Page 28 of Ghostlighted (Ghost Townies #2)

Chapter Twenty-Two

T o say I was gobsmacked was an understatement. “Attempted murder? What in the what ? Of whom?” Because even gobsmacked, grammar had me by the throat.

“Of Sofia Vargas.”

I expected Ricky to protest. Strongly. Using adult language. In his outside voice. But instead, his eyes widened and his skin went positively gray.

“Ricky?” I whispered.

“What happened? Kamilla? What did I miss?” He stumbled forward, his fingers curling into fists. “What did I do ?”

“Who says you did anything?” I turned to Kamilla. “You know this is wrong. He’d never hurt Sofia.”

Kamilla pressed her lips into a flat line. “What I feel isn’t relevant, Maz. This is my job. Do you think you could let me do it? If Ricky comes along quietly ”—she glared meaningly at Ricky, and I realized she hadn’t Mirandized him yet—“it will help more in the long run.”

Ricky peered up at me from under his lashes. “It’s all right, Maz.” He held out his arms, his hands relaxed.

“Do… Do you have to cuff him?”

Kamilla didn’t answer, but as she snapped the handcuffs on Ricky’s wrists, she gave me an apologetic look. “I’m taking him to the sheriff’s office in Richdale for booking. In case you need to let anybody know.”

I stood on the porch, the door open behind me, watching as Kamilla took Ricky’s arm and led him to the waiting patrol car.

“This can’t be happening.” Then Kamilla’s words hit me: “ In case you need to let anybody know.”

Of course Ricky wouldn’t contact anybody, let alone a lawyer. For one thing, he was exhausted and not thinking clearly. For another, he’d flat out said it was his fault .

“For cripes’ sake, Ricky,” I muttered as I pulled out my phone and dialed Taryn, “keep your mouth shut.”

After three rings, Taryn answered. “Maz. This had better be good. Haley and I are in the middle of?—”

“Ricky was just arrested,” I blurted.

“What? Why?”

“For attempting to murder Sofia.”

“Oh, for the love of… Where are you?”

“I’m at my house, but Kamilla said she was taking him to the sheriff’s office in Richdale for booking.” I paced to the end of the porch and looked across the lawn at Sofia’s house. “Taryn, you know he would never do anything to hurt Sofia.”

“Of course I know that.”

“But he feels responsible for her, for everything that happens to her. I’m just afraid that if he doesn’t have somebody with him, he’ll say something hideously suspicious just because he feels like he should have somehow prevented her collapse.

I mean, it’s not like any of his family or I can be with him while he’s questioned.

Your dad is still out of town and he doesn’t practice anymore, anyway.

You’re the only other lawyer I know. Will you do it, Taryn? Can you go be with him? Help him?”

She sighed audibly. “I’m not a criminal defense attorney, Maz.”

“But you are an attorney. I’m just a freaking ghostwriter. There’s… there’s nothing I can do for him.” I swallowed thickly and tried to laugh. Unsuccessfully. “Hell, the way Liam was tossing threats around, I’m surprised they didn’t arrest me .”

“Wait. Liam’s in town?”

“Yeah. Ricky said his mom must have called him, even though Sofia didn’t want to bother him.”

Taryn snorted. “Not likely. Maria always caves to Sofia about everything except how many peppers to add to the salsa.”

“Well, somebody did.”

There was a brief pause, where I heard another voice murmuring to her. Crap . Haley. I’d barged in on them again. “I’m sorry. I’ll?—”

“Don’t be. You did the right thing. I can head to the sheriff’s office now. With luck, he won’t have said anything incriminating yet.”

“Too late for that. He practically told Kamilla he was at fault.”

“Damn it, Ricky,” she muttered. “Fine. With luck, I can keep him from digging a deeper hole. I can at least be there to advise him, and even if I can’t represent him at trial, I know people who can. Don’t worry.”

“Can you… That is, attorney-client privilege and all that, but can you call me and tell me why they think he’s their suspect? And why they think it’s a murder charge?”

“If he gives me permission, I can let you know about our conversation. I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”

“I appreciate it. I’m sorry I interrupted your date.”

“Are you kidding? If you hadn’t interrupted us, neither of us would have ever forgiven you.” Another soft murmur. “Well, okay, we’d have forgiven you. But groveling would have been necessary, and only if Ricky said it was okay.”

I sagged against the porch railing. “Thanks, Taryn.”

“There’s no need to thank me, although I should definitely thank you. For looking out for Ricky. I’m glad he’s got somebody like you in his corner.”

“Just make sure he doesn’t paint himself into one and we’ll call it even, okay?”

“You got it. I’ve got to go.”

I let my hand drop to my side, still clutching the phone like a lifeline. I needed Gil in my arms to steady me, but he was still with Avi. I trudged to the other end of the porch and dropped onto the swing. It swayed under me as I propped my elbows on my knees and let my head fall forward.

I don’t know how long I sat there, but it must have been at least an hour, because when Taryn called me back, she was already in Richdale.

Before I could choke out a question, she said, “I haven’t seen him yet. He’s still in booking. But I know what the charges are and why they suspect Ricky.”

“That’s so ridiculous. Ricky would never?—”

“Maz. They were debating whether to arrest you, too.”

“Me? Wh— Oh, did Liam accuse me after all?”

“No. He had nothing to do with it. Sofia collapsed because somebody tampered with her medication.”

“Did the pharmacy make a mistake?”

“No. The new bottle was fine and had all the expected pills in it. The previous bottle was missing, so they assume it had already been discarded. But the remaining pills in the case cause an increase in heart rate, the opposite of what she should be taking for her condition.” She took an audible breath.

“The only fingerprints on the new bottle and the pill minder were Ricky’s. ” She took another breath. “And yours.”

“But… but…” How did they even have my fingerpr— Oh, right. My TSA known-traveler number. It had been so long since I’d flown anywhere that I’d forgotten about it.

“The EMTs said you’re the one who brought the medications to the ambulance, so they’re only considering you a possible person of interest right now. Depending, I suppose, on whether Ricky blurts out another nonspecific confession.”

“Don’t let him do that, okay?”

“I’ll do my best. Talk soon.”

I set the phone on the seat next to me and buried my face in my hands.

There was no way that Ricky would have replaced Sofia’s meds any more than I would have.

But if Taryn wasn’t able to keep him from incriminating himself, or worse, taking a plea deal for something he didn’t do, he could be convicted for it, anyway.

For that matter, would he be tempted to confess to protect me ? Based on the forensics, I was the only other potential suspect at the moment.

“Maz? Is this a bad time?”

The soft male voice was vaguely familiar, so I pushed away the urge to snarl. When I looked up, Dominik and Jillie Vlahos were standing on my walk, at the foot of the porch steps. I pushed my curls off my forehead and forced the facsimile of a smile.

“No worries. What can I do for you?”

“Bernadette sent us to check out a few things in your kitchen so she’ll know what to expect when she cooks for us here tomorrow.”

I winced. Crap . I’d invited the Vlahoses for dinner, and I’d forgotten about it completely.

“If you need to reschedule…” Dominik said slowly.

“No. No, it’s fine.” Maybe forcing myself to be marginally sociable would keep me from mental doomscrolling 24/7. “If Bernadette wants to scope out the kitchen, I’m surprised she didn’t come herself.”

“She wants to be surprised .” Jillie’s voice was loaded with weariness more suited to a middle school teacher the week before spring break. “You know. By the whole house at once. If she just sees the kitchen today, she thinks it will… It will…” She looked up at her uncle. “What did she call it?”

He smiled down at her. “Lessen the wow factor.”

“Yeah. That.” She met my gaze. “Mom gets kinda weird sometimes.”

“Don’t we all,” I murmured. I stood up. “Come on in.”

As the Vlahoses mounted the steps, Jillie pointed to the swing. “Uncle Dom, can we get a porch swing for Jenkins House?”

“We already have a gazebo. It has bench seats all the way around it.”

“Yes, but that’s in the backyard. This could be on the front porch.” She gazed up at him with wide puppy-dog eyes. “Please?”

“I’ve got to say,” I said, “it’s one of my favorite parts about this place.

” I chuckled a little weakly. “Of course, all parts of the place are my favorites. That happens when you get a windfall like this.” I opened the door wide since I didn’t have to worry about Gil making a run for it, and gestured for them to enter. “Be my guest.”

As Jillie passed me, she was humming “Be Our Guest,” and Dominik, following on her heels, spread his palms. “She’s been singing that ever since we signed the papers. I think she’s more excited about running a B & B than Bernadette and me, and we’ve been fantasizing about it for years.”

I stepped inside to find that Jillie had frozen in the middle of the entry, staring through the french doors opposite the stairway. “You have a library .”

Her enthusiasm was so infectious that it pulled a real grin out of me. “I do.”

She turned to Dominik. “Uncle Dom, can we?—”

“Hold your horses, Jillie-bean.”

She scowled at him. “Don’t call me that. That’s a kid’s name.”

“Then stop acting like a kid.” Dominik scrunched up his face. “No. You know what? Go ahead. Act like a kid as much as you want.”

She pointed through the doors. “Do you mind?”

“Not a bit.”

She walked through the doors and squealed. “It has window seats ! Uncle Dom, can we?—”