by Rose Pressey
“It sounds like she’s describing the man who was at the coffee shop. Denny. The one who disappeared,” I said.
Joanna starred at me with wide eyes, but didn’t respond.
“Why do you say that?” he asked.
“Because I saw him at the tour and around town. Plus, she saw him. Her description fits.” I turned my attention back to Joanna. “Do you know anyone named Denny?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“You’re right. I need to find this man immediately,” Brannon said.
Joanna reached for her bag and I wondered if I should be afraid. After all, I still didn’t know this woman. She seemed nice enough, but all of this was too strange for me to understand at the moment.
“I brought the books with me and the notes. I thought maybe you could look at them and figure out why he’s leaving them.”
“That is strange,” I said as I took the books from her. “Well, they’re new hardback mystery novels obviously. Maybe there’s some sort of connection with you and the stories. Have you ever read these books?”
She shook her head. “I thought about it, but it was just too creepy.”
“I can understand that. Well, I haven’t read these books either, but I can definitely do that. I’ll find out anything I can about them. In the meantime, Brannon can take the notes. Possibly get fingerprints.” I glanced at Brannon for confirmation.
Okay, I sounded more like I was the detective on the case. I needed to remember that this was his job. I was just a librarian and a haunted tour guide. I fully intended on researching the books though.
“Is there anything else you can think of?” Brannon asked.
She shook her head. “No, I guess not. I’m just upset.”
“You mentioned something about a ghost?” I asked.
“Well, yes, that’s the original reason I came to see you. Then when the guy with the books came, I thought why not ask her? I found out you’re a librarian.”
“So what kind of ghost is this?” I asked.
“It’s a dark shadow,” she said. “Sometimes grayish and then turns much darker. Almost pitch black.”
Immediately I thought of the shadow that had been at the library and then at the coffee shop. That kind of tied in with Denny who had been with the other man right before he died. Then the ghost had appeared before that. How did this all fit together?
“So are you from Devil’s Moon?” I asked, handing the books back to her.
She nodded. “I just moved to town recently. I suppose I should get home now. I’ve taken up enough of your time.” Joanna stood from the table and hurried for the door. “Thank you again for everything.”
“I don’t think you can let her go out there alone,” I said to Brannon. “Not when she thinks that man was following her.”
He stared at me for a second. “Of course, I can’t let her leave alone. I’ll give her a ride home and then I’ll be back.” He flashed his sexy smile.
I kissed him. “I’ll be waiting.”
“Joanna, let me give you a ride home,” Brannon said.
She paused with her hand on the door handle. “If you’re sure it’s not a problem.”
“I’m here to help,” Brannon said.
Brannon kissed me goodbye again and I watched as they walked to his car. Joanna scanned the area as she made her way to the cruiser. She looked terrified that the man or shadow might appear again.
They’d just gotten into the car and Brannon had turned on the headlights when something dark moved. I’d caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye. Looking over to my left, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. Was it the shadow stalking me? I’d had a bad feeling that the thing would follow me home. If it found me at the library then surely the spirit knew where I lived too. It probably had been following me all evening. Though what if Joanna had brought it with her. Now I was even more worried for Brannon.
When I noticed the movement again, panic started to set in. However, when I spotted a black cat I released a deep breath. The neighbors’ cat came over for a visit occasionally. It looked as if he was walking back home. That had to be what I’d seen and not the shadow. Thank goodness. I turned my attention back to the car again as they pulled away from the curb. An uneasy feeling fell over me as I stood there all alone in the house. Usually I was fine with it, but not tonight.
While I waited for Brannon, I busied myself with cleaning up the dishes and straightening up around the house. I was just trying to keep myself occupied until he returned. Nervousness had settled in my stomach and I wasn’t quite sure why. Maybe because he was taking a stranger home. One who had been acting weird. Though he was a police officer and he was used to taking care of himself. I needed to just calm down.
The bottle of wine was still half full and I was hoping to still salvage a romantic evening. Brannon had gone to such lengths to make this a special evening, and I wanted to make sure we enjoyed it completely. At least we’d gotten a chance to finish our dinner before Joanna had shown up. I poured myself a glass of wine and sat by the window in the comfy brown leather chair that my parents had bought me. This was where I’d wait here for Brannon to return.
It seemed so dark along the street. One of the streetlights was out. When the headlights shone down the street and the car pulled up in front of my house I released a big sigh of relief. I was glad that Brannon was back. Now I wouldn’t be alone and I could stop worrying about him. I couldn’t wait to hear what he had to say about Joanna. I watched as he got out of the car and came up the path to the front door. After I opened the door and let him in he immediately gave me another hug and kiss.
“How did it go?” I asked.
“Well, I have something to tell you.”
Chapter 5
The next morning, I headed down the sidewalk toward the library. Now that I’d moved into my new house it was a longer walk to work, but I didn’t mind so much. Well, on nice days I didn’t mind. I had to admit on days when the weather was bad I caught a ride.
Brannon had returned last night not long after dropping off Joanna. Of course I had been curious to know what she had she said and where she lived.
“You’re not going to believe this,” Brannon had said. “She lives in your old apartment.”
That had caught me off guard. What were the odds? I figured it was a coincidence. After all, I had moved out recently and I knew the apartment would be rented out again. Brannon said she hadn’t said much else. He’d walked her to the door and waited outside in his car for a few moments to see if any activity occurred around the house. No one was around so he left. Now I was curious about why she had moved to Devil’s Moon. Had this mystery man followed her here?
With the bright blue sky and warmth from the morning sun, I enjoyed the stroll through town. Most people would think I’d get sick of walking along these streets so often, but the town was so pretty there was always something interesting to look at. As I neared the coffee shop I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would Dana be open today? I knew she couldn’t really afford to close the shop for a day. She’d recently lost her husband. I knew what had happened yesterday had brought back fresh and painful memories for her.
When I got closer I spotted someone walk out the door with a cup of coffee and knew the shop was open. Though I wasn’t sure if Dana had actually made it to work today. I didn’t have much time before I had to be at the library, but I decided to stop in and check on Dana anyway. Mrs. Agnew wouldn’t be happy if she showed up at the library and I wasn’t there yet. At least Tammy would be there to unlock the doors in case I didn’t make it on time.
I made the walk the rest of the way to the coffee shop. I paused for just a moment before opening the door. A flash of the scene from yesterday came to mind. Nevertheless, I released a deep breath, opened the door, and stepped inside the space. Immediately my gaze went to the area where the man had been discovered. The table and chairs were missing.
Maybe it was just my imagination or because of what had happen
ed, but a somber mood lingered inside the coffee shop this morning. There was the usual scent of coffee and baked goods, but something was different. I wanted to find out if the shadow had reappeared. I supposed it hadn’t since Dana hadn’t called me. When I walked up to the counter the employee asked me what I wanted to order. I gave her my request and then asked if Dana was here today.
“I’m here,” Dana called out.
To my left I spotted Dana waving at me. She came from the back area where I’d found her yesterday.
I gave her a hug. “I’m so glad that you made it. I was worried about you.”
She waved off my comment. “Don’t you worry about me. I’m just fine. I’ll make it through it. Any news yet?” She lowered her voice as if someone would know what we were talking about.
I took that as a clue that she wanted me to keep this quiet. Things didn’t stay quiet long in Devil’s Moon.
“No news yet,” I said.
I’d barely finished the sentence when my cell rang. Brannon’s number popped up on the screen. “I need to take this call. I’ll be right back, okay? It’s Brannon. He might have news.”
She nodded. I took the coffee from the woman behind the counter who was waving the cup at me. I stepped out onto the sidewalk so that I could speak without anyone hearing my side of the conversation. Across the street a few people walked up and down the sidewalk, but no one was close enough to listen in at the moment.
When I answered, Brannon asked, “Do you have a moment to speak?”
“Sure. Is something wrong?” I asked.
“I just got word from the coroner,” he said.
My stomach dropped. I knew by his voice that this wasn’t good news.
“It was murder, Rip.”
It felt as if someone had punched me in the stomach. I glanced back at the coffee shop, now aware that this was a crime scene. What would Dana say or think when she found out? She would be waiting on me to give her the news. I wasn’t sure that Brannon wanted me to tell anyone yet. If not, what would I tell her? I would have to make up something and I didn’t like doing that.
“How did this happen?” I asked.
“A high dose of poison,” Brannon answered.
“So the person with him probably put it in his coffee?” I asked.
“You would think that, but we took the coffee, remember? We tested it and there was no trace of poison in there. So now I have to figure out how he was poisoned.”
“And who did it,” I said.
“Exactly,” Brannon said.
Now I had to worry about Joanna. If the man from the coffee shop was the killer and he was following her, then he could be after her next.
“Where are you?” Brannon asked.
“I’m at the coffee shop,” I said. “Dana knows I’m talking to you. What should I tell her?”
“Considering that we’ll have to come by and do some more investigating, I think you’ll have to tell her, but tell her not to let anyone else know. I want to keep this quiet as long as possible.”
“I’m sorry, Brannon, but you know this is Devil’s Moon, and there’s no way that will happen.”
Brannon sighed. “We’ll keep it quiet for as long as we can.”
“I’m headed to the library so I’ll talk to you later. Call me and let me know if you find out anything else,” I said.
“Just be aware of your surroundings,” he said.
Now he had me concerned that I had something to worry about other than a ghost. I didn’t understand why the man would be after me, but it was like the ghost was a warning. This was all so confusing.
“I’ll talk to you soon,” I said and then hung up the phone.
I looked back at the coffee shop window. Dana was peering out at me. Obviously she was curious and I knew I had to tell her. Opening the door, I stepped back inside.
When I approached, she said, “Well, what did you find out?”
I looked around to see if anyone was paying attention. “I have to talk to you.”
“Oh, dear,” she said.
“They found out what killed Mr. Chadwick,” I said in a low voice.
“What was it?” she asked in the same tone.
I leaned in closer. “It was murder.”
She wobbled a little. I grabbed her, thinking that she might faint.
“How did it happen?” Her voice wavered.
“Someone poisoned him,” I said.
“That man with him put something in his coffee, right?” she asked with wide eyes.
I shook my head. “You would think that, but no. At least Brannon says there was no poison in the coffee. They tested it. So now they have to solve the mystery of how he was poisoned.”
“How do you think it happened?”
“I don’t know, but if it was a large dose he probably died pretty quickly. Maybe that means that he received the fatal dose here in the coffee shop.”
“I don’t understand how the man gave the victim poison,” Dana said.
“Well, that’s what we have to find out. We don’t know for sure if it was that man.”
“He was the only one in here.” Her eyes widened. “Do you think they suspect us?”
“I don’t think so. Actually, I hadn’t thought of that.”
“But we were in the coffee shop and we found him,” Dana said.
“We are each other’s alibi,” I said.
“Well, technically no. I mean, I was in the back of the shop. You don’t know what I did before you arrived.”
“But he was alive. I could be the suspect. He was alive the last time you saw him and then I came in. After that he was dead.” The more I said the more terrified I became.
“Oh, we shouldn’t even say things like that. They won’t think that we did anything to him,” she said with a wave of her hand.
“Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean everyone else in town won’t think something, and you know how they gossip.”
“It’s true,” Dana said around a sigh.
“That reminds me. Brannon asked for you not to tell anyone about this just yet. Of course everyone will find out, but for the time being we’ll keep it a secret.”
“I just hope I don’t lose business because there was a murder in the coffee shop.” The frown between Dana’s eyes deepened.
“The library had one and we didn’t lose business.”
“That’s true,” she said. “Plus, your haunted tour.”
I’d tried to forget about that.
“Okay, I have to get to the library right now, but I’ll call you if I find out anything else. And remember don’t tell anyone.”
She held up her hand. “I won’t say a word. I promise. The police will be back here?”
“Yes, I think they will,” I said. “But try not to worry about that.”
“That will be hard.” She sighed. “Thanks for everything.”
After hugging her goodbye I took off for the library. All the way to the library I thought about the murder. The little voice in my head kept telling me that there had been a murder. It played over and over. Plus, I was thinking about the shadow and how it had appeared right before the man died. Joanna had described the same shadow that Dana and I had seen. What if it returned to the library today?
I had so many unanswered questions. I hoped Brannon would be able to get fingerprints from the notes Joanna had given him. Unfortunately, the surveillance camera at Dana’s shop hadn’t been working, so Brannon was checking out cameras from other places in town to see if this mysterious man had been captured anywhere else. He had to have been spotted somewhere else. Maybe I should go around and ask people in town if they had seen him.
I was on full alert for the walk to the library, looking for the man or possibly the shadow. I was torn between wanting to see it so that I could possibly solve the mystery and not wanting to because it was just too dangerous. I passed by the tavern, which was closed, and then by the alleyway that led back to the cemetery. I glanced down there thinking maybe I would
see Mrs. Clatterbuck glaring at me. I didn’t see her, but I saw something else. It was the shadow. Just a glimpse as it darted around the side of the building. I had to go check it out.
Pushing back my fear and moving forward, I ran down the alleyway toward the danger. When I came to the end of the alleyway I stopped abruptly and looked to the right where I thought the shadow had disappeared. There was no sign of the shadow. A cold breeze blew across me, making a shiver run down my spine. I moved down the back side of the building, looking for a shadow. When I came out on the other side I was at a loss. Where had the shadow gone? There was no alleyway there, but I sensed something watching me.
This area was off-limits, so I couldn’t get back there. Nevertheless, there was no sign of the shadow anyway. I got the impression that it had wanted me to see it for whatever reason. It was a bad feeling and to be honest I was terrified. I raced back to the alleyway and down to the sidewalk again. I just hoped that this shadow didn’t show up at the library today. The stress of that might just be more than I could handle. It was probably following me though. I glanced over my shoulder. Thank goodness nothing was back there. The rest of the way to the library I was even more aware of my surroundings. I expected to see that shadow at any moment.
I raced down the path toward the library, barely glancing over at the cemetery that was on the library’s front lawn. I just didn’t want to chance seeing that shadow again. I needed a break. I sped up the steps and just as I reached for the door handle the door burst open. I tumbled forward right onto the marble floor. Luckily, my hands stopped the fall. All my injuries would likely be sustained on the palms of my hands and my knees. I groaned.
“Oh, my gosh, Rip, are you all right? I’m so sorry.” Tammy reached down to help me.
I looked up to see Tammy standing over me. “Where are you going?” I asked as she helped me up.
“I was worried about you. I got a weird feeling since you weren’t here on time. I didn’t expect you to be late.”
I wouldn’t mention the fact that I’d been chasing that shadow around town.
