"You're a vengeful spirit,” Meri said matter-of-factly. "Not knowing who killed you is only going to make it worse."
"That sounds awesome,” I said sarcastically.
"He's only going to get more dangerous and more violent the longer it takes to find his killer,” Meri said. "And we can't banish him. Not without some serious ritual stuff that you might not be into."
I turned back to Merrill and noticed that he was starting to fade away. The dead could only hang on for so long. He would run out of strength to show himself to us soon, and he'd probably used up a lot of his energy knocking that shelf over on me. Once he slipped away, there was no telling how long it would be before he returned. I had the sinking feeling that when he did come back, he'd return with even more rage than this time.
"We're losing you, Merrill. Pretty soon, you won't be able to interact with the living again until you gain some strength back. So, if you want me to solve your murder, you have to give me something to go off of before that happens. I know you can't remember the day you died, but can you remember the rest of your life?"
"Almost as well as when I was still breathing,” he said.
"All right then, who do you think killed you? You must know somebody that would have reason."
"I gave a lot of people reasons." He scratched the five o'clock shadow he died with on his chin. "None probably as much as my ex-wife. I ruined her life good,” he said with a chuckle that made my stomach turn.
Before I could ask him anything else, like his ex-wife's name, Merrill started to fade even more. He moved his mouth like he was saying something, but there was no sound. As soon as he was gone, the tapping on the bathroom door started again.
"Can it,” I said. "I'm not in the mood for your shenanigans and you're not going to scare me off either. I've got bigger problems to deal with."
The tapping turned into scratching. Meri trotted over to the door and waited for me to open it.
"If you're not gone when I open this door, we're going to banish you,” I said and reached for the knob. "You'd better scram unless you're ready to go to the other side."
The noise stopped, and I opened the door. Inside, all I found was a small bathroom with a dingy white linoleum floor and old, but clean, white porcelain commode and sink. I turned on the light to have a better look. There was toilet paper on the roll and across from the commode was a locker cabinet with two lockers. I stepped inside the bathroom and opened those. Inside was extra stock of paper towels, toilet paper, and bottles of hand soap. Whoever had rented the shop before had left it all behind.
I switched off the light and shut the door. "I guess it's time to go,” I said to Meri. "Unless there's something else you want to see."
"No, I've seen enough," he groused. "You're going to rent this place, though, aren't you?"
"As long as cheap really is cheap,” I said. "I'd like to, but even then, I'll have to get the money. I hate to ask mom and dad for it."
"I'm sure I know where you can find some in the house,” Meri said reluctantly.
"Really?"
"Yes, but don't go getting all weird or I won't tell you where it is."
"Thanks,” I said. "Okay, let's go talk to Castor."
Chapter Seven
Castor was waiting patiently outside the shop for us. He was completely oblivious to anything that had gone on inside.
"Well, thanks for coming by,” he said.
"I wanted to talk to you about the rent,” I said.
"You do?"
"Yes, how much is it per month? What kind of deposit do you need?"
"You're interested in renting it?" he asked.
"I am,” I said. "I think this place is perfect for my needs."
He stared at me for a second. Probably waiting for me to tell him I was joking, but I wasn't joking. I really did want to rent the shop as long as it was cheap enough for me to afford.
"So, the ad I've been running says the rent is $500 a month, but I'll go down to $400 if you'll sign a lease today. The deposit is first and last month's rent. You'll need to switch the utilities into your name within seven days and stay current on those," Castor said.
"All right,” I said. "I'll need to get the money, but we could meet later."
"Yeah, give me a few hours. I wasn't expecting to do this today. I'll get the lease ready and then we can meet at the diner around six? They're going to have the Reuben on special today, and I wanted to go there for dinner."
The diner.
Great.
"Sure. We can do that,” I said. "I can pay the deposit in cash?"
"I always take cash,” he said with a smile. "Thank you so much. This is a huge burden lifted off me."
Castor left, and I had to figure out what to do next. I had two huge missions in front of me, and I needed to decide which one was the immediate priority. I had to find out who Merrill’s ex-wife was, but I also needed to come up with the cash for the deposit. I didn't have $800 to my name even though I'd just promised to pay that amount to my new landlord. There was also the matter of how I was going to stock the shop after I rented it, but that was a problem for after the lease was signed.
It shouldn't have been, but I never claimed to be the best businessperson. I was winging the whole thing based on intuition.
Given that, I decided to go back to Hangman's House and look for Meri's mystery money. If the house didn't give up the cash, I'd have to ask my parents, and I really, really, really didn't want to do that.
I was crossing the square back to my car when I noticed there was a coffee shop on the opposite side of the square. The Brew Station wasn't the coffee place I remembered in Coventry, but the scent of fresh brewed hit me like a train.
"I need coffee,” I said.
"We have coffee at home," Meri answered since not many people were within possible earshot.
"I want that coffee,” I said.
"You're supposed to be trying to get money together for a business,” Meri said.
"I'll just get one coffee. It's not like I'm going to make it a habit,” I said. "Besides, I need the energy. I was almost killed by a ghost minutes ago."
"Whatever, just open up the car on the way by so I can get in. I'm ready for a nap."
"It won't take me long to grab a coffee,” I said, but I opened the passenger door for him on the way by.
The Brew Station was a hoot on the inside. It was definitely geared toward tourists with its nearly cartoonish witch theme. It was almost over the top but not quite.
It was a cozy shop, but there was enough room for about a dozen tables. The counter was off to the left, and it sat on top of a display case full of pastries. Those were all witch-themed as well. My favorite were the ghost-shaped sugar cookies. They were covered with a thick layer of white frosting and had two black candy eyes. Underneath and in front of the cash register was a cold drink cooler labeled "potions". It was stocked with artisanal sodas with names like "Hex Berry Cola" and "Under My Spell Strawberry". They were in neat little glass bottles with pictures of witches as the paper labels.
On the back wall behind the counter was a giant, black chalkboard for the menu. The offerings were written in colorful chalk surrounded by drawings of frogs, witch hats, and brooms.
A cheerful-looking woman appeared in the doorway behind the counter. "Welcome to The Brew Station. What can I conjure for you today?"
That was cute.
I didn't study the menu very hard. I just ordered what I wanted and hoped for the best.
"Can I get a hazelnut latte with whole milk, please?"
"You sure can,” she said and stepped up to the machines behind the counter. "Do you want whipped cream on that?"
"Always,” I said.
"A woman after my own heart."
"I'm Kinsley Skeenbauer. I'm going to be opening a store on the other side of the square in that vacant shop."
"Oooh! The haunted place? That's so cool. I wish that storefront had been available when I was getting ready to open thi
s joint. What kind of shop? Hopefully not a coffee shop,” she said with a chuckle, but there was something about her that told me we could be friends even if I was going to open a coffee shop.
"It's going to be a metaphysical gift shop,” I said. I thought it sounded better than "witch store".
"Oh, you're going to make a killing,” she said completely unironically. Obviously, she didn't know I was the one who found the dead guy the night before. "The tourists are going to eat that up. Making this place witch-themed was the best decision I ever made. You know, I'm surprised no one has opened a metaphysical gift shop yet. I guess maybe a lot of the locals aren't too happy about Coventry's paranormal reputation exploding the way it has. I think it's great. It's certainly good for business."
"I'm excited about the idea,” I said.
"Wow, I am so rude. I'm Genevieve Bolton. Everyone calls me Viv." She walked down to the cash register. "You know what, this one's on the house. Congratulations to my new business neighbor," Viv said and handed me the coffee.
"Hey, what do I have to do to get free coffee?" an older man groused from a table behind me.
"Well, Frank, you're probably going to have to steal it from the grocery store," she teased the man.
He just laughed. "You're a pill, Viv."
"That's what keeps you coming back,” she said and winked at the old man.
"Thank you so much,” I said. "I appreciate the free coffee even if I do think you're just trying to get me hooked."
Viv laughed so hard that her sky blue eyes teared up. She was a middle-aged woman with a curvy figure and long, curly brunette hair. There was just a hint of silver around her temples, and while she wore little makeup, she did have on bright red lipstick.
"We're going to be fast friends,” she said. "You have a great day, Kinsley Skeenbauer."
I would have stayed and talked longer because I genuinely liked Viv, but a couple more customers came in. She had work to do, so I took my free coffee and headed out to my car.
Meri looked up at me like I was inconveniencing him as I slid behind the steering wheel. I put the coffee in the cup holder and put the key in the ignition.
"You probably have the last car in the world that doesn't have a push button or remote start,” he said as he laid his head back down and closed his eyes.
"I like my car,” I said. "It's vintage."
"Suuuuure."
"You still going to show me where that money is?" I asked as I turned the key.
"I guess."
We drove home and I was pleased to find my driveway empty. It wasn't that I didn't love my family, but I wanted to have some space before they all descended on me. I was still adjusting to the fact that coming home was my life, and my entire old life, the one I'd built for myself since I was seventeen, was gone. There was an entire evening of sobbing into a bowl of ice cream while guzzling rum and Coke in my future, but I was still on too much of an adrenaline rush for it to happen yet.
Meri led the way into the house when we got home, and I dutifully followed behind him. I pulled the staircase down for the attic, and we went up.
It was like stepping back in time. A weird tingling sensation ran through my body as I climbed the last step. The books up there practically hummed with potential power.
"Whoa,” Meri said. "I don't recall them doing that before."
"So, you feel that too?" I asked.
"Yeah, I guess the attic is happy you're here."
"So, where's this money?" I asked.
I was trying to avoid going to the shelves and picking up one of the books. They were calling to me, but I told myself I had things to do. I knew that if I gave into the books' siren song, I'd be lost up there for days doing research. There would be time enough for that later. I could become the world's most powerful witch or whatever after I had my shi... life together.
It was funny how even then, I still thought those two things were separate.
"There's cash stashed in some of these books,” Meri said. "They're like little safes."
"Okay, show me which ones,” I said.
Meri walked around the shelves and he occasionally stopped and directed me to a book. I'd take it off the shelf, open it up, and find a stash of bills inside. By the time he said we had all the ones the house was going to give us, I had well over the amount I needed for the deposit.
"This is a lot of money,” I said and sat down on one of the chairs to count it.
"Well, you're going to need more than to just pay the rent,” Meri said. "You're going to need something to sell there as well. There were a lot of shelves."
"I was going to worry about that later,” I said.
"That's the dumbest thing I've heard in like a week,” Meri said. He jumped up on the table that sat in front of me and glared at me. "You're signing the lease at dinner tonight. You have to have a plan for the place."
"I want it to be a metaphysical gift shop. It will be a place that tourists can buy stuff but that witches can get supplies too."
"That's actually not a bad idea,” Meri said and flicked his tail.
"I thought I was dumb,” I said and put the cash down on the table next to him.
"You're slightly less dumb because there's a room full of supplies you can sell in the basement."
"Oh, my goddess, Meri. You're a genius,” I said and hugged him.
Chapter Eight
With the rent problem solved and stock to sell at the store after I signed the lease, I still had several hours left before I had to meet Castor. Since I couldn't do anything more for the business until after dinner, I decided to start in on my second problem. I needed to find Merrill’s ex-wife.
"How do we find out his ex-wife's name?" I asked.
"I don't know... you could ask somebody," Meri snarked.
"Yeah, but who? I don't want to back down to the square and just start asking people at random."
"Your parents have lived here for a long time,” Meri said. "I know it's a stretch, but they might know."
"I'll call mom,” I said.
She answered after two rings. "Hey, sweetie. Are you all right? I heard about what happened at the diner last night."
"I'm fine,” I said. "That's actually why I'm calling. I was wondering if you could tell me who Merrill Killian was married to."
"Oh, Kinsley, are you getting involved?" she asked.
"I don't want to, but unfortunately, his ghost has turned into a vengeful spirit with unfinished business. That's what Meri said anyway. He attacked me earlier when I was looking at that vacant shop in the square. Anyway, I'm fine, but the only person he could come up with who might have killed him was his ex-wife. I need to know who she is."
My mother took a deep breath and sighed. "I know I won't talk you out of this, but please be careful. Okay?"
"I will, Mom. Please don't worry."
"All right then. Well, Merrill was married to a woman named Stella Turner. That was her maiden name, and she's gone back to it. She works at the grocery store customer service desk."
"At Mann's?" I asked.
"Yeah, but Mann's isn't what you remember. Bob retired and sold the land and the store name to a company that develops chains. They built a new grocery store on the spot where the old Mann's sat."
"Okay, well at least I'll be able to find it then,” I said.
"Call me right away if you need anything,” Mom said.
"I promise, I will. I think I'll be all right at the grocery store." I chuckled.
"I know,” she said. "But call me if you need anything."
We said our goodbyes, and I went to put my shoes back on.
"I'm coming,” Meri said.
"To the grocery store? I doubt they allow cats."
"Get the big tote bag from the hall closet. The one with the blue and magenta flowers. I can ride in there. No one will know."
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
"Fine,” I said.
Meri did fit nicely in the tote bag, and I wond
ered how many times my mother had done the exact same thing. I carried him outside and put him in the passenger side. Soon, we were headed across town to Mann's.
Mom had told me that they'd built a new store, but it was still a bit jarring to see. The small store and gas station had been replaced by a much larger store, and there was no longer a gas station. Instead there was just a large parking lot that wasn't even close to being full.
"I'm going to have to figure out where the gas station is,” I said. "There is one, right?"
"There are two,” Meri said. "There's one if you go past the diner on your way out of town, and there's another in the newer section of Coventry. It's by all of the new property development on the other side of the square."
"Wow, Coventry really has grown,” I said.
"It sort of started to explode a few years back. There are a ton of new houses plus hotels for tourists, but if you just stick to the parts of Coventry you're used to, you wouldn't even know they were there really. They were just sort of Frankensteined onto the edge of town."
I parked in a spot close to the doors and went around to the passenger side to get the Meri bag. The store was as large as one you'd find in the city. The difference being that in a city of any size at all, you'd have several grocery stores to service different areas. As far as I knew, Coventry still only had the one.
We went inside and I stopped at the cooler full of fresh flowers. It just took a brief look around to find the customer service desk located past the cash registers.
There was no one at the desk when we approached. There weren't any customers, and from the looks of it, no one was behind the desk either. We waited a couple of minutes, and a woman finally emerged from the back. She wore a name tag that said "Donna."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I did not know anyone was out here," Donna said. "How can I help you?"
"I'm looking for Stella,” I said.
"She is in the dairy section helping with stock. Had a guy call in sick today, and as you can see, I can handle things up here myself," Donna said.
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