Leighann Dobbs - Mystic Notch 02 - A Spirited Tail by Leighann Dobbs Read Free Book Online Page A

claimed she could use the herbs in her teas to help people feel better and push them along the ‘right path’. I’d always been skeptical, especially since her teas usually had the opposite effect of what she intended. Though I had to admit, they did seem to work sometimes … like earlier this summer when her teas had seemed to change Ophelia Withington from mean and bitter to nice and generous.  
    “So, go on, tell me what happened. I heard Bruce was found at Van Dorn’s. What were you doing there?
    I broke a cookie in half and nibbled on it while I told her about finding the body. Normally, I’d scarf down the whole cookie, but I’d noticed my jeans getting a little tight in the waist and figured I’d better start watching what I ate. Her eyes got wide when I told her about the mark on Bruce’s forehead. I finished the story by telling her about Charles Van Dorn’s ghost and the death of the starlet, Lily Johanson, fifty years ago with the same mark on her forehead.
    “So, you think Charles lied to you about being murdered?” she asked.
    “I have no idea. He left a note and confessed to killing Lily. But why would he lie to me?”
    Pepper shrugged. “Who knows with ghosts? Maybe he’s up to something. But those murders have to be related. Does Gus know about the old murder?”
    “If she doesn’t, I’m sure she’ll find out soon enough.”
    “Well, this sure is turning out to be a mystery. Do you think Charles’s ghost killed Bruce?”
    “It would make sense, but why would he do that?  And how?” I wasn’t sure if ghosts were capable of bashing someone on the back of the head and leaving marks on their forehead.
    “Maybe he just wants to be left alone and figured a new murder would scare people off for another fifty years.” 
    “He did say he wanted to be left alone, but also that he wanted me to find his murderer so he could move on.”
    “Well, it sounds like you’ve got a real mystery on your hands.” Pepper’s eyes sparkled at me over the rim of her teacup. “You are going to investigate it, aren’t you?”
    “I really shouldn’t. Gus warned me not to, but I have to admit, I am curious.”
    “Pfft. Gus always warns you not to and you never listen. Are you sure you’re not hesitant because you know Striker will get mad at you?” Pepper teased.
    I felt my face flame. I certainly didn’t decide whether to investigate or not based on if I thought my sort-of boyfriend would get mad. Did I? I mean, heck, we’d only had a few dates, and I wasn’t going to let anyone tell me what to do. 
    “No. It has nothing to do with him,” I said, a little too forcefully. “And besides, I never said I wasn’t going to look into it. I’m just not sure how to go about it. I wonder if Van Dorn knows more than he’s letting on.”
    “He was in the house and probably saw the whole thing. When do you go back?”
    “I’m going to call Ophelia and see if we can go back tonight. I think she said the nephew was coming in today.” I glanced over at Ranger and Pandora. They were sleeping peacefully, Ranger on the floor and Pandora in the window. Could they be trusted alone together? Probably not. “Will you watch Ranger if I go back up there tonight?  I can swing by your place and fill you in when I pick him up.”
    Pepper’s face brightened. “Sure. I love dogs.” 
    “I hope I get a chance to talk to Van Dorn, because if he didn’t kill himself over guilt for killing Lily, then maybe he didn’t kill Lily.” 
    “And if he didn’t kill Lily, he probably didn’t kill Bruce.”
    “Which means the killer could still be out there somewhere.”
    “And he’s still killing.”

Chapter Six
     
    I closed shop at four p.m., leaving Pandora sunning herself in the window. After dropping Ranger off at Pepper’s teashop, I drove up to Van Dorn’s to meet Ophelia and the nephew. Pulling into the driveway, I noticed the police were gone, but the yellow crime scene tape remained. I wondered if the