Chapter 3

I woke the next morning to what sounded like a flock of woodpeckers.

Doris hovered over my bed. “Oh, good. You’re awake. The cute cop you used to date is about to break down the door.”

I groaned. “Doris, move. I don’t want to experience your chilly ectoplasm until I’ve had my coffee.”

“Hmmph!” She vanished.

I’d apologize later. I got up, grabbed my black silk brocade robe, and nearly fell down the circular stairs. I was halfway down when Jack opened the door.

George pushed past him and grabbed me. “Thank God you’re all right!”

I tried to pry his hands off my arms. “Of course I’m all right. What’s the matter with you?” Why was everyone behaving so strangely this Halloween? Bunch of lunatics. I’d have to check for a full moon.

He clutched me by the elbow and hauled me protesting out onto my front porch. He pointed at a crowd down on the beach.

I blinked against the early dawn light. “What time is it? What’s going on?”

Thor chose that moment to let out a blood-curdling howl. George jumped and released me, giving me the chance to shield my eyes and squint toward the beach. I recognized the insignia on the van and the people taking pictures. The crowd was a crime scene unit. I groaned.

“Not another body!”

“This time it’s a woman, and she bears a striking resemblance to you, down to the long chestnut hair.”

An adrenaline chill flashed down the backs of my legs. “You’re serious. This isn’t a prank.”

“Dead serious.” He stared unblinkingly into my eyes, his lips a thin line.

My knees gave way, and I sagged against him. He put an arm around me and led me to the porch glider as I shivered and not just from the cold.

“Who? Why?” My lower lip quivered.

“I thought it was you at first, Cass. Similar build. Female. On your beach. Murder Beach. Then I noticed she was shorter, smaller. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

I nodded. “You thought it was me.”

He shook his head. “I think it was supposed to be you.” He closed his eyes and bent his head until it touched mine.

I pushed away. “No. Why would anyone want to kill me?”

“Look at your decorations. The tombstones. Anything missing?”

“We put them up last night. I don’t really know.”

“You’re missing a tombstone. Either that or someone went out and bought one like yours, which is unlikely. Her body was laid out with a tombstone above her head. I think the killer is fond of the movies.” His voice, soft and low, finally got through to me. “I’m asking you to think about it. The body of a woman who looks like you is lying on a stretch of beach in front of your house, and someone has put a tombstone you own at her head.”

“How do you know she was murdered?” His image blurred as my eyes filled with tears.

“I didn’t say she was murdered.”

“You implied it.”

“We have to wait for the ME’s report. But it’s enough to provide you with some protection. You have to take this seriously until we know otherwise. Cass, are you listening to me?”

I stared at the scene on the beach, my mind racing. Who was she? Did someone really mistake her for me? Why would anyone want me dead?

Phil flashed through my mind, but even my ex wouldn’t be stupid enough to risk life in prison—not when he was planning to marry his girlfriend.

Or would he? Even though it made no sense, the thought lingered.

I wasn’t aware of Jack and Gillian until Jack spoke. “George, let us take her back inside now, okay? You’ve made your point.”

George stood. “I have to be getting back. I’ll be in touch later.” He reached down to lift me up. “Stay inside until I call.”

I let Jack and Gillian lead me back inside. “I locked the doors last night.”

Jack sat me in a living room chair and lifted my feet onto a footstool. “I’m glad you locked the doors, but I wouldn’t jump to the same conclusion George did.”

“It shows how much he cares, though.” Gillian wrapped a blanket around me and said, “We’re fixing breakfast. You stay there.”

I nodded, still seeing the scene on the beach in my mind’s eye. Jack and Gillian murmured in the kitchen. Glass and metal clashed as they worked. It all washed over me. The smokey smell of bacon finally roused me. Rising somewhat shakily, I made my way to the kitchen.

Gillian waved a spatula at me. “Hey, didn’t we tell you to stay put?”

I managed a weak smile. “When did I ever do what I was told?”

“Never. I can vouch for that.” Jack set mugs of hot coffee on the kitchen table. “Sit. Drink. It’s good for you.”

I moved to stare out the kitchen window at the beach, but Jack blocked me. One glance at his set jaw and narrowed eyes and I parked myself at the table to warm my hands on the hot mug.

He relaxed and went back to frying eggs while Gillian buttered English muffins. My growling stomach reminded me I was hungry. I added sugar and half and half to my coffee and sipped until Jack set a plate in front of me. I looked up at him and smiled wanly.

Gillian parked herself opposite me. “How do you feel?”

“Better.” I pushed the eggs around with my fork. “Do you think—?”

“No.” She put two slices of bacon and a buttered muffin on my plate.

I picked up a piece of bacon and ate it. “Delicious. Thanks.” I added pepper to my eggs and devoured them, hungrier than I expected to be.

Jack cleared his throat. “We have a lot to do today.”

My eyes widened.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “You are carving a pumpkin. No ifs, ands, or buts. Do you have any candles we can put in them?”

I’d bought orange votives. Now what had I done with them? “I think I put the candles for the pumpkins in the pantry along with the wooden matches.”

“Do you have a costume?” Gillian cleared dishes.

I narrowed my eyes, catching on. “Thanks for trying to distract me, but you don’t think we should go ahead with the Halloween party, do you?”

“I think for now we should proceed normally. You’ve already invited people. Let’s continue as though we’re having company tonight. You invited George?” She rinsed the dishes and put them in the dishwasher.

I nodded. “And his partner Bill.”

“Good. He knows about the party then, so we’ll take our lead from him. If he says cancel, we will. Now, do you have a costume?” She dried her hands.

I took a deep breath. “Yes. Sort of a modified witch.”

“Pumpkins?” Jack refilled my mug.

I sighed. “We have to pick them up. Sorry. Should have gotten them yesterday. I left it to the last moment.”

Jack nodded and pursed his lips. “I’ll go.” He set his plate and mug in the sink.

I opened my mouth to protest, but Jack held up a finger, and I nodded. “Okay. There’s a twenty in my jacket pocket on the hall tree.”

“I think I can afford some pumpkins. We passed a farm stand on the way into town. They had piles of them.” He slipped on his jacket, grabbed his car keys, and was out the door.

I stood. “I’m going to go get dressed.”

“Need help?” Gillian asked as she rinsed Jack’s dishes and added them to the dishwasher.

“Nope. I’m a big girl.”

“Works for me.” She smiled and sat back down to finish her coffee.

I climbed the stairs slowly, walked over to the window, and looked down. Below me the crime scene crew packed the last of their equipment into the van and drove off, taking my tombstone with them. The tide ebbed, and a few curious folk walked their dogs on the beach and looked up toward my place.

I donned a pair of jeans, my beige thermal sweatshirt against the morning chill, and slipped into my moccasins. Mornings on the Northern California coast in October could be chilly. The wind blew in off the slate gray ocean this morning, bringing its familiar salty tang. I joined Gillian downstairs. I would try very hard to wait for George to clue me in.

Gillian greeted me with another mug of coffee. “You may need this. It’s going to be a stressful day and a long night, and we were up early.”

I closed my eyes and smelled the fragrant cup. “Thanks.” I sipped gingerly. “Jack?”

“Back in a few. Still getting the pumpkins.” She smiled. “Probably picking through the whole pile.”

I nodded and took another sip. “Probably George won’t let us have the party.”

“We’ll be prepared in case he does. Besides, we need jack-o-lanterns for Halloween, anyway. Jack told me you used to love Halloween as a kid.”

My eyes welled with tears. “But who’ll want to come when there’s been a murder?”

Gillian set her own mug down and hugged me, careful not to spill my coffee. “We don’t know if it is a murder. George’ll let us know when he gets the autopsy results. It’s going to be okay.”

I had to ask. “Do you think he’s right? Do you think someone’s trying to kill me? Phil?”

“No, I think it’s a coincidence. I think George cares about you, and he over-thought it. Besides, you gave Phil everything he wanted in the divorce. He’d be an idiot to kill you now.”

I sniffled. “I need to find out.”

“Why?” Gillian furrowed her brow.

“Because I won’t feel safe again until I know. Gillian, I love this little house so close to the sea. I’m happy here. I like everyone I’ve met. I’m starting a company with two of the smartest kids I’ve ever met. It’s a new start after Phil’s betrayal. I don’t ever want to feel like that again.” I gritted my teeth. “I won’t feel like that again.”

“Take it easy, Cass. We don’t know anything for sure. Let’s get through today.”

The front door opened, and I whirled around, ready to battle.

“A little help here?” Jack came in through the front door, trying to hang onto an armload of plump, orange pumpkins.

Gillian and I moved quickly to help him, bursting into giggles as pumpkins rolled everywhere.

Some of my tension ebbed. “Think you got enough?”

Jack scooped up a few tiny gourds. “I got these for the buffet table tonight.”

I took several from him. “They’re cute. We can use markers to put faces on some.”

Jack dumped his burden on the table. “Are we doing standard jack-o-lantern faces or can we get creative?”

“The more creative, the merrier,” Gillian held up a pencil sketch she’d been drawing of a bat flying near a full moon. “But if your imagination fails you, there are patterns in the back of the booklet.”

“I take that as a challenge. Where’s the newspaper?” Jack rolled up his sleeves. “What do you think? A ghost in honor of your haunted house?”

Doris rose up behind him, her arms extended above her head, her fingers curled into claws, and a positively evil expression on her face. I choked, and Gillian gasped.

Jack whirled around and spit beer. “Doris!” He did a full-body shiver. “Augh!”

Doris clasped her ghostly hands over her stomach, mimed laughter, and faded away.

“I’ll clean up the spilt beer. Sorry, Cass.” Jack grabbed the roll of paper towels we’d been using as napkins.

“It was worth it.” Still laughing, I retrieved some newspapers from the recycle bin and spread them out on the trestle while Gillian opened the packages of carving tools. Doris had given me an idea for my pumpkin, and I used my doodling skills to sketch it out.

Two hours later, Jack opened his second beer and stepped back to admire his work. A credible Twenties’ ghost, who bore a remarkable resemblance to Doris, adorned his pumpkin. It seems I was not the only one she inspired.

“Looks a bit like the silhouette of Nancy Drew on the endpapers of Mom’s old blue hardback books,” I said.

He took a long pull on the India pale ale. “It’s an homage to Doris even though she nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Doris reappeared. “Hmm. I approve.” She changed her clothes to match the silhouette and turned toward my carving. “Nice cat. It is a cat?”

I cast a critical eye over my carving. What I’d intended to be a scary black cat like Thor with an arched back and hissing mouth instead looked like a pig with a furry tail.

Doris pursed her lips and regarded me with sympathy. “Nice try.”

“Maybe no one will notice in the dark.” I carried it to the porch.

Doris’ laughter followed me out the door. I posed it at the top of the steps next to the railing and paused. While I stood looking out over the now-deserted beach, Dave and Niles came around the corner of the house. “Hey, Dave! Niles.”

“Hey, Cass. Can we come in? It’s freezing out here!”

“Follow me.” I led the way in and called out, “Jack, Gillian, Dave’s here with his cousin.”

“Can he carve pumpkins?” Jack asked, brandishing a small, orange pumpkin saw.

Niles removed his jacket. “Is that a challenge?”

Jack spread his hands toward the table and pumpkins. “Be my guest.”

Niles examined the remaining pumpkins. “This looks like a good one.” He hefted a medium-sized pumpkin.

Jack spread more newspapers and handed him a package of tools. “Here you go.”

“I’ll need some coffee,” Niles said.

“Dave, will you help me with the coffee?” Gillian asked.

“Make Jack a cup, too,” I called. “He’s already had a couple of beers.”

Jack muttered something about pain-in-the-ass sisters, and Niles tried to hide his smile.

Dave and Gillian brought us steaming mugs.

“We can’t stay long. We’re expecting our aunt back this morning. She’s handling some paperwork up in the City.” Dave added sugar to his coffee.

“She left us to our own devices.” Niles wiped his hands on a paper towel and sipped his coffee. “Always dangerous.”

Dave took a sip. “But she’s our favorite aunt, so it’s always good to see her.”

Niles closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. “Dave, she’s our only aunt.”

“That too.” He grinned. “The trust business is taking a bit longer than she anticipated. She has a favorite AirBnB she stays at down the coast from here, but she’s worried her time there will run out and she’ll end up on my daybed.”

“Where’d you stash the other guy?” Jack asked. “Is he local?”

Niles shook his head. “He’s also from Seattle, but he’s more conservative than Aunt Amelia. He’s at a B&B north of here.”

“The Moon Coast Inn?” I asked.

“That’s the one,” Dave said.

“That’s a really nice B&B.” I’d stayed at that inn when I first moved to Las Lunas, and I remembered Natalie Sandoval, the innkeeper well. I’d enjoyed my visit while we’d worked to make my new home habitable.

Dave seemed relaxed today, not as frenetic as yesterday. They appeared to have worked through their argument, whatever it had been about.

“Our party’s tonight at dusk. C’mon over after you feed the ravening hordes of kids.” Gillian leaned toward me. “Do we have enough food? Any idea how many will be coming?”

Given that neither Jack nor Gillian had mentioned the death on the beach, I decided to follow their lead. “I invited the neighbors, including you guys and Mina. Also, Ricardo, Mia, Sara, Samantha, and Brendan. Brendan might bring his renter. I told him that would be fine. My bungalow is small, but I think it’ll hold everyone.”

Gillian picked up a little orange net bag with a few chocolates in it. “I thought we could give these out as party favors. They could double as handouts for trick-or-treaters if we run out of candy.”

“Hardly likely.” Jack swept a hand over the side table that was rife with bowls of debagged candy.

Gillian returned the bag to the basket of favors. “We’ve got candy and party favors covered. Clem’s Clam Shack verified the pizza order for the party. We have crudités and dip in the fridge. The usual cheese and crackers. Loads of drinks.” Gillian waved a hand in the air, indicating all the Halloween decorations. “You’re covered inside and out for atmosphere. Spooky and fun music on tap. Cackling skull.”

“And we might have some additional jack-o-lanterns if Dave and Niles don’t take theirs home.”