The Ex Who Saw a Ghost (Charley's Ghost Book 4) (4 page)

“Blow him off,” Charley advised. “You don’t want some guy who treats you like that.”

Amanda refrained from commenting on how Charley had treated her during their two year marriage. There was no point. Charley was dead and they were no longer married in any sense of the word...except in his tangled, ghostly mind.

Teresa frowned at Charley. “I don’t want to blow him off. I...” She lifted her chin defiantly. “I care about him.”

“You know he’s just a cop,” Charley said. “He doesn’t have any money.”

Amanda looked around for a hole to crawl into. Teresa had been raised with money, then her family lost everything. She’d married a financially successful man and seemed to enjoy the lifestyle until he left her and tried to set her up for murder. Amanda had wondered more than once where an underpaid cop fit into her dreams, but she’d never been rude enough to say it. Death hadn’t improved Charley’s tact.

“Ross will figure out soon enough that you’re right about his brother and then he’ll accept your talent as genuine.” Amanda wasn’t at all sure about that, but this was no time for a reality check.

Suddenly the former cheerleader looked insecure and small. “What if he doesn’t?”

Charley moved through the coffee table and laid a hand halfway into Teresa’s shoulder in a vague semblance of a gesture of consolation. “Then you’re better off without him.”

“Charley!” Amanda snapped. “Enough! Of course things are going to work out between Ross and Teresa. You’re being selfish because you don’t like sharing her attention.”

Charley’s mouth twisted as he tried to tell a lie, to deny Amanda’s accusation. Finally he returned to Amanda’s side, folded his arms and sulked.

Sulking and not talking was good. Maybe she and Teresa could get something accomplished without his constant interruptions. “So tell me about this recent visit with Ross’ brother. Parker? Is that his name?”

“Parker Romano Minatelli. Named after his maternal and paternal grandfathers. Hello, Parker. Welcome back.” Teresa gestured toward the big screen TV above the fireplace. “Amanda, meet Parker. He likes to hang out around electronic things. Says it makes it easier to reach me.”

Charley darted close to the TV. “And I’m Charley Randolph.” He extended a hand then raised it up and down as if shaking hands with someone. That was a little creepy.

“Uh, pleased to meet you, Parker,” Amanda said. “I guess I’m the only one here who can’t see you.”

“He says he’s sorry, but he doesn’t know how to make himself any more visible,” Teresa said.

“It’s okay. One ghost in my life is quite enough.”

Teresa grimaced. “I should be so lucky. Okay, what we have to discuss is that Parker was murdered—”

Amanda almost choked on her Coke. “Murdered? By who?”

“He won’t tell me. Again—it’s not important. What’s important is that he wants me to lead Ross to his body so he can be declared dead.”

Amanda took another drink of Coke, drawing out the action to give her time to take in everything and think about it. “Well, if you find his body, that will certainly prove...uh...that he’s dead and you were right.”

“Yeah, but taking Ross to his brother’s lifeless body isn’t likely to give him warm, fuzzy feelings about me.” She dragged a hand through her sleek hair and stared at the blank television screen. “I understand it’s important, Parker, and I understand I’m the only one who can do it.” She paused for a moment, listening. “Yes, I know it isn’t easy for you to come through.”

“It’s easy for me,” Charley said. “Maybe I could give you some pointers.”

Teresa glowered at Charley then rose and headed toward the kitchen. “I need more coffee. I didn’t sleep much last night. Do you know what it’s like having a ghost talking to you all night?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. Would you bring me another Coke?” Amanda called after her. “I didn’t sleep much last night either.”

“Neither did I,” Charley said. “Your sister even talks in her sleep.”

Teresa returned from the kitchen with a steaming cup of coffee and a fresh Coke. She handed the Coke to Amanda and resumed her seat.

Amanda took a drink then set her can on the coffee table between the crystal bowl filled with colored gems and the deck of Tarot cards. She folded her hands. “Okay, let’s do this. Call Ross and tell him.”

Teresa grimaced. “Call him? Now?”

“Yes, now. If you don’t, you may have your own personal version of Charley following you everywhere, nagging at you incessantly.”

“Hey!” Charley protested, but he didn’t deny anything.

Teresa set her mug on the lamp table and picked up her cell phone then hesitated and licked her lips.

She was usually so poised and self-confident. She really was concerned about Ross’ reaction. How ironic would it be if she genuinely cared about a cop who’d never have enough money to support her in the lifestyle she craved?

Teresa hit a speed dial number then put the phone on speaker.

The number rang so long, Amanda thought it would go to voice mail.

“Hi, Teresa.” Ross sounded pleased that she was calling.

“Hi.”

“Listen, I’m sorry about last night.”

Amanda relaxed. That was a good start.

“Yeah, me too,” Teresa said.

“I guess I kind of overreacted. Parker’s the only family I’ve got left. Our parents are dead. The thought that he might be dead…”

So much for the good start.

Teresa’s expression sagged. She sent Amanda a silent appeal for help.

Amanda spread her hands in a helpless gesture.

Teresa cleared her throat and squirmed. “Well, Ross, you see...” She looked away. “Can we just forget it ever happened?”

Amanda sucked in her breath.

Charley’s forehead creased in surprise. “Aren’t you going to tell him the guy’s dead?”

“Sh-h-h!” Amanda hissed then realized how silly she was being. Ross couldn’t hear Charley. “You just want them to break up,” she whispered. “Hush!”

Amanda turned back to Teresa who was gazing at the television and gritting her teeth.

“...glad we talked about it,” Ross said.

That sentiment probably wasn’t going to last long.

Teresa was silent for a moment then drew in a deep breath and released it in a long sigh. “All right, all right! I’ll do it!”

“Do what?” Ross asked.

“I’m not talking to you. I meant...oh, damn. It’s your brother again.”

A heavy silence crashed through the phone.

Teresa groaned and her shoulders drooped. “I don’t want to do this. Ross, your brother is here with me, and he’s very insistent that I take you to his body so you can have him declared legally dead.”

So much for that relationship. Teresa wouldn’t have to worry about being involved with a man who couldn’t support her.

It could have been a romantic Sunday drive in early fall. Two couples motoring through the countryside. Beautiful, warm day. Green, gold and red leaves swirled in a colorful palette against the bright blue sky.

The small fact that Jake and Ross were both wearing denim jackets to hide their guns and the four of them were looking for a corpse took a lot of the romance out of the excursion. Charley killed any remaining hint of romance.

Since Amanda sat next to Jake in the back seat of Ross’ sedan, she might still have been able to derive some pleasure from his nearness had Charley not perched determinedly between them, his trademark cold infusing her shoulder.

In the front seat Ross kept his attention focused on the road ahead, and Teresa spoke only to give occasional terse directions. The silence between them was thick and bleak with none of their usual relaxed, flirtatious banter.

Ross didn’t want to believe that his brother was dead, murdered by person or persons unknown, and his body dumped in the middle of nowhere. When she told him Parker had not been the one who answered his phone call or sent the text message from his phone and he wouldn’t say who did, any credibility she had left went straight down the drain.

But the fact they were going to check it out meant he didn’t completely disbelieve.

He and Jake had arrived at Teresa’s shortly after she’d blurted out that Parker wanted his body found so he could be declared dead. Ross said he’d brought Jake along
in the unlikely event we find something that requires the presence of a police officer
. Amanda suspected he needed a friend for moral support, and she suspected Jake and Teresa knew that too but they all went along with the official explanation and let him maintain his macho image.

As they drove deeper into the middle of nowhere, it became apparent why Parker hadn’t been able to give them directions but insisted he must lead them to his body. Unless he’d been able to supply exact latitude and longitude, even a GPS would be worthless out here.

Go ten or so miles down a gravel road until you get to the big live oak tree then turn left on the dirt road. Which big live oak tree? The one with green leaves? Yes, that would be the one. Oh, they all have green leaves. Then continue past the twentieth chuckhole...or maybe it’s the twenty-first.

“Turn right,” Teresa instructed, pointing in that direction.

Ross slowed to a stop. “Turn right where? I don’t see a road.”

“There.” She pointed through the brush. “He says there’s a trail, and if we had a four wheeler, we could get through easily. That’s how he came in. But since we don’t, we have to walk.”

Ross studied her in silence for a long moment then pulled the car as far off the road as possible. He was no longer arguing with Teresa or denying her assertions, but he was still upset and dubious.

Wearing motorcycle boots and jeans, Amanda stepped out into knee high weeds. Teresa slid out into the same weeds in her sandals and khaki shorts. She forced a smile. “Parker forgot to tell me we were going hiking.”

“Things like that don’t matter to us spirits.” Charley glided several inches above the weeds.

Jake walked beside Amanda and took her hand. She wanted to smile at him, but Charley hadn’t yet noticed the intimacy and she didn’t want to draw his attention to it. She settled for squeezing Jake’s hand while keeping her eyes straight ahead.

The five of them started down the poorly defined tracks through the weeds. Mesquite and oak trees still held green foliage while other trees were shedding red, gold, and brown leaves in a bright carpet. The landscape was transitioning from summer to winter, from vibrant and alive to sleeping. A bit like Ross and Teresa’s relationship.

They were not holding hands. Sometimes the two of them were almost embarrassing with their public displays of affection. Not today. Their relationship had taken a nosedive straight from summer to winter and there was no sign of spring.

Ghosts could do that to a relationship.

“We keep going until we come to an old well.” Teresa’s words were clipped and chilly.

As they trekked through the countryside, Amanda wondered if this was a wild goose chase or, in this case, a bogus corpse chase. Teresa wouldn’t lie about something like this, but she could be wrong. Or maybe the spirit was lying to her. Just because Charley couldn’t lie didn’t mean the same rules applied to other spirits. Maybe this wasn’t even Ross’ brother. Teresa had never seen the man before so she could be mistaken. How would that affect her relationship with Ross? Probably not good. Find Parker’s body, find a stranger’s body and admit she’d been wrong…either way Teresa was in trouble.

The uneven ground covered with rocks, dead leaves, grass and a few trees stretched before them with no change. “Can you ask him how much farther?”

“He isn’t sure. He was confused on his journey out here. It was dark and he still thought he was alive. He didn’t understand what was going on. But he thinks we’re getting close.”

“Your killer sure did pick a tough place to get to,” Charley complained. “Mine left me lying on my living room floor. Made it easier for Amanda to find me. I guess it was easier for him too. No body to lug around.”

Amanda had no idea how or if Parker responded to Charley’s comments. They continued walking in silence, the only sounds those of nature—occasional bird calls and the crunching of their footsteps as they walked through the fallen leaves and crisp grass.

An explosion burst through the quiet afternoon.

“Gunshot!” Jake dropped Amanda’s hand, produced a gun, and flung the other arm in front of Amanda. “Get down!”

A gun magically appeared in Ross’ hand. “I think it came from over there.”

Always with the cop thing.

And sometimes...like now with a shot echoing through the countryside...that could be a good thing, a reassuring thing.

Jake looked back. “Get down!” he said, more imperatively this time.

If she got down, she wouldn’t be able to see what was happening.

Jake and Ross ran in the direction of the gunshot.

“I’ll go check it out,” Charley volunteered. “I’m a lot faster than those clumsy cops.” He sped ahead of everybody.

Amanda started to follow but Teresa laid a hand on her arm.

“Maybe we should stay here.” Her face had gone a couple of shades paler than normal. Nothing to match Charley’s ghostly pallor, but getting close to Amanda’s redhead skin.

“Why?”

Teresa raised both eyebrows. “Uh...gunshot? You don’t think maybe that’s enough reason to wait while the guys with guns check it out?”

“You talk to dead people, but you’re frightened by a shot in the distance?”

Teresa clasped her hands. “Yes. I don’t want to join those dead people just yet.”

Amanda sighed. “Don’t you watch horror movies? Now that the guys are gone, the monster will come up behind us and slit our throats if we stay here. Come on!” She took Teresa’s arm and urged her forward.

Teresa came but not without protest. “Do you have any idea how uncomfortable these sandals are and how scratched my legs are?”

“It was your choice to dress sexy instead of comfortable. Hurry!”

She strode determinedly after Jake and Ross but slowed her pace when she noticed Teresa wasn’t keeping up.

Another shot cracked the air.

Teresa gasped.

Amanda didn’t break stride. “It’s Texas in the fall. Probably deer hunters.”

“Deer season’s not open yet,” Teresa protested.

“Yeah, and everybody obeys that law just like you obey the speeding laws.”

A third shot.

If it was deer hunters, that deer was either dead or long gone.

Charley flashed to Amanda’s side. “It’s the men who killed Parker! They’ve got rifles! Run!”

Teresa gasped. “Parker’s killers? How do you know?”

“Police! Drop your weapons!” A few feet ahead, Jake and Ross stood in shooter’s stances, aiming their guns in the same direction. Was Charley right? Had Parker led them to his murderer?

“What the hell?” a deep voice protested.

Amanda left Teresa behind and hurried to catch up to Jake.

In a clearing just ahead two large, bearded men wearing baseball caps were carefully laying their rifles on the ground.

“What were you shooting at?” Jake demanded.

“Targets.” The taller of the two men flung a hand outward.

Amanda peered in the direction he indicated and saw a bullet riddled target with the image of a zombie.

“Old man Carstairs call you again?” The second man, the shorter one with the larger paunch, scowled, bushy eyebrows almost meeting across his nose.

“I guess you know why he’d do that,” Ross said, obviously trying to get information.

The taller man muttered an expletive. “That old coot. Yeah, we know this is his land.” He smiled, his teeth surprisingly white in the middle of the scruffy brown beard. “We just wanted to get in a little practice before deer season starts next month, but we didn’t want to scare the deer off our land. It’s not like Carstairs hunts his property or lets anybody else. Deer just going to waste. No harm in running them over to our place.” He winked.

“You boys got any ID on you?” Jake asked.

“Sure do. You show me yours, I’ll show you mine.”

Holding his gun steady with one hand, Jake reached into his pocket with the other, pulled out his wallet and flashed his badge. “Your turn.”

The tall man smiled again. “No problem, officer. You can’t blame us for being careful out here in the middle of nowhere when two men got guns pointed at us.”

As the bearded men reached into their back pockets, Jake and Ross tensed.

Both men brought out their wallets and extracted driver’s licenses.

Jake strode over and checked out the one held by the taller man. “Stanley Wagner.” He reached for the other man’s. “And Clyde Wagner. You boys brothers?”

“Yep,” Stanley replied. “Next farm over. Been there for five generations. You officers like to hunt? Get you a little fresh venison? Nothing better than venison chili on a cold winter night. We can make that happen. We lease this place to deer hunters every year. For you boys who keep the peace, we can waive the fee. Just a little thank you for all you do.”

Jake handed back the licenses and dropped his arm to his side though he kept his fingers wrapped around the grips of his 9mm. “Appreciate that, but we do most of our hunting in the grocery store.”

“Let me know if you change your mind. We might even arrange something a little early.” Another sly wink.

“Why don’t you boys call it a day for target practice? Go home before Mr. Carstairs decides to press charges for trespassing.”

“You got it, officer,” Clyde said. “You have a good day now, y’hear? And if you change your mind about the venison...”

Jake nodded and stepped back to join Ross. “I know where to find you.”

They watched as the men retrieved their battered target and disappeared through the trees.

Ross looked at Teresa and burst into laughter. “Dorothy, we’re not in Dallas anymore.”

Amanda turned her attention to her pale, wide-eyed friend.

Teresa gave a shaky smile then a shaky laugh. “I thought those men were going to shoot you.”

Ross grinned. “That’s always a possibility, but we try to shoot them before they shoot us.”

The incident had been unsettling, but it had broken Ross’ grim detachment.

He laid his hand on Teresa’s slender arm and she gazed up at him with the familiar gaga expression.

Amanda released a soft sigh and relaxed.

Charley snorted.

Jake cleared his throat. “Now that we’ve made the area safe for deer, maybe we should continue the search before it gets dark.”

Ross’ expression became grim once more but he continued to hold Teresa’s arm protectively as they again plunged through the underbrush, getting back to the poorly-defined tracks.

Teresa suddenly stopped. “Where?” She moved to her left a couple of feet and stopped again. Ross did not follow.

She leaned over to examine something on the ground then straightened and turned to face Ross. Moisture swam in her dark eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Ross tensed, his body woodenly straight.

Amanda drew in a sharp breath. What had Teresa found in the leaves? Parker’s body? She moved toward her friend.

Charley was there first. He patted Teresa’s shoulder. “Are you okay? I don’t see a dead man.”

If Amanda hadn’t met Charley’s parents and found them to be kind, caring people, she’d have thought he was raised by wolves. Ill-mannered wolves.

She brushed past Teresa and looked down. A hole in the ground approximately four feet in diameter surrounded by rocks placed there a long time ago and worn smooth.

A well. Teresa had said they would come to an old well.

Jake moved up beside her and produced a flashlight.

“No,” Ross croaked. “Let me look first.”

“Why don’t I—” Jake began.