Bubba's Ghost Read online

  Chapter Three

  “I’ll call her in a few minutes, Dolly. I need to check on something first.”

  “Oh, don’t wait, Sandi. She’s really frightened, and Ned the Nerd is no help whatsoever.”

  My neighbor’s squeaky little voice sounded panicky. “I’ll call her right now. Ned the Nerd?”

  “Ned is Chrissy’s boyfriend. His name is actually Ted, but I call him Ned because it sounds better with Nerd. Don’t get me wrong. He’s a nice young man. However, his job has something to do with computers, and it seems like that’s all he thinks about.

  “She tried to call him tonight, but he was still at the office, and she says they don’t answer their phones after five o’clock. If you ask me, I think maybe he’s afraid to see the guy face to face. Anyway, please call her right away.”

  I glanced at the stairs, thinking that the noise I’d heard was probably nothing. The dog and his antics had spooked me. I’d worked in the attic the day before, and I probably hadn’t been careful enough when I stacked boxes in the corner. Over the years people had left scads of things in that old attic.

  “Will you let me know what happens?” Dolly asked.

  Tearing my gaze away from the stairs, I said, “As soon as I speak to your granddaughter, I’ll call you back.”

  I hung up and reached for the note with Chrissy’s phone number on it. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Bubba slinking back into the house.

  “You big wimp. There’s nothing up there.”

  He hung his head, as if in shame, which made me feel guilty. I patted him, but it didn’t seem to help. When I returned from closing the back door, he sat down next to me. I noticed he kept glancing toward the stairs.

  Dialing Chrissy’s number, I tried to ignore Bubba. She answered on the first ring.

  “Hello?”

  “Chrissy, this is Sandi Webster, your grandmother’s neighbor. She tells me – ”

  “Grandma Dolly told me about you,” Chrissy said, interrupting. “I’m so glad to hear from you. Do you think you can help me? This is getting way too weird.”

  “Well, Chrissy, I’m going to need a lot more details than I’ve got right now. Can we set up an appointment so we can get together and you can tell me the whole story?”

  “Why don’t you come over tomorrow night, after I get off work? He usually shows up in the evening anyway, so I’d be grateful for the company. Maybe you can see him for yourself.”

  She gave me directions to her house, and I agreed to meet her there at five-thirty. She must have been desperate for the company, because she even invited me to stay for dinner.

  “Did you call the police tonight?” I asked.

  “Yes. They left a few minutes ago. It seems like the same officer always shows up, but tonight there were two I haven’t seen before. Maybe they’re starting to take me seriously.”

  “What did they say?”

  “Not much. Every time the regular officer shows up, the bum is already gone, and it was the same tonight. It’s like he’s got radar or something.”

  “Bum? Is he actually a bum?” There was something in her tone of voice that told me she’d used the word literally.

  “I think so. Anyway, he sure looks like one. When I described him to Grandma, she said he sounds like a Skid Row wino. I guess that’s what they used to call some of the street people.”

  “Interesting. You can give me a more detailed description of him when I see you.” A wino? Street person? Bum? Why would someone like that be harassing this woman? Especially in a nice, normal little city like Covina.

  “Mommy?” I heard a small voice in the background.

  “You have a child?” I asked.

  “Yes, Tammi’s five. She’s scared because she knows this guy has been watching us. The police said they’d keep an eye on our house for the rest of tonight though.”

  “Okay, you lock up tight and I’ll see you tomorrow. Do you have any pepper spray?”

  “No. Should I buy some?”

  “Yes, and enroll yourself in a self-defense course right away. I’ll try to give you a few more ideas to protect yourself tomorrow night.”

  “Do you like macaroni and cheese?” Chrissy asked.

  “Homemade?”

  “Uh huh. It’s a recipe of my mom’s.”

  “Love it.” I had the feeling she was trying to direct her attention onto something other than the man who’d been watching her.

  We hung up, and I called Dolly.

  “What happened?” She sounded anxious.

  “I made an appointment to meet with her tomorrow night when she comes home from work. Now quit worrying. The police said they’d watch her house tonight. She’ll be fine. You didn’t tell me she has a child.”

  “That little Tammi is a precious baby. I adore that child. Do you think I could ride out to their house with you?” she asked hopefully.

  “Not this time. I’m afraid you might be a distraction, and I want both hers and Tammi’s full attention this trip.”

  “Oh.” I could hear the disappointment in her voice.

  “I’ll take you with me another time.” I hoped that would smooth things over.

  “Yes, another time. I understand.” She obviously didn’t, but at least she was trying. We spoke for a moment longer and hung up.

  I realized that I’d never asked Dolly about her family. What a lousy friend I was turning out to be. Although, in my own defense, things had been so busy since she moved in that we hadn’t had time for any long discussions. I’d have to rectify that and ask her questions, take more of an interest. She was such a sweetheart. On the other hand, maybe she’d mentioned Chrissy and Tammi, and I hadn’t been paying attention. Either way, I was ashamed of myself.

  I glanced at Bubba. He looked like he was probably still feeling the same emotion I was. Shame.

  “It’s okay.” I looked him in the eye. “None of us is perfect.”

  Stalling, I downed a glass of water in the kitchen. It was time to take care of business, and I didn’t want to.

  I headed for the stairs, ready to check out the noise I’d heard before Dolly called. I glanced at Bubba, who seemed to have fallen asleep. I had my doubts because he’d dropped off so suddenly. Placing one foot on the first step, I quickly turned to see what the dog would do. He had one eye open, but closed it when he saw me looking.

  “Big phony.”

  I started up the stairs, but turned again when I heard a noise. The dog was at the bottom of the steps, sniffing the air. Not sensing danger, apparently, he climbed up the steps behind me.

  “Good boy.”

  Together, we climbed the rest of the steps up to the third level and the attic. Bubba held back when I opened the door. I looked around and noticed a box lying on the floor.

  “See? I told you something probably fell.” He walked cautiously to the doorway, but wouldn’t enter the room. His big, pinkish nose was twitching as he sniffed the air again.

  I replaced the box, more carefully this time, and left the attic.

  “What a weenie dog.”

  Was it my imagination, or did he actually look embarrassed?

  “You’re going to sleep on the back porch tonight, pal. Follow me.” I led the way back down the stairs, stopping at a linen closet on the second floor to rummage around for an old blanket. Carrying it out the back door, I dropped it on the porch. “You sleep here.”

  Bubba settled himself on the blanket. What a smart dog. I was amazed. It was like he understood what I was saying. Nah, couldn’t be. I made sure his water bowl was full and headed off to my bedroom, ready for a good night’s sleep.

  Chapter Four

  The next morning I arose feeling more energetic than I’d expected. Realizing I was hungrier than usual, I decided on a big breakfast. After checking the back porch, I let Bubba in. I was breaking eggs into a frying pan when he nudged the back of my leg. Well, actually he nudged my rear end because he’s so tall. He’d have to stoop to nudge my leg.

&n
bsp; “What? Do you like eggs? I’ll bet you do.” Picking up another egg, I glanced at Bubba, and taking note of his size I grabbed a few more. I fried bacon and made toast to go with the eggs. I figured it wasn’t a healthy breakfast for a dog, but you do what you can in a pinch.

  “Okay, I’m going to pick up dog food for you. But, and I emphasize this, but this is only temporary. We’ll find a good home for you.”

  He watched me intently while I talked to him, giving the impression that he knew exactly what I was saying. However, his nose twitched every once in awhile, and I knew he was infinitely more interested in the food than in my ramblings.

  I arrived at the office around nine o’clock on that Tuesday morning.

  “What did you do about the dog?” Those being the first words out of Pete’s mouth, I figured he must have fussed about Bubba all night.

  “He’s at the house right now. I’m going to try to find him a good home.”

  “You didn’t leave him in the house, right? I mean, you don’t know what kind of temperament that dog has.”

  “Pete, I left him in the back yard. It’s up to him if he stays or goes.” I felt I was demonstrating infinite patience by not telling him to mind his own business.

  “You’re going to end up keeping him.”

  “Why would you say that?” I couldn’t look at him and concentrated on some papers sitting on my desk.

  “Sandi, turn those blue eyes my way and look at me. I’ll bet you stopped and bought dog food this morning, didn’t you?” He sounded accusing.

  “Of course I did. I’ve got to feed him until I find him a home. Why don’t you like Bubba?”

  “I don’t dislike the dog, but he’s so big. And I don’t think he likes me. I don’t want to have to argue with that animal every time I come over to see you.”

  “You’d argue with a dog?” I started to laugh. Big dog and big man facing off made for a funny mental picture.

  “You know what I mean. He didn’t even want me to kiss you last night.”

  “You’re jealous of a dog. I can’t believe it.”

  Pete’s lips pursed and his jaw muscles tightened. “I’m not jealous of the dog. But with this agency, and the way you’re in and out of the house so much, well, he’s going to cost you too much in time and effort. Not to mention food bills. We’re having enough money troubles trying to keep this business going. And did you take a good look at his coat? He’s going to shed all over your house.”

  “Okay, read my lips. I’ll say this slowly.” My patience was running low. “I’m going to try to find a home for him. In the meantime, I do happen to own a vacuum cleaner. And I also bought a dog brush. That should help get rid of some of that extra fur. He won’t cost me that much.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  I decided the best course of action would be to change the subject. Pete was getting on my nerves, which happened from time to time, no matter how much I cared for him. I, on the other hand, very rarely got on his nerves, I was sure. Ha! I got to him more often than I cared to think about. I mean, you can’t expect to agree with another person about everything.

  “I talked to Dolly’s granddaughter last night.”

  “Oh, yeah? What did she have to say?”

  “The bum who’s been bothering her had been there again. I’m going to meet with her tonight. You want come with me?”

  “I can’t. I’ve been waiting for you to come in so I could tell you what’s going on. I had a call from one of the insurance adjusters this morning. You know him. Jack Gless. He asked me to work on a personal investigation for him. It means I’ll have to be out of town for a while.”

  “For how long? And where are you going?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure how long. Probably a few days, maybe a little longer. He’s got some property in the mountains at Lake Tahoe, and he wants me to go up there and check on his wife. They had an argument, and she took off for their cabin. He has a feeling there’s something going on, like maybe she took a lover with her. Normally she comes back in a few days after they argue, but this time she hasn’t come home and she won’t answer the phone. Anyway, he wants me to stake it out and see what’s going on.”

  “Did you get a retainer?” The insurance company wouldn’t be paying for this one, and I always asked for money up front on personal cases – especially if it was someone like Jack Gless. Instinctively, I knew this man wasn’t trustworthy.

  “Of course.” He waved the check in my general direction. “He sent it over by messenger.”

  “Okay. Check in with me from time to time and let me know how it’s going.”

  “I will.”

  “When are you leaving?”

  He glanced at his watch. “In about an hour. I’m already packed and have my things in the car.” For him, packing meant he had a duffle bag with the basics in it, like an extra shirt and the bare essentials.

  “Are you going to be okay handling Dolly’s situation by yourself?” he asked.

  I narrowed my eyes and gave him as much of a disgusted look as I could muster. “Of course. I don’t need you here for every little case.”

  “I’m sorry. You’re right. You’ve shown time after time that you don’t always need my help.”

  “Wow. Wait here while I find the tape recorder. I want you to repeat that so I can listen to it over and over again while you’re gone.” Okay, I was being sarcastic, but he deserved it. He seemed to think I should leave anything remotely dangerous to him, a thought we frequently butted heads on. It had taken me some time to realize that he knew I was capable of handling cases and was simply worried something would happen to his favorite little partner. While I appreciated the concern, it irritated the heck out of me.

  I’d have to pick up the slack while he was gone, so I asked him a few questions about the insurance cases he was working on. I needed a general update, although his case notes were pretty thorough.

  “Why do you think the Lake Tahoe case is going to take so long?” I’d had time to think about it, and it didn’t seem like something that should take more than a couple of days.

  “I don’t think it will, but that’s worst case scenario. Although Jack thinks there might be another man involved, he can’t get her to return his calls after he leaves a message, which is unusual, according to him. I think I already mentioned that. There could be something else going on. Anyway, he doesn’t want to go himself because he’s afraid if he finds her with a lover, he might shoot them both. And I’m not sure he meant that as a figure of speech.”

  “Pretty angry, huh?”

  “This guy was all but spitting nails when I talked to him. Anyway, I’ll call you when I get settled and see what’s happening.”

  “Okay.”

  Pete stood up and stretched. “I’d better get moving if I’m going to make that plane. Give me a kiss good-bye and I’ll get out of here.”

  I planted a big one on Pete’s wonderful, warm lips, one that assured he wouldn’t forget me quickly.

  “Bye, Shorty,” Pete said, smiling down at me. “You really are the runt of the litter.”

  “What litter? I’m an only child, so that also makes me the tallest.”

  He grinned at me again and headed for the door.

  I watched him leave, not taking my eyes off him. There’s something about Pete that women love. I’ve never been able to put my finger on it, but for some reason they flock to him. Peter Goldberg may be his name, but he’s one hundred percent Italian. Close to six feet tall, he’s not overly handsome, but there’s something virile about him. He comes across as a man’s man. Maybe it’s the gray coming in at his temples, or the tiny scar at the corner of his mouth that gives him character. He doesn’t have to lift a finger; the women love him anyway. Fortunately, he doesn’t take any of them up on their offers. He says he’s already got his hands full with me.

  “Pete, wait!”

  He stopped at the front door of the office and turned toward me. I ran over and gave him a hug, one that he willi
ngly returned.

  “What was that for?” he asked.

  “Nothing in particular. I just felt like you needed a one.”

  “Me? I think you’re the one who needed it.” Pete does give great hugs, among other things, and I love that about him.

  “Okay, you’d better get going. Call me.”

  “I will.” He was chuckling as he left the office, and appeared pleased with himself. He always looks that way when I show him affection. But then, I guess I look the same way. We love each other. I was surprised to realize how easily that thought came to me.

  I spent a good deal of the rest of my day at the Hall of Records, doing research for a client. Around two o’clock I decided to head home and check on Bubba. I figured after what must have been a light breakfast for him, he was probably starving.

  Pulling up in front of the house, I saw a familiar car parked at the curb. It belonged to Stanley Hawks, a friend and part-time employee, whom I met when he retained me to handle a case for him.

  Oh no, I thought to myself. Stanley and Bubba? I leaped out of the car and ran to the house, hoping Bubba hadn’t been too hungry.

  Chapter Five

  The front door was standing wide open, but I didn’t see Stanley.

  “Stanley?” I walked through the door and checked the rooms. Not seeing any blood or body parts lying around, I looked in the room I’d converted into an office, but there was no sign of him.

  “Stan?” I called again, remembering he didn’t want to be called Stanley anymore. No answer.

  “Bubba?” If Stanley didn’t answer, maybe the dog would. No such luck.

  I walked to the kitchen and pulled the curtain aside on the back door. Stanley’s back was firmly pressed against the window, effectively blocking my view of the yard. All I could see was the back of his thinning brown hair.

  I opened the door. Thud! Stanley fell through the opening onto the floor. Nothing odd about that; it was a typical Stanley entrance. Stanley Hawks is a meek little man whose full-time job involves writing greeting card verses. He’s about five foot six with a slender build, and he’s small-boned with a slightly slumped posture. I’ve never asked his age, but I’d guess he’s in his early forties. And Stan the Man is a major klutz.