A Ghostly Secret

by Tonya Kappes

  “He was mean.” Betsy scowled. “I’m so glad Mommy didn’t marry him.”

  “Did Betsy like him?” I asked.

  “She did.” Then Kay’s brows knotted. “I guess she did. She never said anything.”

  “I did too. I told you he was mean and you blew me off. Then he didn’t let me order dessert when we would go out to eat.” Betsy spouted off things that were trivial, but I kept them in the back of my head.

  “Why didn’t you get married?” It seemed to me that if he wasn’t fond of children, with Betsy missing he’d be happier.

  “Me.” She tucked her chin to her chest. “After Betsy,” ahem, she cleared her throat, “I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t sleep. I started to drink and take pills. My world had completely turned upside down. My mom put me in a facility about a year after Betsy. . .” Her eyes teared. “I can’t even bring myself to this day to say missing, disappeared, kidnapped, or killed.”

  “I understand.” I reached out with the hand that didn’t have the mug in it and patted her leg.

  Charlotte wasn’t my daughter, but she was my only sister. I understood a little bit of what she was saying and I certainly could feel the pain. After all these years, it looked as if she were feeling the loss all over again.

  “Did the police interview Kevin as a suspect?” Jack Henry interjected.

  Kay shot him a look. It was his insensitivity that she clearly didn’t like.

  “I think what Sheriff Ross is trying to say is that policing has come a long way. With the new DNA testing and some new forensic equipment, the cold case is reopened as a homicide. We’d like to know everything from that time in your life. Including Kevin’s involvement.” I offered a sincere smile.

  “I’ll be right back.” She stood up and left the room.

  “Policing?” Jack Henry asked. “You mean investigating?”

  “Whatever.’’ I rolled my eyes. “Could you be any more insensitive to her pain? She clearly is still upset and you could ease up a bit.”

  “Here.” Kay walked back into the room. “Here is his cell phone information. He and I still keep in touch, though after some time we’d decided to go our separate ways.” Kay looked off.

  “Thank you.” She offered the paper to me. I took it and handed it over to Jack. “Can you recall if Betsy was upset? Was there a reason for her to run to the barn?”

  “No. She was so excited about putting on her princess dress for the wedding. Though.” Kay’s eyes teared. “A few days before, she did ask if Kevin wanted her to be his daughter and she continued to ask if things were going to change.”

  “Were they?” I asked.

  “I told her that we were going to continue to live in the house and it would be ours. She could have sleepovers, swim in the pool, maybe even get a horse for the barn that Kevin never used.” That put a smile on her face. “He had that big ole house and no love to fill it. He used to joke that it was so quiet before we came.”

  “He yelled at me when I was loud.” Betsy eyes darkened. “He told Mommy I was too loud and it needed to be quiet when he got home from work so he could rest. He smelled stinky.”

  “Was there a time that Kevin wanted it to be quiet?” I tried to phrase it as if I’d just come up with the question and Betsy hadn’t told me what happened.

  “Oh no. He loved the noise.” She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Of course he’d come home tired sometimes from a long day. But we were all tired.”

  “He wanted to send me off to school. Don’t you remember?” Betsy asked her mom as though she could hear her. “Mommy? Mommy!” Frustrated, she disappeared.

  “You didn’t hear anything the morning she disappeared?” I wanted to make sure.

  “Usually I’m a very light sleeper but I was exhausted from the night before.” Kay’s eyes softened. “Betsy had been asking a lot of questions about the house and if Kevin loved her. She continued to question her place in the new life we were going to have. Kevin had talked me into a little girl’s party here. We had a bouncy house and the pool was still open since there was a heater. Betsy didn’t care if it was warm or cold. She shivered the whole time. There was a petting zoo too.” There was a weak smile on her face. “Betsy was so happy. She thanked me so much. And then she was gone.”

  She looked off into the distance. Her stillness was silent. There was so much sadness.

  “Well, I’m sure you’ve got things to do today.” I stood up and looked at Jack Henry.

  He looked a bit confused.

  “We’ll be in touch.” I put a hand on Kay’s shoulder. She brought her hand up and rested it on mine. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I do wish it’d been a different outcome.”

  There wasn’t much of an exchange between Jack Henry and Kay.

  “What was that?” Jack Henry was somewhat hostile after we’d gotten into the cruiser and down the road.

  “That was a woman being sensitive to another woman during a time of grief.” I simply stared ahead. “Grief doesn’t know time, Jack.”

  Suddenly I just found myself so angry with him.

  “You only see a crime. A crime that has to get solved. I see a little girl that’s a ghost that’s begging her mother to notice her. Playing with her hair and tickling her mom just to see her laugh. Then I see a mother who looks at me and sees the daughter she lost.” I stopped myself from saying any more. “Listen, I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t bite your head off. But I’d lie if I didn’t say that I’m upset you’re still thinking about taking the state job. What am I going to do without you? That’s two people I’ve lost in six months.”

  “Emma Lee, I love you. I’m not going anywhere. I’m still going to be your boyfriend. It’s not like we’re breaking up.” He reached over and put his hand on my leg.

  “It feels like I’m losing you.” There was no way to sugarcoat it. “I can’t imagine not seeing you every day.”

  “Let’s not put the cart before the horse.” He gave me a couple of pats before he stuck his hand back on the wheel as we made our way back to Sleepy Hollow.

  Chapter Twelve

  Since there were no calls for clients the next day at Eternal Slumber, I figured I’d head back to the library and check out the arson case. Somehow Betsy got to the barn and if there was a connection, maybe I could connect the dots.

  “Twice in a week. Hmmm. . .” Mazie Watkins looked up from the library reference desk with a curious eye. “Twice in a lifetime.” This time her brows rose.

  “And I brought you a coffee.” I walked over and handed her the large special coffee from Higher Grounds. “I hear the caramel salted latte is your favorite.”

  “Cheryl Lynne’s a gossip.” She took the drink and a sip. “And the best barista around.”

  “Yes she is. And I’ve got a favor to ask.” I leaned on the counter of the reference desk.

  “Hence the coffee,” she muttered and brought the to-go cup up to her mouth for a sip.

  “I know that you have friends on the police force, so I’m asking you to keep quiet about my snooping around the newly reopened cold case.” I carefully watched her features.

  She’d help out the department in research and even let them have their monthly FOP meetings in the library conference room.

  “I did look up the history on the computer after you left.” She planted her elbows on her desk and held the cup with both hands in front of her face. The steam from the coffee curled up out of the little opening on the plastic coffee top and fogged the front of her face. “I’m just curious how you knew to look up Betsy Lynn Brady before the case was even reopened.”

  “Jack Henry had gotten some tips and he was telling me about it. I figured I’d come here and see what I could figure out with the library database.” Casually I took a drink of my coffee, almost convincing myself.

  “Why do I need to keep it a secret that you’re looking into it if someone asks?” she asked.

  I knew better than to think she was just going to grant my favor of asking her to k
eep her mouth shut because she was newly inducted into the Auxiliary Women’s Group, the one I busted into and the one Beulah Paige Bellefry was the President of. As long as she was in charge, there was no way she was going to include me. This was prime gossip for them. Even though it seemed harmless, it still gave them something to peck to death.

  “I wouldn’t want to compromise the police department and notify the killer, who’s now lurking around to see if they’re going to be caught.” I made it sound really scary.

  “Killer?” she asked and drew back. “I read that there was a fire set – as in arson. Are you saying the owner of the property is a killer because I didn’t find anywhere that remotely made me think he knew about the little girl in there. Nor did I find anything that connected him to Kay Brady or her fancy fiancé.” She quirked a brow.

  “Wow.” My jaw dropped, my brows rose. “Someone’s been looking into this.” My chin tilted to the side and I looked at her sideways. What was her angle?

  “What?” Her shoulders lifted to her ears. “You had me curious. You never come to the library.”

  “True.” I wasn’t so good at the incognito stuff, but I was good at bribing. “So, I guess we can put our heads together and figure out some things about the fire.”

  She jumped up. With her coffee in one hand and the file in the other, she came over. She slid the papers across the counter of the reference desk to me.

  “Herman Strauss owned the property. The company that bought it from him had in the contract that he had to take the barn down. Strauss is so cheap, he decided he’d set it on fire. The problem and reason he went to jail is because he was paid for the property and it was no longer his. Since it was owned by the company when he torched it, it was against the law.” She had really researched the case.

  “OSHA?” I asked about the regulatory laws.

  “Yes.” She nodded and took a sip before she continued. “That made it a federal law which Strauss didn’t know. He was too cheap to keep up his end of the deal.” She smacked the papers. “That’s why he went to jail for arson. So when they announced they found bones in the charred barn yesterday, I started to think about the little girl you were looking up.”

  “Hmm.” I had to really be more careful.

  “He has no ties with her whatsoever.” She took a step back and enjoyed some more sips of her coffee. “Betsy had to be playing in there, because according to the paper.” She pulled up this morning’s copy of the Sleepy Hollow Gazette where there was a photo of the barn before it was burnt down and a photo of Betsy with the headlines: Cold Case Solved.

  Betsy appeared next to us. I smiled at her and then back at Mazie.

  “Case solved.” She pointed to the paper. “Says it right here.”

  “Can I keep these and look over them?” I asked knowing the case was far from solved.

  “But it’s over,” she protested. “Unless you’ve got some information that hasn’t been brought to light.” She leaned closer and took her finger off the paper.

  “Nope. I just want to read over everything myself.” I shrugged and nonchalantly took a drink.

  “Fine.” She popped up to standing straight up and rolled her shoulders back. “And I won’t say anything,” she whispered when someone had walked into the building. “Especially if you send me a wedding invitation.” She winked.

  “Thanks, but I’m not engaged. Jack Henry has never asked me and I’m not sure where all the rumors came from.” I pulled the file toward me and put the newspaper in it.

  “Maybe it’s because Zula Fae has been telling everyone and you know, you’re going to be thirty.”

  I thanked her and took the file and decided not to even comment on the age thing. “I’m going to look around.”

  “Emma Lee Raines, are you becoming a reader?” There was a bit of excitement in her voice.

  “Just looking around.” I couldn’t wait to see her face when she realized all her investigating was null and void when we did nab the person who deliberately killed Betsy.

  There were really two investigations going on. Jack Henry’s investigation into what happened to Betsy Lynn Brady, which we knew was murder because she was ghosting me, but he had to prove she was murdered before he could really nose around potential suspects. Then there was my investigation on who did kill her and bring the killer to justice.

  The first person I thought I’d check out was Herman, the man who was put in jail for the arson charges and who owned the barn.

  Betsy had moved over to the children’s section of the library. She and Mr. Whiskers were curled up in the beanbag.

  “My mommy didn’t hurt me. But I’m glad she never married Kevin.” Betsy rubbed down Mr. Whiskers’s tail.

  I grabbed one of the books that was opened like a tent on the top of the bookshelf next to the beanbag.

  I pretended to read it out loud but spoke to Betsy, “What exactly happened between you and Kevin?”

  “He didn’t want children. He wanted to send me off to a school away from my mommy. I heard them yelling about it. And. . .,” her voice cracked, “Mommy was thinking about it.”

  “Oh, honey, why do you say that?” I asked trying to comfort her. “Your mommy really loves you. She didn’t even get married after you died.”

  “I don’t know why they didn’t get married, but he didn’t like all the noise I made. I wanted to have my friends for a sleepover. When I did, he threw a glass up against the wall when he told my mommy to make us stop laughing. They were my friends. Even though he said it was going to be my home, he lied!” She thrust her fists into the beanbag and disappeared.

  “In the initial investigation of Betsy’s disappearance, the cops thought her mom put her in a facility to cover up the crime or that she’d plead insane.” Mazie held up another file when I was walking out of the children’s section.

  “What?” I asked.

  “You still didn’t look into Betsy’s disappearance,” she said.

  Maybe she wasn’t as flighty as I thought she was.

  “There was definitely some forced entry into Betsy’s bedroom window, according to the original police report. They interviewed the mom, fiancé, and the maid. You know, they never got married and he stayed in the house.” She handed me the file.

  I opened it and scanned the police report.

  “How did you get all of these reports?” I asked.

  “Who were you talking to in the children’s section?” she shot back.

  “Myself.” I gave her my standard reply.

  “You might think I’m stupid and couldn’t get another job, but I’m pretty smart. Not only book smart, but I’m a good observer.” There was a look on her face that I’d never seen on Mazie. It was steady and sure of herself. “There’s no such thing as Funeral Trauma. I’ve looked it up, researched it and researched it more and more. Doc Clyde gave you that diagnosis because they think you’re riding on the coo-coo train.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” I could feel my body starting to tense. Where was she going with this?

  “And I also have been watching you. You’ve helped Jack Henry with investigations that no one had information on. Little details only the dead person would know. I’ve gone back and looked at his reports that no one else would even look at because they’re just happy it’s solved. Every time you’ve helped, it’s been a murder.” Her eyes darkened. “I’m fascinated with the paranormal and all things ESP. I think you’ve got the gift of seeing dead people.”

  I opened my mouth to protest. She put her hand up.

  “Before you protest, I’ve looked it all up. You have the classic signs. Talking to yourself. Researching dead people. Getting the police to exhume bodies. Betsy Lynn Brady loved coming to the library and suddenly you show up here when you’ve never stepped a toe on the front step. Hell,” she laughed, “I don’t think you’ve ever walked in front of the library.”

  “Maybe you need to go see Doc Clyde.” I brushed off her comments the best way I could but felt qu
easy that somehow I’d been so careless. “As for the investigations, for some reason I just have a knack.”

  “If that’s what you want to call it.” She smiled and her eyes narrowed. “But I can help you. I know things like getting into databases and things the layperson wouldn’t know to do. Librarians do have access to several things, not just books.”

  “Yeah, well.” I lifted the file up in the air. “Good to see you, Mazie.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The only other person who ever noticed my odd behavior that wasn’t so odd was Jack Henry. Mazie was the first person who had asked if I could see dead people and I was sure my response seemed nervous and suspicious.

  I couldn’t get out of the library fast enough. I practically ran down the street and took a left down the sidewalk next to the square that led to Eternal Slumber. There were several questions I wanted to ask Betsy about the barn, if I could only keep her around long enough.

  “Emma! Emma Lee! Over here!” Granny waved her arms from the gazebo in the middle of the square. Her hair was sticking straight up as though she’d just rolled out of bed. Her hot pink shimmering tights, orange off the shoulder shirt, and white headband was something Jane Fonda would’ve worn in her workout videos.

  Mable Claire, Beulah Paige, and Hettie Bell were in downward dog, pushing up into pike position.

  I hugged the file close to my body and walked across the street to say hello to them.

  “Come on girls.” Hettie encouraged them to keep going when I approached. “We aren’t getting any younger.”

  “I’m going to take a break.” Granny trotted down the steps. She was way more active than me. “Tell me, did Jack Henry hurry up with that ring after he saw the engagement party?”

  “About that.” I sat down on the step and she sat down next to me. “The ring that I thought was for me was really his mom’s. He was picking it up from the jewelers for her.”

  The edges of my eyes burned with tears.

  “Emma,” Granny sat down, put her arm around me and laid her head on my shoulder. “Honey, I’m so sorry on so many levels. I shouldn’t’ve had the party.” She patted my leg and something flashed.