A Walk on the Haunted Side (Haunted Tour Guide Mystery Book 2) (14 page)

‘Wow, that’s awkward,’ I said.

Brannon and I walked up the path to the front door. There was a light on in the living room. I hoped that Gail wasn’t too startled when she saw Brannon standing at her front door.

A few seconds after Brannon rang the bell, Gail Sylvia answered the door. Her eyes were wide and she just stared at us for a second without speaking. She probably thought we were there to either arrest Cady or Sandra. I hadn’t see Gail since I’d returned to Devil’s Moon. She used to live next door to my parents until she bought this big old house and fixed it up.

“Good evening. Ripley, it’s nice to see you again. Is there something wrong?” she asked.

“Good evening, Ms. White. Everything is fine, but we would like to speak with one of your guests.”

“Only one of my guests is here right now. Sandra is upstairs.” She gestured toward the staircase behind her.

Well, that worked out perfectly. I hadn’t thought about what we would do if she hadn’t been there.

“Good,” Brannon said, “that’s exactly who we want to talk with.”

I knew that Sandra would be surprised and angry to see us there. I wondered if she would have an even stronger reaction. Would she run away or possibly get violent? She was so soft-spoken, I just didn’t see her doing anything like that… or even murdering Hank. But she had been spying on me. Plus she had been pretty rough with the woman at the library and Melissa.

Gail stepped back and opened the door wider. She motioned for us to enter. “Please come in.”

Brannon and I stepped into the house. The room was filled with silence.

Gail watched us for a minute, and then said, “I’ll just go get Sandra for you.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Brannon said in his sweetest Southern accent.

Gail disappeared up the stairs.

“I hate that we have to put her through this,” I whispered.

“We’ll try to keep it brief and get out of here as quickly as possible.”

I still couldn’t believe that Brannon had asked me to accompany him to question Sandra. I guessed it wouldn’t be as easy for her to lie her way out of it if she was confronted with me face to face.

After a couple more seconds, Gail appeared down the stairs. Sandra emerged coming down behind Gail. Sandra wouldn’t look over at us as she came down the stairs. Tension hung in the air.

“I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.” Gail attempted a little smile and then walked out of the room.

Sandra walked over toward us and finally looked at us. “What is it?” she asked.

“Where were you tonight?” Brannon asked.

“I’ve been here,” she said.

“Where were you about an hour ago?”

Sandra looked down at her bare feet. “I was here,” she said with an irritated tone in her voice.

Brannon stared at her for a moment. The tension grew even though I didn’t think that was possible.

“Sandra, Ms. Van Raden saw you at her parents’ home. Her parents saw you as well. Did you follow her?”

She looked away.

“You know that’s illegal?” Brannon pushed.

“I was just trying to help her,” Sandra said.

Brannon frowned. “Help her with what?”

This I had to hear.

“I know the ghosts have been hanging around her. I was just trying to make sure she was safe.”

Brannon looked at me. That was an odd explanation. “You saw ghosts following her?” Brannon asked.

She nodded. “Yes, almost every time I’ve seen her. You see, I have psychic abilities. That’s not something I usually tell people.”

Brannon nodded. “Well, we are dealing with the spirits that have been following her, and while I know you were trying to help, I have to ask you to stop.”

If she was telling the truth then I felt bad for calling the police, but how was I supposed to know? She shouldn’t follow people like that. It was unnerving to say the least.   

“Can you tell me anything about the ghosts following me?” I asked. I couldn’t believe she had seen more than one.

“There was a male and a female, but I couldn’t make out much more than that.”

Sandra didn’t say anything else. She turned and walked out of the room toward the kitchen.

“Wow. That was strange,” I said.

“She isn’t very cooperative,” Brannon said.

“What do we do now?” I asked.

“That’s up to you.”

I released a deep breath. “I don’t think she’ll do it again. We’ll just leave it at that. Do you really think she’s seen the ghosts?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I suppose. I don’t know why she would make up something like that.”

Just then Gail came into the room. “Is everything okay? Sandra came into the kitchen, but when I spoke to her she didn’t answer.”

“I think she’s just upset right now because we asked her about coming around Ripley’s parents’ home.”

Gail nodded. “I see. So did she answer everything you needed?”

Brannon nodded. “I think we got all the answers we’re going to get today. Thank you for allowing us to come in and talk with her.”

“It’s no problem,” she said.  

“Thank you again, Gail,” I said.

She smiled. Brannon and I walked out the door and onto the porch. Cady was standing there, as if she had been waiting for us.

“Good evening, officer. Hello, Ripley.”

I forced a smile onto my face. What was she up to?

“How are you this evening?” Brannon asked.

“So you were here to speak with Sandra?”

“Did you need something?” Brannon asked without answering her question.

Cady shrugged. “I just know she is weird. I overheard what you all said to her tonight. Maybe I should have mentioned this before, but I am almost sure I saw her spying on us the night of Hank’s murder when we went by the old house.”

I was hoping that we wouldn’t have to bring the topic of the old house up again.

Brannon eyed Cady. “Where did you see Sandra?”

“She was by the trees at the end of the driveway. We were getting ready to leave, so I didn’t say anything.”

“You should have said something the other ten times I’ve spoken with you since his murder.”

I knew by Brannon’s tone that he was clearly angry with Cady. “Like I said, I didn’t think it was important.”

I didn’t think that I believed her. 

Just then before any of us said anything else, noise sounded from the right and we spotted Sandra. She ran across the grass and disappeared around a tree. Brannon took off down the porch after her.

“I wonder if she overheard us?” Cady asked.

I shrugged. “Probably. Maybe she was just upset.”

We watched, but it was hard to see where they had disappeared to. After a couple minutes, Brannon returned. Sandra wasn’t with him.

“I don’t know where she went to.” He ran his hand through his hair. “She’ll probably be back in a bit. We won’t wait for her though. I think she probably just overheard what Cady said.”

That was what I had thought too.

“Do you want me to call you if she comes back?” Cady asked.

“No, that won’t be necessary,” Brannon said.

Cady shrugged. “Okay, well, nice talking to you.”

If Cady thought Sandra was strange, then she was too. Why did she act that way? Cady strolled to the door. She seemed happy about making Sandra upset.

When she was inside, Brannon said, “Are you ready to leave?”

I nodded. “More than ready.”

While I walked down the steps, I looked over to where Sandra had run. She was still nowhere in sight. Brannon opened the car door for me and I slipped in. He came around and climbed behind the wheel.

After starting the ignition, he said, “What do you think of what Cady said? Did you see Sandra at that house?”

I shook my head. “No, I never saw her. I wonder if Cady is being honest?”

“That’s a good question. It’s hard to tell. No one is being honest. It’s been a tough case. I’m confident we’re close to finding the killer though.”

We pulled out of the driveway. Instead of turning toward my parents’ home, he pulled down the street in the opposite direction.

“I just thought we’d drive down and see if Sandra is around.”

“You’re worried about her, aren’t you?” I asked.

He shrugged but kept his hands on the wheel. “Like I said, these women are hard to read. I’m usually better than this at reading people.”

“Can you read me?” I asked.

He glanced over at me. “Sometimes.”

I wondered if he meant that in a good way or a bad way.

“What about me? Can you read me?” he asked.

I nodded. “I think so. You’re gentle, but firm. Smart and inquisitive. Underneath your manliness is an innocence that brings out charm. Other than that, you’re a closed book. .”

Brannon glanced over at me wide-eyed. “Well, I did ask, didn’t I?”

I was relaxing in my favorite chair when a knock sounded on the door. Of course my nerves kicked in as soon as I heard the sound. Who was at my door? I eased up and tiptoed across the floor in my socks. I didn’t want whoever was at the door to hear me on the other side. That way I could pretend I wasn’t home. I slipped up to the door and leaned close. Now I realized that I would have to ask who was at my door, so my being quiet was pointless.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“It’s Brannon. Can I come in?”

I unlocked the door. He looked handsome in his jeans and t-shirt. Although the expression on his face told me that he was a little frazzled.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I think I have a way to get rid of the ghosts that have been following you.”

I frowned. “The ghosts? Which ones?” I hoped he wasn’t talking about Annie.

He nodded. “You said there was a ghost hanging around here and the library. Don’t worry, I won’t go after Annie.”

“Oh yeah, right.”

He motioned. “Do you mind if I come inside?”

I stepped out of the way and gestured for him to enter. “Sure, come in.”

“I know this might sound crazy, but I really think I’m on to something,” he said when he stepped into the hallway. As he stood there he just studied my face for a second.

“You’re beginning to freak me out a little. What’s going on?” I asked.

He ran his hand through his hair. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. Maybe it would be better if I just go ahead and bring the thing in.”

My eyes widened. “Bring what in? Do you have a ghost or something?”

He chuckled. “Not yet.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Wait right here. I’ll be right back.” Brannon hurried out the door.

Of course there was no way I was going to wait right there for him. I rushed out the door and down the steps after him. When I reached the front entrance, I paused at the door to watch. Brannon was at his car. He reached in the trunk and pulled out a big wooden box. If he had some kind of animal in there I wasn’t sure I wanted him to bring it inside. There was probably something in my lease about that. I sure didn’t want to get evicted. He climbed up the porch steps with the box in his arms. He could barely see around the thing, it was so big.  

“Can I help you carry that?” I asked.

“No, I’m good,” Brannon said as he hoisted the thing with ease.

I rushed inside and up the steps, all the while glancing back to make sure Brannon didn’t miss a step and fall. Not that I would have been able to help if he did. He hurried back into my apartment with the box, moving through the hall and into the living room. He placed the large box on the floor. I stood next to him and we stared down at it.

After a couple seconds, I asked, “What is it?”

He glanced over at me with a grin. “That is a paranormal box.”

I raised an eyebrow. “A what?”

“A paranormal box or a ghost box. I’m not sure what to call it exactly.”

Wow, now I really had heard it all.

“Now before you think I’ve lost my mind, let me explain.”

I nodded. “Okay, sure.”

I guess I was starting to think he’d lost it, but I’d hear him out. “What does it do?” I asked.

Brannon moved closer to the box and tapped the top with his hand. “With any luck you will see soon enough. Essentially it captures ghosts.”

My mouth probably dropped open. “Okay… so how does this thing work? I mean, it just looks like a box.”

“Yes, it looks like a box, but it is so much more than that.” He took the lid off. “See, the electromagnetic energy draws the ghost in through this opening. When the sensor goes off, it knows that the ghost has entered the box.”

“So you’re trapping a ghost?” I stared down at the box.

“Yes, I guess you could call it that.”

“Okay, but what are you going to do with it once you get it?” I asked.

“Well, you don’t want the ghost here with you, so we’ll take it back to where it came from.”

I pushed the hair out of my eyes. “That sounds good, but won’t the ghost just follow me again?”

He shrugged. “Maybe, but it’s worth a shot, right?”

If I didn’t know better, I’d think that Brannon just wanted to play with his new paranormal toy. “And that’s assuming we’re dealing with the ghost from the Helmwood House.”

“It’s likely that we are,” he said.

“Why didn’t you try this out at your place? You said you’ve seen the shadow.”

“I think it’s more attached to you.”

Lucky me. “Where did you get this thing?” I asked.

“I made it myself,” he said with pride in his voice.

How could I say no to that? Plus, with his handsome face staring at me right now, that would be impossible. Any woman would have a hard time turning him down.   

I placed my hands on my hips. “Okay, let’s use this thing.” I looked around the room. “What if the ghost isn’t here right now?”

“What if she is?” Brannon smiled.

“Good point.”

He turned on the equipment that he’d mounted inside the wooden box. It hummed and buzzed. He placed the top back on and we stepped back from the box.

“With any luck, it will draw the spirit to the box.”

“Now what do we do?” I asked as we watched the box.

“We wait,” he said.

How long would this take? Hours, minutes, days? Not that I was complaining about having Brannon around. Heat rushed to my cheeks just thinking about it.

“Would you like something to drink while we wait?” I asked.

“Sure, sounds good,” he said.

I wasn’t sure what else to say. Were we supposed to just sit there and watch the box? I had no idea. I didn’t want to admit it to Brannon, but I really didn’t think the box would work. It was a good idea though. Of course I would feel stupid if he proved me wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time. 

Brannon followed me into the kitchen.

“How about hot chocolate?” I asked. It was my favorite this time of year. And I liked to add whipped topping.

“That sounds perfect,” Brannon said.

I popped the little ready-filled hot chocolate cups into the machine. Within a few seconds, I had a steaming cup of hot chocolate ready for him. I added the whipped topping and sprinkles to the top and then handed it to Brannon.

He stared down at the cup and then up at me. “Wow. When you said a cup of hot chocolate, you really meant a cup of hot chocolate.”

“What? You don’t like it?” I asked while I prepared a mug of my own.

“No, the opposite.” He took a sip and whipped cream remained on his upper lip. I stared as he ran his tongue across it and licked it off. “I expected a package of hot chocolate and some warm water. That’s usually how I make it. But then again, I don’t know what I’m doing in the kitchen.” He laughed.

“Well, I did have a little help,” I said, pointing to the machine.

“You added the whipped topping and sprinkles though,” he said, as he took another drink. 

Footsteps sounded from the other room. Brannon and I exchanged a look. He placed his hot chocolate down on the counter and headed into the other room. After setting my mug down, I followed him. He inched into the room. Of course no one was there.

“Is that the sound you’ve been hearing?” he whispered.

I nodded. The box was still making the same sounds as when he’d turned it on. Nothing had changed so far. He moved across the floor and into the hallway.

“Do you mind if I take a look around the rest of your place?” he asked.

“No, I don’t mind,” I said.

He proceeded to the bathroom. After finding nothing there he moved on to my bedroom. He stopped in the middle of the room. Of course there was nothing there. Just the sounds, as I’d been hearing them for days. I hadn’t planned on having Brannon in my bedroom tonight. Wouldn’t Tammy love to hear about this? I moved over beside Brannon.

“I guess it was the ghost.” He turned to face me.

“Yes, I guess so,” I said, looking at him in the eyes.

He reached up and brushed my mouth with his finger. “You had a sprinkle on your mouth.”

I felt the heat rush to my cheeks. “Thank you.”

Brannon moved closer to me. I stared into his eyes. Did I have another sprinkle on my mouth? Perhaps whipped topping this time.

He didn’t say a word as he leaned down and placed his lips against mine. I hadn’t expected it, but I was glad that he did it. I moved my body closer to his and kissed him back.

His warm lips felt wonderful pressed against mine. I was lost in the moment and all I could think about was how great a kisser he was. My heart rate increased and my stomach flipped. I wondered if Brannon felt the same way? Now I was starting to think about whether he enjoyed the kiss as much as I did. I didn’t think I was a bad kisser, so why not? I needed to stop worrying about it and just enjoy the moment. I relaxed again and relished his touch.

That was when the beeping sounded from the living room. Brannon jumped back from me as if my lips were on fire. “We caught something,” he yelled.   

The ghost had impeccable timing. If I didn’t know better, I’d think that she had planned it that way. Oh, well, it was too late now. Brannon had zipped across the floor so fast he had been nothing but a blur.

I ran after him. After all, I was curious to see if he’d really captured anything. But how would he know for sure? The equipment had gone off, but it wasn’t like we’d see the little face of a ghost in that little box, yelling,
Help me, let me out.

When I reached the living room, Brannon was already kneeling down beside the box. He’d turned off the sensor, so it was no longer making that high-pitched sound. I was glad for that because much more of that noise and my neighbors would complain. How would I explain capturing ghosts in a box to my landlord?

“What happened?” I asked as I knelt down beside him.

“The sensor went off, so by my calculations, we’ve captured a spirit.”

“But you have no way of knowing for sure?”

A little frown slipped over his face. “No, we have no way of knowing.”

I hoped that I hadn’t burst his bubble.

“What should we do now?” I asked.

Brannon pushed to his feet. “We should take the box over to the old house and let the ghost out there.”

I hoped no one ever got wind of this. They’d really think I’d lost it.

He lifted the box from the ground. “Like I said, maybe there isn’t a spirit in here, but it’s worth a shot. For science, right?” he asked with a sexy smile.

“Sure, let me get my purse.”

Exactly what I needed my purse for while getting rid of a spirit that we’d captured in a wooden box I had no idea, but you never knew when I might have to touch up my lipstick. Brannon was already halfway down the stairs with that box when I locked my door and headed down. I rushed and held the door open for him as he carried it out.

“Thank you,” he said with a smile.

Brannon lifted the thing into the trunk and I climbed into the passenger seat. This was a scenario I’d never thought I’d be in. A ghost in the trunk of a police car. Tammy wouldn’t believe it when I told her.

Brannon and I pulled up to the house. I was of course nervous after what had happened to Hank. I didn’t want the same thing to happen to Brannon.

He turned off the car. “Are you ready to go in?”

I blew out a deep breath. “Sure, let’s take the ghost in.”

Brannon went around to the trunk and hoisted the box out of the trunk. I followed him up the porch steps. Brannon placed the box on the floor in front of the door. Every time we came here I expected the door to be locked, but when he turned the knob, once again the door opened. Normally Brannon would have held the door open for me and told me ladies first. But this time he stepped into the foyer first. He glanced around and then came back outside.

He grabbed the box from the ground. “It looks like it’s safe.”

He went inside with the box and I followed him. I scanned the space to look for something that maybe he had missed. “Where should we take the box?” I asked.

“Let’s do it in the parlor.” Brannon gestured toward the right. He sat the box on the floor.

I stared down at the box. If something came out of there I might turn around and run away. Sure, I had ghosts following me, but I wasn’t sure I was prepared to have them pop up like a jack-in-the-box. Brannon knelt down beside the box. He glanced up at me and nodded.

“I’m ready,” I whispered.

As ready as I’d ever be. He grabbed the lid. I stepped back a couple steps just in case. For a moment he paused, but then slowly lifted the lid off. Nothing happened. It was just as quiet as when we’d arrived. I felt bad for Brannon. I had wanted this to work for him.

He looked over at me. “I guess it didn’t work.”

I frowned. “Maybe you just need to work out the kinks.”