06 Hauntin' After Midnight

by Rose Pressey

He waved his hand. “I’m good, thanks. I’ll stay out here.”

  I shrugged and headed into the shop. The aroma of roasted coffee hit me as soon as I stepped inside. Once at the register I stared up at the menu board, even though I knew what I wanted already. It was more because I had nothing else to do while I waited. I knew the owner of the shop. Dana Newman was in the book club. The Bookwormers met at the library once a month. She always asked why I didn’t come in more often, but with all the treats here it should be understandable. It was nothing against her, but had more to do with my hips.

  I glanced out the window to make sure the cop was still there waiting for me. Yeah, right. As if he would leave me. Officer Ellison might be quiet, but he was a nice guy and took his job seriously. I supposed I was more worried about him meeting the same fate as the other officer, Officer Jones. My text messages to Brannon had certainly increased since the other officer’s murder. I didn’t want to be clingy, but until the murderer was caught I couldn’t help it.

  Officer Ellison was probably wondering what was taking so long. I was beginning to think the same thing since I had little time to spare. If I didn’t hurry I wouldn’t have time to visit with Elle. Plus, I didn’t want to be late for work again. That had happened too much lately. Maybe I should forget the breakfast.

  As I waited in line my phone rang, I saw that it was Tammy’s number. She was probably wanting me to pick something up for her.

  “Hey, do you want a chocolate croissant?” I asked.

  “Well, sure, but that’s not the reason I called.”

  “It’s not?” I said.

  “No, I just wanted to warn you.”

  “Where are you?” I asked.

  “I just drove by and saw you when you walked in. I noticed Officer Ellison standing out front. I just thought I would let you know.”

  “Let me know what?” I asked.

  She was acting kind of strange. As if she was hesitant to tell me this. I hoped it wasn’t bad news.

  “I don’t know… it’s probably nothing, but I saw Erin talking to the officer.”

  “Really?” I looked out the window, but I didn’t see her standing out there. “Was that just now?”

  “Yeah, just a minute ago. They looked like they were laughing and joking.”

  “That is weird.”

  “Maybe she told him a really good joke,” Tammy said.

  “I suppose that’s the case, but I’ll definitely have to ask him about it.”

  “Okay, well let me know what you find out.”

  “Yeah, I’ll be a little bit late because I’m going to go talk to Elle Martin, but I’ll see you soon.”

  I hung up the phone. A few people left and then it was finally my turn to place an order. I didn’t recognize the woman behind the register. She must be new. After I placed my order, the owner came out from the back room. Dana Newman noticed me right away. How did she look so bright and cheery this early in the morning? Her makeup was perfect and her hair looked as if she’d used an entire can of hairspray. It was the color of a pecan shell—now that I thought of it, the style looked that way too. I’d never tell Tammy that though.

  Her gold bangles jingled as she waved. “Rip, so good to see you this morning. I thought I was going to have to bribe you to get you in here.”

  I laughed. “I couldn’t resist any longer. Plus, now you have chocolate croissants. From here on out I’ll probably be powerless to pass this place up.”

  The employee handed me my bag and I stepped to the side so I could talk with the owner for a few more seconds. That look appeared on her face—the look I’d gotten from a lot of people lately. I knew exactly what she was thinking.

  “How are you hanging in there?” She patted me on the shoulder.

  I tried to act as if I was holding it together. On the inside, I was actually falling apart. I didn’t want anyone to know that though. I had to be tougher than that. Breaking down and showing emotion was for the weak, right?

  She leaned in closer. “Do they have any leads on who did this?”

  “They’re working on it,” I said.

  I wasn’t sure if she thought I was holding out good information.

  “There was one thing I remember that might be important.” She tapped her fingers against the counter.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “Actually, I saw the murdered officer and Katrina together,” she whispered.

  I quirked an eyebrow. “That is odd. Where did you see them? What were they doing when you saw them?”

  “They were by her car.” She wiggled her perfectly sculpted eyebrows. “They were hugging and kissing.”

  “Wow. When did this happen?” I asked.

  “It was a few months ago.”

  So she had been seeing Officer Jones while dating Scott. Maybe that had something to do with why Katrina and Scott had broken up. Did Brannon or anyone else know about this? I couldn’t ask the cop about it since he was no longer here. Though I could ask Scott. What if he didn’t know? That would be a touchy subject. It might explain why the cop had been killed. Scott could have gone into a jealous rage and killed them both.

  “Do you think that had anything to do with the murder?”

  Dana waved at someone who’d walked through the door. “Since they knew each other that definitely links the two deaths.”

  “I had no idea they were dating,” I said.

  She leaned close. “I heard they were using that Ouija board in the house and that unleashed bad spirits in there.”

  My eyes widened. “Where did you hear that?”

  She waved her hand. “Oh, you hear a lot of things here in the coffee shop.”

  Could a demon be blamed for their murders? Had someone else been there with them when they used the board?

  Dana gestured toward the back. “Well, I need to get back to work. Please come back soon.”

  I nodded. “I will, and thank you for the information.”

  “Any time,” she said. “And good luck.”

  When I stepped out to the sidewalk I looked around to see if Erin was still there. Of course she was nowhere in sight.

  “Were you just talking to Erin Kohl?” I figured I might as well just come out and ask him.

  He smiled a little. “Yes, I was actually. She came up to me and was asking how I was doing. She felt sorry for me that I had to follow you around all the time.”

  I frowned. “What kind of statement is that?”

  “Oh, I’m sure she’s just joking.”

  “Yeah, I suppose.” I knew she didn’t like me and it was way more than just a joke, but I didn’t press the issue.

  I headed in the opposite direction of the library. I hadn’t told Officer Ellison where I was going. Until now he’d probably thought I was going to work.

  “I just have someone I need to see for a minute, if that’s okay.” I motioned.

  “I’m here to help you and go anywhere you need to go,” he said with an emotionless face.

  “Thanks.” I nibbled on the croissant as I walked toward Elle’s place.

  I hoped she was home. Furthermore, I hoped she would talk to me when I arrived. Some people didn’t want to talk about something like murder. They didn’t want to be involved, since they could possibly then become a target of the killer. I knew that feeling all too well. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option for me now. I was involved whether I wanted to be or not.

  Going to visit Elle was about all I had left to try. Otherwise, I’d keep looking for that book. Not that talking to her would make me stop looking for the book. No, I would still be in pursuit of the book. Every time I thought about Erin taking the copy, it made me fume on the inside. I didn’t see her doing anything to help solve her aunt’s murder. What was her deal anyway? I needed to learn more about her.

  I devoured the rest of the croissant and tossed the bag into a nearby trash can. It hadn’t taken long to finish that thing off. Dana had thought I’d been joking when I said it would be impossible
to stay away from those things.

  Elle’s place wasn’t far from the murder house on Edman. I glanced back at the cop. He met my stare. Did he think I was going to the house again? Now I was becoming nervous. I purposely didn’t cross the street so I wouldn’t have to pass the house on Edman Street. Though I did look over when we walked by. It seemed much brighter and cheerier in the sunlight. There was no sign of the ghost.

  As I walked by I couldn’t help but look at the side of the house and notice the spot where I’d found Katrina’s body. I looked away in a hurry. After a couple more seconds I had the nerve to glance back. Officer Ellison was still watching me. Did he think I would make a run for it and try to get to the house? I wasn’t that crazy.

  A short distance later and I arrived at the address.

  “Well, this is it,” I said.

  He nodded. Apparently he was a man of few words. I continued toward the building. Now that I was here I was even more nervous. I could do this, I reminded myself. The old building almost looked abandoned with shades drawn on all the windows and no vehicle in sight. The grass was in need of a mow. The place was three stories, gray stone. At one time it had been used as a school, but now it had been converted to apartments. Red and yellow tulips dotted the landscaping around the building.

  “I’ll wait here at the end of the drive,” Officer Ellison said.

  That was fine by me because I didn’t want him to hear what I said to Elle.

  “I’ll just be a minute,” I said.

  I walked the rest of the way to the door. My stomach was in knots, but I pushed the bell that would ring her apartment. What was the worst that could happen? She could ask me to leave without answering any questions. Plus, she could tell the cop why I was there and then he would tell Brannon. Brannon would be mad that I was still nosing into the investigation. I liked to think I was helping and not butting into something I had no business in. A few seconds passed with no answer so I pushed again. I had expected her to be home. Why, I didn’t know. I’d just assumed she would at this time of the morning. Having no answer at the door had thrown me for a loop.

  I looked back at the officer. “I guess she’s not home.”

  Maybe I would leave a note? No, it was probably better if I just waited and talked with her in person. An uneasiness fell over me. I wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because I had wanted to talk with the woman. Yeah, that was probably it. When I turned around to leave a crash rang out, carrying across the morning wind. I froze on the spot and looked around for the source of the noise.

  Officer Ellison ran over to me. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, but what was that?” I asked.

  He scanned the area.

  “It didn’t sound like it came from inside the house,” I said.

  “Are you ready to leave?” he asked.

  I looked over my shoulder one more time. “I guess, but what if the woman was trying to get to the door and fell?”

  He nodded. “Yes, I suppose that could be possible.”

  He moved past me and up to the front porch. Since her apartment was right there on the first floor and by the main door he went over to the window and peered in. I guess being a Devil’s Moon police officer he knew the layout of the building well.

  “Do you see anything?” I asked.

  “No. Do you know this woman well? Can you give her a call?” He moved away from the window.

  “I haven’t spoken with her before. I just have the address.”

  “Well if she doesn’t answer there’s not much I can do.”

  Now I was worried. Officer Ellison stepped off the porch. I supposed I would have to leave now. I’d just have to find a way to come back later. Plus, I knew I should tell Brannon about this anyway. It was time for me to stop keeping things from him. My logic was that I didn’t want to bother him with things that would lead to nothing. I figured if I checked things out first and they looked promising then I could share with him.

  As we walked down the path away from the building and toward the sidewalk I spotted something move out of the corner of my eye. When I looked to the left I saw her. It was the ghost from the library. What was she doing here? Had she followed me? I froze again, unable to say anything.

  “Stay here and I’ll find her,” Officer Ellison said as he took off in the direction where she had disappeared around the side of house.

  He’d seen her too. Thank goodness he’d seen her this time. I couldn’t believe it though. What would he say when I told him he had been chasing a ghost? Yeah, that was the part he wouldn’t understand. He would think I was just messing with him. There had to be a way I could prove it to him. That strange feeling came over me again as I waited for him to chase after her. Chill bumps appeared on my arms and a tingling sensation ran down my spine in spite of the warm temperature.

  Chapter 19

  What was taking him so long? Where had he gone? What if the ghost had gotten him? Now I knew something like that could actually happen. It was a real possibility. Maybe the ghost wasn’t so good after all. She seemed okay, but she could be a demon in disguise. I eased around to the side of the house. When I stopped Officer Ellison popped up. I screamed and tumbled backwards.

  He helped me up from the ground. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes.” I wiped off my hands on my pants. “Yeah, I’m okay. Did you find her?”

  “She’s not there,” he said.

  We moved around to the front of the house. Apparently he had no clue that he had been looking for a ghost. I needed to tell him. He probably would be shocked.

  “I thought maybe she came back around to the front of the house,” he said. “I just don’t see how she could’ve gotten away.”

  I knew how she would have gotten away… she’d disappeared.

  “Look, there’s something I need to tell you,” I said.

  He got a serious look on his face. How would he react to the news? He was levelheaded and would try to come up with another explanation.

  “The woman you just chased around the side of the house isn’t real.”

  He just stared at me blankly.

  “I mean she was a ghost.”

  He stared at me some more and then slowly a smile slid on his face and he laughed. “Seriously, I appreciate the jokes, and I know you’re into ghosts and stuff, but I saw the woman. She was real.”

  “I know she looks real, but she isn’t. She’s the ghost I followed from the library the other night. She disappeared right into that house when you made me leave and now she’s disappeared again.”

  He stared at me for a moment longer. I knew he was contemplating this in his mind, rolling over the thoughts again and again. He couldn’t explain that she had disappeared. He couldn’t deny that he’d seen it. It had happened right in front of his own eyes.

  “So you’re telling me that a ghost just led me on a chase.”

  “That’s what I’m saying, yes.”

  He ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “There’s nothing you can say. It just happened. I don’t have any explanation.”

  “And you don’t know who she is?”

  “That’s what I intend to find out,” I said. “Maybe we should go.”

  “That’s probably a good idea,” he said.

  As we turned to go down the path I felt as if someone was watching me. I sensed it was the ghost, but when I looked at the building I saw a little face peeking out from the window behind the curtain.

  “I think she’s here,” I said.

  “The ghost?”

  “No, the woman I came to see. I see her looking out at me.” I pointed.

  He followed me back to the door. Maybe now he was more accepting of the fact that there were ghosts. He would want to hear my conversation with her, now that he somewhat believed that she was a ghost.

  “I know you’re still doubting it, but the ghost was the reason why I came to see this woman. Elle Martin used to own the house on Edman and I t
hink maybe she could tell me something about the ghost. Maybe she knows who it is.”

  “I guess I’m interested to hear what she has to say,” he said.

  I smiled. “Well, I’m glad to see that you’re coming around.”

  I pushed on the bell again and hoped that Elle answered this time. Our eyes had met so I knew she was aware of our presence. After a couple seconds she opened the main door just a crack.

  “Yes?” she asked in her crackly voice.

  She was about my height, but maybe a little shorter. Age had probably taken some of her height. Her gray hair was tied on top of her head. She wore a pale yellow dress and brown shoes.

  “Would you like to come in?” she asked.

  That was pretty easy. She didn’t even know who we were. Maybe the cop with me put her at ease. I offered the information anyway.

  “My name is Ripley Van Raden and this is Officer Ellison.” I motioned.

  “I know who you are,” she said. “You’re the librarian and you do the ghost tour.”

  I smiled. “Yes, it’s nice to meet you.”

  “I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said. “Will you please come inside?”

  I was glad to see that she was friendly. Now maybe that meant she would tell me everything she knew about the house. That was assuming she could give any information that was valid. We stepped inside of the entryway and followed her to her apartment door. She opened up and walked on in, leaving the door open for us. It was decorated with lots of floral patterns—on the curtains, on the furniture, and flowers in vases around the room.

  “Would you please have a seat?” she asked and motioned to the dining room table.

  I sat down at the far end and Officer Ellison sat to my right. She sat on the left. My back was facing the window.

  “So to what do I owe this visit today?” She placed her hands on the table and interlaced her fingers.

  She really got right down to the questions. I liked that.

  “Well, as you probably heard there was a murder at the house in Edman Street. I was told that you used to own the place.”

  She shook her head. “It’s a tragedy. Such terrible things going on in the world today. I did own the place and I sold it to Katrina about a year ago. It was just too big for me.”