Page 23 of Poison Apple Crisp

“The book!” I shout as I stagger past both Noah and Everett as I make my way into the living room. “I had it right here on the table.” I give a frantic look around as Pancake hops right out of my arms with a yowl.

A shimmer of stars erupts from down near the fireplace, and Ginger materializes in all her ghostly glory.

“Are they gone?” she hisses it out, and Pancake walks over to her and spins around the poltergeist as if he could see her. A while back, my friend, Bizzy Baker, who also happens to be transmundane—telesensualto be exact, meaning she can read the human and animal mind—paid me a visit. She helped me talk to Pancake and Waffles, and it turns out, they can sense the ghosts that come back to help me solve these heinous crimes and my sweet cats don’t mind them one bit.

“Ginger,” I whisper, glancing behind me to make sure it’s still just Noah and Everett in the house with me as I take up their hands so they can hear, too. About a year ago, we discovered that I work as sort of a conduit, and if they hold my hands they can hear the dead just as clear as I can. “Did you see anything?”

“Oh yes, I was getting frisky with Pancake here. Or was it Waffles?” She cocks her furry head toward the ceiling. “Anyway, a bright light streamed in and blinded the three of us. The next thing we knew, someone was walking right through the door.”

Everett and I exchange a look.

“I’m sorry, Lemon.” He gives a hard blink. “I was distracted. I don’t remember locking the door.”

“Neither do I.”

A wave of guilt sweeps over me because I distinctly remember yelling at Everett to step away from the door in order to work him up for our bedroom adventure.

This is what I get for listening to Carlotta. I always knew her advice was dangerous, and here she almost got us killed.

“Wait a minute.” I lean toward that sparkling cutie. “Ginger? Could you tell me what you saw? What did they look like?”

“Oh, they were wrapped in dark clothes from head to foot.” She shakes out her fur, and a sprinkling of stars hurls from her. “I just saw the one. They had a funny hat on and it covered their face. But they came straight in and grabbed something off that table and left.”

Noah, Everett, and I exchange glances.

“You mentioned a book, Lottie.” Noah leans in. “What book?”

My lips press tightly. “Justice Served Cold:The Story of Desmond Meadows.”

Everett pinches his eyes shut a moment. “The autographed copy worth some serious money. The book Cokie was anxious to get back.”

I nod. “That’s the one.”

Evie and Carlotta edge their way in.

“Carlotta told me what this was all about,” Evie spits it out with venom. “I think the three of you aresick.” She bends over and scoops up Pancake and bundles him close to his brother. “I’m taking the cats next door, and I’m sleeping in until noon. And I don’t want to hear any flack about it either,” she bites the words out as she speeds out the door.

“Carlotta?” My tone is curt and demands an explanation all on its own.

She bats a hand my way. “Would you keep it down? I just told her what I thought best.”

A groan comes from Everett. Or come to think about it, it might have been Noah. Probably both.

“Spill it,” I say. “We can’t leave her over there by herself. And I demand to know what’s going on in that poor kid’s head.”

Carlotta struts forward, doing her best impersonation of a chicken.

“I told her the three of you were gearing up to get kinky and that old Foxy was playing the part of a masked intruder.”

“What?” My voice hikes to its upper register. “Carlotta, Noah is naked and he was firing a gun. That’s hardly plausible.”

“That’s where the kink comes in,” she growls back.

“Carlotta”—Everett narrows his eyes over hers—“you lied to her.”

“She’s a kid. Who do you think lies were invented for?” she fires back. “Besides, she was afraid twelve ways to Sunday out there at the thought of a masked lunatic running around the neighborhood. I’d better get next door before they hit that house next.” She darts off, and I’m a bit relieved on many levels, but mostly so Evie won’t be alone.

I pull Everett in. “You should go, too.”