Ghostly Serenade Read online

  He wondered if that meant I was done helping him on the case. He didn’t want me to be done, as irrational as that sounded. If my premonitions were real, there was a lot more I could do. He needed to interview a lot of people. What if he somehow ended up interviewing the killer? If I was there, would I know?

  Dang. He was right. I wanted to be done, but I knew I could probably help him some more. Still, this was my vacation. Wasn’t telling him to focus on Merilee good enough? It would point him the right direction, and wasn’t he an ace detective?

  He glanced around the apartment one last time, wishing I’d told him more. He was pretty good at reading people, and he knew I was holding something back. “You’re sure that’s all?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay. We might as well go.”

  As we rode down the elevator, I felt his disappointment, and it got on my nerves. Hadn’t we found an amazing clue? Why couldn’t he be happy about that?

  Then I picked up his exhaustion. Glancing his way, I noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He leaned against the side of the elevator and let out a deep sigh, thinking about the never-ending string of homicides that was his job, and had now taken over his life.

  Sure, that’s what he’d trained for, but lately, it was starting to get to him. He remembered being like me once, when he’d cringed to see a dead body. He’d had to push those feelings away to deal with his job, but now he realized he’d become detached and hard.

  People died, sometimes violently. He couldn’t stop it from happening, but he’d always tried to find justice for the victims, and that had helped him deal with their deaths. The times he’d failed bothered him more than he cared to admit. Their faces haunted him, and he didn’t want these women added to the others he’d let down.

  Yikes. I didn’t like hearing that. But I could understand how dealing with death could be hard. I should know, I’d seen more of it than I liked. I’d even killed someone, which still kept me from sleeping well. He needed a light at the end of the tunnel, and right now that light was me.

  “So who were you going to interview today?” I asked.

  He straightened, surprised that I knew about that. He didn’t remember telling me, but he must have. “Uh… the people Cammie worked with. The cast of the show she was in. Maybe I don’t need to talk to them now, if you’re right about Merilee.”

  “You know… I was thinking. What if Merilee goes by Lee? That could be why Taylor was… uh… why I picked that up from Taylor.”

  “Yeah. That’s a possibility. Maybe her co-workers would know. I’ll have to ask them.” We reached the car and climbed inside. “Back to the station?”

  Guilt that I was leaving him pressed against my heart. “Uh… why don’t we head over to Merilee’s office first? I have some time, and maybe I’ll pick up something there?”

  “Really?” At my nod, he smiled, and it changed his whole countenance. “Okay, let’s do it.” He grabbed the file from the back seat and found her work address. After feeding it into his navigation app, the directions came up, and we started off.

  I checked my watch. It wasn’t noon yet, so there might be a chance that I could join my family for lunch somewhere. Things could still work out.

  “So, how long have you been a detective?” I asked him.

  “Two years now,” he said. “I was a street cop before that. I come from a long line of police families. My dad… well… he was one of the first responders on nine-eleven. He barely made it out, and he had to retire because of health issues, but he’s still getting around.”

  “I’m sure he’s proud of you.”

  “Yeah. He said there should always be a ‘hawk’ in the house. I don’t know if I’ve earned that name yet, but I like to use it to remind me of my heritage. Some days are harder than others though.” He pursed his lips together, surprised that he’d opened up to me like that. He never talked about his feelings, but there was something about me that made it seem like a natural thing to do.

  “That’s a lot to live up to,” I responded. “But I know the work you do is important. It’s not easy. You have to deal with the worst of humanity. It can take a lot out of you. I’ve only been helping the police for about a year, and I’m still not sure I like it much; but with my… ability… I feel an obligation to do what I can.” I shook my head. “Even when I’m on vacation. How crazy is that?”

  He chuckled. “You have me beat on that one.”

  Hawk pulled the car into the no-parking zone in front of the bank. He turned the car’s flashing lights on and sent me a wink. “There are perks to the job, and I say we use them whenever possible.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  Inside, Hawk flashed his badge and asked to see the bank manager. We were taken to an upstairs office and introduced to a tall, skinny man with a goatee and wire-rimmed glasses. “It was a real shock,” he said. “I still can’t believe she’s gone.”

  “Do you know if she had any issues with a customer?” Hawk asked. “Someone she might have turned down for a loan who was angry over it?”

  His eyes widened. “No. At least not that she ever mentioned. You might want to talk to the other loan officers though. She may have told them something.” He stood. “Why don’t I have them come to the conference room and I’ll introduce you.”

  He showed us into the large room, telling us that he’d be back with the other loan officers. A few minutes later, he came back with two men and a woman. He introduced us to the three of them: Pat, Kasen and Theo. They were all subdued by Merilee’s death and were eager to help if they could.

  The woman, Pat, was old enough to be Merilee’s mom, and she had taken it extra hard. “I can’t believe this happened to her,” she said, wiping a tear. “It’s just horrible.”

  “Did she ever go by Lee?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” Kasen said, motioning to Theo. “We called her that to bug her.”

  “When was the last time you saw her?” Hawk asked. Pat answered promptly that it was at work the day she was killed.

  The two men glanced at each other, then Kasen spoke. “We invited her to go out for drinks that night with a group of friends.” He was thinking that was the first time she’d accepted their offer, and it haunted him that she’d been killed. If she’d turned them down, would she still be alive?

  “Where did you go?” Hawk asked.

  “We started at that new outdoor club… uh… Lazydayz, in Brooklyn? After that, we sort of split up.” He glanced at Theo. “Didn’t she meet up with an old friend?”

  “Yeah, I’m trying to think of his name, but I don’t remember.”

  “So she left with a guy she knew?” I asked. “About what time was that?”

  “Probably close to seven.” Kasen glanced at Theo for confirmation. They both nodded, but I picked up that neither one of them knew if Merilee had known him before. Theo thought it more likely that they had just met.

  “Did she say where she was going?”

  “Yeah,” Kasen said. “They went to another party. We felt kind of bummed they didn’t invite us, because it sounded cool.”

  “That’s right,” Theo said. “It was one of those party boats on the Hudson. You know the kind, with the lights and dancing and bars.”

  My spine tingled. The song, row, row, row your boat, flowed into my mind just like the last time. I glanced behind me, just to make sure no one was there. By the time the singing stopped, Hawk had given them his card with a request to call him if they remembered anything about the friend she’d met that night.

  He glanced my way, thinking I looked a little spooked, then it hit him that maybe I’d had a vision or something. “You ready to go?” he asked.

  I swallowed and cleared my throat. “Uh… yeah.”

  We left the office and didn’t speak until we were back in the privacy of his car. Before starting the engine, he turned to face me. “What’s going on?”

  Our gazes met. He trusted me to tell him the truth. He wanted it so badly tha
t I couldn’t hold it back any longer. “I heard a woman singing. I was in Cammie’s room the first time. You know she’s the singer, right?”

  His brows rose, but he nodded without speaking, and I continued. “She was singing, row, row, row your boat. When she got to the “merrily” part, I thought it was the clue for Merilee’s name. Now it looks like it means the boat too. I think something happened on that boat and, whatever it was, it got her and Cammie killed.”

  Hawk nodded, putting the pieces together. He remembered that I’d asked him at the apartment if he’d heard someone singing. That must have been the first time, and now it had happened again. It was true. My psychic abilities were real.

  “Okay.” He turned back in his seat and tapped the steering wheel with his fingers, thinking he could get the team to check the party boat cruises that were out that night. He’d never been on one himself, but he knew they were popular.

  He also had Merilee’s cell phone. Now that he knew she was the target, he could figure out where she’d been that night from her phone. He might even find a selfie from that night that would help him determine the exact boat she’d been on.

  He glanced my way. “This is great. Thanks Shelby.”

  “Sure. Just don’t tell anyone how I did it, okay?” He shrugged, so I continued. “They wouldn’t believe you anyway. Well… maybe the chief would. You could probably tell him, but no one else. All right?”

  “Sure.” He started the car. “I can drop you somewhere if you like.”

  “Yeah? That would be great. Let me call my husband and see where they are.” I put the call through and found them at a famous pizza place eating lunch. Hawk knew right where that was, and he drove me there.

  “You want to join us?” I asked him.

  “Oh… thanks, but no. I want to get started on this.”

  “Okay. Uh… good luck.” I pushed the door open and felt his hand on my arm.

  “Shelby… wait. If you hear her again… or if you get anything else, no matter how weird it sounds, will you call me?”

  “Sure.”

  “Here’s my number.” He handed me his card. “Could I call you if something comes up? I mean, with the case? Will you be here a while?” He was thinking it might be nice if I could visit Taylor again tomorrow. I seemed to have a connection to her, and maybe I’d pick up something else.

  “Yeah.” I took out one of my own business cards and handed it to him. “Let me know if Taylor wakes up.”

  “Great. Thanks.”

  I got out of the car and hurried inside the pizza place, glad to have that over with. I was done, right? Now I could enjoy my vacation… well… except for the meeting tonight. Just thinking about it sent a wave of anxiety over me.

  Doing my best to push it away, I glanced over the crowded restaurant and spotted Chris, Josh, Savannah, Miguel, Maggie, and Syd at a corner table. Chris caught sight of me and waved. Taking in their happy faces helped relieve some of the stress, and I quickly joined them at the table.

  After eating some of the best pizza I’d ever tasted, Miguel announced that it was time for him to head back to the theater so he could get ready. We discussed our plans for the next day before he stood to leave. As he walked to the front of the restaurant, his bodyguard stood to follow. He’d been sitting at a small table close to the door, and I realized I’d totally missed him.

  “Who’s that guy?” Savannah asked. “He’s been following us everywhere.”

  Chris glanced at me, wondering how to break the news to her, but Josh beat him to it. “Duh. It’s his bodyguard. If you paid more attention to anything besides Miguel, you’d know that.”

  “Josh,” I said. He rolled his eyes, thinking that Savannah’s crush on Miguel was totally embarrassing.

  Savannah’s eyes widened with shock. “But… you mean… Uncle Joey? Is he a mob boss here too?”

  “No,” Maggie said. “He’s not in the business here, but he doesn’t want to take any chances with Miguel.”

  “But why?”

  Maggie smiled before explaining, and I was happy to let her break the news to Savannah. “The Manettos used to be in the business here in New York, back in the day when my grandparents were alive. We had enemies then, and a war between the families broke out. Several people were killed, including my grandparents. My parents and Joey had left New York by then, but Frank and Sylvie’s family stayed. After that last incident, the remaining Manettos got out of the business.”

  Savannah’s eyes widened with comprehension. “So is Miguel in trouble?”

  “No. Not at all,” Maggie said. “But since Joey’s back in the city, he didn’t want the other families to get the wrong idea until he could straighten it all out and make sure they know he’s not a threat. Once they get the message, Miguel’s not at risk. Understand?”

  She nodded, even though she wasn’t sure about any of it.

  Maggie pursed her lips, hating that my kids had to be initiated into the mob side of life. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for more fun. Why don’t we take a carriage ride through Central Park?”

  Savannah and Josh both brightened at that, and we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the park. I didn’t realize how many cool things were there. I loved Belvedere Castle along with the famous Strawberry Fields and the Imagine mosaic in the center. Not wanting to rush through everything, we saved the Museum of Natural History for another day, and enjoyed the beautiful green space away from the city streets.

  While it was a bonus to have Syd and Maggie show us around, I also picked up that Syd was there to keep an eye on us in lieu of a bodyguard. He didn’t carry a weapon, but he was always on the lookout for danger. I thought that was going a little overboard, but I couldn’t fault Uncle Joey for wanting to keep us safe. Still, it kind of freaked me out. I mean, was there really a reason we needed that?

  We got back to the hotel, tired, sweaty, and ready for a shower. Later, we hustled down to the hotel restaurant for dinner. Along with Maggie and Syd, Uncle Joey and Jackie joined us, and we spoke about our day like one big happy family.

  At the end of our meal, Maggie surprised Savannah with box seat tickets for them both to see Aladdin again. Naturally Savannah was thrilled, and Maggie earned points for being the best grandma ever… even though the grandma part wasn’t true.

  Not to be outdone, Uncle Joey told us that he had tickets for the boys to see the baseball game at Yankee Stadium the next day. I’d never seen Josh or Chris so excited. Who knew that seeing a professional baseball game could stir such passion?

  I was starting to feel left out, but both Jackie and Maggie exclaimed that, with the boys gone, we girls could go shopping. Not about to turn that down, my spirits lifted. I also wanted to find time to talk to Maggie alone, so that might work tomorrow as well.

  Soon after that, Maggie and Savannah left for the play, with Syd as their escort. Not wanting to sit around with the adults, Josh excused himself to head back to our room to relax and maybe watch a show on TV.

  We lingered over dessert with Jackie, Frank, Sylvie and Uncle Joey, enjoying the stories they told about the family and life in New York. Before I knew what had happened to the evening, nine-fifteen rolled up, and Uncle Joey silently told me it was time to get ready for our meeting.

  I nodded, and he continued, thinking: and wear something nice to represent the family… you know… like a dress.

  I nodded again and stood. “Guess I need to get ready for the meeting.” Dread knotted my stomach, and I realized it had been building all day. Now that the time had come, I was anxious to get it over with.

  Chris frowned, but he didn’t object. I mean… what could he say in front of Uncle Joey? Still, I picked up that he wasn’t real happy that I was meeting with one of the famous mob families of New York. I wanted to tell him that I wasn’t happy either, but I just smiled instead.

  “Oh right,” Chris said. “I might as well call it a night, too.” He thanked them for a wonderful evening and we left. Inside the elevat
or, Chris pushed the button for our floor. “I’m sure I don’t have to say it out loud, but I don’t like this much.”

  “Yeah, I get that. Hopefully, it won’t take long.”

  He nodded, but he couldn’t help thinking the worst. Still, as long as I came back in one piece, how could he complain?

  “Don’t worry so much. I’ll be fine.”

  Back in our room, Chris joined Josh on the couch, while I hurried into the bedroom. I pulled my little black dress out of the closet, grateful I’d brought it. Before slipping it on, I added extra deodorant and a spritz of my favorite perfume. The dress was simple, yet sophisticated, and hugged my body in all the right places. Paired with my black, sling-back sandals, it made my legs look longer than normal, which I loved.

  Knowing Uncle Joey wanted to impress, I added a simple diamond earring-and-necklace set that Chris had given me for our anniversary. After touching up my hair and make-up, I finished off the ensemble with a swipe of power-red lipstick.

  I don’t exactly know why, but just looking good bolstered my confidence. I could play the part of a mob boss’s niece and pull it off with style. Just then, Chris stepped into our room, took one look at me, and froze. “What the hell? How come you’re all dressed up?”

  I shrugged. “Uncle Joey’s orders. I guess appearances are important. Uh… wish me luck?”

  He huffed out a breath, not liking this part of my job. “Fine… just… don’t get killed.”

  That brought a smile to my lips. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

  He pulled me into his arms. After a tight hug, he released me with sigh of regret. “I just got a text from Manetto. He wanted you to know that he’s waiting in the lobby. Where’s your phone?”

  “Oh. It’s in my purse. I guess I didn’t hear it.” I pulled it out to find I’d missed Uncle Joey’s text. “Do you think I should take my stun flashlight?”

  “Yes, definitely.”

  Even though that meant lugging my bigger purse around, I figured having my stun flashlight was totally worth it. To make it lighter, I emptied the non-essentials. Then I slipped my flashlight inside. Taking one last look in the mirror, I let out a breath and tried to relax the nervous tension in my shoulders.