These Haunts Are Made For Walking (Haunted Tour Guide Mystery Book 1) (2 page)

I picked up her antique-looking bag and handed it to her. One by one I picked up the contents, which should have gone straight into a trash can. Her purse needed its own episode of
Hoarders
. It reminded me to clean out my handbag. I’d seen a few random packets of ketchup in there the other day.

She clutched the black purse close to her chest. “Well, I suppose I should have called out to you.”

Mrs. Clatterbuck lived in the little yellow clapboard house behind the graveyard. Every time I led a tour through the graveyard her beady eyes watched me. I wasn’t sure why. Maybe she was just interested in what I was doing, but the scowl on her face made me think it was more than that. I didn’t know her first name—all she’d told me was Mrs. Clatterbuck.

“You shouldn’t disturb the dead,” she warned with her crackly voice.

“I… we don’t disturb the dead.” That was the best response I could come up with.

“You’re walking around the graveyard, aren’t you? That’s disturbing. You’ll be sorry.” She waved her finger through the air.

With another fierce glare, she turned and stomped away. Her feet couldn’t carry her away from me fast enough.

She gave a half-hearted wave over her shoulder. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Mrs. Clatterbuck was just being superstitious. Sure, I believed in ghosts, but I didn’t think they could actually hurt anyone.

I looked down at the crumpled pile of leaves under my feet; my life was like a giant crumpled pile of leaves. I stepped back onto the sidewalk, wondering for the millionth time if I had made the right decision when I’d moved back to Devil’s Moon. I just hoped I hadn’t bitten off more than I could chew.

Before I could run into another surprise, I headed toward the tavern. I’d spoken too soon though, because out of the corner of my eye I spotted someone. Had I missed a person from the tour? Or was it the spirit of the blue man?

As usual, it had been just a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye, but it was happening more and more. The spirit that supposedly roamed the graveyard apparently wanted me to see him. Why he was still around I wasn’t sure, and I probably would never know. That was part of the reason I had started to tour, so that I could get answers to unexplained events.

Looking out across the graveyard, I didn’t see any sign that the spirit was still around. I decided to get out of there before Mrs. Clatterbuck came back. The moon struggled to appear from behind the gray clouds, but it was no use. Rain would make an appearance soon. An owl hooted from a nearby treetop. The smell of approaching rain mingled with the damp earthy scent. The only sound other than the bird was the crunch of leaves under my feet.

A little light shone from the window at Mrs. Clatterbuck’s house. The theme song from the Halloween movie was stuck in my head. If Michael Myers popped out from behind one of the stones I’d have to run, although in the movies no matter how fast the victim ran he always caught up. When I entered the tavern country music hit me in the face. A band played at the back of the room. I’d never seen them at the tavern before, but they sounded good. The tavern was the heart of the Devil’s Moon social scene. Originally used as a stagecoach stop, it was another old building that had been built in the late 1700s.

Walking through the tavern door was like stepping back in time with the stone walls and old creaking hardwood floors. I envisioned people from years gone by drinking in the very spot where we stood today. People used to hitch their horses out front before stopping in for a drink. Now there was a parking lot around back. A few things had changed, but some stayed the same. The place had been operating as a tavern since the first day they’d opened the doors.

When I glanced around, I spotted Tammy behind the bar. She was pouring a drink, but immediately looked up and spotted me as if she had some kind of sixth sense. Tammy and I had been best friends in high school. We’d remained close even when I’d moved away. Now that I had returned we were back to our weekly shopping trips and lunch at a local diner at least twice a week. It was as if I’d never left.

Tammy wore a cream-colored sweater and brown pants with fabulous brown high-heeled lace-up boots. She looked far too fashionable for this small town. I always said she’d taken a wrong turn in Manhattan and ended up eight hundred miles away in Kentucky. Tammy’s amber-colored hair was styled with layers of highlights that must have taken hours to achieve. The bar’s lights highlighted the coppery glints in her strands. Wispy bangs swept against her heart-shaped face and small silver hoop earrings dangled from her earlobes.

“It’s a good band.” I popped a pretzel from the bowl on the counter into my mouth and chewed.

Tammy wiped the counter. “They’re from Bowling Green. I hope the boss hires them again.”

I looked around at the crowd as I drank my water. The usual suspects were there. A few people I recognized from high school. Even my old science teacher liked to hang out at the tavern on the weekends. My gaze immediately focused on one thing in particular. He was standing near the band talking with a couple other men. His smile was infectious. I’d never seen him before, but his dashingly handsome looks and irresistible presence drew me in right away. Maybe it was my imagination, but something about him seemed mysterious, and unfortunately that intrigued me.

He wore jeans that fit all too well with the promise of lean muscular legs underneath. He wore a blue short-sleeve shirt that bulged over impressive biceps. He had strong cheekbones and his lips formed a perfect smile. His thick dark hair was cut short. I’d stared at him for entirely too long.

“See anything you like?” Tammy asked in a teasing voice.

I took another sip and then shook my head. I was about to say no when I spotted the man watching me.

“Who is that?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

Tammy followed my focus. “New cop in town. Brannon Landon. He’s been here about a year. He’s a real babe, right?”

I stared for a moment. Thank goodness he didn’t notice me watching him.

“So how was the tour tonight?” Tammy asked.

I forced my attention away from the good-looking cop. “I think it went well. Oh, I forgot to tell you that Mrs. Clatterbuck confronted me in the graveyard.”

“She probably crawled up from one of the graves,” Tammy said. “I still haven’t seen the mysterious Mrs. Clatterbuck.”

I stuck my finger in the air. “With a wave of her bony finger, she proclaimed I shouldn’t disturb the dead.”

“See, she wants you to leave her alone.” Tammy clutched her sides and chuckled.

“Well, it was a strange comment, but she’s always been a bit eccentric.”

“A bit? Remember you said the other day she brought her pet parakeet with her to the graveyard. That cage couldn’t have been easy to carry around. What did you tell her?” Tammy asked.

I looked at the hot cop again. He wasn’t looking my way this time, so I got a chance to really check him out. Short dark hair with sharp features. I wondered what color eyes he had. His jeans and blue shirt fit his muscles in all the right places.

“I should go,” I said, jumping up from the stool. I tossed a few dollars onto the bar.

“Why are you leaving so soon? You should hang around,” Tammy called as I walked toward the door. “Maybe someone will ask you to dance.”

“My feet are going to walk home without me if I don’t go to bed now.” I laughed and walked out the door.

The clouds had covered the sky now and a few drops of rain hit the pavement. If I didn’t hurry I would soon be drenched. I ran the last stretch to my place. The sooner I was home and in my comfy pajamas the better off I’d be. A relaxing bath and good book was all that I wanted. I’d had enough ghosts for one night.

After college I’d left home for a librarian position in California. It had been a good job, but when the librarian in my hometown had retired, I’d jumped at the chance to return to Devil’s Moon, Kentucky. As I’d grown older, I’d realized the grass wasn’t always greener and my hometown looked better than ever to me. I’d missed my friends and family.

Sure, my hometown wasn’t exactly a bustling metropolis and it was a little spooky, but I was okay with that. Devil’s Moon was full of charm and had everything I needed, so it wouldn’t be a huge lifestyle adjustment now that I was back. At least that was what I kept telling myself. As long as there was a coffee shop, bakery, and a Bath & Body Works within twenty miles, I was good to go.

The next morning was my first day as head librarian in Devil’s Moon. I’d been back in town for a couple weeks before I’d had to start work at the library. That had given me time to start the haunted tour.

As soon as I’d moved back to town I’d decided to fulfil a lifelong dream—start a haunted tour. This town was crawling with ghosts. Well, not literally crawling, but you know what I mean. So by day I was the mild-mannered librarian and by night I was the queen of spooky. At least that was what Tammy told everyone. I was okay with that description.

As I stepped out into the morning air, I inhaled the crisp scent of fall. The rain from the night before had soaked the ground and brought out the musty scent of earth.

I looked across the street to the Southern café advertising biscuits and gravy as the special of the day. A large sign with the words “Mammy’s Kitchen” hung over the café’s entrance. Large windows flanked the front door of the restaurant, giving me a clear view inside the space. There didn’t appear to be an empty seat in the place.

A couple women chatted outside the café while a man swept the sidewalk in front of the antiques shop next door. The sign on the door had been turned around to CLOSED.

As I absorbed the familiar surroundings, I knew for sure that I’d made the right decision. The change of scenery my hometown provided would give me the chance to forget about the despicable man who had cheated on me and left my life in shreds. I needed to reconnect with old friends and meet new people. Most importantly I needed to live my life for me—not someone else. I had dropped all my friends for that two-timing rat.

After stopping for coffee, I walked another block, and then turned to look up at Bilson Library across the street. It was where I’d replaced the recently retired Mrs. Audrey Stanley, the town’s beloved chief librarian. She’d been on the job for a hundred, er, thirty years. The position was exactly what I needed… a fresh start. I wanted nothing more than to put distance between me and Travis Becker.

Since today was my first day on the job, of course I was terrified. The little voice in my head told me I would screw something up. I needed to tell that little voice to zip it.

The large Victorian Gothic-style building loomed in front of me. A tower was set in the center of the structure, with a steeply-pitched roof finished with ornamental gables. In spite of its beautiful façade, the building had an air of sadness, as if it was weeping from the bricks, tears from the mortar. What was its story? My skin tingled and my heart thumped a little faster.

“So do you think the building is haunted?” the soft Southern voice said close to my ear.

I whipped around with my arms out ready for battle. Tammy was standing behind me. I hadn’t noticed her approach either, which was unnerving. What was the deal with people sneaking up behind you in this town?

I pulled my black sweater closer around my chest. I wasn’t exactly dressed like the typical librarian people usually imagined, but I could definitely use a few fashion pointers from Tammy. She always looked as if she knew what she was doing. 

“I’ve heard a few stories over the years,” I managed, as I focused my attention back on the structure. Sure, the library was rumored to be haunted, but weren’t all old buildings? I’d wait to add the building to my haunted tour until I was sure there was a resident spirit hanging around.

Tammy just so happened to be the library assistant. Even more reason why I knew I would love my new job.

“This town is all abuzz about you coming back. By the way, you didn’t go unnoticed last night. Someone asked me about the pretty brunette with blue eyes.”

I whipped around to look at her. “Don’t say it was our old high-school science teacher.”

“Nope. The hot cop.” Tammy had a sly grin.

“Why was he asking about me?” My voice sounded slightly panicked.

She shrugged. “I’m not sure, but I told him you were single.”

My stomach flipped. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

She waved her hand. “Don’t worry about it. Just take a deep breath. Your face is the color of pea soup and you look like you’re about to lose your Cheerios.”

“That obvious, huh? I guess I’m just worried about messing up today.”

Great, I was supposed to be the new boss, and I had just shown Tammy how incompetent I was. Surely after all the time we’d known each other she knew me better than that. At least I hoped so.

Tammy gestured toward the building with a tilt of her head. “Annie Gibson. She was the librarian when the place first opened in 1884. Folks around town say she roams the shelves, looking for the books that people have shelved incorrectly. You know, they say librarians can be so attached to the books that they’ll come back to haunt a library.”

I tried to scoff, but her words made me nervous. I sure hoped I wasn’t destined for that fate. I liked my job, but I didn’t want to spend eternity putting books back on shelves. I’d rather spend it curled up on a fluffy cloud with a good book and a cup of tea, thank you very much.