Ghost at Work _a Bailey Ruth Mystery

Nobody was in the room.

Cobb shook his head, flipped to a fresh page.

PER SONS OF INTER EST

1 The Rev. William Abbott, rector St. Mildred’s. Quarreled with Murdoch Thursday morning. Refused to reveal reason for disagreement. Claimed privileged matter. Murdoch had called vestry meeting for Sunday afternoon to consider fiduciary irregularity. Motive: Possible financial wrongdoing. Opportunity: In church when crime likely occurred.

2. Kathleen Abbott, rector’s wife. Lied about reason for visit to Murdoch cabin Wednesday

I drew in a sharp breath.

Cobb started. He looked around, stared at his closed door, frowned.

I edged away from his shoulder. The man had hearing like a lynx.

He resumed writing.

230

G h o s t at Wo r k

I returned, breathing delicately.

evening. Junior Warden Bud Schilling said Murdoch was determined to see church secretary fired, under no circumstances would have planned to purchase a birthday gift for her. Motive: Unclear. Cabin visit and phone call re red nightgown suggest sexual liaison, but Murdoch was having an affair with Cynthia Brown. No evidence exists that Mrs. Abbott was involved with Murdoch. Moreover, she appeared to dislike him. Possibly she quarreled with him in defense of her husband, but that doesn’t explain the red nightgown. Opportunity: Her whereabouts during critical period unknown.

He reached for a file, flipped it open. He picked up his telephone, punched numbers. “Mrs. Abbott?” He listened. “Do you have a cell number for her?” He wrote quickly on the outside of the folder. “Thank you.”

No doubt Bayroo had answered. I hoped the delivery of the cake had gone well.

Cobb clicked another number. “Mrs. Abbott? Chief Cobb. Where were you from five to seven Thursday evening?” He scrawled a thumb-size question mark on his pad. “Oh, at the rectory. Did you see anyone near the shed at the back of the property?” I hoped Kathleen was keeping her cool.

“A witness observed you returning a wheelbarrow to the shed.” He looked as predatory as a cat toying with a mouse.

I gasped. Aloud.

His head jerked every which way.

I didn’t regret worrying him. Wasn’t it against the law for a policeman to lie? Why, his very own notes made it clear he didn’t know where Kathleen was when Daryl was shot.

He gripped the phone tighter. “You didn’t mention that earlier.” 231

C a r o ly n H a rt

What was Kathleen saying? It was time I went to the parish hall.

If only I were in time . . .

The parish hall looked like a combination rummage sale and carni-val. Huge posters announced:

Annual Spook Bash

4–8 p.m. Saturday October 29

St. Mildred’s Parish Pumpkin Party

All goods, services, and entertainments donated Proceeds Designated for Adelaide Food Bank Big fans in the corners of the room were tilted toward the ceiling, rippling orange and black streamers that dangled from oak beams.

The wail of a winter wind moaned from the sound system. Black trash bags were taped to the windows, making the room dim. Cardboard skeletons with arms akimbo and one leg in a high kick were pinned on either side of each window. Decorated gourds, Thanksgiving centerpieces, pumpkin ceramics, assorted collectibles, homemade cakes, candies, breads, and jams filled trestle tables around the perimeter. Apples bobbed in large zinc pails. Cardboard signposts advertised face painting, madame ruby-ann’s fantastic fortunes, mysterious maze, ghost busters tent, pumpkin palette, and di-nah’s dee-licious diner.

Orange T-shirts with spook bash in topsy-turvy black letters identified volunteers. Teenagers arranged pumpkins and struggled with bales of hay. Voices, high and low, young and old, reverberated. “. . .

over here, Pete, over here . . . be careful or it’ll fall . . . put all the chocolate on one table . . . can’t stand that noise . . . Suzie, those angel cards are precious!”

Kathleen stood near the maze made from stacked hay bales, 232

G h o s t at Wo r k

clutching her cell phone. She looked as wary as a kayaker in a swamp teeming with alligators, but she sounded untroubled. “Oh, that. I never thought about mentioning it. I saw the wheelbarrow out in the yard and thought I’d better—”

I yanked the cell phone from her hand—“bring it in the house.”

“In the house? You mean the shed.” The chief sounded puzzled.