Haunting Leigh: A Paranormal Romantic Comedy (Literal Leigh Romance Diaries Book 4) by Melanie James

“Eww.”
    “No! I just can’t. I’ll let it go outside.” Millie took the mouse out of the room.
    “Now we’ll have to figure out what happened to Clarice and Bill.” I reminded Gertie. My thoughts were torn away by the commotion coming from my living room. Kelly and Lindsey had returned and were talking to Esmeralda. Soon everyone was crowding the bedroom.
    Marie kept us focused. “Let’s get back to business, ladies. Tell me, do you know of anything Hunter could have done to piss off a ghost?”
    This was another first for me. I’ve never been asked a question like that before. “I don’t even think Hunter believes in ghosts.”
    “He must have done something. What was he bringing you when you blasted him?”
    “Some papers that showed he bought a house on an auction. Why?”
    “That’s our first clue. We need to go to that house and find out if anything happened to him there.”
    I picked up the documents that Hunter had on him and looked at the address. “It’s on West Draper. That’s not far from here. I think there are some older single family homes on that street. I’m really shocked he came across this deal. That’s almost unheard of anymore in this area.”
    Gertie added some useful insight. “Maybe that in itself is a clue, also. How did Hunter find out about that place?”
    “I guess we’ll have to just go visit it.” Kelly said. “We just need the key.” She knelt on the bed and started digging in Hunter’s pockets. “Well, there’s some change. A gum wrapper.” She switched to the other front pocket. Her hand stopped and she seemed to be down in there pretty deep. “Oh, wow. You’ve got your hands full with this one!”
    “Kelly! If anyone’s going to fondle him it might as well be me.” I had forgotten that Millie was standing behind me. “I mean I should check his pockets.” I quickly retrieved a single key. “Here we are. One key. I bet it belongs to that house.” I looked at the key and I started to cry. I didn’t expect to, but that little key suddenly meant so much to me. It was a key to so much more than a house. I just knew that Hunter meant it to be a key to our lives together. Ghosts and golems be damned. I wasn’t going to give up on him. Luna walked across the bed toward me. She put a paw on my arm as if she was expressing her solidarity. “Meow.”
    Marie noticed that I was sobbing and she could also tell when I had stiffened my resolve and vowed to get him back. I remembered that Marie could read my thoughts. She gave me an approving nod. “You’re right, Leigh. We’ll kick some ghost ass tonight. Don’t doubt it.” She made an announcement to the others. “We may as well try our séance while we are at the house. As soon as Max returns with the Ouija board, we’ll go and set it up.”
    “Gertie? Would you please call Randy? I want him to be there, too.” I wanted everyone to be there. If nothing else, I needed the support in case this didn’t go well.

Chapter Fourteen
    Ghost of a Chance
     
    Darkness had overtaken the sunny fall day. We stood on the sidewalk and looked at the old house that Hunter had found. It was no mansion, just a typical two story white house that was probably built in the early years of the twentieth century. I guessed that it had three bedrooms at the most. My mind was already estimating how much work it needed. The wood siding could use a fresh coat of paint. The porch was covered and enclosed by a rail. I could imagine Hunter and me spending a summer evening on it.
    My fantasies came to an end with a cold breeze. It carried the dry leaves up into a swirling vortex near the stairs. More leaves danced down the street behind us. I thought it was strange how beautiful fall seemed in the light of day, but at night it was transformed into the most ominous and sinister of the seasons. I took a deep breath as I glanced at our team of misfit paranormal soul searchers. Brad had joined Gertie and they stood together holding hands.