A smattering of miniature stars enters into the library, followed by a bright pink aura surrounding a ghost with flowing red hair and the look of worry rife in her glowing eyes.
“Oh, Bowie, he’s after me again,” Hazel rants. “And that machine he has? It’s doing something to me. I’m in trouble. You have to help.”
Carol swipes something off the counter and strikes me over the temple with it as hard as if she hit me with a brick.
A horrible groan comes from me, and I look over in time to see Carol coming back at me with a book as thick as a dictionary.
“Bowie!” Hazel’s voice riots so loud it seems to vibrate the entire room.
I duck in time to evade that deadly tome and end up ramming my head into Carol Bransford’s stomach.
A horrible oof sound expels from her as I tackle her to the ground. She puts up a good fight as a wrestling match breaks out between us.
“I’m sorry, Bowie.” She grunts. “But I’m afraid I can’t let you live.” She wraps her hands around my neck. “I can’t lose everything now. Holly was my nightmare. I can’t let you be another one.”
Try as I might I can’t seem to evict her fingers from around my neck.
Can’t breathe.
The open door catches my attention, so I do the only thing I can. I roll us in that direction, flailing my limbs in hopes someone will peer inside and see me.
Hazel zips over and tries her best to pluck the madwoman off of me, but to no avail.
The glorious ghost lets out a sharp cry of frustration. “I don’t know why I can move a book, hold a cat, or open a door, but I have no control over a person,” she wails. “Wait! I’ve got an idea.” She zips to the entry, and soon the library doors are opening and shutting at a quickened pace, and in less than five seconds a woman steps in.
Nora!
“Hey!” the angry looking brunette shouts. “Woodley Sheriff’s Department—freeze!”
And just like that, it’s over.
Nora pulls Carol off of me, and I quickly repeat her entire confession.
Nora cuffs the woman and calls it in on her phone before looking my way.
“Bowie, get Shep,” she barks my way. “He’s right outside the door to the café.”
I stagger my way out into the alcove, still gulping for air. A lot of good it did me to keep this door open. Thank God for Hazel. If she weren’t as dead as a doornail, I would be just that.
My feet carry me over to the foyer, and I’m about to head toward the café when I spot Shep and Regina with their heads knit together, whispering between themselves, and I quickly duck behind the white flocked tree sitting in the entry.
“I’m going to get her this time, Shep,” Regina pants. “And there’s nothing you can do about it. And I’m going to make sure she stays out of our lives forever.”
The vision!
“No,” Shep barks back.
He leans her way. “If anyone takes her down, it’s me. I’ve invested personal resources to carry on this farce. My neck is on the line—my reputation.”
She runs her finger down his tie. “Oh, go ahead. If things work out, it will be the biggest sting operation of your life.”
“That’s it.” I burst forth, panting, still dizzy from nearly having the life snuffed out of me. “How dare you.” I point hard at Shep as tears spring to my eyes, but I’m quick to blink them away. “I expected it from her, but you?” I give him a shove to the chest. “How dare you make me think you cared about me! How dare you wrap me around your heart and make me fall in love with you!” I smack him on the chest and he gently pulls me in by the wrist as those navy-rimmed eyes of his eat intently into mine.
“Did you just say you were falling in love with me?”
“Yes,” I say above a whisper. “I opened myself up to you. I love you.” I study his face. “I would do anything for you. And this”—I point over to Regina—“this is what I get in return?”
His lips cinch into an obnoxious smile. His eyes flash with a cocky gleam to them.
“I love you, too, Bowie Binx.” Something in his eyes softens. “And I don’t know what you think you saw here, but I can promise you, there was nothing nefarious going on.”
An explosion of light flashes to my right, and Hazel Newton appears in all her unearthly glory.
“That’s the woman!” She points hard to Regina. “She’s the one trying to evict me.”
Shep glances to the right then the left, his head never moving an inch.
“Did you hear that?” he hisses as if he were genuinely worried.
Hazel gasps. “Bowie, he’s touching you!”
A small cry comes from me as I quickly pull away. I’m a conduit for the dead—Hazel told me all about it a few weeks back.
Shep shakes his head. “Who said that?” He gives a quick look around as Hazel floats right out the window.
Regina steps my way in a bright red sweater with a blinking Christmas tree on the front of it, and I can’t help but note she’s donned the exact same sweater I’ve got on. I’d say jinx, but she’d simply accuse me of name-calling. She wouldn’t be wrong.
“I bet it’s that ghost again!” she riots over at Shep.
