Page 30 of Cadaver Lab: Mind Over Murder

“So you’re saying, Harriet, and Tim too, that we think Doug’s death was so horrific that he’s having recurring waking nightmares about it?” Gabe asked audibly for Harper to hear as well.

Harper frowned. “But Doug died in his home in the kitchen, supposedly from a heart attack. That doesn’t seem too horrific. There was no blood. No signs of an attack… except for a heart attack that is.”

“No visible signs of an attack,” Millie said, speaking up for the first time during this morning’s meeting.

Harper leaned forward on the sofa in response to Millie’s words. “So we think something or someone terrified him. So badly it killed him? So horribly he still fears it now, even in death? That couldn’t have been me from that little disagreement at the meeting.”

“But doesn’t it seem like it’s not just dreams or memories of his death?” Millie continued. “He ran in the cemetery. He doesn’t want anyone to even discuss it. It’s like he’s still running from the threat now.”

“Like the threat still exists,” Natalie guessed.

“Yes.” Millie nodded.

Gabe squeezed Millie’s hand. “My girl’s becoming quite the little detective. Millie’s been binging true crime podcasts along with Harper.”

Harper smiled. “It’s true. I decided my next book is going to be a murder mystery. When I can focus enough to finally write again. At least something good could come out of this situation. And I’ll need the money for my legal fees.”

“No, you will not. If something bad frightened Doug to death, and it’s still around now, we’ll find it. We won’t stop looking until we do. All of us.” Natalie glanced around the room and saw the nods of everyone there.

Then Alice came trotting into the meeting room. “Well, it happened again. Margaret Trout is dead.”

Chapter Fourteen

“What?” One word was all Natalie could manage as Alice, in her biker gang cut, sent flashes of reflected colored light around the meeting room walls and ceiling while making the announcement.

“Old lady Trout? Is dead?” Harper said, her tone rising into manic territory. “She hates me. Hated. Past tense because now she’s dead. And of course I argued with her too. Just this morning while I was waiting in line at Honey Buns. She came at me, insisting loudly that I was the reason she swerved and crashed her car and that I got my fiancé the mayor to get the sheriff to drop the charges. I had to defend myself and Stone, of course, so I argued with her. It got pretty heated, right there in front of the line of customers.” Harper buried her face in her hands. “That’s it. I’m going to prison. Probably for the rest of my life.”

“Maybe they’ll let Stone have conjugal visits?” Rick suggested, his version of being helpful.

Grateful Harper couldn’t hear Rick’s comment, Natalie took it upon herself to question Alice further. The woman had been known to get things wrong.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

Alice nodded. “Yup. No doubt about it. She was laid out on the sidewalk. Dead. Then the ambulance came, tossed a sheet over her and loaded her up.”

“Oh my God.” Natalie whipped out her cell phone and typed a message to Liam. All caps because the situation felt like it warranted it.

Natalie

MARGARET TROUT IS DEAD!!!

Hot Doc

I’ll be right over

Jeez. Not even a single exclamation point from Liam in the face of yet another death? She and her boyfriend really couldn’t be more different. It was mind boggling they were still together.

There was a lot of chatter in the meeting room. Among the spirits the conversation included guesses of how fast Carson would arrive to arrest Harper, which included one bet.

Natalie was just considering what ghosts had to bet with, certainly not money, when Liam walked into the meeting room.

“She’s not dead,” he announced without saying hello.

“Yes, she is,” Alice countered.

Drawing in a breath Liam repeated, “No. She’s not. She almost was, but she’s not.”

Alice swung her head from side to side. “Nope. They shocked her but her eyes were still closed when they put her in the ambulance. Definitely dead.”