He nodded into her shoulder and stepped back when she let him go. Once she left the apartment, Matt locked the door, checked all the closets, even the one on the back deck.
He didn't know why he was on edge. But he'd had a nagging feeling ever since leaving Mesa Cove that he was being watched.
CHAPTER FIVE
Chloe pulled into the back parking lot, past the small crowd of people. She'd recognized the local news vans, and a lot of those crowded around the front of the shop had cameras. Apparently the story ran on the eleven o'clock news the night before, not long after it happened. She and Matt were clueless it was happening.
The constant ringing of her phone woke her too early and she shut the infernal device off after answering the third call from a reporter. Why was this news? Because it was Halloween? Because she had one of those weird shops? Wait…
Chloe sat in her car, dreading the possibility that one of those gathered out front would follow her around the back. Was it possible that someone had put the effigy in her shop just for this reason? To drum up media attention? For what? It couldn't be to sell more papers, no one really bought physical papers anymore. Was it to get more subscribers?
Subscribers…
YouTube.
She didn't like the direction her imagination went.
Chloe yelled when someone banged on her car window. She looked out and into Kevin's face. He held up a coffee and a bag. She opened the door. "You scared the shit out of me," she muttered as she got out of her car. She was dressed in jeans, sweatshirt and sneakers and nothing like the personna most of her customers knew in her shop.
"Yeah I saw the creeps out front when I got here. Luckily no one was waiting at the station. I opened up the back but I left the closed sign on the door." He handed her the coffee and grabbed her bag of the back.
Chloe locked her car and followed Kevin into the back door. The effigy was gone, taken by the police the night before. Black dust decorated most of the shelves and the floor of the office. The nasty thing about a CSU team investigating a crime scene; they were responsible for processing it, but not for cleaning it up.
She closed her office door, not really wanting to be in there, and went to the back area break room. She set her backpack down. "I guess we could start cleaning. Wait for the vultures to leave."
"Yeah. But I doubt they're going to go anywhere soon. You know there's no news in this town so they'll pick at this till after Halloween. And that's tomorrow. You want to keep the shop closed on the busiest day of the year?" He set the bag on the table.
Chloe peered in and smelled the Everything bagels. There was a smaller bag inside with packets of cream cheese. "Well…I'm going to enjoy coffee and a bagel."
Kevin joined her and grabbed his own small cream cheese. "And while you do that, you're going to tell me what happened with ghost hunter mc-hottie last night." He pointed at her. "You're going to tell me what happened and where he spent the night."
Chloe gave him an exasperated look. "Mr. Hunt spent the night where ever it is he's staying while here. And I spent the night at my place with all the doors locked." She gave him a shortened version of the evening after he left.
When she finished, Kevin sat with a peculiar look on his face. "Isn't it a little odd that he conveniently forgets his keys, and then while you're outside talking with him, someone breaks in and hangs that thing up?"
She didn't answer. Mainly because she'd been entertaining the same thoughts.
"Think about it, Chloe," Kevin shifted in his chair, his bagel half eaten. "You've never been threatened before, and two days before Halloween, this guy shows up, a ghost hunter of all things, wants you on his show and when you say no, someone threatens you." He shrugged. "It all sounds like a lot of set up to me. Has he called yet?"
Chloe checked her phone. "No one but reporters and TV stations have called. I didn't give him my number either."
"I don't think I did. Not after the way you two didn't get along." He steepled his index fingers together as he clasped his hands. "I'll bet you he'll call or he'll be here this morning. He'll knock on the door in front of all those cameras and people out there, and he'll ask you to be on the show. It'll make pressure and then you'll say okay."
"No I won't and no he's not." Chloe didn't want to think this whole thing could be engineered by Matt Hunt and his little team of ghost hunters. But…it was suspicious.
Someone pounded on the back door. Chloe jumped and Kevin cursed. He motioned for her to stay put and then approached the door. "Who is it?" he yelled out.
"It's Matt Hunt! I'm checking on Chloe." There was a pause. "Can you let me in before these assholes out front realize who I am and where I went? I just saw one of them duck back here and then run off."
Kevin did his best imitation of Vanna White as he gestured to the door. "See? And here he is."
Chloe got up and walked toward him. "Yeah, but he came to the back door and he's already warned us that those people might come to this door. That's not exactly what you thought would happen."
"I don't trust him."
She put her hands on her hips. "You're the one that set this up, Kev. You were the one that wanted me to do this."
He looked a bit embarrassed. "Yeah…but that was before someone threatened you. That pisses me off."
"Well," she grabbed hold of the back door handle and yanked it. "You should feel what I'm feeling."
Matt tumbled in when the door opened. Chloe and Kevin caught him. Apparently he was leaning against it and watching out for reporters.
Chloe felt her heart skip a beat when she saw him. Yesterday he'd come in the evening after a long day. Now he was fresh from a shower, his hair damp against his ears and neck, and he smelled of soap. He wore a simple gold shirt, a gray hoodie and a pair of soft jeans. At least they weren't the same pair of jeans from last night.
He wore an old pair of sneakers and a pair of dark shades on top of his head. Chloe also noticed the larger earrings were gone, replaced by smaller silver studs. When he looked at her, her stomach tightened. "Hey…you okay this morning? You got some sleep?"
Chloe believed she was pretty good at reading people. And she wanted to read Matt. She wanted to read all kinds of good things about him. And he was sincere in his question, but his eyes told her he was guarding something. "Yeah. I got enough. You look like you just got out of the shower."
"I did." He nodded to Kevin and shook his hand. "Hey man. Sorry about what happened last night."
"Why, you responsible?" Kevin's tone was sharp, if not friendly.
"Me? Oh God I hope not. Though Margo did come up with that as a hypothesize."
"Margo?" Chloe said.
"Margo's my partner. If you watch the show then you've seen her on there. Tall, about my height. Short blonde hair. Real buff?"
"Oh yeah, yeah," Kevin waved his hand. "I remember her from the show."
"Yeah we've known each other since college. Look," he focused on Chloe. "I've been thinking. And just in case that happening last night is due to investigating the Barrett House, I think it might be a better idea if I contact another psychic." He licked his lips and held up his hands. "Now don't think I don't want you there—I do. But not if some crazy person is going to threaten your life. I would prefer to get to know you without that kind of pressure hanging over me." He frowned. "Why are you making that face?"
"What face?"
"That one. The one that looks like that painting called The Scream. Are you mad at me? I'm trying to get you off the hook—"
Chloe laughed. "No, I'm not mad. Just surprised."
"Why?"
"I just figured you'd use this to pressure me into joining you on your show. I mean, look at the publicity."
"Uh…have you seen the people in front of your shop?" Matt looked at Chloe, then Kevin, and then back to Chloe. "That is not the kind of publicity I like to drum up for an investigation—" He stopped talking, blinked, and then stepped away. "Wait a freak'n minute. Are you two thinking I had
something to do with that hanging witch for just this purpose?"
Chloe watched several emotions cast a shadow on his expression. Horror and betrayal. Shock and disbelief. All of her instincts told her all the emotions that rolled across his face were honest. She didn't sense any deception. But when she took a step toward him, he backed away again and held out his hands.
"Look…never mind, okay? Just forget I was ever here. All I ask is that you don't tell anyone what you're thinking. I've got enough trouble just pulling off the investigation for tomorrow." He moved away from them toward the door.
"Wait. Matt…don't go."
Matt yanked on it. It didn't open. Chloe looked at Kevin and realized he'd locked the door. Before Matt could unlock it, she put a hand on his shoulder. The touch was instant electricity and she nearly pulled away from him. "Don't go. I don't think that…but you have to admit it's sort of a strange coincidence."
He turned a serious expression to her. She felt his frustration and anger like a brush of warm air. "Have you ever watched Ghost Hunt?"
Uh oh. She swallowed. "Honestly…no. I haven't."
"Then how about we make a deal." He arched an eyebrow. "You watch an episode of Ghost Hunt. Pick last year's Halloween episode and then you choose whether or not to be on the show with me."
Chloe took a step back. It was an odd request. It was true she hadn't watched an episode of the Ghost Hunt but she'd heard about it from friends, her family, and Kevin. Not to mention she'd seen the ads in local psychic rags as well as popping up on her Facebook page.
"What is that supposed to prove?"
"It'll prove that I want you to know exactly what you'll be in for. That I'm not so low as to frighten innocent people into working with me. I'm not a jackass, Chloe. I might be an asshole on screen sometimes, but I've got morals." He straightened up and his eyes flashed. Chloe hated to admit he looked…wonderful. "Well?"
"Okay. Fine. I'll watch the episode and I'll make a decision."
"Good. And I'm sure your Sheriff will tell you after he investigates that I had nothing to do with what happened."
Chloe straightened up. "Fine." She unlocked the door.
He stepped out and into a mob of people. He turned and leaned in close. Very close. "I need an answer by noon because we need to go over there and set up this afternoon for tomorrow's shoot."
And to her surprise…he kissed her. It was a quick kiss, his lips pressed to hers in an instant. But it was there. At the back door of her shop, in front of ten cameras and about twice that many people with their own recording devices.
He slipped his shades on and barreled through the crowd to his car.
CHAPTER SIX
"Why in the hell, did you do that?" Margo was waiting for him when he got back to the apartment. In fact, she was in his apartment, the TV on and tuned to the local news. "A kiss? She's the psychic we want to make fun of. You can't show viewers that you like her and then rake her over the coals on the show. Talk about haters."
She was dressed in cargo shorts, sneakers, tee-shirt and a hoodie, ready to get into a haunted house. She had the final papers in her hand, ready for his signature.
Matt tossed his keys on the table again before grabbing the folder from her and sitting at the kitchen counter. He didn't answer her, he didn't even look at the TV.
The answer to her question was simple.
He did it because he wanted too. He'd wanted to kiss Chloe since he'd held her in his arms last night. But that hadn't been the right moment. And no one was there to say kissing Chloe at her shop's back door was a good idea either. He just… He thought he'd really messed things up and he wanted to take a shot, even if it was the only one he'd get.
"Answer me, Matt."
He skimmed the papers. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Well you'd better. 'Cause it's all over the news. The ghost hunter and the psychic. It's on every channel."
Matt finally looked up at her. "Why are you so angry? I thought you'd like all the publicity."
"Not that kind. Remember, it's your job to discredit the psychics. Not sleep with them."
That made him stop reading and narrow his eyes at her. "Sleep with them. I didn't sleep with Chloe and you know that. You were here when I got home."
"Yeah but they weren't." Margo looked down. "I know. I'm sorry. There's just a lot riding on this and you know it."
"Yeah I do. We've got to get the hits and ratings or we lose our sponsors. You've told me that since January." He rubbed at his face. "Though I'm not sure why. I mean…we're solid online and the show's been picked up on the .Bio channel. The income from the web's been more than generous, not to mention the support from our sponsors. But you act like our entire future is riding on this one show. Are we going bankrupt or something?"
"No—of course not. Don't you trust me?"
"Well yeah." He gave her a laugh but felt it sounded hollow. "You're the business person. But I'm not going to put the same emphasis on this one show as you are. Hell, even Phil's isn't as stressed as you."
"That's because Phil's not being paid by the same people. If we blow it, he can go on and produce other shows."
"You make it sound like he doesn't care." Matt took a longer, harder look at Margo. He also recalled hers and Phil's constant arguments over the past few months. "Did you and Phil get into a fight? Did something happen?"
"No." Her answer was quick and definitive.
When she didn't voice any other concerns and didn't elaborate on what the hell was up with she and Phil, Matt cleared his throat. "I gave Chloe a way out. So I think we need to look for someone else."
To his surprise, Margo agreed. "Yeah, I figured after that," she said as she pointed to the TV. "Don't want to upset your new girlfriend."
"Margo…" he pushed the papers away from him. "What the hell? I kissed her."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted too. And what you see on the TV isn't exactly what it looks like. She was mad at me. She and that assistant practically accused me of setting that whole hanging witch thing just to get all this media attention."
Margo looked surprised. "They did?"
"Yeah. And I have to admit—it is a little weird. And convenient. But I told her to watch our last Halloween episode and make a decision."
"Oh. Yeah. That'll cement her dislike for you." Margo actually smiled and took the signed papers. "I'll deliver these. The crew will be at the house in an hour. Let me call the other psychics and get another one on the hook."
"Sure." Matt folded his arms on the kitchen counter and rested his head on them. He felt awful because he knew Margo was right. After Chloe watched that episode, she was never going to speak to him again.
* * *
"Where are you going?" Kevin asked as Chloe got up after watching the Ghost Hunt Halloween Special.
She didn't ignore him, but she wasn't sure she wanted to answer just yet. She was pissed. Very pissed. And she was also embarrassed she ever considered Matthew Hunt a human being. She wanted to hit something. Preferably him. And what infuriated her more was his kiss still lingered on her lips!
"Chloe? You really need to stop shoving stuff into your purse."
Shoving stuff? She looked down to see she'd put several house rocks into her large bag. House rocks were large, fist sized stone engraved with words like "Love" or "Enjoy" and even "Laugh" engraved into them. They were big and they were hard. And she had two in her purse and one in her hand. "Oh…yeah."
"You were thinking of performing a bit of blunt force trauma?" He pursed his lips.
"Not were. Am. Oh my stars and garters!" She pulled the rocks out and stomped her foot. The crowd in front of the store had thinned out to a single van and a few reporters in yard chairs. She'd refused to open up or answer the phone. It was an impromptu day off. A Holiday leading up to Halloween, which was the next day.
She really didn't want to be closed on Halloween. That was her busiest time of the year. And she had a log book full of clients with appointm
ents for readings.
"You can't tell me you didn't know Matt Hunt was an ass." She pointed at the computer, specifically at the paused YouTube screen. The image was of Matt, smirking at the camera. "Did you see that?"
"Yeah. I watch the show every week."
"And you knew he likes to make fun of and tears apart psychics and mediums?"
He nodded.
"I can't believe you want me to be subjected to that kind of treatment."
"No, no, no." Kevin stood and moved to her. "I wanted you to make fun of him."
"That's not the way it'll be edited, Kev, and you know it."
"Yeah I know. But they can't edit and change things if you don't give them what they want. Did you see the way that psychic was all dramatic? Damn girl—even I'd make fun of her. And she wasn't really reading the spirits of anything. It was like she didn't read the play book. She was an easy target."
Chloe sighed as she stared at him. Kevin was right. And she didn't want to admit, even to herself, that the psychic had gotten on her nerves. Even she'd made fun of the woman in her head. Someone knocked on the front door. Kevin went to the door of the office and looked out before he returned. "Just another reporter."
"Kevin…what exactly did you think I'd do different? And how in the hell did you think this would be good for me?"
"I think you would show them the truth about the Barrett House. It's why when the show called about you being their psychic guest, I immediately said you'd do it. You've lived in this city all of your life, and you would have the support of the entire town. I think you could use this as your way to solidify your position here, in this community."
She laughed, her spirits uplifted just a little. "You're so full of shit."
"Did it work?"
"Yeah." Chloe looked back at the computer. "I don't really get him."
"Me neither. I thought he was gay."
"Gay? Why?"
October Ghosts (A Southern Romance Monthly) Page 3
