by Rose Pressey
When I looked at the screen, Ken’s name popped up. Of course I didn’t have time to chat, but what if he’d found out something about the case.
“Hello.” I knew my voice sounded frazzled.
“Cookie, I just thought I’d check in with you. How are you?”
“Oh, Ken, I don’t have time to talk right now. I’ll call you later, okay?” I pushed the gas just a little more.
“Sure. Are you sure everything is okay? You sound strange.”
“Everything will be fine. Call you soon.”
I ended the call, although I knew Ken would worry now. The last thing I needed was for him to want to come to the cabin with me. I wanted to keep everyone from danger.
“Poor Ken. Always getting the short end of the stick,” Charlotte said.
“Don’t make me feel worse than I already do,” I said.
The landscape changed from buildings to dense trees. Soon I reached the entrance for the lake. I knew the area the woman had told me about, but not well. There was a cabin by an old oak tree that had been there for years. I wasn’t sure anyone ever used the place. The road stopped at the dirt path, and I would have to walk the rest of the way to the cabin.
“I still don’t think you should do this,” Charlotte said.
“Yes, I agree. It’s a bad idea,” Peggy said.
I parked the car and cut the engine. “I realize this isn’t a wise choice, but I can’t send the police in there. What if Dylan was hurt or heaven forbid killed? I’d never forgive myself.”
“You could ask someone else to go with you?”
“Who would I ask? I definitely don’t want Heather involved in this. She’s already in too much with this case. I will be careful; I promise.” I opened the door and climbed out.
Charlotte and Peggy followed me as I headed down the dirt path. Pine trees surrounded me as I disappeared deeper and deeper into the vegetation. The sound of a snapping branch stopped me in my tracks.
“Oh my heaven. What was that?” Charlotte clutched her chest. “Is someone shooting at us?”
“There are probably a lot of wild animals around here,” Peggy said.
I didn’t need that reminder. I was already nervous enough. “No one is shooting at us, Charlotte. It was just a tree branch.”
“They’re not shooting at us yet,” Charlotte said under her breath.
Up ahead was a clearing, and I knew the cabin was right past it. As I neared the area, I moved over to a larger tree, hoping it would offer some kind of cover. The last thing I needed was for the killer to know I was coming. I should have changed my clothing before going on a hiking adventure. There had been no time though. With the way things were recently I should keep sleuthing attire in my car for a quick change.
“Did you ever stop to think that the person who called could be the killer?” Charlotte asked.
“I suppose I hadn’t thought of that until you mentioned it,” I said.
“It’s not too late to turn around,” Peggy said.
I stood a little taller. “No, I will go through with this.”
“Aw, that’s my Cookie, always tough and strong.” Charlotte smiled. “Foolish, but tough and strong. A little stubborn too.”
I released a deep breath and stepped out from the protection of the oak tree. A million thoughts ran through my mind. I envisioned a large man stepping out onto the cabin’s porch. He would spot me right away and run out to grab me. I tried to shake off the daydream. The ghosts eased along beside me as I made my way to the cabin. Now I stood at the bottom of the porch steps.
“Now what?” Charlotte asked, peering up at the front door. “You can’t just knock on the door.”
“No, I suppose I can’t do that.” I stared at the cabin.
“Maybe no one is even here,” Peggy said.
“True. I should go peek in the window,” I said.
Charlotte gestured with a sweeping motion of her arm. “Well, what are you waiting for? Might as well get it over with.”
I knew Charlotte well by now, and I sensed when she was nervous. This was one of those rare times. I placed my foot on the bottom tread. The wood creaked under the weight of my step. I cringed at the noise.
“You have to push forward. Hurry,” Charlotte said. “The longer you wait the worse it will be.”
With a grimace on my face I rushed up the stairs. With each placement of my foot the steps groaned. Thank goodness I was now at the top. Unfortunately, the wood floor made the same creaking noise as I walked across.
“You might as well ring a bell announcing your arrival,” Charlotte said. “Can’t you quiet your steps?”
I tiptoed across the floor toward the window, weaving around a clay pot with a dead plant in it.
“Someone clearly doesn’t have a green thumb.” Charlotte scowled as she looked at the brown drooping leaves.
I released a breath when I reached the window. This ordeal was far from over though. Now was not the time to relax.
Old lace curtains that had at one time probably been white but were now a pale yellow hung in front of the glass from the other side. At least I could see a bit through them and into the cabin. A kitchen table with a few chairs around it sat directly in front of me. Over to the left were an old plaid sofa and a brown leather recliner. No one was in sight. Apparently I’d made this trip for nothing.
“It looks like no one is here,” I whispered.
“If no one is there, why are you whispering?” Charlotte asked.
The ghosts were right beside me.
“Someone is here,” the female voice said from over my shoulder.
Peggy screamed before I even had a chance to turn around. The next thing I knew someone had grabbed me from behind.
Chapter 26
Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Clothing Shopping
Don’t be afraid to mix styles from different decades.
Just don’t go overboard with fads.
Classic styles look good together no matter what year
the garment came from; some designs are timeless.
“I knew this was a bad idea,” Charlotte said.
That wasn’t what she’d said earlier. Charlotte had practically forced me to go.
When I got a look at the woman’s face, I realized Patricia Chrisman had been the one who grabbed me.
“Get off of her,” Charlotte yelled.
Too bad Patricia couldn’t see the ghosts. Maybe that would scare her away.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked.
“I should ask you the same question.” Patricia yanked on my arm.
“We have to do something,” Peggy said in a panic as she paced across the porch.
Patricia was surprisingly strong. Did she lift weights? Maybe I should consider something more than jogging or yoga. Somehow she managed to open the cabin door and shoved me inside.
“Get out of there, Cookie. Once she has you trapped in there you’ll never get out.” Charlotte raced in after me.
It was too late for that now. Patricia locked the door behind her. When I started to walk right around her to leave, she pulled out a large knife. I held my hands up and stepped back.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Patricia said.
“There’s no need to do anything crazy.” I moved a couple more steps backward.
Patricia glared at me. “Oh, I think there is.”
“You’ve gotten yourself into quite a pickle, Cookie,” Charlotte said.
“This is no time to talk about food,” Peggy said.
Charlotte glared at Peggy.
“Oh, sorry,” Peggy said. “I’m just so scared I can’t think straight.”
“You killed Morris, didn’t you?” I asked.
Patricia had a strong grip on the knife. It was obvious Patricia had a thing for knives.
She stared at me for a long bit, and said, “I had no other choice.”
“Why do you say that?” I pressed.
“A confession will get you nothing if you’re dea
d, Cookie. Please be careful.” Charlotte stood by Patricia, staring down at the knife.
I knew Charlotte was trying to think of a way to get the knife out of Patricia’s hand.
Patricia inched my way. I backed up until I bumped into the wall. There was nowhere else for me to go. This looked like the end for me. Patricia was right in front of me now. Her eyes were locked on me. She moved the knife up to my face. The blade was ice cold against my skin.
“I would cut your pretty face, but unfortunately now I have to do much more than that.” She moved the blade along my cheek.
The cold of the steel sent an equally cold chill down my spine. Charlotte and Peggy were both taking swings at Patricia. Their fists went straight through her. Patricia seemed to notice something was going on because she frowned and surveyed the surroundings.
“Why do you think you have to do something to me?” My voice quavered.
“I think that’s kind of obvious, Cookie, don’t you?” Charlotte said. “And don’t you dare cry.”
Well, yes, it was obvious, but I had to keep the conversation going so maybe she wouldn’t kill me. Plus, just because my voice quavered didn’t mean that I was going to cry.
“You like to think of yourself as a detective, huh?” Patricia asked. “Maybe you should stick to vintage fashion.”
“It’s a little late for that now,” Charlotte said. “This woman is nuttier than a pecan pie.”
“Ask her more about why she killed Morris,” Peggy said.
“Why did you kill Morris?” I followed Peggy’s instructions.
Patricia pointed the knife at my chest. My heart beat faster. It seemed almost hopeless that I would get away from her.
“He wanted to end things between us.” Her eyes seemed blank, as if she spoke but really wasn’t even there.
She was probably replaying the murder over in her mind. No doubt she’d enjoyed it.
“So he broke up with you?” I asked.
Charlotte moved closer to Patricia. “Honey, when it’s over, it’s over. There are other fish in the sea. No need to pine away over one man.”
Patricia frowned again and looked to her right. It was almost as if she sensed Charlotte. Too bad Patricia couldn’t see or hear Charlotte. Maybe I could get away.
“Yes, he said he couldn’t see me, but I didn’t believe him. He was just saying that because my husband had confronted him.”
“That sounds like good enough reason.” Charlotte rolled her eyes.
“Well . . . he was your husband,” I said, trying not to make her angrier.
“I told him I would leave my husband. He said that didn’t matter.”
“Take a hint, honey,” Charlotte said. “He just wasn’t that into you.”
“Look, you can put that all behind you now,” I said.
“She can’t do that. The woman is going to prison where she belongs.” Charlotte pointed at Patricia.
Well, I knew that, but I didn’t want to remind Patricia at a time like this. What was one more murder to her when she’d already killed one?
Patricia shook her head. “No, I can’t do that. And I can’t allow you to tell anyone.”
“I promise I wouldn’t tell anyone,” I said.
“Oh yeah, right, like she’s going to believe that. We have to think of something else.” Charlotte paced across the floor.
A squeaking noise caught our attention. Patricia froze. I recognized the noise, but I hoped she didn’t. Someone was on the porch. No one knew I was here. Maybe it was a raccoon.
“Is someone with you?” Patricia asked. “You’d better not lie to me.”
So she did recognize the noise.
Charlotte and Peggy rushed over to the door and looked out.
“Heather is here,” Charlotte said.
Oh no. Heather had to leave. Should I tell Charlotte to have Heather run? Would Heather finally be able to tune in to her psychic abilities? I didn’t care if Patricia thought I was crazy. I didn’t want her to know Heather was out there and go after her. She couldn’t kill us both at the same time though, right? Before I had a chance to debate any longer, Charlotte and Peggy disappeared out the door. Patricia backed over to the door. She kept her eyes on me and the knife pointed in my direction.
“Don’t make any funny moves,” Patricia warned.
I had to do something to stop her from hurting Heather. What was going on out there? Patricia moved over to the window. Charlotte and Peggy reappeared inside.
“Heather looked in the window and saw what was going on so she took off,” Charlotte said.
I mouthed, “Where did she go?”
Charlotte frowned. “What?”
Oh, for heaven’s sake. I had hoped she’d be able to read my lips.
“What did she say?” Peggy asked Charlotte.
Charlotte shrugged. “When did sheet soap?”
“That doesn’t make sense.” Peggy’s eyebrows pinched together in confusion.
I shook my head and repeated, “Where did she go?”
Charlotte frowned. “Where did sheep go?”
I glared at her. “Where did Heather go?”
“Around the side of the house,” Peggy answered.
“Cookie, you really need to learn to enunciate.” Charlotte shook her head.
Patricia was looking out the window, but she still had the knife pointed at me. I wasn’t sure I was willing to risk trying to get it away from her. She’d already proven that she knew how to use the thing. Patricia turned her attention back toward me.
“You’re up to something. I can sense it.” She eyed me up and down.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, trying to act innocent.
Another noise caught my attention. I had no idea where it came from, but I suspected it was from the back of the cabin. Patricia didn’t seem to notice this time. It could have been an animal for all I knew. I was holding out hope that it was Heather. Maybe she was trying to get in the house. Though I didn’t want her to get hurt, I still needed help getting away from this mad woman. Patricia was still looking out the window, trying to see if someone was out there. The knife was pointed at me so there was no chance I could get away from her.
“Did you hear that?” Charlotte asked.
I nodded.
“We’ll go check it out.” Charlotte motioned for Peggy to follow her.
They disappeared down the small hallway. Now I was alone with Patricia. That thought sent a shiver down my spine.
Patricia turned her attention back to me now. “I suppose it was an animal.”
“Yes, there are a lot out here,” I said.
Another noise caught her attention. She studied me. “Are you doing that?”
“I haven’t moved,” I said.
Patricia stared out the window again. While she was distracted, I scanned the room, hoping to locate some kind of weapon to help me fight her off. Unfortunately, there was really nothing that was readily available to me. The cabin was sparsely decorated. Across the way was a lamp on the table in the living area. Possibly I could use that to hit her, but what if it didn’t work? That would only make her angrier. No, it was too risky to take that chance.
As I peered around the room, I noticed a bottle of what looked like white powder sitting on the table in the dining area. Immediately, I thought of the cupcakes. She was definitely the one who had added something to them. And this was the poison sitting right there in plain sight. Seeing that bottle sent a shiver down my spine. Knowing how evil she was, and that she could murder someone with such ease, made me sick. It looked as if I was going to be her next victim after all. If she couldn’t poison me she would just stab me. The same fate as Morris.
Once I was gone there would be no one to figure out the murder for Heather. She would be in jail for life. Sure, Dylan would be on the case, but Patricia would probably come after him too. That made my stomach churn more. Looking to my right, I spotted a big floppy hat thrown haphazardly on the sofa. There was a pair of l
arge black sunglasses on the table next to the sofa. They were the same ones she had worn while putting the poison on the cupcakes at the bake sale. Yes, now I knew for sure that she had been the one responsible for that.
Patricia turned around. Her eyes settled on me immediately. I was sure she noticed that I was looking at the items. She smirked and I knew she was happy with her evil feat.
“You tried to poison me,” I said. “Why would you do that?”
Of course I knew the answer. She was evil. I wanted to keep this conversation going as long as possible. Maybe it would give me a chance to think of a way out of this.
“I thought it would be an interesting way for you to go. Less for me to do.” A slow wicked smile spread across Patricia’s face.
“You could have killed someone else with the cupcakes,” I said.
She smirked. “That was a chance I was willing to take.”
That I believed. Patricia had zero empathy for anyone. She was only worried about herself. She didn’t care who she had to kill to get what she wanted.
“You won’t get away with this. The police will figure it out. They’ll know you killed me too.”
She laughed. The sound was like an icy hand running up my back. “They haven’t figured it out yet, so I don’t expect they ever will.”
She was way more confident than she should be about Dylan’s ability to solve this crime. That made fury bubble inside me. I had to stop her.
Where were the ghosts? What was going on back there? What would I do if it was Heather? If Heather was back there she would come out of that hallway. That was a big if though. Patricia would see her if she came down that hallway. I had to get Patricia to look in the other direction. Of course that would mean I would have to move. Patricia wasn’t letting me go anywhere. Charlotte and Peggy returned down the hallway.
“Heather is in that room. She came through the window.” I’d rarely heard Charlotte so panicked.
“What will we do?” Peggy asked.
Charlotte peeked down the hallway. “Oh no. She just opened the door. Patricia will see her.”
“This is terrible.” Peggy touched her forehead with the back of her hand.
It was as if Charlotte read my mind when she said, “I know. I’ll cause a distraction.”
