“Anita,” I said through clenched teeth, “you sent me on a nearly impossible mission to bring down a big bad on his territory. Most of the other spirits here are working with him. Helping him. I’m trying to lay low and get as much intel as possible. If you arrive and start stomping around town, Lucky will get one whiff of you and be gone before you can say Cheez-It. So I suggest you remain at home base, where you’re most useful.”
Oruseless, depending on whom you asked.
“Is that a threat, Blissful?”
I rubbed my lips together. “No, Anita. It’s a promise.”
“I don’t like your tone.”
“I don’t like yours, either.”
There was a pause while Anita tried to figure out how to rein me in and do her bidding.
“Blissful,” she cooed, “as of right now I’m not sure what I’m going to do. I may allow you to stay, and I may come down there myself. Either way, if I were you, I’d have this case wrapped up within a week. I’ve got a case on my desk involving two rival ghost hunters who seem to think that snatching clairvoyants off the streets is fun.”
I grimaced. “Why would they snatch clairvoyants?”
“Because these two have a whole ghost-sighting business. You and I both know the more clairvoyants you get together, the stronger a ghost’s presence can become. They make their living making spirits appear in haunted houses. They’re criminals wanted for kidnapping.”
Weird. “Okay. Well, one week?”
“One week,” her voice snapped. “That’s all you’ve got.”
I swallowed a mouthful of anger. How dare she make demands of me? But at the same time I did have her equipment, and if I was going to keep helping the folks of Haunted Hollow, I needed to figure out a way to keep it.
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll have everything wrapped up by then.”
“You’d better.”
The phone call ended abruptly.
“Wow. Is she ticked off at you, or what?”
Susan Whitby appeared at my kitchen table. She plumped her teased bangs and shrugged. “Sounds like you’ve got some work to do.”
I let my phone slide from my hand and clatter onto the Formica top. “Sounds more like I’ve got a plan to come up with—and fast.”
Susan blew a six-inch bubble with the gum she was chewing on. After it popped, she said, “Yep. Sounds like. I’ll be more than happy to help you.”
I nodded. “I may just take you up on that offer.”
By the time I readied myself for Cora’s afternoon visitation, I had a solid plan in mind.
That solid plan, however, had not involved Ruth and Alice driving up in the ATV, which is exactly what happened.
“I’ve got the camera,” Alice said, “and I’m ready to show the world that Birda is full of sour grapes.”
I stared at the ATV. “Why did y’all drive that?”
“Because parking’s going to be a mess at the funeral home.” Ruth brushed dust from her black dress. “This way we can roll right on up the grass and get a great spot.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “Where am I supposed to sit?”
Ruth and Alice exchanged a look. Ruth smiled. “I ordered a sidecar for you.”
“I’m sorry.”
Ruth pointed to the vehicle. “I have a nephew who welds. I asked if he could find a sidecar and attach it. I reckon you get tired of sitting in the bed.”
