A Walk on the Haunted Side (Haunted Tour Guide Mystery Book 2) Read online

  We made the regular stops on the tour. The group was pretty quiet and that was fine with me. Sandra was making me uncomfortable and I wasn’t sure I even felt like talking right now. I would just continue the tour and get it over with.

  I went through the motions and hoped that they didn’t notice that I was a bit preoccupied. I didn’t think anyone could blame me for being distracted though. I had a crazed woman following me around. That was unsettling. I peeked into the tavern to see if I could spot Tammy, but she wasn’t in sight. It was hard to see through the crowd. For a second I thought I spotted Cady at the bar. Maybe my mind was just playing tricks on me. I wished that Tammy could join me so that I wasn’t alone with Sandra.

  Sandra remained silent during the tour. With every move I sensed her stare on the back of my head. Every time I looked back she was staring at me. If she had something to say then why didn’t she just say it? I was curious what her motivation was for being here tonight. I was sure it wasn’t just for the tour. She had another reason that she just wasn’t telling me. I was almost afraid to find out. Did she want to ask me about the murder? I had a few questions to ask her, as a matter of fact.

  Once we reached the graveyard again, I knew that we would have to go in. I would have to face the spot where Hank had been found.

  Maybe the best thing to do was to just avoid the area where the crime had taken place. We would keep to the other side and maybe walk down the middle a little bit. I guided the group into the cemetery and so far everything was fine.

  When I looked back to see what Sandra was doing, she wasn’t there. I had no idea where she had disappeared to, but I had a feeling. When I looked over to the older section, she was headed that way. I had to stop her. I hurried through the stories and instructed everyone that we would be going back to the entrance.

  We turned back around to head to the front, but Sandra was behind me again, just like when she’d appeared out of the fog. I knew I’d seen her walking toward the older section. How had she gotten back over here so quickly? She had just reappeared like she was one of the ghosts.

  A chill whirled around us and that owl hooted again from the top of that old oak tree. It was as if he wanted to be a part of the tour too.

  Since Sandra had returned, I decided to take the group around just a little more of the graveyard. They had paid for the full tour, and it shouldn’t get cut short just because of Sandra.

  Illumination from the moon cut through the thick cover of darkness. It helped that I knew the graveyard like the back of my hand. I guided the group around the tombstones, successfully avoiding the scene of the crime. Then I steered them back toward the entrance. Usually I enjoyed telling stories, but tonight I was just glad that it was finished. Now maybe Sandra would go away and stop staring at me.

  “Are you going to tell them about what happened the other night?” Sandra asked in a loud voice.

  I wished she hadn’t said that, although surely they had heard what had happened. Nevertheless, I wanted to remain silent on the subject. I would ignore it and see what happened. Maybe she wouldn’t bring it up again. I quickly started talking again so that she didn’t have a chance. If she wanted to mention it she would have to interrupt me to do so. The other people seemed to be putting a distance between her and them. I couldn’t say that I blamed them because I wanted to do the same thing. I just needed to get her out of here.

  Alas, I’d thought I was going to get away from the tour tonight without Sandra even speaking to me, but no such luck. As soon as the other tourgoers left, she rushed to my side and started asking more questions. I didn’t want her there, but now would be my chance to ask about the ticket.

  “I hope you don’t mind if I ask you some questions.” She eyed me up and down.

  She didn’t even give me a chance to answer before she started talking again. Why did she ask when she was just going to do what she wanted anyway? It was as if she wanted to be as creepy as possible. Maybe that was her way of scaring people. Well, it was working.

  “Which one of Hank’s books was your favorite?” she asked.

  The more she talked the more uncomfortable I felt. “I’m not sure,” I answered without looking over at her.

  “How can you not know? I know which one is my favorite. Of course all of them are my favorites. He never wrote a bad book as far as I’m concerned.” She waved her hands through the air.

  I would just let her rattle on and maybe she would get tired. Maybe I could sneak into a building and get away from her. If I went into the tavern and it was crowded I could probably get away from her. Maybe I could hide behind the bar. Tammy would let me sneak back there.

  I walked away from the cemetery toward the street. Maybe she would take the hint and realize that the tour was over. I hurried my steps, hoping that she wouldn’t be able to keep up.

  With her long legs, she had no problem keeping up with me. And now I was out of breath. She didn’t act as if she’d even made any extra effort. As soon as she stopped talking, I would tell her I had to go. She just moved from one topic to the next without taking a breath. I walked as quickly as possible, but Sandra easily kept up with my pace, still asking questions about Hank’s books.

  I wasn’t even answering her at this point. I just wanted her to leave me alone. If she didn’t stop following me soon, I would have to ask her to leave. I hated to be rude, but since the tour was over, she couldn’t expect to come home with me. She hadn’t even mentioned Hank’s murder, which I thought was odd. I knew that it was on her mind. Or maybe she was trying to forget about it.

  As I whipped around to see if I could get away from her, I smacked into someone’s hard and muscular chest. The soft feel of soft cotton rubbed against my cheek. A whiff of spicy cologne tingled my nose. It was just a hint, not too strong.

  Brannon grabbed my arms. “Are you okay?”

  Once I caught my breath, I said, “Yes, I’m fine.”

  He looked over at Sandra. “Is everything okay?”

  “I was just asking questions.” She pulled the scarf closer to her face, as if that would hide her.

  “So the tour is over now?” Brannon eyed Sandra.

  I nodded. “Yes, and I think Sandra was just leaving, right?”

  I took the opportunity to let Sandra know she should leave. Brannon knew what I was doing.

  “You should let Ripley get home now,” he said, looking at Sandra.

  She shrugged. “I suppose we can discuss this later.”

  No! I didn’t want there to be a later. I’d had enough of her creepy talking.

  I knew that Brannon sensed my uneasiness. It was coming off me in waves. Sandra stared for a second, but then turned and walked away.

  I released a sigh of relief. I didn’t know what would have happened if Brannon hadn’t come along when he did. She would have probably followed me all the way home. I hoped that she didn’t show up tomorrow night. Or at the library tomorrow. Based on her last comment, I figured I hadn’t seen the last of her.

  “Thank you for coming to my rescue. She just wouldn’t stop talking,” I said.

  “What was she saying?” he asked.

  “She was asking me which one of Hank’s books was my favorite.”

  “What did you tell her?” Brannon asked.

  “I didn’t tell her much of anything. I just tried to avoid her questions.”

  “That was probably the best thing that you could have done,” he said.

  “I don’t know how much longer I will be able to avoid her though. She seems very persistent.”

  “That she is. I tried to talk with her about the ticket, but didn’t get much out of her. Maybe something else will pop up though. That’s why we’ve asked her not to leave town. Have you had dinner?”

  “No, I haven’t.” I had planned on eating at home again in front of the TV.

  Brannon grabbed my hand and steered me toward Mammy’s Café. The warmth of his hand wrapped around mine. It felt better than I’d ever imagined.


  We stepped into the diner. The room fell silent when everyone spotted me. It had been that way recently when another murder had occurred at the library. It seemed like the townsfolk of Devil’s Moon thought that I’d brought bad luck with me when I returned. It certainly seemed that way. Maybe I had brought the bad luck. The stares and whispers were a little unnerving though.

  Brannon and I made our way across the diner to a booth by the window. This was my favorite spot in the whole place. Brannon and I had been in this booth before. Had he remembered?

  “Is this seat okay?” he asked as he pointed at the booth.

  “Perfect.” I slid into the booth.

  We’d barely settled into the booth when Brannon asked, “When were you going to tell me about what happened at Helmwood?”

  I studied the menu. “Not much happened.”

  He nudged my menu down a little with his hand and smiled. That was all it took to make me melt.

  “I think a spirit followed me out of there,” I whispered.

  He studied my face. “And then what happened?”

  I glanced over my shoulder. “I’ve only seen a shadow around the library… my apartment… and the cemetery… oh, and the tour too.”

  “Is that all?” He quirked an eyebrow.

  I placed the menu down and looked at him in his dazzling blue eyes. “I think the spirit attacked Hank when we were there.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  I looked out the window, but since it was pitch black outside all I saw was my own reflection. “Well, we saw the shadow fly across the room and disappear into his body.” I sounded calm about this, but in reality it still freaked me out.

  Brannon’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you say something before?”

  I shrugged. “He was murdered. That was a little distracting.”

  Soon the waitress came over and took our order.

  When she left, Brannon asked, “Is there anything else?”

  “No, that about wraps it up.” I grabbed my napkin.

  “You’ll promise to tell me anything else that happened?”

  I smiled. “I promise.”

  Brannon looked down at the table for a second and then met my stare. “There’s a festival next week over in Bloomfield. Would you like to go?”

  I had expected him to ask if I wanted to go on another investigation. But this was more. A whole day together?

  “I’d love to,” I said.

  Should I have hesitated longer? Perhaps pretended to check my empty schedule? I wanted to take things slow after my ex, but the first time Brannon asked I’d jumped on it. Apparently I had no self-control.

  The waitress set the plates down in front of us.

  “Can I get you anything else?” she asked, as if she was praying that we’d say no.

  “No, I think we’re fine for now,” Brannon answered.

  I took a drink of my Diet Coke and stared at his handsome face. He looked at me as he dumped ketchup onto his food. I took a bite of my sandwich and wondered what I should say next.

  “How did the tour go tonight? Other than Sandra showing up?” he asked, saving me from having to think of what to say.

  “It was oddly strange and uncomfortable,” I said.

  “Maybe she won’t do that again. But let me know what happens with this shadow. Maybe we should take some equipment out there.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe.”

  Brannon and I discussed the paranormal, books, and movies as we ate. I’d had no idea that we liked so many of the same things. He enjoyed thrillers like me, even though I never wanted to watch them without someone beside me. I had hoped he would give me a little insight into the murder investigation, but he’d kept silent on that topic.

  After paying for dinner, Brannon and I strolled down the sidewalk toward my place. The air was cool, but with the clear black sky we could see stars forever.

  “If Sandra comes back for the tour again make sure to give me a call,” Brannon said.

  I nodded. “I’ll make sure to let you know.” I was being honest this time. He would be the first person I called.

  We stepped up onto my porch and stopped in front of the door.

  “Until we figure out what is going on, I’m not sure that you should do the tour alone,” he said.

  I looked at him. “What do you mean? I have to do the tour.”

  He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Yes, I know, but maybe you could get someone to do it with you?”

  I shrugged. “I have no idea who that could be. Tammy already has three jobs.”

  Brannon looked down at his feet. “I could come with you if you’d like.”

  Heat rushed to my cheeks. I wasn’t sure how to react. “Sure, I guess that would be okay.”

  Had I sounded too casual? I hated overanalyzing things.

  Without saying another word, he leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. I hadn’t been expecting that. Not that I was complaining, I just hadn’t seen his kiss coming. Or maybe I had. I’d noticed the way he’d been looking at me all night. I’d forgotten what passion felt like. I suppose I’d tried to lock it away in the back of my mind. His delicious lips wandered over mine, pushing reality out of the way. I was lost in the moment.

  He inched away from my face and looked me in the eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he whispered.

  I watched as he walked down the path and to the sidewalk. I stepped inside my place with the tingle from his lips still on my mind. How would it be if he did the tour with me? I supposed it would only be a few times and I could handle that. Who was I kidding? Spending lots of time after dark with a handsome man? Yes please!

  Chapter 10

  The next morning, I hurried out of bed. I was late for work and had only twenty minutes to get ready. As I stepped out of my bedroom, I didn’t notice the presence, but it soon appeared. I looked around as if I would see something this time, but there was nothing.

  I went about my morning routine and tried to ignore it. I had a bowl of Special K cereal and brewed coffee. After I grabbed my mug and purse, I headed out the door. The sun was shining and a few clouds dotted the sky. The forecast called for rain, so I thought I would enjoy the sunshine while I had a chance. If I had to walk alone, I figured as long as it was in the daylight I would be fine.

  Luckily, I still had time to make it to work. It was a nice crisp morning and I figured it would help clear my head. I looked over my shoulder to see if anyone was following me. Thank goodness I didn’t see anyone or anything.

  I continued on my way, but after just a few seconds, it felt as if someone was watching me. It was a much stronger feeling than I’d had inside my apartment or the library. I figured it was the same presence I’d been seeing everywhere. I wanted to know why this spirit was coming around. What did it want with me? Its constant company was more than a little unsettling.

  I spotted movement out of the corner of my eye. The thought of ignoring it crossed my mind, but my curiosity wouldn’t allow that. The more I acknowledged the ghosts though, the more they would show up—at least that was my theory.

  After a couple seconds of debate, I glanced to my right and that was when I saw the shadow. I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’d known that something was around and waiting for me. There were more ghosts than ever in Devil’s Moon. Why were there so many all of a sudden? Had I attracted more with my tour?

  Somehow this presence seemed different from the one before. Don’t ask me how I knew. This time it didn’t feel as if the spirit was male. I sensed it was a woman. The longer I watched her, the more she took on a living person’s appearance. She wore a light blue dress that looked as if it was from the 1920s. Her dark hair flowed past her shoulders. Something wouldn’t allow me to look away as I stared right at her. Would she communicate through my phone like Annie? I glanced down at my phone, but there was no message. I couldn’t stand there forever, so I moved forward a couple inches. She moved too. I wondered if she would chase after me if I started running. Th
is was becoming scary quickly.

  I inched forward more, but this time she didn’t move with me. When I glanced over at her, she vanished right before my eyes. Now she was nowhere in sight. I just needed to get to work before she returned. I headed down the sidewalk, but was sure someone was walking behind me. I glanced over my shoulder.

  Sandra stared at me. I didn’t know what to do. My only plan now was to ignore her and continue walking toward the library. I didn’t want to talk with her. As I practically ran down the sidewalk, I cast another glance over my shoulder. Sandra wasn’t there. Whew. Maybe she had gone for good. Was that too much to ask? Probably so after what she’d said last night.

  Suddenly I was rethinking my decision to walk to work today. First, it was the ghost after me, and now it was this woman. Speaking of the ghost, I looked around to see if she was there. The spirit wasn’t there now either, but would she pop up beside me at any second?

  Tammy had offered for us to carpool, but I’d told her no. But now I knew I should have let her pick me up. It was too bad because I really enjoyed walking to work. It looked as if those days would be over.

  I’d traveled a short distance when I noticed the footsteps behind me again. The more I walked the louder the footsteps grew. I was sure someone was following me and it had to be Sandra again. But maybe it was the ghost. I hurried my steps, hoping I could walk faster than whoever was back there. Good thing I’d worn my sensible white canvas tennis shoes, because I wouldn’t have been able to run in heels. I clutched my big pink purse to my chest so that I could move even faster, and possibly use it as a weapon if need be.

  A hand wrapped around my shoulder. This was it. I was being attacked. Was the killer behind me? My heart rate increased and panic set in. I spun around and just started punching. I wasn’t even sure who or what I was hitting at, but I wanted to fend off my attacker. I swung punches and finally came in contact with someone. Well, it was probably only one punch that came into contact. But I was pretty proud that I’d made that one.