Who Killed the Ghost in the Library: A Ghost writer Mystery (23 page)

He stared at me for a moment. “You are a very strong and determined young woman,
Miss Shaw. I must say I am impressed by your fortitude. Thank you.” He turned and walked into the library.

We walked back outside, where Danny was still waiting. He and Mike helped me into the
Ram. Mike gave him the key to the Bronco, and told him to call with a damage report as a wrecker parked nearby. “One more thing, Danny,” Mike said. “I want you to go inside, go upstairs and dust the room that faces the back of the house on the right for fingerprints. “You’ll find mine on a pair of binoculars and a couple of other places, but I believe someone else has been up there in the last three days. Let’s find out who, okay?”

“Yes, sir, I’ll take care of it right away.”

Mike told him to call if anything came up, and let him know he’d be at my house until further notice. As we drove away, he said, “You should probably call your parents, let them know you’re safe.”

“You called them?”

“Randy said he was going to after I talked to him.”

“When did you have time to call him?”

“While I was waiting for rescue to get there.”

“Weren’t we talking to each other the whole time?” I said, confused.

“Um, no,” he said, glancing at me sideways. “You got quiet for about ten minutes. I figured you had passed out or something, which scared me.”

“I can’t call
anyone,” I said. “My phone was crushed under the wheels of that monster truck.” He handed me his phone. I called my parents first, letting them know I was safe and sound. My mother insisted on meeting me at the house, but I talked her out of it, knowing I would pay for that later. Then I called Randy, but he didn’t answer.

Mike parked by the emergency room door and went inside. He came back with a nurse pushing a wheelchair. I started to protest, but the look I got from Nurse Ratchet shut me up. She wheeled me inside and straight to a room while Mike parked the
truck.

He stayed with me for the next three hours as I was poked, prodded, and lit up like a Christmas tree by the
X-ray machine. For my troubles, I received a lovely purple cast for the distal radius fracture of my left arm, a definite concussion this time, and strict instructions to stay home for the next three days minimum. I did my best not to snort when the doctor said that; I knew the chances of that were pretty much zilch. I had a murderer to catch.

Chapter 40

When we pulled up at my house, Randy was leaning against his car in my driveway. He came over, opened the door of the truck after Mike parked, and started chewing me out. “Are you out of your liver-loving mind? What has gotten into you? Do you have a death wish or something?”

I closed my eyes as he yelled at me. “Randy, shut up,” Mike said as he got out on his side.

“And you! How could you let her almost die? Why weren’t you with her?”

“Randy, shut up,” I said, holding my head in my hands
, which wasn’t easy to do with a fresh cast on my left arm. “Please, just shut up.”

Mike shoved Randy out of the way and helped me down.
“My keys are in my bag somewhere,” I told him.

Randy grabbed the bag before Mike could and found the keys.
Mike snatched them out of his hand, put his arm around my waist, and helped me to the door. He opened it and led me to the recliner, where I gratefully sat down and leaned back before Mike went back outside. Randy stomped inside and slammed the door.

Groaning, I grabbed my head before standing up to face him. “That’s enough,” I said, gritting my teeth as I got dizzy. I held onto the edge of the recliner and took off the shades. “I have had
one heck of a morning, Randolph, and I do not need you acting like Stormin’ Norm, demanding answers and making enough noise to wake the dead. I was chased through a field and forced to jump into a well to save myself. I almost died at the bottom of that well, or at least like it felt like it. There isn’t a part of my backside that doesn’t hurt, and my head is playing the timpani part of the 1812 overture so loud that it feels I’m sitting in the orchestra pit with the Boston Pops. I need you to give me moral support right now. You are not my boyfriend, you are not my father, and while you may be the closest thing to a brother I have, right now I would gladly disown you for some peace and quiet. So, if you want to stay here, keep it down, don’t argue, don’t fight, and just help me. Alright?” He nodded. “Wonderful. Thank you. Now, if you two will excuse me, I am going to go soak in the tub. Try not to kill each other, and if you feel like you need to do that, do it outside so I can’t hear you.”

I shuffled off to my bathroom, grateful for my beautiful, large garden tub. Unfortunately, when I started to bend over, I almost fell in because I was dizzy. Realizing I needed help, I went back into the living room, where I found Mike on the phone and Randy pacing the floor, shooting dirty looks at him. There was no way Randy could stay here; he had that look on his face that said he wanted to punch something or someone. I was pretty sure who that someone was. “Randy, would you mind going to get us something for lunch? I haven’t eaten since breakfast this morning.”

“Sure, I guess I can do that,” he said. “Anything in particular you want?”

“Burgers? Chicken? Anything is fine. You decide.”

He looked over at Mike briefly before looking back at me. “I’ll be back in a little while.” I could tell he didn’t really want to leave me alone with the intrepid police chief, but he gave me a gentle hug. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said.

Mike got off the phone as Randy closed the door. “I thought you were going to soak in the tub.”

“Would you mind starting it for me? I hate to ask, but if I bend over again, I might fall in the tub. I’ve had enough falling down for one day.”

“I don’t mind at all,” he said. We walked back to the bathroom, where he put the plug in and turned on the water. “Need help getting undressed?” His eyes flickered down my body before he gazed into my eyes.

Did it suddenly get hot in here? Steam. It’s the steam from the water, that’s it. “I…I’m good,” I said. “Why don’t you take a shower while I’m in here?” His eyes got wide. “I mean, take one in the other bathroom.”

“I don’t have any clean clothes. As soon as Randy comes back, I need to run to my house and grab a few things.”

Frankly, I wouldn’t mind see him walking around in just a towel. Did I just say that? Oh dear, I think I hit my head harder than I thought. “Of course. Well, go on, shoo. Let me have my bath. We’ll talk when I get out.”

Mike grinned, as if he knew exactly what I had been thinking. “Call out if you need anything.”

He turned to leave. “Mike.”

“What?”

“Thank you for coming down that well to get me.”

He reached out for me and pulled me close. “If you wanted to spend time with me alone, there are better ways to do it besides falling down a well,” he said before he gave me a tender kiss on the lips. “That’s all you get for right now. You need to stay nice and quiet, remember? If you get too excited, you might pass out.” He winked and left.

“Well, geez Louise, if I’m going to pass out, make sure it’s from a smoking hot, toe-curling, take my breath away kiss!” I slapped my hand over my mouth as I realized I had said it out loud.

He looked around the corner. “Challenge accepted, but later. Your bath water’s getting cold.”

OH BOY!

It took five minutes just to get undressed. I hadn’t worn a cast s
ince fourth grade, when I broke my right arm playing swing the statue with some neighborhood kids. I took a hand towel and put it on the left side of the tub, so I could rest my broken arm on it. Getting clean was another matter entirely, and after that, I just laid back and closed my eyes. I was really starting to feel all the aches and pains from hitting the well bottom.

Pounding on the bathroom door woke me up. “You alright in there?” Randy said. “You’ve been in there over an hour.”

Explains why the water felt cold, I thought. “Yeah, I’m fine, or I was until you started pounding on the door. Concussion, remember? Hold the noise down.”

“Well, get out of there. You’re going to look like a prune.”

More like a bruised grapefruit. I pulled the plug and carefully got out. After drying off, I put on a super soft, oversized purple t-shirt, underwear and shorts before shuffling into the living room. I slowly sat down in the recliner as Randy came out of the kitchen with a plate of food. “You went to Leon’s,” I said.

“I told John you had been in a small accident, and he fixed you an extra big baked potato with chopped brisket and cheese. He even sent two pieces of pie for you, cherry and pecan,” he said, handing me the plate.

I’m not sure being chased through a field by something that resembled Grave Digger and falling down a well should be considered a “small” accident, but I let it go and dug into the potato. The brisket was made in a wood smoker, and was so tender it fell apart if you just looked at it.

Randy went back to the kitchen and brought back a Dr Pepper for me before bringing out his own plate of pulled pork tacos with cole slaw and a bottle of water. Sitting down on the couch, he said, “I didn’t get a whole lot of details from Mike about what happened. Care to fill me in on how you ended up in the bottom of the same well they found Aggie’s dead body?”

I shuddered at the visual that brought to mind before telling him everything that had happened. “Stanley saved your life?”

“Pretty much. If he hadn’t seen what was going on, I don’t think anyone would have found me in that well until it was too late.”

“Did you get a look at the driver?”

“Not really,” I said, shaking my head. But I remembered my nightmare, and it had been Stanley’s face I had seen through the windshield. “I wonder if it was Artie.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Just one of those random thoughts.”

“Uh huh,” he replied, clearly not believing me. “Do you think he knows we found out who he really is?”

“I have no idea,” I said. “Maybe Amelia went and confronted him.”

“Do you think he’d hurt her?”

That was a rather unpleasant thought. “I’m
not sure.”

“Maybe you should get your police chief boyfriend
to look into it.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Could have fooled me,” Randy muttered as he took a bite of his pulled pork taco. A trickle of BBQ sauce slid down his chin and plopped on his white shirt. I didn’t say anything. Let him find out later and freak out about the stain when he sees it.

“What is your problem?”

“I don’t have a problem.”

“The heck you don’t. Why don’t you like Mike?”

“He’s overbearing, controlling, patronizing and a smart…”

“Whoa,” I said. “
I sense some hostility here. Spill it.”

“I can’t.”

“Since when? It’s not like you to keep secrets from me, Randy.”

“Yeah, well, this is the exception to the rule.”

“What a crock of bull.”

“It’s part of the man code, Cam. It’s a
guy
thing. You wouldn’t understand,” he said, struggling to find the right words. “Think
Fight Club
. Some things you just can’t talk about.”

I glared at him. Whatever was going on was big, because Randy couldn’t keep a secret to save his life. The front door opened at that moment, and Mike came in. Apparently, he noticed the tension in the air as he set his bag down by my chair. “Everything alright here?”

“Just dandy,” I said sullenly, shoving another bite of potato in my mouth as I shot Randy another dirty look.

“Peachy,” Randy replied, grabbing his water bottle off the coffee table and standing up. “I’ve got to get going. I’ll text you later to see how you’re doing.
” He took his things into the kitchen.

“Won’t do you any good,” I told him. “My phone is field roadkill thanks to the monster truck chase. But you can text Mike, or I can make sure he keeps in touch with you in case something happens.”

Mike rolled his eyes, but agreed. Randy’s only response was to grunt. He kissed the top of my head before he left, shooting Mike one more dirty look as he walked out. “I put your gun back in the gun safe while you were in the tub,” Mike said. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m not sure,” I said truthfully. “Check the kitchen; I think he got you something to eat.”

Mike went to look and came out with brisket, sausage, potato salad and corn on the cob. “Wow, I’m impressed,” he said, sitting down on the couch. “I didn’t expect him to get me anything.”

“He’s not always a jerk,”
I said, eating the last bite of my potato. I started to get up to take my plate to the kitchen, but Mike stopped me and took it from me. Laying back in the recliner, I closed my eyes. I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep until he woke me up an hour later. “Why don’t you go to bed?” he said.

“Actually, I’m comfortable right here for now,” I said, rolling onto my left side. I winced because of the pain from the bruises.

“Do you always make that funny face when you’re comfortable?” he laughed.

“Actually, yes.”

“Liar,” he said. “At least come lay on the couch. You won’t have any hard edges digging into your sides or back.” I pushed the footrest down and slowly stood up. “Just how bad is your back?”

“Kim said there were already bruises popping up when she checked it out.”

“Let me see,” he replied, moving behind me and lifting the back of my shirt before I could protest. “Good Lord, she wasn’t kidding. Just how far did you fall when the rope was cut?”

“I don’t know,” I said as he lowered my shirt. “Five, eight feet? It wasn’t far, I don’t think. I’m not sure.”

“Don’t lay down yet,” he said, heading for my bedroom. He came back with my pillows. “I thought you might want these. If we pile them up at an angle, it might take some of the pressure off your back.”

It did help a little bit. He sat on the other end of the couch and put my feet in his lap before picking up the TV remote. He was channel surfing when I went back to sleep.
The black monster truck came roaring into my dreams, the silver grill grinning maniacally as I ran ahead of it.  It herded me straight for the well, but I stopped at the edge before I could fall in. But the truck didn’t stop, ramming right into me and sending me falling into the deep pit. I landed at the bottom, and for some reason, there was a bright light. Looking around, I saw Aggie and Ray Foley sitting in front of me, holding each other’s hands. Their faces melted away, leaving just the bones. They started laughing, their bottom jaws bouncing up and down. I started screaming bloody murder.

As their bony hands reached out for me, I could feel someone shaking me. “Cam, wake up. Come on, wake up! It’s just a dream. Wake up!” I opened my eyes, blinking at the sunlight peeking through the slits in the blinds. “Keep your eyes open,” Mike said as I started to close them again.

“The light…it hurts,” I croaked. My throat felt dry.

He got up and pulled the curtains closed. Thank God for blackout curtains, designed to help keep the heat out during the summer and the cold out during the winter. “Better?”

“Yes.”

He went into the kitchen and brought back a bottle of water. “Here, drink some of this,” he said, helping me sit up. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I…today…” I struggled to put into words what I was feeling, “that was my nightmare come to life.”

Mike nodded knowingly. “That was the first thing I thought of when I saw you running through the field.”