by Rose Pressey
“Annie saw the ghost just a short time ago.”
The computer behind me lit up.
That’s right. I just saw the ghost for the first time about twenty minutes ago.
Tammy looked at the screen. “Is that why you went upstairs?”
I nodded. “I wanted to see if there was really a ghost up there.”
“Well, it must have still been down here.” Tammy rubbed her arms as if fighting off the goosebumps.
“Oh, no. I saw it up there. It must move quickly,” I said.
Tammy shook her head. “It came right at me.”
“What do you mean it came at you?” I asked.
“That’s what I mean. It just came at me.” Tammy gestured. “It zoomed across the room and just when I thought it was going to attack me it disappeared.”
“I am so sorry.”
Tammy looked at me. “Why are you sorry? Did you bring it here?”
“Not that I know of,” I said.
She waved her hand. “Then don’t be sorry.”
She only said that because she was a kind person and we had been friends for a long time. We all knew that I attracted ghosts like a moth to a flame.
“What will you do?” Tammy asked.
Get rid of the thing. Annie was now pacing around the reference desk. A patron had almost inadvertently run into Annie when she came to check out her book. After helping the woman I started the conversation again.
“We definitely have a problem.” I blew the hair out of my eyes.
“You can say that again,” Tammy said.
The phone rang, stopping our conversation. When I answered the call and a female voice spoke my name, a cold chill instantly ran down my spine. This wasn’t a ghost or anything paranormal. It was much worse than that. It was a call from the head of the library board. Mrs. Agnew knew how to scare the bejeezus out of me.
“What’s going on over there?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” I tried to play innocent.
How could she know about the shadow already? That was impossible, but what else could she be talking about? What had I done this time—or, more likely, what did she suspect that I had done?
“I heard that someone was screaming in the library. Do you want to tell me why?”
Did I want to tell her? No, I did not, but I supposed I had no choice. But if she knew someone was screaming then why didn’t she know who was screaming?
Now I had to come up with a plausible explanation for what she’d heard. I wanted to ask how she’d received this bit of news, but I knew she wouldn’t tell how she got the information. Did she have a spy in the library? It wouldn’t surprise me. She probably had hidden cameras in here. If that was the case she would see me talking to Annie. Then she wouldn’t see anyone at all around and it would look like I was just talking to myself. That was terrible. At least Jane Austen the cat was around sometimes and I could use her as an excuse. The stray black cat had adopted us and made the library her home.
“Actually, Tammy thought she saw a mouse. I can see why you would think it was something more, but it really was just a mouse.”
That excuse just came off the top of my head. I had no idea how I’d thought of it so quickly. It seemed plausible to me though.
Mrs. Agnew paused as if contemplating what I had told her. She sighed and then said, “Well, get rid of the problem. We don’t need rodents in the library. This is your responsibility. You have a cat there, for heaven’s sakes. If the cat can’t handle it then you’ll have to get rid of it. I don’t like that thing in the library anyway.”
I would quit my job before I let that cat leave the library, but for the sake of not arguing, I said, “Consider the mouse gone. It’s probably already gone. I think the cat got it.”
“See that it is.” She hung up the phone.
Tammy walked up beside me. “What was that all about?”
“Apparently somebody told her that you were screaming.”
“I’m so sorry, Rip,” Tammy said.
“Don’t be sorry. I’m the one who brought the ghost here.”
“What did Mrs. Agnew say?” Tammy asked.
“She told me to get rid of the mouse. I told her you saw a mouse and that was why you screamed.”
Tammy laughed. “That would cause me to scream.”
***
There were only a couple hours of the work day left. After that I would have the haunted tour. I hoped that the ghost didn’t try to attack any customers before the library closed. If Mrs. Agnew found out about this she would for sure fire me. She was looking for a reason to get rid of me. One more screw-up and I would be out the door.
“Tammy, why don’t you go ahead and leave for the day?” I asked.
“I can’t leave you here,” Tammy said. “What if the ghost comes back?”
“That’s exactly why you should leave. I don’t want it to come after you again.” I stacked a couple books onto the cart.
“What if it comes after you?” Tammy asked with wide eyes.
“I will be fine. I’m used to dealing with ghosts, remember?” I forced a smile.
Tammy stared at the door for a moment. “Okay, but you’ll call me if you need me?”
“You know I will,” I said.
Tammy grabbed her things and headed for the exit. She paused when she reached the door and turned to look at me. “Be safe.”
“Always,” I said with a wave.
As soon as she walked out the door I looked around the library. Something seemed different. Maybe it was the sunshine that had popped out from behind the clouds and was now streaming through the large windows along the front of the building. The weather had been crazy today with clouds one minute and sun the next. However, I thought the difference in the air really had something to do with the ghost that had paid a visit.
Annie was standing beside me now. Jane Austen was sitting on the counter licking her paws.
“I need to call Brannon,” I said, pulling out my cell phone.
Unfortunately, he didn’t answer, so I left a voicemail telling him about the strange afternoon we’d had at the library. I hoped he got a chance to call me back before the tour started tonight. Once I was guiding people around town I wouldn’t be able to answer his call until the tour was finished.
There was five minutes left before time to close so I finished up my work for the day. The last person had just walked out the door. Now it was just Annie, Jane Austen, and me. The ghost had made no other appearances. That was a good thing. I figured that what had happened was a one-off and the ghost wouldn’t appear again. At least I hoped that was the case.
I’d just grabbed my bag and keys when my cell rang. Annie couldn’t really project her voice through the phone, so I knew it wasn’t her calling. I hoped that it was Brannon returning my call. We’d played phone tag for the past couple hours. He had received my message and we’d texted a few times when we weren’t busy with our work. We planned to meet for dinner later tonight after I finished with the tour. Sadly, the call wasn’t Brannon.
Dana Newman owned the coffee shop in town. She was also a member of the Book Wormers, who met at the library once a month. They weren’t due to meet until next week, so I wasn’t sure why she was calling.
“Hello?” I answered as I hurried toward the door. I wanted to get out of there just in case the ghost returned. I had tried to convince Annie to come with me, but she said she could handle herself around a ghost. She was probably right about that. “Dana, how are you?” I asked, trying not to sound too stressed as I left the library.
“Well, I’ve had better days,” she said around a sigh.
“Oh, no. What’s wrong?” I glanced over at the graveyard as I walked by. Maybe the ghost had been hanging around outside.
“I think I have a problem here at the shop. A ghost kind of problem. I didn’t know what to do, so I naturally thought of calling you.”
I paused on the sidewalk. I hadn’t expected her response. I’d become the g
o-to person for all things paranormal in Devil’s Moon.
“What kind of ghost problem?” I asked as I started walking again.
“I was working behind the counter when I caught movement at the back of the room out of the corner of my eye. That was when I spotted the shadow.”
I stopped again. Dana continued talking. She described the shadow exactly as I’d seen it. Why would the shadow move to her shop? This was strange.
“Can you come by here and take a look?” she asked.
I wasn’t sure exactly what I could do. The stress in her voice was evident. This was more Brannon’s territory. He liked to invent gadgets that helped spirits who were stuck in this dimension. Maybe Brannon could stop by her place after he got off work. Though she sounded as if she wanted help now.
“Okay, I can stop by quickly before the tour,” I said.
I didn’t have the heart to tell Dana that if a spirit was at her place then there was probably nothing I could do to make it leave tonight.
Chapter 2
As I hurried toward Dana’s shop I sent Brannon a text. With any luck he would be off soon and could stop by. The walk to the coffee shop would have been a pleasant one if wasn’t for my anxiety about what had happened. The trees had just started to change and a few leaves trickled to the ground.
The library was at the edge of the historic part of town. In order to reach Dana’s shop I had to go past the alleyway that led to the graveyard where I started my tour. Then there was the tavern, the restaurants, and antique shop. Those were all part of the tour. Streetlamps lined the path as I walked down the sidewalk. Other people strolled up and down the sidewalk entering the restaurants. Cars drove up and down the road. It was still early and close to dinner time. People were out and about. Things slowed down considerably around nine or ten at night in Devil’s Moon.
I hurried my step as Dana’s shop came into view. A huge sign dangled above the door with the name Java Hut. Her tagline was “Best coffee this side of the Mason-Dixon line.” A chalkboard tent sign was out front with the specials of the day. Just seeing the place made the smell of coffee come to mind and my mouth watered a little from thinking about the pastries.
The shop wasn’t a large space, but that made it seem very cozy and comfy. Tables and chairs sat around the room. It almost made you feel as if you were sitting right in your own living room. It helped that Dana was so friendly and made everyone feel as if they were friends and not just customers. The chalkboard sign out front mentioned my favorite chocolate croissant and cherry turnover. Maybe Dana would have some left over that I could take home with me, if she was just going to throw them out anyway I’d be happy to take them off her hands.
I reached the shop and stepped inside. Two men sat at a table toward the front entrance. Other than that the shop was empty. They were engrossed in their conversation while sipping on coffee. The dark-haired man looked up at me. Our eyes met for a moment. He had a strange look on his face, but it only lasted a second and he turned his attention back to the conversation with the other man. Maybe he had seen the shadow too. It was always busy in the mornings, but in the evenings there was hardly anyone in the shop. Dana was trying this thing where she stayed open later. After the ghost showing up though she might change her mind.
At least it appeared that things had calmed down. There was no sign of a shadowy spirit. Nothing was out of place in the shop. Although Dana was nowhere in sight. No other employees were behind the counter either. It was a good thing the place wasn’t busy. Had the shadow chased everyone away? If so then why were the men still sitting there? Other than the odd look the man had given me they didn’t act as if anything was wrong.
I needed to find Dana. The longer I stood there the more uneasy I became with this whole situation. The air grew heavier. It felt the same as it had at the library. Was the same shadow here now? Why would it come to the coffee shop? If it wanted me then it could have just stayed at the library.
I thought about asking the men if they’d seen Dana lately, but I didn’t want to disturb them. After pulling out my phone, I typed out a message to Dana letting her know I was there and then hit send. She must be at the back of the room. As I walked in that direction I felt as if I was walking through a thick cloud. It was a little hard to breathe. I paused at the door that led into the kitchen and back office area.
“Are you there, Dana?” I called out.
I was just ready to push the door and go back there when Dana peeked out the door. “Is it out there?” Dana looked over my shoulder for a second and then stepped out from the kitchen.
“The shadow? No. I didn’t see anything.” I moved out of the way so that Dana could come join me in the main area. “Where is everyone?”
She waved her hand. “Erin was the only one here and she took off when she saw it.”
“So she saw it too? And she ran out?”
“Well, no. She was scared so I told her to go ahead and leave. I’ve never been so scared.” Dana clutched her chest.
I took her by the arm. “Why don’t you come up front and have a seat? There are still a couple men up there, by the way.”
She sighed. “Yes, I was hoping they would leave so I could just close up. I suppose that won’t make the thing leave though.”
“Whatever you saw is probably gone.” I guided her toward the front of the room. “The men didn’t seem scared.”
The look the dark-haired man had given me flashed in my mind. I tried to comfort Dana and pretend that everything was fine. Though I knew I would have to tell her about what I’d seen at the library. When we reached the front of the store only one man remained. He appeared significantly different now. Dana screamed out and raced over to him.
The man was slouched forward with his face planted on the table. It appeared as if he’d had a medical emergency. I ran over to help Dana with the man while pulling my phone out of my pocket to dial 911. Dana was trying to get the man to respond by poking at him, but he was lifeless. After placing the emergency call, I looked at Dana.
She met my gaze. “He’s dead.”
My eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“I mean he’s dead.”
It wasn’t that I didn’t believe Dana, but I was in shock. Moving closer to the body, I checked for a pulse. It only took a few seconds for me to admit that Dana was right. “He’s dead.”
She nodded. “Yes, I know.”
“The ambulance is on its way.” I pulled out my phone one more time and sent Brannon a text.
I’m at the coffee shop. 911. There’s a dead man.
After hitting send, I asked, “Where is the other man? Did he just leave his friend like this? Maybe he went for help.”
I ran over to the door and peered out onto the sidewalk. There was no sign of him. I went back to Dana. She was standing in the middle of the coffee shop staring at the man’s lifeless body.
“What do you think happened to him?” She pushed her bangs out of her eyes.
“I don’t know. Did he order food? Maybe he choked on something.”
Dana rubbed her head. “He ordered a chocolate scone.”
The empty plate remained on the table with a few crumbs left on it.
“It could have been a heart attack,” I said.
Dana nodded. “Yes, that’s probably what happened.”
“When they ordered coffee did they give their names?”
Dana rubbed her temples. “Just the man who left.”
“What was his name?” I asked.
A look of dread fell over her face. “I just can’t remember. I think it started with a D. He ordered both coffees.”
“That’s okay, Dana. You’re under a look of stress. I don’t expect that you’d remember.”
When my phone rang, I knew that it was Brannon. He wouldn’t send a response text when I sent him a message like that.
I picked up the phone. “You got my text?” I knew my voice sounded freaked out.
“What’s going on?” he aske
d.
“I’m at Dana’s coffee shop with her and something happened to one of her customers. We’re standing here right now. There’s no one else in the place. Well, unless you consider the ghost that was there earlier.”
“This is crazy, Rip. There’s a ghost and a dead person?”
“It seems that way, but I can explain it later. The weird thing is there was another man here with the one who died, but when we came from the back of the shop the man had disappeared. And the other man was dead.”
“That sounds strange. Are you sure he’s dead?” Brannon asked.
“He doesn’t have a pulse,” I said.
“I’m on my way.”
I released a deep breath after ending the call. Thank goodness he was on his way over. Dana rushed over and picked up a napkin that had been on the floor next to the body.
Rushing over I took the napkin from her. “This will be a death investigation, so we shouldn’t touch anything else.”
“Is that necessary?” she asked.
“It’s just a precaution,” I said.
As I eased the napkin down onto the table I noticed a pen in the man’s hand. When I glanced at the napkin, it had a letter scribbled on it.
“I think he was writing something when he fell ill,” I said.
“What does it say?” Dana asked.
“It’s just the letter C.”
“Where are the police? What is taking so long?”
It had only been a minute, but I understood why Dana was panicking. How would I explain this to Brannon? I had an unwelcome knack for being around when dead people were discovered.
I wrapped my arm around Dana’s shoulder. “We can go up by the door and watch for them.”
“That’s a good idea,” she said, releasing a deep breath.
We’d barely reached the door and looked out when a loud thud sounded from behind us. Dana and I screamed and spun around. The man was now on the floor.
“I suppose the weight of his body made the chair tip,” I said.
“I don’t know, but I’m not sure I can handle this,” Dana said. “What do we do now? Should we put him back in the chair?”
