Haunting in a Winter Wonderland: A Ghost Hunter Cozy Mystery Short Story (A Ghostly Haunted Tour Guide Mystery) Read online

  Chapter 3

  “Okay, that was pretty creepy to watch,” Tammy said.

  “That was a bit chilling, wasn’t it?” I asked. “Mrs. Sullivan wasn’t wearing a cloak.”

  “I don’t think it was a ghost,” Brannon said.

  “No, I don’t think so either,” I said. “She walked right out of the library too. Like nothing happened. How will we track her down?”

  “We’ll be on the lookout for her,” Brannon said. “Also, I’ll talk with Mrs. Sullivan.”

  “Good luck with that. She’s not in a good mood,” I said.

  “She’s never in a good mood,” Tammy added.

  “I just can’t understand why someone left that note,” I said.

  “Yeah, what’s their problem with you and Christmas?” Tammy asked.

  “I would expect the ghost of Mrs. Clatterbuck to do something like this, but why a stranger would do it I have no idea,” I said.

  Mrs. Clatterbuck liked to haunt the cemetery where I held the tours. She was most unhappy with me bringing people around. She repeatedly told me not to have the living traipsing through her graveyard, but I didn’t listen.

  “Since Mrs. Sullivan doesn’t like Christmas. Maybe she doesn’t want you to do the tour because of that,” Brannon said.

  “I suppose that’s possible,” I said.

  “What about the tour tonight?” Tammy asked.

  “I’m still going to do it, of course. I have to do it,” I said. “It’s Christmas. I can’t cancel just because someone left a note. Plus, what if it was Mrs. Sullivan? What could she possibly do to make me stop?”

  Tammy raised an eyebrow. “I don’t trust her.”

  “She’s harmless, right?” I asked with a frown.

  “Sadly, I think Mrs. Sullivan would be just the Grinch to leave such note,” Tammy said.

  “Try not to worry about it too much,” Brannon said, touching my chin. “Everything will work out just fine. And think about how much fun you’ll have.”

  “I’m not concerned,” I said, plastering a smile on my face.

  Okay, maybe I was a bit concerned, but I wasn’t going to let anyone know that. The last thing I wanted was another confrontation with Mrs. Sullivan though. Plus, I was convinced that wasn’t Mrs. Sullivan underneath that cloak. She was shorter than the person under that cloak. Could she have asked someone else to do it for her? Brannon touched my hand and brought me back to attention.

  “Why did you stop by anyway?” I asked.

  “Just to wish you luck,” he said with a big smile.

  “Aw, that’s so sweet,” Tammy said.

  Brannon chuckled. “Anyway, I’ll speak with Mrs. Sullivan and let you know what happens.”

  Now Mrs. Sullivan would be even angrier with me. After Brannon and I said goodbye I tried to put the events out of my mind for a bit. Focusing on work would be a good distraction.

  Chapter 4

  An hour had gone by and I was that much closer to time for the tour. Brannon hadn’t called yet, so I assumed he hadn’t spoken with Mrs. Sullivan. Thank goodness no other notes had appeared.

  As I walked past the computer a message popped up. Since no one was sitting there, the computer had been off, and then magically came on by itself, I knew this message had to be from Annie. Mostly she sent text messages. Occasionally though she liked to surprise me with a computer pop up, phone call, or social media post.

  I heard about the note today. I hope no one means you harm.

  I looked around to see if Annie was anywhere in sight.

  “Annie?” I whispered. “Where are you?”

  Another message popped up on the screen.

  Up here.

  Annie sat on top of one of the stacks.

  “What are you doing up there?” I asked.

  Just watching the crowd. On the lookout for anyone suspicious.

  “Don’t worry things will be just fine.”

  I won’t be able to help but worry after a note like that.

  “You can text me during the evening if you’d like to check in,” I said.

  I might just do that.

  “Right now, it’s time for me to get out of here though,” I said.

  Just be safe and have a good time.

  “I promise I will.”

  After turning off the computer, I met Tammy at the front of the library.

  “Well, I’ll see you at the tavern,” Tammy said as she buttoned up her black trench coat. “I’m still uneasy about you doing the tour.”

  “We can walk together,” I said as I slipped into my red pea coat.

  “Afraid Mrs. Sullivan will come after you? I’ve heard she keeps the pocketbook of hers heavy so she can whack people with it.”

  “I don’t think she’d actually hit people, would she?” I frowned. “Besides, I’m not afraid.”

  Tammy raised an eyebrow.

  I scoffed. “Me afraid? I’ve dealt with a lot meaner than Mrs. Sullivan.”

  At least I thought I’d dealt with meaner. Yes, I was sure that deep down Mrs. Sullivan was a nice person. I just needed to break through her hard exterior.

  “I’ve heard rumors is all I’m saying,” Tammy said with a wave of her hand.

  The other assistants had already left for the day. The snow had started to fall again with big fluffy flakes accumulating on every surface. All the patrons had gone too. Our footsteps echoed through the now-empty building.

  “Bye, Annie,” I said with a wave.

  Jane Austen sat on the reference desk pretending to sleep. Her tail swayed when I said goodbye, but she kept her eyes closed.

  After I locked the doors behind us, Tammy and I headed down the path in front of the library toward the sidewalk. Oh, one other scary thing about the library. A small graveyard sat out front. Yes, right out front on the lawn. It had been here before the building was even here. That only added to the rumors that this place was haunted. I had to admit it was a bit spooky. Okay, a lot spooky. And I hung out in graveyards all the time. There was just something different about this one though. I’d never put my finger on that difference.

  Chapter 5

  “I just remembered something,” Tammy said. “I know who was wearing a cloak.”

  “What?” I asked, almost scared to find out.

  “The carolers were wearing those cloaks today.”

  “You’re right,” I said. “I totally forgot about that.”

  “Yeah, one wore a black one. I’m sure of it. She had to be the one responsible.”

  “Why would she leave a note like that?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure, but now we just need to figure out who she is.”

  “I guess it will have to wait until after the tour because I don’t have time now. I hope they don’t show up. I think they’re supposed to be caroling tonight in town.”

  “What if you run into the disgruntled one? The one who has it out for you,” Tammy said.

  “That sounds kind of ominous and scary,” I said.

  “I have a feeling this caroler isn’t full of goodwill, cheer, and all that stuff.”

  I waved my hand. “Oh, you’re just trying to scare me now,”

  Tammy laughed nervously. “Yeah, just trying to scare you. I’m sure it’s just someone playing a joke.”

  I hoped that was the case.

  As we neared the tavern, I stopped in my tracks.

  “What’s wrong?” Tammy asked.

  I pointed toward the carolers.

  “Your nemesis,” she said in a teasing tone. “Maybe we should just go up and confront them right now.”

  “And interrupt Jingle Bells? I think we’d better wait,” I said.

  We reached the tavern and stepped inside out of the cold and snow. I brushed the flakes off my coat. The bar counter with stools sat to the left of the room and tables and chairs along the right side of the space. Every seat was taken, and the other spaces were full of being as they stood around listening to the music. The band played at the back of the roo
m. Christmas songs of course. There wasn’t an empty seat in the place.

  “I’d better get those flashlights and get started with the tour.” I glanced out the front window and noticed a few people had gathered around.

  They were meeting me in front of the tavern tonight instead of the graveyard. I’d take them back to the cemetery at the end of the tour. Just in case I needed to cut the tour short because of the weather.

  After saying goodbye to Tammy, I grabbed the flashlights and hurried outside. Men and women stood on the sidewalk bundled up in their coats, hats, scarves, and boots.

  “Is everyone here for the holiday tour?” I called out the group.

  They looked a bit confused but shook their heads.

  “I have flashlights for everyone. I’m not sure we’ll need them tonight because the town is pretty lit up with all the beautiful Christmas lights, but we’ll be going back to the cemetery as long as time allows.”

  Everyone took a flashlight.

  “Tonight, I will guide you through the streets of haunted Devil’s Moon. Behind us is the tavern built in 1752. Some say the limestone is what makes it so haunted. That the energy from that allows the spirits to come through. A shadowy apparition of a man, identity unknown, is often seen by patrons. People who frequent the tavern get a bit of both kind of spirits.”

  The group smiled.

  “Normally I would take you inside, but tonight is extra crowded, so we’ll just head to the other places in town.”

  This was like any other tour on any other night except for now I had the best festive backdrop of the beautiful Christmas decorations. A giant Christmas tree with giant gold and silver ornaments was in the middle of town at the town square. Lights and huge ornaments sparkled in the moonlight. Decorated Christmas trees were in all the shop windows. Green wreaths, red ribbons, and white lights were hung on the streetlamps and other places in town.

  “We’ll make a stop at the restaurant up ahead which has quite a bit of ghostly activity.” I gestured.

  “Like what kind of activity?” one of the tour-goers asked.

  “Like the woman who waits for her husband to come back from the Civil War.” I opened the restaurant door. “I’ve even seen her.”

  I stepped into the restaurant full of people with the group following me. At least it wasn’t extra crowded in here like it had been at the tavern. Though the tables were full of customers enjoying their dinners. Dim lighting, old hardwood floors, and interior walls made of brick gave the restaurant a cozy, rustic charm.

  “I’ll take you all upstairs. That’s the most haunted area,” I said.

  The group followed me up the narrow steep staircase. With walls on each side, the trip upstairs could easily trigger claustrophobia. We’d only made it halfway up the stairs when a rattling noise sounded from somewhere close by.

  “Is that a mouse?” someone asked.

  “I don’t think it’s a mouse,” I said. “This is a noise that I’ve heard before and perhaps the ghost is already around.”

  Sure, I was trying to make it sound much spookier than it really was, but I had heard the sound before. I wasn’t sure it was the ghost and maybe it could have been a mouse. However, considering this was a restaurant, I didn’t want to press the mouse issue.

  We reached the top of the staircase now and I guided the group over to the small window. The ceiling in this room slopped and the restaurant staff kept extra supplies up here, so it made the space somewhat cramped. The old hardwood floor groaned under our feet.

  I pointed outside the window to the street below. Snow drifted through the dark sky, highlighted by the streetlight outside. “This is the spot where the ghost stands. She watches and waits for her husband to return.”

  “Has anyone told her that she can move on now?” a petite woman at the back of the group asked.

  “I believe there’s been a couple psychics in here to speak with her, but as far as I know, she’s still around.”

  “That’s sad,” another woman said.

  After a few more spooky stories, I motioned for everyone to go back downstairs so that we could head to the next location. Before stepping away from the window, I glanced out at the street below and spotted the carolers. This sent a shiver down my spine. I wondered if the one in the black cloak had been the one who had left the note for me. Maybe they were waiting around because they knew I was inside giving the tour like they had asked me not to do. Would they confront me when I stepped back outside?

  I wanted the tour-goers to see the carolers because it was a fantastic addition to the tour, but I didn’t want a rogue caroler to ruin my event either. Just then, one of the carolers looked up toward the window. She wore a black cloak over her dress exactly like the one I’d seen in the video. It had to be her. I had already started the tour now though. It was too late. There was nothing she could do to stop it. However, I wanted to know why she wanted to stop the tour in the first place.

  The group was already downstairs waiting for me, so I hurried away from the window and down the stairs. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to the bottom before I tumbled forward. I fell all the way to the bottom, landing on my face. It was as if someone had pushed me.

  “Oh my gosh, are you all right?” The woman close to the staircase asked as she rushed to my side.

  A bit of pain radiated through my body, but otherwise, I thought I’d survived with no major damage. Everyone in the place watched me now. Others had gathered to my side and attempted to help me to my feet.

  “I’m all right,” I said, trying to hide my embarrassment.

  This wasn’t the first time I’d had an altercation with this troublesome staircase. I would say that I had just lost my balance, but I didn’t think that was the case. It had felt as if someone had pushed me.

  I looked back up at the staircase to see if there was anything there. No sign of a ghost, but what else could it have been? I knew I hadn’t tripped on my own feet. I managed to get to my feet and straighten my clothing and try to regain my composure so that it looked like I was in somewhat control of this tour.

  “I guess I was so excited to finish the tour that I got in a bit of a hurry,” I said.

  “Are you sure something didn’t push you? I felt like something was tugging on my back as I went down the steps,” the woman next to me said.

  I didn’t want to scare everybody. This was a bit terrifying though. If I was going to be potentially physically harmed during the tour, then I might have to question whether I would continue this or not.

  “Well, we’re out of here now so I’m sure everything will be just fine.” I had no idea what else to say.

  Now came the time that I had to step back outside and confront those carolers. Well, I wouldn’t say it was confronting them, but making my presence known. I was going to try to ignore them as much as possible though. The group followed me as I limped a little toward the front door. I was sure the pain would go away soon enough. My heart beat a little faster as I stepped outside. Immediately the carolers spotted us and moved a bit closer.

  “Aren’t they lovely?” someone said. “I just love this song.”

  They were singing Oh Come All Ye Faithful. The one in the black cloak couldn’t take her eyes off me. That reaffirmed my thoughts that she was the one who had left the note. How dare she do that? But I was well on the tour now and at least she realized that her threatening note hadn’t stopped me.

  “We’ll continue to the bookstore now,” I said, gesturing for the group to follow me.

  As we turned to head down the sidewalk, I hadn’t expected the scream to ring out. It seemed like it had echoed all around Devil’s Moon. We all stopped in our tracks. I spun around, thinking that the scream had come from the restaurant.

  “What happened?” one of the women asked.

  “There’s been an emergency in the restaurant,” A gray-haired woman said after stepping out from the restaurant.

  We’d just left. What could have happened in the last minute? I hop
ed someone else hadn’t been pushed down the staircase. Things might have taken a turn for the worst.

  Chapter 6

  The man standing beside me pulled out his phone. “I can call 911.”

  The carolers had stopped singing now. This wasn’t how I’d envisioned the tour. Things had turned chaotic quickly. I dashed back over to the restaurant’s door.

  “Did someone call for help?” the woman asked.

  “Yes, help is on the way. What happened?” I asked.

  “A man was attacked.” She gestured toward the door. “Is there a doctor around?”

  I glanced back. Everyone shook their heads no.

  “Someone attacked him?” I asked.

  Someone or something? I hoped it wasn’t the spirit that had just pushed me. It was Christmas time. What was wrong with everyone? Couldn’t we all be nice at one time of the year?

  “Well, I suppose he wasn’t attacked per se by a person,” she said.

  Oh no. This was exactly what I had feared the most.

  “Someone came into the restaurant from the back door and they ripped part of the Christmas decorations down and in the process the tree next to the man tumbled over and hit him, knocking him to the ground. He has a big gash on his head.”

  “That’s horrible,” I said.

  So it wasn’t a spirit after all. Someone had ripped decorations down? How odd.

  “Who would do such a thing?” someone asked.

  “You said they came in from the back door?” I asked.

  She nodded. “Yes, and then they ran away. Well, it was more of a shuffle.”

  A shuffle and stealing decorations? That sounded familiar. I had a suspicion that I might catch up with the person responsible for this because they might not move that quickly. I decided to take off and see if I could track down the perpetrator. This had gotten way out of hand.

  “This is turning into more of a scary tour than I thought,” one of the women whispered to another.

  Yes, the tour was a disaster. A man had been injured and I needed to find out exactly who was the person responsible. Had Mrs. Sullivan struck again? Why was she so against Christmas? Not only was there an aggressive ghost, but Mrs. Sullivan was becoming more hostile too.