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  The Ghoul Next Door

  by Rose Pressey

  The Ghoul Next Door

  Copyright © 2012 by Rose Pressey

  Me and My Ghoulfriends (Larue Donavan Series, Book 1)

  Ghouls Night Out (Larue Donavan Series, Book 2)

  More books by Rose Pressey:

  How to Date a Werewolf (Rylie Cruz Series, Book 1)

  How to Date a Vampire (Rylie Cruz Series, Book 2)

  How to Date a Demon (Rylie Cruz Series, Book 3)

  No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells (Mystic Café Series, Book 1)

  Pies and Potions (Mystic Café Series, Book 2)

  Veronica Mason Series:

  Rock ‘n’ Roll is Undead

  Spells, Demons, and Rock ‘n’ Roll

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form, (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, incidents, places, and brands are the product of the author’s imagination and not to be construed as real. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  DedicationThis is to you and you know who you are.

  Acknowledgements

  To my son, who brings me joy every single day. To my mother, who introduced me to the love of books. To my husband, who encourages me and always has faith in me. A huge thank you to my editor, Em at Proof of Romance. To the readers who make writing fun.

  Chapter One

  “Do you believe in all that exorcism, possessed-by-the-devil stuff? ’Cause I got to tell you, Larue, the more I think about it, the more freaked out I get. I don’t want to start speaking in a weird language and get glowing red eyes.” My best friend, Mindy Winters paced the length of her front porch.

  I’d rushed to Mindy’s house the second she showed up at my front door in a panic and looking rather frazzled, demanding that I get rid of a ghost in her house pronto. I’d turned the ringer off on my phone so I could spend some quality time with the hunky Callahan Weiss. It always freaked her out if she couldn’t reach me on the phone.

  Normally Mindy let the waves of her golden hair fall against her shoulders, but tonight she had her strands thrown into a drooping ponytail. I’d never seen her wear lime-green sweats and a black-and-yellow striped tank top at the same time before. Sure, she had always dressed a little bold, but this was insane clown apparel.

  “You got dressed in a little bit of a hurry, huh?” I stared at her baggy pants and let my gaze move up to the bubble-bee tank.

  She unlocked her door and stepped back, motioning for me to come in. “You’re damn right I got dressed in a hurry. You would too if a ghost was trying to kill you.” Her voice had reached ear-bleed level.

  She could be so dramatic.

  “Mindy, I need you to take a deep breath, let it out, and repeat. Think calming thoughts. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

  Okay. I couldn’t guarantee that nothing weird would take place, but I’d keep that little tidbit to myself. In fact, I did believe in that exorcism-possessed-by-the-devil stuff. I’d seen it with my own eyes. It wasn’t something I ever cared to see again, either. Yet something told me I would see it again.

  Mindy took in a deep breath, but she forgot to let it out. I slapped her on the back.

  After grabbing her hands, I said, “Okay, if you freak out, I’ll freak out, so stop worrying. I can’t afford to freak out when I’m working.”

  She scowled, but luckily didn’t smack me back.

  In all the time that I’d known Mindy she’d never once had a paranormal bone in her body. I’d even tried to take her to fake haunted houses, but she’d always refused. Well, except for that one time. I’d gotten her inside one, but the first monster that jumped out wielding a chainsaw sent her screaming out the entrance door, knocking a few teenagers down in her path. She just wasn’t into it.

  To her credit, Mindy had always believed me when I said I talked to ghosts. She was a great friend like that. So when she said she had a ghost in her house, I knew that something was really going on with her. She would never make up something like that. Was it her imagination finally getting the better of her? Maybe. But I’d soon find out.

  Mindy had seen so many crazy things lately that maybe it was finally getting the better of her. Heck, she’d just recently gotten rid of a black magic spell that had been cast on her. Either way, I had to find out what was going on in her home.

  “What makes you think you have a ghost?” I asked as we stepped through her front door.

  My boyfriend Callahan Weiss was beside me as we stepped into the foyer. I still loved saying that—my boyfriend. It never got old. Well, technically it had only been a short time that we’d officially been dating, but still…

  If he was going to stick around with me, he’d better get used to the ghost-hunting and other crazy paranormal antics in my life. I’d been seeing and speaking to spirits ever since I was a child. Then there was the little matter of the new witchcraft skills I had apparently gained. The local coven had wanted me to be their leader, but I wasn’t sure I was cut out for something as big as that yet. I had enough to handle with running my bookstore and all the spirits I dealt with on a daily basis.

  I had a revolving door for ghosts. As soon as I got rid of one batch of spectral visitors, there was another batch just waiting in the wings to harass me. And they weren’t always every-day, normal ghosts either. I had famous ghosts as well. Recently I’d attracted Abe Lincoln and Mae West. An odd combination, right? Luckily, I’d been able to help them cross over. I’d picked up Abe Lincoln while visiting his birthplace which was close to my hometown, and Mae had been hanging out in a little ranch-style house after she’d been conjured up by a Ouija board. But I digressed.

  Anyway, with any luck, the ghosts would give me a little vacation now that the latest bunch had crossed over. I needed a rest.

  “So tell me what’s going on?” I asked while looking around her living room.

  Everything seemed normal in the room. The toss pillows were neatly aligned on her beige sofa. The side chairs were perfectly parallel from each other and the floral area rug didn’t have a speck of lint. Typical Mindy—all looked normal to me.

  She tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “Well, I didn’t mention anything over the past few days because I was, well, under that crazy spell and not in the right frame of mind, but a lot of strange things have been going on in here.”

  Like I said, Mindy had been affected by a black magic spell. A witch who wanted to be the coven leader got a wee bit jealous and thought she’d hurt me by attacking my best friend and turning her against me. Luckily, it hadn’t worked out for her. Thank goodness.

  “What have you heard? Have you seen anything?”

  Callahan stood beside me taking in the whole conversation. His blue eyes seemed sharper under the glow from the overhead light. He’d slipped into his blue T-shirt and jeans when we’d rushed over to Mindy’s. The casual look suited him… well, any look suited him.

  “There have been footsteps up in the attic.” She gestured above. “I’ve heard my name called out and mumbling. I’m not sure what the voice is saying, but it’s definitely there. Oh, and one more thing. I smell cigarette smoke. No one smokes in my house.”

  Why was it always the attics? Why did the spirits like the dark and spooky spaces? Not to mention the spiders and mice that liked to call those places home too.

  Chapter Two

 
Taking in a deep breath, I prepared myself for what I might find. Since spirits talked to me and I talked to them, if I didn’t mentally prepare myself, the spirit could take over, drain my energy, and I’d be in big trouble. “Okay, I’ll go up and check it out.”

  “Larue, why don’t you let me go check it out.” Callahan touched my arm.

  I wrapped my fingers around his hand and squeezed for reassurance. “Callahan, if it’s a spirit, it may hide from you. But if I go up, the person will know that I can communicate. I really appreciate the offer though.”

  How sweet was he? He’d been through hell ever since he’d met me and I wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d never spoken to me again. Lucky for me, he didn’t choose that route.

  He sighed, then let go of my arm. “Just be careful.”

  I made my way toward the stairs, then eased up each one. I didn’t look over my shoulder, but I knew Callahan and Mindy watched my every move. I felt their stares on my back. Unfortunately, I was wearing my baggy sweatpants that said ‘Got ghosts?’ on the rear end. They had seemed like a cute idea at the time. Regrettably, now I knew Callahan was watching the words as they ascended the steps. Not so cute anymore.

  When I reached the landing at the top of the stairs, I pulled down the little ladder from the ceiling that led up into the attic. The space was nothing but pitch black when I stared up into it. It was now or never. After climbing to the top, I poked my head in the opening and looked into the dark space. Alone in a spooky attic with spiders, mice, or ghosts… it was not where I wanted to be at the moment. I could think of many more enticing scenarios—number one being in bed with Callahan’s arms wrapped around me. But if I had to pick between the insects, rodents, or spirits, I’d much rather have the ghosts. Although some of the ghosts could be very ornery.

  Air escaped my lips as I exhaled, made my way up the rest of the stairs, and stepped onto the attic floor. It didn’t help that I was afraid of heights too. Ghosts were about the only thing I wasn’t afraid of.

  “Is anyone up here?” I called out.

  A lame way to approach a ghost maybe, but there was no magic way to summon a spirit. They didn’t have a special code. There was no response, only silence filled the air. Then after a few seconds, a rustling noise sounded from the corner. Oh heavens, please not a rat. Or even a squirrel or a possum.

  “If there is someone here, please speak to me,” I said.

  I swore that was when I heard a cough. Since I was pretty sure possums or rats didn’t cough, I felt a little bit better knowing that a wild animal wasn’t waiting to eat me. Of course, now I had to worry about whether this was a demonic force. That was a whole different story that I didn’t want to have to deal with at the moment. I would for Mindy, but I really just wanted a break for a day. Was that too much to ask?

  “What’s going on up there?” Callahan called from downstairs.

  “Everything’s fine,” I said, trying to sound confident.

  The ghost would never speak to me as long as Callahan or Mindy kept talking to me. That was why I’d always liked to go on investigations alone. Not as many distractions. I appreciated his concern more than he’d ever know though. No one had ever expressed as much concern for me as he did.

  “Who are you?” I asked. With any luck the spirit would answer and we could get this show on the road. There was a comfy bed calling my name.

  Still no answer. The spirit was playing games with me.

  “I know you’re here,” I said as I moved further into the room, trying to avoid banging a knee. “I heard you moving and coughing.”

  Then the thought hit me: maybe Mindy had a squatter in her home. That could be very dangerous. If it was a spirit though, I wouldn’t leave without it speaking to me.

  “Look, you’ve been bothering my friend and this is her home. So if you’re not going to speak with me, then you need to leave.”

  When the words left my lips, a mist materialized in the corner of the room. I watched the form of a person take shape. It was a man in his mid-thirties. He was wearing a gray pin-striped suit and looked as if he’d stepped straight out of the Fifties. He had a cigarette dangling from his lips, but no smoke came from the tip. He puffed, then smiled at me.

  “The name’s Grant Fine. I’ve been a resident of Magnolia since 1919. That’s the year I was born… a good year in-deed. Those were the good old days,” he said in a gravelly voice.

  So much for a relaxing evening—I knew the ghosts would find me somehow. If they didn’t come to me, I went to them.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Fine. My name is Larue Donavan and I’ve been a resident of Magnolia since 1987. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, why are you in my friend’s attic?” I asked matter-of-factly.

  “That’s none of your business,” he snapped.

  I scoffed. “So that’s how it’s going to be.” Who did this guy think he was? “Look, this is my friend’s house. You’re on her property. I think you owe her an explanation.” I glared at him.

  I hated being mean to the ghost, but sometimes it was the only way.

  “I don’t owe her anything. Why should I tell her anything?” He took another drag from his ghostly cigarette.

  “It’s the polite thing to do, that’s why,” I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

  He tapped ashes off onto the floor, but they disappeared before they even hit the ground. “I’m dead.” He looked me straight in the eyes. “I don’t have to be polite anymore.”

  What was I supposed to say to that? He had me there.

  “Well, whatever you say, but you can’t stay here in her home. If you tell me why you’re here maybe I can help you. I’ve done this a time or two.” Hmm. That sounded weird. Maybe I needed to clarify what it was that I did.

  “That’s thrilling, but I don’t need your help. I’m fine. Mr. Fine.” He cackled at his joke.

  I glared. “I don’t think you are fine. You’re dead and hiding out in an attic, smoking an imaginary cigarette. That’s not my idea of fine.”

  I hated to be so blunt. The truth hurt, but I had to tell him. He didn’t answer, and before I asked another question, he disappeared in a puff of smoke just like rings floating up from his fake cigarette.

  I looked around at the space. Was he hiding behind a box? No way had he left. I didn’t trust him. If he had gone, I knew he’d return. I had to help Mindy. She was my best friend and I couldn’t let her down.

  “I know you’re still up here. Come on out.” My voice carried across the space.

  No answer.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” I sang.

  I was now playing hide-and-seek with a ghost. Awesome. I walked around the attic, the floor creaking with each step. I picked up Mindy’s discarded Ab Roller and set it to the side. Peeking around a dress form and finding nothing, I figured it might be time to give up. From all the way downstairs, I felt the tension flowing up from Mindy and Callahan. I knew they were wondering what the heck I was doing. I had to hurry.

  After looking around the small space, and not finding my cranky ghost, I had no choice but to leave him up there. Sweat beaded on my forehead. I had to get out of there before I had a heat stroke. I knew this ghost was playing games with me. Before I gave up for good, or gave up the ghost rather, I stepped out of the attic, pretending to leave. I’d play his game better than he did. I waited a few seconds, then eased back in. Sure enough, he was back in the corner, lounging against the wall and puffing on that ghostly cigarette. He thought he was so smart. I would outsmart him.

  “Ha, I got you.” I pointed.

  He scowled. “What the hell do you want with me? Leave me alone.”

  “I told you what I want. I want you to leave this house.”

  “No!” He tossed the cigarette on the ground and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

  Was he pouting? I felt like if I offered him an ice cream cone he would leave just like a kid.

  I wiped my forehead. “Look, it’s ho
t in here. Why don’t you come with me and we can discuss this situation in depth.”

  There was no way he would agree to this, but what other options did I have? I had to at least ask.

  He looked me up and down. “Yeah, okay. You’re good-looking enough. I guess I can go with you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Gee, I’m flattered. Thanks a bunch.”

  Chapter Three

  I made my way back down the stairs with Mr. Fine breathing in my ear.

  When I reached the bottom step, Callahan and Mindy rushed over.

  “What happened?” Mindy asked.

  “Okay. Try to remain calm…” I said.

  That was like telling her to try and not eat a piece of chocolate. It wasn’t happening—we loved our chocolate. There was no way to break this to her gently. Her eyes couldn’t get any wider.

  I continued, “There was someone in your attic.”

  “Oh my God. A living person?” she screeched.

  Callahan started up the stairs, but I grabbed his arm to stop him.

  “No, no. It was a spirit, but he disappeared. I’m pretty sure he’s gone.” I crossed my fingers behind my back.

  Okay, I hated lying to her, but there was no need to cause her any more stress right now. She’d been through so much lately.

  I quickly added, “I just think he was in the wrong house. It happens from time to time… nothing to worry about.”

  Mindy scowled. She didn’t look convinced.

  “Do you want to spend the night with me?” I asked the question, but I secretly didn’t want her to take the offer. I was a terrible best friend, I know. But I wanted alone time with Callahan. If Mindy really needed me though, I’d drop everything to help her, and she knew that.

  Mindy looked around the room, then back at me and Callahan.

  Her shoulders slumped as she exhaled. “I guess I’ll be okay here. If you’re sure the spirit is gone?”

  I glanced to my side. Unfortunately, I was all too sure that the spirit was no longer in the attic because he was invading my personal space at that moment. Mr. Fine winked at me, then took another puff from his cigarette. Maybe all those cigarettes were the reason for his passing. I had to get rid of him soon so that I wouldn’t have the constant cigarette smell following me around like a dark cloud. I was allergic to the smoke.