by Rose Pressey
Trying to break the door had been a bad idea. I was freaking out and not making the best decisions at the moment.
“You have a phone, right?” Juliana said. “Call Dylan.”
“Why didn’t I think of that?”
“You’re not good under pressure,” Charlotte said. “Tell him you need to be saved.”
I grabbed my bag from the counter and pulled out the phone. As soon as Dylan answered, I said in a panic, “I’m stuck in the bathroom and there’s a fire.”
“Where are you?” he asked, clearly freaking out.
“I’m at the Sugar Creek Community Center for the historic society charity event.” I rushed my words.
“I’m on my way. Can you get out?”
If I could escape the inferno I wouldn’t have called him . . . but whatever. “No. It’s stuck.”
“I’m on my way.” He ended the call.
With my phone still in my hand, it rang. Ken’s number was displayed on the screen.
“Cookie, where are you?” he asked in a panic when I picked up the phone. “There’s a fire in the building. Everyone’s outside, but I can’t find you.”
Maybe I should’ve told him where I was going and I wouldn’t be stuck with the fire all around me. What were the odds? Just my luck to be trapped in the bathroom during a fire.
“I’m in the restroom and I can’t get out. The door is stuck. I’m—” The phone went dead.
Smoke was filling up the small space and I was finding it harder to breathe.
“Get down on the floor.” Charlotte dropped to the floor.
I knew that was what I was supposed to do, but somehow it felt as if once I was on the floor I would never get up again. As long as I stayed upright, I might be able to fight. Fighting fire was impossible for me alone. I had the ghosts, but they couldn’t help.
“Don’t worry, Cookie. It’ll be all right.” Charlotte tried to calm me, but her voice was full of panic.
“They’ll find you in time. Just stay calm,” Juliana said.
I needed the encouraging words from them.
“I’ll be right back,” Charlotte said.
“No, don’t leave me here.” I reached for her, but she’d popped out the door. “Juliana, don’t you leave right now.” They were all that I had.
Charlotte popped back through the door. “They’re on their way. It’s Ken and Dylan.”
It was a good feeling to know that the police were on their way. I coughed and tried to stay alert. If I passed out, it would all be over. I had an uncomfortable thought. If Dylan saw Ken in his tux and me in the gown he’d think that we came together. I closed my eyes. I couldn’t worry about that. I needed out of this room. That was most important.
“Cookie, stand back from the door,” Dylan yelled.
I ran to the back of the room, coughing. The next thing I knew, Dylan had busted the door down. Through the smoke, he and Ken emerged at the door at the same time, as if they were in a race to see who could reach me first. Ken grabbed one arm, Dylan the other, and they guided me toward the hallway. Smoke filled the hall, but at least it was less intense.
“Don’t worry, Cookie. We’re almost out.” Even in spirit form, Charlotte took on the appearance that only a high stress situation would bring.
Thank goodness we reached the outside of the building. That was a close one. My life had flashed before my eyes. Fire trucks with lights flashing surrounded the building. Water hoses were out and people were standing around watching. The paramedics raced over to us and guided me to the back of an ambulance.
“You don’t need to do this.” I waved off the young brown-haired technician.
“Cookie, you need to let them check you out,” Ken said.
Dylan looked over at Ken. “We got it from here. Thanks for your help.”
The look on Ken’s face made me extremely sad. I was grateful that both of them had risked their lives to help me. “I think both of you need to be checked out too. You were in there as well. No arguing.”
“Cookie, I don’t have time. I’m fine. Trust me,” Dylan said.
A police officer motioned to Dylan. He looked as if he didn’t want to leave me alone with Ken. He knew Ken wasn’t going anywhere until it was all over. Finally he said, “I’ll be right back.” Dylan gave one last look at Ken and then walked away.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ken asked me. He’d refused to be seen by a paramedic.
“I’m fine. Did you hear what happened? What caused it?”
Ken looked back at the building. “The fire chief thinks it might be lightning. It was storming pretty bad.”
“Yeah, but at least it looks like they got the fire out.”
Smoke still came from the top, but the structure looked as if it wasn’t damaged too badly.
“You’re just lucky they saved you,” Charlotte said.
She didn’t have to remind me.
Someone called Ken over.
“I’ll be right back, okay?” he said to me.
“I’ll be here.” I anticipated staying there. Honest. The paramedics said I was fine, but I figured I needed the rest.
When I noticed Victor across the way, staying put wasn’t an option. It seemed extremely odd that he would be there. Sure, people were watching the scene, but I was suspicious of him.
Juliana noticed me staring. “You see him too?”
“You have to find out why he’s here,” Charlotte said.
He turned and started to walk away.
It couldn’t hurt for me to follow him, just for a bit to see where he went. Peering around, I realized that no one was paying attention to me. I eased away from the ambulance and weaved around a crowd of people. I kept my eyes on him so I wouldn’t lose him.
Victor slipped around the side of the fire engine and made his way across the grassy area that led to the back of the building.
I was afraid the police had blocked off the whole area, but so far it remained open for anyone to access. I tried to stay back a ways so he wouldn’t catch me following him. He moved around a big oak tree and then around the side of the building. I’d made good progress until my heel got stuck in the grass and I fell forward into the mud.
“Oh, Cookie. Look at you now,” Charlotte said. “You look like you’re fighting a pig in slop.”
Charlotte always knew how to make me feel better at the worst moments.
I was trying to get up when all of a sudden someone grabbed my arm from behind. I drew my arm back and made contact with that person’s face.
Ken groaned and held his cheek.
“Oh my! Ken, are you okay?” I asked.
“Oh, Cookie. What have you done now? This just goes from bad to worse.” Charlotte clutched her chest.
“I’m fine. A little rattled, maybe.” Ken wiped his hands on his pants.
“Cookie, you hit like a girl.” Charlotte placed her hand over her eyes as if she couldn’t bear the sight.
I am a girl so that kind of made sense.
“What are you doing over here?” Ken asked.
“I saw Victor and thought it was odd for him to be here. He walked around back.”
“You’ve been through a lot of stress. Let’s go back up front,” Ken said, helping me across the wet grass.
Did he think I had imagined it? Maybe he was right. I had been through a traumatic experience tonight. It could have been someone who looked like Victor.
Chapter 32
Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
With no hassles, you can change
your lipstick color or nail polish
as often as you want.
The next morning, I was sorting through a pile of old costume jewelry when the door caught my attention. My nerves set in as soon as I spotted who it was. Victor had returned. He was looking for the specific hat, but I couldn’t prove that yet.
He spotted me watching him and walked in my direction. I knew I would not be able to get away from his confrontation.
&nb
sp; “What are you going to say to him, Cookie?” Juliana asked.
“Tell him you’re not going to put up with any nonsense out of him. You call Dylan and have him escort Victor out of this place.” Charlotte circled around him.
The ghosts were excited. I knew Charlotte meant business.
I moved around the counter and headed over to Victor. I’d tell him I had no hats and that was that. I just had to be stern. I pushed my shoulders back and held my head high. “May I help you find anything?”
He looked me up and down as if to say I should know what he was looking for. Of course I knew, but I was going to make him ask first.
“This guy is up to no good.” Charlotte crossed her arms in front of her chest and tapped her foot against the floor.
“He gives me the creeps.” Juliana rubbed her arms. “I should know him from somewhere, but my memory is blank.”
That had happened when she made the transition to the afterlife.
Finally Victor looked at me and said, “Did you ever have a chance to go through those hats? Remember I asked you about a hat? You said you were going to call me.”
“He seems confrontational,” Charlotte said.
She was right. There was an edge to his voice that hadn’t been there before. It seemed as if his patience was running thin with me locating the hat.
“Actually, I didn’t find anything. I’m sorry I forgot to call you, ” I said, making it seem like I was a bad business woman. This was a different circumstance. I doubted he would be back in for more vintage items anytime soon . . . hopefully never.
He reached in his pocket.
“Oh my gosh. He’s got a gun.” Charlotte hid behind the counter, Juliana following.
Yes, they were being slightly dramatic.
Victor pulled out a picture. “This is a picture of the hat I’m looking for.”
I didn’t need to see it to know what the hat would look like, but peered down at the photo anyway. Sure enough, it was the hat that Juliana had had in her car.
Charlotte and Juliana peeked up from behind the counter.
“Thank goodness he didn’t kill her,” Charlotte said.
I decided to question Victor a little. “Why are you interested in this specific hat?”
He looked at me suspiciously.
“He doesn’t seem to like that question,” Charlotte said.
“It was a good question, I thought,” Juliana said.
I’d struck a nerve. Wind Song jumped down from the window and raced over to us. She peered up at Victor and hissed. He scowled at her and took a few steps away.
“Let him have it, Wind Song,” Charlotte said.
“Are you just playing games with me?” Victor asked.
“Oh, this doesn’t look like it’s going to end well,” Charlotte said. “I knew he was mean.”
I tried to remain professional. “I’m sorry I don’t have the hat you’re looking for. I’m definitely not playing games.”
He narrowed his eyes and moved a little closer to me. “The money was originally hidden under the brim inside the hat. I want to make sure I get all the money.” Wind Song hissed again.
“I don’t like where this is going, Cookie. We need to get away from this guy,” Charlotte said.
I had the same thought, but I didn’t know what to do. He took another step closer and my heart sped up. It looked as if he was ready to strangle me.
Wind Song hissed and then jumped in the air with her paws stretched out. She scratched at him. He held his arms up and managed to block most of her attempts, but she made contact on his face once.
I couldn’t believe she was trying to protect me. She’d never done anything like that before.
The next thing I knew, Ken grabbed Victor and slammed him to the floor. Victor tossed a few colorful words at him. In almost one motion, Ken picked Victor up from the ground, escorted him to the door, opened it, shoved him out, and closed the door behind him . . . as if he’d just taken out the trash.
“Way to go, Ken,” Charlotte said.
“That’ll show him,” Juliana said.
Wind Song climbed onto the counter, reached out, and licked my hand.
“Oh, Wind Song, are you all right?” I hugged her. “Thank you for saving me.”
“Forget about the cat. Thank Ken,” Charlotte said.
I turned to him. “Thank you for getting rid of that guy.”
“Not a problem. It looked like he wasn’t here for vintage clothing.”
I straightened my hair and shirt. “In a sense, but he was looking for a hat. I think he might be the murderer.”
Ken’s eyes widened. “Well, based on his behavior, it wouldn’t be a shock. What kind of hat was he looking for and why?”
I explained the situation with the hat. “So the money was originally in the hat and that’s why everyone wanted it.”
“Are you calling the police?” Ken didn’t even like mentioning Dylan’s name. He knew that I would call Dylan and tell him what happened.
“This is a whole other macho side of Ken that I’ve never seen,” Charlotte said, almost swooning.
Her affection swayed easily from one guy to the other, but it was easy to see why.
“I don’t think he came in here only to save you, Cookie,” Juliana said
“Ask him why he stopped by,” Charlotte said.
Oh yeah. Suddenly, I was curious what had brought him by. “So you didn’t come by to just save me from an unruly customer . . . or the potential murderer.”
Ken chuckled. “No, actually that wasn’t the only reason.” He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. “I found this notice for an estate sale and thought you’d want to know about it.”
“Isn’t that just the sweetest thing? He’s always thinking of you, Cookie.” Charlotte liked to think of things as a fairytale sometimes.
I doubted that bringing by the notice meant he was thinking of me all the time. “I appreciate that. Thank you.” I took the paper from him.
He stared at me for a moment and then said, “So you’ll call me if you need help? I’m worried about you.”
I waved my hand. “I’ll be fine. Thank you.”
He accepted my assurance with a smile and then walked out the door.
I immediately picked up the phone and dialed Dylan. He would probably come over right away.
“You have to file a police report,” Charlotte said.
“I’m on it,” I said.
Unfortunately, Dylan didn’t answer my call, and I was forced to leave a message.
When I hung up, Charlotte said, “That sounded like a rambling mess.”
“Well, I feel like rambling mess. I hope Victor doesn’t return, but I have a feeling he will be back.”
“You need to be ready for him the next time he shows up,” Charlotte said.
“Any ideas on what I should do?” I asked.
“You’ll think of something,” Juliana said.
“Thanks for the help. Both of you.”
We stared at the window for moment, wondering if he would return.
Chapter 33
Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Proper storage is key to any
vintage garment. Store them in a dry place
and avoid plastic storage.
The ghosts and I were headed through town in my Buick. The comfort of my bed was calling to me. After a long bath I planned on curling up with a good book. While waiting at the red light at the corner of Rowan and Fourth Street, I happened to glance to my left to see the burned community center building. That brought back chilling memories.
“That’s the car. That’s Victor’s car,” Juliana said suddenly.
She was right. The maroon Kia sedan was parked in the middle of the lot, but Victor was nowhere in sight. I was grateful for that. Although I wanted to solve the crime, I didn’t want to have another confrontation with Victor. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t do it though.
“You have to go over there and c
heck it out,” Charlotte said.
“I’m not sure what good it will do to look, but I’ll give it a shot.” I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel.
The light turned green and I pushed the gas. Unfortunately, I couldn’t switch lanes fast enough to make the turn.
“Go up and around the block.” Charlotte pointed forward.
I hoped that he didn’t leave before I got back around. What if he saw me snooping around? My shiny red Buick stood out like a neon sign. I made the next left and then down to the light.
“Cut through the back alley and work your way over to the parking lot.” Charlotte ordered.
Wind Song was meowing in her carrier. She clawed at the door.
“I think she wants out,” Juliana said.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” I made the next left into the parking lot and stopped a few spaces from Victor’s car.
“Oh, she just wants to see what’s going on. What harm can it do?” Charlotte said.
I turned off the ignition. “I guess I can let her out as long as she promises not to run out of the car when I open the door.”
Wind Song meowed in agreement to my offer.
After getting out of the car, I climbed into the backseat and let Wind Song out of the carrier. She stretched and then climbed up to look out the back window.
“Good, kitty.” I closed the door so she couldn’t escape.
Charlotte and Juliana followed me out of the car. The place was empty of people. There weren’t many cars either. Someone could be watching us though. Well, watching me since they couldn’t see the ghosts.
As I moved closer to his car, my heart rate sped up. What if he jumped out and grabbed me? I released a deep breath, trying to calm down. Unless he was hunkered down by the side of the car, it didn’t look as if there was anywhere else he could hide.
“What exactly are we looking for?” I asked.
The ghosts were quiet.
“Y’all don’t exactly know either.”
Charlotte waved her hand. “You might get lucky and find something you didn’t know you were even looking for.”
I felt a headache coming on after that statement. With nerves dancing in my stomach, I leaned down and peered into the car. Junk food wrappers and used cups littered the seats and floor.
