the side of her blue dress.
“ Ewww ,” she shrieked. “How did that happen?”
Nick glanced from the tipped-over bag to the sauce spilling from the square carton onto his desk. Yet, the bag wasn’t close enough to Vanessa’s hand, so how did it spill?
He ran to the adjoining bathroom and brought back some paper towels to mop up the mess. He handed her a few.
“Why did you do that?” she asked in a whining tone.
“Do what? Get the paper towels?”
“No. Why did you tip over the container?”
Confusion washed over him and he shook his head. “I didn’t tip it over. I wasn’t even close to the bag.”
She huffed. “Well, I certainly didn’t knock it over.”
“You must have, Vanessa. You were closer to the bag. Besides, my hands were on your shoulders, remember?”
“ Augh !” She wiped her hands then dabbed at her dress with a paper towel. “This is going to stain. Do you know how much I paid for this dress?”
“I can only imagine,” Nick muttered as he finished wiping the spill off his desk. He nodded toward the bathroom. “Why don’t you clean yourself up before the stain sets in?”
Vanessa marched toward the door, but her heel must have caught on something, because she tripped. Her knees hit the floor in a resounding thud, and she let out a loud yelp. As she got up, she glared at Nick. “Why did you trip me?”
“Trip you? How could I from over here?”
“Oh!” She hurried into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Why was the perfect Vanessa being so clumsy tonight? Had she been drinking? Nick shook his head, remembering that he hadn’t smelled alcohol on her.
The sounds of spraying water and a piercing shriek startled him. He rushed to the bathroom and flung open the door. The front of Vanessa’s dress was soaked with water, and even her hair and face were dripping. Streaks of black mascara ran down her cheeks.
“What did you do?” Nick asked.
“Me? I didn’t do anything. It’s your stupid faucet. It blasted water at me.”
He walked closer and looked at the brand-new sink her father had installed before Nick moved into the office. He turned the handle and she jumped away, but the water trickled from the spout like normal.
Nick gave her a quizzical stare and shrugged. “Works just fine for me.”
She let out an unladylike grunt and pushed past him. “I don’t know what’s wrong with your office, but it doesn’t like me. I’m leaving!”
He wasn’t about to stop her. Funny how other things had prevented her from staying, almost as if the room had read his thoughts. He glanced around the empty space. The room couldn’t have done anything. He grinned. But perhaps his ghost had.
Chapter 5
The only time Nick could work uninterrupted on the Carlisle case was Saturday. With the other offices closed, he had the building to himself. And Abby, of course.
He hurried to his desk and switched on the computer. In the past few days, he hadn’t had the time to research her family. Now he couldn’t wait to dig deep and find some answers.
“Abby? Are you here?”
The clock on the wall ticked in silence as he waited. When she didn’t show, he growled and returned his focus on the computer screen. He typed in “ Carlisle Empire, 1912, California.” Several links popped up, and he clicked on the first one. It was an old newspaper article about Edward Carlisle’s death. Nick zoomed in and enhanced the article to read it better. The piece highlighted Edward’s life and how he’d made his money in the newspaper business. There was a picture of the mansion where he and his only child lived, and the place looked vaguely familiar. Nick wouldn’t be surprised if the mansion still stood today. On another page was a photograph of the very building where Nick sat in his office.
Nick exited that site and clicked on another link, hoping to find out where the money had ended up. After searching three more links, he found what he was looking for. It turned out that
“ Ewww ,” she shrieked. “How did that happen?”
Nick glanced from the tipped-over bag to the sauce spilling from the square carton onto his desk. Yet, the bag wasn’t close enough to Vanessa’s hand, so how did it spill?
He ran to the adjoining bathroom and brought back some paper towels to mop up the mess. He handed her a few.
“Why did you do that?” she asked in a whining tone.
“Do what? Get the paper towels?”
“No. Why did you tip over the container?”
Confusion washed over him and he shook his head. “I didn’t tip it over. I wasn’t even close to the bag.”
She huffed. “Well, I certainly didn’t knock it over.”
“You must have, Vanessa. You were closer to the bag. Besides, my hands were on your shoulders, remember?”
“ Augh !” She wiped her hands then dabbed at her dress with a paper towel. “This is going to stain. Do you know how much I paid for this dress?”
“I can only imagine,” Nick muttered as he finished wiping the spill off his desk. He nodded toward the bathroom. “Why don’t you clean yourself up before the stain sets in?”
Vanessa marched toward the door, but her heel must have caught on something, because she tripped. Her knees hit the floor in a resounding thud, and she let out a loud yelp. As she got up, she glared at Nick. “Why did you trip me?”
“Trip you? How could I from over here?”
“Oh!” She hurried into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Why was the perfect Vanessa being so clumsy tonight? Had she been drinking? Nick shook his head, remembering that he hadn’t smelled alcohol on her.
The sounds of spraying water and a piercing shriek startled him. He rushed to the bathroom and flung open the door. The front of Vanessa’s dress was soaked with water, and even her hair and face were dripping. Streaks of black mascara ran down her cheeks.
“What did you do?” Nick asked.
“Me? I didn’t do anything. It’s your stupid faucet. It blasted water at me.”
He walked closer and looked at the brand-new sink her father had installed before Nick moved into the office. He turned the handle and she jumped away, but the water trickled from the spout like normal.
Nick gave her a quizzical stare and shrugged. “Works just fine for me.”
She let out an unladylike grunt and pushed past him. “I don’t know what’s wrong with your office, but it doesn’t like me. I’m leaving!”
He wasn’t about to stop her. Funny how other things had prevented her from staying, almost as if the room had read his thoughts. He glanced around the empty space. The room couldn’t have done anything. He grinned. But perhaps his ghost had.
Chapter 5
The only time Nick could work uninterrupted on the Carlisle case was Saturday. With the other offices closed, he had the building to himself. And Abby, of course.
He hurried to his desk and switched on the computer. In the past few days, he hadn’t had the time to research her family. Now he couldn’t wait to dig deep and find some answers.
“Abby? Are you here?”
The clock on the wall ticked in silence as he waited. When she didn’t show, he growled and returned his focus on the computer screen. He typed in “ Carlisle Empire, 1912, California.” Several links popped up, and he clicked on the first one. It was an old newspaper article about Edward Carlisle’s death. Nick zoomed in and enhanced the article to read it better. The piece highlighted Edward’s life and how he’d made his money in the newspaper business. There was a picture of the mansion where he and his only child lived, and the place looked vaguely familiar. Nick wouldn’t be surprised if the mansion still stood today. On another page was a photograph of the very building where Nick sat in his office.
Nick exited that site and clicked on another link, hoping to find out where the money had ended up. After searching three more links, he found what he was looking for. It turned out that
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