Haunted Renovation Mystery 1 - Flip That Haunted House (9 page)

Darn. Darn. Darn. I pointed my car toward
Main Street and punched the accelerator. I needed a permit, pronto.
Preferably, before Reed found out I’d fibbed. Now I was sure the
only way I’d hire Reed’s company is if he stayed away.

Permits, roofs, leaks, and fires. My
thoughts whirled. I needed time to cool off and think about my game
plan—plot my next move. When things got stressful, I needed a good
book and lots of chocolate. I needed both of those right now. As I
sped in the direction of the courthouse, my cell rang. My left hand
on the wheel, with my right, I fumbled around in my purse,
searching for my phone. I needed a headphone thingy. Finally, I
grabbed the phone and swerved back into my lane.

“Hello,” I said.

“Is this Alabama Hargrove?” A raspy female
voice asked.

Hells bells, a telemarketer!

“This is Alabama,” I said cautiously. I did
not need or want another credit card.

“Ms. Alabama, I need you.”

Ms. Alabama? Ms. Alabama was a beauty
pageant contestant—and I was not. Graceful on a stage, I am
not.

“Excuse me?”

What the heck was this crazy woman talking
about?

“I need you to decorate my home,” she said
snidely.

“Oh, right. Of course, interior decorating,
yes.”

Great, another wacko.

“May I ask whom I’m speaking with?”

“Oh, honey, where are my manners?”

Not a wise idea to ask me about manners
when, moments earlier, she’d used such a snide tone. Plus, she’d
interrupted my daydream. A handsome stranger—no, not Reed—had
whisked me away to a romantic getaway. He’d just swept me off my
feet when the phone interrupted my romance novel vision.

“I’m Julia Cooper.”

A car horn honked as I swerved. I
overcorrected and almost veered the car off the road. Cooper? As in
Payne Cooper? Of
Cooper Development Inc
? The dead man? Was
that a coincidence? Cooper was a common name, right?

“I’m Payne Cooper’s wife,” she
announced.

So much for coincidence.

“You do know who I am, right?” I
stammered.

“Yes, dear. The nice detective told me you
were the one to discover Payne. I needed a designer, so I figured
it was fate that I call you.”

Fate told me I needed a drink, and it was
only ten in the morning. Maybe Jack Daniels, straight up and make
it a double. All right, I didn’t drink, but I may need to start.
Another crazy day awaited me.

“Don’t you have a funeral to plan?” I
asked.

Was she for real? Cue
The Twilight
Zone
theme music.

“Of course, dear, but the funeral won’t be
until after they release the body. You know with the autopsy,
investigation, and all.”

This woman was bonkers. I didn’t need to
hear all that.

“Mrs. Cooper,” I paused, “I’m very sorry for
your loss, but with all due respect, I just simply can’t see how I
could decorate your home. It would just feel strange.”

“It’s business and there’s nothing strange
about it,” she snapped, then paused before continuing, “Well, dear,
would you at least think about it? Please.”

“Why me? Can’t you find someone else to do
it?”

“Why not you? Plus, I heard you’re good and
there is no one else in this backwoods town who I can turn to.”

How had she heard about me, I wanted to ask,
but didn’t. My design business wasn’t exactly the talk of town, at
least, I didn’t think so. The faster I got off the phone, the
better.

“Do you always give your customers this hard
a time? Or, just me?”

“No. I’m very sorry. I’m just surprised you
called, that’s all,” I said.

“It’s not good for business, which I’m sure
you don’t get a lot of anyway.”

“I do all right.” Now she was giving me a
hard time.

“So, you’ll consider it?”

“Yes, Mrs. Cooper, I’ll think about it.”

“Fantastic.”

“I’ll call you later this week and let you
know. I’m very busy with the house right now.” I held the phone
between my cheek and shoulder and rubbed my temple with one
hand.

“Later this week? Oh, no, I can’t wait that
long. I need an answer by this evening and no later.”

I paused. What could possibly be so urgent?
A decorating emergency? “All right, I’m positive the answer will be
no, but what time should I call you?”

“Let me see. I have an appointment today.”
She shuffled papers. “How about after I speak with the funeral
director? We have just a few details to arrange for the funeral.
I’ll be finished in a jiffy, though.”

After? Why not during, I thought.

“About four p.m.?”

Her husband had been murdered and she wanted
to redecorate. Was she crazy or just plain heartless? Or, maybe
both. Did I want to be around to find out the answer?

“Fine. I’ll call you then.”

“Wonderful. I hope you decide to do it. I’m
in a pinch.”

“I’ll talk to you soon, Mrs. Cooper.” I
shook my head.

Maybe I needed to revisit the pet grooming
business. At least animals couldn’t speak.

I clicked off from her and hastily punched
the button on my phone. Pick up, pick up, I thought.

A soft female voice answered. “Hello.”

“Sam, it’s Alabama.”

“Hey, what’s up? Where ya been hiding
yourself? I tried to call you several times. Chris finally got us
scheduled to investigate that church. And I bought a new camera. I
didn’t get the new digital recorder, though.”

“Whoa, slow down. I have to tell you
something.”

“Uh-oh. What have you done this time? I
don’t really need any new makeup right now and no way are you
grooming my dog.”

“No, it’s not that. Don’t worry, it’s good.
I bought a haunted house.” I announced.

“Get out. Where?”

“Here in town. The big one on Maple Hill
Road.”

“Oh. My. God. I’ve been dying to investigate
Maple Hill Road for a long time. No pun intended. My brother and I
used to walk by and look for ghosts when we were kids. He said it
wasn’t haunted, but I knew it was. So, when do we get in?”

“As soon as you want. Preferably soon,
because I’ve already felt cold spots and heard footsteps.
Construction will start soon, so you know things will pick up
then.”

“Have you researched the history of the
home? If you find out what happened, then maybe you can discover
who’s haunting it. Then you can possibly find out why. I bet
there’s some tragic story associated with the house.”

“I haven’t researched yet. If there is some
juicy history, we’d probably know by now.”

“Remember the big case in Bowling Green? The
ghost of the mother was hanging around, looking for her baby. As
soon as we told her she was dead, poof, the activity stopped.”

“That was a good one.” I steered down Ivy
Lane, past my old high school. Glad those days were over.

“That’s so cool, Alabama, I didn’t know you
knew anything about houses.”

“Yes, of course. It goes hand in hand with
being an interior decorator.”

Not necessarily true, but it sounded good,
anyway.

“I’m anxious to see the place. How about
tomorrow morning at ten? I have something to do at night”

“Perfect. We can do a mini-investigation to
start. Do you think the guys can make it? You’ll call them for me?
I’m headed to Lacey’s house now. She’ll abandon me if I don’t stop
by.”

“Sure, I’ll find out. Tell Lacey hello.”

One more call on my list before I made my
way to the courthouse, then Lacey’s. I pulled over in the nearest
parking lot and fished the number from my purse.

“Hello, Carolyn? This is Alabama Hargrove.
We met at Suzie’s.”

I wanted to know more about the mysterious
Carolyn Flanagan.

“Hi there, Alabama. How are you?”

“Great. And you?” She was being polite. I
couldn’t unload all my worries on her. Heck, now that I’d called, I
didn’t know what to say.

“I’m good. Hey, how about coming over for
supper tonight? I’ll fix us a delightful dinner. I want you to meet
my hunky husband and my nephew.”

Wow. She saved me from an awkward
conversation. Going to her home would give be the perfect
opportunity to discover more about Carolyn. But why did I get an
uneasy feeling when she mentioned her nephew? Another stranger in
town.

“That sounds perfect. What time should I be
there?”

“How does six-thirty sound? Any later and my
husband gets cranky.” She laughed.

“Sounds great, I can’t wait.”

She gave me the directions to her farm and I
clicked off. My insides did a happy dance at the prospect of not
cooking. Plus, since Lacey was on the crutches and not able to go
up stairs well, Carolyn may just fit the psychic bill—the perfect
solution for my haunted house problems. As if fate had sent
her.

As I made my way down Lacey’s street, my
phone rang again. Carolyn must have forgotten to tell me something.
Unknown caller was displayed across the screen.

Hmmm. Weird.

I picked up the phone, then pressed the talk
button. “Hello?”

The line was silent.

“Hello,” I said again into the phone this
time sternly.

A long breath escaped from the other end. I
smashed the off button and tossed the phone down on the passenger
seat. The breathy noise echoed in my head, sending a chill down my
spine. Probably kids playing a prank, I reasoned. I shook off the
call and headed into the historic stone building. Its intricate
cornices and stained windows gave it an almost gothic feel. After a
few trips down each hallway in the building with several people
providing misguided information, I located the office I needed.

Forty minutes later, I had my permit. Reed
would never know about my little fib. Easy peasy. Clutching the
paper in my hands made me feel as if I were that much closer to
accomplishing my goal. I spun the car in the opposite direction and
within a couple of minutes pulled up in front of Lacey’s
craftsman.

She met me at the door.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“I’m okay. It’s feeling better already. I’m
ready to lose the crutches.”

“Don’t rush it.”

I stepped into Lacey’s living room. It
looked like a page from a Pottery Barn catalogue. Lots of sunlight
filtered through the windows, mixing with the sage and beige tones.
I helped select the color scheme for most of the rooms. We’d spent
all last summer redecorating, while Rob complained about the amount
of money Lacey spent.

“How about I make some coffee?” I asked.

“I already made it. I just can’t carry the
mugs.”

“You’re supposed to be resting.”

She shrugged.

I slipped into the kitchen to retrieve the
coffee. Lacey trudged behind me, the clank of her crutches echoing
across the room. I poured the coffee as Lacey got comfortable at
the kitchen table. As comfortable as she could be with her leg
propped in a chair. I handed her a steaming mug.

“So you got someone to help with the house?”
she asked after taking a sip.

I took a drink and looked down at my mug.
“Um, not exactly.”

“What about hot neighbor with the
hammer?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”

She smiled. “I’d have him over there
repairing my plumbing faster than you can say plumbing.”

“You’re seriously disturbed. What about your
husband?” I grinned.

“I can convince him to share me.”

“I’m not even going to ask for you to
explain your logic.”

“Who are you gonna ask for help?” She took a
drink.

“I’ll find someone, don’t worry.” Not
meeting her gaze, I scooped more sugar from the bowl and dumped it
in my mug.

“Don’t wait too long. You know a bright
patch of sunshine isn’t going to appear with a path to lead your
way.”

I didn’t answer as I stirred my coffee.

“So, I met this lady at Sweet Suzie’s,
right?”

Lacey nodded. “Yeah.”

“She claims to be psychic.”

Lacey scoffed. “Oh, Bama. Lots of people
claim that.”

“I know, but here’s the thing, she seemed
real.”

Lacey’s right eyebrow rose. “So there’s a
new psychic in town.”

“I suppose.” She wasn’t going to like this
next bit of info. “She invited me to dinner tonight. I thought it
might be good to ask her about the ghosts in the house.”

“I told you I can help.” Lacey frowned.

“I know, I know. I just want your ankle to
get better and those stairs are killer. You can’t climb them right
now.”

“Whatever you say.” Lacey looked down at the
newspaper on the table and remained silent, so I changed the
subject.

An hour later and full of coffee and gossip,
I jumped back in my car. All that was left for me to do was a trip
to the grocery, then home to change before meeting Carolyn and
company.

As I cruised through the historic district,
I passed by Sweet Suzie’s. Suzie stood in front, unloading boxes
from her car. I turned my Volvo around and pulled up beside her.
She didn’t notice, so I honked my horn.

“Hi.” I rolled my window down.

“Hi, darlin’. What brings you by today?”

“Errands.” I frowned. “I saw you out and
thought I’d say hello. How’s business?”

“I got new stock in, so there are lots of
boxes to unpack.” She frowned.

“I’m on my way to the grocery,” I offered.
I’d rather unpack her boxes then make a trip down the supermarket
aisle. I’d never enjoyed that task.

She set a box down on the sidewalk and
walked over to my car. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m all right, I suppose. Did you get those
candle holders in that I asked about?”

“I expect them next week. We’re a little
slow to get deliveries around here.”

“Oh, good. I didn’t really expect you to get
them so soon. I’ll stop by next week then, maybe Thursday. I’ll let
you get back to what you were doing.”

“Alabama, there’s something I need to tell
you.” She leaned close to my window. “My daughter’s boyfriend is a
Rosewood police officer.” She paused. “He said they have a list of
persons of interest.”

Not surprising considering what I’d heard of
Payne Cooper. He hadn’t appeared the most likeable person in
town.

“Really?” I said, trying to sound somewhat
surprised. “Did he tell you who they were?”

Her face was solemn. “As a matter of fact,
he did. He wasn’t supposed to share details with anyone, so please
don’t say anything. I just wanted you to know… Um…,” she stammered.
“You haven’t been ruled out as a suspect,” she blurted out.

“What! So I am a suspect, or person of
interest, or whatever the heck they call it. They’re interested in
me all right, interested in taking me to jail. It’s crazy. Why
would I kill the man? I didn’t even know him. I could never kill
anyone—I don’t even like killing ants.” I fought back tears.

“Oh, honey, please don’t cry. I didn’t mean
to upset you. I just thought you should know…if you didn’t
already.” She patted my shoulder.

“Suzie, I’m sorry.” I wiped my eyes. “Don’t
worry about me. You did the right thing by telling me. Sticking my
head in the sand won’t make the situation go away. I want to
know.”

“You aren’t the only suspect, by any means.”
She leaned in closer.

“Who else?” I asked, hoping she would tell
me.

“For one…his business partner. He’s a silent
partner in the company, his name is Ron Spencer. Then there was the
custodian, Nick Patterson.”

“Really?” I asked. “I didn’t know he had a
partner. He wasn’t at the closing.” I sniffled.

She shrugged her shoulders. “There’s another
name…Mrs. Cooper.” Her eyebrow arched.

“Oh, my God. She called me this morning. Can
you believe it?” I pulled a tissue from my purse and wiped my
nose.

“What in heaven’s sake for?”

“She wants me to decorate her house.” I
rolled my eyes.

“The day after her husband was
murdered?”

I nodded. “I thought the same thing, but I’m
serious. She said she got my name and number from a detective,
which I find kind of odd.”

“Odd is an understatement. She’s nuttier
than a can of mixed nuts.”

I chuckled. “I’m quickly discovering that.
Thanks for telling me everything, Suzie. Most people wouldn’t be as
kind as you are.”

“No problem, darlin’.” She patted my arm
again. “Don’t worry they’ll find the killer in no time at all. I
don’t think they seriously suspect you. Heck, Payne had a temper
from what I’ve heard. There’s no telling who killed him.”

“Thanks, I hope you’re right.”

Should I call a lawyer? Tears ran down my
cheeks again. No, they hadn’t arrested me. Suspects weren’t
arrested. Until they did, I’d continue with what I was doing. I
rolled up the window and watched her walk away. As I pulled off, I
waved goodbye. I didn’t feel like grocery shopping now. That’s one
way to lose those extra five pounds, become a murder suspect. Or,
“person of interest.”

Blinking through my tears, I pointed the car
toward Maple Hill Road. After a couple of miles, I reached a
difficult section of the highway. A big yellow sign with a winding
arrow came into view making me grip the wheel a little tighter. I
eased my foot off the gas when I reached a curvy section of the
road, navigating through the twists and turns.

A loud rumble from another car engine caught
my attention. When I glanced in my rearview mirror, a blue sedan
followed so closely I felt as if I was towing it. Any nearer and
the car would have been in my backseat. My speedometer read
twenty-five. With the posted speed limit of twenty, I was already
driving over the limit. The street was two lanes with no shoulder,
so I couldn’t move over. The vehicle sped along behind me. Too
close for comfort.

Thoughts swirled in my mind. A lump the size
of a boulder formed in my throat. Sweat trickled on my forehead. I
wasn’t sure what to do, so I pounded my foot on the accelerator,
hoping to put some distance between us. It looked like the same car
that had tried to run me down. The darn tinted windows blocked my
view of the driver. The make of the car wasn’t discernible.

As I steered the car around a curve, the
mysterious sedan continued its pursuit. I didn’t think it was a
coincidence that these strange events started after I had found
Payne Cooper. I’d lose control of my car if I sped up. Maple Hill
Road was near, if I could make it there, I’d be safe.

Another small curve appeared and I
maneuvered around it. My hands ached from clutching the steering
wheeling so tightly. I glanced in the mirror for the hundredth
time, then the car bumped mine from behind—hard. My head lurched
forward, narrowly missing the steering wheel and I swerved. My car
left the road, bounced over the sidewalk and onto a lawn. My poor
Volvo was still moving at a decent speed, although I’d lifted my
foot off the accelerator. I jammed both feet on the brake and
careened to the left before coming to a screeching halt, landing in
a line of shrubs.