Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Natalie watched the clock, counting the remaining hours and minutes until six when she could finally flip the Open sign to Closed and lock the front door of the shop.
After the antique grandfather clock had finally chimed six, she went to find Doug. So it was barely after six that evening that she passed through the doorway of the former Masonic Temple slash Mudville Community Center.
The massive wooden front door was unlocked. Luckily for her. Her ghost spies who were following Doug, and the ghost of Doug himself, could pass through walls but she couldn’t. She hadn’t even considered that the door should have been locked at this time of night.
After hauling it open and stepping inside she heard the sound of voices.
“…now bring this meeting of the Mudville Historical Association to order.”
That explained why the front door was unlocked. There was a meeting and here she was, not even a member of the organization, but crashing anyway in an attempt to help her friend.
Liam would have tried to talk her out of the plan to interview Doug’s ghost… had he known her plan.
He no doubt would have said she was asking for trouble... if he hadn’t still been working at the lab when she’d snuck out of her apartment without texting him to say where she’d be.
Seriously, though. There was nothing to worry about. How could speaking with Doug’s ghost get her into trouble?
Pompous Doug was now a spirit. No other living being could hear him complain about Natalie. He couldn’t implicate her in this mess. The other ghosts in the Mudville spirit community could hear him, of course, but they were on her side. And on Harper’s side.
Fueled with renewed enthusiasm for this plan to clear Harper’s name on all counts, she crept in as silently as possible, making sure not to let the exterior door slam and draw attention to her.
She stopped just inside the doorway of the meeting room and glanced around… and there was Doug, seated in the back row next to his living wife who had no idea he was occupying the seemingly vacant chair to her right.
This was going to be tricky. Speaking to ghosts in the presence of the living always was.
She should have brought Gabe with her. At least then she’d have an invisible partner who could get Doug’s attention without tipping off his wife or any of the other usual attendees.
Maybe she should go back outside to the cemetery next door.
She could rustle up some spectral assistance there.
Although besides Rick, the rest of the ghosts in the graveyard were far less friendly.
Some wanted nothing to do with her or anyone from recent eras.
She supposed the Revolutionary War era spirits did earn the privilege of peace and quiet in their afterlife without being bothered by a modern living who needed a favor.
She’d just have to wait for the end of the meeting and grab Doug then. They’d hopefully be done soon.
Just as she leaned against the doorframe, prepared to settle in and wait, Doug turned for some inexplicable reason and spotted her there.
She knew he’d seen her because his eyes narrowed and his mouth screwed up.
That didn’t bode well. She motioned for him to walk over anyway and mouthed silently, “Come here.”
His frown deepened.
She frowned back at him and motioned again more enthusiastically this time for him to come to the door to speak with her outside.
Without responding, Doug pivoted back to face forward, effectively shunning Natalie while ignoring her request.
Dickhead in life, dickhead in death apparently.
Fine. She could play at his game.
He could ignore her here, but she was going to wait for him. When the livings left she’d show him she would not be ignored. And if he went somewhere she couldn’t, like inside his former house with his widow, she’d send the newly formed ghost watch inside after him.
They’d badger Doug for twenty-four hours a day until he relented and would speak to Natalie. That would teach him not to ignore her!