“You’re friends with Tammy?” she asked.
“Best friends actually. I’m surprised you didn’t know that.”
“Well, I don’t know Tammy all that well. I guess it’s just that our mothers are friends.”
“Right. She told me about that. Anyway, can you tell me if anything happened that was strange that night?”
“I mean, the whole thing is strange.”
“I know having a séance is weird, but did any strange activity happen? Something odd that you might have noticed?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
She seemed hesitant to speak.
“You can tell me about these things. I mean, it’s kind of what I do. I’m not sure if you know this, but I have the haunted tour in town.”
“Oh, really?” Phoebe looked as if she wanted to talk more.
However, she was still hesitant.
“I’ve seen a lot of things, so if something happened, you can tell me about it.”
“Yeah, I guess there was something that happened. A big something actually.”
My heart sped up as I leaned forward so that I could catch every detail. “Tell me everything. I want to help.”
“It’s over now, right? I mean what happened that night can’t stick around forever.”
“You tell me. What happened since you left?”
“All of us have been experiencing strange things,” Phoebe said.
“What kind of strange things?” I asked.
“Well, we all started hearing footsteps in our houses and seeing shadows out of the corner of our eyes. It just seems kind of too much to be a coincidence, you know?”
“I doubt it’s a coincidence. What was the name you got from the board? Or what was the name of the presence that you called forward?”
“I don’t remember exactly. I wasn’t given all the details.”
I knew she wasn’t being completely honest with me. I had to figure out a way to get her to talk. Maybe if she felt more comfortable with the whole situation.
“If you don’t mind, I have someone else I called in to help. He’s professional with this type of thing. He deals with this specific problem. Maybe you could talk with him and tell him exactly everything that happened? If something really did attach to you, it’s not going to get better on its own. It’ll just get worse.”
I didn’t want to mention that possibly it could cause a death like with Tabatha. If that was what had happened to Tabatha, then it was a real possibility that it could happen to anyone else in that group. She seemed hesitant, but I knew she wanted the help.
Just then a text message from Porter came through that he would be at the library right away.
I held the phone up. “As a matter of fact, this is him now. If you could take out some time to come to the library?”
“I don’t know,” she said with a pause.
If she didn’t come with me back to the library, I didn’t know what I’d do.
Chapter 15
With bated breath, I waited for her answer. I thought maybe I would have to plead my case again. How I wasn’t sure. What else was there to say?
Finally, she said, “Okay, I’ll go.”
I didn’t want to waste a second for her to maybe change her mind. Plus, I didn’t want to miss Porter. I jumped up from the table and grabbed my coffee and a pastry too of course. I wouldn’t leave that behind.
“Did you drive here?” I asked.
I hoped she would ride with me so that I could make sure she didn’t try to get away.
“Yes, my car is parked right out there.” She gestured.
“I can give you a ride over there to the library and then bring you back.” I wanted her in the car with me so that I could ask more questions.
“That’s okay. I’ll just follow you,” she said.
I’d been afraid she would say that, but I had no choice to let her do it of course. Could I sell her on the advantages of riding with me? That would be awkward and a surefire way to get her to take off in the opposite direction.
I waved goodbye to Dana and then opened the door for Phoebe. She didn’t even say thank you when she walked out. Now I knew why Tammy didn’t like her much.
“I’m parked right here,” I said, pointing to my car.
“I’ll follow you,” she said with a wave.
What if she didn’t? Should I chase her? While I debated the thought, I noticed the red rose on my windshield. It was stuck under the wipers. A piece of white paper was also secured underneath as well. I slipped the paper out from under the wiper.
A rose for you. Be careful.
Who had left this for me? Brannon. After climbing behind the wheel, I placed the rose on the seat beside me and sent the message.
Did you leave a rose for me on my car’s windshield? That was sweet. Thank you.
I didn’t leave a rose. Who left you a rose?
Uh-oh. Now I was confused.
Chapter 16
I kept glancing in the rearview mirror as Phoebe followed me back to the library and I held my breath that she would actually go with me there and not just take off I finally released the breath when we pulled into the library's parking lot and she parked her car beside mine got out and headed toward the library.
“I really appreciate you coming,” I said.
“I kind of don’t know what I’m getting into here. And I’m a little anxious about that,” she said.
Well, she wasn’t so anxious that she didn’t want to do that seance the other night. But I wouldn’t push that issue. I figured if I was a bit too outspoken now she might turn around and leave. I just had to get her to do what I wanted now. I needed to question her more later. I held the library door open for her as she stepped inside.
She peered all around. “Wow it's amazing in here you've never been in the library before no she said I'm not much of a reader that's too bad this made my heart a little sad when someone said that but reading wasn't for everyone I suppose they were missing out but I digressed I imagine he'll be here soon I said checking the time on my phone well I hope so because I really am in kind of a hurry I barely reached the reference desk when I heard the library doors open and glanced back and saw Porter oh thank goodness that's him now I said.
He tossed his hand up as he hurried over. “How is everything? Have you seen the ghost lately?”
I shook my head. “I just got back and it looks as if everything is calm.”
“Good to hear,” he said as he adjusted his wire-rimmed eyeglasses.
“Porter this is Phoebe Fox.” I gestured. “I wanted you to meet her because she had a séance with her friends at the mansion.”
Porter’s small eyes widened. “Oh, dear.”
“I didn’t know it was such a big deal,” Phoebe said defensively.
“You had no way of knowing,” I said, trying to make her feel as if we weren’t ganging up on her.
“These things happen,” Porter added.
“It was the night before the murder. The ghost that’s now haunting the library is the one I saw at the mansion,” I said.