These Haunts Are Made For Walking (Haunted Tour Guide Mystery Book 1) (10 page)

“Is there a problem?” I asked.

“Marion’s death probably wasn’t an accident. I just wanted to warn you. I don’t know much else yet. We believe it was a homicide based on the coroner’s report. We’re not sure how she was murdered just yet. The medical examiner says Marion sustained no injuries that would have caused her death.”

I couldn’t believe what he was telling me. It was as if someone had knocked the wind out of me. I paused on the sidewalk, trying to steady my shaky legs.

“Are you still there?” he asked.

I nodded as if he would see me through the phone. “I’m here, it’s just a bit of a shock.”

More so than he knew because Annie had been telling me all along that it wasn’t an accident. I didn’t know what to think about this latest news.

“What should I do?” I asked.

“We may have a few questions for you,” he said.

“Sure, anything I can do to help, but I don’t know if I can tell you much.”

“Where are you now?” he asked.

“I’m standing in front of Mammy’s Cafe.”

People were looking at me strangely. Probably wondering why I didn’t just come inside instead of staring at the door.

“Do you mind if I come by?”

“No, not at all.”

Why would he want to talk tonight? Was it that urgent? I hung up the phone and shoved it in my purse. I bet I looked a mess. I hadn’t known I would have a dinner partner. Of course it was just business.

The diner had so many tables and chairs crammed in the small space that I wondered if it was a fire hazard. Every single seat was taken though, and usually people were standing outside waiting for a table. Truth be told, I didn’t think there was anything special about the food, but it was the only restaurant like this in town. There were other places that served fine dining and then there was the fast food, nothing in between. So I could see why people were always waiting to eat here. I’d lucked out and come at a time when most people had already eaten their food and I’d managed to spot a few open tables from the window outside. 

I pushed open the door and walked in. A couple tables at the front remained empty, so I sat at the booth and grabbed the menu. People still watched me as I crossed the floor. News of Marion’s death had spread like a wildfire across town. It was also known that I had found her. I guessed everyone was curious as to how I was dealing with this event.

The smell of greasy food lingered in the air. Black and white tables with matching chairs dotted the space. The booths lined the walls next to the floor-to-ceiling windows. My shoes squeaked against the tile floor. As I walked across the diner, I looked out the front window. Something had caught my eye. When I looked closer, I thought I spotted the misty man who had been in the graveyard. I blinked and he was gone. He had definitely been looking at me. Or had he? Was I imagining things? Now more than ever I knew that ghosts did exist. I knew I’d seen him. But what did he want?

I needed to find out who this man was. But how? Could I just go around describing this ghost? I supposed people might not be too surprised at a question like that from me, since I did spend a lot of my free time in the graveyard and every other haunted location I could find.  Who could I ask who would have the most details about the spirits haunting this town? I’d done a lot of research on my own for the information I gave on the tour. I’d interviewed people who had been willing to share their stories. Not everyone was open to the paranormal even if they’d had an experience of their own.

Even though the eyes in the diner were on me, I was still focused on watching for the ghost outside. So far he hadn’t appeared again. The waitress walked over and stood next to the table. She stared at me for a moment without saying a word.

Finally, I said. “Hello.”

She leaned a little closer. “What was it like to discover Marion?”

Okay, this was getting a little too strange for me. “It was disturbing.”

She scoffed. “I bet.”

I handed her the menu. “I’d like the deluxe burger, please, with fries.” She reluctantly took the menu. “Oh, and a Coke too.”

She stared for a moment longer and then turned and walked away. I noticed the sideways glances from everyone. So what if I’d found the body? It wasn’t as if I’d killed Marion. Then it hit me. What if they thought I’d done something to her? No, they still thought it was an accident. Unless word had already spread that it wasn’t an accident. I thought the police kept that stuff a secret while they investigated.

I was probably just being paranoid. They were just curious since I’d been gone from home for so long and then came back.

The waitress sat my plate in front of me. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s all. Thanks.” I grabbed the ketchup.

She raised an eyebrow and then walked away.

I tried to ignore the looks as I dumped ketchup onto my fries. It was almost impossible to eat with all this attention. If people had questions about what had happened they should just come up to me and ask. I’d tell them whatever they wanted to know. Well, maybe not everything. I wouldn’t tell them that I’d seen a ghost and was receiving text messages from the spirit world. Not to mention the ghost apparently knew how to use the computer too. People in town thought I was kooky for believing in ghosts, but I didn’t care.

As I took a drink of my Coke I noticed the police chief was at the counter. Right at that moment he looked over at me. I wanted to look away, but it was too late. He’d already caught me looking at him. Now I was extremely uncomfortable. He didn’t take his eyes off me. The next thing I knew he was walking toward me. My heart rate increased. Why was I so nervous? I’d done nothing wrong. Maybe it was the fact that he was six five with a look on his face that said he’d eat me for dinner. The chief had graying hair that was cut extra short. Lines creased his blue eyes and he had a small mouth that was set in a permanent grim line. He wore the Devil’s Moon police uniform of blue pants and matching shirt. The shiny badge was displayed above his shirt’s pocket. His black shoes looked as if he’d spent a great deal of time polishing them. As he moved across the floor he fixed his deep blue eyes on me. I shifted in my seat, wishing that I could disappear.

He stood right next to my table, peering down at me.

“Good evening, officer,” I managed.

“How are you enjoying your time back in Devil’s Moon?” he asked.

I nodded. “It’s good. I’m glad to be home.”

“So you’ve started the ghost tour, huh?” The tone of his voice let me know that he didn’t think my new business was necessarily a good thing.

“It’s fun,” I said.

He leaned down, placing his hands on the table. He wore a large gold ring on each of his hands. “We intend to find out what happened at the library. Just remember that everyone is a suspect. We’ll be keeping an eye on all of you.”

My eyes widened and my mouth probably dropped open. Me? Why me? I’d never broken the law. Not even a speeding ticket. I wasn’t going to start now by murdering someone. 

He tapped the table, turned and then walked away. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. My comfort food was of little comfort now. It would take more than a cheeseburger to console me.

As I scanned the restaurant it felt as if the whole town was watching me and pointing an accusing finger. Was it all because I ran the ghost tour? Or was it because I’d recently returned to town? They acted as if they didn’t know me. I mean, sure, a murder had occurred less than eight hours after I’d started the job, but was that any reason to be so testy with me? Surely they could trust me more than that. All the women who’d been at the library had been residents of the town all their life. I felt as though they could be trusted too.

I thought about leaving after the visit from the police chief, but I figured I’d wait until the action died down. Everyone knew that he’d come over and talked to me. If I sat there for a few more minutes they would become distracted and I could slip out.

I had gotten myself into a pickle and the crazy thing was I hadn’t even done anything. I wondered if Brannon knew that everyone in the library was under suspicion. Maybe he hadn’t had the heart to tell me. Or maybe he was trying to get more info from me and that was the reason for the visit.

I nibbled on a couple French fries, trying to get my appetite back. When I glanced up, Brannon walked through the door. He looked around the diner for an available table. The chief noticed him and nodded. Brannon didn’t go over to his table though. Once again, he looked my way before I had a chance to look away, so he caught me staring right at him. A huge smile spread across his face and he immediately headed toward me. I hoped I didn’t have ketchup on my face. I dabbed at my mouth with the napkin quickly before he reached the table.

Brannon stood beside my table. “Do you mind if I sit down?” He gestured toward the booth across from me.

I waved. “Sure, have a seat.”

So far he was acting much less suspicious of me than the chief. Brannon slid into the booth across from me. He looked over at my burger. “How is it?”

I glanced down at the half-eaten food. “It was okay.”

He quirked a brow. “Was? What happened to it?”

“The police chief is what happened to it.”

He frowned. “I’m not following you.”

“He stopped by to talk for a second. He told me that everyone who was in the library that night is under suspicion.”

Brannon stared at me for a moment, but didn’t speak.

“I guess you weren’t going to tell me that?” I asked.

Brannon studied my face and then said, “I didn’t want to upset you. It’s routine, really. You don’t have to worry.”

Maybe it was standard procedure, but that didn’t make me feel any better.

“Don’t let it worry you too much, okay?”

I nodded. “I’ll try not to let it get to me, but we are talking a possible murder.”

He looked around to see if anyone was listening. At that moment the waitress walked over. She smiled brightly at Brannon. I hadn’t gotten the same treatment from her. That didn’t surprise me much though since Brannon was a good-looking guy.

Brannon placed his order for a cheeseburger and fries and then paused for the waitress to walk away. He took a drink of his water and watched me over the top of his glass. Finally, he placed the glass on the table and said, “Ripley, I don’t want you to feel alone in all of this. I will help you if you need anything.”

I eyed him suspiciously. “Yeah, but do you just want to help me because you want to investigate the library for ghosts?”

His eyes widened. “I can’t believe you would think that. Do I seem like that kind of guy?”

“No offense, but I haven’t had great experiences with men, so I tend to be a little suspicious.”

“I know you didn’t do anything to Marion,” Brannon said.

I waved my hand. “Of course I didn’t.”

The waitress brought his food and we were silent for a moment. After he took a bite of the burger and finished chewing, he said, “You know, I wouldn’t be opposed to you allowing me to investigate the library too.”

“What? No way. After what happened? I don’t need help or the attention of a ghost hunt. I’ll figure this mess out on my own.”

Brannon didn’t know the half of it. He had no idea that ghosts could really communicate. Besides, I really didn’t need his help. I’d let my ex help in my life too much. Anyway, why hunt for the ghost when she was sending me messages all day offering misguided advice?

“Other than having a homicide investigation around, how are you enjoying life back in Devil’s Moon?” he asked as he finished off his burger.

I stuffed another French fry in my mouth and the said, “It’s good to be home… I guess.”

“I’m glad you’re back. No one told me that the prettiest girl in town had left.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. “If you think compliments will get you in that library you are wrong.”

He laughed. “It’s worth a shot.”

“Why did you move to Devil’s Moon?”

The light reflected in his blue eyes. “My ex-wife is from Devil’s Moon.” He pushed his plate away.

I stared at him for a moment. “Your ex-wife? Who is she?”

“Darlene McGuire.”

I nodded. “I remember her. She was a couple years ahead of me in high school. What happened? I’m sorry. Was that rude of me to ask?”

He placed his napkin on his plate. “She decided she didn’t want to live here anymore. She moved to New York with her boss.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I guess we have something in common then.”

Brannon’s eyes widened. “Your ex-wife cheated on you too?”

I chuckled. “No, my fiancé cheated with a friend of mine.” I looked at my watch. “Oh, I’m going to be late for the tour.”

I pushed to my feet and reached for the ticket. He placed his hand over mine on the table, which made my heart race. Our eyes met.

“I’ll pay for it,” he said. 

“No. you don’t have to do that.”

“Please, I want to.” He looked up at me with those big blue eyes and I figured it would be hard for any woman to say no to him. Darlene was crazy for cheating on him.

I offered a smile. “Okay. Thank you.”