by Rose Pressey
“That’s fine,” Fatima said, motioning for us to take her hands.
We held hands and placed them on top of the table.
“Let’s start,” she said.
I closed my eyes as she started asking for protection and light. Then she began calling out to any spirits who might be with us.
Of course Charlotte started goofing around and dancing. “I’m here. I’m here. Talk to me. Talk to me.”
Juliana giggled.
“I’m sensing a spirit,” Fatima said. “A female.”
I glanced at Charlotte.
In a quiet voice, Fatima said, “She’s a bit high strung and loves attention.”
Charlotte placed her hands on her hips. “Well who doesn’t love attention? There’s nothing wrong with that.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help myself.
Fatima looked at me and then continued. “We would like to talk with the spirit who entered Wind Song.”
Nothing happened. Everything remained quiet. Even Charlotte was behaving. I was quickly becoming discouraged but wasn’t quite ready to give up yet.
Suddenly a loud bang sounded from somewhere in the room. We all looked at each other and then the wind picked up. The candles flickered and the next thing I knew, they all went out. Everything was dark in the room.
“I had nothing to do with that,” Charlotte said from somewhere in the darkness.
“The spirit is here,” Fatima said.
How would I know?
Suddenly the candles lit again and I knew we weren’t alone in the room. Wind Song was sitting at the table with us.
“How did you get out of your carrier?” I reached over and picked her up. “I’m sorry about that.” I took Wind Song back to her carrier, placed her inside, and closed the door. “Now, Wind Song, we’re almost done. Stay put, okay?”
She meowed in protest. I went back to the table. “Sorry again.”
“That’s okay. Let’s continue, shall we?”
I took my seat again and held hands with Fatima and Heather. The candles flickered through several more minutes of Fatima’s questions. When nothing happened, she decided we should end our attempts. The only ghost I’d gotten a chance to talk to was Charlotte. I had enough of that twenty-four/seven.
“You have two spirits with you,” Fatima said. “They’re with you all the time, but they won’t give me their names.”
I smirked. “That sounds typical.”
I wasn’t quite ready to tell her that I had ghosts following me all the time and I was well aware of who they are. I thanked Fatima for her time and grabbed Wind Song’s carrier as we headed out the door.
“Well, I have to hand it to her, she’s better than Heather. At least she detected our presence, but that little remark about me being high strung . . . she was way off base with that one.”
“Yes, how could she have ever detected that you were a drama queen?” I said.
Since we were already in Savannah, I knew I had to pay my parents a visit. My mother might not be so happy when I started asking questions.
We made the short drive to my parents’ house and pulled up right in front. It was as if my mother sensed me because as soon as I stepped foot on the driveway, she opened the door.
“Cookie, why didn’t you call first? I’m so excited to see you.”
“Now, your mother, she’s high strung,” Charlotte said.
My mother hugged me and then moved over to Heather. “Heather, I just love your shirt. Did you make it yourself?”
Heather beamed. “Yes, I did with all natural dye.”
“Y’all can discuss your uses for hemp later. Let’s go inside.” Picking up the cat carrier, I ushered them into the house.
I unlatched the carrier door and Wind Song strolled out.
“Come to the kitchen. I have special treats for y’all,” my mother said.
“Yum. More of those chickpea cookies,” I said.
“Don’t be sassy, Cookie,” she warned with a wave of her hand.
“That sounds fantastic.” Heather’s eyes lit up.
“I swear I think you two were switched at birth,” Charlotte said.
I kind of agreed with her on that one.
My mother poured glasses of soy milk and set out the cookies. “So what brings you by?”
I noticed she kept glancing over at the cat. “Is something wrong?”
She waved her hand. “Oh, it’s just that I think your father might be allergic to the cat.”
“That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” I said.
“It’s a new development.” She took a bite of a cookie.
“Is he here?” I asked.
Mom shook her head. “No, but he’ll be home soon.”
Something made me suspicious. I didn’t think she was being truthful. “If he comes in, I can take the cat back outside.”
Was she scared of the cat? I couldn’t understand why. She’d never been in the past.
Heather was busy eating the cookies and drinking her milk.
My mother sat in the chair across from her. “You have to give me your method for making that shirt.”
I displayed a timeout signal with my hands. “Wait a minute. We’re not done talking. I have some questions first.”
She wasn’t going to change the subject that easily. It was as if she was avoiding my questions. Did she know what I was about to ask?
My mother grimaced. “Well, what’s your question, Cookie?”
“You went to the psychic in Savannah. I want to know why.” I didn’t take my eyes off her.
She shifted in the chair, clearly uncomfortable. “I told you it was just a group of friends. We were just having fun.”
“I think there’s more to it than that. Heather knows the psychic and we have reason to believe that you were trying to contact Grandma Pearl.”
My mother’s face drained of blood and she shifted again as if she might take off in a sprint. After some thought and a deep breath she stayed put. “Okay. Yes, I tried to contact your grandmother.”
Wind Song meowed.
Could I really tell my mother what I suspected had happened?
Chapter 24
Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Have a design in mind?
You can design clothing
even if you can’t sketch or sew.
The next morning, I slipped into my Betty Hanson 1970s wool skirt. A wrap style with a wooden button closure, it hit just above the knees. For a glam touch, I matched it with a black wool short-sleeved sweater that had oversized sequin buttons down the front. My black wedge heels finished the outfit. As hard as it was, I wanted to keep things as normal as possible in my life.
I opened the shop right on time and worked through the morning, anticipating what I might find at the estate sale I planned to visit later. Although they were usually scheduled for weekends, I’d noticed one advertised in the newspaper scheduled to open for a brief “preview” later today. Searching for vintage treasures always relaxed me, and I needed that more than ever.
* * *
“We don’t have time for this, Cookie. We have to solve the murder,” Charlotte said as we left for the sale.
“If I don’t find more stock for my shop, I won’t have the means to do anything, Charlotte.”
“She’s right, Charlotte. Cookie can’t stop her life just to solve this case,” Juliana said.
Charlotte quit pushing. “You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking. Business always comes first.”
She was just trying to make me feel bad.
We all got in the car and headed across town to the sale. Charlotte was chattering away about some dress she’d seen in the window in town and how she thought that I should have it.
“I suppose I could go by and take a look at it later,” I said.
“It would look phenomenal on you,” Charlotte said. “You have to get it for your next date with Dylan.”
“But I wear vintage, remember?”
I said.
“You always say you like to incorporate new with the old.”
I made the next right turn. “Okay, I guess I should follow my own advice.”
It was a pleasant day. I was looking forward to leisurely sorting through the items for sale. I had my fingers crossed that I’d find something fabulous. Lately, I’d had my eye out for some great Louis Vuitton or Gucci. So far nothing great had turned up, but I held out hope. I pulled up to the two-story brick home and shoved the car into park.
Charlotte peered at the house. “Not bad. You might find something good.”
“It’s a beautiful home,” Juliana said.
We got out of the car and headed to the door. It was already open and other people had stepped inside. I had hoped to be one of the first, but that didn’t always work out when I had to wait on ghosts. Charlotte had taken her time getting ready this morning and that hadn’t improved any this afternoon. What took her so long was beyond me. All she had to do was think about her outfit and it appeared. Unlike me. I had to plan my clothing choices well in advance.
Sorting through the hanging blouses, I managed to find a beautiful black Dior, but that was all on that rack. I spotted some handbags on a table across the room and made a mad dash like a baseball player running to home plate. Unfortunately, I found nothing I wanted.
I wandered around a bit more but found nothing else. However, I did feel like someone was watching me . . . like the time when I had met Charlotte at her estate sale. Surely there wasn’t another ghost around. I didn’t think I could handle more than two at a time.
I peeked across the room and thought for sure I’d seen Regina walk into the hallway. What is she doing here? I hurried across the room to catch up with her.
Juliana followed me.
“Was that your Aunt Regina?”
“It looked like her, but she moved quickly and I didn’t get a good glance.”
“I didn’t know Regina could move that fast,” Charlotte said.
Reaching the hallway, I spotted Regina and moved toward her. “Regina?”
At first, she didn’t turn around and look at me.
I tapped her on the shoulder. “Regina? What are you doing here?”
Finally, she turned around. “Oh, Cookie, what are you doing here?” Regina asked with wide eyes as if she was surprised.
“Well, I go to estate sales a lot, Regina. Remember, I own the vintage shop?”
“Oh, yes, yes,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Now that you mention it, I do remember that.”
Charlotte folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t believe her. She knows what she’s doing here. Did she follow you?”
“She has no reason to follow Cookie,” Juliana said.
“Oh, you’re so naïve and sweet,” Charlotte said.
“So what are you doing here, Regina?” I asked again.
“I was just looking for some clothing.”
She did have a blue sweater draped across her arm, so I supposed that could have been the truth.
“Well, I must be going now. It was nice seeing you. Ta-ta.” Regina hurried out of the hallway.
“That was strange,” Charlotte said.
“I told you she was eccentric,” Juliana said.
“Whatever the reason, I think I’ve seen enough. I’m going to pay for this blouse,” I said.
“Good. I’m ready to go,” Charlotte said.
After paying for my purchase, I headed out with the ghosts. Before I hopped into the car, I looked around. “I don’t see Regina anywhere.”
We got into the car and I started it up.
“I didn’t even know she drove,” Juliana said as we headed down the street.
“She probably shouldn’t,” Charlotte said. “Where to now?”
“I need to go grocery shopping. I’ll just leave the Dior blouse in the car.”
“Good,” Charlotte said. “We’re in a hurry.”
“We are?” I asked.
“Sure. The sooner you’re done with this, the sooner we can get back to solving the crime.” Charlotte was practically obsessed with finding out who’d murdered Juliana.
Once you’re murdered, you kind of make it your life’s mission to help others, I guessed.
We pulled into the grocery store parking lot and headed inside.
“No fattening stuff,” Charlotte warned.
“Yeah right.”
I’d do whatever I wanted, although I did want to keep the junk to a minimum. I liked to eat healthy, but not because Charlotte told me to. I had enough of those warnings from my mother. I didn’t need Charlotte doing it too.
Chapter 25
Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
If the vintage garment
you fell in love with doesn’t fit,
don’t be afraid to have it tailored.
I headed down the grocery aisle, putting a few items in my cart. As I rounded a corner, Regina popped up from the next aisle. I stopped in my tracks. Charlotte practically ran right through me, she’d been following so close.
“What are you doing?” Charlotte brushed off the invisible dirt she thought she’d attracted from running into me.
“Regina was just here.”
“I’m so sorry, Cookie,” Juliana said.
I shook my head. “It’s not your fault.”
Pushing the cart down the aisle as fast as I could, I finally came to the end. I made a sharp left turn and pushed the cart around to the next aisle, thinking that Regina would be there. She’d already reached the end.
“She moves fast,” Charlotte said.
“She’s trying to hide from me,” I said. “I don’t know what she’s up to, but something’s going on.”
Regina went around to the next aisle.
“Regina,” I called out, pushing the cart again and following her. I didn’t find her when I reached the next aisle—the canned food aisle.
“It’s like she disappeared,” Juliana said.
I stopped and looked around, but didn’t see her.
“Maybe she’s hiding.” I looked up and around in hopes of catching her. Had she climbed the shelves to get away from me?
“Whatever. Maybe she just needed to get groceries. It could be a coincidence.” Juliana peeked around the corner of the aisle.
“Probably,” I said.
I paid for my items and then headed out to the parking lot. Part of me expected to see Regina out there, waiting for me. As I pushed the cart to my car, I realized she was nowhere around. I placed the items in my trunk and then headed for home.
“So what about looking at that dress now?” Charlotte asked.
I pulled into my driveway. “Well, maybe later.”
“Oh, what are you making for dinner?” she asked.
“I’m not cooking.” I’d skipped lunch and was hungry. I grabbed the bags from the trunk.
“But you just went to the grocery.”
“Yes, but I’m too hungry. I’ll just drop the stuff off and then head over to Glorious Grits.”
Charlotte grimaced, showing her feelings on that idea. “Again?”
I quickly put the groceries away and headed back into town. I wanted to try some of those specials Dixie had said she’d added to the menu. Once I found a spot to park, I hurried toward the diner. I walked in and took the first booth by the window. It was still a little early so not many people had arrived yet. Dixie spotted me and waved that she’d be right over.
“Does she work all the time?” Charlotte asked.
“Just like you used to,” I said.
“Maybe she should take a little vacation,” Juliana said.
“You’d have an easier time convincing her of that than I would.”
“But she can’t see me.”
“Exactly,” I said.
As soon as Dixie came over, I placed my order and waited for her to bring back water. A few other people had arrived so the room was starting to fill up.
“This is so sad,” Charlot
te said.
“What’s sad?” I asked.
“The fact that you’re eating dinner all alone. It’s so pitiful.”
I grabbed a napkin in anticipation of my mouth-watering food. “I don’t mind eating alone. It allows me time to reflect. Besides, I’m not eating alone. I have you two.”
“Yes, the other people can’t see that though. It just makes you look sad and lonely.”
“Well, you’re in luck. Here comes Heather. I’m sure she’ll eat with me.”
“That’s not much better,” Charlotte said.
“Well, you’ll just have to take what you can get,” I said with a smile.
Heather slid into the booth. “What’s happening?”
“I ordered the new special. You should try it.” I handed her a menu.
She read it and quickly decided. “Sounds delicious. I think I will.” She placed her order with Dixie.
I filled Heather in on seeing Regina at the estate sale and at the grocery store.
“That is strange, but I suppose it could really be a coincidence like Juliana said.” Heather took a sip of water.
“Actually”—I tapped the tabletop—“I hope it is just a coincidence.”
Heather’s eyes widened.
“What is it?” I asked.
She pointed out the window. “I don’t think it was a coincidence. I just saw you-know-who walk by. She was looking in here.”
“Regina just walked by?” I turned in my seat.
“I’m pretty sure it was her,” Heather said.
“You can’t let that behavior go unchecked,” Charlotte said.
I wasn’t quite sure what I could do.
“You should just ask her what she’s doing . . . especially if she’s going to be this wacky. You shouldn’t hesitate to ask her,” Heather said.
I wasn’t sure if I was up for another confrontation just yet.
* * *
By the time Heather and I finished our dinner, it was early evening.
“I have to head out,” she said. “Unfortunately, I have some errands to run for my mother.” She stood up from the table.
I hugged her good-bye. “I’ll call you later.”
Charlotte was still badgering me to go look at the dress so I relented and headed down to the little shop around the corner. The place really did have beautiful things and I occasionally purchased something there. I wasn’t a complete vintage snob. All clothing was beautiful in my eyes—fabrics, the colors, and designs all made me swoon. Adding extras like jewelry, shoes, and handbags were like the cherry on top of a sundae.
