After Ian and Lily returned home and Marie headed back to Olivia’s house, Walt and Danielle retired to the parlor, where Danielle called Heather to tell her what Marie and Eva had experienced at their new neighbor’s the night before. When she got off the phone, Walt said, “So we’re going to Lucy’s Diner for lunch?” He had heard her mention it while talking to Heather.
“Yeah. Heather agreed we need to get together to discuss this. But Chris has Zoom meetings all morning, but she’s certain he’ll be done by one. We’ll meet them both over there.”
“I take it, only the four of us?” Walt asked.
Danielle nodded. “After what happened to Lily here this morning, I don’t imagine she’s up to Lucy’s. I’m afraid that grilled-burger smell will do her in. And Brian is working, so he won’t be joining us.”
“Is Heather going to tell Brian what Marie told us?” Walt asked.
“I’m not sure.”
Walt stood. “We have a few hours before we meet them. I’ll go upstairs and do a little research on astral projection.”
“You think that’s what might really be happening?” Danielle asked.
“There was a time I would have found the idea ludicrous. But considering everything that’s happened since my former brother-in-law murdered me, I realize this world we live in is far more complicated than I ever imagined.”
“That’s an understatement.” Danielle sat down at the desk.
Walt walked over to her and kissed her forehead. “I’m going upstairs.”
“I’ll stay down here and do my own research.” She glanced at the laptop sitting on the desk.
Across the street at the Bartleys’, Ian sat with his sister, Kelly, in the living room. She had just finished going through the books she needed. Connor played on the floor nearby while Sadie napped at Ian’s feet.
“I hope Lily’s okay,” Kelly said. After Ian and Lily had returned from Marlow House, Lily had excused herself and gone to their bedroom.
“I’m afraid a wave of morning sickness hit her when we were across the street,” Ian said. “She’s going to try taking a nap. Hopefully it will pass,” Ian explained.
“That sucks.”
“But now that we’re alone, we need to talk about Mom.”
Kelly frowned. “Mom?”
“Lily told me about Mom crying, and how she said not to say anything to me about it.”
Kelly cringed. “Umm, remember, I never told you.”
Ian smiled. “Yeah, I get it.”
“But what is the deal? What happened between you two?”
“Honestly, I didn’t expect quite this reaction from her. Assuming that’s why she’s crying.”
“What did you do?”
“I had a little talk with our mother about boundaries.” Ian then told Kelly about his conversation with their mother, without going into too much detail.
When Ian finished the telling, Kelly let out a sigh and said, “I wish I were more like you. I’d like to have my own boundary talk with Mom. But I doubt that would work out. She’s always treated you differently. It’s like she accepts the fact you’re an adult. And I never will be one. Not in her eyes. Oh, and after I told her I was going to accept your wedding gift, she demanded I bring over the catering menu from Pearl Cove so she could decide on the menu for the wedding. I told her I was doing that with Lily, but she told me not to be ridiculous; as the mother of the bride, that’s her job.”
“I suspect Lily won’t be as eager to help you decide on the menu options now. You and Mom might need to handle this.”
“Umm, because of the morning sickness?”
Ian nodded in response.
When Walt and Danielle showed up at Lucy’s Diner Wednesday afternoon, Heather and Chris hadn’t yet arrived. Taking a seat at a booth, Walt and Danielle sat side by side, leaving the bench across from them empty for Chris and Heather.
They had just started looking at their menus when a voice said, “Hello, Walt and Danielle.” Both looked up to find the art teacher, Elizabeth Sparks, standing by their table.
“Elizabeth, hi,” Danielle greeted her. She glanced around, wondering if anyone was with Elizabeth. “You meeting someone here?”
“I was. They just left. We already had lunch,” Elizabeth explained. “I suggest today’s special. It was really good.”
“Hmmm, I’ll look at that. We’re waiting for Chris and Heather. They’re joining us for lunch,” Danielle explained.
Elizabeth glanced around and looked back at Danielle. “Do you mind if I sit down for a minute before they get here? I kinda wanted to ask you something.”
“Certainly.” Walt motioned to the empty bench across from them.
Elizabeth sat down. “I heard about what happened to Betty Kelty. I understand they found her body on your street. Have they made any progress on the case?”
“Not really. Did you know her well?” Danielle asked.
“Yes. We worked together on the library’s art displays. She always supported the local art community, especially any programs for Frederickport’s children. I haven’t met the one replacing her. I understand she’s your new neighbor.”
Danielle nodded.
“Do you have any idea who had a problem with Betty?” Walt asked.
Elizabeth shook her head. “No, not really. She always seemed to get along with everyone. Sometimes, her persistence could be a little annoying. But in retrospect, that was probably a good trait.”
“She never had any problems at the library?” Walt asked. “Anything you can think of?”
Elizabeth considered the question for a moment before answering. “The only problem she ever discussed with me was about how things at the library would disappear.”
“Are you talking about theft?” Walt asked.
Elizabeth nodded in response.
“What kinds of things?” Danielle asked, yet she already knew about the stolen letter opener that had been used to kill Betty.
“We’re not talking about anything that they would bother calling the police about. For example, she bought an expensive ink pen, cost her like forty bucks, claimed it disappeared from her desk.”
“Ink pens are notorious for vanishing,” Danielle said.
“True,” Elizabeth agreed.
“What else went missing?” Walt asked.
“Random stuff, like sunglasses, coffee cups, staplers. Some of the stuff belonged to library employees, but sometimes a visitor to the library would complain that they set something down and someone took it. I know she talked to Josephine about it, but Josephine told her you expect that sort of thing when you have people constantly coming and going out of the library, especially kids,” Elizabeth explained. “But she was really upset when a letter opener from one display disappeared. Now, that’s something she should have made a police report on. It was an antique.”
“Do you think she ever suspected any of the employees?” Danielle asked.
“We talked about it a few times. At first, she wondered if it was the janitor, because he was usually around when something disappeared. But after she got to know him better, she didn’t think it could be him. For one thing, she couldn’t see him taking the stuff that went missing. And it didn’t sound like anything he could sell. She figured Josephine was probably right. Chances are it was kids or someone with sticky fingers. Probably no one person.”
The server came to the table. Walt told her they were waiting for Chris and Heather, but he ordered something to drink for him and Danielle, while offering Elizabeth to order something for her. Elizabeth declined the offer, chatted a few more minutes after the server left the table, and then said her goodbyes. She had been gone for about five minutes when Heather and Chris finally showed up.
“Sorry we’re so late,” Heather said after sitting down where Elizabeth Sparks had been five minutes earlier. She scooted down the bench, making room for Chris. After he sat down, they chatted a few minutes before the server returned to the table with the beverages. She took their food orders, along with beverage orders for Heather and Chris.
After the server left the table, Heather said, “Chris and I were talking on the way over, about the possibility this was some out-of-body experience. Could that really have been Olivia I saw Friday morning? Was that who was in the dining room at Marlow House? Is this actually possible?”
“You’re asking me if something as outrageous as an out-of-body experience is possible?” Walt laughed.
“We all know out-of-body experiences are possible,” Chris said. “But I never imagined them being something a person could voluntarily do while not in a coma.”
“Both Danielle and I researched the topic before we came here. And while it seems fanciful—I’m not sure what else it could be,” Walt said.
“Now what?” Chris asked. “How do we find out?”
“If it is true, I’m not thrilled knowing our neighbor can barge into our homes whenever she wants,” Heather grumbled.
“I know what you mean,” Walt said with a snicker.
Danielle silently elbowed Walt and then said, “I say we confront her.”
“What do you mean, confront her?” Heather said.
“After what I read today, and after what Marie and Eva witnessed, including the spirit claiming to be Olivia, and the fact after she reconnected to her body, she told someone on the phone she just saw two women in her bedroom. Two women who look like Eva and Marie. It is the only answer. We have to confront her. For one thing, she was with Betty before she was killed. She must have seen something. But she probably feels she can’t say anything. After all, she was mid-flight during the murder.”
“How do we confront her?” Chris asked.
“I should invite her to Marlow House this evening. On some pretense. I don’t know what yet. But we can come up with something. And the four of us meet with her. Tell her what we know about her.”
“Yeah, right,” Heather snarked. “Like that will work out.”
“Why not?” Danielle asked.
“This whole thing is crazy,” Heather muttered. “And if you will remember, I told her I saw her on Friday. I was adamant. But she kept swearing she was not there.”
“How was she going to admit being there?” Walt asked. “This is not something she is likely to admit to strangers.”
“Then why bother confronting her?” Heather asked. “We’re practically strangers to her.”
“We are going to have to tell her our secret so she feels comfortable discussing her secret with us,” Danielle said.
Heather frowned at Danielle. “You’re going to tell her about Walt?”
“That might be a little much for her to digest right now,” Walt said.
“But we could tell her we are mediums. And I could tell her about my out-of-body experience,” Chris suggested.
Heather looked at Chris. “You think this is a good idea?”
Chris shrugged. “It’s the only thing we can do at this point.”
“And you don’t think it’s some look-alike spirit just trying to mess with us?” Heather asked.
“If Marie and Eva hadn’t overheard the phone call, where she admitted seeing two women in her bedroom, then I would question it. I could see the possibility of some spirit messing with us,” Danielle said.
Heather considered all that had just been said. “I guess you’re right. And this isn’t something we can ignore. After all, I really don’t want her popping into my house uninvited.”
Danielle looked at Walt and said under her breath, “Don’t say it.”