06 Hauntin' After Midnight Page 14

  “Is it just you living here now?” Officer Ellison scanned the room.

  I was surprised that he was getting involved in the conversation.

  “Yes, it’s just me now. My husband died about five years ago and we never had children.”

  “I have just have a couple questions about the house, if you don’t mind?” I asked.

  “Ask away,” she said with a big smile.

  “Well, it has to do with a book that we found at the house. It was a mystery novel, but the strange thing is that it was hidden under the floorboards. Do you know anything about that?”

  The look on her face changed. She looked as if she was shocked. “I can’t believe you found that.”

  “So you know it was hidden in there?”

  “No, I didn’t know it was hidden, but I knew that it was missing. Do you have the book now?” she asked.

  “No, actually the new homeowner has the book. Katrina’s niece inherited the house. She took the book when we found it.”

  Elle nodded as if she understood what I was saying. “Like I said, the book was lost, but I had no idea it would be hidden in the house.”

  I wasn’t going to tell her just yet that a ghost had told me about the book, but if she asked how I found it then I’d have to tell her.

  “Well, the book had to do with murder and I thought that it was odd that it was hidden. Do you know what happens at the end of the book? You see, the last few pages were missing and it’s such an old book I can’t find another copy to discover if there’s some sort of connection between the book and the murder that just happened.”

  “I don’t know exactly what happened, but I don’t believe it has anything to do with the current murder. It’s not the way the murder happened in that novel, but what I do know is that there was something written on the pages in the back of the book. That could probably be why they’re missing.”

  “What was written on the pages?” I asked.

  “That I can’t tell you. I just know that my husband had written something on there and then he decided to get rid of the book. He should have burned the thing forever.”

  “But you don’t know what he wrote?” I asked.

  “No, he never told me that. It was a secret that he would never share, but I have a feeling it was something really bad. I didn’t really make sense of why he wrote it in the back of this book.”

  Maybe it was the only thing he had to write on at the time and he had to get the note out, but why hide it? Did he not want anyone to find it? Maybe he meant to go back to it someday. None of this made any sense, but I had to find out what the secret was.

  “Do you know anyone else he shared the secret with?”

  “Only the other person who was involved in what happened.”

  “Who was that?” I asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “And I really don’t think I should be talking about this anymore.”

  That meant that she knew more than she admitted. Now I just had to convince her to share it with me. Just a little bit more information and maybe I would be able to figure it out on my own, if she gave me some clue. She’d seemed so friendly and open to talking before and now she was clamming up.

  Her hands shook a little. It looked as if we were making her nervous.

  Officer Ellison stood from the chair. “Maybe we should go, Ripley. We need to leave this nice lady alone. She looks as if she might need to rest.”

  “Oh, I’m not quite dead yet, young man,” she said with a raspy voice. “But thank you, I would like to take a nap.”

  She wanted me to get out of there. Obviously she didn’t know me well even though she had heard a lot about me. She would know soon enough that I wouldn’t give up that easily. She would be seeing me again. I’d be back.

  Now that we were outside I said, “You know she wasn’t being completely honest.”

  Officer Ellison walked along beside me now. “You can’t force her to tell you anything. I’ve learned that over the years the hard way. If you keep at it she will come around, trust me.”

  “It’s just that I am in a hurry.”

  “It takes a lot of patience to solve a case,” he said.

  That was something I definitely lacked.

  “Brannon does a good job, you know.”

  “Does that mean you think I should stay out of this?”

  He smiled. “No, it’s just that with the two of you together I’m sure you’ll solve this soon.”

  I smiled. “Thanks, that means a lot.”

  We had arrived at the library. Now that I had spoken with Officer Ellison and thawed out his icy demeanor I had to ask about Tammy.

  I paused at the door before we entered. “So what do you think of my friend Tammy? Don’t be shy. I’ve seen the way you look at her. “

  He looked down at his shoes. Was he being bashful? This big tough guy? “I think she’s beautiful.”

  “And you’re not married or have a girlfriend?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “Unattached.”

  “That’s all I need to know.”

  I opened the door and strolled inside. Tammy was already behind the counter. She looked up and made eye contact with Officer Ellison.

  When I reached the desk she asked, “Why are you smiling?”

  “I’ve just had a nice talk with the friendly officer.”

  “What have you done?” she asked.

  I held my hands up. “Nothing. He told me he thinks you’re beautiful.”

  A smile spread across her face. “He said that? You didn’t force him?”

  I scoffed. “No, I didn’t force him. Plus, he’s single.”

  This matchmaking thing was really easy. Now I just had to get one of them to ask the other out. I didn’t care which one asked first as long as one of them did soon. I caught Tammy glancing over at Officer Ellison. Love was in the air.

  Chapter 20

  During a slow time at work I decided to look again for any information on the house on Edman Street.

  What are you looking for? Annie asked.

  “I thought I’d check for the address again. There has to be something about the woman ghost,” I said. “Have you seen her today?”

  Annie shook her head. It’s been quiet here… almost too quiet. I expect something to happen soon.

  I wished she wouldn’t say that, but she was right. I had that feeling too. I tried to push it to the back of my mind, but it kept forcing its way to the front. I supposed I shouldn’t ignore those feelings. Especially when they weren’t going away. That was like a sign and I should take notice of it. Glancing around, I looked for the woman ghost, but there was hardly anyone in the building. Tammy was on the other side of the building putting away books. Jane Austen was sitting on the table next to me cleaning her paws. Annie had now wandered off. She hadn’t waited around to see if I discovered anything. I guessed she didn’t hold out much hope.

  I tried to remain positive. There had to be some details about the house somewhere. I sat in front of the screen and scrolled through paper after paper. I yawned and tried to keep my eyes open. How much longer would I look? I glanced at the time on my phone. I’d have to stop soon. I only had about another ten minutes before I had to get back to work. That was when something popped out at me.

  There was an article on the screen about an accident. A picture of a woman accompanied the article. It was the woman ghost who’d been visiting the library and following me around. It was strange to now be looking at a picture of her from when she was alive. How was this related to the house? Just because the accident had happened near the house? I stared at her picture. It was almost as if she was staring back at me with her dark eyes. They were haunting. How fitting that she was now a ghost. Did she know that she was a ghost?

  Where had this photo been taken? It looked as if it had been a professional photo. The style looked like the 1950s. That was the time the book had been published. What if she’d left the book? Elle had said the book had been her husband’s
though. The article said there had been a car accident and that the woman had died at the scene. It was close to the house on Edman. I supposed it was only a coincidence. That strange vibe fell over me again. A cold breeze encircled me. I glanced over my shoulder. No one was there. Jane Austen had taken off as well.

  “What did you find?”

  I jumped and clutched my chest.

  “Didn’t mean to scare you,” Tammy said.

  “With so many ghosts I think we need to announce our presence,” I said.

  “True, but what did you find?” She motioned toward the screen.

  “It’s the ghost that I saw here at the library and then at the house. She was killed in an accident,” I said.

  “Good detective work. Now do you have any clue what she wants?” Tammy asked.

  “Not at all,” I said with a sigh. “At least I have her name now.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Cattie Duncan. I wonder if she lived in Devil’s Moon?” I asked as I turned off the screen.

  “I’m sure you will find out,” Tammy said.

  “Now I need to tell Brannon. Maybe he will go with me to the house. We can do a little investigating and see if we get some EVP. Maybe the ghost will talk to us.”

  “You’re braver than me,” Tammy said as we walked back toward the front desk. “After going in there once I think that was enough.”

  I wouldn’t lie and say I didn’t get scared. Any time you couldn’t see something that was actually there and could possibly hurt you, then that was scary. At least I wouldn’t be alone. Brannon would be there with me. I didn’t tell Tammy that I didn’t think we were alone right now. That chilly sensation stayed with me as we moved across the library.

  “I think I need to put on my sweater,” Tammy said. “Did you turn up the air?”

  “I haven’t touched it,” I said, looking away so she wouldn’t notice my expression.

  “I’ll be back.” Tammy left me alone at the desk as she went to the back to get her sweater.

  I looked out across the library again. The ghost had to be here somewhere.

  The sound of footsteps echoing down the stairs caught my attention. Since the library was almost empty I hadn’t thought anyone was up there. I headed around the desk and over to the stairs. When I looked up to the second floor landing I spotted the ghost. Cattie Duncan. Now I had a name to go with the apparition. I hurried over to the stairs and started up them. She moved around the corner. She probably knew that I was coming after her. I thought that was why she had made the footsteps sound so loud, so that I would come after her. Did she have something to show me? I had a few questions for her. I hoped she talked to me again. At least I had my phone with me. If she wouldn’t talk then maybe she would communicate with me through that.

  As I hurried up the stairs I decided to call out to her and let her know that I knew her name. Maybe she would like that.

  “Cattie, I know you’re here. I want to talk with you. I don’t mean any harm,” I said.

  Actually, I was the one who had to worry about harm. Once I made it to the top of the stairs, I stopped in my tracks. She was right in front of me. Our eyes met, but she didn’t speak. A black form appeared behind her. I blinked my eyes to make sure of what I saw. The next thing I knew, my legs fell out from under me. As I tumbled backward I reached out, hoping to grab something to break my fall. It was no use.

  My body bounced against each step on my way down. I fell all the way to the bottom. The wind had been knocked out of me. With each tumble it was as if things were playing out in slow motion. Now I was flat on my back at the bottom of the stairs.

  For a moment I couldn’t even open my eyes. Fear rushed through me. Was something broken? Was I really dead? After a few seconds, I opened my eyes. Cattie was still at the top of the stairs staring down at me. Was she was happy with what she’d done? It had to have been her who’d pushed me down the stairs. That was the only way to explain it. I would remember if I’d lost my balance or slipped. That hadn’t happened. Cattie had been right in front of me and somehow she had pushed me.

  I had to get up before she did something else to me. Doubt about her motives had always been in my mind, but I hadn’t expected her to be so violent. She kept her eyes on me as I got up from the floor. Just then Tammy ran into the hallway.

  “Did you fall?” Her eyes were wide and she looked panicked.

  I would lie to her and tell her no, but she would see right through that. I glanced back and Cattie was gone.

  I grabbed Tammy’s arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “What happened?” Tammy’s voice was full of panic.

  We hurried out of the hallway and back to the main area of the library. My body was definitely going to be bruised.

  Tammy stopped at the desk. “Tell me what happened. You are freaking me out.”

  “I’m okay, but yes, I fell down the stairs.” Now I had to decide if I was going to tell her I had been pushed. I couldn’t keep this from her. “Actually, I think I was pushed.”

  A flashback of the man on the tour pushing me came back to me. Was this somehow related?

  Tammy’s eyes widened. “Who pushed you?”

  “I think it was the ghost.”

  She blew out a deep breath. “I don’t know what to say. I had no idea the ghost would be so violent.”

  “Me neither,” I said.

  “What do we do now?” she asked.

  “We have to get rid of her. She can’t stay in the library. What if she hurts someone? Until we get rid of her, be careful on those stairs.”

  “What if she pushes a patron?” Tammy asked.

  I brushed the hair out of my eyes. “That’s exactly what I’m worried about, but I hope that doesn’t happen.”

  I found myself looking over my shoulder the rest of the day. Flashes of falling down the stairs played over in my mind. I was relieved when Brannon walked through the door.

  He searched my eyes. “Something’s wrong. I know that look.”

  I pulled him to the side so no one would overhear our conversation.

  “The ghost pushed me down the stairs,” I whispered.

  “Are you hurt?” He looked me up and down, as if inspecting for injuries.

  “No, I’m okay.”

  “Are you sure the ghost did it?” he asked.

  “Well, she was right in front of me when I fell backward. I felt a strong force as if something was pushing on my chest.” I mimicked the feeling with a gesture of my hands.

  “This changes things a lot,” he said. “I mean, we thought she was potentially friendly, but if she did that then she is far from friendly. We should do a little investigation here in the library when it closes.”

  I agreed, but I hoped the board members didn’t find out. I’d gotten in trouble in the past when they’d discovered we’d been doing an investigation. They’d accused me of stirring up evil and putting people at risk. That definitely wasn’t my intention.

  Once the library was closed and everyone had gone, Brannon and I pulled out our equipment.

  “We should stay together,” he said. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  That was probably for the best. I held the recorder so I could catch any voices that were audible to the ear. Brannon had the paranormal communicator box to possibly get a ghost to talk with us now. It was one of his latest inventions. Annie was following along with us. A ghost on a ghost hunt. How ironic.

  I knew where we needed to start.

  “We should look upstairs.” I motioned.

  Sure, my nerves kicked in at the thought of going back up there, but it had to be done. I couldn’t avoid the stairs forever. Brannon and I headed toward the stairs. I would be tough now. I wasn’t going to let this ghost bully me. She wasn’t nearly as tough as she thought she was. Unless she was actually a demon in disguise, then yes, she would be kind of tough. I wasn’t sure how much of a match I was for that kind of evil.

  Thank goodness I had Br
annon here with me. I wouldn’t want to be here alone. The two of us had to find answers before it was too late. Not only did we have a living killer on the loose, but a ghost was trying to hurt me as well. She’d better not mess with Brannon or I would be really angry. Mess with me, sure, but don’t mess with the people I love. I was glad Tammy had left so that she wouldn’t be harmed. I paused right before walking up the stairs.

  “I’m right behind you,” Brannon said.

  I looked back at him. “You’ll catch me if I fall?”

  “Of course.”

  I eased up the stairs, staying close to the railing in case I needed to grab it. Thank goodness I reached the top without falling. Could I have stumbled and fallen earlier? Maybe it wasn’t the ghost after all? No, I had felt something strong against my chest. The ghost definitely did it.

  Once I was on the landing I hurried to the middle so that I wasn’t on the edge of the stairs. Unless she could carry me through the air, then I was safe. Could that happen? I supposed anything was possible.

  I held the recorder out in front of me. “Is there anyone here who would like to speak with us?”

  Nothing came, unless it was only detected by the recorder. No voices came through the paranormal communicator box. Not yet, but we’d only gotten started.

  “Is your name Cattie?” I asked.

  Brannon was still behind me.

  “Did you push Ripley?” Brannon asked. “Why did you push her?”

  Static came through the box. Were we getting ready to receive a message? The air was thick, but nothing was talking to us. We went through every room, asking questions. We moved up to the third floor and repeated.

  I paused in the hallway. “Maybe I should play back the recorder now to see if we caught anything.”

  “Sure, give it a shot,” Brannon said.

  I hit rewind and stopped. Then I pushed the play button. The questions we asked replayed and then faintly I picked up a voice. We looked at each other.

  “Did you hear that?” I asked.

  “Play it again,” Brannon said.

  Once again, I played back the recording.