Millie on a Mission Read online

  That was the biggest load of horse pucky I’d ever heard, but I managed to keep my opinion to myself ... just barely. “Well, it’s great.” I met Charlie’s gaze behind Adele’s back and grinned. It was obvious she’d picked up on Adele’s self-important nature on her own. I was glad I didn’t have to explain things to her.

  “Adele, it would probably be best if you gave us a few minutes alone,” I said after a beat, an idea forming. “I need my chakras clear and if there was ever a woman who could block chakras it’s you.”

  Her gaze was dark. “Is that supposed to be an insult?”

  “As a matter of fact ... .”

  “Millie won’t be able to concentrate if you don’t give her some space,” Charlie interjected smoothly. “The longer you cloud her chakras, the longer we’ll be here. We know you don’t want that.”

  “Definitely not,” Adele agreed, her gaze bouncing between us as if she was having some sort of internal debate. “Okay, I’m going to leave you two alone. Just know that I’ve done a full inventory on this house. If anything is missing I will call the authorities.”

  I was officially offended. “Do you expect me to steal your silver or something?”

  “Word has spread that Myron gave you nothing in the divorce.”

  Oh, well, that was ludicrous. “We were married a long time, Adele. We didn’t have a pre-nup. I actually did fine in the divorce.”

  “Really?” Adele’s brow wrinkled. “The news around the club right after you settled said that you didn’t get half of the company when you split. We all figured there was a reason for that.”

  “There was a reason,” I agreed. “That’s Myron’s company. I didn’t want to take it from him.”

  “But ... you continue to work there. I figured something had to be up with that, like perhaps Myron was punishing you for being a total embarrassment. I thought maybe he forced you to take a job and you only pretended you liked it to save face.”

  Oh, she was a real piece of work. She couldn’t fathom the fact that I simply wanted to work. It didn’t compute in that teeny-tiny brain of hers. In her world — the world I used to be a part of — women worked only if they couldn’t convince their husbands to rip up pre-nuptial agreements. This was the land of trophy wives and backdoor marriage deals. That was one of the reasons I so desperately wanted out.

  “I work because I like working,” I supplied. “I work with Chris. I’ve always been fond of him.”

  “Yes, you and Myron were never blessed with children of your own, so you had to focus your attention on Chris.”

  I ignored the dig. “Myron and I came to an equitable settlement when it came to ending our marriage. I never wanted to take his company. That doesn’t mean I didn’t claim what I was due. And before you ask, I have no intention of telling you how much I got, so you can just drop that notion right now. We’re not going to share. I’m beyond that.”

  Adele was suddenly innocent. “I wasn’t trying to pry.”

  “That’s exactly what you were doing. It doesn’t matter, though. I’m not going to tell and you’re going to give up trying to find out. Otherwise ... you can just live with your ghosts and make up your own excuse for the neighbors when the poltergeist rips your ceiling off.”

  Adele’s eyes went wide. “Can they actually do that?”

  “Not only can they do it, they enjoy doing it.”

  “Well ... then I’ll leave you to your work.” She tugged on her blouse to smooth it. “If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen. I’m finalizing the menu for my upcoming tea party.”

  “I’m sure we’ll be fine.” I watched her go, keeping my fake smile in place until I was sure she was out of earshot, and then unloaded my unhappiness on Charlie. “I hate that woman.”

  “I can see why.” Charlie was back to staring at the suit of armor. “Do you really think she believes King Arthur wore this?”

  I shrugged. “I have no idea. Arthur has been known to have the occasional bit of fun at her expense. He probably just told her that to shut her up or something. I can see that.”

  “Is Arthur a bad guy?” Charlie moved away from the armor, drifting down the hallway. She didn’t seem to have a destination in mind, so I allowed her without questioning her sense of direction.

  “No. Well ... at least not as far as I know. I wasn’t nearly as into the gossip as some of the other women in our social circle. I listened, don’t get me wrong, but I wasn’t well liked, so very few people confided in me. I never heard any truly awful stories about him. I mean ... I’m sure he runs around, but that’s common in his circle.”

  Charlie’s eyes were troubled when they locked with mine. “Did Myron cheat on you?”

  That was a hard question to answer. “There were times I was suspicious, but I never caught him in the act.”

  “But you think he did. Did you ever cheat on him?”

  “No. I never much saw the point of getting married if you weren’t going to keep your vows. Of course, in the end, I was the one who wanted to end my marriage. Myron didn’t. He actually put up a fight. Finally he realized I was serious and not interested in keeping up a marriage simply for appearances. He stopped fighting me pretty quickly after that.”

  “But you loved him at one time?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  She shrugged, noncommittal. “I don’t know. I was just thinking.”

  “I loved him,” I offered. “I loved him a great deal. We just weren’t suited for each other. We were too fundamentally different to make things work. It was a sad ending, but we’re both better off without each other.”

  “Yeah.” Charlie rolled her neck and stared at the empty hallway. “I haven’t seen a hint of a ghost. I think your friend might be off her rocker.”

  “I think that’s entirely possible.” I was thoughtful as I studied Charlie’s profile and then realized why she’d gone sad again. “Charlie, you and Jack aren’t the same as Myron and me.”

  She looked taken aback when she turned to face me. “I didn’t say anything.”

  “You didn’t,” I agreed. “But it’s written all over your face. You and Jack aren’t all that different. Sure, he wasn’t really a believer until you forced it on him and now he’s having an existential crisis, but at your core you’re compatible. Myron and I were never compatible.”

  “No? Then why did you marry?”

  “We thought we could overcome the little things we didn’t like about one another. It turns out those little things were signs of bigger things. They were fissures in our foundation that widened. Your foundation with Jack is strong. There are no cracks. You’re simply waiting for the cement to fully dry.”

  She chuckled at the analogy. “I hope you’re right. I don’t like feeling like this. I’m ... afraid. I’m afraid to say something to him, try to draw him out. I’m afraid to keep going on in silence. I’m just really afraid.”

  “I think you need to tell him that.” I opted for honesty. “Your and Jack’s greatest strength is that you talk to one another. Even if he thinks you’re being an idiot, he always listens. He’s probably just as frightened as you. It doesn’t do either of you any good to hold back your emotions out of fear. That’s only going to force you to drag things out.”

  “I don’t know if I’m ready yet.”

  “Then wait a bit. Jack obviously isn’t going anywhere. Just don’t let it fester too long. You’ll both regret it if you do.”

  “Yeah, I ... .” I wasn’t sure what she was going to say, but whatever it was died on her lips as a shrill scream echoed from somewhere inside the house and it was chilling enough that my back went rigid.

  “What was that?” Charlie moved toward the stairs without hesitation. She was brave beyond measure and always wanted to help.

  “I don’t know, but we should find out.” I was just as determined as her. “Maybe we’ll luck out and find Adele’s ghost has moved her brush again. I’m dying to find out why it would care about a brush.”

  “Yeah. That’
s weird. Come on.” Charlie was already on the stairs.

  IT TURNED OUT THE NOISE ORIGINATED from the kitchen. One of the maids was going down the back stairwell when she felt an invisible foot try to trip her. She was carrying sheets at the time and took a nasty tumble. She was a righteous mess by the time we arrived on the scene.

  “What happened?”

  “What do you think?” Adele challenged, her cheeks red with fury. “The ghost did it. It’s turning into a poltergeist. I just know the roof is next.”

  Yeah, I was starting to think that Charlie’s embellishments were going to turn on us. Adele was definitely the sort of person who would take a story — like King Arthur wore the armor taking up residence on her third-floor landing — and run with it. I was doubtful she would let the poltergeist story go even after we cleared the house.

  Instead of playing into Adele’s paranoia, I opted to focus on the maid. She was a pretty woman, long dark hair pulled back in a bun, and she wore a uniform. Her nametag read “Danielle,” and I was fairly certain she was of Hispanic descent, which was confirmed when she started rattling off an explanation in Spanish when I turned my raised eyebrows to her.

  “What did she say?” Charlie asked.

  “Do I look like I speak Spanish to you? I can barely speak proper English.”

  “She said it was El Diablo,” one of the kitchen workers volunteered. She wore a name tag that read “Mercedes” and didn’t appear bothered by the hoopla occurring on her turf.

  “That means devil, right?” Charlie queried.

  I frowned at her. “How do you know that?”

  “Because it came up when we were hunting for the Chupacabra and I remembered the term.” Charlie was thoughtful as she checked the hysterical woman’s ankle. “I think this is just twisted. Mercedes, can you ask her if she saw anything or if she just felt something?”

  Mercedes obliged and shot off a string of rapid-fire words. She listened when the maid responded, asked a few more questions, and then furrowed her brow as she turned back to me. “She says that she saw El Diablo’s shadow following her through the house while she was changing the bedding.”

  I was incredulous. “She actually saw the devil following her through the house?” I flicked my eyes to Adele. “Can you account for your whereabouts right before she fell? It sounds like something you would do for giggles.”

  Adele openly glared. “Oh, you’re so funny.”

  “I know. I should have my own comedy show.”

  “What’s my motive for tripping her?” Adele challenged. “Do you think I want to open myself to a lawsuit?”

  “Oh, please,” I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “We both know you made your workers sign an agreement stipulating they would never sue you when they applied for employment. Everybody knows you give your workers a five-hundred-dollar signing bonus to get them to sign off on litigation. Don’t insult me.”

  Adele’s gaze darkened. “How could you possibly know that?”

  “It’s common knowledge.”

  “Then that means someone has been talking out of turn … thus breaking the nondisclosure agreement I made them sign at the start of their employment. I want the name right now.”

  I most definitely knew who had been talking out of turn and Adele wasn’t going to be happy with the answer. Still, I would much rather offer up her husband as the sacrificial lamb.

  “Arthur compares you to the grandmother on Gilmore Girls whenever he’s at the club,” I volunteered. “He says that you go through staff like other women do underwear, and that you’re impossible to work for so you have to bribe those who are desperately in need of money to join your employ. Even then they say the longest the workers last is six months before they can’t take working for you a second longer.”

  Adele worked her jaw. “I don’t believe you,” she said finally. “Arthur would never say anything of the sort.”

  “No? You might want to ask around that club you hold in such high esteem. Everyone there knows about your penchant for being the boss from hell. We all laugh like loons behind your back. Yes, I’m including myself in that statement.

  “Arthur once told a story about some worker you had from Columbia who made the grave error of serving tacos at a tea party. You apparently melted down and told everyone it was a joke,” I continued. “He said you had that woman deported over tacos.”

  The look on Adele’s face was murderous. “I’m going to kill him.”

  Better him than one of the workers. “I think that’s a fine idea. Then he can join the ghost population hanging around your house.”

  She jerked up her chin. “Have you seen the ghost?”

  I was careful to keep from meeting Charlie’s gaze. I didn’t want Adele getting suspicious regarding the abilities I’d told her I boasted. If she thought for an instant that Charlie was the gifted one and I was using her, she would wield the information as a cudgel against me, not caring in the least that she would hurt Charlie in the process. I had to make sure that didn’t happen.

  “We haven’t seen a ghost, but we’ve only been in the one corridor,” I replied. I was starting to consider another option, although I had every reason to believe that Adele would fight me if she realized the direction I was taking. “We need to continue searching the house. The thing is ... I need a little something extra, too.”

  Adele was instantly suspicious. “And what is that?”

  “I need a list of everyone who has access to the house.” I figured I should go for broke. She could either help or shut me down, and I didn’t want to play games if she was going to opt for the latter. “We’re talking full-time workers, part-time workers, delivery people, seasonal workers ... you name it. I want a list of absolutely everybody.”

  “For what purpose?”

  “Because your maid seems to believe this devil was following her around the house and then tripped her in the stairwell. That doesn’t make much sense. That’s not how ghosts usually operate.”

  “What if we’re dealing with a poltergeist?”

  Yup. What I earlier thought of as a stroke of genius by Charlie was coming back to bite me.

  “You have no other signs of a poltergeist at this point,” I explained, choosing my words carefully. “Frankly, we don’t know what we’re dealing with. To help narrow that down, we need to eliminate all the human possibilities.”

  “But ... what are you going to do once I give you the list? How is that going to help?”

  “Let’s just call it a hunch.”

  Adele let out a huffy sigh. “Fine. But I want you to be careful. I still don’t want Arthur finding out about this.”

  “He won’t hear a word from me.” I mimed zipping my lips. “I swear. I have no interest in spreading this story. If people find out I can see ghosts it will become something I’d rather not deal with. We’re both holding secrets that the other wants kept quiet. We’ll have to trust one another.”

  Adele looked momentarily placated. “Well, I guess I can come up with a list. How are you going to do anything about it, though? I mean ... you need someone with contacts to run a list like that. I know because we have to hire a private investigator whenever we want to do a background check, and it gets expensive. There’s also only so much a PI can do.”

  “Let’s just say I have a contact who can help me on that front.” I slid my eyes to Charlie and found she was already resigned to my plan. “He’s in the security business and he’s very good.”

  “Fine. I’ll get you the list. Then I want you out of here. Arthur will be here within two hours and I don’t want to explain why we’re hanging out. That will be awkward.”

  “For both of us.”

  She scoffed. “People would be jealous of you. They would make fun of me.”

  “What makes you think we don’t already make fun of you?”

  “Just ... shut up,” she scowled. “You really are more trouble than you’re worth.”

  “Believe it or not, you’re hardly the first person to tell m
e that.”

  4

  Four

  We searched the house one more time. Charlie said we hadn’t spent enough time to get a genuine feel for the atmosphere, but that’s all we could spare. Adele came up with the list of names as we were leaving.

  “I’m telling you that we’re dealing with a ghost.” She was firm. “No one from the living world would dare mess with me.”

  “I can see you believe that, but I would rather be sure.” I snatched the sheet of paper from her. “We’ll be in touch.”

  Charlie waited until we were in the car and on our way back to the office to ask the obvious question. “Do you really think she’s dealing with a ghost?”

  “Unlikely, but ... well ... I never rule anything out.” I shot her a wan smile. “I didn’t foresee adopting a genuine psychic as my sidekick, and yet here we are. Never say never.”

  She snorted and shook her head. “Why am I your sidekick? Maybe you’re my sidekick. Have you ever considered that?”

  I didn’t immediately answer. Instead I simply waited.

  “Fine.” She threw up her hands and stared out the window. “I’m your sidekick. I guess I don’t have a loud enough personality to be the lead.”

  The statement bothered me. While I didn’t want to be a sidekick — really, who does? — Charlie’s personality was already perfection. She was eager, smart, encouraging of others and gung-ho for any adventure. It didn’t get much better than that.

  Right now, though, she was down. Jack not immediately embracing the fact that she could read minds and set zombies on fire with magic was draining her of the vitality I’d come to love. I would have to fix that.

  “We can be partners if you want,” I offered after a beat. “Nobody has to be the sidekick in that scenario.” After she was silent a few moments, I risked a glance in her direction despite the heavy traffic and found her smiling. “What?”

  “The fact that you would even offer means that I’ve turned pathetic,” Charlie explained. “You feel sorry for me ... and I don’t want to be the member of the group everybody feels sorry for. I hate when people play professional victim. That’s not who I want to be.”