“Since it’s for a good cause, why not?” Rose was out, and Delilah was most likely still in bed. No one would miss me.

  I hurried out of the house with Crystal. Flipper and Rhyannon followed along behind.

  As we got in Crystal’s car, Rhyannon vanished. I hoped she would meet us at the site. That was a bonus about being a ghost; you no longer had to wait for transport to get you where you needed to be.

  “Have you always had your abilities?” I asked Crystal as she drove her bright yellow Beetle away from the house.

  “Ever since I can remember. My mom said I would often sit and babble at the walls when I was a baby. I was probably seeing ghosts even then and thought they were playmates.”

  “That must have been tough growing up,” I said.

  “It wasn’t the greatest. I got picked on when I was younger. Kids made fun of me because I had imaginary friends that I talked to. But to me, they weren’t imaginary. It was simply that other people couldn’t see them.”

  I sat back in my seat. I was glad I’d got my abilities the way I had. Almost drowning hadn’t been fun, and it had been freaky when I’d realized I could see ghosts, but at least I was old enough to figure out what was going on.

  “Fred told me Rhyannon’s accident happened on a dangerous bend in the road,” I said.

  “It did. But Rhyannon knew these roads. She wouldn’t have been speeding. She was a good driver. I’ve been in her car a couple of times.”

  “Did the police investigate?” I asked. “Maybe there was a fault on the car?”

  “They did. They couldn’t find any problems with the vehicle. They thought another car might have been involved, but no one ever came forward.”

  “Maybe she swerved to avoid a person or an animal?”

  “That’s possible,” said Crystal. “But if it was a person, they reported nothing to the police. They’d have seen if her car swerved and hit a tree. A person would have to be hard-hearted not to report the crash or check Rhyannon was okay.”

  “Did she ever drink and drive?”

  “No, never,” said Crystal. “She wasn’t much of a drinker. She came to a Christmas party Delilah and Fred held one year. I think she had half a glass of champagne the whole evening. She said it gave her a terrible headache, and she rarely touched it.”

  That didn’t tally with Rose’s account of Rhyannon’s abilities fading because she drank too much. Somebody was lying. I couldn’t decide if it was Rose or Crystal. Who had the most to gain from not telling me the truth?

  Crystal slowed the car and pulled into a rest stop. “We must go on foot for the last bit. The bend is up ahead; that’s where Rhyannon came off the road.”

  I kept hold of Flipper’s collar to stop him from bounding off after a rabbit or a pheasant before joining Crystal. We walked along the side of the road together. It was a quiet road; only two cars passed us as we made our way toward the accident spot.

  Crystal stopped and pointed. “This is it. You can still see some police tape tied to that tree.”

  Some blue-and-white tape lay limply against the branch of an oak tree. As I stared at the tape, Rhyannon appeared beside the tree.

  Crystal looked at me before switching her attention to Rhyannon. “And our ghost is here. It looks like she wants to help us.”

  “How do you communicate with her?” I asked. “Can you speak to her?”

  “Not really. I get the occasional word. It’s almost like mind reading. I get a sense of their moods and thoughts. It can take me a few days to get tuned into a ghost and figure out what they need. I guess it’s a kind of telepathy.” Crystal smiled at me. “This must sound odd to you.”

  “It’s not as odd as you think.”

  Crystal nodded. “Yes, I have a feeling you understand.”

  “So, what do we do now we’re here?”

  “Let’s have a walk around,” said Crystal. “Maybe Rhyannon being here with us will help her remember things. If someone was involved in her death, it might jog her memories about that evening. She could remember if another car was involved and pass on the information.”

  We hopped down the slope and walked to the tree where the tape was wound around it. There was a large chunk of bark that had been gouged out of the tree, most likely from where the car had impacted.

  I glanced surreptitiously at Rhyannon a few times. Her mouth was down-turned and her arms folded around her middle. She was not happy to be here.

  “How’s Rhyannon doing?” I asked Crystal.

  “I’m not getting much from her,” said Crystal. “She’s glum. She’s sad to be here.”

  “You’re not getting any memories from her about the night she died?”

  “Nothing like that,” said Crystal. “I know she regrets what happened.”

  Who wouldn’t? “So, what do you think happened that night?”

  Crystal didn’t reply. She continued circling the tree.

  “You must have a theory.” I followed her around the tree with Flipper.

  “I do.”

  “What is it? You’ve brought me out here; you might as well tell me what you think happened.”

  Crystal stopped and turned to face me. Her mouth opened, but then she shook her head. “I don’t have any proof.”

  “But you have an idea?”

  She caught hold of my elbow. “I think Rhyannon was murdered.”

  Chapter 11

  I hoped the look of surprise on my face appeared genuine. “Who would want to kill Rhyannon?”

  “I don’t know for certain,” said Crystal, “but it’s a common reason ghosts stay around. Someone did them harm or did them wrong when they were alive, and they need that sorted out.”

  “You think Rhyannon is here because her death wasn’t an accident?”

  “I can’t believe she simply drove off the road.” Crystal gestured around at the trees. “And, well, she’d had a falling out with Delilah just before she died. The last time I saw Rhyannon, she was storming out of the house. I tried to talk to her, but she gave me the brush off. That was the night she died. I wonder if I’d gone after her, brought her back into the house and calmed her down, none of this would have happened.”

  “You aren’t responsible for this,” I said. “Do you know what the argument between Rhyannon and Delilah was about?”

  “It could have been any number of things. They used to work the shows together. There was a dispute over how the money should be split. Rose always insisted Delilah get more than Rhyannon because she worked harder. Rhyannon hated that. She was as talented, if not more so, than Delilah. She should have gotten most of the money.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  Crystal looked sideways and shifted from foot to foot. “Well, you know I said Delilah focuses on the ghost animals?”

  “I do. She doesn’t pay much attention to the human ghosts. Why do you think that is?”

  “Say nothing about this to Delilah.” Crystal’s cheeks paled as she stared at me. “I respect what she does. She has an amazing career and works so hard.”

  “I won’t say anything. What is it?”

  Crystal sucked in a deep breath. “I think Delilah only sees ghost animals.”

  If I had any doubts about what Delilah could see when it came to spirits, they were wiped away. “Are you sure?”

  “Sure as I can be,” said Crystal. “I was sitting in on a private client reading just last week. There were three ghosts around the table. All of them were standing in Delilah’s view, but she didn’t talk to a single one. Instead, she kept trying to link with the animals. She believed a ghost cat was this woman’s dead husband. It got quite embarrassing. I even intervened and gave her a few pointers about what the actual human ghosts were trying to pass on.”

  “Do you think Delilah and Rhyannon were arguing about this?”

  “I reckon Rhyannon realized Delilah’s secret. Maybe she threatened to expose her, and things got nasty between them.” Crystal played with the pendant around her neck. “I don’t like to speak badly about Delilah, but I’m worried.”

  “You’re right to be,” I said. “If Rhyannon was making trouble, Delilah couldn’t afford that to happen. It would ruin her business.”

  “I don’t want that to happen,” said Crystal. “Delilah can see ghosts, just not human ones. If people found out, she’d be a joke. She’d have to give up her home and her career. I wouldn’t want that for her. Which is why I have to make sure no one knows about this. It’s Delilah’s secret. For all I know, she might not even be aware of it. She seems so sincere when she does the readings. She’s convinced these animals are human ghosts.”

  I glanced at Rhyannon, who stood watching us. She could have threatened to go to the press and reveal Delilah’s secret. Delilah panicked and killed her to make sure the information never got out.

  “I’m so confused.” Crystal sighed and gazed up at the trees. “Delilah’s been so good to me. But if your entire career and reputation are on the line, you might be forced into doing desperate things. Maybe that’s what happened here. Maybe that’s what they argued about that night. I just don’t know. All I know for sure is that Rhyannon is still here, and she needs help. I want to help her.”

  So did I. “Have you spoken to Rhyannon about this? Has she given you any hints that you’re on the right line as to what happened that night?”

  “She’s always hanging around Delilah, which suggests she has a problem with her,” said Crystal. “Whenever I’m in the house, I’m either with Delilah or Rose is hovering over me, so it’s hard to connect with Rhyannon when there’s so much negative energy in the room. I’ve tried a couple of times to get her to open up to me, but she doesn’t seem interested.”

  “You and Rhyannon can spend time together now.” I looked pointedly at Rhyannon. “It could be helpful for you both.”

  Crystal looked at Rhyannon. “I want to help you. Are you picking up anything now we’re here? Don’t worry about showing me your thoughts. I don’t see everything.”

  Rhyannon regarded Crystal solemnly. She looked at me and shook her head.

  Crystal sighed. “She’s not happy. I wish I knew what the problem was. Maybe I’m too close to Delilah. Rhyannon doesn’t trust me.”

  It could be that. Or maybe Rhyannon knew something about Crystal and didn’t want her involved. Maybe I’d been looking at the wrong suspect and needed to focus more closely on Crystal. Rhyannon would have been a serious rival for Crystal. Maybe her ambition to rise up the ranks got the better of her, and she decided to do something about Rhyannon. She got her out of the way, so her own ambitions could succeed.

  “If you’re right, and Delilah is involved in Rhyannon’s death, how can we prove it?”

  Crystal shrugged. “I’ve no clue. I’ve watched a few TV police dramas, but have no idea how to figure out what happened.” She rubbed her hands together and looked up at the gray sky. “Perhaps we should get out of here? It looks like rain.”

  I needed to get back to the house before Rose caught me doing something I shouldn’t. Slowly, I followed Crystal back to her car with Flipper. I kept checking on Rhyannon. There had to be a reason she was reluctant to talk to Crystal. If she could tell her what happened that night, all this could be resolved.

  As sweet as Crystal seemed to be, I needed to be wary of her. She could be trying to throw me off the scent by pointing the finger at Delilah. Poor Rhyannon, she had so many people who would benefit from her being dead.

  Whoever had killed her, I would help Rhyannon figure it out. This ghost would get her justice.

  ***

  I was up early again the next morning. I’d escaped Rose’s wrath yesterday by working through lunch and getting the banners ready for when she’d returned in the afternoon.

  Rose had barely commented on my work, simply shooed me out of the office and insisted I go back to the cellar, like an unwanted house spider. I’d spent the afternoon down there reading more about Rhyannon and her abilities as a medium. Crystal had been right. She had an excellent reputation. So many clients gave her glowing reports, confirming she’d contacted loved ones, helped them find a missing will, or set their mind at rest that all was well.

  That research hadn’t given me any pointers into who might have killed her. I was still leaning heavily toward Delilah, but also had my doubts about Crystal. She was almost too eager to implicate Delilah in Rhyannon’s murder.

  It made sense to do research into Crystal’s background, as well. But with a name like Crystal, I wouldn’t be surprised if she hadn’t changed her birth name to make herself sound more mystical and mysterious. It was a little too 1980’s soap opera for my liking but fit with the job of medium.

  I headed to Rose’s office, determined I would not spend yet another day down in the cold cellar. She was just settling behind her desk when I arrived.

  “Is there anything you need me to do with the banners I put together yesterday?”

  “They’re suitable enough,” said Rose.

  A small tortoiseshell cat hovered above the desk, right over Rose’s cup of coffee.

  “I could work on Delilah’s social media presence,” I said. “We can get her Facebook page boosted and gain some likes.”

  “She’s not keen on social media.” Rose glanced at me. “Besides, I keep on top of that. That’s not something you need to concern yourself with.”

  I’d looked at Delilah’s online profile. It was basic, with barely any information, other than how to contact her. She was missing an opportunity to connect with thousands of people. But Rose was well and truly in charge, and there was no point in arguing with her, unless I wanted to lose my job.

  She looked at me and sighed. “Since you’re here, go out to the garage. We store the pop-up banners in there for Delilah’s tours. They need checking over to make sure none of them have any damage. Give them a good clean and set them outside to dry. Don’t put them anywhere they will fall over.”

  I gritted my teeth. This was not what I’d signed up for. Too many cleaning jobs like this and I’d be back on the phone to the recruitment agency asking for a new position. Still, this job kept me close to home, and that was the most important thing right now. “I’ll get right on it.”

  I found gloves and a bucket, which I filled with warm, soapy water, in the kitchen. I carried it through the house and opened the front door. Flipper ran out in front of me, his nose in the air. We were followed by three ghost dogs, who also seemed keen on getting out of the house. Most likely, they didn’t want to hang around Rose and her meanness.

  I walked with my doggie companions over to the garage. I pulled open one of the double doors and peered inside. Three cars sat in there, two similar looking red people carriers, and a sleek black soft top.

  Setting down the bucket of soapy water, I walked around each car. It had been over two months since Rhyannon had died, so I wasn’t likely to find evidence on these cars that they’d been involved in the crash. If any damage had happened, whoever was driving would have had it repaired to hide the evidence.

  I stopped at the front fender of the second people carrier. There was a dent in the left-hand corner. Nothing large, but it could have been made by knocking into another car. Surely Delilah wouldn’t have left this evidence for someone to find. Maybe she thought no one would suspect her of being involved. After all, the police had declared Rhyannon’s death an accident, so they’d have no reason to go looking for suspects.

  Returning to my bucket, I spent an unsatisfying hour unfurling pop-up banners, checking for tears and fading, and then washing them. By the time I was done, six banners sat drying in the morning sunshine. They all had Delilah’s smiling face peering back at me, with slogans on them: the UK’s busiest medium: a chance to say goodbye to a loved one: allow the power of her ability to flow through you.

  The whole time I’d been working, the ghost dogs had been running around the garden. Flipper had hung out with them for a while, but he seemed to get bored and was happy to snuffle around my feet and watch me work.

  “After that job, we need a big breakfast.” I petted Flipper and then turned back toward the house.

  Delilah waved at me from her bedroom window. She gave me a thumbs-up when she saw the banners. At least someone was pleased with the work I’d done.

  I walked back into the house with Flipper and went into Rose’s office.

  “The banners are all done,” I said. “You don’t need to replace any of them.”

  Rose pushed her chair back and stood. “Let me be the judge of that. I’ll inspect them.” She stomped out of the office.

  I looked at the filing cabinets. I was certain Rose would keep everything in immaculate order; she was that sort of woman. I hurried to the first cabinet and opened the top drawer.

  I smiled as I saw the file neatly labeled cars. This was what I wanted. I pulled it out and looked through it, keeping an eye on the window to make sure Rose wouldn’t catch me snooping.

  If Delilah had damaged her car when she’d run Rhyannon off the road, there could be evidence of a repair bill. It would be the sort of thing that Rose would keep. She could write it off as a business expense.

  I scanned through the documents. The car insurance was there, along with the annual MOT. There was also a bill for servicing, but there was no mention of the fender damage or anything else that would relate to an accident. Maybe I’d gotten it wrong. Maybe Crystal and Rhyannon had gotten it wrong, as well, and Delilah had nothing to do with this.

  Something cold slithered around my ankles. It was a small tortoiseshell cat.

  I shuffled the papers back into order, closed the folder, and placed it back in the filing cabinet. The only thing this was going to get me was the sack if Rose caught me.

  Ducking down, I gave the ghost cat a tickle under the chin before leaving Rose’s office. If she wanted to come and complain about something—I was sure she’d find fault with my banner washing skills—she could find me in the kitchen. It was time for breakfast.

  When I entered the kitchen, it felt like I was walking straight into a freezer. Most of the ghost animals were in there.

 

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