The Ghost Who Wasn't (Haunting Danielle Book 3) (3 page)

W
alt and Danielle
sat quietly in the parlor watching Lily pace back and forth, talking to herself as if she were trying to work out a puzzle. Her left hand absently twirled a lock of red hair while her right hand punched and pointed into the air erratically.

“I’m glad to see she hasn’t gotten hysterical like your cousin did,” Walt whispered.

“I just can’t believe this,” Danielle said softly, her eyes filling with tears as she watched her best friend arguing with herself. “I don’t want to lose Lily.”

“You don’t have to lose her,” Walt said. “She could stay with us.”

“No, Walt. This isn’t where she belongs, if she is…is…” Danielle closed her eyes and stifled a sob.

“Well she obviously is,” Walt said calmly.

Lily stopped abruptly and turned to Walt and Danielle. “I’m not dead. I don’t feel dead. Tell me again, Dani, what my mother told you.”

“She said you had a car accident. You were returning from your girls’ weekend and your car ran into a semi and burst into flames. They said you were speeding—going over 100 miles an hour.”

“That’s ridiculous. I don’t speed!” Lily took the chair behind the desk again and sat down.

“Do you remember driving home?” Danielle asked.

“I guess…” Lily closed her eyes for a moment and tried to remember. “It’s funny, until you mentioned it, I had forgotten all about the weekend. I’m not even sure how I got back here. At the time, it just seemed like the most natural thing…but it is all very confusing.”

“Yes, it can be like that. At least it was for me,” Walt said with a nod. “After I was murdered things were hazy and out of sync. At the time, I just accepted it all—didn’t question it—not really. It was not until I acknowledged my death—accepted it—did things come into focus. I stepped out of the fog.”

“I am not dead. I refuse to be dead!”

“Lily, I think it will help if you try to remember. What is your last memory of your trip?” Danielle asked gently.

“Well…I remember putting my suitcase in the car. Dreading the long drive home.”

“Okay, then what?”

“Oh I know!” Lily said excitedly.

“What?” Walt and Danielle chorused.

“We all went to the Indian casino the night before and I won over five thousand bucks! How could I have forgotten that?” Lily’s momentary burst of excitement faded into a frown. “Oh crap, don’t tell me it was burned with my car…”

“Focus on your ride home, after putting your suitcase in your car,” Danielle urged.

“I remember getting on the freeway…then…”

“Then what?” Danielle asked.

Lily shook her head and said, “That’s when it gets really fuzzy. I can’t remember much after getting on the freeway.”

“Your mother did say that’s where you were killed,” Walt reminded.

“I know, but I don’t speed. I mean seriously, me driving over 100 miles an hour. I don’t think so.”

“It was your car, Lily,” Danielle said. “According to your mother there was only one person in the vehicle—a woman. They found your purse not far from the wreckage, with your identification. It must have flown out of the car before the explosion.”

“And the woman in the car was definitely me? My mother said that?”

“I’m sorry, Lily. She didn’t sound like there was any doubt. I’m sure they’ve done what they had to, to verify your identity. I didn’t ask her about it. I was just trying to wrap my head around things.”

“I don’t remember speeding or any accident. Although…” Lily paused and rubbed her head.

“What is it?” Danielle asked.

“My head. I remember. Something hit my head. It hurt and then….then everything gets mixed up.”

“Maybe you hit your head during the accident?” Danielle suggested.

“The only reason you two think I’m dead is because I can see Walt! Dani can see Walt, and she’s not dead. I obviously have some sort of amnesia because I can’t remember how I got here exactly. But it doesn’t mean I’m dead. Maybe I did get hit over the head somehow and because of it, it’s possible for me to see Walt, like Dani does.”

“There are other ways to determine if you…if you have passed over to my side.”

“Such as?” Lily asked.

“I suppose you could try giving Danielle a hug, try picking up something—or simply look in the mirror.”

“The mirror?” Lily asked.

“Remember, that’s when Cheryl truly realized she was no longer alive. She didn’t have a reflection,” Danielle said.

“I thought that was only vampires?” Lily scoffed.

“Vampires and ghosts,” Walt quipped.

“Okay, I’ll take the mirror test—and then we can figure out how I got here.”

“Should I be offended she didn’t want a hug?” Danielle asked Walt, after Lily dashed from the parlor into the entry hall. Just as Danielle stood up, she heard Lily let out a loud scream.

“No reflection?” Walt said dryly, arching his brows.

Danielle raced from the room. When she reached Lily’s side, she looked into the mirror with her friend. The moment she did, she too let out a scream, one even louder than Lily’s.

“Goodness women, I’m sorry about this, but what did you expect Danielle?” Walt asked.

“I didn’t expect this!” Danielle said, still staring into the mirror with Lily.

“What do you think this means?” Lily asked, her eyes still focused on the mirror.

“I don’t have any idea,” Danielle shook her head.

“Does she have a reflection or not?” Walt asked, walking toward the pair.

“Sort of…” Danielle murmured.

“Sort of?” Walt frowned.

Danielle stepped back, making room for Walt. Standing next to Lily, Walt looked into the mirror. He had no reflection, yet Lily had one, a faint ghost-like reflection.

Lily reached out to the mirror, yet didn’t try to touch it. “I can see myself. Does this mean I’m not dead?”

“I don’t know. It’s not a regular reflection—looks—well—like you’re made up of mist,” Walt said.

“I didn’t think a ghost could have a reflection,” Danielle said.

“Then I’m not dead!” Lily said excitedly, turning to Danielle.

Danielle reached out to take Lily’s hand, but her hand moved effortlessly through Lily’s. The two women stood motionless for a moment, staring at each other’s hands. Danielle tried again, but once again, her hand moved through Lily’s.

“Oh crap…” Lily moaned.

“I am so sorry Lily,” Danielle whispered.

“I still don’t believe I’m dead. I can’t explain it, but I feel…I feel as if I’m here for a reason. Maybe I’m having some out of body experience. If a ghost doesn’t have a reflection, then it is possible I am still alive…somewhere.”

“I don’t know anything about out of body experiences. I’ve never met anyone who had one. Are you saying someone else was driving your car?” Danielle asked.

“Well, if I am still alive—somewhere—then that would have to mean someone else was driving my car and was killed. I would never race down the freeway that fast; it can’t be me. Someone must have stolen my car and was trying to get away.”

“But where are you, Lily?” Walt asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Try to remember. Think back to before you got onto the freeway, and then move forward, retrace your steps,” Danielle urged.

“Let’s see…” Lily stepped away from the mirror and began to pace. “Okay…before I checked out of the motel I had something to eat. They served breakfast in the lobby. We all got together, said our goodbyes and I had some cereal and coffee. I checked out and then got on the road.”

“You say you remember getting on the freeway?” Danielle asked.

“Yes. I remember now. I was annoyed with myself for not going to the bathroom one more time before I left the motel. I downed a couple cups of coffee pretty quickly.”

“Maybe that’s why you were speeding—to get to a rest stop,” Danielle suggested.

“No…because I remember turning off to the rest stop. I went to the bathroom. I remember now.”

“Okay, then what?” Danielle asked.

Lily stopped pacing and turned to face Walt and Danielle. “That’s it. I was in the bathroom, and then…my head…I remember my head hurting. Maybe that’s where I hit my head. Then it’s kind of a jumble. The clearest memory I have after that is being at Ian’s, looking for him…oh my god, Ian!”

“I know. I’m going to have to tell him.”

“No, Dani! You can’t. Not yet. We don’t know for sure that I’m dead!”

“I promised your mother I’d be calling her back later. I should probably ask if they’ve made a positive identification on the body—she didn’t mention anything about a funeral and I didn’t ask.”

“They can’t have a funeral, I’m not dead! And you can’t tell Ian; I don’t want to worry him.”

“Lily, I have to tell him,” Danielle insisted.

“Danielle is right, she has to tell Ian. But if your mother tells her they haven’t made a positive identification, I suppose she could leave that window of hope open—until you figure this thing out.”

“Walt, when did you realize you were dead?” Lily asked, stepping closer to him.

“When Danielle told me. I think I always knew, deep down, but I suppose I ignored the signs and blissfully moved through a fog.”

“That’s the thing; I don’t have that deep down feeling. The only deep down feeling I have is that I am alive! I will admit I was in a fog, so to speak—when I first got here. But it’s gone and I see things clearly.”

“You say you see things clearly, but you don’t remember what happened between the time you stopped and may have hit your head, and you arrived at Ian’s.” Walt reminded.

“There is something there, but I just can’t seem to grab on to it.”

“That happens—at least it does for someone who has died. Not everything came into focus immediately for me. It took time. However, you seem to think this is something else, so I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Why don’t I call Lily’s mother back?” Danielle suggested. “It was an awful lot to take in when I first spoke to her. She’s expecting me to call her later anyway. Might as well do it now.”

“Yes! Please do!” Lily said excitedly. “And tell Mom, whatever she does, don’t start planning my funeral!”

“Let’s go into the library, I’ll call her from there.”

Once in the library, Walt and Lily quietly listened to Danielle’s side of the conversation. She and Mrs. Miller were on the phone for almost thirty minutes, when Danielle finally said goodbye.

“Well, what did she say? They haven’t positively identified the body, have they?” Lily asked.

“No, they’re waiting to get a hold of your dental records.”

“That shouldn’t take long. Our dentist retired last spring, but he sold his practice, so the guy who bought it should have my records.”

“Your mom mentioned that. Unfortunately, there was some sort of mix up with the records transferred from your dentist to the new one. A few patient records are missing—including yours.”

“That’s crazy! What does our old dentist say?”

“That’s the problem. He’s out of town and won’t be back until after the weekend.”

“My poor mother, I wish we could tell her everything will be okay,” Lily moaned.

“I wish that too. But we don’t know everything is going to be okay.”

“You can remind her, the body hasn’t been officially identified yet, so there is still hope,” Lily suggested.

“Your mom seems to think it’s just a formality. Although, they’re waiting until after the body has been positively identified to plan the funeral. According to her, the authorities don’t suspect foul play, and with the evidence they have, they’re convinced you were the one killed in the accident.” Danielle’s phone buzzed, indicating an incoming text message. She glanced down and read it. “That’s Ian. He wants to know if he can come over. He needs to ask me something.”

“Ian! I can’t wait to see him!”

“Lily, when he comes over, you have to promise not to distract me while I tell him what happened. It’s going to be hard enough without you trying to talk to me when he’s here.”

D
anielle questioned
the wisdom of meeting with Ian at Marlow House to discuss Lily’s possible demise, while Lily and Walt lurked in the background. Even if they both kept quiet—which she doubted was possible—they would be a distraction while she broached such a sensitive subject.

Unfortunately, Ian caught her off guard by calling and asking if it was okay if he dropped by. Had she considered the question a moment, she might have thought to make up an excuse to meet him elsewhere, such as his house across the street. Of course, that would only have worked had Lily not pieced together her phone conversation with Ian. After all, if Lily had been able to go to Ian’s house earlier, Danielle didn’t see why she wouldn’t be able to do it again.

Danielle made her way from the library to the foyer, with Lily and Walt trailing behind. Going to the window by the front door, she pulled the curtain to one side and looked out. It was starting to drizzle. When she spied Ian rushing up the front walk, she quickly opened the front door to let him in.

“It started to rain when I got across the street,” Ian said when he stepped inside and began wiping his feet on the mat. “I wanted to talk to you about Lily.”

“Umm…yes…I need to talk to you about Lily too.” Danielle shut the door after Ian walked into the house.

“Oh Ian, I wish you could hear me!”

“Hush, Lily, we promised Danielle we’d be quiet,” Walt reminded.

“I know, but I wonder why he wants to talk to Dani about me.”

Danielle cleared her throat and glared at Lily, who seemed oblivious to her friend’s annoyance.

“I imagine if you stop talking we’ll find out,” Walt suggested.

“Have you heard from her?” Ian asked, sounding hopeful.

“Why don’t we go talk in the parlor,” Danielle suggested, leading the way.

“Just tell me you’ve talked to her,” Ian said as he followed Danielle into the parlor. “After we left the cafe I tried calling her and got a message that the number is no longer in service. Did she change her cell number for some reason? I don’t know why she wouldn’t have told me.”

“That’s impossible,” Lily said as she followed them into the parlor. “Mom wouldn’t have turned off my phone that quick! What am I thinking, that’s exactly what Mom would do. That’s what I get for being part of their family plan!”

“Ian, I have some bad news,” Danielle began.

“Don’t you think you should tell him to sit down first?” Walt suggested.

“That is so cliché, Walt. I hate when they say that in movies. Like really, do you expect Ian to faint?” Lily rolled her eyes.

“He does seem to be stuck on you.”

“If you mean he likes me, I hope so! But I don’t want him to think I’m dead. I’m certain my body is alive and well, somewhere. We just need to find it before it’s too late.”

“I can’t focus!” Danielle rubbed the heel of her right hand against her forehead.

“What is it Danielle? Has something happened to Lily?”

Lily started to reply but Walt hushed her again. “Quiet Lily, you’re making this more difficult for Danielle.”

With a pout, Lily folded her arms over her chest and pursed her lips, locking whatever words she wanted to say inside. Danielle glanced at Lily and Walt before taking a deep breath.

“Maybe you should sit down,” Danielle said quietly.

“Something has happened to Lily?” Ian said dully as he sat down on the sofa. “Hasn’t it?”

“I’m not sure. But I got a call from Lily’s mom a few minutes ago. There was an accident yesterday. Lily’s car was speeding on the freeway and it hit a semi. The woman who was driving was killed.”

“It wasn’t Lily?” Ian sounded hopeful.

“Lily’s mother thinks it was her, but they haven’t identified the body yet. It was burned beyond recognition. They’re waiting for results from the dental records.”

“But you don’t sound like you think it was Lily?”

“According to Mrs. Miller the driver was going in excess of 100 miles an hour.”

“Lily? She drives like a little old lady,” Ian said. “Unless someone was chasing her, I can’t see her speeding.”

“Little old lady? That’s rude. I’m just a safe driver,” Lily grumbled.

Danielle glanced over at Lily and narrowed her eyes briefly, silently hushing her, then looked back to Ian. “That’s what I thought. It’s just out of character for her.”

“Where did the accident happen?” Ian asked.

“Not far from Palm Springs.”

“You said this was yesterday?”

“Yes.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Lily was planning to return home Monday. She had to be back to work on Tuesday.”

“That’s right! I left on Labor Day!” Lily jumped up from the desk and stood next to Walt, who again hushed her.

“Mrs. Miller didn’t say anything about Lily planning to return on Monday.”

“And no one has heard from her?” Ian asked.

“I’m afraid not.” Danielle shook her head sadly.

“What do the police think?” Ian asked.

“According to Mrs. Miller, they don’t believe there was any foul play. Identifying the body is nothing more than a formality from their perspective.”

“This doesn’t feel right.” Ian stood up and began pacing the room. “Has anyone talked to the motel Lily was staying at?”

Lily sat back down on the desktop and watched Ian pace.

“What for?” Danielle asked.

“To find out when she checked out. Like I said, the last time I talked to her she planned to be home Monday night, so she’d make school on Tuesday.”

“Mrs. Miller didn’t say anything about that. I didn’t even think to ask.”

“I refuse to believe that was Lily in the car,” Ian insisted.

“I love you Ian,” Lily whispered.

“I don’t want to believe that either. But if it wasn’t her, then where is she?” Danielle asked, glancing back at Lily.

“Even if she wasn’t driving the car, this isn’t good.” Ian stopped pacing. “And if the police believe that was Lily in the car, then they aren’t looking for her. When are they getting those dental records back?”

“I don’t know. From what I understand Lily’s dentist retired not long ago, and someone bought out his practice.”

“The new dentist would have her records. It really shouldn’t take long.” Ian ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he stood silent for a moment.

“Ian, are you okay?” Danielle asked in a soft voice.

When Ian finally opened his eyes, they were brimming with tears. He looked at Danielle and shook his head.

“Not really,” he mumbled, the realization of Danielle’s news finally sinking in.

Without thought, Danielle opened her arms to Ian. He accepted her invitation, silently weeping on her shoulder.

“Oh stop that!” Lily begged. “You two are going to make me cry!” Lily jumped up and down, just a few feet from Ian and Danielle. Helpless, she watched as her best friend comforted the man she loved.

“Please don’t.” Walt sounded more bored than concerned. “I remember Cheryl’s annoying caterwauling. Sobbing ghosts are not pretty.”

“I would have to be dead to be a ghost. And like I told you, I am not dead!” Lily stomped her foot.

“Then pray tell, where is your body, missy?”

“You were much nicer when you visited me in my dreams.”

“I’m just trying to be realistic, Lily. When someone makes a visit without their flesh and blood body in tow, one tends to assume the worse.”

“I just don’t feel dead. I feel…well disconnected…what I would expect an out of body experience to feel like.”

“What exactly is an out of body experience?”

“Where your conscious self—your soul—disconnects from your body—travels independently of the body.”

“Sounds like being dead to me,” Walt scoffed.

“Some people claim to be able to have out of body experiences through meditation,” Lily explained.

“Are you saying your physical self is somewhere meditating, while your conscious self is zooming from California to Oregon?”

“No, not exactly. But I believe my body is somewhere—still alive—and we need to figure out where so I can reconnect.”

“I’m sorry,” Ian mumbled, wiping tears from his eyes as he stepped away from Danielle.

“That’s okay, Ian. I love her too.”

“I never told her,” Ian said sadly.

“You do love me!” Lily beamed.

“We can’t give up hope, Ian.”

“There is one thing we can do,” Ian said with conviction, his eyes now dry.

“What’s that?”

“We need to find out what motel she stayed at, and see when she checked out.”

“What good will that do?”

“We could call the police investigating the accident, and if she left on Monday, like she was supposed to, then they may consider foul play and start looking for Lily, assuming she wasn’t the one killed in the accident. My only problem, I don’t know where she was staying. Do you have any idea?”

Danielle looked over to Lily. “I think she mentioned it,” Danielle lied. “Let me see if I can remember the name of the motel.”

After a few moments of silence, Walt spoke up. “Lily, tell Danielle where you stayed in Palm Springs!”

“Oh! Sorry!” Lily felt foolish. She quickly gave Danielle the name of the motel.

After sharing the information with Ian, Danielle went to the desk and turned on her laptop computer. “I’ll see if I can find the phone number.”

A few minutes later Ian was ringing up the motel and asking to speak to the reservation desk. Silently, Danielle, Walt, and Lily listened to Ian’s side of the conversation.

“I need to speak to someone about a guest you had over the weekend, Lily Miller,” Ian said.

“Who is this exactly?” a male voice asked.

“My name is Ian Bartley. I’m Lily’s boyfriend.”

“My boyfriend. I love how that sounds!” Lily gushed.

“Umm…Mr. Bartley…exactly why are you calling?”

“Lily was supposed to leave there on Monday.”

“Yes, she checked out on Monday.”

“Are you sure?”

“Umm…Mr. Bartley, I think you need to speak to Sargent King.”

“Sargent King?” Ian frowned.

“Hold on, he left his business card, let me get it for you.”

“Who is Sargent King?”

“I am really sorry to have to tell you this Mr. Bartley, but Ms. Miller was in a car accident. You really need to speak to Sargent King.”

Before Ian got off the phone a few moments later, he jotted down the officer’s phone number.

“What did they say?” Danielle asked.

“She checked out on Monday.”

“I told you!” Lily said.

“Apparently the police investigating the accident already know that.”

“They do? Then why don’t they suspect foul play? She should have been back home Tuesday, not on a freeway a short distance from a motel she checked out of the day before.”

“I don’t know. But he gave me the name of the officer who inquired about Lily’s checkout time.”

“Well, what are you waiting for? Call him!” Danielle urged.

A few minutes later Ian had Sargent King on the phone. Danielle and Lily waited anxiously for Ian to hang up. His side of the conversation gave them more questions than answers.

“This is really odd,” Ian said when he finally ended the call.

“Do they suspect foul play and just haven’t told Lily’s mother? Are they looking for Lily?” Danielle asked.

“No, they aren’t looking for her. He’s convinced it was Lily in the car.”

“I don’t understand? Don’t they wonder why she was still in southern California after checking out the day before?”

“According to him, when she didn’t show up to work on Tuesday the school called her cellphone and Lily answered.”

“That’s not true!” Lily insisted.

“What did she say?” Danielle asked.

“She apologized for not calling sooner but claimed she had been sleeping. Said she got food poisoning on the way home and had to pull over and get another room. Sounded like they woke her up when they called.”

“I did no such thing!” Lily shouted.