“Rip, are you okay?” Brannon reached down and helped me to my feet.
When I looked back, the spirits had disappeared. Had Brannon seen them too? I knew he saw the worry on my face.
“Did you see the spirits?” I asked breathlessly.
At least I knew Brannon wouldn’t think I was crazy.
He peered over my shoulder and shook his head. “No, I didn’t see them. Were there spirits here?”
“Yes, lots of them. I’ve seen spirits here before, but this time it was different. I don’t think they were very nice.” I rubbed my arms to get rid of the goose bumps.
Brannon touched my arm. “Come on, let’s leave.”
Leaving for the evening was probably a good idea. I didn’t want to deal with bad spirits tonight. Brannon and I walked down the alleyway away from the graveyard. Occasionally I peeked back to see if the spirits were following us. So far they had disappeared for the night. But would they be back?
We reached the sidewalk and I asked Brannon, “Why are you here? Is there something wrong?”
“There doesn’t have to be anything wrong for me to want to see you.” He gently wrapped his hand around mine.
My stomach did a dance. I could get used to him saying that type of thing.
A cool breeze drifted across the wind, and I wondered if the spirits had followed us. If so, they weren’t showing themselves.
“Would you like to go to dinner?” Brannon asked.
I tingled all over when he asked. “Yes, I’d like that.”
I had planned on spending the evening cozy in my house looking over the books, but there would be time for that later. My dinner would probably have consisted of salad or something equally as boring anyway. Dinner in town would be much better. Brannon made it really tough to turn down his offer when he smiled at me like that.
“Would you like to go to Mammy’s café?” Brannon asked.
“Sure, I’d like that,” I said.
The café had kind of become our spot. We even had a special table that we sat at by the window. Of course it was the booth that I sat at even when Brannon wasn’t with me, but that was beside the point. There was a good view out the window onto the street.
Brannon and I walked the short distance to the café. The place had good old Southern cooking. Not great for my diet, but it was some of the best food I’d ever eaten. The conversation between us was easy as we strolled along.
Only a few people were in the café when we stepped inside. It was getting late and the dinner crowd had already gone. Brannon and I went straight to the booth. He didn’t even have to ask if I wanted to sit there; he just knew. The waitress brought over the menus and glasses of water.
“Do you know what you’re having?” Brannon asked over the top of the menu.
It was a tough decision. The thought of forgoing dinner and ordering the delicious new chocolate cake they had on the menu flashed through my mind momentarily. Instead, I played it safe and ordered the grilled tilapia. Brannon had a burger. Once the waitress had taken our orders, I immediately told Brannon about what happened during the tour.
“The guy had been in the library looking for a strange book, then I ran into him at the bookstore and he looked at me as if I had two heads when I bought the haunted house book. Then tonight he was on the tour… and that’s what happened.” I took a drink of water.
“You said the woman appeared to be with him?” Brannon asked.
The waitress had brought our food and I sank my fork into the flaky fish. “Yes, I asked him if he knew her. I did find out his name.”
“What’s the name?” Brannon grabbed the ketchup.
“Well, I just have the first name because it was on his tag. His name is Jaden,” I said.
Brannon’s eyes widened and he placed the burger back onto his plate.
“What? What do you know?” I asked.
After wiping his hand with the napkin, he said, “All right, I shouldn’t tell you this.” He looked around the café to make sure no one was listening to us.
“Of course you should tell me,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t change his mind.
“There was a strange guy who had been following Melissa. His name is Jaden and I’m pretty sure this wasn’t a coincidence.”
My stomach sank. “So you think this guy killed her?”
“I wouldn’t say that, but he was certainly following her around,” Brannon said.
It sent a shiver down my spine to know that Jaden had been there tonight and with the woman who had been following me.
“You don’t know who the woman with him might have been?” I asked.
“I don’t know her, but I’ll try to find out,” Brannon said.
“This really gives me the creeps.” I pushed the food around on the plate with my fork.
“Try not to worry, but just be aware of your surroundings, okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be aware.”
As we finished our food, a woman burst through the door into the café and practically ran to the counter. She pounded her hands on the register, demanding service. I doubted her behavior was going to get her good service. She tossed a few napkins and a salt shaker around on the counter as she yelled at the employees. Brannon and I exchanged a look. The waitress behind the counter looked flustered, as if she might be ready to cry.
Brannon got up from the table and walked over to her. He didn’t have on his uniform, so she probably wouldn’t have a clue that he was a police officer. He talked to her for a moment, but I couldn’t hear what was said. I did hear her tell Brannon to shut up as she waved her hands through the air.
A second later she shoved him. She’d placed her hands smack dab on his chest and shoved. I stared in disbelief. It only took a second for Brannon to escort her out the door toward his police car. The woman was screeching obscenities the whole way. I peered outside but the cover of darkness concealed most of the action.
After a few seconds, I got up from the table and walked toward the door. Brannon came back at that moment.
“What happened?” I asked.
“I’m not sure what’s wrong with her, but I’ll take her down to the station and see what this is all about,” Brannon said.
“I’ll just walk home.” I gestured.
“No, I’ll have another cop stop by here and pick her up and then I’ll take you home. I don’t want you to walk.” Brannon gently brushed my cheek with the back of his hand.
“If you’re sure it’s no big deal,” I said.
“I’m positive,” he said.
Once on the sidewalk I thought I’d spotted the mystery woman out of the corner of my eye, but when I looked again, either she was gone, or I’d only imagined it.
Chapter 9
Brannon and I arrived in front of my apartment. The branches gently swayed with the wind. A storm was headed our way. We were walking up the path toward the front porch. It had been such a wonderful evening I didn’t want it to end. The weather was unseasonably nice as well. I thought about asking Brannon if he wanted to sit on the front porch for a while, but I figured he had work. Our conversations were so easy that I enjoyed every moment of talking with him.
When we stepped up onto the porch, he wrapped his hands around mine. We faced each other, our bodies just inches apart.
By the look in his eyes, something was on his mind. I had no idea what he was about to say.
Before he could speak a word, his phone rang. That was definitely bad timing. I’d been hoping for another passionate kiss, but now that probably wouldn’t happen. Brannon looked like he was unhappy with the timing of the call as well. He pulled the phone from his pocket and answered.
“Officer Landon,” he said.
His expression immediately changed and I knew that this wasn’t a good call. He clicked off the phone and shoved it back into his pocket.
“What happened?” I asked.
“I’m sorry, Rip, but I have to go,” he said.
“You’re not telling me e
verything.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest.
“Crystal’s place was broken into,” he said.
“Is she home?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yes, I believe she was home at the time.”
I moved down the steps and headed toward the sidewalk.
Brannon followed me. “Where you going?”
“I have to go to Crystal’s house to see if she’s okay,” I said.
He grabbed my arm. “Whoa, I can’t let you do that.”
“And why not?” I placed my hands on my hips.
He just stared at me without an answer. Finally, he said, “Okay, let’s go.”
I was glad that he had realized that I was going to go regardless whether he said I could or not. I would have left right after him and gone there.
“You do know this could be dangerous, right?” he asked as we got into the car.
“Of course I know that, but I have to check on my friend,” I said as I buckled my seatbelt.
He just shook his head and started the car. When we pulled up in front of her place, Crystal was outside next to a police car. Her hair was pulled back into a slobby ponytail and she wore baggy sweats and an oversized hoodie. An officer was talking with her. I hoped that she was okay.
Brannon got out and I followed after him. “I’ll be right back,” he said as he hurried toward the house.
I immediately went over to check on Crystal. When she saw me she rushed toward me, as if she’d been lost and I was there to rescue her.
“What happened?” I asked Crystal.
Her hand shook as she reached up and pushed the hair out of her eyes. “I just came over to get something and while I was in my bedroom I heard somebody in the living room. I went to check it out and I saw a man dressed all in black. Like he was trying to blend in with the night.”
“And then what happened?” I asked.
“Since he didn’t see me I was able to sneak back into the bedroom. I hid in the closet and called police. When they got here he’d already gone.”
Several officers walked around and I watched as they went in and out of the building.
“Why do you think he was here?” I asked.
She looked back at the apartment and shook her head. “I don’t know. Do you think it has anything to do with Crystal’s murder?”
“Maybe he was looking for something,” I said.
“I don’t want to think about it, but yes, I think that has something to do it. But I just don’t know what he was looking for. I don’t know if he found it.”
“You didn’t see anything specific missing?” I asked.
She wrapped her arms in front of her waist. “No, I didn’t notice anything gone.”
The fact that nothing valuable was missing made me think that this really was related to Melissa’s death. Whoever this was had to be looking for something. Maybe he’d been looking for the same thing when Melissa was murdered. Crystal was lucky that he hadn’t found her. I wouldn’t mention that though—she was already terrified enough.
This was another thing to add to my to-do list. I had to find out what this person was looking for. Of course, without letting Brannon know what I was up to. He would just say it was too dangerous and I shouldn’t get involved.
“What are you going to do now?” I asked.
She blew out a deep breath and then said, “I’m just going to go back to my friend’s house for the night.”
I was glad she wasn’t staying in the apartment until whatever was going on was solved.
“That’s probably for the best,” I said.
Just then Brannon came back out of the apartment. He looked tired, but he was still an amazing specimen of masculinity.
“Did you find out anything?” I asked, as if he would really tell me.
“No, we’re trying to get fingerprints, but after the murder it could be tough to find anything. We’re just looking for something that’s different.”
“So you think it’s related to the murder, right?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yes, I’m sure it is.” He looked to Crystal. “If there’s anything else you think of, please call right away.”
She nodded. “Yes, I will.”
Crystal’s friend had arrived to give her a ride back to her apartment. She hugged me and hurried over to the car. I knew she was anxious to get away and I didn’t blame her.
When Crystal walked away, I looked at Brannon and asked, “What do you think he was looking for?”
Brannon peered up at the old Victorian house. “That’s anyone’s guess at this point.”
It seemed as if it would be impossible to ever find out the answer. I needed to kick my investigative skills into high gear. I wondered if Jaden had broken into the apartment. What would he have been looking for? Had Melissa had something that belonged to someone else? It seemed like she led a very secretive life. Someone had to know more about her. Maybe there was something Crystal was forgetting.
***
The next morning, I was headed out for work, but there was one other place that I wanted to go first. I left a little early so that I would have plenty of time to make it there. The place was in the opposite direction from the library.
I’d finally discovered where Melissa had worked and I’d decided to talk to a few people there. Maybe they could give me more information about her personality or anyone she knew. Sure, the police had already done this, but I thought I would cover all the bases in case they had missed something. It was totally possible, but I wouldn’t tell Brannon.
After a few blocks, I made it to the coffee shop. This place hadn’t been open long. It didn’t seem as crowded as the Java Hut on the other side of town. I stepped inside and inhaled the rich scent of coffee. An employee was helping a customer, so I waited in line to talk with her. At least since the place was slow I would have a chance to speak to her without interruptions.
When the customer got her coffee and headed toward the door, the employee smiled at me and asked, “Can I take your order?” Christie was written on her nametag.
I moved up to the counter. Of course I had to order a cinnamon latte. While she prepared my order, I contemplated what I would ask. I hoped that the words came out right.
Christie handed me the drink. “Is there anything else?”
I handed her my credit card. “There was something else. I wanted to ask about Melissa Mathers.”
Her expression changed into a frown and she tensed up. I hoped she would answer my questions. My sleuthing mission would end immediately if she turned out to be tight lipped.
She busied herself with work and didn’t make eye contact with me. “What did you want to know?”
“Just a little bit more about her. What her interests were and maybe anybody that she was having a fight with.”
I hoped she didn’t ask me if I was with the police. I would have to tell her no, just a librarian with a little nosiness problem.
“I’m not sure if Melissa had any enemies, but she’d been involved with a weird group of people.” Christie straightened a stack of cups.
“What kind of weird people?” I asked.
She waved her hand. “All I know is they like to use a Ouija board and Melissa talked about that kind of stuff a lot.”
This made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “Do you know any names of people who were involved in this group?” I asked.
Christie handed someone their cup of coffee. “I can’t remember.”
A group of people entered and I knew that my time was up. Plus, I had to get to work anyway. “Is it okay if I call you later and see if you remember the names?” I asked.
Christie glanced over at the growing crowd in the coffee shop. “Yeah, sure. I have some time to talk later this afternoon.” She scribbled onto a piece of scrap paper and handed it to me. “That’s my cell phone number. I get off at two today, so you can call any time after that.”
I shoved the paper into my purse. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate
it.”
She gave me a half-hearted smile and then looked at the person standing behind me. I hurried out of the way so that she could get to work. Even though I hadn’t gotten much info, I still headed out of the coffee shop happy that I had made a little bit of progress. One thing was for certain, I had to find out about this group Melissa was associated with.
As I walked down the street toward the library, I spotted someone out of the corner of my eye. She seemed to be walking at the same pace as me, but she was on the other side of the street. When I glanced over, I realized it was the woman from the tour. As soon as she saw me she turned around and rushed in the other direction.
I really needed to get to work, but I also really wanted to find out who this woman was. Maybe after the break-in I shouldn’t be chasing her. Perhaps just a quick pursuit and I could discover her identity.
A lot of traffic traveled up and down the street, so I had to wait for the cars to pass before I could get over to her side. Finally, I crossed the street and ran down the sidewalk. One problem: now I couldn’t see her. I had lost her again. It was like she knew just how to lose me.
There was no sense in walking any further. I wasn’t going to find her today. By the looks of things, I wasn’t going to catch up with her any day. I turned around and headed back toward the library. Every few seconds I glanced over my shoulder to see if she was there. Sadly, I hadn’t gotten a chance to look at the books last night after we’d left Crystal’s place. That would have to wait until later tonight. Finally I reached the library and hurried inside. I was just glad to be there and away from the strange woman.
As soon as I walked through the door, Annie was waiting for me. Somehow she knew that something was wrong. How did she always know this stuff?
What happened last night?
Just then Tammy walked through the door. “What happened last night?”
Haunt the Haunt, Walk the Walk (Haunted Tour Guide Mystery Book 3) Page 7
