremely haunted Bilson Library in Devil’s Moon, Kentucky.
It’s no surprise that someone would seek Ripley’s help with a terrifying haunted house in town. At first, Ripley isn’t convinced the place is haunted. Could the place be more sinister than Ripley imagines? It looks that way when Ripley discovers a woman murdered on the home’s lawn.
At least she has the help of handsome Brannon Landon, detective with the Devil’s Moon Police Department and part-time paranormal investigator. Ripley has to find the killer before her overdue date comes too soon. A book just might hold the clue to solving the crime.
Rose Pressey’s Complete Bookshelf (click title to preview/buy)
Paranormal P.I. Series
What the Hex?
The Hex With It
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
Haunt the Haunt, Walk the Walk
Walk this Way, Haunt this Way
Take a Haunted Walk With Me
Haunted Vintage Series:
Book 1 – If You’ve Got It, Haunt It
Book 2 – All Dressed Up and No Place to Haunt
Book 3 – Haunt Couture and Ghosts Galore
Book 4 – Haunted is Always in Fashion
Book 5 – If the Haunting Fits, Wear It July 2017
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
Book 5 – A Charmed Life
Book 6 – Charmed Ever After
Book 7—Once Upon a Charmed Time
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 my editor, Eleanor Boyall. 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 1
Walking through graveyards was my job. Sure, it was spooky, but a part of me enjoyed the thrill of that feeling. Call me strange. During the day I had a completely normal job—not that it was devoid of ghosts and spookiness though. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t completely normal. I, Ripley Van Raden, was head librarian at Bilson Library. Ghosts roamed the stacks, but more about that later.
Now I stood at the entrance for Devil’s Moon Cemetery in Devil’s Moon, Kentucky, my hometown and the most haunted town I’d ever known. When I’d decided to move back home I’d figured it was the perfect time to start a haunted tour. So far it had been a hit. Not without problems here and there, but right now things were going well.
I’d received a call this afternoon. A woman had wanted me to meet her here. I’d told her I had time to talk after the tour. She said it was important and that it had something to do with the paranormal. That was the only information other than her name, Katrina Kohl. I was a bit suspicious, but the urgency in her voice had made me want to hear what she had to say. I glanced at the time on my phone. She should be here any minute now.
The longer I waited the more apprehensive I became. Clouds drifted swiftly across the night sky, blocking the bright moon and setting the stage for an eerie scene. A cold draught circled me and I figured a spirit might appear at any moment. Mrs. Clatterbuck liked to pop up here in the graveyard. She was always scolding me for doing the tour. For a bit I’d thought she was a real person. Now I knew for sure she was a ghost. She’d appeared so real, it was easy to see how I’d been tricked. My boyfriend Brannon had seen her too. He was a paranormal investigator in his spare time. His full-time job was with the Devil’s Moon Police Department. He’d recently been promoted to detective.
The echo of footsteps caught my attention. The alleyway beside the tavern and the old building that used to be the jail was narrow and dark. I couldn’t always see who was coming my way. I just hoped it was someone nice and not someone ready to cause trouble. There had been enough of that lately in Devil’s Moon. I held my breath waiting to see who would appear. Out of the shadows a tall woman with long brown hair appeared. She wore a black coat and tall black boots. As she drew near, I realized she was looking right at me.
> When she was close enough to hear me, I said, “Katrina Kohl?”
She nodded. The dark circles around her eyes let me know that something was bothering here. Did she have an evil spirit haunting her? That would definitely lead to a lot of sleepless nights.
Katrina stopped in front of me. She pulled her hand from her coat pocket and stretched it toward me. “Thanks again for meeting me.”
“It’s no problem,” I said, shaking her hand.
Her stance was tense and I knew she was having an internal debate on how to share her news with me. I had to get this conversation started.
“So you wanted to talk with me about the paranormal?” I asked.
She glanced around for a moment as if she didn’t want anyone to hear. As far as I knew we were completely alone in the graveyard. If any ghosts were there they were being quiet. The owl hooted as if he wanted to remind me he was there. The tree branches rustled with the wind.
“I have a problem with a ghost. It could be more than one for all I know.”
“What’s the problem?” I asked.
“There are ghosts.” Her voice rose. “Isn’t that enough of a problem?”
Okay, I hadn’t worded my question correctly.
“I’m guessing by your reaction that you want to get rid of the ghost,” I said.
She nodded. “Uh-huh. So can you do that?”
“I’m sorry, but that’s not what I do. I just give a tour of haunted places.” I gestured toward the graveyard.
“I have to get rid of them. I’m scared. You have to help me,” she said.
I studied her face for a moment. “I suppose I could try, but I make no guarantees. Like I said, I just do the tour.”
“I heard you do ghost hunts with your boyfriend.”
Word sure did spread quickly in a small town.
“Yes, I do that, but it’s quite different.”
I knew by the look on her face that wasn’t what she wanted to hear. It was getting late and I needed to get home.
“I suppose I could come by and do a little investigation.”
“No.” Her voice rose again. “You have to come there now.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Please, I just need your help. It’s not far and I’m sure it wouldn’t take you long.” Her words grew more urgent by the second.
“I don’t have any of my equipment.” Which didn’t consist of much. Mostly I used apps for my iPhone on my ghost hunts. I wasn’t even sure that would be considered real ghost-hunting. Nevertheless, she seemed desperate and I wanted to help her. “Okay, I guess we can go there now.”
“We can walk there or I can drive.” She gestured toward the alleyway.
I hoped I wasn’t walking into some kind of trap. Maybe this was some kind of sick plan to kidnap me. Stranger things had happened to people. I didn’t want to be one of them. Sure, I was definitely the suspicious type, but it was good to be that way in my opinion. Once I found out someone was okay then there was time to trust after that.
We took off down the alley. Katrina didn’t talk much and I was too nervous to make small talk.
Once we reached the sidewalk she paused. “So would you like for me to drive?”
“How far is it?” I asked.
“If we walk it would take about fifteen minutes.”
I was too tired tonight after working all day at the library and then doing the tour around town. I just wanted to slip into my pajamas and finish the cozy mystery I’d started last night.
“You can drive.” My achy legs won out over my suspicious mind.
She pointed at the white Toyota parked along the curb. “My car is right there.”
She seemed normal enough, so I slipped in the passenger seat and fastened my seatbelt. The car smelled of roses. Was that some kind of air freshener? It was spotless on the inside. No personal items. The next thing I knew we’d pulled up in front of an old house. It was actually kind of awesome. It looked a little like the house I currently lived in, an old Victorian with a wide porch and three stories. The place where I lived had been broken up into separate apartments.
She stopped the car along the street and shut off the ignition. “Well, this is the place.”
“It’s great. Do you live here alone?” I asked.
“I don’t live here any longer.” She stared at me.
Oh, no. Was this when she told me I was about to be murdered?
“I moved out about a week ago. I didn’t live here alone though. Actually my boyfriend moved in with me. I thought we would be happy here. Things changed after we moved in though and now we’ve broken up.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. “Listen, like I said before, I want you to know that I’m really not the one who can help with this. I can try, but I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”
“You’re better than nothing,” she said, opening the car door.
Well, that was one way to look at it. I’d take the not-so-great compliment. I got out of the car and closed the door. Katrina was standing on the sidewalk, staring at the house.
“Can you tell me what kind of things have been happening to you?” I peered up at the house.
“I hear footsteps a lot. Closing doors, and loud bangs. Then there are the things that happen at night. I’ll wake up from sleep and it feels as if someone is attacking me.”
That was scary. I wouldn’t let her know that I thought that was terrifying. It might freak her out even more.
“Shall we go inside for a look around?” I asked.
Her eyes widened. “Can’t you do this yourself?”
“I’d rather not go in your house by myself.”
If she wouldn’t agree to go with me then I wasn’t sure I would go.
Finally, she nodded. “Okay, I guess I can go in there with you. I hope it doesn’t take us long.”
“I’m sure we can do this quickly.”
Did she expect me to get rid of a ghost in five minutes? That seemed almost impossible. With anxiety setting in I moved toward the house.
She touched my arm. “Wait a minute.” She reached into her handbag and pulled out a bundle of sage. “I’ve heard this can work to get rid of spirits.”
If she’d heard that got rid of them then why hadn’t she tried this? Why did she need me? I took the sage from her and headed for the front steps. She walked behind me, which made me even more nervous. I felt her breath on the back of my neck. I supposed I was more afraid of the living than the dead. When we reached the front door I stopped.
She pulled out a key and shoved it into the lock. “If you’re ready?”
I nodded. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Had my voice wavered? How bad could it be?
She eased open the door. Of course it was dark inside the house just like outside.
I blinked, trying to focus my vision “You do have electricity?”
She reached for the switch on the wall and the light flooded the space. There were a few pieces of furniture in the room to the right, but it looked as if she had moved most of her belongings out. I was in awe of the hardwood floors and the intricate molding throughout the place. The staircase led up to a landing where I spotted a beautiful stained-glass window.
“What should we do first?” she asked, breaking me from my reverie.
In order to get out of there as quickly as possible I decided to burn the sage first. Normally I would have loved to stay and do a full investigation, but I would need more notice for that.
“How about we do the sage? Do you have a match?” I asked.
She whipped one out of her purse, as if she had been waiting for me to ask. I lit the sage and immediately smoke danced from the burning herb. Starting in the parlor room to the right, I asked for protection and for the spirits to leave. It was totally up to them if they listened.
The house seemed quiet and peaceful. I wasn’t picking up on any strange vibes. But if Katrina said the things had happened I had no reason to doubt her. Maybe the ghosts were ju
st being bashful. They were probably just waiting for the right moment to pop out. Of course that caused a bit of tension, not knowing when something might appear. I kept reciting the words and waving the sage through the air. Katrina followed behind me, as close as she could get. I knew that she was using me as her shield. When I reached the far corner of the room I stopped in my tracks.
I peered down at the spirit board. “What is that?”
Of course I knew what it was. My question should have been, What is it doing here?
“No wonder strange things have been happening,” I said before Katrina had a chance to respond to my question.
She stared for a moment and then said, “Some friends of mine wanted to use it. When I moved out I didn’t want to take the thing with me.”
“That’s understandable. I don’t know why you used it in the first place.”
“We just thought it was a game,” she said.
“It’s definitely not just a game. Let me guess, the strange things started happening after you used the board?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yes, that’s when it started. Is this bad?”
I reached down and picked up the board. “It’s not good, that’s for sure.”
The slam of a door made me jump. The board tumbled from my hand and hit the floor. That sound made Katrina jump again. She held onto the back of my shirt.
“See what I mean?” she asked.
I left the board and headed toward the hallway.
“Where do you think the sound came from?” Katrina asked.
I paused once we were in the hallway. “It sounded as if it came from upstairs.” The sage was still burning. “The ghost probably knows we’re trying to get rid of it. It probably just wants to be noticed. I’ll go check it out and burn the sage up there.”
“Do you mind if I wait outside?” Katrina peered up the staircase.
“That’s fine. I won’t be long.” I felt bad that I couldn’t help more.
With unease settled in my stomach I inched up the stairs. No matter that I ran a ghost tour and had been on lots of ghost hunts, when facing the unknown, I was still spooked. I was almost positive anyone would feel that way. When I reached the top of the stairs I paused. At the end of the hall one of the room doors was closed. I supposed that was the place I needed to check first. The floor creaked under my feet as I made my way to the door. I wrapped my hand around the doorknob and twisted. My anxiety increased, I wouldn’t lie. The fear of the unknown did that every time. Once inside the room I realized it was just empty. Nothing there. A soft breeze caressed my arms for a moment and then the scent of roses drifted across the air. A second later and it was gone.
