3 The Ghoul Next Door

by Rose Pressey

  Mindy’s face dropped.

  “I have to know who that woman really is. I don’t believe her name is Jane Howe, but I intend on getting to the bottom of it.”

  “Look at where she’d headed now.” Mindy pointed toward the front windows. “Cooper’s.”

  “Not again. Cooper couldn’t be involved in anything bad.”

  I might have believed it from him at first, but now that I’d gotten to know him? No way. He could be annoying, but he was an okay guy. Most of the time.

  “Well, don’t think the worst.” Mindy placed her hand on my arm for reassurance. “Maybe she is going in there to shop or to get an application from him. I don’t think he knows her.”

  “I hope so, because I don’t think I can handle any more witchcraft.” My shoulders slumped at the thought. “Just to be safe, maybe you should stay away from her and I’ll warn Callahan too. I don’t want any more spells cast on you two. I can’t handle that anymore.”

  “You and me both,” Mindy said.

  Candy Cherry snorted. “You couple of crybabies need to toughen up.”

  Elvis appeared, cutting off her words. She attempted to tone down her nastiness when he was around, but she had a hard time of it.

  We moved to the front of the store and watched as Jane made her way from the front of High Fashion to the register where Cooper had been working. He seemed extremely interested in what Jane had to say. With his gaze fixed on her, I couldn’t tell if he was looking at her chest or face. Men.

  Cooper handed her a piece of paper and I knew what that meant. I leaned closer to the window as if that would give me a better view. I needed my binoculars. Mindy had finally gotten to me and I’d purchased a pair of my own one night at Wal-Mart with Mae West. Mindy had finally converted me over to her side.

  “She’s asking him for a job too. And knowing him, he’ll probably give it to her,” I said.

  “That statement is more than likely correct based on that skirt and blouse she was wearing. Men can be such suckers sometimes. So easily persuaded.” Mindy snorted.

  We watched as they spoke, and when Jane turned to come out from his shop, we hurried away from the window. I didn’t want her to see us snooping on her.

  Mindy giggled. “We’re getting good at this.”

  The first chance I got I was going over there to warn Cooper. Sure, I couldn’t tell him not to hire her, but he did need to look into her background first. You couldn’t just leave a stranger in charge of your business without knowing anything about them. A pretty face didn’t always equal an honest face. He should know that from his cousin Brianna.

  As soon as she’d turned the corner, I said, “Come on. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Before Mindy and I had even crossed the street, my ghosts were waiting by the front door of High Fashion. When we stepped through the door, Cooper’s eyes widened.

  “Elvis Presley follows you everywhere you go? I thought that was a one-time thing. I’m impressed.”

  I smirked, as if to say, yeah, I’m good. “Never mind that. I have another bone to pick with you. What did that woman want?” I pointed toward the street.

  “Oh yes, Jane Howe. She seems great. She said you turned her down for a job. A little intimidated, huh?”

  Okay, maybe Cooper could be an ass at times.

  He focused on his iPad. “Anyway, I hired her.”

  “What?” Mindy and I said in unison.

  “I can’t believe you hired her.” I stepped closer. I wanted to snatch the device from his hands and force him to look at me.

  He glanced at me, then back down. “I needed someone to work.”

  “But you don’t know anything about her,” I said.

  “She gave me her resume.” He pointed at the paper. “She had references and experience.”

  I crossed my arms in front of my chest. “So she claimed. How do you know she was telling the truth?”

  “Yeah,” Mindy agreed. “Cooper, you can be so dense sometimes.”

  He smirked. “Well, I guess I’ll find out. But I have someone to work for me while we tape the show. You don’t.” He quirked a brow.

  “He does have a point,” Mindy said.

  I narrowed my eyes. “I’ll find someone, just you watch.” I pointed. “And I guarantee you’ll discover that your worker isn’t on the up and up. Don’t come to me when she casts a spell on you.”

  I turned on my heel and gestured for the ghosts to follow me. “Come on, guys. Let’s get out of here.”

  I groaned as I walked through the door of Book Nook and marched to the counter. I hadn’t even turned around to make sure the ghosts were still with me. Honestly, did I really need to look? They always followed me. Even Candy Cherry was hanging close at the moment.

  “Can you believe that guy?” I asked Mindy. “He’s crazy.”

  Elvis leaned against the counter and my stomach flip-flopped at his nearness. “Men sometimes don’t think things through when a pretty woman is involved.”

  Since he was all man, I was sure he knew what he was talking about.

  “Who are you going to get to work?” Mindy asked.

  I bated my eyelashes and flashed a smile her way.

  “Oh, Larue, you know I would if I could, but my place is barely hanging on. I don’t have anyone to instruct the classes.”

  My shoulders slumped a little. “I know, but it was worth a shot, right?”

  She patted my hand. “If we put our heads together, we could find someone.”

  “Do pardon me for interrupting.” Candy Cherry sashayed closer to the counter.

  As if I had a choice. I was shocked that she’d been polite enough to ask before injecting her wisdom.

  “What about the woman who stopped in to say hello?” my crabby ghoul friend asked. “Beth was her name. She said she was bored since her wee one started school. She even left her number for you, remember?”

  Why had it taken a ghost to point that out to me? Beth would be perfect, actually. I didn’t know her, but she knew Karyn and she had seemed like a very nice lady. People in town knew her. At least I figured they did since she’d lived here all her life as far as I knew.

  Take that, Cooper. I’d show him. He probably hoped I wouldn’t find someone so I wouldn’t be able to do the show. He’d love that. Well, too bad, because Larue Donavan was there to stay.

  “Candy Cherry just reminded me about Beth. She would be perfect,” I said.

  Mindy glanced around. “I’m shocked, but she does have a point.”

  “I’ll call her right now.” I grabbed the phone and found her number.

  Candy Cherry smirked and sashayed back to some corner in the room. Why was she being nice? There had to be a motive behind her pleasantries.

  After several rings, the woman answered. “Beth, this is Larue from Book Nook.”

  “Oh, hi, Larue. Is everything okay?”

  “Oh yeah, everything is fine. Listen, the reason I’m calling is, and this may seem so random, how would you like to work for me at Book Nook?”

  She didn’t speak. Had I scared the poor woman away already? “I know you haven’t applied for a job, but I really need some help while I work on a project. I know you mentioned that you’re looking for something to do now that your son is in school. So what better way to occupy your time? I’d pay you a good wage and you can have a discount on all the books you want.”

  “Remember this was my idea,” Candy said from across the room.

  I ignored Candy Cherry.

  Beth’s response pulled my attention back. “I think that is a fantastic idea, Larue. When do I start?”

  I let out a sigh of relief. Finally, something had gone right. “You can start right away.”

  After a few minutes on the phone, it was all set. But why did a nervous lump sit like a rock in the pit of my stomach? I felt as if I was leaving my baby with a stranger, that was why. I hated the idea of not being in the bookstore. I’d never liked leaving anyone else in charge.
My motto was if you wanted something done right, then you had to do it yourself. “Trust other people,” Mindy would say.

  Easier said than done.

  ***

  Callahan had cancelled our dinner plans because he said he needed to help Mike with the carwash business. I couldn’t lie; I was disappointed because I’d wanted to celebrate the beginning of the show with him. But I knew he was trying to help out a friend, so I forgave him. Later that night, I’d taken Matt Kelly’s advice and gone to bed early. But my anxiety over what would happen the next day, plus the strange feeling growing within me, made sleeping next to impossible. The three ghosts sitting in my bedroom didn’t help either.

  “Maybe we should leave her alone to get some sleep,” Elvis whispered.

  “Sleep won’t help her at this point. She’s hopeless,” Candy Cherry said sarcastically.

  I sat up in bed. “Candy. Mr. Fine. Get out!”

  Without waiting for a response, I plopped back on the bed, grabbed the pillow and covered my head, trying to drown out their nonsense.

  After a minute, I felt a slight weight on the side of my bed. I was almost afraid to open my eyes to see who was there. Please let it not be another ghost. Easing back the pillow, I opened one eye and realized I might have died and gone to heaven. Elvis was sitting on the edge of my bed. The sweet sound of his voice hit my ears as he started singing Love Me Tender. Like a baby, I began to doze off. But someone had to ruin all the fun.

  Chapter Twenty

  Another noise sounded from outside the house. It was beginning to be a regular occurrence. Did I go see what it was, or just ignore it? Closing my eyes to the situation would only make matters worse. Not knowing would eat away at me, so I knew I’d have to see what had made the sound. Not that I’d see anything since it was pitch black outside.

  Tiptoeing over to the window, I peeked out into the darkness and looked for the same shadow that had been making regular appearances. Nothing was in sight. The leaves on the trees didn’t sway and the clouds didn’t move in the sky. The moon lit up the whole yard. I’d remembered to leave the outside light off so that I could get a good view of the whole area in cause this thing returned. If there was something out there it wouldn’t be able to hide for long.

  Elvis had jumped up with me. I had so been enjoying the serenade. Whoever spoiled my fun needed a swift kick in the rear.

  “Do you think something is out there?” Elvis asked from over my shoulder.

  It was nice having Elvis around the house. His presence made me feel safe.

  “Yes, I’m sure something is out there,” I said softly.

  “I’ll go check it out.”

  I looked at him. “You’d do that for me?”

  “Of course I would. What are friends for?” He winked.

  I followed Elvis to the front of the house and watched as he disappeared through the front door. From the side window, I watched as he moved from tree to tree. After a minute, he looked back at me and shook his head. I stepped out on the porch as he walked up.

  “There’s nothing out there. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a stray cat or a raccoon.”

  It was an awfully loud cat or raccoon if it had been, but I didn’t mention this to Elvis. I was just thankful that he’d looked for me.

  “Thank you,” I said. “Maybe it’s gone for good now.”

  He nodded. “Why don’t you get back inside and get some rest? You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.”

  As I turned to head back into the house, a rustling noise caught my attention and we both whirled around. From behind one of the trees someone moved, then slipped away into the night.

  Elvis floated off in pursuit, but I wasn’t sure he’d catch up with her. The person looked just like Karyn, but I knew it couldn’t be her. Well, I supposed it could have been, but why would she be outside my home when she was supposed to be in Texas? The person had moved normally at first, but then it was as if she glided away. Karyn couldn’t glide anywhere as far as I knew. No one could except for the ghosts. But this was no ghost, I sensed it. If anyone knew the difference, I did.

  The person I’d seen had long blonde hair and was the same size as Karyn. I’d even gotten a good look at the side of her face, which made me even more confused. It really looked like her. But Karyn wouldn’t have dashed off like that without saying something to me. We’d grown to be friends in the very short time that I’d known her.

  Elvis floated back. He furrowed his brow. “I don’t know where she went to. I was sure I could catch up to whoever it was, but she was gone like a rabbit. And I float fast. She was supercharged.”

  I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “It looked like my friend, but she’s in Texas.”

  “Well, like I said, this person just seemed to disappear. You say it looked like your friend. What was her name?”

  “Karyn,” I filled in for him.

  “Would she come here? What would she be doing here at this time of night?”

  “I have no idea, but I’m going to find out.” I ran inside and grabbed my phone from the table.

  As I listened to the phone ring, Candy Cherry sidled up next to me. Oh goodie, my favorite ghost. Just the person I wanted to see. I tilted my head in the opposite direction, trying to give her the hint that it was a private conversation and to get lost.

  “Would you please stop tapping your fingers on that table? You’re giving me a headache,” she said.

  “What is your problem? You’re dead. How can you have a headache?” I snapped while waiting for Karyn to pick up.

  Three rings. Four rings. No answer yet.

  She huffed. “Now you’re just being mean. Do you think I don’t know I’m dead? I have emotions, you know. I do have feelings.” She gave a fake sniffle.

  I rolled my eyes. “Oh no, you don’t. Don’t give me that line of bull.”

  Five rings. Six rings. Just when I thought the voice mail would pick up, Karyn answered. Her groggy hello reminded me of the time. I’d temporarily forgotten how rude it was to call at one a.m., but it was kind of an emergency. Besides, if she really had been the one running away, then I knew she would pretend she’d been asleep. But why would she lie to me?

  “Karyn, it’s Larue,” I said hurriedly.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked in a concerned voice.

  “I’m sorry to call you at this time of night.” I paused, trying to think of the right way to ask. “This may sound like a strange question, but I have to ask anyway.”

  “Please, go ahead,” she nudged.

  Steadying myself, I finally asked, “Were you just at my house?”

  “No.” She paused, then asked, “What makes you ask that?”

  If it hadn’t been her, then I had an even bigger question: who was it?

  “This may sound strange, but I thought I saw you in my front yard out by the trees. When I noticed the person, they ran away.” I left out the part about Elvis because I already sounded wacky enough.

  “I wasn’t there and if I had been you know I would have come to your door.”

  Her voice sounded terse and a little taken aback that I’d even asked something like this, which was completely unlike her. Well, I guess I hadn’t known her that long, so maybe it was like her and I’d never witnessed it. She’d never lied to me that I knew of, so why would she start now?

  I let out another deep breath. “Maybe I was just seeing things.”

  “Perhaps it was a bird,” she said.

  She sounded like she thought I’d lost my mind. Heck, maybe I had. Had I dreamed the whole thing? Maybe I’d been sleepwalking. Stranger things had happened. I pinched myself. Yeah, I was awake.

  “Listen, Karyn I’m really sorry for bothering you.”

  Candy Cherry snorted and Mr. Fine blew smoke in my face. I was going to take those cigarettes and shove them… oh, he wasn’t worth the energy.

  “Would you like to chat for a little while longer?” She sounded more like her usual self.

&n
bsp; “No, no. I’m just going to bed.”

  “You’ve been through a lot. You just need to get some rest.”

  It felt as if all the air had escaped my lungs. “I guess.”

  Everyone kept saying that, but my tiredness could only be blamed so many times before I didn’t believe it anymore.

  “If you’re sure you don’t need me?” she asked.

  “I’m positive.”

  “You’ll call me if you need anything? Don’t worry about the time either.”

  Didn’t she know by now that obviously I didn’t watch the clock? Like an idiot I’d called her in the middle of the night to ask her if she’d been hiding behind a tree at my house. Yeah, I’d officially lost it. No wonder she’d acted strange when I’d called.

  I hung up and trudged back to bed, ignoring the sneers from Candy Cherry and Mr. Fine. As soon as the show was over and I had time, they were so out of here. Don’t let the light hit you where the good Lord split you, nasty ghosts.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Mindy, Cooper, and the television crew were set to pick me up within the hour. I’d already dressed in the nicest pair of black pants I owned and a silk turquoise blouse. I’d taken an hour on my makeup compared to my usual two minutes only to realize the show would have a hair and makeup person to do it for me.

  It was a strange feeling to be hanging out with Elvis at my kitchen table. He sat across from me while I drank my morning coffee and enjoyed blueberry waffles. Mr. Fine leaned against the counter as if he was thoroughly bored with the whole scene. I wasn’t sure where evil Candy was, but I knew she was in the house somewhere—I sensed her. I thought she was in my bedroom looking around. She was the nosiest ghost I’d ever encountered. Maybe she’d been a kleptomaniac when she had been alive.

  “So, tell me,” I said stuffing a forkful of food into my mouth. I chewed, swallowed, then continued the sentence. “What do you think of today’s music? I bet you visit your daughter a lot and your grandchildren.”

  Hmm. I wondered if he popped in on Priscilla occasionally. That would be a bit awkward, seeing the ex. He probably couldn’t resist a visit every now and then. I wouldn’t ask; that was just too personal. I didn’t want to seem like a crazed fan. Oh, who was I kidding? I already looked like a crazed fan.