by Rose Pressey
“Just you today?” Dixie looked at the booth.
She was looking for the ghosts.
“Of course the ghosts are here. Dylan is on his way.”
The words had no sooner left my lips than Dylan walked through the door.
Dixie smiled. “Good morning, Detective Valentine.”
“Good to see you, Dixie.” Dylan slid onto the booth across from me.
“I bet you’d like one of my new iced coffees,” Dixie said.
“You have iced coffee now, Dixie?” I asked in shock.
“Sure do. How about two? It will help cool you off from this hot day we’re about to have.” She gestured toward the window.
“Sounds great,” Dylan said.
“Two iced coffees coming up.”
Dixie walked away and now it was just Dylan and me. Oh, and the ghosts. The spirits were always there. Charlotte would be upset if she knew I hadn’t called her by name. She hated when I referred to her as a ghost. She said she was much more than that, which was true . . . but I digress. Dylan was staring at me with his gorgeous blue eyes.
“Apologize to him. Tell him you’ll never do it again. Though we know it’s not the truth, you can still at least tell him that.” Charlotte nudged.
I couldn’t lie to him. Charlotte was right about doing it again though. If it meant snooping around again to help Heather and find Morris’s killer, I would do it. That was what friends were for. Helping each other and taking risks when they needed it the most.
“So should we talk about today?” Dylan asked.
I’d rather not talk about it, but I suppose a healthy relationship meant discussing things and being completely honest. Though I still wasn’t being completely truthful with Dylan. I hadn’t told him about Grandma Pearl. One crazy step at a time, I suppose.
I picked at the edge of my napkin. “Sorry about that. I’m only trying to help.”
“By the time you’re done with that napkin it will be shredded,” Charlotte said.
Dylan took my hands in his. “I know you’re only trying to help, but I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“You’ll check out that guy?” I asked. “Mike Harvey was his name.”
Dylan nodded. “I’m working on it as we speak.”
“Dylan is always on top of things. He really has his act together. I like that. However, so does Ken.” Charlotte winked.
“How is that possible?” Peggy asked. “How can he look into the guy so quickly? Does it have to do with those handheld gadgets you all have?”
She didn’t get an answer though. Dylan moved on with the conversation. “There was something else I wanted to tell you.”
“What’s that?” Charlotte leaned close.
“Do tell . . .” Peggy placed her elbows on the table and propped her head in her hands.
Of course Dylan had no idea the ghosts were listening. He probably assumed I had ghosts hanging around, but he didn’t always ask.
Dixie returned with our iced drinks. “So what will it be for lunch? How about a juicy cheeseburger?”
“I’d love one, Dixie,” I said.
Charlotte turned to Peggy. “Normally, Cookie is indecisive. She’s just trying to get Dixie out of here so Dylan can continue talking.”
Peggy pointed. “Good idea, Cookie.”
“Though I must warn you, Cookie, if you keep eating burgers you’ll have a little too much butter on your biscuit. You want to fit into those pencil skirts, don’t you?”
Charlotte and her advice. She drove me crazy.
“Great. What about you, Dylan?” Dixie asked.
Dixie hadn’t let me finish. I wasn’t turning down the burger because of what Charlotte said, either, although I was sure she would think that. Now this would only encourage her behavior.
I held up my hand. “I’d love one, Dixie, but instead I’ll take the lunch salad with baked chicken. Light ranch on the side.”
“Nice choice, Cookie,” Charlotte said with a satisfied smile.
Dixie sighed. She offered salad on the menu, but I knew she thought my choice was boring.
“I’ll take you up on that cheeseburger offer, Dixie,” Dylan said with a smile.
She beamed as she gathered the menus. “A juicy burger coming right up.” Her tone changed. “And a salad.”
“Okay, now back to the important conversation,” Charlotte said. “Ask him what he wanted to tell you.”
“There was something you wanted to tell me?” I asked.
“Does he have a ring?” Peggy appeared next to Dylan, scanning all around him for a little jewelry box.
Charlotte had convinced Peggy that Dylan was going to ask me to marry him.
“I did some research to locate the ghost you told me about. The one from the theater.” Dylan took a sip of water.
“Peggy,” I said. “What did you find out?”
“I’m nervous.” Peggy had stood from the booth and was now pacing next to the table.
“It’ll be okay,” Charlotte said.
“I found a missing person from 1956. She matches the description.”
“Do you have a photo?” I asked.
Dixie brought the food, causing us to put a pause on the conversation.
“If he found me maybe this means we can solve what happened to me,” Peggy said.
“Well, he is a detective,” Charlotte said.
He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. My heart sped up as he unfolded the sheet.
Dylan placed the paper on the table in front of me. “Is this her?”
I peered down at the photo printed on the paper. Peggy’s smiling face looked back at me.
From over my shoulder she gasped. “It’s my graduation photo. I haven’t seen that in years. How did he get that? He used that handheld device you all have, didn’t he? That thing is like magic.”
I met Dylan’s stare. “That’s Peggy. What happened to her?”
“It’s still an unsolved case.” Dylan folded the paper again and placed it back in his pocket.
“You mean they never found out what happened to me?” Peggy asked.
My stomach flipped. I had to tell Dylan that she was here now. “Peggy is sitting right behind me. She’s leaning over the booth and talking about the photo.”
Dylan’s gaze traveled to the general area behind me. “She’s here now?” he whispered.
I nodded. “Peggy and Charlotte are here.”
Dylan grabbed a french fry and stuffed it into his mouth.
“He looks a little flummoxed,” Charlotte said.
Once he swallowed, he said, “She doesn’t remember what happened?”
“If I did I would certainly tell you,” Peggy said.
I shook my head. “She doesn’t remember.”
“Her family reported her missing on May 20, 1956, at around three in the afternoon when she didn’t return home.”
“Where had she been?” I asked.
“She told them she was going for a job interview, but they weren’t sure where. It wasn’t in her hometown,” Dylan said.
“Could it have been Sugar Creek?” I asked.
“It’s possible. Her parents said in the report that her boyfriend lived in Sugar Creek. Perhaps she wanted to be closer to him,” Dylan said, looking over my shoulder. “Does any of this ring a bell with her?”
Peggy plopped down on the seat behind her. “I remember my boyfriend. Like I said, he lived here in Sugar Creek.”
“Yes, Peggy said her boyfriend lived in Sugar Creek.” I relayed the information.
“What was his name?” Dylan asked.
I looked back at Peggy. She shook her head.
“I don’t think she can remember that part yet. Maybe it will come back to her,” I said.
“When they found her body they never determined a cause of death. I’ll continue to look into it,” Dylan said.
“Cookie will too,” Charlotte said.
Just as Charlotte said, I would contin
ue to check this lead out. Maybe the boyfriend was still in Sugar Creek. Or he had family around. I wanted to help Peggy all that I could. The subject changed as we finished our lunch. We discussed an upcoming event Dylan had for the police department and possibly taking a quick trip to the beach. My parents lived on Tybee Island. They would love if we came for a visit. My mother and I were complete opposites, but she was still my best friend. I would never tell Heather that, but our friendships were different. My parents adored Dylan. And Dylan didn’t seem fazed by my mother’s eccentricities. I suppose if he liked me it was just his way to like quirky.
After paying for the meal, Dylan and I stepped outside. Charlotte and Peggy were behind us.
“I should get back to work.” I gestured.
“Me too.” Dylan studied my face.
“Maybe now he will ask her to marry him,” Peggy said.
I couldn’t believe they were still thinking about that.
“I hope not. It needs to be somewhere romantic. When the time is right he will ask.” Charlotte winked when I glanced over at her.
Dylan looked over his shoulder. He knew I was looking at the ghosts. Thank goodness he liked my oddities. I suppose we all had our quirks. Some more than others.
Dylan kissed me good-bye and said, “Stay out of trouble.”
I flashed a smile. “Always.”
He headed in the opposite direction, and I was going back to the shop.
“He doesn’t seriously believe you, does he?” Charlotte asked.
“Probably not,” I said.
“Now what can we do?” Charlotte asked.
“I think we should at least give it a few hours before we do anything to get into trouble,” I said.
Chapter 19
Charlotte’s Tips for a Fabulous Afterlife
If you’re going to attach yourself
to someone make sure you like her.
Otherwise haunting just gets tiresome.
After waiting for a couple of cars to pass, I crossed the street and headed toward the Magic Marketplace.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t get down to business right away?” Charlotte pressed.
“Like I said, we need to wait a bit before we get ourselves into another pickle.”
“If you say so,” Charlotte said around a sigh.
Peggy hurried along beside Charlotte. “Get into another pickle. That’s a good one, Cookie.”
I hadn’t heard from Heather all day and I was beginning to worry. Was she avoiding me? Her shop looked open so I knew she was there. The smell of incense hit me when I stepped through the door. Heather was sitting behind the counter. She didn’t even look over when I opened the door. Usually she greeted customers with her latest company slogan.
“She looks like someone stole her incense and Birkenstocks,” Charlotte said. “Why so glum?”
I crossed the floor and stood in front of the counter. Heather continued to read her book. Dark circles ringed her eyes. Her hair looked as if she’d forgotten to brush it, and her white T-shirt appeared as if she’d grabbed it from the dirty laundry pile.
I waved my hands in front of her. “Hello?”
She snapped to attention. “Oh, hi, Cookie. I didn’t see you standing there.”
Charlotte leaned close and peered at the book. “What to Do When Your Life Is Over. Oh dear.”
“That’s sad,” Peggy said.
I picked up the book. “You have to snap out of this.”
“What’s the point?” Heather stared at me. “I’m going to prison. My life is over. Someone will decide they hate me in prison and stab me with a shank. I’ll never make it there. I’m not tough enough.”
“This is one of the most pathetic displays I’ve ever witnessed,” Charlotte said. “She’s right, though, she’d never make it in prison. Cookie, you would probably survive. You’ve got a little more street smarts. Thanks to me.”
I frowned at Charlotte.
She tossed her hands up. “What? It’s true. Look at her all slumped over.”
“Positive thinking will help.” I patted Heather’s arm.
“Here comes Cookie’s cheerleader talk,” Charlotte said.
I would ignore Charlotte’s comments since Heather couldn’t hear them.
“Cookie does always have a positive outlook, doesn’t she? I could see where that would annoy some people,” Peggy said.
I shot Peggy an unamused expression.
“Not me, of course. I love you, Cookie.” She forced a cheesy smile onto her face.
Charlotte laughed.
“We’re making progress on finding the killer,” I said.
Heather perked up. “Oh yeah? What did you find?”
I exchanged a look with the ghosts. “Well, one of the cast members saw a woman leaving the theater, and I have a lead on a gum wrapper.”
Heather slumped her shoulders and focused on the book again. “Thanks for your help, Cookie, but it’s pointless. I doubt a gum wrapper will keep me out of prison.”
“Way to make her feel better, Cookie,” Charlotte said.
I hated to see Heather like this. The bell above the door jangled, capturing our attention. Two women walked in.
“There’s my appointment. I’ll talk to you soon.” Heather stood from her stool and shuffled over to the women.
“Wow, she’s like a wet blanket. Wait until those women get a load of her glumness.” Charlotte shook her head.
“It’s depressing in here. And I’m dead. That’s saying a lot,” Peggy said.
I stepped out of Heather’s shop headed toward my place. Just a ways down the sidewalk I spotted Patricia Chrisman.
“Look who it is,” I said, pointing down the sidewalk.
“What is she doing?” Charlotte asked.
“It looks like she just left the hair salon,” I said.
“We have to follow her.” Charlotte motioned.
I picked up my pace so that I could catch up with Patricia. What I would do once I got closer, I wasn’t sure. What if she realized I was following her? The ghosts and I hurried down the sidewalk.
“Move those short legs, Cookie.” Charlotte waved for me to pick up the pace.
“There’s only so much distance I can cover with this stride,” I panted, trying to catch my breath.
Patricia had only taken a few steps when she stopped. I almost fell over my own feet, I stopped so fast. I dashed behind one of the streetlights.
“That’s not a great hiding spot,” Charlotte said.
“It’s all I have,” I whispered. “It’s better than her seeing me.”
“I think she can still see your hips.” Charlotte lifted an eyebrow, followed by looking me up and down.
I narrowed my eyes and sent invisible daggers Charlotte’s way.
“What do you think she’s doing?” I asked.
“She’s getting something from her purse,” Charlotte said.
“Oh no. Is it a gun?”
“No, it’s not a gun. Calm down, Cookie.”
I peeked out from around the light pole. Patricia hadn’t looked back to see me yet. She was too focused on whatever she’d taken out of her purse. I couldn’t tell what she was doing, because her back was facing me. She tossed something toward the trash and started walking again.
“Look at her. She just littered,” Charlotte said. “How rude.”
“Well, considering she could be a murderer, I guess littering is the least of our worries,” I said.
“Don’t let her get away.” Charlotte pointed.
Hurrying out from behind the light, I raced down the sidewalk. Once I reached the trash can, I stopped. I reached down and picked up the trash that Patricia had so carelessly tossed to the ground. It was as if she didn’t care if she missed the trash can. Like Charlotte said, how rude.
I held up the silver foil paper. “It’s the same brand as the one at the crime scene.”
“How in the world can you remember that?” Charlotte frowned.
“Attention to de
tail, I guess.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened. “I think we have the smoking gun.”
I wasn’t sure I would say that, but this was certainly incriminating.
“That is amazing,” Peggy said.
“What should I do now?” I scanned the street for any sign of Patricia.
She had disappeared around the corner.
“Walk down there and see if you spot her,” Charlotte said.
I hurried down the sidewalk to the corner of the building. Not too fast because I didn’t want to bring attention to myself. Though I didn’t want to miss Patricia either. At the side of the building was a parking lot. Once I reached the corner, I peeked around the side of the brick building. There were quite a few cars parked in the small lot, but no sign of Patricia.
“She was probably parked here and left,” I said. “I guess I’ll go back to the shop and call Dylan.”
“Good idea,” Charlotte said.
I couldn’t help but feel kind of proud of my discovery. I felt as if I was really onto something. Sure it was just a gum wrapper, but this was better than nothing. It could actually lead to the killer. I peered down toward the parking lot for a few more seconds. I wished I could have caught up with her. Nevertheless, I had even more suspicions of Patricia now.
As soon as I had reached the shop and Brianna left, I pulled out my phone and dialed Dylan’s number.
“I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon,” he said when he answered.
“I have something to show you.” I knew I sounded as if someone had just chased me. This was exciting news for me though. I hoped he felt the same way.
“It sounds important,” Dylan said.
“I found something that I think could potentially solve the case,” I said in a rush.
“Are you at the shop?” he asked.
“Yes,” I answered.
“I’ll be right over.”
It would be kind of embarrassing to reveal the gum wrapper to him, but I honestly thought this was something. I clicked off the call and looked at the time. I wondered how long it would take him to get here. I was anxious to get this out.
“You know a lot of people chew that gum.” Peggy leaned against the counter and blew a bubble with her gum.
