Grave Missteps

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Was this before or after her husband died?” Nick asked.

  “Before.”

  “What about a baby?” Maddie challenged. “If she looked pregnant, she must’ve had a baby on her hip not long after.”

  Maude shook her head, her lips curving down. “No. We never saw her with a baby.”

  Maddie turned to Nick for answers. “What do you think that means?”

  Nick opted for honesty. “I don’t know what it means. You don’t either so don’t let your imagination get away from you. Right now all we have is a bunch of gossipy women who thought she looked fat. She might’ve simply gained a few extra pounds or something.”

  Maddie was dubious. “Looking pregnant and appearing fat are two entirely different things.”

  “Fair enough.” Nick narrowed his eyes on Maude’s face. “Did anyone ever ask her about it?”

  “No. She didn’t like people. She wasn’t social. That’s not something you just blurt out.”

  “Right.” Nick was thoughtful as he flipped hash browns. “Even if she didn’t give birth, there are several options. She could’ve lost the baby at some point, in which case it’s a tragedy. It could’ve been a stillbirth. Or she could’ve given the baby up for adoption because she didn’t believe she was capable of taking care of it.”

  “How does that play into what’s happening now?” Maddie was legitimately curious. “I mean … do you think she gave the baby up and somehow Angel has ties to that baby?”

  “I honestly don’t know, Mad.”

  “Is there a way we can find out?”

  “Common practices forty years ago would suggest to me that Mildred had the baby in a hospital,” Nick noted. That was the seventies. People were mostly having babies in hospitals then and records of live births were kept. We should be able to track it down.”

  “That seems like a lot of work.”

  “It does,” Nick agreed, his expression thoughtful. “Maude, just out of curiosity, who was Mildred’s best friend? The woman you said she spent time with but no one else.”

  “Oh, that.” Maude’s distaste was evident, her lip curling. “I should’ve realized you would fixate on that.”

  “Yes, you should have,” Nick agreed. “Who was it?”

  “You’re not going to like it.”

  “I figured.”

  “It was Harriet Proctor,” Maude volunteered. “She and Mildred were tight for a hot minute, although they eventually had a falling out. If anyone knows the secret Mildred was keeping at the time, it’s probably Harriet.”

  “Oh, geez.” Nick rubbed his forehead as he regarded Maddie. “That is so not how I want to spend my day.”

  Maddie took pity on him. “I’m going to try to find the ghost I saw at Mildred’s house. I tried looking yesterday but got distracted when Dad said he was going to ask around about buying the property for building a house. I’m going back today.”

  “That sounds good.” Nick was distracted. “Be careful up there and don’t go into the house. It’s not safe.”

  “I have no interest in going into the house.”

  “Keep it that way.”

  Maude wrinkled her forehead as she considered what Maddie said. “Wait … is George seriously considering moving down the street from us? We can’t allow that. No way. No how.”

  Nick shot her a stern look. “You stay out of that part.”

  “No.”

  Maddie finally realized what Nick and Maude were talking about. “No, Nicky is right. You stay out of it, Granny. Dad wants to move to town and I like the idea. Don’t do anything annoying to make him change his mind.”

  Maude wasn’t about to be bullied. “I’ll do what I think is right.”

  Nick extended a warning finger. “I don’t care how much I love you. I will arrest you if it comes to it.”

  Maude rolled her eyes. “I have no intention of getting caught.”

  “Oh, well, that makes me feel better.”

  “Good.”

  “I was being sarcastic.”

  “You’ll live.”

  MADDIE LEFT A FUMING Maude to plot her attack on George not long after Nick left for work. She knew she would have to sit down and have a discussion with her grandmother before all was said and done but now wasn’t the time. George didn’t even know if buying the property was something he could swing so there was no sense getting worked up until they had more information. The fight over George’s proximity would have to wait for later.

  Maddie was much more interested in thinking about Christy’s pregnancy. She was excited at the prospect of having a baby to dote over – especially one that would be a niece or nephew – but she couldn’t help being worried about John’s reaction. He wasn’t Nick … by a long shot. Maddie had no doubt if she turned up tomorrow and told Nick she was pregnant that he would react with love and joy. John was another story, though. He suffered from wanderlust. Maddie was genuinely worried he would take off out of fear. He wasn’t a bad man, but he often did ridiculously stupid stuff.

  “Why are you back here?”

  Maddie jolted at the voice, turning swiftly and finding the ghost who pointed her toward Angel floating close to a tree at the west side of Mildred’s property. She sucked in a breath, forced her heart rate to drop a bit, and mustered a smile. “Looking for you.”

  The woman didn’t appear happy with the answer. “Why? You should be taking care of Angel.”

  Well, that answered that question, Maddie mused. “How do you know Angel?”

  “What does it matter?” The ghost was an unhappy woman. There was no getting around that. The look she shot Maddie was straight out of a horror movie. “Why do you even care who I am? How can you see me at all?”

  Maddie held her palms out and shrugged. “I’ve been able to see ghosts since I was a kid. It’s an ability I was born with. You’re not the first and I’m certain you won’t be the last.”

  “Oh, well, how lucky for me.”

  Maddie ignored the sarcasm. “I saw Angel yesterday, by the way. She’s doing much better.”

  Even though the woman did her best to appear blasé, Maddie sensed a change in her demeanor. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t she be doing okay?”

  “Well, she was in rough shape when I discovered her,” Maddie reminded the ghost. “She wasn’t talking.”

  “Well … .”

  “We know she uses sign language to communicate,” Maddie interjected quickly. “We know that she’s at least partially deaf.”

  “She can hear some things,” the woman said quickly. “The doctors say that might get even better if she gets the proper hearing aid.”

  Maddie filed that information away to dwell on later. “That’s good to know. I’ll tell the social worker. What I want to know now is how this all happened.”

  The ghost balked. “How did what happen? I didn’t start the fire, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “I know you didn’t.” Maddie feigned patience even though her irritation was growing with each word. “The fire was purposely set, though. Do you know how that happened?”

  The ghost didn’t answer the question, something Maddie found suspicious. Instead, she changed the subject. “Tell me about Angel. Where is she? Where are they keeping her? Is she okay? Is she traumatized?”

  Something about the woman’s manic desire to hear about Angel touched Maddie’s heart. “She’s okay. Once we realized she was trying to communicate with sign language, we got a professional to visit with her. We started talking to her a bit, got her to take a shower and wash her hair, and now it’s something of a work in progress.

  “I picked her up some clothes at the store yesterday,” she continued. “I got her coloring books, something to read, and a few crossword puzzle games. Some of the things she says don’t make sense. Like … she called Mildred her grandmother.”

  “So?” The ghost bristled. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with it,” Maddie said hurriedly. “I love
my grandmother dearly even though she’s a massive pain in the butt sometimes. Grandmothers are great. The thing we’re confused about is that we can’t find a record of Mildred ever giving birth to a child.”

  Maddie studied the ghost’s reaction closely.

  “I don’t see how that matters,” the ghost said finally. “Blood doesn’t determine a family. Why does it matter exactly how they were related?”

  “It doesn’t,” Maddie replied. “There are rumors that Mildred was pregnant at one time, though. This would’ve been forty years ago.” Maddie did the math in her head as she regarded the woman. “If Mildred did give birth, she didn’t raise the baby. There’s conjecture that maybe she gave the baby up for adoption.”

  “So?”

  “We’re simply trying to unravel all the answers,” Maddie said quietly. “For example, is there perhaps a chance that you’re the baby who was given up for adoption?”

  The ghost stared at Maddie for a long beat, her expression remaining completely frozen. Finally, when she did speak, it was with frustration. “You’re focusing on the wrong thing. It doesn’t matter who was related to whom or how. What’s important is keeping Angel safe. What’s important is getting her away from all of this.”

  Maddie was understandably confused. “Getting her away from all of what?”

  “All of … this!” The ghost was clearly frustrated. “You need to focus on Angel and let go of the rest. It doesn’t matter. In fact … .” She turned and stared at the trees kitty-corner from where they stood. Her gaze was heavy and dark. “You need to leave now.”

  Maddie was confused. “Why?”

  “You really need to go.” The ghost made shooing motions with her hands. “Right now. It’s not safe for you here.”

  Maddie flicked her eyes to the spot the ghost stared, her shoulders jerking when she heard the unmistakable sound of a twig cracking. Her heart skipped a beat and her anxiety spiked. “Is someone over there?”

  “You need to leave right now.” The ghost was firm. “I mean … right now. Run. Go back to your house or the nearest point of safety. Whatever you do, don’t stay here.”

  Maddie had a choice. She could move forward and search the woods to see if someone really was spying on her. She felt mildly idiotic fearing something she couldn’t see. She could feel something, though, and whatever it was caused a shiver to run down her spine.

  That’s why she opted for the second choice. She immediately turned on her heel and broke into a run. She was in great shape – better than almost anyone she knew – and she focused on that as she put distance between Mildred’s house and herself.

  If someone was there, if someone was a threat, Maddie wouldn’t allow herself to become a victim. She was smarter than that.

  So, she put her head down and ran. She didn’t turn back until she was at her house. By then, she was too far away to see anything. She could still feel the anger she originally brushed up against at Mildred’s house, though.

  Someone was extremely unhappy. If Maddie had to guess, that someone was exactly who they were looking for.

  11

  Eleven

  Maddie immediately called Nick to tell him what happened while she was at the house. He told her to stay put and lock the doors before heading to check out the situation. By the time he slid his key in the door, Maddie was on pins and needles and practically threw herself on him when he crossed the threshold of her store.

  “Did you find anything?”

  Nick pulled her in for a tight hug and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “No, Mad. I didn’t find anyone loitering out there and I’m not exactly a tracker so I don’t know how to find footprints in the woods.”

  “Oh.”

  Nick smoothed her hair. “You’re sure you didn’t see anyone, right?”

  Maddie nodded. “I’m sure. It was just a feeling. Plus, well, the ghost basically told me to run. I didn’t give it much thought. Maybe I should’ve stayed behind to see who it was.”

  Nick vehemently shook his head. “Absolutely not, Mad. You did the right thing. Your safety is my number one priority.”

  Maddie tilted her head back and stared into his eyes. “I know. I was just … talking. Now that I’m here … and safe … I feel a bit ridiculous. What if I imagined everything that happened?”

  “I would rather you call me to check on a possibility of an overactive imagination than have something happen to you. I never want anything to happen to you. Not ever.”

  Maddie couldn’t stop herself from smiling. “Me either.”

  Nick graced her with a soft kiss. “So, what’s up next for you, love?”

  “I’m going to see Angel.”

  Nick scowled. “Why can’t you just open your shop and stay here? You haven’t been open all week.”

  “It’s been two days.” Maddie refused to be drawn into a fight. “I’ve had other things on my mind. If you want me to give you an accounting of my time and a copy of my bank account balances to show I’m not running at a deficit, I can have that waiting when you get home tonight.”

  Nick narrowed his eyes. “Don’t pick a fight.”

  “I was just about to warn you about doing the same thing.”

  Nick heaved out a sigh as he dragged a restless hand through his hair. “Fine. I won’t pick a fight. You need to be careful and watch your back when you’re running around, though. Also, you can’t go back to Mildred’s house looking for a ghost without back-up. I’m putting my foot down.”

  Maddie pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. “You’re putting your foot down, huh?”

  Nick glared. “You know what I mean.”

  “I do. You don’t have to worry about that.” Maddie honestly meant it. “I’m still going to visit Angel. I want to see her.”

  “Then visit Angel.” Nick briefly rested his forehead against Maddie’s. “You be safe while you’re out and about, though. Watch your back … and front … and every other part of you because I happen to be attached to the entire package.”

  “I promise I’ll be safe.”

  “You do that.”

  KRESKIN WAS FLIPPING THROUGH files when Nick returned to the police station. He barely glanced up when his partner let loose a weary groan as he sank into his chair.

  “How are things on the domestic front?”

  Nick arched an eyebrow as he regarded his partner. “Do you ever think women were put here simply to drive us nuts?”

  Kreskin barked out a laugh. “I don’t know. I never really considered it before. Obviously you believe that.”

  “I really do.” Nick stretched out his legs. “Maddie thought someone was watching her while she was over at Mildred’s house. She didn’t see anyone, but she felt as if someone was spying.”

  Kreskin lifted his eyes, intrigued. “Did you find anything?”

  “No, but I tend to believe Maddie’s instincts.”

  “Yes, well, Maddie has good instincts.” Kreskin saw no reason to lie. “Do you think someone was really watching her?”

  Nick opened his mouth but didn’t immediately answer.

  “What are you thinking?” Kreskin prodded.

  “I’m not sure.” Nick saw no reason to cover up his feelings when it came to his partner. “If Maddie thinks someone was watching her, I have to believe she’s right. She’s rarely wrong on stuff like this and I don’t want her questioning herself. She did the right thing by running. She’s home and safe. I want her to have faith in herself so … yeah, I think someone was really watching her.”

  “Who?”

  Nick shrugged. “That is the question, isn’t it? I think we should go over everything we have from start to end. We need a direction to point ourselves.”

  “That sounds good to me.” Kreskin was all business as he squared his shoulders. “Let’s put together a timeline and go from there.”

  ANGEL SEEMED TO KNOW Maddie was coming to visit because she was bouncing around her room when Maddie opened the door.

  “Hello.” Ma
ddie saluted, which is essentially what Patty taught her to do in greeting. “How are you today?”

  Angel’s hands moved so fast Maddie could do nothing but widen her eyes.

  “She says she’s been enjoying the books you brought her,” Patty supplied from her spot at the small desk in the corner of the room, her smile wide. “She’s a big fan of the crossword puzzle books, too.”

  “Oh, well, I’m glad you like them.” Maddie made sure she was facing Angel and that she talked slowly. She was convinced the girl could read lips. “How was your night?”

  Angel shrugged.

  “It was good,” Patty translated. “I slept straight through. Do you know when I can leave? I don’t want to stay here.” Patty frowned when she was finished speaking and began signing for Angel’s benefit. “We talked about this. You’re stuck here for at least a little while. We don’t know if you have any family out there or where you’re going to end up just yet.

  “I know you don’t like it when I say things like that, but we agreed to be honest with each other,” she continued. “You’re kind of in limbo right now. I get that it’s not easy or what you want, but we have to work with what we’ve got.”

  “Actually, that’s one of the reasons I’m here,” Maddie volunteered, smiling as she patted Angel’s bed to prod the girl to sit next to her. “I know you said that Mildred was your grandmother and that’s exclusively how you knew her, but there has to be more to the story.”

  Patty didn’t bother translating. “I’ve tried to get more information out of her regarding that, too, but it hasn’t been easy. I don’t know if it’s that she doesn’t trust us enough yet to tell us or that she honestly doesn’t know.”

  Maddie kept her eyes on Angel’s serene face. Now that she was clean and in age-appropriate clothing she looked older than Maddie initially guessed upon finding her. She was still ridiculously small and Maddie felt the urgent need to fatten her up, but that would come with time.

  “Angel, it’s important we understand how you ended up with Mildred.” Maddie’s voice was gentle, her expression kind. “It wasn’t always like that, right? There was a time you lived somewhere else. I’m sure of that.”