I turned my ear back to Meredith.
“What kind of pie? We have peach, apple, pecan, pear, banana.”
“All of those are fried?”
“Yep.”
I handed her the menu. “Surprise me.”
With her gone, I glanced back into the room, but the man was gone. Crap. I hadn’t seen him leave. Double crap. But there had been something familiar in his voice.
Through the door came the sound of muffled sniffles. Meredith was crying. I grabbed a napkin and quietly knocked.
More sniffling. “Come in.”
I entered to see her knuckle away a few tears. I handed her my napkin and sat. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help but overhear.”
She laughed maniacally, as if the whole situation was about to tip her into insanity. “I’m a mess. I’m sorry. You shouldn’t see me like this.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’m sorry about the scumbag who was just in here threatening your property.”
She smiled feebly. “I’d hoped with you seeing the ghost that business would improve. It has, but the rent just keeps going up and up. I thought if I bought the building, it would be best, but now it seems everyone wants it. J&J wants to turn this building into lofts. Lofts? Can you imagine?”
I glanced at the exposed brick interior. Actually I could. They’d probably be very nice with gas fireplaces and Juliette balconies. I might even be tempted to buy one.
But that wasn’t why I was here.
“I heard around town that Xavier wanted to help you buy the place.”
She dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “He did, but now that he’s gone, there’s no money, so I’m left at square one. Of course, I was at square one when the previous restaurant owner disappeared and willed me the place, but that’s not either here nor there.”
“I’m sorry. So Xavier didn’t leave you anything that said you were allowed to have a certain amount of money?”
She shook her head. “Not that I know of.” Meredith clenched her fists. “But if I could find something like that, my entire life would be changed. Otherwise I’m stuck being roadkill for the buzzards.”
She picked up a tuft of feathers and squeezed it repeatedly.
“What’s that?” I said.
“Oh,” she said nervously. Meredith dropped the tuft on the desk. “It’s a token that keeps me safe.” She leaned over and shot me an embarrassed grin. “I keep it around me when I’m in here. There’s a spirit in the kitchen that doesn’t like me. Throws pots and pans when I’m around.”
She must’ve been talking about Nancy, the one who scared Xavier right before he was murdered. “Does it work?”
She nodded. “Keeps her away, that’s for sure.”
“Nancy throws things, huh?”
“She does, but she’s not the only spirit in town that does that. The candle shop, Wicked Wicks, is haunted by a spirit that throws tea lights at customers.”
My jaw dropped. The audacity of such a ghost. I wondered if that would be a clue to finding Lucky Strike. “There’s a spirit like that?”
Meredith laughed. “Oh yes. Go and visit. You’ll see. It’s a hoot.” She glanced nervously from side to side. “But how did you know the spirit’s name is Nancy? The one here who doesn’t like me?”
“Something I heard on the street.” I rose. “Anyway, I’m sure I’ve got to get back to my pie. So J&J’s manhandling you about the money? That guy seems like a real jerk. I ran into him at the B and B. I think he wants to buy it, too.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “No, it isn’t J&J who was just here.”
I frowned. “It wasn’t? Then who was that?”
