Haunted Is Always in Fashion

by Rose Pressey

  As I was moving the empty shelves, I noticed something on the ground.

  “What’s that?” Charlotte asked.

  I reached down and picked up a set of keys. “Someone lost their keys. Could the burglar have lost his keys last night?”

  “No way you’ll find out,” Charlotte said.

  “Not so fast,” I said. “Look at this.”

  “What is it?” she asked.

  Juliana moved closer. “It’s a library card attached to the key ring.”

  “What’s that going to tell you?” Charlotte asked.

  “I just so happen to have a friend who works for the library. She could possibly tell me who this card belongs to.”

  “Good thinking, Cookie. Great idea.” Charlotte was in a generous mood all of a sudden.

  “That’s brilliant,” Juliana said.

  I picked up the phone—I’d charged it all night—to dial Carol Murray. We’d been friends since high school.

  She answered on the first ring. “Cookie, what a pleasant surprise. How are you? I’ve been meaning to stop by your place.”

  “I didn’t see you the last time I was at the library,” I said.

  “I took a vacation . . . to the beach.”

  I hated to move right from small talk into asking her for a favor, but I really needed it. After explaining the situation, she agreed to stop by on her way to work.

  “I hope this works.” Charlotte paced across the floor.

  “It’s certainly worth a shot,” I said.

  Fifteen minutes later, Carol walked through the door. She had a short bob hairstyle and big brown eyes. She wore a navy blue dress. I handed her the keys. I hated to remind her how important it was, but . . .

  She took the keys. “I’ll call you as soon as I find out anything, but don’t tell anyone I’m doing this, okay?”

  I shook my head. “I would never tell anyone.”

  Charlotte on the other hand would tell everyone. Luckily, she didn’t have anyone to tell . . . other than me.

  About an hour later Carol called. I dropped the necklace I was working on and answered the phone.

  “I found a name for you,” she said.

  My heart sped up and my stomach fluttered with anticipation. Maybe it would be all for nothing. Maybe it was an old card or maybe a customer had lost her keys. Maybe the keys belonged to one of the men who’d been in the shop. I stopped those thoughts, remembering what Charlotte always reminded me. I had to keep a positive outlook and maybe positive things would come my way.

  “Thank you for doing this,” I said into the phone.

  “The name on the card is Hunter Owens.”

  It was if the wind was knocked right out of me. “Are you serious?”

  “I’m guessing you know this person?”

  How would I tell Juliana? She would be very upset, but it wasn’t something I would be able to keep from her. She and Charlotte were staring at me, waiting for the answer. As soon as I hung up they would want to know.

  “Yes, I know him,” I said, avoiding eye contact with them. “Thanks again.” I immediately hung up the phone and dialed Dylan.

  “Well, who was it?” Charlotte asked as I waited for him to pick up. “I can tell by the look on your face it’s not good.”

  “She doesn’t want me to know.” Juliana stared at me. “Was it Hunter?”

  I met her stare. “Yes, it was him.” I hated to see the look of disappointment on her face. “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation,” she said.

  For her sake I hoped she was right.

  I called Dylan and explained what I’d found. I just didn’t tell him how I’d found out whose keys they were. He wanted to know, but I told him that I couldn’t reveal my source. He didn’t press the issue, thank goodness. Well, at least not right away. He would probably ask later. It was something I’d have to deal with . . . much later.

  “Unfortunately, we have no proof that Hunter did anything, Cookie,” Dylan said.

  Somehow I knew he would say that. But what more proof did we need? I couldn’t get a confession out of anyone.

  “Listen, will I see you at the fall festival tomorrow?” Dylan asked. “Maybe you’ll have some free time?”

  I didn’t bother to tell him that yes I’d have free time. When it came to social events I always had free time. He should know that by now. But I wanted him to think that maybe I had other plans. My Grandmother Pearl had always said it was good to keep them guessing. I didn’t know if that was good advice or not, but I gave it a shot.

  “Good. I’ll stop by and see you?” he asked.

  “I can give you a good deal on a candy apple. That’s the booth I’m working tomorrow.”

  He laughed. “I’d like that.”

  “We should just go pay a visit to Hunter right now,” Charlotte said.

  I said good-bye to Dylan and motioned toward Juliana.

  Charlotte stepped closer to me and whispered, “We can’t baby her forever.”

  I would have to ease my way into asking her about visiting Hunter. I just didn’t want any more trouble . . . but it looked as if the trouble was going to find me. I needed to take a more subtle approach rather than be brazen like Charlotte. That worked for her, but I wasn’t sure it would work for me.

  Wind Song was purring beside me. I stroked her across her back and asked, “What do you think, Wind Song?”

  I was really hoping she had some advice for me—maybe from the Ouija board or the tarot cards—but she just closed her eyes and continued to purr. I guess she had no advice. Or perhaps she’d already given her advice. I truly was going to end up the crazy cat lady.

  Soon she jumped down and went over to her window. That was her final statement. She didn’t want to talk.

  What was next for me? The only other option was to have a confrontation with Hunter. How else would I find out anything? I could return his keys. I wondered what he’d say about that. What he would say about how they got in my place? I was sure he would come up with some lame excuse. Juliana should haunt him. Maybe that would teach him a lesson. Maybe that would cause a confession. I wouldn’t do anything yet. I’d wait and give it some extra thought.

  Chapter 29

  Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping

  If wearing pre-loved items bothers you,

  vintage might not be for you.

  However, you can always display

  the vintage clothing as art.

  I loved this time of year. With temperatures in the sixties it was a perfect day for the fall festival. Both the spring and fall festivals featured booths filled with the wares of the local stores. I was on the festival committee and had hired a couple high school students to run my booth while I ran the candy apple booth. I wanted to be a part of the festival as much as possible. Heather had done the same thing when I asked her to help me.

  I wore a Lily Pulitzer floral dress with green, pink, and white colors throughout. For comfort I had on pink flats as we walked along the festival streets in the historic section of town. Main Street and some that connected to it had been closed so people could walk up and down as they went from booth to booth. Banners featuring beautiful colored leaves decorated the streetlights. Excitement filled the air.

  I waved at Blanche who was running the hot chocolate booth. Mr. McDermott tried to get us to buy cotton candy as we passed by.

  By the time we arrived at the booth we had customers waiting. We served them quickly—regular apples covered with red candy coating, caramel covered apples with nuts, or chocolate covered apples with sprinkles. I’d insisted on those and one was definitely going home with me. The money we raised was going toward refinishing buildings in town.

  Heather was busy with a customer while I put out more apples.

  “I wished there was something I could do to help,” Charlotte said. “Y’all are busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger.”

  “Just being here to keep us company is enough, Charlott
e,” I said over my shoulder.

  “I never know if she’s being serious,” Charlotte whispered to Juliana.

  I looked right at her. “I can hear you, you know. Of course I’m being serious. Charlotte, you know I love you.”

  She waved her hand dismissively, but I knew she loved me too.

  When it had slowed down just a bit, I looked out over the crowd, happy to see all the residents having fun. It made up for some of the past events when such bad things had happened in Sugar Creek.

  “Look who I see,” Charlotte said, pointing across the way.

  I followed her finger and spotted Ken.

  “Isn’t that adorable,” Juliana said.

  Ken was painting designs on children’s faces. I had to admit seeing him made my heart go pitty-pat. I looked to my left and spotted Dylan. He was working security for the festival. He caught me watching and waved. I knew he would be over later to say hello. It was time for me to focus on selling more yummy apples. A line had formed quickly after just a short few minutes.

  “You should add extra sprinkles,” Charlotte said.

  “Extra sprinkles are always a good idea,” Juliana said.

  I couldn’t disagree. As far as sprinkles were concerned, more was better.

  When things had slowed down again, Heather said, “Is it okay if I take a quick break?”

  “Sure, I’ve got it from here.” I picked up an apple—chocolate covered with sprinkles—and bit into it.

  While waiting for another customer to approach, I listened to Charlotte and Juliana discuss the afterlife. When I turned around to straighten up the apples, someone cleared their throat from behind me. Charlotte and Juliana gasped. Victor was standing in front of me, flashing an evil smile.

  “What is he doing here?” Charlotte said.

  “It is really hard for me to be nice and help you,” I said to him.

  “I’d like a caramel apple with nuts,” he said with that same evil smile.

  “I’d like to give him a caramel apple,” Charlotte said with a pump of her fist. She had been particularly feisty lately.

  I handed him the apple and he handed me a few crumpled dollars.

  “Thanks.” He didn’t take his eyes off me. “Seen any hats lately? Just be careful if you do. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Charlotte said.

  That was what I wanted to know.

  He took a bite of the apple then turned and walked away before I could ask.

  “Was that a veiled threat?” I said.

  “It most certainly seemed that way,” Charlotte said.

  “You should report him to the police,” Juliana said. “And tell them what he asked.”

  “He’d said that I might get hurt. That could mean anything.” Honestly, I felt like he was directing a threat toward me. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about before. I would have to be more cautious but didn’t know how I would exactly achieve that.

  I spotted Heather walking back toward the booth. I wasn’t going to tell her what happened. No reason for her to worry any more than she was already worrying. I would keep it all to myself and figure out a way to deal with it. Charlotte and Juliana didn’t like that option, but I felt it was necessary.

  * * *

  After a full day of apples, caramel, and nuts it was time to go home. Not all of the nuts were on the apples either. Heather and I closed up the booth, finally ready to head home. Heather had parked behind the old movie theater and I had parked at the church. We were headed in different directions.

  “See you in the morning.” I tossed my hand up.

  She waved and then took a bite out of her candy apple as she walked away.

  “Your friend is really nice,” Juliana said.

  I agreed. “She’s a special person. Not too many people like her in this world.”

  Dylan had told me to wait for him and he would walk me to my car, but he was so busy and wouldn’t be finished for at least another thirty minutes. My feet were killing me so I decided to walk by myself. I made a shortcut through the alley and headed to the church parking lot. Plenty of people were still around so I didn’t feel it was totally unsafe . . . until I heard someone walking behind me. That didn’t necessarily mean anything bad, but it put me a little on edge. I turned around, but in the dark, I couldn’t make out who it was.

  The person didn’t look particularly tall. Coming to a doorway on the side of the building, I decided to duck in and try to hide. I wanted to get a good look at who was following me. Well, if they were really following me. I stood in the doorway and waited. Footsteps echoed as they continued down the alleyway toward me. My anticipation increased with every step.

  Once she stepped under the streetlight, I realized who had been following me.

  “Aunt Regina. What is she doing here?” Juliana asked.

  “Yes, I wonder,” Charlotte said sarcastically.

  “There’s only one way for me to find out.” As she passed the doorway, I stepped out.

  She jumped back and screamed, clutching her chest. She looked at me with wide eyes. “Don’t ever scare an old lady like that.”

  “She’s not that old,” Charlotte said.

  “Just ask her what she’s doing,” Juliana said.

  “Regina, are you lost?”

  “She knows how to get out of here.” Charlotte was being confrontational.

  “I was just walking home from the festival,” Regina said.

  “That’s a long way,” Charlotte said.

  “Were you following me?” I asked, looking her straight in the eyes.

  She looked right back. “Why would I do something like that?”

  “I suppose you wouldn’t,” I said, still suspicious.

  “You scared me.” She stared at me for a moment without answering.

  “And you scared me.” I looked up and noticed the hat on her head. It was one that I’d had in the store. One that had been stolen by Hunter. Why was she wearing it? “Where did you get that hat?”

  She touched the hat. “Where did I get it?”

  “Yes, that’s what I asked.”

  “Um . . . I found it.”

  “She doesn’t seem sure about that,” Charlotte said.

  “I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt,” Juliana said, but I knew even she was suspicious.

  I continued questioning Regina. “Where did you find it?”

  She waved her hand. “Just on the street.”

  “You don’t just find hats on the street,” Charlotte said.

  “Sometimes you do,” Juliana said.

  “Well not hats like that,” Charlotte said. “Unless you have a time machine.”

  Obviously, Regina wasn’t going to tell me where she really found the hat. And I couldn’t prove that it was mine, although I knew it was.

  “Someone stole hats from my shop.”

  Regina narrowed her eyes. “Are you insinuating that I stole this hat?”

  I had to defend my words. “Of course not. I just thought maybe the person who stole them had dropped it and you found it.”

  “Yes, that’s probably what happened,” she said.

  “You just gave her an alibi,” Charlotte said.

  She would have come up with that one on her own anyway. But I wondered if it really was the truth. It was a reasonable thought. It made more sense than Aunt Regina stealing the hat. Or was she involved in the scheme to get the hat all along?

  “Well, I must be going now.” Regina walked around me and headed toward the end of the alley.

  “Something stinks around here and it’s not that trash can,” Charlotte said.

  Maybe Juliana didn’t want to admit it, but I had to agree with Charlotte. Something smelled bad. I had to keep my eyes on Regina even more. I had to find out what was going on. I headed toward the end of alley. I hoped she wasn’t waiting for me around the corner.

  As I neared the end of the alleyway, someone grasped my shoulder. I screamed and p
unched with my elbow. The man let out a groan. When I turned around, Ken was behind me. Charlotte and Juliana really needed to pay more attention and alert me when someone was back there.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, reaching out and grabbing his arm.

  He waved it off. “You’ve got a nice elbow. I’m fine.”

  “I’m really sorry about that.”

  “I saw you walk down here and I was a little concerned.”

  “Did you see Regina?” I said.

  Ken shook his head. “No. Where is she?”

  “She was just here. I think she followed me, and get this. She had on one of the hats that were stolen from my shop.”

  “Really? How do you think she got it?” Ken asked.

  I shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

  “It’s possible that she found it.”

  “That was her excuse. I didn’t want to accuse her of anything.”

  “Of course not,” Ken said. “Can I walk you to your car?”

  Happy that he offered, I grinned. “Who’s going to walk you back?”

  He smiled right back. “I’ll take my chances.”

  We turned and walked down the rest of the alley. Just as I was ready to turn left toward the church parking lot I glanced back. Someone else stood at the other side of the alley and I was almost certain it was Dylan. Why hadn’t he called me? I was sure he saw me walking with Ken, then he disappeared around the corner.

  With Ken walking beside me, I continued on down the back sidewalk toward the parking lot.

  Ken looked around, but didn’t see anyone in the parking lot. “Where did she say she was going?”

  “She said she was walking home.” I opened my car door and slipped inside. “Maybe you should check on her.”

  He leaned on the open door. “I was just getting ready to say the same thing. Call me and let me know everything’s okay.”

  “I’ll let you know.”

  He closed the door and waved as he walked down the sidewalk.

  “Dylan won’t like that you were walking with Ken,” Charlotte said.

  I pulled out of the parking lot. “Don’t remind me.”

  As I turned onto the next street, I spotted Regina having a deep conversation with someone.

  “Maybe she needs a ride home,” Juliana said.