Walk this Way, Haunt this Way (Haunted Tour Guide Mystery Book 4) Page 3

  “Okay, everyone, we can go back downstairs now.” I waved my hands for everyone to follow.

  The cameraman was still focused on me, but Alex had disappeared. I wished he wouldn’t do that. I felt as if I had totally lost control of this tour. Why ask me to be the guide if everyone was just going to go wherever they wanted?

  The rest of the group trailed me down the stairs. Once at the bottom, I paused. I had hoped to find the missing people waiting for me. Unfortunately, not a living soul was in sight. Now I had to search for them. This wasn’t a game of hide-and-seek. I wasn’t up for the pranks right now. It was late and I wanted to go watch the last episode of Ghost Adventures and then finish the mystery novel I’d become captivated by.

  “Where is everyone?” I called out.

  I hoped they edited this part out of the documentary. It looked as if I had no idea what I was doing.

  I sighed. “I guess I’ll take a look around.”

  “Maybe they’re waiting outside,” Tammy said.

  “I’ll take a look,” Brannon added.

  “I’ll look over by the stacks and the reference desk,” Tammy said over her shoulder as she walked away.

  I’d only taken a couple of steps when the lights went out. A couple people behind me gasped. I froze on the spot.

  “What happened?” a woman asked.

  This was going to be the worst documentary ever. Annie was really ramping up the haunting tonight. I’d thought she knew I only wanted a little bit. Now I couldn’t see where I was headed. I needed to let her know that she didn’t have to do any more.

  Several loud bangs echoed across the building. I had no idea what was making the noise. I assumed it was Annie, but what had she done to make that sound?

  “Annie, what are you doing?” I whispered. “You can stop that now.”

  My phone chimed. I pulled it out to check the text.

  It wasn’t me.

  “Then who was it?”

  Clearly the missing part of the group had switched the lights off. Maybe they were trying to add paranormal activity for Alex. That would be a sneaky thing to do. Apparently that had been their intention from the beginning. This made me angry.

  I switched the flashlight on my phone and then the overhead lights returned. Brannon hadn’t come back yet. He was probably checking out the perimeter of the building. For the first time, the library was truly giving me the creeps. I wasn’t sure why. The noises and lights going out had to be the workings of Alex and his crew.

  Speaking of Alex, where had he disappeared to? Heath was still recording. I wished he would just turn the thing off.

  “Okay, everyone, now that the lights are back on we can end the tour,” I said with a wave of my hand.

  Now that Alex wasn’t here, I didn’t have to continue the tour. He wasn’t breathing down my neck pushing me to continue.

  The group continued to follow me even though I’d told them that the tour was over. Just then, a noise sounded again. It seemed as if it had come from the basement. Maybe the missing group had gone to the basement. That was probably where they had set up their paranormal fake station. I moved over to the staircase and then started down. Heath still had that camera pointed on me.

  When I reached the research room that was down in the basement I realized that the group was in there thanks to the glass section on the upper part of the door. They were banging on the door and yelling.

  “Help us, we’re locked down here.”

  Their faces looked as if they were trapped in a cave with no way of ever getting out. They might have started eating the pages out of the books soon. If I hadn’t noticed them tonight, I would have discovered them in the morning.

  “How did that happen?” I had the master set of keys so I quickly unlocked the door for them. “What happened? How did you get in here? Why were you in there?”

  “We were just checking out the rooms.”

  I motioned for them to come out. “You were supposed to stay with me.” Alex wasn’t with the group either. Where was he? Now I had to find him.

  “We should all head back upstairs,” I said.

  Jeanette marched out of the room. “Gladly. Thank goodness you saved us. I thought we were going to die in there.” She pushed the hair out of her eyes. “I thought we were stuck there for life. The books were starting to look like steaks to me.”

  The rest of the group filed out of the room.

  “You were only in there for a few minutes.” I peeked into the room to make sure the books were safe.

  After closing the door, I locked it. I wasn’t sure why it had been unlocked. Before leaving work for the evening I thought for sure that I’d locked it.

  As they followed me back up the stairs, I asked Heath, “Can you shut that thing off now? I think you have all the footage you need.”

  He lowered the camera, but didn’t turn it off. “Sorry, we just need to get as much as possible. A lot will be cut out during editing.”

  It was getting late and I figured that was enough ghostly activity for them. I wrapped up the tour and people started to leave. Tammy and Monica left. Brannon was waiting for me by the door.

  “So you’ll meet us at lunch tomorrow?” Alex pointed at me.

  “Can you assure me that nothing shady is going on with the documentary? I don’t want evidence faked.”

  “Of course.” He looked insulted that I’d asked.

  After his crew members had disappeared what did he expect?

  Alex quirked an eyebrow. “Why would you even think something like that?”

  He had to ask? “Your crew members disappeared during filming and then things started happening."

  Granted some things had happened because of Annie, but he didn’t need to know that.

  Alex gave me another offended look. I wasn’t falling for that though. He wouldn’t guilt me into thinking this was my fault.

  “The documentary is completely on the up and up,” he said.

  I sighed and then asked, “Is twelve okay?”

  “Sounds great. How about we meet at the old funeral home?” Alex asked.

  I frowned. “Are you sure it wouldn’t be better just to meet at the cemetery?”

  “We got a lot of footage there. I’d like the cool backdrop of that old house. The way the stained glass windows will make a kaleidoscope of colors on the walls when the sun shines through will be amazing.”

  I nodded. “Okay, I’ll see you then.”

  After saying goodbye to Alex and the others, I met Brannon by the door.

  “How do you think it went?” Brannon placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me through the door.

  It was nice having someone who cared and wanted to help me.

  I locked the door behind us. “It was kind of a disaster, don’t you think?”

  “Well, the end part at the library was good,” Brannon said with a lopsided grin.

  We walked along the sidewalk toward my place. Gray clouds scudded in front of the full moon. The wind whirled around us in a steady rhythm, almost in sync with my heartbeat. It was as if the pulse of town was mimicking mine. Devil’s Moon had picked up on my anxiety. At least I had Brannon with me to ease my apprehension. His smile alone could make the worst of days better.

  Renting a one-bedroom apartment next to the pizza place wasn’t ideal, but it’d have to do for now. It was close enough to the library to walk. My place was on the third floor of an old Victorian house. Pretty flowers dotted the landscaping around the white porch, but the place still had a spooky vibe. Then again, most buildings in town had that same look. Devil’s Moon was haunted—always had been and always would be.

  It had one bedroom with a bathroom down the hall. The place was small. That was all I needed though. I liked cozy. With its original hardwood floors and ornate trim, I’d fallen in love with the place. A small kitchen with a surprising number of cabinets lay off from the combined living and dining room. A pale lavender color covered my bedroom walls—one of my favorit
e colors. I’d added flowy white curtains on the windows and a matching white comforter on the bed for a romantic feel. I’d always been the romantic type. Both my parents and Tammy had offered to let me move in with them, but I needed my own place. I’d taken the first place I’d found, even though the scent of the pizza joint permeated through the air up to my apartment.

  “I’m supposed to meet them tomorrow at the funeral home for the interview portion,” I said.

  “Do you need me to go with you?” Brannon handed my tote bag full of books back.

  “I’m sure it will be fine.” I adjusted the tote on my shoulder.

  Brannon walked me to the door. “I should let you go to bed. It’s been a long day for you.”

  “Thank you for coming along. I wouldn’t have done it without your support.”

  Brannon leaned in to kiss me. The anticipation of his touch always made my heart speed up. Could he sense my tension? With my whole body stiff it was probably evident. Finally, I relaxed my shoulders and my eyelids fluttered closed. He held me for a moment longer than I’d expected as if he didn’t want to ever let go. It was a long slow kiss that clouded my mind. With the stress from the evening, I relished being swept away.

  He rubbed my cheeks with his fingers. “You can do anything you put your mind to.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I whispered.

  Chapter 5

  I was headed toward the funeral home. It would be a spooky backdrop for the meeting, but I was surprised Alex hadn’t wanted to meet at the library in case more paranormal activity took place. Maybe he just didn’t want a crowd around for filming.

  I reached the funeral home, but didn’t see his van parked out front. It looked as if I was the early one today. I stepped up to the porch and shoved the key into the door. That was when I realized the door was broken. Apparently someone had decided to take a look around uninvited.

  Now I was completely spooked. I pushed the door open the rest of the way. In case someone was in there who wasn’t supposed to be, I decided to keep quiet. Maybe I should call Brannon right away. I pulled out my cell from my pocket. Before placing the call though, I noticed what looked like someone lying on the floor in the front room. My heart raced. Was someone hurt? I moved closer to the room. That was when I realized that Alex was the one on the floor.

  “Alex? Are you okay?” I asked as I ran toward him.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t respond. When I knelt down by his body I realized he had been stabbed. There was blood underneath him. I checked his pulse, but there was none. I dialed Brannon and luckily he picked up on the second ring.

  “Brannon, come to the funeral home quick. Alex is dead.”

  “What? Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Just get here quick.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  What would I do now? Someone had obviously done this to him. Where was the killer now? Still in the house, waiting for the next victim?

  I stepped back from the body. The house was silent. Nothing looked odd other than the dead person on the floor. There didn’t appear to be any sign of a struggle. But then again, there hadn’t been any furniture in the room. The place had been empty for many years. The only thing I had noticed was the broken door. Why had they broken in? Where were Heath and Jeanette? How had Alex gotten here? Maybe they had all come together. Could Heath or Jeanette be the killer?

  The more I looked at the body though, the more I realized that all wasn’t as it seemed. Alex’s clothing looked as if it had been ripped. The shirt had a tear right down the front. His right shoe was almost off the foot. Maybe that had happened when he fell to the floor? There appeared to be a contusion below his right eye. Perhaps he had been in a struggle after all. Even more of a reason for me to get out of there. Obviously, Alex hadn’t won this fight. I tried to take in every detail so that I could remember later. For right now though, I needed to get out of there.

  I decided to wait on the porch for Brannon. It would be a lot safer out there. Would the police think that I had done this to Alex? I barely knew him, so why would I do something like this? Plus, I had been at work all morning. That would be my alibi. So Alex had been killed sometime between last night when I’d seen him and around noon. When was the last time anyone had seen him alive?

  I spotted Brannon’s car coming down the street. Thank goodness. He pulled up in front of the funeral home and jumped out of his cruiser. He’d barely reached the porch steps when other cars pulled up with sirens and lights flashing.

  I pointed at the door. “He’s in there.”

  “Stay right here, Rip.” Brannon touched my arm and then dashed inside.

  Actually, it would have been great to distance myself from this, but that wasn’t an option. The other officers followed Brannon into the house. I got more than a few strange looks. They probably wondered why I was involved in another murder investigation. Honestly, I was asking myself that same question. It was the last thing I wanted.

  Officers moved in and out of the house. What would I do now? I wanted to find a place to conceal myself so that I wouldn’t get more stares. I inched across the front porch, hoping I would be hidden by the tall magnolia tree in the front yard. It wasn’t much, but it was all I had. As I stood there trying to become invisible, I looked down. Next to the house in the grass were footprints. I knew right away that they were fresh. Brannon came back out onto the porch.

  He pulled me to the side. “We need to get your full statement about what happened.”

  I pushed the hair out of my eyes. “Alex asked me to meet him here today at twelve. It was for the interview portion of the documentary.”

  “Yes, I remember.” Brannon focused his gorgeous blue eyes on me.

  “Anyway, when I got here I found him like that.”

  “Is there anything else?” Brannon asked.

  A crowd had gathered out by the sidewalk. I spotted a reporter from the Devil’s Moon Gazette. I stepped to my left so that possibly I was hidden behind Brannon. The last thing I needed was my picture in the newspaper.

  “Their van wasn’t here when I arrived. Maybe someone stole the van?”

  “We’re looking for it now,” Brannon said.

  “Also someone broke down the door of the funeral home. It had been locked, but as you can see the knob is broken now.”

  Brannon ran his hand through his hair. “This looks like someone knew exactly where to find him.”

  “That’s not all.” I motioned for Brannon to follow me to the edge of the porch. “Look at the fresh footsteps. It looks as if whoever came into the funeral home came from the back and then jumped up onto the porch. That was probably when the person broke into the front door.”

  Brannon peered down and then over at me. “Good job, Rip. But why wouldn’t they break into the back door?”

  “I suspect the person was supposed to meet Alex.”

  “Then why not park in front?”

  “So no one would see them. The back of the funeral home is mostly concealed with all those trees. The killer could easily slip in without being noticed. I’m sure they tried to get inside as quickly as possible so that no one would notice. Let’s hope it wasn’t successful and someone did see though.”

  “Nice work, Detective,” Brannon said with a slight grin.

  Now I was sure my cheeks had turned red. “If you’re done with me for now then I really should get back to the library.” I gestured.

  Brannon nodded. “I’ll stop by soon.”

  I hoped they found the killer soon. Movement caught my eye. Something had darted quickly behind Brannon. It had been on the other side of the porch behind the bushes. I thought maybe my eyes had been playing tricks on me, but I’d seen this type of thing before.

  Chapter 6

  “Is something else wrong?” Brannon asked.

  I didn’t want to worry him with a shadow at a time like this. I forced a tiny grin. “Nothing.”

  “Call me if you think of anything else. I need to get back in
there.” He gestured. “Do you need a ride to work?”

  I contemplated the pros and cons of this option. If people saw me in the police car that might spark rumors that I was being investigated, although I was sure that would probably already be the case. If I walked then people might try to ask me questions.

  Finally, I decided to just walk.

  “If you’re sure?” Brannon asked.

  I nodded. “I’ll see you soon.”

  People in the crowd watched as I stepped off the porch and headed down the sidewalk. At least no one stopped me to ask what had happened. This would be front-page news in Devil’s Moon. Librarian involved in murder investigation. My parents would ask themselves where they’d gone wrong. I couldn’t help it if I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

  My thoughts raced as I walked back to work. What could have happened to Alex? It could have been any number of things. I was assuming he’d been murdered considering the stab wound. Plus, Brannon acted as if it would be a homicide investigation. I guessed that was standard procedure any time there was a death by unknown causes. The thought of a killer wandering around sent shivers down my spine.

  I’d moved through the small town, passing the shops that were part of the haunted tour. They looked just as spooky in the daylight as in the night. Nothing compared to finding a dead body in the funeral home.

  Finally, I reached the library. Was the shadow I’d seen at the funeral home the same one I’d seen at the library? Surprisingly, I didn’t feel anything strange as I walked by the cemetery.

  My phone alerted me to a text message as soon as I walked through the library door. Did Annie know? If the ghost knew then word spread faster than I’d imagined. Tammy was helping a patron and Monica was on the phone. Did they know what had happened? I pulled out my phone to check the message.

  I overheard Monica on the phone. She was talking to Alex.