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CHAPTER1
“Aren’t you cold?”
“Of course she’s cold. I see goose pimples on her arms.”
“Pipe down, you two. You’re killing the vibe.” I kept my eyes closed and maintained the fantasy that it was still the height of summer instead of the end of October. The chill in the air promised that winter was coming whether I liked it or not.
“What if the swan sinks?” Nana Pratt sounded overly concerned given the size of the moat. This wasn’t the Forbidden City.
I patted the sides of the inflatable black swan. “That won’t happen. Gertrude is made of sturdy stuff. Anyway, I’m a strong swimmer.”
“You named your raft?” Ray asked.
“No, I named my trusty steed.” I would’ve liked to float out of earshot, but the ghostly duo could follow me wherever I went on this property, which was one of the downsides of buying a house next to a cemetery. In hindsight, I should’ve given the purchase more thought before I hit the buy button. Lesson learned.
“The children will be out and about soon. You should at least put a pumpkin at the front gate.”
I flipped up my sunglasses to glare at Nana Pratt. “Why would I do that? A pumpkin is an invitation.”
The elderly ghost appeared flustered. “Well, yes. It’s Halloween. You’re supposed to encourage them to visit.”
“Lorelei didn’t buy any candy,” Ray said. “I peeked in her grocery bags yesterday as she was coming across the bridge. She had a loaf of bread, blackcurrant jam, unsweetened almond milk, chicken tenderloins, and a bag of mixed greens. No candy.”
“Blackcurrant?” Nana Pratt echoed. “You must mean blackberry.”
“It said blackcurrant.”
“It’s similar to blackberry,” I told them. “I was introduced to it in England and like it better than the other kinds.”
“And they sell it here in Fairhaven?” Nana Pratt mused. “Imagine that. I had no idea we were so cosmopolitan.”
“There’s an international shelf at the grocery store,” I said.
“Didn’t they have any international candy you could buy for the children?” Nana Pratt pressed. “They might enjoy a foreign delicacy in their baskets, like that Turkish delight Edmund so enjoyed in Narnia.”
My gaze flicked to Ray. “Have you been teaching her how to turn the pages?”
Ray shrugged. “Gives me some quiet time.”
“Gee, I wonder what that’s like.” I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the lukewarm rays of the sun. “I didn’t buy any candy because I’m not entertaining trick-or-treaters. Besides, there’s no way kids are going to trudge all the way up the hill to Bluebeard’s Castle on the off chance I might be giving out treats. This place is too far from everywhere else.”
Which was exactly the way I wanted it.
The Castle was a relic of the Gilded Age that I bought with money I’d earned in London. With a moat, an imposing iron gate, and five thousand square feet, it was more of a fortress than a house, which was the main reason it appealed to me. Unfortunately, the adjacent cemetery had saddled me with these two ghosts, Nana Pratt and Ray Bauer. To be fair, I could’ve forced them to cross over along with the other spirits, but when they respectfully asked to stay, I had a moment of temporary insanity and allowed it. Another lesson learned.
“Alicia will make the trek,” Ray said. “She won’t be put off by the exercise involved.”
I hadn’t considered that. I leaned back in frustration, causing my head to flop against the swan’s long rubbery neck and bounce off. Knowing Ray’s intrepid granddaughter, she’d lead a team of adventurous teenagers straight to my doorstep. A couple months ago, Alicia made the mistake of attempting to summon a demon at the crossroads in Wild Acres and had to be rescued by yours truly, along with the prince of hell himself, Kane Sullivan. It wasn’t a practice I hoped to repeat. I didn’t move to a sleepy Pennsylvania town to mix and mingle.
“She likes Snickers,” Ray said. “I bet they’re on sale now if you hurry.”
“No, they’re not,” Nana Pratt countered. “They’re never on sale until the day after Halloween. I would buy chocolate for half price and toss it in the freezer.”
I lowered my sunglasses to the bridge of my nose to peer at them. “See? No point in going now. I’d have to pay full price, and you both know I’m skint.”
“You had enough money to buy that ridiculous swan,” Nana Pratt said.
I dipped my hand in the cold water and tried to paddle away from them but to no avail. That was the trouble with ghosts; a moat was no obstacle.
