Gem of a Ghost: A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery by Sue Ann Jaffarian

Author:Sue Ann Jaffarian
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Midnight Ink is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.
Published: 2012-01-17T19:30:39+00:00

seventeen

“You do, and I’m marching straight into the house and telling Elizabeth.” The threat came from Granny. She was standing in the middle of Emma’s home office, pointing in the direction of the Miller house. “And Phil.”

Emma curled a lip at the ornery spirit. “Phil only understands yes or no.”

“Trust me, I’ll find a way to make him understand. And I’ll do it tonight.”

“Tattletale.”

“It’s not tattling if it’s about something dangerous.”

Trying a different tactic, Emma erased her annoyance and replaced it with reason. “Granny, I can’t help Addy if I don’t know anything about her.”

“She’s killed”—Granny paused to remember what Sachman had told them, ticking off the victims on her fingers—“she’s killed five people, counting that Summer girl. Six if you include the banker who died of grief over his son.”

Emma looked down at the notepad in front of her where she’d listed each one of the deaths. Granny was right. Five victims and one indirect death.

“And who knows how many there were before that?” the ghost ranted as she paced the office. “Or how many narrowly escaped, like Lainey.”

“But you’ll be here if something happens,” cajoled Emma.

“No. And that’s final.”

Emma fingered Lainey’s ring. After dinner, she’d retreated to her office with the plan of learning more about Addy. She’d called to Addy, entreating her to show herself so they could talk. She’d held the ring in her hand, trying to convey she wanted to help. It had gotten warm, but no ghost materialized.

“You’re just angry because I wouldn’t let Archie come out here tonight.” She looked up at Granny. “It was for his own good. You know angry ghosts scare him.”

“Then don’t fetch her out of the ring. Leave her be. Lock it in a strong box, and throw away the key.” The ghost came to a stop in front of Emma, her hazy face bright with an idea. “I know: why not throw it into the ocean like that old lady did to that diamond necklace in the movie we watched last week?”

“We’ve discussed that before, Granny. There’s no reason why that should work. You know better than I do that ghosts need to be attached in some way to a person, place, or thing from their past or present. The ring is Addy’s past thing, but now that she’s made contact with us, she doesn’t need the ring to come out. She only needs to be around a place or person she’s made contact with in the present. Either Addy doesn’t know that or she does and prefers the ring. Either way, locking up the ring or destroying it may unleash her in other ways. At least for now, the ring contains her.”

“By calling her out, Emma, you’re poking a sleeping, rabid dog.”

Emma shook her head back and forth slowly. “I don’t believe that. I think if we help her, she’ll stop killing. She’s lashing out because she’s angry and frustrated.”

Granny crossed her arms in defiance. “You’ve been watching too much Dr. Phil.”

“I don’t watch Dr. Phil, Granny, you do.

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