Stepping carefully over two lop-eared rabbits and a ginger cat who appeared to be fast asleep, I made it to the kitchen counter without walking through any ghost animals.

  I open the cupboard and looked glumly at the boxes of cereal. I wanted the kind of breakfast Helen normally made, with plenty of muffins, waffles, or pancakes, big mugs of tea, and lots of maple syrup. Instead, I would have to make do with cold milk and cornflakes.

  I pulled out the box of cereal and placed it next to the black cat who was floating over the counter top. I went to give him a stroke, but he hissed at me and turned his back.

  I shrugged. It looked like it wasn’t only Rose who didn’t want to be friendly. Maybe the cat was having a bad day. I had a feeling this would be a bad day for me, as well.

  Drowning my cornflakes in milk, I sat at the table as I waited for the kettle to boil.

  I looked around at all the ghost animals. I was glad they felt comfortable to be near me, but they weren’t the same as having Helen around. Or Zach. I missed them both.

  Flipper rested his head on my knee and looked up at me.

  I fed him a cornflake as I stroked his fur. “At least I’ve still got you.”

  He nudged me with his nose. Maybe he was only here for the cornflakes.

  I fed him another one. Whatever had gone on with Rhyannon, I would find out. I’d figure out her death, and I’d figure out what was going on in my own home. I might be surrounded by ghosts, but I would not be beaten by one.

  Chapter 12

  “Enough of your naughtiness.” I grabbed a pile of newspaper clippings that were at risk of falling to the floor as a fluffy black ghost cat batted them with a paw.

  The ghost cat gave me a wide-eyed look of innocence before its paw slowly rose.

  I placed a heavy book on top of the newspaper clippings. “No more misbehaving. Go chase ghost mice if you’re bored.”

  Despite trying to convince Rose I would be of use to her if I worked in the office, she wouldn’t budge. I’d once again been sent to the cellar, like a naughty child in some Victorian gothic novel.

  I’d been given the uninspiring task of sorting through every folder and shredding anything that was not, as Rose called it, life enhancing to Delilah.

  I had two big sacks of shredded paper in front of me and plenty more to do.

  The fluffy black cat floated toward me, a look of evil intent on its furry face.

  Flipper’s head appeared over the edge of the desk. He followed the movement of the cat with interest.

  “This one is a nuisance,” I said to him. “Feel free to show him who’s boss.”

  Another cat blinked into sight, this one smaller and ginger. It followed the other cat around the desk. Within a few minutes, I’d been joined by five more cats. All of them floated around the desk, making it impossible to get any work done. Occasionally, one of them tried to swipe Flipper’s muzzle as he watched them, causing him to grumble at them.

  I pushed back my chair and stood. “I don’t know what’s wrong with them today.”

  The cats turned and stared at me. There was an eerie intensity to their focus.

  I took a step toward the stairs. The cats watched me.

  “Are they trying to tell me something?” I said to Flipper.

  Flipper gave another grumble and joined me, leaving the cats circling the desk.

  The cats left the desk and floated as a group to the bottom of the stairs. They all sat there and looked back at me.

  “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you all wanted feeding.”

  Several of them swished their tails. None of them moved.

  I took another step toward the stairs. That prompted them into action, and the cats moved up the stairs.

  I glanced at Flipper. “We’d better see what’s going on up there that’s making them so agitated.”

  The cats blinked out of sight as I ran up the stairs with Flipper.

  As I opened the cellar door, I heard raised voices. It was Delilah and Fred arguing in her parlor.

  Looking around quickly to make sure Rose wasn’t about, I crept to the door. It was ajar, so I didn’t need to get too close to hear them.

  “You’re obsessed,” said Delilah.

  “My dear, you know that’s not true.” Fred’s voice sounded even more wobbly than usual. “There’s only ever been you.”

  “Why do you have that picture in your wallet?”

  There was a pause. “We were friends.”

  “You’ve had other friends who have died. You don’t keep pictures of them.”

  “Rhyannon was like a sister to me.”

  My eyebrows rose. This argument was about Rhyannon.

  “You must have noticed she was attractive,” snapped Delilah.

  “You liked her too,” said Fred. “At least, you used to before that silly falling out.”

  “Rose said it was important,” said Delilah. “She thought we were being cheated out of money.”

  “Is that what you think?”

  I held my breath as Delilah didn’t respond. Delilah had a right to suspect Fred if he had a picture of Rhyannon in his wallet. It leant weight to the theory that Fred had been having an affair with Rhyannon.

  “Do you think we were being fair taking more money than Rhyannon?” prompted Fred.

  “I thought... well, she was good at what she did. She had a knack with the spirits.”

  “You used to be friends,” said Fred. “She liked you.”

  “I liked her, as well.” Delilah sounded weary. “Then fame got the better of her. She got too full of herself. She changed. So did you.”

  “Not because of Rhyannon,” said Fred.

  “Yes, because of her. You always simpered around after her as if you were trying to win her favor.”

  “I didn’t need to do any simpering. I had her favor because she was my friend.”

  “You loved her.” The words came out choked.

  I heard a chair scraping back and backed away from the door.

  “I did, but not in the way you think,” said Fred.

  “So, you admit it. You were in love with Rhyannon?”

  “As I’ve said, I loved her like a sister. She was a dear friend to us both. She would hate to see you so worried about nothing.”

  “You being in love with another woman is definitely something of a concern.”

  “My dear, it’s always been you.” Fred’s tone sounded resigned. It didn’t sound like the first time they’d had this argument.

  “Yet, you carry her picture with you.”

  “I have one of you, as well.”

  “That’s supposed to make me feel better?”

  “No. Sorry, that was a foolish thing to say.”

  “You’re a foolish man,” said Delilah. “Rose is always telling me I shouldn’t trust people.”

  “Surely that doesn’t extend to me? I’ve been with you all these years and stuck by your side. I wouldn’t betray you.”

  “You would if you got the chance,” said Delilah. “Rhyannon was younger than me. She was pretty. Any man would be foolish to turn her down.”

  “We’ve been over this,” said Fred. “We were friends because of the work you both did. The world of mediums is a small place, so we were bound to rub shoulders.”

  “You didn’t have to spend so much time with her,” said Delilah. “Why do you think I stopped inviting her here? I knew something was going on.”

  “It was all innocent,” said Fred. “We liked each other’s company. She would give me readings when you wouldn’t.”

  “This is all my fault?” Delilah’s tone was shrill. “I pushed you into the arms of another woman because I refused to give you a reading? Do you really want to know what the spirit world has to say about you?”

  “You make it sound as if there are bad things to tell me.”

  “It’s not all sunshine and unicorns like I tell the clients,” said Rhyannon. “The spirit world is full of ordinary people. Sometimes, they tell me ordinary things. Sometimes, it can be downright nasty and unpleasant. Even when you die, you hold a grudge, and you resent someone who is still alive and want to say nasty things to them. Maybe I should be more honest, tell the clients what it’s really like. How would that be for business?”

  “That’s not a wise idea,” said Fred. “Stick to the sunshine and unicorns. It comforts people. I know I gained comfort from my readings with Rhyannon. If there was any bad information to pass on to me, she kept it to herself.”

  “Since that’s what you’re interested in, let me contact someone for you,” said Delilah. “Who do you want to talk to?”

  “You don’t need to do that,” said Fred. “I understand why you’re reluctant to give me a reading.”

  “So, you turned to another woman to get what you needed.”

  “To do nothing more than make contact with the afterlife,” said Fred.

  “But you found Rhyannon attractive?”

  I shook my head. Fred, whatever you do, don’t answer that question.

  “She was a good woman.”

  “And you found her attractive?” Delilah wasn’t giving up on this.

  “I, well, Rhyannon was an attractive woman.”

  I cringed and shook my head.

  “I knew it!” Delilah’s tone grew even shriller. “I should never have trusted you.”

  “My dear, wait!” There was the sound of glass shattering.

  Before I had the chance to move, the parlor door was pulled open. Delilah rushed out and slammed straight into me.

  “Lorna!” She blinked her eyes, and I could see tears on her cheeks. “I’m sorry. You must come back later. This is a bad time.” She bustled away along the corridor and out into the garden.

  I watched her go before peeking into the parlor.

  Fred sat at the table, his hand against his forehead. A shattered picture frame lay in front of him.

  “Sorry to interrupt. Is everything okay in here?”

  Fred glanced at me and sighed. He removed his hand from his forehead. There was a nasty gash on his head. It looked like Delilah had thrown the picture frame at him. “We just had a little accident. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

  I stepped into the room with Flipper and pushed the door closed. “Is your head okay?”

  Fred pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and held it against the cut. “It’s not deep. I’ll be fine.”

  It didn’t look fine to me. “I couldn’t help but overhear your argument.”

  Fred gave a small shrug. “Delilah has a jealous streak. She’s always worried I’ll leave her for someone younger. As if I would, I worship the ground that woman walks on.”

  “I heard mention of Rhyannon,” I said.

  Fred lowered the handkerchief and inspected the blood on it. “Yes, Rhyannon. I liked her.”

  “You were more than friends?”

  His gaze went to the door. “I did greatly admire Rhyannon. But I wasn’t a cheater.”

  I was pushing my luck with my next question. “If you’d gotten the chance, would you have liked to have been more than friends with Rhyannon?”

  His pale gaze met mine. “You have a curious nature, Miss Shadow.”

  I smiled. “It’s been said before.”

  Fred looked down at the shattered photo frame. He extracted the photograph and held it out for me to see. “In another life, perhaps we would have been more than friends. But I met Delilah when we were young. For me, it was love at first sight. I might have had the occasional lustful thought about other women, but they were only thoughts. Delilah was always the one I was going to be with.”

  I looked at the photograph. It was of Fred standing next to Rhyannon. They were grinning at each other. It looked like a very close friendship. I could understand Delilah’s jealousy. I placed the picture down.

  “As you can see, Delilah was not a fan of that photograph. It was taken at a conference we attended. All the best-known psychics and mediums were there. It was a big event. Rhyannon had just won Medium of the Year for the third year in a row. Neither of us knew that picture was being taken. She sent it to me in the post. I know it was a silly thing to do, but I had to get it framed. We were both happy that night. But we weren’t in love, not the way Delilah thinks.”

  “You’ve always been faithful to Delilah?”

  “I have.” Fred’s gaze lingered on the picture. “It’s not always been easy. Mediums seem drawn to me. I guess it’s my line of work. We both deal with the dead, just in different ways. It gives us a connection and a bond. I’ve had to say no to a fair few offers over the years.”

  I hid my surprise. Fred didn’t have the vibe of a man who attracted women. But maybe he was right; mediums were attracted to him because of what he did. It must be hard to find someone who understood what you did when you talked to the dead. I was lucky. I had Zach, but it had taken him time to accept what I did.

  “Do you and Delilah often row about Rhyannon?”

  “Hardly ever, especially now she’s gone. I get the impression Rose had something to do with that argument. She likes to stir things up.”

  “Rose didn’t get along with Rhyannon?”

  “Rose doesn’t even get along with herself. And she knows just how to push her sister’s buttons. Apparently, Delilah found newspaper clippings about Rhyannon on Rose’s desk. I expect Rose left them out on purpose. I am sorry you heard our argument. Normally, our relationship is a much more pleasant one.”

  “Every relationship has its difficulties.” Especially when it came to ghosts getting in the way of things, as I had recently discovered.

  “You’re right.” Fred smiled at me. “Do you have a special someone at home?”

  “I do. He’s good to me.”

  “Quite right, he should be,” said Fred. “Everyone needs kindness in their life.”

  My first impression of Fred had been wrong. Although he was a strange looking man, there was something good about him. “You don’t think Delilah confronted Rhyannon about the concerns she had regarding your relationship?”

  Fred’s eyes widened. “Not that I’m aware of. We argued about it, but it was between the two of us.”

  “Perhaps she went to speak to Rhyannon without you knowing.” And if she had, perhaps that discussion got out of hand, which was how Rhyannon ended up dead.

  “Delilah is terrible at keeping secrets,” said Fred. “I’m certain if a conversation had taken place between them, I’d know about it. If Delilah hadn’t told me, Rhyannon would have.”

  My gaze went to his cut forehead. “Perhaps you should get your cut cleaned.”

  Fred nodded as he stood. “Good thinking. I’m sure it will look fine tomorrow. And sorry again that you overheard us. I hope you still want to work here. Delilah is thrilled you’ve come to help.”

  “No problem. And I’m still happy here.” I stood to one side as Fred left the parlor.

  Despite Fred trying to convince me that Delilah wouldn’t go after Rhyannon, I wasn’t so sure. And, having heard that argument, I’d just added another black mark to Delilah’s name.

  Chapter 13

  I was speeding my way through a dusty file of clippings, keen to give myself a decent amount of time at lunch to do some digging into Rhyannon and Fred’s relationship.

  I’d spent the previous night trying to figure out if Delilah was ruthless enough to kill Rhyannon because she had an affair with Fred. The possibility wouldn’t leave my thoughts, and along with the ghost animals, I’d had another disturbed night of sleep.

  I almost ignored my mobile when it rang; I was so keen to get my work done. I checked the caller. It was Zach.

  “How’s it going?” I asked him, my attention still on the file on the desk.

  “Lorna. Can you get away?”

  “I can.” I focused on the conversation, hearing the concern in Zach’s voice. “What’s wrong?”

  “We need you home.”

  “Has someone been injured?” Now I was worried. “Is it Helen? Or Gunner? It’s not you, is it?”

  “No. We’re all fine. But you need to get here. It’s Amelia. She’s left us a... gift.”

  “A gift! What is it?”

  “I don’t understand it,” said Zach. “Can you come back? Maybe she’s left this clue and wants to make contact now.”

  I’d never heard Zach sound so shaken before. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  I ordered a cab, grabbed my purse and coat, and hurried outside, Flipper sticking right by me, sensing something was wrong.

  What could Amelia have left that caused Zach so much concern? If this was another one of her games, I wouldn’t be happy. She’d played around with us too many times. It was time we got to the truth, and she left us alone.

  I hurried toward the cab as it turned into the drive. I told the cab driver my address details and asked him to hurry.

  The ten-mile journey seemed to take far too long as I sat in the back, drumming my fingers on my knees.

  As I flung money at the cab driver and climbed out, I saw Zach standing in the doorway of the house.

  I ran toward him with Flipper. “What’s going on? What’s this gift Amelia has left?”

  “Come inside, and I’ll show you.” Zach gave me a brief kiss before ushering me through the door and into the kitchen.

  Helen and Gunner were sitting at the kitchen table.

  “I’m so glad you’re here.” Helen jumped up and hugged me.

  “I got here as quickly as I could.” I pulled back and looked around. “Where’s Amelia? What’s she left us?”

  “She left us this.” Zach placed a small, knitted blue baby’s boot on the kitchen table.

  I stared at it, shock running through me. “Did you have a child with Amelia?”

  Zach shook his head. “No! We talked about it, but it didn’t happen. She said she was too young and wanted more adventures before she got saddled with kids.”

  “That doesn’t mean she didn’t have one,” said Helen. “She could have had a baby with someone else.”

  “Did she have a child?” I stared at Zach.

  “Not that I know of. She never mentioned it, but we weren’t close.”

 

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