When a sob escaped Virgil’s lips, Dr. Gabriel’s head shot up. “Did you hear that?”
“What?” I asked, playing dumb.
“That noise . . .” He shook his head. “Never mind.”
“Is there something wrong with her?” I asked, only because I thought it would be strange if I didn’t acknowledge her odd behavior.
“I’m not sure what’s going on.” He glanced at me, blue eyes puzzled. “She’s wound up. Excited.”
I laid it on heavy. “Maybe she can’t wait to come home with me.”
He gave me a dubious look but nodded. “That must be it.”
I nearly laughed. He must really want to be rid of her.
Still kneeling, Doc carefully slipped the leash around her neck. “She’s up-to-date on all her shots. Perfectly healthy. I recommend introducing her to Roly and Poly gradually.” He handed me the leash. “You also might want to invest in a muzzle. Soon.”
Lordy. “I’ll look into that,” I promised.
“Unless you run into a problem with her, I don’t need to see her for another a year for a wellness checkup.”
Louella came when I tugged the leash only because Virgil floated ahead of me and she strained to keep up with him.
Doc’s eyes were wide open in pure astonishment. “She really does like you.”
“You seem shocked. I’m a likable kind of person,” I said, stopping as we neared the reception area.
He laughed. “Yes, you are. Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why are you doing this? Adopting her?”
I couldn’t very well tell him about Virgil. But when I spoke, I spoke from the heart. “Louella shouldn’t have to spend her life in a cage. It’s not right.”
Softly, he said, “No one should. Especially when it’s not a cage of your own making.”
I had the feeling he wasn’t talking about Louella anymore.
He was talking about the blackmail.
I hemmed, I hawed, before I finally just blurted, “Do you know why Patricia was being blackmailed?”
I was beyond curious as to what she could possibly have to hide.
Absently scratching his grizzled beard, he said, “She didn’t tell Dylan or the sheriff?”
Wearily, I shook my head.
He opened the door leading to the exit. “Then it’s not for me to say, either.”
Chapter Seventeen
I cursed Dr. Gabriel and his integrity the whole way to the Ezekiel house.
Louella trotted ahead of me, still following Virgil. I planned to stop at To Have and to Cuddle pet shop on the way home to pick up a dog bed, some toys, food, and maybe a tranquilizer or two.
The tranquilizers were for me.
Right now Louella was behaving, but I knew Virgil wouldn’t be around much longer and then she’d revert to her malicious ways.
Even now, Virgil had started to fade a bit, becoming more transparent than usual. Soon, he’d fade away entirely, his transition to the other side complete.
I tried not to think too much about Virgil leaving. Doing so caused an ache that had nothing to do with my empathic abilities and everything to do with having grown fond of him.
He wasn’t the only one I’d grown fond of.
I glanced behind me at Jenny Jane and said, “I’ll call Mayor Ramelle as soon as I get home.”
Sadly, she nodded.
I let out a small sigh. This ghost business wasn’t for sissies.
Fallen leaves were finally drying out and blew about in a gentle breeze as my bizarre little caravan made its way toward the Ezekiel house. When it came into sight, I couldn’t stop twitching with dread. I’d come to intensely dislike the place.
The south side of the house—where the kitchen was located—had black soot snaking up the facade. Other than that, a passerby wouldn’t be able to tell there’d been a fire there at all recently.
A few cars were parked in the driveway, including Mayor Ramelle’s black Range Rover and Idella’s white Mercedes convertible. No doubt they were in full disaster-control mode, trying to get the house put back together.
With Haywood gone, they’d be assuming the mansion was theirs free and clear.
Unless they knew that Avery Bryan was Haywood’s daughter.
In that case, I wouldn’t have been surprised if one of the Harpies had lit the place on fire just so Avery couldn’t inherit it. I could see them being spiteful that way. They’d have the insurance money and she’d have nothing at all.
I gave the house itself a wide berth and made my way to the back of the property. Leaves crunched underfoot, and Louella was happily sniffing every weed she came across. Jenny Jane had veered off to peek in the mansion’s windows.
I wondered if she’d always been a voyeur or if this was new to her ghostly state.
When I looked ahead toward the cemetery gates, I was surprised to see someone there, looking over the plots.
Hyacinth Foster.
Her head snapped up and she glanced back at me as she heard my approach. A look of pure horror washed over her face when she spotted Louella.
Apparently they had a previous acquaintance.