Page 44 of Shattered Sanctuary

“My name is actually Avery, but it didn’t fit into Miss Dolly’s perfect world. And Mabel’s name is actually Karen.”

“Your boss is quite a character,” Kaely said.

Avery smiled. “Yeah, she is. But if we need something, she’s the first in line to help us. I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else. I’ll be back with your drinks. Your food will be ready soon.”

“Well, this is something I won’t soon forget,” Erin said to Kaely.

“The idea was to get you out and help you get your mind off of things.” Kaely grinned. “If this doesn’t do it, nothing will.”

Erin snorted. “If I thought it was possible, I’d think you set this whole thing up.”

“I wish I was that creative.”

Erin started to say something about their meeting with Adrian when someone else walked up to the table. It was Steve.

“I had to say hello,” he said to Kaely.

“It’s been a long time, Steve,” she said with a smile. She waved toward the empty pink chair next to her. “Do you have time for a cup of coffee?”

“I-I guess so.” Steve sat down, but he seemed nervous and distracted. “This is quite a place, isn’t it?”

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Kaely said. “Do you come here often?”

He nodded. “The food is so good, I’m willing to ignore the decor... and Dolly.”

“Is her name really Dolly Barton?” Erin asked quietly.

Steve smiled for the first time since he’d approached them. “Believe it or not, it is. I think she had it changed at some point. No one is really sure about that.”

Avery came back to the table with their drinks, and Steve ordered a cup of coffee. After Avery left, he nodded at Erin. “So how are you enjoying the cabin?”

Erin sighed. “It’s lovely. I just wish it didn’t come with its own ghost.”

Steve’s face drained of color, and he swore under his breath. “You’ve seen her too?”

THIRTY-ONE

Kaely put her glass down. “You’ve seen her?”

He nodded. “I’m not the only one who’s run across her. She seems to be hanging around the cabin.” He gulped. “I planned to rent it out to tourists, but there’s no way people will stay there if word of this gets around.”

Steve’s body language made it clear to Kaely that he was really worried. His body was rigid and his jaw tight. He kept clenching and unclenching his hands. How long had this been going on?

“Why is someone out there, pretending to be a ghost?” Kaely asked him. “What are they trying to accomplish?”

“I have no idea,” Steve said. “It doesn’t benefit anyone.”

“How long has it been going on?” Erin asked.

“Stories about a ghost have circulated ever since Emma Watcher was killed,” Steve said. “They died out for a while. Then they started back up during the sixties and seventies. Of course, this is what I’ve been told. I didn’t live here then. After I bought the cabin, the stories started again. I’m afraid it’s going to be impossible for me to rent it out.”

“I’m not sure you’re right,” Erin said. “I knew peoplewho would purposely search for hotels or B&Bs that were rumored to be haunted. If you advertised it as haunted, you could probably keep it rented all year long.”

“I know about some of those people,” he said, sniffing the air as if he smelled something rancid. “Not the clientele I’m looking for. I wanted the cabin to be a beautiful, restful retreat for the busy executive. The elite.” He shook his head. “You know the kind of people I mean.”

She knew exactly what he meant. She bit back a sharp retort. This was Noah’s friend. She didn’t want to offend him.

“Is there anyone in town who is opposed to this idea?” Erin asked. “I mean, the cabin is built on the site where William Watcher’s home stood. Maybe it’s related to that history?”

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