by Carly Winter
Just as I shut the panel to my cleaning supply closet, the bell on the front door jingled, indicating someone had entered.
“Oh, this is so pretty!”
“It really is. I'm glad we decided to stay here instead of a hotel.”
With a smile, I rounded the corner to greet my guests. “Hey! I'm Bernadette, the owner.” I stuck my hand out and shook theirs, pegging them both in their mid-twenties.
“We love the living room,” the blonde with long hair said as she gazed all around.
“Thank you.” Two high-backed flowered couches sat facing each other, providing a pathway to the large wooden fireplace. I'd lined up the cushions and throw pillows with precision, and the huge chandelier hung from the ceiling right between them. With the natural light coming in through the windows, I had to admit, it was a stunning room. “I hope you like the rest of the house just as well.”
After leading them over to the little desk in the corner, I took down their information and charged their credit card. “I understand you're looking at wedding venues?”
“Yes!” Amy, the exuberant blonde, said. Pegging her as one of those people who became excited about everything, I also guessed she did the talking for the both of them, because I'd gotten nothing from her friend Cathy but a brief smile. “I'm the one getting married and I'm very spiritual. I'm considering an outdoor wedding at one of the vortexes. I want the energy to bless our union.”
Sedona was famous for its energy vortexes and many people believed them to be helpful to healing, self-exploration, and meditation.
Ruby snorted as she appeared behind the two women. Even though she'd spent most of her adult life in Sedona, she didn't believe in the vortex energy so many came to experience.
“When's the ceremony?” I asked.
“I'd like to be married at the beginning of fall, when the weather isn't too hot but not cold yet, either.”
“I'm sure you'll find somewhere lovely to hold your ceremony,” I replied. “That time of year is really pretty. Jack over at Jumping Jack Jeep Tours may be able to help you out by driving you around. He's got a whole list of beautiful places to show you.”
Amy and Cathy exchanged glances. “Oh, my gosh!” Amy shrieked. “That would be amazing!”
“You'll find a brochure in your room, so you can call and make a reservation. Tell him what you're looking for, and I'm sure he'll be able to help you out.”
“What about breakfast?” Amy asked. “Is one served? We saw some reviews about how good it was.”
Darla Darling, who owned Darling's Diner, used to provide breakfast for my guests. But, she was no longer my friend because of a huge misunderstanding and her own insecurities. Since we were no longer on speaking terms and a drunk monkey had better culinary skills than me, I'd taken breakfast off my list of amenities.
“We'll have donuts and coffee,” I replied.
“Oh, that won't do. Sugar goes straight to my thighs. I have to fit into a wedding dress!”
At least I didn't have to buy donuts. “If you're watching your calories, then I would suggest a smoothy from Sarah's Smoothies in town. They're very filling and if you choose the right one, they're also healthy.”
“If you're a cow,” Ruby said. “Lemongrass, wheatgrass, barley... all cow food.”
“I enjoy the lemongrass and blueberry with extra probiotics,” I said, smiling. “It's one of my favorites.” Besides the chocolate and peanut butter with mounds of whipped cream, but I'd keep that little secret to myself.
“It does sound wonderful,” Amy agreed. “We'll definitely have to give it a try.”
Cathy cleared her throat. “I read online that this place is haunted.”
My gaze slid over to my resident ghost who stood right behind Cathy, smiling and rubbing her hands together as if she couldn't wait for the haunting to begin. “Some people have experienced strange things,” I replied. “But others haven't.”
Cathy leaned her forearms onto the desk. “I'd appreciate it if I didn't experience anything but a good night’s sleep.”
A stunning woman with a black pixie cut and blue eyes, her gaze held a hint of fear. Glancing over at Ruby again, who had broken out into a song about marriage equating a ball and chain, I couldn't make any promises.
“I'm sure you'll be fine,” I replied. “The most anyone has reported is strange odors. Nothing beyond that.”
“Boo!” Ruby yelled right in Cathy's face, then cackled.
Cathy narrowed her gaze. “I think I smell... lavender? And something else? What is that, Amy?”
“I'm not sure,” Amy replied, sniffing the air.
“Is this some type of joke?” Cathy asked. “I mean, I mention a ghost and now weird odors are floating around?”
“Relax. It's probably just your imagination,” the bride-to-be said. “There's no such thing as ghosts.”
Oh, how I wished she was right. My resident apparition waved her arms in the air and rolled her eyes in the back of her head while groaning, her meager attempt at scary sorely lacking.
“Well, here are your keys,” I said, handing one to each of them. “Your rooms are up the stairs on the left side.” Since I only had king beds, the women had requested separate sleeping quarters.
“Great,” Amy said. “We appreciate it.”
“I hope you enjoy your visit. Let me know if I can do anything for you.”
As they waved and made their way up the stairs, Ruby thankfully stayed with me. “Please leave them alone tonight,” I whispered. “Cathy doesn't want to have any paranormal experiences.”
“She's no fun.”
“Promise me you'll leave them alone?”
“Fine,” Ruby said with a huff. “I promise. Why does your place attract such boring guests?”
I didn't bother to answer and instead walked into my room where I grabbed a load of laundry, then into the laundry room where I shoved it into the washer. When the washing machine hummed along, I returned to the bedroom to find Ruby sprawled out on the yellow comforter with my tabby cat, Elvira, who tended to be a little moody except when with my grandmother.
After shutting the door, I took a seat on the rocking chair by the window wishing I had brought in a glass of water. “Tell me what you heard while you were spying in the sheriff's office.”
“Mr. Dimples wasn't lying when he said Belinda was a piece of work.”
“What did Sheriff Walker have to say about it?”
Ruby sighed, her forehead pinched in concentration. “Well, she demanded he allow her to return to her hotel—that one fancy place that reminds me of a mausoleum. I don't remember the name of it, but I'd never stay there. Too uptight for me. Old Bruce told her she'd have to wait until he was done interviewing her. Now, knowing Bruce the way I do, I bet that if she hadn't been such a hoity-toity snot, he would've let her go and caught up with her the next morning. But she pushed him and became more and more haughty, and he responded in kind.”
“Interesting. Sounds like it was a war of wills rather than an interview.”
“Yes, I'd say so—a regular one-upmanship, or a power play. Belinda, Harold, and their friend Nancy were all staying together. Nancy's a friend of the family.”
“Staying together? As in the same room?”
“Yeppers. Made me wonder if there wasn't a little funny business going on between the three of them.”
I stared out the window. How strange was it that three adults, two married and one single, shared one room? It had never happened in my bed and breakfast, but I suppose people could travel that way and most likely did.
“She kept going on about how much money she had,” Ruby continued. “Said she'd buy and sell the sheriff and he'd be in big trouble if he didn't take his focus off her and Nancy.”
“What did he say to that?” I couldn't imagine he appreciated her efforts in pushing him around.
“Bruce told her money was the perfect motive and he had to investigate everyone involved in the crime, and that included her because he a
ssumed she would be the beneficiary of the estate.”
“That makes sense.”
“Sure it does. Wife offs the annoying husband and can spend the money any way she wants. If I were ever married to a rich guy who irritated me, I'd consider it.”
“You would not.”
Ruby shrugged and giggled. “Maybe or maybe not.”
The problem with her theory was she would have to agree to marriage in the first place, something she'd never done.
“If Belinda and Harold are so rich, why are the three of them sharing a room?” I asked. “Why not reserve a separate room for Nancy?”
“Good question. Perhaps no one likes privacy. Maybe Harold’s a tightwad and he’d rather have Nancy around all the time instead of spending the extra money.”
I would think the married couple would want solitude, but perhaps I was wrong. Either that, or Ruby was correct and there was some funny business going on between the three of them, which was also none of my concern.
“Did she give any indication on who pushed him?” I asked.
“She said that obviously it was one of the two men in their group because Nancy was her best friend and would never cause her any pain. Then you pulled me out of there.”
I recalled how shielding Nancy had been of her friend, both on the cliff and in the sheriff's office. She'd even tried to accompany Belinda into her interview with the sheriff, almost as if Belinda was incapable of speaking for herself.
“In my intelligent opinion, Nancy is acting like Belinda's watchdog,” Ruby said. “I understand wanting to help a friend, but she seemed... maybe overprotective?”
“I agree, Ruby. There's something different about their relationship.”
Darla and I had been close—probably the closest friend I'd ever had. But I couldn't picture either one of us hovering over each other the way Nancy had with Belinda. Some days I truly missed Darla and I became a little teary. But then I recalled how crazy she'd become and how hurtful she'd been, and I got over it darn quick. It would take a miracle to repair the damaged relationship.
“For the record, that woman had been drinking,” Ruby said. “Not that it’s a big deal, but she was slurring her words a little bit.”
“That’s interesting,” I replied. “I didn’t think Jack allowed alcohol on his tours for liability reasons.”
“Maybe she carries a flask. The best of us do. And speaking of Jack… what do you think about Mr. Dimples getting a lawyer?”
“Jack? Well, I can't see him going from Jeep tour operator to murderer, but it does seem strange to me. Maybe he lost his cool with all the fighting and pushed Harold. I don't know.”
A knock sounded at my bedroom door and Ruby and I exchanged glances.
I rose from the chair and opened the panel to find Amy and Cathy. Both looked somewhat uncomfortable as they shuffled their weight from one foot to the other and Cathy wouldn't meet my gaze.
“What can I do for you?” I asked, wondering how long they'd been standing there and if they'd been listening.
“Well, we're leaving,” Amy said. “We wanted to let you know.”
“Um... thank you, but you don't have to tell me when you're coming and going.” Mental note: include this bit of information in the check-in speech from now on.
Amy glanced over my shoulder, searching for someone or something. “Okay, we weren't sure,” she said. “We've never stayed at a bed and breakfast before.”
“If you're going to be out past ten, you can phone me,” I replied. “I can give you instructions on how to enter the house once the doors are locked.”
“Great. Thanks.”
Neither moved.
“I... I need to get back to my phone call,” I said. “Is there anything else?”
Amy didn't bother to try to hide her surprise or confusion. She stared at me with wide eyes, her mouth in a perfect O, and I couldn't figure out why. Didn't she believe my lie? “No,” she whispered. “We'll see you later.”
I waited until the bells chimed on the front door, then shook my head and turned to Ruby. “How much do you think they heard?”
Ruby shrugged. “I have no idea. Nice move telling them you were on the phone instead of chatting it up with your dead grandma.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. I'd never had a guest invade my private space like Cathy and Amy had, and even though they hadn't stepped in the room, the space suddenly felt violated.
“You've only got one problem,” Ruby said.
“What's that?”
“Your phone's on the kitchen counter.”
After glancing around at all the regular surfaces I usually left the device on, I hurried out to the kitchen. On the pristine, uncluttered counter sat my phone. They'd have to be blind not to see it.
“Maybe they thought I have two phones.”
Ruby sauntered out of my bedroom, chuckling. “Or perhaps they thought you were talking to your resident scary ghost.”
With a groan, I shut my eyes. Not only did my guests probably think I was crazy sitting in a bedroom talking to myself, they also might have overheard the gossip about the murder. Hopefully, they wouldn't repeat any of it while in town.
The last thing I needed was more people hating me. I'd already been the town pariah once before, and thankfully, that had died down. I didn't want to become the target of loathing again. This time, they may run me out.
Chapter Seven
The next morning, I had coffee with Amy and Cathy in the living room. The spring morning held a bit of a chill, so I lit the fireplace and the flames quickly warmed the room. Ruby had yet to show herself and Elvira hid under my bed.
“Did you get to explore a little yesterday?” I asked the women as I sipped cinnamon brew with cream from my mug. It wasn't as delicious as the goodness from Canyon Coffee, but it did the job and tasted decent.
Amy smiled and nodded. “A little bit. I love the stores here... We did some shopping.”
“Oh, good! Where did you go?”
“Our first stop was Sarah's Smoothies and we each had the Lemongrass and Blueberry drink you recommended. It was tasty and very energizing.”
“Then we went over to Elizabeth's Essentials,” Cathy chimed in, surprising me. “She showed us a wonderful lavender oil mix that helps with sleep. I tried it last night, and I can't remember the last time I've rested so well. A couple of dabs to my temples and to the bottom of my feet and I was out.”
Maybe that was why Cathy wasn't overly chatty—she simply needed a decent eight hours. Or perhaps she was one of those people who remained quiet until she really knew a person and felt comfortable around them.
“I also picked up a purse at Boots and Bags,” Amy said. “A cute little red and yellow leather one. It reminds me of springtime.”
The bag she spoke of had been sitting in the window for a few weeks, and it had caught my eye as well. Since the owner, Michael, hand-stitched all his wares, it would be considered a one-of-a-kind as no two of his items were ever the same.
“I love that purse,” I said, now disappointed I hadn't picked it up for myself. “He does amazing work.”
We chatted for a few more moments about the other items the women noticed in the store, then I asked, “Did you schedule a tour with Jack?”
Amy and Cathy exchanged glances, shaking their heads. “We were uneasy about doing that,” Amy replied.
“How come?” Although, I had a pretty good idea why. They'd heard everything I'd said the prior day while talking to my ghost.
“Well, we read in the paper that he may be involved in a murder and we didn't feel comfortable having him take us out, especially to secluded areas.”
I hadn't checked the paper in the past couple of days, so I couldn't verify if Jack had been mentioned in the reporting. If he had been, that would definitely hurt his business. In a way, I hoped Amy and Cathy were being truthful and they hadn't overheard me.
“We better get going,” Cathy said. “We're heading out t
o two of the vortexes today to scout the area.”
“Which ones?”
“Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock.”
The two were the most popular, although Sedona was said to hold many others—a truly spiritual and magical place.
“Do you need more information on them?” I asked. “They each have very different energies.”
Amy nodded and set down her cup. “Sure!”
They listened intently as I gave my quick spiel I had recited many times: Cathedral Rock was a magnetic vortex full of yin, or feminine energy, while Bell Rock consisted more of masculine energy. “Honestly, for a wedding, I think Cathedral Rock would be a better place. The energy is more soothing, more maternal.”
“That's great to know,” Amy said. “Thanks for the tips! I'll see how I feel at each one.”
“And remember, the vortexes will augment your moods and make them more pronounced,” I continued. “If you're happy while there, you'll experience a blissful state. If you're unhappy, you'll only feel worse.”
Amy turned to Cathy. “You better put a smile on your face and think cheerful thoughts.”
“Right?” Cathy said with a laugh. “Like I need to be any crankier.”
At least she knew her disposition wasn't the best.
“Have a fun time,” I said, walking them to the front door. “And please reconsider booking Jack. He's a personal friend of mine and I know he didn't have anything to do with murdering anyone.”
At least, I hoped not. It would be creepy having a friend who's a killer.
No sooner had they left and I poured another cup of coffee, the door chimes rang again. Imagine my surprise when I ventured into the entryway and found Darla Darling standing there, her arms crossed over her chest, her brow furrowed in anger. With her leggings, tank top, and the beads of sweat dotting her brow, I guessed she'd been out on a run and decided to drop by unannounced, something she hated when others did the same to her.
“Hi, Darla,” I said, frozen in place. She was the last person I ever expected to see. “What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to talk to you about Jack,” she replied.
“Okay,” I said, sighing. Jack had been the reason Darla and I were no longer friends. Unbeknownst to me, she'd begun dating the biggest womanizer in Sedona and thought I also wanted a piece of him, which simply wasn't true. Jack and I were friends, and I had no desire to get tangled up with him. The whole argument had been unfair, silly, and childish. Frankly, I still didn't fully understand it.
