by Rose Pressey
Chapter Seven
My chest felt tight as I considered my next move. My heart thumped in a crazy rhythm. I gauged the distance to the phone, but realized her hand was practically resting on the receiver. It was just as well. Who would I call, Ghostbusters? Definitely not Officer Landon. If I called the police for assistance, they’d send someone with a straitjacket to carry me away. I was a haunted tour guide, for heaven’s sake. This was part of my job and now I was freaking out. Wasn’t this what I’d wanted all along? To see a real ghost?
A blinding flash of lightning followed by a shattering crack of thunder filled the room. I blinked and attempted to adjust my eyes. Maybe the woman was really just a shadow. Or a bookshelf. Nope, the shelves were behind me. Plus she’d sent me a text message. Text messages! Did she have an iPhone in her ghostly pocket? No matter how hard I tried to come up with a logical explanation for what I was experiencing, there was no rationalization. Maybe I was having an honest-to-goodness nervous breakdown. This was it. I’d finally gone cuckoo.
“What do you want with me?” My gaze was transfixed on her.
The first day on the job and I’d already cracked. How did I get myself into these messes? I was a magnet for disasters. I sucked in a deep breath and forced myself to look at her. Really look at her. She smiled and then stuck her hand out and it shot right through the counter.
I stumbled back and let out a gasp. “How did you do that?”
Besides that counter maneuver she looked as solid as any living person now. The arms of her ivory-colored dress swooshed every time she moved.
Her cheekbones became prominent as she flashed a warm smile. My phone chimed again and I raced to look at the message.
It’s what we ghosts do, dear.
She really had this texting thing down. “How are you doing that?” I asked.
Another message on my phone. Need to get upstairs to the book club meeting. Attend every week. Don’t want to miss out. Book is downright riveting.
I shook my head. This was not happening. Hey, maybe I could feature a book pick of the month from the resident ghost. Yeah, the board members would love that.
“Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about. But if you’d like to come back tomorrow when the library is open, I’m sure I can help you find the books you’re looking for.” I tried to sound crisp and professional.
Now I was just babbling. Why was I trying to pretend this wasn’t happening? I should be embracing this experience.
She smiled and my phone indicated another message.
My name is Annie Gibson. I’m the librarian. I’ve been the librarian here for many years. Well before you were even born.
“And I’m the fairy godmother. Now where did I leave my magic wand? Oh, right, maybe the Easter Bunny took it. Ghosts don’t send text messages!”
I had a tendency to get a bit snarky when nervous. It was either that or run away.
Please remember your manners. I’m here to help you, dear. There is no need to be rude.
“Me being rude? I’m not rude,” I said. Did I sound a wee bit defensive? Was I being charged for these messages? Good thing I had the unlimited text message plan.
From what I’ve seen so far, you’ll need my help. Now this little old lady ghost was insulting me.
I waved my hands. “Okay, if you say so.”
I let out several deep breaths to keep from hyperventilating. What should I do now? I couldn’t tell anyone. They’d think I was crazy and fire me immediately. I definitely couldn’t tell Brannon Landon. He’d have the Ghostbusters over here faster than I could say Casper the Friendly Ghost. And then the board would fire me. I wanted to know how she was doing this.
I turned my back on Ms. Annie Gibson and began flipping on light switches. It would be completely dark soon and there was no way I was roaming around this place in the dark with a ghost following me. Again, why was I scared of a ghost? I was used to this kind of stuff. I walked around graveyards and haunted building all the time, but I’d certainly never expected to communicate with a ghost… via text message.
“I don’t think following me is the best idea. What do you want?” I said over my shoulder.
Jane Austen hurried along beside me, meowing loudly.
“See, you’re scaring the cat,” I said.
I glanced down at my phone and got the message. Little Jane loves me.
Annie wiggled her index finger, beckoning the fluffy feline closer. The cat sauntered over to Annie, then brushed up against her leg. The traitor. I couldn’t believe the cat picked a ghost over me.
Thunder rolled again and I jumped. The sound sent shivers chasing down my spine.
Get used to working with me. Been here since 1884. Not going anywhere anytime soon. Library is where I want to be.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in heaven or something? How did you get here?” I quickened my steps.
All questions I wanted to know the answers to. But I was torn. Talk to the ghost and possibly have the board find out about it—or ignore her and forever wonder about the unknown.
It didn’t look as if she would give me a choice though. There was no getting away from her. She moved along behind me as I straightened books on the shelves.
My phone hadn’t received this many texts in… well, forever.
Don’t place book like that. Shift a little to the left.
When I looked up from my phone, she motioned with a wave of her hand. I stopped and shifted the book ever so slightly.
Better. Now do something about that terrible coffee they’re trying to give customers. She punctuated the message with a frown and shook her head. Cookies not much better.
“Now the ghost is telling me how to do my job,” I mumbled.
She did have a point about the coffee and cookies. The cookies had already caused one injury today. I supposed Annie Gibson was trying to help, but she had to realize it was a bit of a shock to the system to see a ghost for the first time, one who talked, no less.
They can’t see me though. You’re the only one who sees me.
“Lucky me,” I said drily.
You should be aware of the books that your patrons like and want.
More unsolicited advice? “Mrs. Gibson, do I look like a walking card catalog? I don’t know every book ever written. I’m good, but I’m not that good.” I paused, then said, “So, you’re saying I’m the only one here who can see you?”
I needed to get a hold of myself. I was being quite snippy to this ghost. I had no idea what kind of haunting she was capable of, so maybe I should be a little nicer.
I may be old, but I stay current with the times. Why, I even know about that Twitter and Facebook stuff on the internets.
I bit my lip to stifle my laughter. “It’s the internet.”
She wiggled her finger. Don’t be sassy. It’s not becoming. Now, back to the books. The first one in the series is Hidden Secrets, then there’s Chilling Secrets, and the last is Deadly Secrets. All by an author named Ted Alistair. If you like a good mystery novel, then you’ll love the books. They are quite good. I’d even go as far to say that they’re addicting.
“Why are you telling me about these books? I have more important things to worry about. Like my sanity.”
You don’t have to be so testy about it.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so tough on her. After all, she was dead, bless her heart.
The lights flickered off, then back on as a flash of lightning lit up the sky. As I stood there in a showdown with this ghost librarian, a woman’s scream pierced the air. Annie Gibson and I locked eyes. Then my feet couldn’t move fast enough as I raced toward the stairs. Had one of the women seen the ghost of Annie Gibson? The appearance of a see-through woman was scary, sure, but did it warrant that dramatic of a reaction?
Once I reached the hallway, I stopped dead in my tracks. As it turned out, the reaction was entirely appropriate, because Marion was lying at the bottom of the stairs like an old rag doll. Her coffee cup was on one side of the floo
r, while a smashed chocolate cupcake rested by her outstretched hand.
The rest of the Book Wormers stood around Marion with their mouths hung open. I knew by the way Marion’s head was twisted at an awkward angle and the color of her face that she was no longer with us.
“I’ll call 911,” I said breathlessly.
“She must have fallen down the stairs,” Sue said in a shaky voice.
“I can’t believe this happened,” Dana said.
Katherine lowered herself to the step and sat. Her gaze was locked on Marion’s body. She clutched a copy of Hidden Secrets to her chest. Dana stood beside her. For a split second, we exchanged a glance.
My phone dinged again. This was not the time for more messages, but I couldn’t stop myself from looking.
This is absolutely disastrous. Don’t just stand there, dear, do something.
A presence came from behind me. I whipped around to see who had slipped up on me. It was the dead librarian. Apparently my new friend was going to follow my every move. I wanted to tell her to go away, but not with the Book Wormers right there. Since they hadn’t reacted to her presence, I knew they couldn’t see her. No matter my haunted tour guide qualifications, they’d think I was insane.
Chapter Eight
After dialing 911, I ushered the women out of the hallway. No good would come from the women staring down at Marion’s body. She couldn’t be saved.
“What happened?” I asked Dana as we waited by the library’s front door.
She ran her hand through her hair. “Sue and Marion were still arguing. Marion suddenly said she wasn’t feeling well, so she left the room. That’s when we heard the noise and ran out to check on her.”
I glanced toward the staircase and caught a glimpse of Marion’s arm as she lay on the floor. I took in a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves, but it was ineffective.
“Are you okay?” I asked Sue.
Her face was pale and her eyes were blank as she stared straight ahead. She nodded, but didn’t look at me or utter a word.
Katherine stood in the corner with her head in her hands. I didn’t know the right words to console the women. What did anyone say in a situation like this?
It took forever for the sirens to sound in front of the building. Or maybe it was only a couple minutes, but when you’re staring down at a dead body and have a ghost texting you, it’s easy to become a little confused. The flashing lights blanketed the area with an alternating glow of red and blue.
I held the door open and waved the authorities over, as if they didn’t know where the library was located. Unfortunately, the first face I spotted was that of Officer Brannon Landon.
“Are you okay?” Brannon asked as he stepped through the door.
“I’m fine.” I nodded.
“Where is she?” he asked.
I pointed toward the stairs. “In the hall at the bottom of the stairs. She fell.”
Why had I offered that last detail? I mean, it was kind of obvious that Marion Burns had fallen. He didn’t respond as he rushed toward the body. Maybe he hadn’t heard my stupid comment.
A couple paramedics followed Brannon, but I already knew it was too late for Marion. That poor woman. She must have been terrified when she fell down those stairs. Not to mention she’d been fighting with all the Book Wormers. I wondered how they must feel now that she was dead.
A stream of uniformed personnel flowed through the library. I hadn’t figured there were that many people in the Devil’s Moon Police Department. A few of them cast a look my way. They probably thought I’d brought a dark cloud with me when I’d moved back to Rocky Point. Heck, maybe I had.
I leaned against the wall by the front door, then slid to the floor. The cool air from the open front door touched my skin as I sat there staring blankly. The faint lightning still flickered in the distance. At least the storm had passed.
My phone alerted me to another text.
This all seems a bit odd, don’t you think?
After glancing around to make sure no one would see me, I let out a heavy sigh, then said, “What seems a bit odd, Annie?”
My life had now been reduced to receiving texts from ghosts who more than likely only existed in my mind.
Marion’s death. The victim in the mystery book fell down the stairs too, but that wasn’t the real cause of death. Marion didn’t die from a fall either.
I looked at her. “Are you serious?”
I waited for the text to come through.
Dead serious.
Chapter Nine
Quicker than lightning, the police had arrived on the scene, questioning everyone—including me. It seemed as if the whole town was there to watch the spectacle unfold. Yes, Brannon was asking the questions. People would think I had done something wrong since I was now being interrogated by the police. I stood in the corner by the counter, trying to stay out of the way and go unnoticed. That wasn’t working in my favor. It was interesting that Annie was now nowhere to be found. I guessed she didn’t like that many people being loud in the library.
Brannon made eye contact with me. I wanted to look away, but for some reason I couldn’t. He stopped talking with a fellow officer and headed my way. My cell phone dinged. Before he reached me, I looked down at my phone.
Tell him about me.
I glanced around, but still didn’t see Annie. If only I could text her back. My answer would have been no way. The coroner was taking the body out. The men wheeled Marion right past the service desk. A chill raced down my spine.
“It’s been an interesting first day of work for you.”
I tucked the phone into my pocket. “Not at all like I had planned. I feel terrible for what happened.”
“We’ll be leaving now. You should get rest.”
I shook my head. “I still have a haunted tour to give.”
“Under the circumstances I’m sure everyone would understand if you didn’t make it tonight.”
I switched off the computer that had popped back on. This time I unplugged it. “The computer’s been acting up,” I said when I noticed that Brannon was watching me. “Anyway, I don’t have anything else to do tonight, so I would only sit home and think about what happened today.”
“I see your point. Listen, I don’t have anything to do now either. We won’t know anything else until we get back the autopsy report. Would you mind if I took your tour night?”
My phone dinged. I definitely ignored it. Having such a good-looking tour goer could possibly be distracting, but I couldn’t say no. “Sure, that would be fine. I’ll just close up and then we can go.” When I glanced to my left, Annie was across the way by the mystery section. She pointed at me and then my phone dinged.
Brannon nodded. “I’ll wait outside.”
“Great. See you soon.” I forced a smile on my face.
Once he’d walked out of the library, I looked to my left again. Annie stood right beside me. Her eyes moved down toward my pocket. That was my hint to check my messages. Ignoring her, I made sure Jane Austen had food and water, then I moved around the counter toward the entrance. The officers had all cleared out.
After a long day of work, I wanted nothing more than to go home, but I loved the tour and as long as there were people who wanted to see the haunted sites, then I wanted to show them.
Annie wouldn’t stop sending me messages. And she wouldn’t stop talking about Marion’s death. I let my curiosity get to me—I had to check the message.
Murder. Happened just like the murder in the book the Book Wormers were reading. Not coincidence.
She had got to be kidding me. Now the ghost thought Marion had been murdered? I looked at Annie. Her misty silhouette hovered by the mystery section. Annie’s attention was focused solely on me. The lights flickered and my phone dinged again. I knew Brannon was waiting for me outside. I worried he would come back and catch me talking to Annie. Maybe I shouldn’t have engaged the ghost, but I was curious.
There is a killer and you should f
ind the killer before the police throw you in prison.
“In prison?” I blurted out. “Why would I be in prison? I didn’t do anything. Furthermore, the death was an accident in the first place.” If anyone saw me talking right now they would think I’d lost my marbles.
But Annie had a point. I’d been there when Marion was discovered and I was new in town—well, new in that I’d just moved back. That might be all the reason the police needed.
Maybe they will try to pin it on you.
Annie sure had picked up a few new phrases since becoming a ghost.
Annie had a point—stranger things had happened. I stared at my phone.
You must solve the murder.
What did I know about solving a murder? This was real life, not some author’s murder mystery. Marion had fallen down the stairs, nothing more.
“Good night, Annie.” I switched off the light and closed the door, leaving the ghost in the dark.
Chapter Ten
I just hoped that Annie didn’t follow me. Although my tour goers would probably have loved to see her, I needed time to wrap my mind around everything that had happened. It was a lot to take in on my first day on the job.
When I stepped out into the night air, Brannon was standing on the sidewalk by the streetlight waiting for me. The glow highlighted his handsome features. I pulled my sweater up close to fight the chill and walked over to him.
“Are you all set?” he asked with a smile.
“I’m ready.”
Now that I thought about it, Brannon probably just wanted to come along so he could talk to me about investigating the library. The rumors of a haunting would only increase now that Marion had died in the building. If people only knew that the place really was haunted. I wouldn’t tell Brannon about meeting the ghostly Annie. That would only cause me more problems.
As we walked along, he said, “I heard you are originally from here? What brought you back?”
“It seemed like the right place to be and the job was available. They say you always come back home.”
