Cloudy with a Chance of Ghosts (Destiny Bay Cozy Mysteries Book 4) Page 4

  She hesitated and I began to hope she might actually tell me.

  “Keri Shorter was becoming a nuisance,” she said carefully. “She’d been hanging around for days. She was a snoop. Always jotting down notes and things. I was just telling her to mind her own business. No one likes to think a guest is actually a spy of some kind.”

  “A spy. What would she be spying on?”

  That flicker of unease was back in her gaze. “Oh, you know. My father is very wealthy and fairly famous. There are always people who try to take advantage of that.”

  “Has your father done something he’s trying to hide?” I asked, secretly cringing inside for asking. It was a rude question and I knew I would get a rude answer. And I also knew that I deserved it.

  She looked furious. “Bug off,” she said, and turned her back on me as she began to go through the drawers of the dresser.

  Jill was making motions toward the door, signaling she thought it was time we vamoosed. I had to agree. I would rather eat dirt than to have Captain Stone catch me here. So we said goodbye to Debbie and left the room.

  We began to walk down the long corridor and suddenly it looked endless. There was a feeling in the air, something ominous, something whispering that we really shouldn’t be there. A cold, clammy breeze hit my face, as though the air conditioner was working overtime and being vindictive about it. My breath started to come in shorter bursts and I was getting that dizzy vibe again.

  I looked around, feeling as though I was walking in slow motion. As we passed, some doors to rooms seemed to open. Here and there, people stood in the doorways—only they weren’t really people. They looked like wraiths—shades, spirits—and most were dressed in clothes from other eras. My heart began to beat like a drum. When I turned to actually look at them, they melted away and the doors were closed after all. But when I stayed unfocused, I could see them, hear them, sense them. What was going on?

  The hair was rising on the back of my neck and I felt like one of those things might be following me. I whipped my head around, but there was nothing there. I wanted to run, to get out of there as quickly as I could, but how was I going to explain that to Jill? She was chattering away, obviously totally blind to what was going on around us.

  The corridor seemed to last forever. I began to tremble and I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it to the elevator without crying out or breaking into a burst of speed.

  But finally, there it was in front of us. I threw myself inside and reached for the railing, leaning hard and trying to catch my breath. I looked back down the hall. Nothing to see—but a high, eerie sound—like the plaintive cry of the damned--seemed to follow us until we got those doors shut.

  I turned to Jill and tried to smile, but she’d noticed. How could she not? And she was frowning at me, puzzled. I forced a smile. I didn’t want her to think I was going nuts.

  She shrugged lightly and began talking again.

  “Listen.” As we hit the lobby, she turned and grabbed my arm. “I know a woman who works here. She’s at the concierge desk right now. I’ll go over and see if I can get any information from her on Keri. Why don’t you go to the lounge and get a drink and wait for me there?”

  I nodded, glad for a chance to sit somewhere and calm down. I slipped into the darkened lounge and found a table in the corner. I took a deep breath and looked around the room, half scared at what I might see. Not a ghost in sight. What a relief. I smiled at the waitress and ordered a cup of decaf. By the time she came back with it, I was myself again.

  “Can I ask you about someone who’s staying here right now?” I tried.

  She nodded helpfully and said, “Sure, but I’m not likely to know many of them.”

  Wishing like crazy that I had a picture to show, I said, “The name is Keri Shorter. She’s a nice looking woman, about forty, with a neat bobbed haircut, glasses and a professional look to her. She…”

  “I think I do know her,” the waitress said. “Keri, yes! She’s been staying here all week and it’s not to hit the beaches. She comes in for an afternoon mocha and then has a White Russian before she goes to bed. We’ve chatted a number of times as I got to noticing her. Did you try her room? She’s rarely in this early, but…”

  “No, she’s not in,” I said hastily. I didn’t want to say any more about that. “Do you have any idea what she’s doing here in the Destiny Bay area? I mean, since she’s not the usual tourist type, maybe she gave you a hint as to what she…”

  “Oh sure, honey,” the waitress said, being super helpful. “She’s a journalist and she’s here working on a story. She didn’t tell me the fellow’s name, but he’s some rich guy with a mansion up on the Gold Coast Shore. Not one of the movie stars, she said. She told me she knew something secret from his past and she was planning to do a tell-all about him for some magazine. She didn’t tell me the details, unfortunately. And believe me, I tried to pry out some of the juicier ones she hinted at. But she’s real nice. I’m sure she’ll tell you about it too when you catch up with her.”

  “That would be nice,” I said, trying to be noncommittal. “Thank you so much. You’ve been a big help.”

  Jill appeared and slid in across from me. “My concierge friend didn’t know much,” she told me in a stage whisper, competing with the piped in music. “She gave the computer records a whirl, but the only thing she found out was that Keri’s home address is in Boston.”

  I nodded and quickly reeled off what the waitress had told me. Jill was impressed.

  “So it looks like she really was working on a story. A story about Carlton Hart, huh? What do you suppose her angle was?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know, but I have a feeling that is exactly what Debbie is trying to find out.” I frowned, thinking. “You know, it is strange that we didn’t find any paperwork or recording equipment or anything a journalist might use to keep notes on what she was finding out. Do you suppose they have a strong box or something like that here in the hotel—some place where she could have kept her notes from being stolen?”

  “Oh sure. Hotels usually have a safe or someplace where people can put valuables.” She gave a quick chortle. “You want to go back and try your desk clerk again?”

  “Hmm.” I glanced out into the lobby and groaned. “Too late. The professionals have arrived. I don’t think we can beat them to this one.”

  I saw Lieutenant Roy, but only seconds before he saw me. He came walking into the lounge and headed straight for our table. I got goose bumps. Something about the swaggering way he walked toward us reminded me of a gunslinger walking out to face the bad guy.

  Only—I wasn’t a villain. Was I?

  But the real question was—did he think of me that way? Sometimes it felt like it. Strange thoughts like that were swirling in my mind as he stopped and looked down at me.

  “Mele Keahi. We meet again.” He sighed and glanced toward heaven. “Why did I have a feeling I would find you here?”

  I took a deep breath and met his skeptical gaze. “That isn’t so hard, you know. You must be aware that Jill’s new friend Jagger has been implicated, though we hope not too seriously. And if you knew that, you would know we’d have to be looking into things.” I hated how defensive I sounded.

  His eyes widened with alarm. “Just exactly what have you been doing?” he asked.

  That was always the question—it was a balancing act. How much could I tell him? How much could I get him to tell me? We were both walking on egg shells here.

  “We’ve been gathering information,” I said, chin up. “Trying to find out who the murder victim really is and why she was here.”

  He looked astounded. “Okay. That sounds like you. So what have you found out?”

  I began to gather my things.

  “She lives in Boston,” I said quickly. “She was here working on a story, probably for a magazine. The story might or might not have been on Carlton Hart.” I looked up into his gorgeous eyes. “And you might want to take a look in the hot
el safe to see if she kept any notes on her work there, because we couldn’t find it anywhere else.” I met his gaze a bit defiantly. “I suppose you’ve already checked out her rental car.”

  He tried to hold it back but a grin would not be denied and it twisted his wide mouth anyway. His eyes were shining with something—laughter? Disdain? Outrage? I couldn’t tell which.

  “How did I ever solve crimes without you two?” he said.

  Jill gave a gurgling laugh. She’d been gathering her things too, and we were about to make a getaway. “Think of us as the Little Helpers of the North Destiny Bay Police. When murder’s in the air, we’ll be there.”

  “Ugh!” I said, giving her a disgusted look as we rose to go. I glanced at Roy. “Don’t worry, we’ll be thinking up a better motto.” I smiled. “See you.”

  He raised one dark eyebrow as he took in how I looked in the slinky jumpsuit. “Lookin’ good, girl,” he said softly. “And hey—that’s a nice bracelet you have there.”

  I held out my arm so he could see it better. “Yup,” I said, flirting with my eyes. “Someone very special gave this to me.” I made a face as I prepared to sashay past him. “No one you would know.”

  He grinned, catching my hand for just a moment. “I’ll call you later,” he said softly as he let me slip past.

  I glanced up into his face and felt a little sizzle. “Good.”

  He watched us go with a bemused smile on his face and I tried to decide if I felt humbled or challenged by his attitude. At least he hadn’t ordered me to stay away from the investigation. Not yet, anyway.

  Chapter Four

  I had a restless night. The only good part was when Roy called and we had a long, long talk, me under my covers, in the dark and feeling like sharing—he, in his car, waiting to go into his condo after a long day at work. We didn’t talk about the murder. We had other things to share. And it was definitely one of the best talks we’d ever had.

  Still, it only went so far. I couldn’t help but wonder how we could always come so close to intimacy, only to back away, every time. Was our relationship doomed? Or were we both just too scared to let it get too close?

  I was mulling that over in the morning as I had my cereal and coffee. Did I want things to get more exciting? Or did I like it just the way it was? Hmmm.

  Roy called again, only this time he was all business. He’d just gone in to work and he had a few updates for me.

  “Look, I’m really not supposed to leak to civilians,” he began.

  I made a sound of mock outrage. “I hope I’m more than just a civilian to you,” I teased.

  I could almost hear him smile.

  “Don’t worry about that,” he said huskily, then it was back to his business voice. “Tests are coming in and a homicide is about to be confirmed. And the way things are going, I’m afraid Jagger is our man for the moment.”

  “Oh no.” I hated to think of what Jill was going to feel like once she knew.

  “The judge may let him out on bail, or he may not. We’ll see. But anyway, I just thought you might want to give Jill some company so she won’t be alone when she gets the news.”

  Now see—that’s what I love about Roy. He may seem distant at times. He may act like he’s forgotten I exist. But then he comes in with a thoughtful, sensitive statement like that, and you’ve just got to love him.

  He told me a couple of technical details and groused about the station coffee machine, then hung up and I went back to my breakfast, though with this new lump in my throat, I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat another bite.

  Poor Jill. I couldn’t say poor Jagger, because at this point, I was angry with him. He might very well be the murderer. And the heartbreaker at the same time where Jill was concerned. I thought it over and decided to keep this new information to myself. I knew that was what Roy expected me to do.

  Bebe was rushing around. She was late for a meeting with her staff

  about Spring planting plans.

  “How about you?” she asked me. “Don’t you have to go in to make a report to the council one of these days?”

  “Next Tuesday,” I reassured her. “Don’t worry. I’ve got things under control. I’ve done my research on new play equipment for Johnson Beach and I’ll be ready to defend my position when the time comes.”

  “Good.”

  I helped her find her keys, then waved her off, just in time to notice that there was a cat fight going on in the back yard. I raced out the back door, yelling, “Cats!” only to see the two of them disappear in different directions, one black, one a beautiful silver color.

  Sami was Bebe’s big black cat and he was once a loveable cuddler. Now he was a cat on alert at all times and it was all my fault. I brought Silver, a big gray male to live with us when his owner died—after being pushed over a cliff—and now Sami felt he had to protect his territory at every moment. He spent half his awake time hiding around corners, hoping to get the drop on Silver and show him who was the real king of the hill around here.

  Silver was much more laid back. As far as he was concerned, Sami was just a rambunctious older brother who had to be tolerated with a yawn. They didn’t like each other much, but they usually didn’t come to blows. Still, every now and then, Sami caught Silver unawares and bit him at the base of his tail before he knew what was happening. On those occasions, they had a loud and very tempestuous battle royale. It never lasted long, but it left a mark on everyone’s nerves when it happened.

  Meanwhile, as usual, it had set the parrot to screeching his head off. The less said about him, the better.

  I looked around the yard, thinking I hadn’t seen much of Aunty Jane lately. Aunty Jane is a ghost attached to our family. She knew my grandmother and originally came to California with Bebe when she married Jimmy Miyaki whose family started Miyaki Farms, the flower growing fields we lived on. Now the two of them seemed to have lost that close connection and I seemed to be picking up where Bebe left off. I felt nothing but love for this elderly lady in her bright Hawaiian muumuu and her jaunty straw hat. But where could she be? I had a sudden chilling thought. What if she was so depressed by losing Bebe’s closeness that she’d left us altogether? That set up a thread of panic in my heart and I began to look for her much harder.

  A sudden wispy movement drew me to the shed, and there she was, cowering behind the brooms and rakes.

  “What is it, Aunty?” I cried, wishing I could reach out and give her a hug. My heart was touched by the wary look on her face.

  She shook her head and tried to wave me away. “Nothing, nothing, I’m alright.”

  “Is something scaring you?”

  She shook her head again. “No, no. Just go. I’ll be alright.”

  I looked around the yard but I couldn’t catch a glimpse of anything that could be threatening her. Unless it had been the catfight. Those cat voices could get scary.

  “Do you want to come into the house?” I asked her.

  She hesitated, then came out a little from behind the equipment. “Is Bebe there?” she asked.

  “No, she’s got a meeting with the gang over at the bundling station. I think they’re going to be working for a few hours. They have a lot of planning to do.”

  She looked at me, then nodded. “Okay,” she said. “I come with you. Okay?”

  “Sure,” I said. “I’d love to have you.” I laughed as we walked toward the back door. “I only wish I could offer you a cup of coffee, but I guess that wouldn’t work out, would it?”

  She didn’t seem to find anything amusing about that concept and she gave me a look that was meant to quell my bubbly morning attitude. It seemed something serious was afoot in her world. I wondered if I was going to get any hint of what that was.

  She didn’t come in very often, but when she did, I knew she liked to watch a little television, so I took her into the living room and turned it on for her. There was a cooking show on and I thought that couldn’t really be interesting to her, but she seemed to like it. Littl
e by little, she began to relax. I was tempted to quiz her on what was wrong, but I decided against it. She would tell me when she was ready. Maybe.

  I wanted to talk to her about what had happened the night before at the hotel, how I’d seen what I guessed had to be ghosts in doorways along the corridor. I wanted to understand that, and to ask her why I was starting to see things like that more often.

  You had to think that plenty of people had probably died in a hotel that size that had existed for over one hundred years. Still, it gave me the shivers to think of those sad, lonely faces I’d seen. They had shaken me deeply. I had to work on not letting that sort of thing blindside me again.

  I got busy clearing the breakfast dishes and cleaning the kitchen, and then my phone rang. It was Jill.

  “I talked to Jagger,” she said. “They’re letting him go home this afternoon.”

  “Really?” I grimaced, afraid that was just letting him out on bail, but I wasn’t about to tell her that.

  “But he wants me to go out to Carlton’s place and pick up his paintings from the show this morning. Can you go with me?”

  “Sure.” I didn’t hesitate. What else were friends for? “I’ll get the truck and I’ll come by and pick you up in half an hour.”

  Sami was peeking in the window, lifting one paw to tap the glass, which was what he did when he wanted to come in. I went to the back door and opened it, but he took his time, being careful, looking around corners.

  “He’s not here,” I told him, knowing he was on the look out for Silver. “You can come on in, you silly cat.” I reached down and gave him a scritch on his cheeks.

  He looked up at me and gave a mournful little meow that broke my heart. It was as though he was saying, “I used to love you, Mele. I thought you were a force for good around here. Now my faith in you has been broken.”

  “Oh, Sami,” I said. “We still love you best. Honest.”

  But I whispered it, just in case Silver was nearby and listening, and the look in Sami’s eyes as he lashed out with his tail let me know he’d noticed. You couldn’t win with this guy.