Meanwhile, Back in Deadwood (Deadwood Humorous Mystery Book 6) (21 page)

“Parker’s trying to drown in tequila,” Cooper told on me. He stepped back to make room so Doc could slide into the booth seat next to me.

Doc cupped my chin, searching my eyes. “You okay, Tiger?”

I shook my head. I wasn’t going to be okay with Wilda’s freaky message for a long time. “But I’d be more okay if Cooper would let me drink those other two shots.”

Doc looked at the table. “You’ve already had three.”

“I know. I’d like two more to grow on, please.” I pinched the back of my hand. “I’m not numb enough yet.”

“Oh, sweetheart. Come here.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close.

Cooper dropped into the seat across from me again, still rubbing his shin. “What’s wrong with her?” he asked Doc.

“I tried to tell you, but you made fun of me.” I turned to Doc. “She’s coming to get me, isn’t she?”

Doc shook his head. “We don’t know that for sure.”

“Who’s coming to get her?”

“She wants revenge,” I told Doc. “I killed her brother.” I thought of Aunt Zoe and her account of our family history. “She’s right. I’m just like all of the others.”

Cooper leaned over the table. “Did you say kill?”

Doc grabbed one of the shot glasses Cooper had taken away and placed it in front of me. “One more, but that’s it.” When I lifted it to my lips, he ordered, “Sip it.”

While I sipped, he looked across at Cooper. “Violet is not a killer.”

“Yes, I am.” My Aunt Zoe had told me so, and she never lied about stuff like protection charms and executioners.

“She’s drunk,” Doc explained, squeezing my thigh warningly under the table. “She had a nasty scare tonight and needs to go home after this drink and sleep it off.”

I guffawed. “I doubt I’ll do much sleeping tonight unless I get to drink this shot
and
that one.”

“What happened?” Cooper asked, watching me sip, his face all angles and creases.

“You know, Detective,” I pulled my face out of my tequila and informed him, “you should smile more. It makes you less hateable.”

Doc lifted the hand I was using to hold the shot glass toward my mouth. “Sip, Violet.”

I obliged.

“It’s tough to explain,” Doc told Cooper.

“Try me.”

“Okay.” Doc blew out a breath before digging in. “You remember Wolfgang Hessler?”

“Of course.”

“He had an older sister who died when he was young.”

“Yes. Wilda Hessler. She was a year or two ahead of me in elementary school.”

“Right.” Doc looked down at me, his eyebrows raised as if he were asking for my permission to continue.

I shrugged and took another sip of tequila. The sharp edges of fear from tonight were now worn off, leaving me with a what-the-hell attitude.

“The night the Hessler house burned down,” Doc continued, “Wolfgang told Violet that his sister’s ghost was in the house with them.”

“In the room,” I corrected. “Standing there watching him dump lighter fluid over those poor little girls.”

Cooper stared at me, no smartass comments, no insults, no glares. Just his steely gray eyes watching me.

Was he assessing my sanity? My state of drunkenness?

“Violet told me a couple of days later,” Doc continued, “that she suspected Wolfgang was hearing voices in his head, not the actual ghost of his sister.”

“I thought Wolfgang was only deranged.”

“She figured that he suffered from something like a Dissociative Identity Disorder.”

Cooper nodded. “She’d mentioned something about that when I took her official statement.”

“She was wrong,” Doc said.

“She was?”

I patted Doc’s arm. “And he was right.”

“About what?” Cooper asked.

“I had told her that Wilda was in that room with Violet and the little girls,” Doc said.

“As a ghost?” His skepticism was loud and clear.

“Yes, as a fucking ghost, Detective,” I snapped. He was lucky right then that I couldn’t breathe fire.

“Your girlfriend is a mean drunk,” Cooper told Doc.

“Not usually. She’s had a rough week.”

“Ha!” I laughed without humor and finished the shot.

“So, when Parker said you were right, she meant—”

“Doc knew Wilda was a ghost,” I explained, “and that she was haunting the Hessler house.”

“Because of your medium abilities?”

“Bingo.” I tried to touch my finger to my nose and ended up poking my cheek hard enough to make me wince.

“So what happened tonight that has Parker all sloppy drunk?”

I looked at Doc. “Can you somehow tell Wilda that Cooper made me do it?”

Doc winked at me. “Violet and I were over at The Old Prospector Hotel listening to some chatter that Mr. Curion picked up on his EVP.”

“He has an EVP?” Cooper asked, apparently already aware of what the acronym stood for.

“It’s one of his many expensive ghost hunting toys.”

“Why does that not surprise me?” Cooper downed my last shot of tequila, damn him. “So, what did you two hear on the ghost airwaves?”

“Wilda,” I answered.

“And what did Hessler’s sister have to say?”

“She repeated things her brother said to me.”

“And you don’t think this is some kind of trick of Curion’s?”

I shook my head.

“How can you be sure?”

“Because there were three dead girls, Wolfgang, and me in the room that night.” I took a breath. “And Wilda’s ghost, apparently. I’ve never told anyone the exact words Wolfgang said to me that night.”

“Why did you withhold them?” Cooper asked.

“Because I felt sorry for Wolfgang.”

“He was a mass murderer.”

“He was a lonely boy who was hated by his mother for most of his life. On top of that, his sister murdered his father.”

“So on this EVP recording you heard the same words Hessler said to you while you were alone in that room on the night of the fire?”

“Yes, but on the recording, they were spoken by a young girl.”

“Wilda Hessler?”

I nodded. “She was there with us in the bedroom that night, just like Wolfgang said.” I patted Doc’s chest. “Doc was right about her.”

“How did you know she was there?” he asked Doc.

“I didn’t know if she was in the room with Violet until tonight,” he clarified, “but I knew Wilda was staying in the house after I experienced her death.”

“See, now that’s where I get hung up.” Cooper flagged down the waitress, ordering two more shots.

“I’m driving tonight,” Doc told him after the waitress left. “Not drinking.”

“Those are for me.” He shook his head. “I need something to help me swallow this ghost business.”

“Take it slow. It’s easy to choke on if you gulp.”

“Okay,” Cooper said, looking from me to Doc. “Nyce, you said you experienced Wilda’s death.”

“Yes.”

“First hand?”

“Through her eyes.”

“I don’t get it.”

Doc waited until the waitress had delivered the two shots and left before explaining how it all worked to Cooper. By the time he finished, Cooper had emptied both shot glasses.

“And tonight Parker heard from Wilda via Curion’s ghost talk radio.” At Doc’s nod, Cooper looked at me. “You haven’t heard from her before now?”

“Not directly.”

“Explain.”

“Cornelius told me a few weeks ago that a girl ghost who lived in his walls wanted to have a tea party with me. At the time, I thought he was a little off his rocker.” Officially that was still my verdict but not when it came to the paranormal world.

“And now you believe him?”

“Yes.”

“And that scared you.”

“No. Knowing Cornelius is legit doesn’t really scare me, it just makes me think the world is nuttier than I realized. What scared me is learning that Wilda wants to talk to me.”

“But if she’s a ghost, she can’t really hurt you can she?”

I shot Doc a smirk. “We should introduce him to Prudence.”

“Prudence?” Cooper rubbed his forehead. “Where have I heard that name?”

Doc shook his head at me, so I didn’t remind Cooper that Wanda Carhart had mentioned Prudence to him after Millie and her lover had tried to kill me.

“What are
you
doing here tonight, Cooper?” Doc asked, changing the subject.

“My uncle has a date.”

Oh, yeah. That’s why Natalie instead of Harvey was watching my kids tonight. “So you don’t want to sit home alone?”

“No, I don’t want to be home period. He invited her over for dinner and is planning on making her breakfast, too.” He grimaced. “My walls are paper thin.”

I grimaced along with him.

“Where are you going to sleep?” Doc asked.

“There’s a couch down at the station in one of the offices.” Cooper glanced toward the bar. “Or I could probably sleep at her place.”

I looked to see who he was talking about and groaned at the sight of Tiffany Sugarbell weaving her way toward our booth.

“That’s a bad idea,” Doc said.

“Says who?” Cooper hit him with a raised brow.

“The voice of experience.”

I tried to slide under the table to escape the red-headed siren and the sure-to-come reminders that my boyfriend used to frequent her bed. After listening to Wilda’s sweet nothings tonight, I had no energy to fight the jealousy ogre sure to start clubbing away at my heart as soon as Tiffany opened her fat pouty lips.

Doc caught me under the arm and hauled me back topside as the Jessica Rabbit clone sashayed up to our table.

“Hello, boys.” Tiffany didn’t acknowledge me. “Is there room for one more at your table?”

“No,” I blurted.

“That’s up to Cooper.” Doc tugged me his way. “Violet and I were just leaving.”

“Wait, Doc.” Tiffany ran her finger down Doc’s chest as soon as he stood up. “You sure you don’t want to call her a taxi and stay for a game of pool? It’s been a while since I’ve schooled you.”

“Oh, puhhhleezzz.” I blew a tequila-scented raspberry at her once I’d landed on my feet, making her recoil. “Don’t you think it’s time you got it through that pretty red hair of yours that Doc is done fiddling with your perky boobs and tight ass?”

“Violet,” Doc warned.

I waved him away. I was so tired of this she-bitch playing seductress with the man I was doing my best to woo into a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G him senseless until he decided he couldn’t live without me.

“He’s got me now.” I thumbed my chest.

Tiffany gave me a once over. Judging by her expression, she found me lower than a bag of dog poop. “What makes you think he won’t get bored with you, too, Violet? Even curls and curves get boring for a guy with Doc’s appetites.”

As if I hadn’t already spent hours and hours stewing about that very thing. Sheesh, she had nothing on my own demons. “You know what your problem is, Tiffany?”

“I’m too smart for my own good?” She lifted her nose so she could look down it at me. “What do you propose? I dye my hair blonde, get a spiral perm, and start throwing myself at the boys like you do so I can get laid?”

Cooper sucked a breath through his teeth. “I wouldn’t make fun of Parker’s hair if I were you.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, my chin leading the way into the center of the ring. “Not everything in a relationship revolves around sex, you ginger-headed bimbo.”

Tiffany closed the distance between us, her pushup bra bumping into my forearms. “That’s where you’re wrong,” she said, sounding superior. Her gaze moved over my shoulder, openly flirting with my boyfriend. “Especially when it comes to Doc and his insatiable needs.”

I cast a glance at Cooper. “You should probably start reading me my rights, Detective, because I’m about to assault and batter the hell out of this skinny bitch.”

“Hey, Nyce.” A grin hovered on Cooper’s lips. “Maybe you should—”

“Right. We’re leaving now.” Doc looped his arm around my waist and dragged me back to my corner. “You need a ride home, Cooper?”

I struggled in Doc’s arms, not getting anywhere but winded and dizzy.

“I’ll be fine. Get Parker out of here before she starts breaking pens and frothing at the mouth again.”

“You really need to keep her on a leash,” Tiffany told Doc, all sugary sweet now that she’d retracted her fangs.

I lunged, claws extended, but Doc’s arm was like an iron bar around my stomach.

“Tiffany,” Doc hauled me back another couple of steps. “I believe it’s in our best interest if you seek financial counseling from someone else in the future. I’ll send an official letter next week.”

Two bright red spots appeared on Tiffany’s cheeks. “You can’t drop me, Doc.”

“I can and I am.” He lifted me clear off the floor and aimed me toward the door. “Time to get you home, Tiger.” He set me on my feet and nudged me along in front of him out into the night.

I shivered in the cold air, sobering under the weight of reality. After walking along in silence beside him for several beats, I glanced sideways at him. His mouth was set, his dark hair ruffled over his brow. What was he thinking? Was he upset with me for making him lose a client? For not sitting there like a good little girl and allowing Tiffany to feel him up and down? Or was he still back in that hotel suite with Cornelius, listening to the whispers from the walls?

“I really don’t like your ex,” I told him, breaking the silence, swaying slightly from the tequila.

“Yeah.” Doc put his arm around me, pulling me close. “I feel the same about yours.”

Chapter Eleven

Saturday, October 27th

Meanwhile, back in Aunt Zoe’s kitchen …

The next morning, I made my way downstairs into the kitchen one step at a time.

“Rough night, party animal?” Natalie asked from the kitchen table where she sat reading the Black Hills Trailblazer.

“I’m not sure.” My memory was glitchy after that third—or was it fourth—shot of tequila. “Where are my sunglasses?”

“It’s raining.”

“I know.” I stood with my hand on the refrigerator door, hesitating. “But I need some cream for my coffee and the fridge light is too bright.”

“That’s just sad.” She came over and nudged me aside. “Go sit and tell me what happened last night.”

“You tell me.” I retreated to the table, falling into a chair. “I don’t remember much after I left the bar.”

“Doc brought you home and carried you from the car to your bed. You were completely passed out and sporting some noxious tequila breath.” She placed the milk on the table in front of me.