Spooky Skeleton Page 12

  At least, I hoped he saw it too.

  After one last check in the mirror to make sure I had properly tucked my silk shirt into my skirt, I hurried downstairs.

  Grant was waiting for me in the foyer when I came through the doors. Not expecting him to be there already, I nearly tripped.

  Luckily, our butler Blacksmith was the one who had let him in, and the vampire was still standing near him as I approached. The vampire’s stance was that visitors were intruders who must be guarded if necessary. If Blacksmith was nervous to be in the presence of His Majesty of Magic, he didn’t show it.

  Two sets of eyes turned to me as I came in, one of them blue and filled with warmth. I smiled at Grant and said, “Sorry if I’ve kept you waiting.”

  “No trouble at all,” said Grant. “Mr. Blacksmith and I have been having an excellent chat.”

  From the stony expression on Mr. Blacksmith’s face, I wasn’t entirely certain that was true.

  “Thank you for your assistance,” I said to the butler.

  He nodded slightly and padded away on silent feet.

  “You look wonderful! Suede boots are my favorite,” said Grant.

  “Oh? Do you have a pair?” I asked.

  “I used to. Let me tell you about them as we make our way to the transportation,” he said.

  Without thinking, I moved toward the front door. It was only after I’d reached it that I realized he wasn’t following. I paused to turn around and look at him over my shoulder.

  “It would actually be faster if we went through the kitchen,” he said.

  I bit my lip. The kitchen was dangerous territory. He must have realized that, because he said, “But we don’t have to.”

  “We should get going,” I said.

  When he still didn’t move, I said in exasperation, “Right?”

  He smiled slightly. “It’s cold outside. Don’t you have a coat?” His tone was gentle, but I still felt like an idiot. Of course I wanted a coat. The trouble was, I hadn’t put one on yet.

  “Darn it!” I muttered.

  Flustered, I went to the coat closet and grabbed my nicest black one. This was something my mother had always insisted on, and for once Cookie had agreed with her. All Garbo children were to have a nice black coat, just in case.

  In case of what, I had yet to hear.

  That actually might have been the last time my grandmother and my mom had agreed on anything.

  The coat got tangled in my nervousness and started to slip through my clammy fingers. The next instant Grant was taking it out of my hands and holding it behind me so I could step into it.

  I froze for a moment, then let him help me into my coat. As my arms slipped through the cool fabric, I smiled at him shyly over my shoulder. His eyes were still blue fire and just as warm. Despite the coat, I shivered.

  In one swift motion he was at the door and opening it. Only then did I wonder where exactly we were headed if the kitchen door was faster.

  Once we were outside, I shivered against the chill. At least I had wrapped up warmly.

  Instead of walking to the parking lot, Grant led us around toward the back of the mansion. First he spared a quick glance toward my boots to make sure that I could walk over the grass.

  The walk was easy, and I followed quietly. By the time we had made it halfway around the house, there were ghosts, skeletons, and vampires poking their heads out of every opening they could find. By the time we made it to the back lawn, I had counted at least thirty.

  If Grant noticed he, didn’t say anything about it.

  “Where are we going?” I asked. We were headed right for the ocean, but Grant had said transportation.

  “I called in a couple of favors. Are you okay with getting down to the beach?” he asked.

  “Down the rickety death stairs?” I gulped.

  The last time I had ventured down those stairs it had been a life or death matter. Nothing else would have enticed me to even attempt it.

  “They’re sturdy. I checked them today. We’ll be fine,” Grant said, his voice filled with confidence.

  I supposed that was as it should be. As His Majesty of Magic, Grant was probably a safer companion than anyone else on earth for helping me totter down an unsafe staircase.

  He took my hand and led the way to the stairs. Beyond the slope of the back yard the sea was breathtaking, a black mass of sparkles rolling toward us and then away again. So soon after the full moon, the early evening sky was moonless. My cheeks were hollow from cold and my eyes had started to smart a little from staring.

  Grant gently tugged my hand and pulled my attention back.

  “It’s less safe if you aren’t paying attention,” he said.

  Good point. Now I would have to pay attention. Taking a deep breath, I started to follow him down. It might just have been my imagination, but I didn’t think the stairs felt as rickety as they had before. I felt as if I were on a solider footing. But far below, the beach tilted wildly and the sand looked blue and hard in the darkness. It wasn’t something I’d want to fall onto, that was for sure.

  Grant’s hand was warm in mine, and in no time at all we were at the bottom of the stairs. Only then did I see what he had meant by transportation.

  In the sea in front of us floated a boat. The only way it could have been held in place and kept on the surface of the water was by strong enchantments.

  I took a deep, surprised breath and kept following as Grant led the way. Sand was harder to walk over in my boots than grass, but there seemed to be no big rush. We went carefully.

  As we got closer, I began to understand. Clear Star Fish were rare and magical. They floated in the water, bright lights in the evening. On this occasion, they were swimming around underneath a cozy-looking boat.

  We were going out on the ocean in the winter.

  On the boat was a fire, which I told myself couldn’t possibly be safe. Then again, I was with His Majesty of Magic, so maybe it was okay. I glanced at him to make sure, and found him again offering me his hand. He helped me into the boat, which, despite the waves and the wind, was almost perfectly still.

  “I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to do something special for our date,” he said.

  I looked at him. His square jaw was perfectly outlined by his collared shirt. His hair was a little more tousled than it had been before we came outside. He was still uptight, but he looked a little more relaxed than he had a short while ago.

  “Thank you,” I said. “I feel like I should be doing something for you.”

  “Nonsense,” was his response. “I do like chocolate, though.”

  The words “for our next date” were about to escape my lips when I ruthlessly shoved them back. I didn’t want to be presumptuous.

  “Tell me about the boots,” I encouraged him.

  The boat had started to move, so imperceptibly that I barely noticed. But now we had started to sail slowly through the sea. With the Clear Star Fish all around us, it was as if we were sailing through a collection of diamonds. The boat cut easily over the waves, propelled by enchantments.

  Grant’s face lit up. “I nearly forgot about that! Yes, let me see, I once got a pair of suede boots. I didn’t have much money when I was growing up, or when I was in school. That was fine, but toward the end of my schooling I started to want to buy myself something nice. The boots were my first really expensive purchase after getting an adult job. I was in my late twenties by then. Lots of school before that. I was so excited about those boots; I had coveted them for years.

  “Well, one day I was walking through a back alley and being very careful about where I stepped, to make sure nothing happened to the boots. I wasn’t on duty, of course. I would never wear such precious cargo on duty. Anyway, I saw a group of three vampires escaping with an old lady’s purse. I didn’t think that was very nice, so I decided to give chase.

  “First I had to remove my boots. Couldn’t have anything happen to them. I figured they’d be right where I left them. I ran a
fter the vampires and got the purse back. They weren’t very happy about it, but they saw reason, and I returned to the old lady, who had been waiting patiently. Then I saw that my prized possession, that pair of boots, was gone. I asked her where they’d gotten to. She swore she had bad eyesight and hadn’t seen a thing. To this day I don’t really believe her,” he finished.

  Halfway through the story I had covered my mouth in amusement. The writing had really been on the wall for those poor boots. “You think the old lady took them?”

  “Without question she did. You know how Cookie is. Never trust an old lady. They’re slyer than they want you to know.”

  We were standing at the rail of the boat with our backs to the sea, sort of turned toward each other, when I realized that Grant had positioned himself to block the wind.

  “I’ll give you Cookie being troublesome. I’m sorry you lost your boots,” I said.

  “I am as well. Ever since then I haven’t allowed myself to buy anything too extravagant. If I’m going to be so irresponsible with my stuff, then I don’t think I deserve to have it,” he said.

  “I suppose that’s fair on the one hand, but on the other hand, a lot has changed since then,” I reminded him. “You would never take your boots off to chase vampires now.”

  “The thing that’s changed the most is how much I work. I’d never get the time off these days,” he said.

  “That too,” I agreed.

  I turned to look at the shoreline and pushed some of my unruly brown hair out of my face. “Where are we going, anyway?”

  “You really want to know?” he asked.

  I thought about whether I wanted a surprise. “I really want to know.”

  “My friend has a restaurant in the cove. I thought we could go there. Tonight is his cheese tasting night. After that we can walk along the beach, then take the boat back.”

  “Wait, are you talking about Sparkle Shimmerfield Cove Restaurant?” I gasped.

  Grant raised his eyebrows.

  “Usually I just hear it referred to as Shimmerfield Restaurant, but yes, I believe that’s it’s full name,” he said.

  “That’s supposed to be the best place in town! You know the owner?” I demanded, incredulous.

  “Sure. We went to high school together. He was made to be a chef. He was pretty happy when he found out I’d be staying in Shimmerfield. He instantly knew why I would be, too,” Grant added, also now turning his attention to the shore.

  Confused, I said, “What do you mean he knew why?”

  “There’s a reason I wanted to stay here. He guessed it immediately. I hadn’t even said anything to him about it yet,” said Grant.

  “Work, obviously. It’s a big honor,” I told him. As if His Majesty of Magic needed more of those.

  He glanced sideways at me. “There’s always work. He knew I was searching for a life, too. A life that was bigger than just work. He’d seen me move around all these years. Apparently he decided a long time ago that he knew what it would mean if I ever settled down in one place.”

  I would have asked another question, but we were already pulling into the cove, where there was a long dock that our little boat could wait for us. The restaurant was only barely visible, its lights winking through the trees. I had ever seen pictures of it, so I knew there was a long veranda where tables were set up for dinner in the summer. Given how cold and dark it was, I imagined we’d be eating inside.

  “I can’t believe we’re here,” I nearly squealed. “My mom said she used to come here with my dad. The place must have been under different ownership back then.”

  “Chad’s uncle opened it originally. He was very happy that Chad not only wanted to take over when he retired, but he could cook, as well,” Grant chuckled. “It would have been a real shame for everybody if he couldn’t.”

  Grant hopped off the boat first and then turned to offer me his hand. Telling myself that I could easily get off the boat without his help, but that I might as well just take it, I stepped onto the dock.

  I started to let go of his hand out of habit, but he kept my fingers firmly entwined with his. I ceased trying to release his hand and hoped he hadn’t noticed that I had thought of letting go.

  Let’s be honest, I had no intention of doing that.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  As we walked together toward the restaurant, I glanced back at the boat. It was sitting gently at the dock.

  “It’ll wait for us,” Grant assured me.

  “It’s so pretty here,” I said, my breath coming out in puffy clouds.

  Grant looked around and took a deep breath. “Yes, it’s the perfect spot for a restaurant and a third date.”

  Surprise struck me just as we reached the sand and started to walk toward the cove. Since I’d seen Grant in the foyer, I hadn’t thought about the case once. Usually that’s all I thought about, but not tonight. I loved investigating, but I loved this date, too.

  “Welcome, Mr. Hastings and Ms. Garbo,” said a skeleton who appeared on the long porch.

  “Thanks, Hamtom,” said Grant. “Good to see you again. Is Chad around?”

  “He has been alerted to your arrival. His uncle is already preparing your meal. The cheese plate is waiting for you on the table,” said Hamtom, who was dressed in very fine clothing.

  As the skeleton led the way I said, “His uncle is still here?”

  “He worked it out so that he could be a ghost and hang around. He couldn’t let the place go. Chad will tell you that these days it really would be better if he did, but I think he secretly likes having his uncle around,” said Grant.

  Inside, the restaurant was filled with light and very old logs of nearly red wood. To my intense relief, there was a fire in the corner. Despite my winter jacket and Grant’s warm hand, I was freezing.

  “A table by the fire?” Hamtom said.

  “Perfect, thank you,” said Grant. There were only six tables in the whole space, ensuring the best quality and a private dining experience. Tonight a couple of the other tables were occupied by older couples, but they kept to themselves. I had always imagined how wonderful this restaurant would be, but I had never thought I’d get to try it out.

  “How often do you see Chad?” I asked as we sat down.

  “We go fishing together pretty regularly,” said Grant.

  “You fish?” That came out as a squeak.

  “Sure. It’s fun. Once you try it, you'll love it,” he said.

  I made a face at him, and he chuckled.

  The food came in five courses, and I ate every bite. It wasn’t until dessert was coming that I realized that someone else was bringing us plates of extra dark chocolate cake.

  A short, wide man with red cheeks and an apron was coming toward us.

  “Hi there, here’s dessert,” said the man as he placed the plates in front of us.

  “Chad, this is Jane. The food is amazing. I knew you could cook, but obviously you turn on the charm when I bring company,” said Grant.

  Once Chad had relieved himself of the plates, he shook Grant’s hand.

  I shook Chad’s hand in my turn, and smiled. “This is the most beautiful place. Please tell your uncle that it’s every bit as lovely as I had heard.”

  “Do I have to? It’ll only make his head bigger,” said Chad.

  I laughed at that.

  “As to your saying I cook better when you bring company . . . that might be true,” Chad grinned. “Anyway, I have to get back to the kitchen. Just wanted to come out and say hello and make sure you were enjoying everything.”

  “We definitely are,” I assured him with a smile.

  We were nearly finished with dessert when I said, “How’s the werewolf investigation going?”

  Grant only hesitated the tiniest bit as he put the last forkful of cake into his mouth. “It’s going about as expected. We were surprised to find out that there’s been a werewolf hidden out here all these years. He was a young man who disappeared over twenty years ago. He had no
criminal record at the time. Cookie was instrumental in getting us the information, of course. She didn’t want you involved, and she said that she told you as much. She also said your head was filled with dried grass and you’d listen to her like a mouse with cotton in its ears,” he said.

  “I don’t know if that makes sense, but she can’t keep me out of the investigation,” I informed him.

  “Peril to those who try,” he added.

  “Do you know why he was killed?” I asked.

  I knew this might not be the best idea, but I couldn’t help intertwining our personal and professional lives. We came at the same profession from different angles. If we couldn’t handle intertwining conversations, I didn’t think this whole dating thing was going to work out in the long run.

  “No, but it looked more like a spur-of-the-moment decision than a premeditated murder. The killer also doesn’t appear to have ever found Elton’s house,” he said.

  “Cookie showed it to you?” I asked.

  “She offered to let me have a look at the papers she’d taken from it. She also ordered me not to scold her about breaking the law. Why she’d think I’d do that I have no idea,” Grant smiled.

  I leaned forward. So did Grant. Light from the fire flickered off his face, making his blue eyes look gold. Gone were any reservations he might have had about treating me with kid gloves. Suddenly I was a fellow investigator, and he was discussing his life’s work. I was also an adversary, not technically involved. The combination made my head spin.

  “We have to work out how you’ll be investigating. I can’t have you working at cross purposes to me and my deputies,” he said.

  “Maybe you could just leave the investigation to me,” I offered.

  One side of his mouth lifted slightly. “No, we both know I can’t do that.”

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “It’s this little thing called the law. You Garbos view it as only passingly relevant, but I must say I think it’s pretty important,” he said.