A Ghostly Touch: a midlife paranormal mystery novella by Ward Parker

Author:Ward Parker [Parker, Ward]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mad Mangrove Media

The first blow had knocked me out, but my assailant landed a second one and probably intended to continue bashing my head until I was dead. It was a passing police patrol, noticing the open window with a missing pane, who saved me. The officer shined a flashlight into the window, which must have scared off the attacker. So said Detective Linda Legorski, who interviewed me as I lay in my hospital bed.

Nothing was missing from the inn except a cheap plaster bust of Beethoven that was likely the weapon used against me. Based on the amount of plaster fragments found in my hair and on the floor, Beethoven was injured more seriously than I. Plenty of latent fingerprints were lifted, but Legorski doubted they would be helpful because of all the guests who used the breakfast room. She didn’t buy the theory that I had merely surprised a burglar, because the thief would have taken at least one thing of value.

My not-so-dependable telepathy happened to kick in, and Detective Legorski’s thoughts entered my mind. She believed the attacker knew me. But she didn’t want to tell me that.

“Okay,” I had admitted. “I have a couple of antique items that someone might want to acquire without me knowing about it.”

“Do you know who?”

“No, unfortunately not.”

I couldn’t say more because I suspected one of her colleagues. I believed Billy wanted the handkerchief and, possibly, the box iron itself, because they tied his family to the murder. I guessed he didn’t want a murder, even one so long ago, to stain his family name and possibly hamper his career.

Even though it sounded like his career was already hampered by the disciplinary action pending against him. Wasn’t it time for the old buzzard to retire already?

And don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t going to let whoever bashed my head in and almost killed me get away with it. I simply wanted to learn more before I accused a police detective of doing it.

The emergency department physician told me I had a hard skull and was darn lucky to escape with only a mild concussion. So, after a night of observation, I was discharged. Sophie drove me home in the morning.

“How was your job interview?” I asked.

“Okay,” she said in the sullen voice I was more likely to hear from her ten years ago.

“You don’t sound too excited about it.”

“It’s just a stupid, boring office job. I’d rather keep being a server at The Wharf.”

“You can’t be a server forever. If you want to build a career in the restaurant business, you should get some training in hospitality management. Or even go to chef school.”

“I don’t know what I want to do.”

Sophie was a smart, kind-hearted woman. She’d been through some major trauma recently. While she was in recovery from drugs, the sober home where she lived sold her out to a gang of vampires. Missy rescued her for me—hence the debt I owe Missy. Right now, all I wanted was for Sophie to build a stable, rewarding life.

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