Millie on a Mission

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Hey.” I pasted a bright smile on my face. “What’s going on in lovers’ land?”

  Jack scowled. He looked more like a male model than a security specialist. His long black hair was sleek and shiny, and his cheekbones were ridiculously cut. “Do you have to say stuff like that? We’re at work.”

  “Oh, I never would’ve guessed.” On most occasions, Jack is easygoing and delightful to be around. Over the past few days, he’d been the exact opposite. “Does that mean I can’t make off-color jokes? My whole day has been thrown into turmoil.”

  “Ha, ha, ha.” His gaze was dark. “What do you want? Do we have another assignment?”

  “I do.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “You have an assignment but the rest of us don’t? How does that work?”

  “It’s a woman I used to know from my time with Myron.” I tried to refrain from making a face ... and failed. “She claims she has a ghost.”

  “She claims?” Jack was dubious. “I’m guessing you don’t believe her.”

  “Adele has always been a pill. She’s the histrionic sort. You know when you watch period movies and there’s always a woman complaining about having the vapors? That would be her.”

  Brow furrowed, Jack glanced at Charlie. “Do you understand what she just said?”

  Charlie nodded and managed a legitimate smile, although it was small. “She’s saying that this woman likes being the center of attention and tends to overreact.”

  “Why didn’t she just say that?”

  “She’s Millie.”

  Jack smirked at the remark and the energy between them noticeably warmed. The more I witnessed their interaction, the more convinced I became that I was making the right decision. I needed to get to the bottom of Charlie’s melancholy.

  “Adele swears up and down there’s a ghost in the house and she wants me to get rid of it. We struck a deal of sorts for me to do it without telling anyone what was going on.”

  Jack’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What sort of deal?”

  “Never you mind. It’s none of your business.” Adele wasn’t the only one who wanted to keep certain things quiet. “I figure it’s an easy assignment, in and out. We have nothing going on here, so I thought I would take Charlie with me.”

  As expected, Jack balked. “Why do you want to take Charlie? You’ve made it clear that you think this woman is lying.”

  “Or just imagining things,” I corrected. “I don’t know that I think she’s purposely making stuff up as much as freaking out over something that’s easily explainable with a little digging.”

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  “It means that I’m heading out to her house now to look around. She lives in a big mansion near a private lake. I expect to be in and out.”

  “So ... why do you need Charlie?”

  “Because it’s always good to have backup.” And I’m going to grill her to within an inch of her life when I get her alone. I was desperate to know what was going on between her and Jack. “Charlie hasn’t done anything since we got back from New Orleans. The fresh air will do her good.”

  Suspicion etched its way across Jack’s handsome face. “Do you plan to get in trouble?”

  “I never plan to get in trouble. Sometimes it just happens.”

  “Do you plan to let it happen?”

  “No. I swear. This is going to be easy. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  He didn’t look convinced, but he was clearly resigned, because he slid his eyes to Charlie and sighed when he caught her smile. “Don’t get in trouble,” he admonished her as he stood. And, despite his earlier warning about this being a work environment, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I have things I should catch up on in my office anyway. If you guys run into trouble, I want to know about it. Don’t wait until you’re buried — or in jail cells — to call me. I’m available if things get out of hand.”

  “Nothing will get out of hand.” I grabbed Charlie’s arm and tugged. “You act as if you don’t trust me, Jack. That hurts. I’m a trustworthy person.”

  “You’re loyal,” he corrected. “You’re also scatterbrained and leap before you look. I would prefer if you didn’t do that this go-around.”

  “Sure, sure.” I was already done listening to his admonishments. “You won’t even notice we’re gone. Trust me.”

  I WAITED UNTIL WE WERE IN the car and on the way to Adele’s house to start my interrogation.

  “What’s going on with you and Jack?”

  Charlie, her eyes focused out the window, shrugged. “What makes you think anything is going on between us?”

  “I’m not blind. My eyesight might not be what it used to, but I’m well aware when something is going on. You forget, I’m an observer of human nature. I know when something is going on ... and something is definitely going on between the two of you.”

  She didn’t say anything immediately. In fact, she went so long without saying anything I thought she was going to pretend I hadn’t asked the question in the first place. Just about the time I was going to prod her she spoke, although it was barely a whisper.

  “He knows.”

  My blood ran cold at the way she said it. There was something ominous about her tone. I didn’t have to ask what he knew. There was only one secret that would’ve been big enough to derail their relationship.

  In all honesty, I’d been expecting this. I wanted Charlie to tell Jack the truth sooner rather than later because I understood he would need time to adjust. I hadn’t realized she told him the truth in New Orleans, but I’d begun to suspect. I shouldn’t have been surprised by her declaration, yet it took me a few moments to wrap my head around the new logistics of our small group.

  “Well ... .” I trailed off. Honestly, what was I supposed to say to her? It’s not as if I had experience in this area.

  “He says we’re going to be fine and he just needs a bit of time to adjust, but he’s already treating me differently. I don’t know what to do.”

  “You need to give him time.” That was the easiest answer. “Jack is a reasonable man. He’ll come around. Besides, it’s not as if he broke up with you. He’s just thinking things through. That’s what happens when you fall for a logical man. Jack is extremely logical. Finding out that you have magical powers couldn’t have been easy for him.”

  “He found out when I set a bunch of zombies on fire with my mind.”

  “Oh, well, yeah. That will do it.” I tried to picture the scene in my head and came up empty. I wanted to press her on it, but knew better than pushing her before she was ready. Charlie had a tendency to close in on herself if she felt the real world was getting too heavy. That was the last thing I wanted.

  “You know, Charlie, this is for the best,” I offered, searching my mind for the best way to comfort her. “Now there’s nothing standing between you and Jack. He’ll finish thinking and then things will go right back to normal. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

  “Then why am I so worried?”

  “That’s your nature. You’re a worrier. You’ve had to be because you’ve been hiding your true self for the better part of your life. Your adoptive parents knew, but they warned you to keep it quiet. That’s a missive you took to heart.

  “When it comes down to it, you’re going to find that Jack embraces what you are just as easily as he fell for who you are,” I continued. “He just wasn’t expecting it. He’s always the skeptic of our group anyway. Not only did he get irrefutable proof that zombies were real, he found out you were a magical being at the same time. He’ll come around.”

  The hope on Charlie’s face almost broke my heart. “Do you really think so?”

  “I know so. Don’t focus on that right now, though. I really wanted to bring you because I know you can see ghosts. I figure that you’ll be able to sniff out fairly quickly if there’s really a ghost on the loose at Adele’s house or if she’s bonkers. Either way, she’ll owe me a favor ... and I intend to collec
t.”

  “Do I even want to know what that means?”

  “No.”

  “As long as you don’t tell her I see ghosts it should be fine. I just don’t want to risk my secret getting out to anyone else. I’m at my limit with that right now.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that.” I smiled grimly as I took the appropriate exit off the freeway. “I told her I was psychic and could see ghosts. I’ve got you covered.”

  Charlie was horrified. “Why would you tell her that?”

  I shrugged. “Why not?”

  She didn’t have an answer, so she just shook her head. “I can’t believe you told her that. She’s going to have you put in a nuthouse if you’re not careful.”

  “I’m not worried about that.” Honestly, that was the least of my fears. “I wasn’t lying to Jack when I said I have everything under control, so there’s no reason to fret. I’ve got you covered.”

  ADELE MET US AT THE FRONT door herself. Even though she had a full staff of maids and grounds workers at her disposal, I knew she was serious when she was the one to greet us.

  “Who is this?” She made a face when she saw Charlie.

  “This is my co-worker Charlie Rhodes. She’s very good, totally professional and discreet, and I needed someone to help me.”

  Adele was clearly dubious. “I thought you said you could see ghosts. Why would you need help if that’s true?”

  “I need a quiet atmosphere if I expect to see them,” I replied without missing a beat. I’d already worked out the answer to this question in my head. “She has to make sure that my chakras are clear and that nobody roils up the atmosphere if you expect me to solve your little problem.”

  Adele made a face. “Your chakras?”

  “That’s what I said, isn’t it? If my chakras get out of line then we’re all screwed.”

  Charlie gave me a bewildered look out of the corner of her eye but I ignored it. This was not the time for a public discussion on my tendency to spout nonsense. We both knew I wasn’t going to change my ways.

  “Fine.” Adele held up her hands in capitulation. “I won’t mess with your chakras. I just want you to find this ghost and get it out of here. You can do that in about an hour, right? Arthur is due home from the club in three hours and I want to make sure he doesn’t suspect anything.”

  I wasn’t surprised that she was hiding this from her husband. Arthur was the type to make fun of his wife for everyday occurrences. If he found out she believed their mansion — which had more in common with a castle than a house — was haunted, he would never let her live it down. Adele was the type who cared what other people thought. She especially cared if the East Coast’s hoitiest-and-toitiest denizens thought she was playing host to a ghost. This is the sort of story Arthur would tell at the club to get a laugh from his friends and then it would be out, which would be akin to committing social suicide for Adele.

  “I can’t guarantee that we can do it in an hour,” I countered. “We have to find the ghost first. It’s not like a dog. We can’t call it and throw a ball to entice it.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because ... because ... .”

  Charlie let loose a low sigh and then swooped in to save me. “Because a lot of ghosts are shy,” she explained. “They’ve been traumatized by what happened to them in this world and that’s why they can’t leave and move on to the next. They don’t trust others easily — especially strangers — and it sometimes takes time to convince them to trust us.”

  Adele made a hilarious face. “Yeah, that’s not going to work for me. I want the ghost gone before Arthur gets back from the club.”

  “Well, we can only do our best, Adele,” I snapped. “I can’t guarantee a specific outcome when working with something as unpredictable as a ghost. You’ll have to calm yourself.”

  “Or maybe I’ll have to fire you,” Adele shot back. “I wouldn’t have hired you if I didn’t think you could get the job done quickly. One thing I could always say about you when you were married to Myron — and there was nothing good to say about your hostess skills, that’s for sure — is that you were the determined type. You always got things done, even if it wasn’t pretty. That’s why I came to you in the first place. Perhaps you’re slipping in your old age.”

  Oh, well, now she was hitting below the belt. “Slipping? I’m two years younger than you.”

  “That’s not what the gossip pages believe, and that’s what truly counts.”

  “Oh, you’re so full of crap. Do you know what I should do?” I took a threatening step toward her, every intention of rearranging her Botoxed-to-within-an-inch-of-her-life face, but Charlie intervened.

  “It’s clear we’re working on a timetable,” Charlie interjected, her tone calm. “If you expect us to do as you ask, we need to get to work. Where do you normally see the ghost?”

  “I’ve never seen it … at least not directly,” Adele responded primly, smoothing her hair. “I’ve thought I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and then turned to find nothing there. The maids keep mentioning it. Also, well, I have noticed the cold spots in the house, and someone keeps moving my silver hairbrush in the bathroom. I figure that must be a ghost with extremely good taste because that brush is an heirloom.”

  It took everything I had to keep a straight face. “So ... your proof that there’s a ghost is the fact that your brush keeps getting moved. Have you considered the maids are moving it?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” Adele turned haughty. “The maids know better than to touch that brush. It was a gift from Arthur’s mother — the only non-tacky thing that woman ever gave me — and I cherish it above all else. The maids know never to touch it.”

  “What about Arthur?” Charlie asked automatically. “Could he be moving it as a joke?”

  The look Adele shot my younger counterpart would’ve been funny under different circumstances. The way Charlie shrank back, though, told me she didn’t find it funny at all.

  “Knock that off, Adele,” I warned, extending a finger when she made a move in Charlie’s direction. “She’s younger and fitter than us. I’ve also seen her in a fight. She can definitely take you.”

  Adele rolled her eyes to the ceiling, as if praying for benevolence from a higher power, and then sucked in a breath to collect herself. “I want this little problem taken care of, Millie. I didn’t want to come to you. I mean ... why would I? The best thing that ever happened to our social group was when you stepped out of it.”

  I happened to agree with that sentiment. “Most definitely.” I bobbed my head. “I’ve had so much more fun now that I don’t have to go to your stuffy parties and pretend to like those teeny-tiny cucumber sandwiches you insist on serving on pumpernickel bread. I mean ... really. That’s just gross.”

  Adele glared. “That’s my special recipe.”

  “Which you stole from Martha Stewart or something. We all know you don’t cook. Heck, we’re thankful you don’t. It’s better for everyone concerned if you don’t make your presence known in the kitchen. It’s bad enough that you exert your taste buds on everybody.”

  “That did it.” Adele extended her finger in the direction of the door. “This was a mistake. I don’t want you here.”

  “Fair enough.” I expected her to react like this and was determined to get it out of the way. “Just know that I won’t be coming back once I walk through that door. You have one shot, and you’re about to blow it.”

  “I don’t care.” Adele was adamant. “I assumed you’d matured since your divorce from Myron. Apparently I was wrong.”

  “I’m actually trying to get more immature,” I explained.

  “Well, great job.”

  “Thanks.” I inclined my chin toward the door for Charlie’s benefit. “Let’s get out of here. There’s a great diner on the way back that has the best clam chowder you’ve ever tasted. My treat.”

  Charlie’s expression reflected bewilderment. “I don’t understand,” she sa
id after a moment. “I thought we were here to get rid of the ghost. What is she going to do if it turns into a poltergeist and starts destroying her house?”

  I had to hand it to her. We hadn’t even discussed counter moves in case Adele turned difficult. Her response was a brilliantly manipulative ploy, and I wanted to kiss her I was so excited.

  “Hold up.” Adele put her hand on the door to stop me from opening it. “Can that really happen? The poltergeist thing, I mean. Can it destroy my house?”

  Charlie nodded solemnly. “It can. I know that movie was a bit over-the-top, but a lot of that stuff has truly happened. People say Steven Spielberg can see ghosts and that’s why he insisted on making the movie. It was a catharsis for him.”

  “Are you serious?” Adele looked enraptured with Charlie’s story. “Well, in that case ... .” Her eyes were dark when they flicked back to me.

  “I’m not going to change my attitude,” I warned her. “I will try to work fast. I guarantee that I don’t want to be here any longer than you want me here.”

  That was seemingly enough for Adele. She nodded. “Then we should head to the east wing. That’s where most of the sightings are.”

  “Lead the way.”

  3

  Three

  Charlie wasn’t used to a house the size of the St. Clair mansion. She openly gaped as we moved around the third floor.

  “Is that an actual suit of armor?” Her eyes were the size of saucers as she moved toward the item in question. “I mean ... seriously?”

  Adele held my gaze for a second, her disdain evident, and then she adopted a polite smile for Charlie’s benefit. “My husband had it shipped over from London several years ago. It’s the armor King Arthur wore during his search for the Holy Grail.”

  I jerked up my head, surprised. “Wait ... .”

  “I don’t think that armor is available,” Charlie countered. “Is it possible this is the armor someone playing King Arthur wore in a movie?”

  “No. It’s really King Arthur’s armor. Arthur told me. Arthur was named after King Arthur. He’s a direct descendent.”