by Rose Pressey
“Dana,” I called out.
When she turned around she spotted me and tossed her hand up in a wave. She stopped and I walked over to her.
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
Things were better now that she wasn’t talking with that woman any longer.
“Sure, things are fine,” I said as I glanced over my shoulder.
I was making sure that the car had really gone. Thank goodness it was nowhere in sight. Since I was acting strangely I knew Dana wondered why I had stopped her.
“The person you were just talking to…” My words trailed off.
“Is everything all right?” Dana asked.
I glanced over my shoulder one more time. I still expected to see that the car had retuned. Much to my relief it was still nowhere in sight.
“Do you know that person? Was it a friend of yours?” I asked.
“No, she isn’t a friend. That was the first time I’ve ever seen her,” Dana said.
“Oh really,” I said.
Dana frowned. “Yes, she was asking for directions.”
“She’s not from around her then.”
I wished I had thought to look at the license plate on her car.
“Where was she headed?” I asked.
“That is odd that you ask,” Dana said.
I quirked an eyebrow. “Why do you say that?”
Dana sighed and finally said, “She was asking for directions to your old place.”
I knew I had a reason to be suspicious of the woman. That meant she had to be looking for Joanna. Were they friends? Now I was even more curious.
“I gave her the directions,” Dana said. “Should I have not done that?”
“No, what you did was fine,” I said with a wave of my hand.
At least I hoped that was the case. What if this woman had a sinister reason for wanting to find Joanna? Not to mention this was my former address. Surely she wasn’t looking for me though. Now I had a hint of a doubt. I didn’t like feeling this way.
“Was there anything else she said or asked?”
Dana studied my face for a moment.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Well, I wasn’t going to say anything.”
“What is it, Dana?” My stomach flipped as the uneasy feeling took over.
“She asked about a house on Edman Street.”
“That’s my street,” I said with panic in my voice.
“I know. It probably is a coincidence.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “We both know it can’t be a coincidence.”
“But she didn’t ask about your specific house number,” Dana said.
“Which house did she ask about then?”
“She asked about an old Victorian on Edman.”
“Which is my house.” My voice was even louder now.
“There are a lot of old Victorian’s on that street.”
“I would agree with you if it weren’t for the fact that she had asked about Joanna’s place, which is where I used to live.”
“Well, don’t panic, but just the same you can tell Brannon about this,” Dana said as she patted my arm.
“Yes, I guess I should tell him.”
Even though I didn’t want to tell him, I knew it was for the best. He would probably think the person was after me because I’d been snooping around. Was that the case?
Up ahead, I spotted it. I was almost certain that the car had returned.
“I think the car is coming back,” I said.
Dana looked behind her. “Are you sure? Maybe it’s another car that looks just like it.”
It was possible, but I had a feeling that wasn’t the case. The car had stopped at the red light.
“Do you think she’s coming back to talk with us?” Dana asked.
“I hope she’s not coming back for me,” I said.
We watched as the light turned green and the car took off. My heart rate increased as the car drove closer. Seconds later Dana and I watched as the car drove by. Since the windows were tinted and she didn’t have it down so I couldn’t see if the driver looked over at us. There was one thing I could see though and that was the license plate as the car drove by. It was from Seattle.
“That was definitely her,” I said.
I pulled out my phone and typed a note with the plate number so that I wouldn’t forget it. Now Brannon could locate the owner of the vehicle.
“This is all so strange,” I said.
“Yes, a real mystery,” Dana said.
“Well, I guess I should let you get going,” I said.
Dana touched my arm. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
I nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
Now that she had asked me I was worried about her. What if these people were watching all of us? What if they were part of some crazy cult? Should I warn Dana? I could be scaring her needlessly.
“Where are you headed?” I asked.
“I was just going back to the coffee shop.” She motioned down the street.
Well, that wasn’t a far walk. Maybe I could keep an eye on her while she walked there.
Dana touched my arm. ”I know by the look on your face what you’re thinking.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“I’ll be fine,” she said. “The woman I talked to seemed nice.”
“So you’re not worried?” I asked.
“Not at all,” Dana said with a wave of her hand. “I’m just worried that you are too stressed.”
I blew the hair out of my eyes. “I guess it seems that way, doesn’t it?”
“Maybe you need to step back and take a break from all this,” Dana said.
I frowned. “From the investigation?”
“From everything,” Dana said. “Maybe you should take a break from the tours.”
Dana seemed as if she’d been reluctant to say the words. She knew how much I loved the tour.
“I don’t think I could do that,” I said.
“Everyone needs a vacation at some point.” She frowned.
“Yes, I suppose that’s true.”
Maybe I did need to plan a break. It would be time for me to take a vacation from the library soon. I had figured I would just stay in town and do the tour. Now I wasn’t sure. Did I appear that stressed? Enough where everyone around me was noticing too?
“If you’re sure you’re not worried,” I said.
Dana smiled. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
I nodded. “Yes, see you soon.”
Dana headed off down the sidewalk. I watched for a few moments before finally crossing the street again. Once I reached the other side of the street I stopped and watched Dana. She stopped at the coffee shop door and unlocked it. Then she entered and I headed down the sidewalk toward the tavern. Tammy was probably wondering where I was. As I neared the tavern I thought I spotted the black car down the street a bit. That really got my adrenaline pumping. When I reached the tavern door I opened it and rushed inside. I almost knocked a couple over as I ran in.
“Sorry,” I said.
Tammy spotted me and I motioned for her to come over. She set the bottle she’d been holding down and dashed from behind the counter. I moved over to the window.
“What’s going on?” she asked as she stood beside me.
“There was a strange car asking Dana questions.”
“The car was asking questions?” Tammy asked with a laugh.
“I’m so stressed I don’t know what I’m saying. What I meant is the woman driving the car was asking strange questions. There goes the car,” I said as I pointed out the window.
We watched in silence as the black car drove by. It didn’t slow down which was good, but maybe it would make another loop around the block and come back.
“What kind of strange questions did she ask?” Tammy asked.
“She was looking for directions to my old apartment and then she asked about my current street.”
Tammy’s eyes widened. “That is strange
. Not just strange, but creepy.”
“I know, right? It’s really freaked me out,” I said. “I’m starting to panic.”
I leaned closer to the glass for a better look.
“Do you see the car?” Tammy asked.
“No, and I hope she doesn’t come back.”
“Are you sure it was the same car?”
“I am almost positive,” I said.
“Maybe she is just lost and that’s why she came back through.”
“I wish, but honestly I don’t think so.” I released a deep breath.
My relief was short-lived through.
“Look down that way,” I said. “Is that the mystery man? Denny? If that’s his real name.”
Tammy looked to the right. “I see him.”
“Isn’t it strange how he is there right after I saw that car?”
“Do you think there is a connection?” Tammy asked.
“I think there has to be. What if he got out of the car?”
Tammy’s eyes widened. “Did you tell Brannon about this yet?”
“I haven’t had a chance to call him since this just happened.” I watched as the man disappeared around the building.
At least he had been waking in the other direction and not toward tavern.
“I think you should give Brannon a call now,” Tammy said.
“I’ll send a text and see if he can talk. Maybe he can come by here.” I pulled the phone from my pocket.
Thank goodness Brannon answered my text right away.
“He said he’s nearby,” I said.
Tammy released a deep breath. “Thank goodness.”
I typed out another message.
The mystery guy was just by here. You might want to keep an eye out.
“There. Maybe Brannon will find him,” I said.
“Tammy, we need you,” the other bartender called out.
“I have to get back.” Tammy motioned.
“I’ll just wait here for Brannon,” I said.
Tammy touched my arm with a look of concern on her face. “Yell if you need me.”
I nodded. “I will.”
I stared out the window and waited for Brannon. The longer I waited the more my nerves grew. What if Brannon had to confront these weird people? Maybe I should wait outside for him? I would be able to see more that way. It was getting dark though. That would be too spooky. What if they were looking for me?
Maybe Dana was right and I needed a break. The more I thought about it the more I realized that she was definitely right. I would arrange a vacation soon and not book any tours for two weeks. Soon I spotted Brannon’s car coming down the street. I was so glad to see him.
Chapter 19
It was later that night. Brannon had searched around for the car. He had the information from the license plate, but since it was a Seattle address it didn’t help us locate the woman. After leaving the tavern Brannon and I had enjoyed dinner. Unfortunately he had to take off for work. I didn’t like that he was working evenings now, but I got to spend some time with him during the day, so I guessed it would all work out eventually. I hoped he would be back on the daytime hours soon, but there was a shortage at the department, so he was working extra.
I had slipped into my favorite cozy pajamas and into my warm bed. Yes, my place was sometimes spooky, but I tried to make it as cozy and comfortable as possible. As I’d settled into living here the ghost apparently had gotten used to me and seemed less noisy. I hoped that it stayed that way. I had enough dealing with the spirits on my tour and at the library. I didn’t need it at home too.
I’d just fallen asleep when something woke me. My eyes popped open and I tried to adjust them to the dark room. I looked around, but saw nothing. Was it a ghost? Or had I just been dreaming? But when the noise sounded again I knew that I hadn’t been dreaming. Now whether or not it was the ghost was still undetermined.
I’d never heard the ghost that loud before, so this was upsetting. For a moment I was paralyzed, wondering if I should stay put. Would it just go away? However, I knew from experience that that wouldn’t happen. I had no other option but to get up and see what was making the noise. I jumped up out of bed and raced over to the window. I thought the sound had come from outside. I was almost sure of it.
I peered at the window, but of course, it was dark and hard to see anything. When I caught movement I looked toward the edge of the yard. Still there was nothing there. I could have sworn I saw something. Regardless, this gave me the chills. I felt as if I was being watched.
My attention was glued to the outside surroundings. I was convinced that someone had been outside. It reminded me of before I’d bought the house, when I’d seen a dark shadow around. It was a negative spirit. Maybe the dark shadow had followed me home after all. And the killer could be here too. That was a terrifying thought.
Even so, it was something I had to think about. I couldn’t just ignore it and pretend that there wasn’t a killer out there somewhere. As much as I wanted to just jump back in bed and pull the covers over my head I had to check this out.
However, I stood frozen on the spot, trying to convince myself that it was nothing when I caught the movement out of the corner of my eye again. When I looked over to the right again I saw something. A person darted out from behind the tree, as if they’d come out from hiding and run away.
I was almost sure that it wasn’t a ghost. Though I had been wrong in the past, like with Mrs. Clatterbuck, for instance. I had been convinced she had been real, but she wasn’t. Now I had to wonder who this person was and why they were at my house. At this time of night, I knew that it couldn’t be anyone coming over for a friendly visit. Why were they in my backyard and what had made that noise? I’d tried to stay calm, but now I was terrified.
I dashed away from the window and across the room to grab my phone. Fearing for my life, I reached for the phone, but then it slipped from my hands. I was shaking so badly that I couldn’t hold onto it. Somehow I managed to pick it up off the floor and dial.
Brannon picked up after a couple rings. “Are you all right? I didn’t expect to hear from you at this time of night. I thought you were sleeping.”
He knew I had to get up early and be at the library. “There is someone in the backyard,” I whispered.
I didn’t know why I was whispering. I guessed I was a little scared that there might actually be someone in the house.
“I’m on my way. Don’t go out of the house, okay? Where are you now?”
“I’m in the bedroom,” I said.
“Stay there. I’ll come to you, all right?”
“Okay,” I said.
He knew that sometimes I did things that I shouldn’t, but not this time. I wasn’t going anywhere.
Chapter 20
Now I didn’t know what to do with myself while I waited for Brannon to arrive. Should I stand in one spot, shaking and wondering if someone was actually in my house? Or should I look around myself? No, that would probably end badly. He’d told me to stay in place for a reason. So I would stay in the room and wait for him, as much as I hated it. I moved back over to the window, staying close to the wall. I didn’t want the person to somehow look in and see me. The light was out, but I still felt like they could see me.
I leaned over just a little bit and peeked out the window. That was when I spotted someone again. This time it was Brannon. I was relieved to know that he was here now, but I was scared that he would find someone and something would happen to him.
I watched Brannon for a few minutes as he looked around the backyard. The flashlight illuminated the dark shadows of every tree. Soon a noise came from inside the house and I knew that Brannon had entered. Or had he? I supposed he had probably used his key to unlock the front door. I moved over to the bedroom door and waited for him to tell me he was up there. I wouldn’t open the door until he did. The sound of the old stairs creaking with each step and then down the long hallway to my door increased my anxiety. I knew it was probably Brann
on. Nonetheless, I was scared.
“Rip, it’s me. You can open the door now,” Brannon said.
I reached for the door knob and pulled the door open. I was so happy to see Brannon standing there in front of me. I wrapped my arms around him.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
He had repeated those words so many times lately I’d lost count.
“I’m fine,” I said, shaking my head. “Did you find anyone?”
“We didn’t find anyone.” He stared at my face.
“It sounded like you were getting ready to say something else,” I said.
“We found more of the white powdery stuff.”
My eyes widened. “Are you kidding me? Someone left that out there in the yard?”
“Well, there’s no way of knowing who or when they left it,” he said.
“What about a board? Did you find that?”
“No board,” he said.
“This means that it had to be one of them. I mean, what other reason would there be for the same stuff being here?”
“We don’t necessarily know that. We don’t know that they left it at their place. Not until we speak with them.”
“I hope we find them soon,” I said.
“Me too,” he said.
I knew there would be no way I would get any more sleep tonight. I might as well make some coffee and get ready for work.
“How about some breakfast?” I asked. Brannon was getting off work soon.
***
It was later in the morning and finally time for me to head to work. Brannon was getting much-needed rest and I was headed for more coffee at the shop. After getting little sleep, I was going to need the extra caffeine to get through the day. Brannon had wanted to take me to work, of course, but I knew he needed his rest. I told him that things would be absolutely fine during the day. It was only at night when I seemed to have the problem. He was going to go on the tour with me tonight since it was his night off. I hated that he had to do that on his only night off, but he felt that it was necessary.
I finally arrived at the coffee shop and stepped inside to get my usual order. It seemed as if it had been so long ago when Dana and I had discovered Ross dead in the chair. And we were no closer to discovering who had done this to him. That was so frustrating. The mystery just kept getting bigger and bigger.
