Ruth rolled her eyes.
I flared my arms. “Y’all, focus. This morning I discovered a couple of things. The first one is that the big bad in the Jarvis house is bigger and badder than I thought.”
Ruth’s mouth gaped. “How so? Are you okay, Blissful?” She reached out and massaged my biceps like I was a boxer readying to fight.
I shrugged away. Ew.Touching. I just wasn’t a big toucher. I made an exception for Roan, obviously, because if you saw that guy’s hands, you’d be taking a cold shower for an hour. But other than Roan, I didn’t do the touchy-feely stuff.
“I’m okay,” I confirmed. “But that spirit challenged me. And it told me he would harm the Jarvis family unless I let him have me. He also said the master wanted me.”
“Ooh, that is spooky,” Alice said. “I’m glad I’m not you, Blissful. This sounds scary.”
“Thank you, Alice,” I said flatly. “So I’ve got a big bad I need to deal with. No way am I going to let him hurt that family.”
“We,” Ruth corrected. “We’ve got a big bad to deal with.”
“Ruth—”
She sliced a hand through the air. “No arguments. We’re a team. Alice and I might not be in our twenties, but we can hold our own with ghosts.”
Alice lifted a cardboard box full of balloons. “See? I’ve still got my spirit holder.”
For some reason Alice thought spirits could be held in water balloons. I’d tried to tell her that simply wasn’t possible, but sometimes I just had to let an argument go because Alice couldn’t be convinced otherwise.
And basically, I think Alice was humoring me when she used my fancy gadgets on spirits. All she really wanted to do was tote her balloons everywhere we went.
“Hold that thought.” I crossed to the door. “The other thing I discovered is that the family who ran the inn, the Hudsons, just up and vanished one day.”
Ruth’s eyes widened. “You don’t say.”
“I do say. So that’s why we need Mr. Hodges. He runs the bookstore, so my guess is he’s got some information on Haunted Hollow in the seventies. He might be able to help.”
“Oh.” Alice’s gaze darted to her lap.
“‘Oh’ is right. That’s why I need you, Alice. If you’re in there, Hodges may go out of his way to help. Otherwise I’m not sure how much assistance I’ll receive.”
“Oh, well, I don’t know. I have an awful lot of booties to knit.”
Our three heads swiveled to the front window where a mountain of baby booties were piled person-high.
“Just go with Blissful.” Ruth crossed to Alice and pushed.
Alice hunched her shoulders. “I’m not going.”
Ruth strained to heave Alice from the chair. “If you don’t go, I’ll tell Hodges myself that you want to get into his pants.”
Alice jumped off the seat as if it had been full of lit firecrackers. “You wouldn’t dare!”
Ruth wagged a finger. “I would, too. Now get your coat on and let’s the three of us go to Blustery Books.”
With Alice rightfully put into her place, we tromped down the street to the only bookstore in town.
My fingers curled around the door handle. “Ladies, hold on to your wallets. If Ricky’s in there, that ghost’ll steal whatever he can.”
That was the truth. The first time I entered the store, the ghost child, Ricky, stole my wallet. It took two more trips to finally get it back from him. That spirit was pesky.
Alice hugged her purse to her chest. “The only way someone’s getting in here is with dynamite.”
Ruth poked the air. “I’ll remember that. Let’s go.”
