Along Came a Ghost: A Beechwood Harbor Novella (Beechwood Habor Magic Mysteries Book 5) Read online

  Along Came a Ghost

  A Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery

  A NOVELLA

  Danielle Garrett

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Series Reading Order

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  About Danielle Garrett

  Copyright © 2017 by Danielle Garrett

  Edited by Magical Words Edits

  Cover Design by Alchemy Book Covers

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Series Reading Order

  Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries

  Murder’s a Witch

  Twice the Witch

  Witch Slapped

  Witch Way Home

  Along Came a Ghost: A Beechwood Harbor Novella

  Beechwood Harbor Ghost Mysteries

  The Ghost Hunter Next Door (Coming Summer 2017)

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Boots, I swear if you eat one more of those pixie peppers, I’m going to let Lacey turn you into a handbag!”

  Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

  Scowling, I shot a look over my shoulder. A long, bushy tail stuck out from behind a large planter. I rolled my eyes. Pathetic. “You do realize I can still see you, right?” I flicked my wrist and sent a tickle of magic out toward the fuzzy rebel. He hissed as the magic tendril wrapped around his sizable middle, then made a futile attempt to dig his claws into the wood floor, unwilling to leave his ill-chosen hiding spot.

  I released my hold on him and he pouted, half a pixie pepper stem hanging out of the corner of his mouth. My scowl gave way to laughter when I saw the pitiful look on his face. “All right, message received. I’ll pick up some catnip seeds next time I’m in town. Will that make you happy?”

  Boots blinked his amber eyes in slow motion and then munched down the rest of the stem.

  “I need those in mint condition if I’m going to be able to sell anything next weekend,” I said, turning back to my work. I was, quite literally, up to my elbows in work, both hands caked with potting soil as I rooted around in a large planter box. It was only a few days into March, but my greenhouse was already bursting with new life, which was a relief. Now that I had both my potion master license and permission to go into the haven, I was negotiating with some of the top potion shops that were interested in sourcing my herbs and plants. Thankfully, handmade potions are making a strong comeback within the havens. Bill Praxle, the crooked businessman I’d encountered several weeks before, ended up losing his council hearing and was locked away in an SPA prison on the other side of the country. The market was flushed of his hokey-pokey potions and his shops folded like bargain basement lawn chairs.

  My own potions business is back in full swing and my clients are placing larger and larger orders. I worried that part of the reason behind the sudden surge was because people wanted to stock up on the good stuff just in case I got into another scrape with the law. I know that chapter of my life is officially closed, but I certainly couldn’t complain about the influx of business.

  Life is good.

  Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

  “Boots!” My voice boomed through the small greenhouse and sent my tubby tabby bolting out the door that I’d propped open to let in some fresh air while I worked. Without the fresh air, the greenhouse could start to feel like a pungent sauna with the thick odor from the bags of manure and fertilizer.

  Growling under my breath, I pushed up from my kneeling position in front of the large planter box and went to assess the havoc that the pepper-loving monster had wreaked. Half of the delicate—and apparently delicious—plants were mowed down and a pile of the seed pods were scattered all over the floor. Boots had been stockpiling them, creating his own afternoon buffet. “Bat wings, Boots! I’m not in the cat candy business.”

  As I stooped over, sweeping the mangled remnants into my hand, a strange gust of air swept through the greenhouse and set the hairs on the back of my neck on end.

  “I used to have a cat.”

  My chin jerked up at the strange, disembodied voice. I surged to my feet, dropping the peppers I’d collected. “Who’s there?”

  I caught a slight shimmer of light out of the corner of my eye and turned just as a man—well, ghost-man—floated through the windowed wall and then paused by my workbench.

  I took a step backward and bumped into the door frame. “Who … who are you?”

  While I knew a ghost couldn’t hurt me, having one creep up out of nowhere was still disconcerting.

  The man looked bored as his gaze roved through the small greenhouse. When his eyes found mind, he answered plainly, “Lenny Knowles.”

  The ghost had once been a tall and thin man, with narrow shoulders and a lanky frame, his limbs just a smidgen too long for his body. His eyes were deep-set and dark. His large, bulbous nose overshadowed his thin lips. His attire was the most interesting thing about him. He wore an old-fashioned hat which, for whatever reason, reminded me of something a steamboat captain might wear. The rest of his outfit was similar: a pair of linen pants with matching jacket and a button-up shirt, sans tie. I couldn’t say what the colors were, because all of the ghosts I’d met were the same shimmering, silver-purple color and weren’t quite solid. If I’d had to guess, though, I would have said beige.

  Another thing that all ghosts seem to have in common is that they can float through objects and walls as easily as a hot knife through butter. While moving, their shapes become fuzzy around the edges, almost like a glittering shimmer. However, as soon as they’re stationary, the details of their appearance sharpened once again. My current spectral visitor seemed to be appraising me, waiting for me to speak.

  I squared my shoulders as I faced him. “What can I do for you, Lenny?”

  The Beechwood Manor was crawling with supernaturals and there was never a shortage of strangeness, but having my afternoon interrupted by a random ghost was definitely a first.

  At least, I’m pretty sure it was. It was easy to lose track of the madness.

  “I like your cat,” he said, eying the still partially opened door where Boots had made his hasty retreat.

  Okaaay.

  “Can’t say I’m sharing your sentiment at the moment,” I said, considering the pile of ruined peppers at my feet. Glancing back up, I cocked my head. “Are you new in town, Lenny?”

  Lenny’s eyes shifted back to mine. “How come you can see me? Hear me?”

  I sighed. Apparently he hadn’t been briefed on how conversations usually worked. “I’m a witch. As such, I’m tuned in to supernatural and paranormal happenings, which includes ghosts.”

  Lenny gave a tiny hint of a nod but didn’t say anything else. His dull eyes went back to searching the room that suddenly felt too small. I gla
nced over my shoulder, wishing Boots would come slinking back to offer me a head-butt to the shins as was his traditional apology. “Lenny, is there something I can do for you? Not to be rude, but I have a lot of work to do here and would really prefer to be left alone.”

  Gardening wasn’t exactly a spectator sport.

  Lenny floated back and hopped up to take a reclining position smack dab in the middle of my workbench.

  I ground my teeth together. Okay, apparently not being rude wasn’t going to work. “Lenny, I—”

  “I grew up here in Beechwood Harbor,” he interrupted in a dull tone. “My father helped build this house.”

  I craned my neck to look up at the Beechwood Manor. Dusk was rapidly falling and the lanterns on the wrap-around porch had just turned on, casting a cozy glow over the meticulously maintained yard. Was he looking for an invitation inside? Technically speaking, he didn’t need one. That was more of a vampire-exclusive rule. However, maybe that was what he wanted? I didn’t really want to let him inside, although I wasn’t sure why. Something about him rattled me, mostly his unwillingness to answer direct questions or maintain eye contact.

  “It’s a beautiful house,” I said, turning back to him. If his father had helped build the stately manor, that meant he was likely creeping up on a hundred years old himself. Or, perhaps, a hundred years deceased? There wasn’t exactly a polite way of inquiring about such things.

  “He hated it,” Lenny replied flatly.

  Well then.

  I brushed my hands off on my apron and gave my half-finished repotting project a wistful look. “Why’s that?”

  Lenny shrugged.

  I held up a finger. “Excuse me.”

  He didn’t say anything. Didn’t even move or blink. Creepy.

  I shoved out of the greenhouse and hustled up to the back door of the manor. Hurrying into the kitchen, I bellowed, “Posy!”

  The door on the other end of the large, sunflower-yellow space opened and my boyfriend, Adam St. James, sauntered into the room wearing his signature jeans, t-shirt, and leather jacket along with a wide smile. “Hey, gorgeous. Posy’s not here,” he told me. “Are you done for the night? Good timing. I’m starving.” He wandered closer and lifted the stack of take-out menus from the far end of the L-shaped kitchen counter. “Wanna order in?”

  “No, actually.” I stomped to the sink and flicked on the hot water, using my only slightly-dirty elbow. “I’m not done. I was interrupted,” I grumbled, waiting for steam to rise from the spray of water. Once it was hot, I rinsed my hands and then lathered them up with a healthy amount of dish soap, working to scrub away every flake of potting soil and fertilizer.

  “What happened?” Adam asked, perusing the menu for a Chinese place one town over. He flipped it over. “I think Evie and Teddy said this place was all right. Wanna give it a try?” Evie, one of two roommates, is our take-out connoisseur because, even though she’s a witch, she can’t even magic a piece of toast without burning it.

  I flicked off the water, and went to the stove to retrieve the kitchen towel. I dried off my hands and threw the wadded up towel on the counter. “There’s a strange ghost in my greenhouse.”

  Adam glanced up from the menu. “What?”

  “He says his name is Lenny. I don’t know much else. Oh, except that he likes cats.” I cast a look around the kitchen. “Speaking of, where’s Boots?”

  Adam grimaced. “I caught him hacking up some green stuff in the foyer so I put him out in the front yard.”

  I sighed. “He’s definitely getting turned into a hat.”

  “You want me to talk to this ghost?”

  “I’m not sure what good it will do.” I shrugged.

  Adam pushed off the counter and returned the paper menu to the top of the stack. “All right, but then we’re ordering some food.”

  “Fine, fine, fine.” I followed him as he opened the back door. “Where is Posy anyway? She’s sure been gone a lot lately. I remember, back when I first moved in, I thought she had more of a ghostly Miss Havisham thing going on. Now she’s rivaling Lacey in the social-life department.”

  Adam chuckled. “Next thing you know she’ll be joining up with some ghost gal-pals and entering beauty pageants.”

  I rubbed my temples. “Oh stars … can you imagine two of them under one roof?” Lacey was our other roommate; a vampire and a diva beauty queen. Sometimes the combination was enough to make a saint swear.

  Adam jogged down the back steps and crossed the yard. “Given Posy’s disdain for all things sparkly and frivolous, I think we’re safe. It’s a fun thought though.”

  He pulled open the greenhouse door and slipped inside.

  I sent up an orb of light and frowned at the empty space. “Okay, that’s weird.” I looked around one more time. The atmosphere still felt off. Lenny had to be somewhere nearby. “He was just here and from the looks of him, wasn’t planning on going anywhere anytime soon.”

  “What all did he say?” Adam asked over his shoulder as he scanned the tree line at the back of the property.

  “He said his name is Lenny Knowles. And that his father helped build the manor. Other than that, not much more than he used to have a cat.” I shook my head. “It was bizarre, to say the least.”

  Adam shrugged, satisfied with his search. “I don’t know, gorgeous. Maybe he was just passing through.”

  “Maybe, I guess.”

  A scratching noise sent me jumping back against the workbench, one hand raised, magic at the ready. Adam laughed. “Steady there,” he said, moving to open the door. Boots squeezed through and made a beeline for the peppers.

  “No!” I lunged forward and caught him around the middle. With a grunt, I heaved him up into my arms and marched out of the greenhouse. “You’re banned. Seriously, Bootsie, you have no self-control!”

  “You’re just now figuring that out?” Adam snorted.

  “Remind me to set a cat-proof ward on the greenhouse tomorrow,” I told him as we climbed the back stairs.

  Boots scowled up at me.

  Adam pulled the back door open and I deposited Boots inside with a bop of my finger on his pink nose.

  “Uh, Gorgeous…”

  I glanced up and straightened with a jolt. Lenny was propped up against the kitchen counter. “What are you doing in here?” I demanded.

  “I wanted to see your cat,” Lenny said, fixated on Boots.

  Boots recoiled and wound around my ankles. Something was definitely not right.

  Adam stepped forward and folded his arms over his broad chest. “You have five second to tell us why you’re standing in our house uninvited. Unless it’s for a very good reason, you’re not welcome here.”

  Lenny shrugged. “I’m welcome anywhere I want to go.”

  I blinked. Was this guy for real?

  Adam snarled. “That’s it. You need to leave. Now.”

  Lenny smiled and I saw that he was missing a tooth. As infuriating as he was proving to be, I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn someone had knocked it right out of his mouth. “You gonna make me, pretty boy?”

  “That’s it.” Adam surged through the swinging door that led to the living room. I stayed glued in place, wondering if there was a spell I could cast to disperse the specter. Before I could come up with something to try, Adam returned, wielding a fire poker. He held it up with a victorious grin. “You know what this will do to you, don’t you?”

  Lenny’s smile faltered.

  My eyebrows shot up. “Adam?”

  He held out a hand to me. “I got this, gorgeous.”

  “Fine!” Lenny said, rising up. “But this isn’t the last you’ll see of me.”

  “Wanna bet?” Adam growled, waving the poker at the ghost.

  Lenny pulled a face. “Wait until I tell Earl what you’ve done to his home!”

  The poker passed through the ghost and the silver particles burst apart. Lenny’s face registered the shock and then, poof. He was gone.

  Boots hissed at
the series of sharp popping sounds that followed.

  Adam’s chest heaved, as though the strike had required a lot of energy. “There!” he said to himself. Without another word, he left the kitchen, reappearing moments later without the poker.

  “What did you just do?” I asked nervously.

  “An old trick I learned. My college frat house was haunted.”

  I blinked. “College frat house?”

  I wasn’t sure which was more shocking, that Adam had just destroyed a ghost, or the revelation that he had been in a fraternity.

  “It was a phase,” he assured me with a sheepish grin.

  “What does the poker do? Is Lenny…” Dead wasn’t the right word. He’d already been dead.

  “I’m not sure where they go, but he’ll be out of commission for a little while. Displaced. The iron is what does it.” Adam shrugged. “If he’s stubborn he’ll come back, but we bought ourselves enough time to have a peaceful dinner.”

  I twisted the end of my long, auburn ponytail as I mentally replayed the scene. Something about it was nagging at me. Suddenly, it hit me like a physical punch in the head. “Adam! Did you hear what he said? He said wait til he tells Earl what we’ve done to his home!”

  “So?”

  “Tells? As in, present tense?”

  Adam’s eyes widened. “You don’t think—”

  I nodded. “He knows Earl! Posy’s Earl!”

  Adam’s eyes shifted guiltily back to the spot Lenny had been hovering. “Stars.”

  I clamped a hand over my mouth. This was bad.

  “We can’t tell her,” Adam decided.

  “How can we not?”

  “Holly, we don’t know how she’ll take it. A bombshell like that could send this whole manor toppling to the ground.”

  He had a point. Posy’s soul was somehow linked to the manor itself and when her emotions went haywire … well, things got ugly. Last time she’d been set off, every lightbulb in the entire house had shattered in one loud pop. If she found out her long-deceased husband was in fact a ghost, I couldn’t be sure the foundation would be left intact.