The Ghost Who Loved Diamonds Read online

  “Not indifferent exactly. Just not overly sympathetic to hear someone has passed—considering my situation. Yet that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the severity of losing touch with so many family members at once. You were never able to see them again—like you can see me?”

  “Nope.” Danielle shook her head. “I assumed I’d see them at their funeral. When that didn’t happen, I held onto my parent’s ashes for over a year, expecting them to make some sort of contact with me—let me know everything was okay.”

  “But they didn’t?”

  “Nothing. I finally spread their ashes at the beach where we used to spend our summer vacations. I’ve come to believe a lingering spirit is not necessarily attached to a body or ashes. If that was the case, you would be hanging out at the cemetery with your wife.”

  “Please, spare me that thought!” Walt cringed.

  “Anyway, after that, Cheryl was the only family I had, except for Aunt Brianna and Uncle Harry. Of course, they lived in Europe. I suppose I might have some distant cousins out there, but I never knew my grandparents and Dad’s only sibling was Aunt Susan. Mom didn’t have any brothers or sisters.”

  “Are you Cheryl’s only relative?”

  “No. Her dad had a brother and sister. What I remember from the funerals, the sister had two sons. I’m not sure how close she is with them.”

  “Do you think she has a valid claim?”

  “You mean on the estate?” Danielle asked. r

  “Yes. I’m wondering, will she become a permanent member of this household?”

  “Even if she had a valid claim—which I don’t think for a moment is the case—this is just Cheryl doing what she does, being a pain. She would never move in here and help me run a B and B. Not her style.”

  “I did notice she dresses slightly differently than you.” Walt chuckled.

  “She’s never gotten over her beauty pageant days.”

  “Beauty pageant?” Walt frowned.

  “Aunt Susan started putting Cheryl in beauty pageants when she was just a toddler. Mom drug me to one once, but from what I hear, I threw such a fit she never tried with me again. Of course I don’t remember it.” Danielle smiled at the thought of her younger self refusing to walk the runway.

  “Beauty pageant for little girls?”

  “Oh yes. Cheryl loved the makeup, the frilly dresses, the attention. She continued the pageant circuit as a teenager and young adult. Running an inn isn’t something she’d want to do. Trying to get money from the estate—that is an entirely different matter. But you know what really irritates me?” Danielle asked angrily.

  “What?”

  “After the plane crash I was approached by an attorney who tried to get me to sue my aunt and uncle’s estate—which Cheryl had inherited. They were well off, much more so than my parents. When all was said and done and my parent’s estate settled, I think I had just enough money to pay for college and buy a car. After Cheryl settled her family’s estate, I heard she had over five million dollars.”

  “I’m not sure I understand.”

  “The plane crash was due to pilot error, and I probably could have walked away with a healthy chunk of her estate had I taken her to court—which I refused to do. And now—now this!”

  “It will work out Danielle. Remember…you have me on your side.” Walt gave her a little wink.

  “Maybe you should give her the same treatment you gave Adam and Bill.” Danielle giggled.

  Before Walt could reply Lily entered the kitchen and announced, “She wants something to eat.”

  “Lily, I told her we aren’t going to wait on her. I thought you were going up to the attic to get the croquet set?”

  “Damn, I left it in the hall. I got it, but when I was coming back downstairs she called me in her room.”

  “Please, don’t call it her room.” Danielle cringed.

  “Okay. She called me into the Red Room. She wanted to know where the kitchen was. Wanted to come down to get something to eat.”

  “So why are you here and not her?” Danielle asked.

  “You should see her room!” When Danielle scowled at her choice of words, Lily rephrased her sentence. “You should have seen the Red Room. She was only in there five minutes and had already unpacked—throwing her things everywhere. Rearranging the furniture. The place is a fricking mess!”

  “Hmmm…” Danielle wrinkled her nose. “I forgot what a slob she could be. Her bedroom was always a disaster. She didn’t know how to use a clothes hanger. Mom never understood how Aunt Susan put up with it.”

  “I just figured if she destroyed that room in a matter of minutes, what would she do to the kitchen? Getting her a sandwich seemed less work.”

  “I better call Mr. Renton and get this thing straightened out before she destroys the house or has us waiting on her hand and foot.”

  “Well, if she’s still here when you have the open house, something will need to be done with her room. You can’t show off the house with it looking like that!” Lily insisted. “I can’t imagine what it will look like in a couple of days!”

  “No reason for you to make her lunch, she’s my problem.” Danielle reached for the loaf of bread.

  “You don’t need to make her a sandwich.” Lily snatched the bread from Danielle and tossed it back on the counter. Turning to the kitchen table, she removed the uneaten halves of sandwiches from the plates on the table.

  “What are you doing?” Danielle asked, watching Lily set the two halves on a clean plate.

  “Our sandwiches are stale now. Cheryl did interrupt our lunch. No reason for these to go to waste.”

  “You are evil,” Danielle laughed.

  “No, evil would be throwing these out.” Lily giggled. “I’ll make us fresh sandwiches after I take these to your houseguest.”

  “I’ll miss Lily when she goes home,” Walt said, watching Lily leave the room with the plate of food and glass of milk.

  “Me too. Wish she could stay here, but she has her job and family back home.” Danielle said after Lily was out of earshot. She tossed the two partially eaten sandwich halves in the trashcan and began making fresh sandwiches for Lily and herself.

  • • • •

  Lily made her way up the staircase, careful not to spill the milk. She cursed herself for filling the glass too full, which forced her to gingerly take each step. Once she reached the top of the staircase and stepped on the second floor landing she picked up her pace. When she got to the doorway of the Red Room she found Cheryl on her hands and knees looking under the vintage cherry wood dresser.

  “Did you lose something?” Lily asked, walking into the room. She set the plate and glass of milk on the nightstand.

  Cheryl looked at Lily and then stood up. Glancing at the glass of milk she asked, “Don’t you have any Diet Pepsi?”

  “No. There’s no soda in the house.”

  “Well, take it away.” Cheryl waved her hand dismissively at the glass of milk. “Bring me some ice coffee. With extra cream. You do have coffee, don’t you?”

  ”I tell you what, if you want something else to drink, you probably should come down and make it yourself.” I hope I don’t regret saying that. But how much of a mess could she actually make getting a drink?

  “Oh fine…leave the milk. I guess I have to drink something.” Cheryl flounced to the bed, sat down and picked up the plate. Wrinkling her nose, she looked at the sandwich halves and gave them each a little poke with one of her fingers.

  “Did you lose something?” Lily asked again.

  “What do you mean?” Cheryl looked up from the sandwiches.

  “You were looking under the dresser.”

  “Oh that,” Cheryl laughed. “I figured if Dani found a million dollar necklace in this house, there’s bound to be other treasures.”

  “I don’t think so,” Lily mumbled and then turned to leave the room.

  “Lily…your name is Lily isn’t it?” Cheryl asked.

  Lily paused at the d
oorway and faced Cheryl. “Yes?”

  “Is my dear cousin still seeing ghosts?”

  Chapter Three

  “Seeing ghosts?” Lily asked, stepping back into the bedroom.

  “Oh, she hasn’t told you?” Cheryl sniffed the sandwich and took a bite. “This bread is stale.”

  “Sorry, it’s all we have,” Lily lied. “What do you mean, seeing ghosts?”

  “How do you think she got her nickname, Boo?” Cheryl asked before taking another bite and washing it down with a swig of milk.

  “I had no idea anyone called her Boo.”

  “Boo, or Dani Boo. I gave her the name. Cute isn’t it?” Cheryl smiled at Lily, showing off a milk mustache. “Although she never liked it much.”

  “Sounds like Dani Pooh. Can’t say I’d like that either if I was her.”

  “No, Boo, as in spooky ghosts—not pooh.” Cheryl shook her head at the idea.

  “So why do you say she sees ghosts?”

  “She’s really never said anything to you? I guess you’re not that close of friends.” Cheryl took another bite of the sandwich.

  “We’re good enough friends. Are you going to tell me what you’re talking about or not?” Lily asked.

  “Okay,” Cheryl sighed, still unaware of her milk mustache. “When our grandmother died Dani insisted that Grandma’s ghost talked to her at the funeral. Of course, she was just saying that to be mean to me.”

  “I don’t understand, why do you think she was being mean to you?” Lily had never heard the story before.

  “She was always jealous of me. Although, I can’t say I blame her. I did get all the attention, what with the pageants and all.” Cheryl shrugged.

  “Pageants?” Lily frowned.

  “It’s not like it was my fault I was such a beautiful child. Poor Dani just couldn’t cut it at the pageants, so she had to stand at the sidelines and watch me get all the attention. I did feel sorry for her, you know. But it was mean of her to make up that story.”

  “I’m afraid I’m not following you.” Lily was totally lost.

  “Dani tried to make me think Grandma’s ghost talked to just her and not me. As if Grandma loved her more.”

  “Did Dani say your grandmother loved her more?” Lily asked.

  “No. But making up that story about Grandma’s ghost, like Dani was special or something, like she was better than me because Grandma picked her and not me. Of course, I knew she was lying.”

  “Kids can be imaginative.” Lily wondered if Dani had made up the story to spite her annoying cousin. If so, she was going to have to tell Dani she appreciated her originality.

  “She didn’t get in trouble that time. Of course, I called her on the lie. What got her in trouble was when that classmate of hers got killed and she told his parents his ghost talked to her. That’s when I started calling her Boo.”

  “I can’t believe Dani would do something that cruel, even when she was a child. Dani is a very kind person.”

  “I’m sure all her time in therapy helped. Her parents sent her to a shrink to straighten her out. They couldn’t very well let her go around telling people she talked to ghosts.” Cheryl tossed the crust from her sandwich onto the plate and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, removing the milk from above her lip.

  “I don’t know about any of that. But the Dani I know—and we have been close friends for years—has never talked about ghosts.”

  “I just figured since she’s living in this big old spooky house, she might fall back into old habits.” Cheryl pulled her bare feet onto the bed and stretched out. “I think I want to take a nap. It was a long drive. You can take this away.” Cheryl waved her hand at the plate and glass on the nightstand. “And close the door on your way out.”

  Annoyed, Lily walked toward the bed and picked up the plate and glass. Without saying another word, she left the room and closed the door behind her.

  • • • •

  “What took you so long?” Danielle asked from the kitchen table. “I made you another sandwich.” Walt stood nearby, casually leaning back against the counter.

  “Thanks.” Unaware of Walt’s presence, Lily walked through him and set Cheryl’s plate and glass in the sink and then sat at the table with Danielle. “I was talking to your cousin. She told me why she gave you that nickname.” Lily picked up her sandwich and took a bite.

  “She did?” Danielle stopped eating and looked across the table at Lily. “What did she say?”

  “Just that when you were a kid you made up some stories about seeing ghosts. No biggie. When I was a kid I had an imaginary friend, Rupert. He went everywhere with me. Drove my parents nuts.”

  Danielle set her sandwich on its plate and took a sip of iced tea.

  “Sounds like your dear cousin just spilled the beans. Will you deny the stories?” Walt asked.

  “So it’s true?” Lily asked after a few moments of silently eating her lunch.

  “I suppose it depends on what she actually said,” Danielle said quietly, not wanting to lie to her friend.

  “She told me you claimed to see your grandmother at the funeral. Said you did it to spite her.”

  “She’s crazy. To Cheryl, everything was always about her.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t blame you if you had. She seems to have a high opinion of herself. Was she in beauty pageants or something?”

  “She told you about that?” Danielle chuckled.

  “Mentioned being in pageants and how you were jealous of her because of it. Which definitely does not sound like you.” Lily laughed at the idea.

  “My aunt started her in them when she was a toddler.”

  “Oh my god, you mean like Toddlers and Tiaras?” Lily cringed.

  “Pretty much.”

  “I hate those things. Something about little girls putting on makeup and dressing up like that makes me think of pedophiles. Little girls should dress like little girls, in my opinion. Last year I had a couple of my students show up in class wearing heels. I mean what the hell, who lets their second grader wear heels?”

  “Not sure she wore heels back then. I don’t remember that.” Danielle shrugged. “Of course, back then, people seemed to think pageants were cute. At least my family did. If I would have been more cooperative, Mom would have loved for me to do it. You’ll have to remember, we were just entering our teens when Jon Benet Ramsey was murdered and kid’s pageants came under such scrutiny. Before that, I don’t remember hearing anything negative about them.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that; in my family beauty pageants were scorned. Heck, when my mother was in college she picketed the Miss America Pageant. Something about objectifying women.”

  “Yeah, I love your mom,” Danielle chuckled. “I guess we really were raised differently.”

  “So tell me about the ghost stories,” Lily said.

  “Ghost stories?”

  “What are you going to tell her?” Walt asked.

  “She told me about you claiming to see your grandmother. Which, by the way, is a great prank. And if she was as annoying as a child as she is as an adult, I hope you scared the pants off her. But the other thing—well it just didn’t sound like you.”

  “Other thing?” Danielle pushed the partially eaten sandwich around on her plate.

  “She said you told the parents of some kid who was killed that you spoke to their dead son. That doesn’t sound like you. I can’t believe you’d do something that thoughtless. Even as a child. What really happened?”

  Danielle closed her eyes for a moment. She opened them and looked across the table at Lily, who was staring at her.

  “What would you say to me if I told you I really did see my grandmother’s ghost….that my classmate came to me, asked me to reach out to his parents. Tell them he was okay. Would you think I was a liar—or crazy?”

  Speechless, Lily stared at Danielle, noting her friend’s serious expression.

  “Oh…this is going to get interesting…” Walt murmured.
/>   “Dani,” Lily said at last, “I’ve never known you to be a liar and I know you aren’t crazy.”

  “So what would you think?”

  “If you told me you really saw their ghosts, I would have to believe you. I mean, it’s not as if I don’t believe those kinds of things are possible. After all, Mom saw my grandma after she died.”

  “What?” Danielle wasn’t expecting Lily’s casual acceptance.

  “Well, it’s not something I go around telling people. They’ll think I’m making it up or accuse my mother of being wacko. Mom is perfectly sane—okay, maybe she is a little wacko,” Lily laughed. “But I believe she saw Grandma, and I believe you.”

  “Lily, I can see ghosts.”

  “You told her, you actually told her,” Walt mumbled. “Will you tell her about me?”

  “Why haven’t you ever told me about it before?” Lily asked.

  “Because when I told my family, they thought I was nuts.”

  “Cheryl said they sent you to a shrink.”

  “Yep. That taught me to keep those kinds of things to myself.”

  “When Mom told me about seeing Grandma, she asked me to keep it to myself. She said people wouldn’t understand,” Lily said. “Did you ever tell anyone else?”

  “Just Lucas.”

  “Did he believe you?”

  “Honestly? No. I don’t think so. He acted like he did, but I got the feeling he was humoring me. He once said something about my over active imagination. Said that’s why I was so good in marketing.”

  “I imagine that hurt your feelings.”

  “It wasn’t that exactly. But we were married, and I felt I needed to share everything with him—even my secrets. I thought that’s what married people did.”

  “So did you…well…did you ever see anyone else…like Lucas?”

  “I never saw Lucas.” Danielle fidgeted with her glass.

  “So tell me about seeing your grandma. I love those kinds of stories. Mom said her mother came to her the night of the funeral, because she was having such a hard time accepting her death. Grandma told her everything was okay, that she was with Grandpa now, and told Mom to be happy. That everything was going to be alright.”