3 The Ghoul Next Door Read online

  “My name is Jane Howe.” She stuck out her hand as if she expected him to kiss it. “I can’t wait to try that coffee.”

  Callahan shook her hand gently. “Well, thank you, I hope you like it.”

  “I’m sure I will.” She winked.

  Ugh. She was so obviously flirting with him. How rude, but whatever. As long as I didn’t have to deal with her as an employee I was happy.

  “Well, I’ll see you around, Larue.” She sashayed off, tossing me a wave over her shoulder.

  Callahan took a sip of his wine and watched me over the edge of the glass. When he set the glass down, he said, “Well, that was a little odd. Are you friends with her?”

  I let out a sigh. “No. She’s working for Cooper now. It’s odd. She just popped up looking for a job the second after I told Mindy I needed someone to work the bookstore.”

  “That is odd.” He set his glass down.

  “I thought it was too much of a coincidence, so I told her I wasn’t looking for anyone. She proceeded to walk right across the street and Cooper hired her.”

  “That’s even stranger.”

  “I just get a bad vibe from her.” I glanced over to where she stood.

  Callahan touched my hand. “You’re still on edge from what you’ve been through. She’s probably okay, just a little strange. There are a lot of odd people around, you know that.”

  Did I ever. This town attracted them. It must be something in the water.

  I nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure you’re right.”

  Thankfully, when Jane walked out of the restaurant with her order, she didn’t come back over to talk. She waved and gave me another smirk, but I could deal with that.

  After dinner, instead of walking directly back to Callahan’s car, we turned left out of the restaurant toward the park. The air was crisp, so I cuddled up next to Callahan. I didn’t mind the cool air as long as he was around.

  Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was happy with Callahan for sure, but underneath my happiness was an agitation that I couldn’t explain. I had no idea what would cause that feeling. I should be happy. Callahan was next to me and I had an exciting new venture into television. The opportunity had just fallen into my lap. How many people could say they were that lucky? I counted my blessings for the things that I had.

  We walked in silence for a while and I continued to shove the uneasiness to the back of my mind.

  After a few seconds, Callahan said, “I do hope you understand about me taking on the other job.”

  I waved off his statement. “Of course. I’m glad you have a chance to help someone.”

  Silence lingered again as we moved a few more steps down the sidewalk. Even when we didn’t talk, I felt comfortable with Callahan and this time was no different.

  Finally Callahan said, “You’ll be working with Cooper, huh?”

  Was Callahan jealous? I sensed something in his voice when he asked.

  “Yes, it looks that way.” I glanced up at the twinkling stars in the indigo twilight. The crisp scent of fall surrounded us.

  “How do you feel about that?” he asked.

  “Maybe I should ask you how you feel about that.” I brushed my hair back from my shoulders. Maybe I was coming down with something because suddenly it wasn’t nearly as cool as it had been. Again my face felt really hot. Callahan seemed fine though.

  He met my gaze, then paused. Finally he said, “I actually like the idea that you won’t be fighting any demons by yourself.”

  I searched his gaze. He seemed sincere. I’d take him for his word. After all, he had nothing to worry about as far as Cooper was concerned.

  Callahan slipped his arm around my shoulders and I took in a deep breath. He smelled so good—like sandalwood and musk. Getting lost in his arms was easy.

  Elvis followed us around the park at a good distance. He was like my ghostly body-guard. Mr. Fine and Candy Cherry were nowhere in sight again. I had no idea where those two were always slipping off to.

  Callahan and I chatted for a while longer as we made a loop around the entire park, stopping to kiss and gaze up at the stars halfway through. When we reached the entrance, we headed back toward Callahan’s car. It had been a wonderful evening, but that was about to change.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Before turning the corner to make our way onto the sidewalk, we paused. Callahan placed his hands on my cheeks. “I know you have to wake up really early, so I’m going to let you get some sleep.” He brushed my cheek with his finger. “It’s hard to stay away though.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  When we reached Callahan’s car, I knew something was wrong right away. The driver’s side window had been smashed out and glass littered the ground below. I wanted to lay down right there on the sidewalk and cry, big blubbering tears, but I couldn’t. Yet again, I had to pull myself together and face the bad luck. Again. Why was this happening to us? It was as if I had been cursed. If it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.

  “Your window is smashed,” I called out as we hurried toward his car. As If he couldn’t see what had happened with his own eyes. “Do you think someone was trying to steal your car?”

  “Probably,” he said, examining the broken window.

  “Is anything missing?” I asked.

  Callahan looked up and down the street. Things had quieted down around town. Not many people stayed out after dark around Magnolia. Stone buildings and brick sidewalks lined the quaint and cozy historic section of town. Awnings covered some of the shop entrances, while others had clever signs dangling gently over the doors.

  Then I remembered. “Oh my gosh. I left my purse in your car.”

  I rushed over to the passenger side and looked through the window. My bag was gone. My stomach sank. I shouldn’t have left it in there. I had been asking for someone to vandalize his car to get to it. Could I stop causing problems for Callahan already? It was like he had stepped into a perpetual Larue tornado the day that he’d met me. It was a never-ending whirlwind.

  “I’m so sorry. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have asked you to put the bag in there.”

  “Hey, it’s okay. It’s no big deal. The window can be fixed, but what about your purse? Did you have a lot of money in there?”

  “Luckily, no. Oh, wait. The necklace. I left the necklace in the purse.”

  I had meant to wear the necklace Karyn had given me, but the clasp wouldn’t stay fastened, so I’d put it in my bag. An action that I now regretted.

  “What necklace?” Callahan asked.

  I’d failed to mention this special necklace to Callahan… one crazy part of my life at a time.

  “It was a necklace Karyn had given me.”

  The necklace was special and meant for the coven leader. Even though I wasn’t the coven leader, Karyn and the coven had insisted I keep the necklace until I decided if I wanted to take the position. I’d already told them no, but apparently for some reason they thought I’d change my mind. Well, I guessed I hadn’t worded my answer strongly… I’d left an opening there in case for some strange reason I decided being a coven leader was something I wanted to add to my resumé.

  “That’s a real bummer.” Candy Cherry smirked.

  “It was a dumb move to leave valuables in the vehicle.” Mr. Fine tossed his cigarette on the ground and shook his head.

  “Please don’t be upset, Larue, I’m sure the necklace will turn up.” Elvis offered a reassuring smile.

  Within minutes the police had arrived and were filling out a report. They’d seen a lot of me lately. A few worried-looking strangers hurried by as if we were a part of some kind of organized crime bust. The noise from the day had disappeared and the empty streets amplified the desolate feeling taking over my thoughts.

  After talking with the police, Callahan and I said our goodbyes and I watched in the rear-view mirror as he drove home with a busted-out window in his car. Our date hadn’t turned out as planned. But with any luck, it hadn’
t completely ruined our relationship.

  The more I drove away from town, the more I thought about the necklace. I had to get it back, but how? Where would I even begin to look? I needed to tell Karyn. As much as I wanted to hide it from her, I knew that wasn’t the right thing to do. Did this incident have anything to do with the black shadow I’d seen outside my house? The demon at Jennie Blake’s home? What about the damaged books in the store? That was when I remembered the letter. How could I have forgotten the letter? I hadn’t even mentioned it to Callahan.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  When I pulled into the driveway, I dialed Mindy’s number. She picked up on the first ring. I probably sounded like a crazy woman as I explained about the letter, the books, and the missing necklace. Needless to say, Mindy wasn’t happy that I’d taken so long to tell her about such important things in my life.

  “Do you have any suspects who you think may have taken the necklace?” Mindy asked.

  “Well, let’s see.” I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel. “Of course, there’s Jane Howe. The one who applied for the job and Cooper hired. She was in the restaurant right before it happened, so that puts her near the scene of the crime. But as far as I know, she doesn’t know what kind of car Callahan drives. Then there’s Callahan’s ex-girlfriend, since she sent the letter. She definitely knows what kind of car he drives, but why she’d break into the car, I don’t know.”

  “Maybe she just wanted to vandalize it, but when she saw your purse that made her mad, so she decided to take it.”

  “That’s a good thought. Definitely a possibility,” I said.

  I ignored Mr. Fine’s annoying tapping of his fingers against the car seat. Candy Cherry was yammering on to Elvis about how tough her life had been. I overheard her say, “They expected me to actually get a job. Can you believe that?” Poor Elvis.

  “Anyone else on your list?” Mindy asked.

  I pointed at Mr. Fine, warning him to be quiet with the annoying noises.

  “Let me think, let me think.” I tapped my finger against my chin. “Hmm. Well, the only other person I can think of is Beth.”

  “Beth?” Mindy squeaked. “Why would she break into Callahan’s car?”

  “She kept going on and on about the necklace, talking about how much she liked it. She saw me put it in my purse. What if she decided she wanted it for her own?”

  “Hmm. The plot thickens,” Mindy said.

  “Of course, that’s assuming the person who took it knew us. It could have just been a random crime, which is more than likely what happened.” I tried to reassure myself… but that nagging thought lingered in the back of my mind.

  “Odds are, yes,” Mindy agreed. “We could do some sleuthing and try to find out more information.”

  I chuckled. “I wouldn’t even know how to begin to do that.”

  “I’ll talk to Beth and casually see if I can get any details from her,” Mindy said.

  “Well, please be careful of what you say, I don’t want her to think I’m accusing her of anything.”

  “Oh, I’ll be careful, I promise.” The tone of her voice told me that maybe I shouldn’t trust that promise. “Do you want me to come over?” she asked.

  “No, I guess I’ll get some sleep. We have another long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

  “Call me if you need anything,” she said.

  “You know I will.” I chuckled.

  I’d listed everyone I could think of, and like Mindy had agreed, someone could have just been looking for something to steal. But that same persistent thought in the back of my mind told me that wasn’t the case. I knew it was someone related to the destroyed books and the shadow at my home. I had a feeling it was related to Callahan’s ex-girlfriend. I needed to confront her about the letter.

  She probably wouldn’t be able to hide her devious deed if she’d done it. Were Jane and Callahan’s ex-girlfriend in on this together? That was a real possibility. Either that or I was being a paranoid freak. All the black magic had finally gotten to me and they’d be coming to fit me for my strait-jacket any day now.

  I just hoped I didn’t receive any more letters. Enough was enough. I needed a break from the craziness. How I longed for the days of selling books and talking to the occasional ghost—just your run-of-the-mill lost soul. I’d help them cross over and all would be well. But no, that was apparently a thing of the past. Was I doomed to deal with this kind of chaos for the rest of my life?

  There had to be a way to get things to settle down. If I figured it out, I was for sure treating myself to a spa day. No ghosts, no demons, no witchcraft. Nothing. It would be a complete Larue day.

  I found myself thinking about Beth. How much did I really know about her? Was she acting like a guilty person? Should I mention the necklace to see how she’d react? Surely she wouldn’t be able to hide her guilt if she’d taken the necklace. Maybe I should just leave the questions to Mindy.

  When I got out of the car, Elvis was waiting for me on the front step. I still couldn’t get used to the fact that Elvis was hanging around.

  “There was something in your house when I went in. I decided to wait out here until you got out of the car. I didn’t want to interrupt your phone call. I also didn’t want to interrupt your date with Callahan tonight so I tried to keep my distance.” He winked.

  How sweet was he? But the look on this face told me that something was wrong.

  “Something is in the house?” I asked, stepping onto the porch.

  “It looked like a caped figure. I chased after it, but it disappeared.”

  My heart thumped. “Where did you chase it to?” I asked.

  “It left through the kitchen wall.”

  When I stepped inside the foyer, the muddy footprints glared back at me. That same strange vibe hung in the air like a thick fog over a lake. The muddy steps trailed across the floor, but they hadn’t come from anywhere. They started right in the middle of the room. A dark spirit had been in my home. I knew the prints were not of this world. Was this the dark shadow I’d seen? Cooper’s words echoed in my mind. Had the evil pulled me to the other house? Was that the reason I’d been asked to Jennie Blake’s home? If so, why?

  After looking around every inch of the house and finding nothing, I immediately took out my sage. I went from room to room saying a prayer to keep out the evil. It was all that I could do. I’d tried calling Zach Duncan, my mentor, but he didn’t answer. Nor did Karyn answer when I tried her number. I’d have to try again in the morning. For now, all I could do was go to bed and try to sleep. Maybe sleep would take away the agitated feeling that I couldn’t seem to shake. As I dozed off, I thought I heard the muffled voices of the ghosts, but I couldn’t make out what was being said. Then I drifted off.

  The next morning, I woke feeling stranger than I ever had. Even my favorite comforter wasn’t comforting. The sun shone brightly through the window and I groaned.

  “You look dreadful,” Candy Cherry said from the foot of my bed.

  I tossed at pillow at her. “Yeah, well I still look better than you. You’re dead.”

  She shot daggers at me with her eyes, but didn’t have a retort.

  I rolled over and picked up the phone from my nightstand and dialed Karyn’s number one more time.

  When she picked up on the second ring, with slight panic in my voice, I explained what had happened with the shadow, the footsteps, and the witch’s ball. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her about the necklace yet.

  “This is disturbing, Larue, and I’m glad you let me know,” she said.

  “I’m kind of at a loss as to what to do next.” I slipped into my robe.

  “I’m in town now. Why don’t I stop by and take a look at the witch’s ball and we can talk?”

  “I didn’t know you’d come back,” I said.

  This revelation sent chills down my spine. Not that she had to tell me what she was doing, but I figured it was something she would have mentioned right away. Was that Karyn wh
o I’d seen at my house? She would have mentioned it right away, right? And why would she have been there in the first place? I didn’t want to scare her, but she might have a doppelgänger.

  “Do you have the necklace?” she asked.

  Wow, that question smacked me in the face. I wasn’t sure how to tell her this, so I guessed I just had to come right out with it. The words were stuck in my throat for a few seconds until I finally forced them out.

  “I can’t find the necklace.” My voice was just above a whisper.

  “Oh, Larue. This is bad.” I heard the frown in her voice all the way through the line. “If this is truly black magic being used against you, then it is very powerful. You won’t be able to perform magic to get rid of the spell like you need to without the necklace.”

  Not the info I’d wanted to hear. But nonetheless, I supposed I had to hear it at some point.

  “Do you have any idea what may have happened to the necklace?” she asked.

  I paused, then finally answered, “I kind of do. Well, yes… I think it was stolen out of Callahan’s car.” I felt a little better just getting it off my chest, although she probably felt pretty darn lousy now.

  When I said it out loud, it sounded even more irresponsible. The necklace was a valuable item that she’d trusted me with and I’d treated it as little more than a plastic ring I’d gotten out of a bubble-gum machine.

  “Did you report this to the police?” she asked.

  “Yes, I did, and they told me they’d let me know if they found it. But they didn’t sound very optimistic.”

  “I’ll make a few calls and see if we can cast a spell and try to trace it.”

  Maybe now she was beginning to rethink asking me to be the coven leader. I clearly wasn’t cut out for the job.

  “I’ll see you in a few,” she said and then the line went dead.

  I wasn’t looking forward to continuing the conversation.

  I busied myself by pacing across the living room floor. Thoughts whirled in my mind, creating a frenzy beyond what I’d ever experienced before.

  Elvis moved beside me as I walked back and forth across the room. “Larue, just remember this: when things go wrong, don’t go with them.”