Gem of a Ghost: A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery (24 page)

On the drive back
to Pasadena, Emma thought about Joanna’s ill-fated attraction to Linwood Reid even though she already had a solid, dependable man in her life. Emma compared Phil to Quinn. She was pretty sure Quinn was not after her money and was nothing like Linwood Reid, but still he was an adventurer and his life was exciting, while Phil was a laid-back guy like Max.

After receiving the news about Lin’s murder, Quinn and Emma had run back to the inn, where they turned on the TV in Emma’s room looking for news reports about it. While Emma called her mother back, Quinn used his laptop to search for the next flight back to California for Emma. When he found it, he waved her over to the computer.

“Mother,” she said into her cell phone while checking out the flight Quinn indicated, “there’s a flight leaving here around eight o’clock tonight. It connects through Washington, DC, and gets me into LAX around twelve thirty in the morning. I’ll be on it if I have to stow away in the bathroom.”

“What about your research, Emma?” her mother asked. “You really need to get to the bottom of that ring or no one will be at peace. Dad and I can help Lainey.”

“I did that today, Mother. I don’t think Addy’s going to be bothering anyone else again.”

After hanging up with her mother, Emma called the airline and booked her return trip for that night. She had an open-return first-class ticket and had no problem getting on the short flight to DC. On the second leg of her journey, she snagged the last available seat.

Quinn wanted to go with her back to Los Angeles, but Emma had told him no, things were complicated enough. While he watched and Granny chaperoned, Emma threw her clothes and toiletries into her small suitcase. If she left soon, she’d make the flight in plenty of time.

“Wow,” she said to Quinn as they said their goodbyes. They were in the back parking lot of the inn, standing next to Emma’s rental car. “It feels like I’ve been here a week instead of just one day.”

He reached out to touch her hair. “You’ve been one busy ghost hunter. You should come back when you have time to relax. There are lots of great things to do around here. Or maybe I should come visit you in California.”

Without thinking, Emma blurted out, “You’d love Julian. I’m sure of it.”

“Is that an invitation?”

Emma looked away. Around them, slender trees swayed in the breeze like a chorus of dancers. “I don’t know what it is, Quinn.” She turned back to look at him. “And frankly—”

“And frankly, my dear,” Quinn said, cutting her off, “you don’t give a damn?”

“No, not that at all,” she insisted with a frown. “I was going to say, frankly, I don’t have time to think about my personal life right now.”

She started to get into the car but stopped and turned back to look again at Dr. Quinn Keenan. She started to say something else but wasn’t sure what it was. Perhaps it had all been said.

Surrendering one last, small smile, she climbed into the driver’s side of the rental car, buckled up, and turned over the engine. Granny was perched in the passenger’s seat. Emma started backing the car out of the tight parking spot.

“You gonna make that flight?” Granny asked with concern.

“I have plenty of time as long as I don’t have any car trouble between here and the airport.”

“Good. I can’t wait to get you home where you belong.”

A sharp retort was on the tip of Emma’s tongue, but she swallowed it. She wasn’t in the mood to spar with Granny at the moment.

Once out of the parking spot, Emma turned the car toward the narrow exit. It spilled onto Broadway. A left onto Broadway, then a right at the corner, and she’d be on her way to the airport.

She took one last look in her rearview mirror. Quinn was standing a few feet behind her car, watching her leave. His left hand was stuffed into the pocket of his jeans. His right hand was against his heart.

Emma stopped the car and stared at him with heavy eyes.

“What’s the matter?” asked Granny. “Did the car break down already?”

Without answering, Emma unbuckled her seat belt and climbed back out of the car. She stood for a moment looking at Quinn but not moving. He didn’t move either. Taking a deep breath, Emma quickly covered the steps between them and threw her arms around his neck. Their kiss was deep and hard, finally interrupted by the honk of a horn.

Breaking apart, they saw another car coming through the tiny parking lot, heading for the exit. Emma’s car blocked its progress.

Emma raised a hand to the other driver. “Just a minute.”

She cupped Quinn’s face in her palm for a second, then spun on her heel and did a swan dive back into her car. A second later she was on Broadway, waiting for the light at the corner.

“Humph,” Granny huffed. “Was that a goodbye kiss or a see-ya-later kiss?”

“God help me, Granny,” replied Emma, wiping tears away with the back of her left hand, “I don’t know.”

the end

author’s note

As with all my
Granny Apples novels, I enjoy weaving the past with the present and fiction with reality. The Pennsylvanian town of Jim Thorpe (formerly known as Mauch Chunk) is a real place, and many of the spots Emma visits or talks about—such as the Old Jail Museum, the Dimmick Library, and the Inn at Jim Thorpe—are also real.

The Molly Maguires and their trials and executions are also a part of the history of the town of Jim Thorpe. The hanged men I mention in the book—Alexander Campbell, Edward Kelly, John “Yellow Jack” Donohue, and Thomas Fisher—were real, though I took quite a bit of liberty with Edward Kelly, the youngest of the bunch.

Feel free to visit the charming town of Jim Thorpe and the Old Jail Museum. Betty Lou McBride, the actual owner of the museum, will be happy to show you the gallows, the dungeon, and the handprint on the wall of cell number 17.

Visit www.jimthorpe.org or www.theoldjailmuseum.com for more information about Jim Thorpe, PA, and the Molly Maguires.