Suddenly a voice rang out. “Ladies! There you are!”

Oh no.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a man holding a rake, hurrying across his lawn to catch up with us.

Izzy and I exchanged looks.

“I guess making a run for it wouldn’t look all that normal.”

Izzy sighed. “Probably not.”

Chapter 5

Our street was a lovely old one. Tall maples lined both sides. Houses sat far back from the road, which provided plenty of room for kids to ride their bikes in loping figure eights. Birds and squirrels flew and scurried about in abundance, and the unique scents of the changing seasons always seemed to fill the air. The overall effect was friendly and relaxing. In short, it was the perfect street to amble along, taking your time to chat with your neighbors.

“We don’t have to run, but if we hurry, we can cross the street before he catches us.”

“Ladies!”

“I don’t know,” Izzy whispered between huffed breaths. “He’s gaining on us.”

“We can make it.”

“Yoo-hoo!”

“It’s fine. Just, whatever you do, don’t look over, and don’t say—”

“Oh hello, Mr. Henderson,” my aunt said in a voice she almost managed to make sound cheerful.

“—anything.” I shot Izzy a look.

She shrugged helplessly. “He’s right there.”

Our neighbor leaned on his rake, his white hair standing on end, his glasses askew on his nose. “I thought I was going to miss you ladies,” he said, struggling to catch his breath.

“Sorry,” I said weakly. “We must not have heard you calling us.”

“It’s a good thing I caught up. I’ve been worried sick about you. Where’s Nora?” he said, looking us over as though we might be hiding her behind our backs. “The ambulance the other night, it wasn’t for her, was it?”

“No, no,” I said quickly. “I’m sorry to say one of our guests passed away.”

“Just as I thought. Anyone I would know?”

That was a hard question for me to answer. Mr. Henderson had only moved in a year ago, and he didn’t overly involve himself in the community. He had his own hobbies to preoccupy him. “Um, Constance Graves? She had been staying with us the last few days.”

“I can’t say as I recognize the name, but”—he motioned for us to lean in, then looked side to side—“it’s entirely possible I’ve seen her.” He leaned back again, giving us room to let that information sink in.

“I’m sure you have,” Izzy said. “As Brynn mentioned, she’s been staying with us and—”

He waved a hand in the air, effectively shushing Izzy. Judging by her pursed lips, she did not appreciate the gesture. “I don’t mean I’ve seen her in her earthly form.”

I closed my eyes. Oh dear.

“I mean, I’ve seen her, seen her.”

“Seen her, seen her?” I asked, forcing lightness into my voice. I really hoped this wasn’t going where I thought it might be going.

He leaned in again. “I mean, I saw her afterward.”