Ghostly waves, p.7
Ghostly Waves, page 7
part #7 of Lorna Shadow Cozy Ghost Mystery Series
“Not that I can see,” I said. “How are you feeling? Picking up anything odd?”
“Like my toast wants to come back up but nothing ghostly.”
“Let’s get off here,” I said. “We need to get back to the house anyway. And I’m not feeling comfortable wearing Julianne’s clothes and want to get changed.”
“Suits me,” said Helen.
“We’ll pass on the tea,” I said to Marcus, as he climbed up the stairs with a full tray of cups and a teapot. “We must get back and start our first day of work.”
“Such a shame,” said Marcus. “Sure I can’t tempt you? I’ve made Darjeeling.”
“Thanks, some other time.” A flash of movement out of the corner of my eye had me turning. It was a dog. It wasn’t Flipper, but a large, black, friendly looking labrador. It was a ghost dog.
I took a step toward the dog. It gave me a startled look before disappearing.
Flipper ran over to where the dog had been and sniffed around. He looked at me and whined.
“Everything okay?” asked Marcus. “You appear a little paler than normal.”
“I just saw...” I rubbed my eyes. That had definitely been a ghost dog on the deck. I couldn’t have imagined that. “Never mind. Just a trick of the light.”
Marcus stared at the empty deck. “Well, lovely spending time with you, ladies. I shall see you at the house later; make sure you’re settled in with everything you need.”
I gave him a brief wave goodbye and hurried off the yacht with Helen and Flipper before dashing to the car.
“What’s up?” asked Helen, as she unlocked the car. “Did you see something on the Orwell?”
I nodded, glancing back at the yacht. “Think I saw my first ghost dog.”
Chapter 9
I explained what I’d seen to Helen as we drove back to the house.
“Wow! A ghost dog. Imagine that. Guess it’s not such a stretch of the imagination, since people come back when they have unfinished business. Why should it be any different for animals?”
“Why is there a ghost dog hanging about on the yacht?” I asked. “And why push me into the sea?”
“Maybe you scared him. And dogs can be territorial. Perhaps he doesn’t like strangers coming on board.”
“But I love dogs.”
“The ghost dog doesn’t know that,” said Helen. “All he sees is two strangers and their dog wandering about on his patch.”
“Maybe that’s why Flipper is getting so ill. He might have seen this ghost straightaway and has been reacting to it badly.” I glanced into the back seat, but Flipper was already fast asleep.
“Makes sense. But doubt that explains my own terrible sea sickness.”
“You just need better sea legs.”
“My legs are fine as they are.” Helen shot around a corner. “Maybe the dog was a family pet. Could still be hanging around waiting for its master. The poor thing might not even know Blake is dead. That would be so sad. How are you going to tell him he’s lost his owner?”
“We don’t know for sure this dog has anything to do with the family.” We pulled into the driveway and climbed out of the car. “But I’ll see what I can find out from Julianne today. Sounds like she likes dogs, so it will be an easy enough topic to discuss.”
After a quick change of clothes, I hurried to Julianne’s office with Flipper to start my first afternoon of work.
Her office was all white, from the carpet to the desk. There was the occasional splash of red dotted around and two pale pink orchids, but other than that, it felt like I was working in an angel’s office, everything bright and light. I half expected harp music to start playing.
I found a note on the desk from Julianne. She’d be back in three hours and suggested I look through everything and familiarize myself with the filing system and computer.
After an hour of checking through the computer, I’d recognized all the programs, and the filing looked straightforward enough.
I opened the accounting files and scanned through them. This would keep me busy for a while as I worked through the company’s outgoings. I checked through two months of statements and saw nothing strange. Regular payments to suppliers, staff wages, nothing out of the ordinary.
The ghost dog kept playing on my mind. He’d been surprised to find me on the yacht. He must have a connection to the family or maybe the yacht. Blake could have brought a vessel, complete with its own ghost! Not exactly a selling feature.
I walked around the room, looking for any photographs or clues that the ghost dog once lived here. But there was nothing other than a few family photographs. No sign of dog toys, or beds, or pictures of pets.
The office door opened. Julianne walked in. She smiled when she saw me. “How you getting on? Everything making sense?”
“Fine, thanks.” I decided not to mention my accident on board The Orwell. I had to hope everyone else would keep it quiet as well. “I’ve been having a look at how everything works and it all makes sense.”
“It’s not too complicated for you?” Julianne sat at the desk and unwrapped a pale pink silk scarf from around her neck.
“Looks easy enough.” I sat in the seat she gestured to.
“I like to keep things organized,” said Julianne. “Blake was the ideas man, but I looked at the fine detail. And it’s important to know where everything is, so you don’t make a mistake.”
“Sounds like you’re on top of things.”
“Most of the time. But it can get overwhelming. I’m planning to employ more staff soon at the processing site. And that always comes with extra headaches.”
“I can help with that if you’d like me to.”
“That would be great,” said Julianne. “From the looks of your CV, you can turn your hand to everything.”
“Never leave me alone with a drill or a hammer,” I said. “And I leave all the cooking to Helen. But give me an admin task and I’m all yours.”
“I’m much the same. Left all the DIY to Blake.” Her smile faded. “But looks like I’ll need to do it all now.”
“Not everything,” I said. “I’m here to help. And, I promise, Helen will transform your closet and fix any stains or tears. She’s a genius with that sort of thing. And anytime you need a homemade brownie, she’s the woman to go to.”
Julianne sat up straight in her seat. “You’re right. Absolutely. I’m being foolish. It’s only been two months since Blake died. I’m still getting used to things being so different.”
“You must miss him.”
Julianne blinked at me. “I do. But our relationship was complicated.”
There seemed to be a lot of that going around. “Marriages often are.”
“You’re right there.” Her smile was rueful. “Are you married?”
“Not yet.” My thoughts flashed to the ring I’d discovered in Zach’s sock drawer. “But I’m with someone. He’s a lovely guy. But before that, it was just me and Flipper for a long time.”
“I’m thinking about getting another dog. A companion would be nice,” said Julianne. “Someone loyal, who you know will be on your side no matter what happens.”
“That’s why I love Flipper so much,” I said, glancing over to where he slept. “You don’t have any pets?”
“Not anymore,” said Julianne. “Our last dog died recently. That was why I had Taylor visit yesterday to help me decide what breed of dog to get next. She suggested a Tibetan Terrier or a Cockapoo. Something that doesn’t shed.”
Flipper stood and paced to the window, his ears pricked and his tail up. I followed his movement, my eyes widening as I spotted the ghost dog appear and sit next to him.
I was about to ask Julianne more about her old dog, when her mobile rang. She checked the number before disconnecting the call. “I’d like you to start by getting my correspondence up-to-date. There are still a few people who don’t know about Blake. I’m getting mail from them. I’d like that to stop. Make sure they know to contact me for all matters relating to the vineyard. If it’s just sales stuff, get our details taken off their mailing lists.”
“I can deal with that,” I said, dragging my attention away from the ghost dog.
“There’s a few days’ work involved with that. Then I want you to focus on the accounts. Make sure Blake was on top of things before he died. I’m sure we can reduce our outgoings. I’d like to do that so we can employ new staff as soon as possible.”
Her mobile rang again. She stared at the number before disconnecting it once more.
Someone wanted to speak to Julianne and she wasn’t keen. “I don’t mind if you need to take that.”
“It’s nothing that can’t wait.” Julianne sighed and sat back in her seat. The desk phone rang and she snatched it up. “Firefly Vineyard.”
I watched as her eyes narrowed and her hand clenched into a fist. Whoever she was speaking to was not a friend.
“Now is not a good time,” said Julianne. “You may contact my assistant to arrange an appointment for when we can speak. You can’t go calling at any time.”
I looked over to the window. The ghost dog still sat with Flipper. From the unhappy look on Flipper’s face, he was not feeling good. I needed to figure out how to get rid of this ghost dog fast to make sure Flipper didn’t keep getting sick.
I jumped as Julianne slammed down the phone. “Some people have no manners.” She shoved her chair back and stood. “I need a break from this.”
I raised my eyebrows. She’d only been here ten minutes. “Is there anything you want me to do while you’re gone?”
“Take a look through the yellow file on my desk,” said Julianne, as she hurried to the door. “That’s the correspondence you need to start with.” She pulled open the door and left the room.
Whoever that caller was, they’d rattled Julianne. Someone after money? An unhappy customer? Or something more serious. Perhaps someone knew about Blake’s affair with Honey and was trying to blackmail Julianne so the secret wouldn’t come out. I mulled over the options as I stood and walked over to Flipper and the ghost dog. “You’ve made a new friend.”
Flipper looked over at the ghost dog and then laid his head back on his paws and heaved a sigh.
I stroked his head. “Not sure you want him around, though.”
Flipper gave a gentle whine and his gaze shifted to the ghost dog.
The dog was looking at me with interest, so I held my hand out and felt my fingers chill as his nose touched my skin.
“Were you the one on the yacht? Did you push me overboard?”
The dog tried to lick my fingers, but all I got was an icy cold sensation running across my skin.
“You’re welcome to hang around with us, but don’t sit so close to Flipper. Looks like you’re making him feel unwell.”
The ghost dog nuzzled Flipper’s paw before taking a step away. It looked like he understood me. Now, if I could figure out what he wanted and his connection to this family, he could go to his next life, or wherever ghosts went after I’d muddled my way through helping them.
Then I could focus on what happened to Blake.
Chapter 10
Julianne never returned. I remained in the office for the rest of the afternoon, sorting paperwork and writing drafts of letters.
Tidying the papers, I decided to call it a day. I left the office and walked up to my bedroom.
There was no sign of Helen, so I headed to her favorite place, the kitchen. She stood by the Aga, but she wasn’t cooking; she was texting.
“Are you ordering takeout?” I asked, as I sat at the island in the center of the kitchen.
Flipper curled up by the Aga, his ghostly friend staying by his side.
“Don’t be silly. We never have takeout,” said Helen, her gaze still on her phone. “I’ve got something cooking.”
“Who are you messaging?”
“No one important.” She stuffed her phone into her pocket. “How was your afternoon with Julianne?”
“Not great,” I said. “I hardly saw her.”
“No clues about our mystery dog?”
“I think he belongs to the family,” I said. “Julianne mentioned a dog but then took a phone call and vanished. And she wasn’t happy with whoever she spoke to.”
Helen sat opposite me. “What did they want? Money, maybe?”
“That’s what I wondered. But if it’s not money related, it could have something to do with Blake.”
Helen sat forward in her seat. “Someone is after a story about him being unfaithful with Honey? Maybe going to sell it and make money off the family.”
“Would hardly make front-page news,” I said.
“It would around here. Villagers love to gossip.”
“I wondered about that, but we’re not talking royal family marriage scandal. We’re talking local businessman and his assistant. The most you’d sell that story for is a bag of chips and a free drink.”
Helen wrinkled her nose. “I’d read the story.”
I swatted her arm. “Hope it isn’t that. But I feel sorry for Julianne. She seemed overwhelmed when we were talking earlier. It must be hard losing someone so unexpectedly.”
Helen’s phone vibrated and she pulled it out and smiled. “Just give me a second. I need to reply to this.”
“Exactly who are you texting?”
“Like I said, no one important.” She grinned as she read the message and then shot back a quick reply.
“Does this unimportant person have a name?”
“I don’t remember.” Helen’s phone vanished into her lap. “So, we have Julianne the grieving wife, Honey the mistress, and Marcus who wants to take over Blake’s business. If he was murdered, they’re all suspects.”
“And the ghost dog,” I said.
“We can’t include a dog as a murder suspect,” said Helen. “You can’t try him in court.”
“I was wondering if he pushed Blake over.” I ran my hands through my hair. “This could just be an accident. The dog knocked Blake over by mistake, same thing he did to me. Dogs can get over-excited and jump up at people. If Blake had been drunk and lost his hold on the railing, it could have happened that way.”
“Sounds plausible,” said Helen. “And if that did happen, no wonder the dog doesn’t want to leave, knowing he killed his owner. How are you going to figure that one out?”
“I’ve also had another idea.” One I hadn’t wanted to dwell on for long. “Blake jumped off? It all got too much for him and he decided life at the bottom of the ocean was better than whatever stress he was under.”
“That’s pretty dark.” Helen wrapped her arms around herself. “Surely things can’t have been that bad for him. He lived in an amazing house and ran a successful business. Why throw that away?”
“Not sure. And from a look at the accounts, the business is doing well, but maybe Blake wasn’t happy about something. If his affair had been discovered and someone was blackmailing him, it could have gotten too much and that was the only way out he could see.”
“Still no sign of Blake?” asked Helen. “You can run these ideas past him and see what he thinks.”
“Nothing,” I said. “The ghost dog is the only spook around.”
Helen’s phone vibrated again. She jumped up, a grin on her face, as she yanked her phone out and inspected the message.
I grabbed her phone before she could reply to the message. “Who’s it from?”
“Give that back.” Helen snatched at the phone, but I held on tight.
My eyes widened as I saw who was messaging her. “Why are you texting Gunner?”
“He asked me to,” said Helen, her cheeks going bright pink.
I grinned at her. “Are you two having a secret relationship?”
“We’re not. I would never keep something like that from you,” said Helen, as I handed back her phone. “But we are talking.”
“About what?”
“All sorts of things,” said Helen. “We’re getting to know each other.”
“You are having a relationship with Gunner!”
“I’m taking my text messaging outside.” Helen pouted at me before flouncing out the back door.
Grinning at her retreating form, I was glad they were sorting things out. It had been a long time coming. The first time Helen had seen Gunner, she’d blushed and fumbled her words, so I knew there was something about him she liked. But he was so different from the type she thought she found attractive. Helen always professed to being into posh guys with big bank accounts. Gunner was the opposite of that. But if he made her happy, that was all I cared about.
I stood and inspected the contents of the pot on the Aga. There were some chopped potatoes in there, but they were uncooked. I pulled open the door to the Aga and black smoke came out. Coughing, I backed away, waving my hand in front of my face. Looked like Gunner’s texts had been a bit too distracting for Helen. She never burned dinner.
I was looking around for something to use to get the burning pie out, when the kitchen door opened and James barged through.
“What’s burning? Is there a fire?” His gaze shot around the kitchen.
“Don’t worry,” I said, as I used a cloth to yank the pie out. “It’s just our dinner.”
James squinted at me and then approached the Aga. “Never could figure out how to use these wretched things.” He jabbed a finger at the smoking pie. “Looks like you’ll be eating cold tonight.”
“Or takeout.”
“We’ll have none of that,” said James, straightening his crumpled jacket. “Let me take you both out to dinner. We can celebrate your arrival and my recent win on the horses.”
I raised my eyebrows, surprised by his generosity. “You don’t need to do that.”
“Happy to take two lovely ladies out to dinner,” said James. “And I don’t suppose you’ve seen much of the village yet.”
“Not yet,” I said.
“Then it’s a date,” said James. “I know a lovely fish restaurant overlooking the sea. And you can sample some of our wine while we’re there. They’re a local stockist.”
“Sounds good,” I said. “Just need to wait for Helen to get back from texting her... boyfriend.” Wasn’t sure what to call Gunner, since they weren’t technically official.
