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  Ted Fischer and his crew made short work of the fire.

  “Someone purposely set this,” Ted told her while the rest of his men gathered up their gear. “There’s a stack of sticks bundled under the deck’s overhang. One support post is ruined. Another one’s damaged. There’s no major damage to the main house, but your deck’s going to need some work. Good thing you woke up when you did.”

  “She came to warn us.”

  “She?” Ted waited for a reply.

  Thea licked her lips. “It’s a long story.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “I’m having problems with a ghost.”

  He put up his hands. “Okay, you lost me there. Don’t know how you’re going to explain this to the insurance company.” She started to elaborate. He interrupted her. “Don’t get me wrong. I believe you. I always believe you, but don’t expect me to understand. I can tell you this, though, if your ghost can start fires, you’d better be careful. You and Hannah could have died.” He patted her shoulder and joined his men on the fire truck. “Be careful,” he yelled to her as they pulled away.

  Thea looked at the charred post on the far side of her deck. She knew that Lacey hadn’t meant to hurt her. It was a distraction, hoping to pull Gabe from the studio, but enough was enough! Thea’s fingers balled into fists. She didn’t care how desperate Lacey was. And even though she was grateful that Lacey had come to warn her, her patience and tolerance had just run out.

  Her skin burned, and she knew it wasn’t the heat. It was temper. She stomped toward the barn to see Gabe and Hannah.

  Chapter 55

  Gabe was a mess. His energy bounced around like a manic ping pong ball. “I stayed here to be with you, and I couldn’t even protect you!” He rushed to Thea and picked her up, pressed her into his misty form. He was too distracted to materialize, and Thea could feel the emotions roiling within him.

  “Lacey didn’t want to hurt us. She set the fire, then came inside to wake me up. She only did it to make you panic, so that you’d leave the studio.”

  “But what if something had gone wrong? And if she’s willing to set fires, what will she think of next time?” Gabe asked.

  Hannah cut them both short. “Mom can’t start fires, and she’s been here a long time. Mom says that ghosts can’t hurt us. They can scare us, but they can’t do anything.”

  “Lacey can move furniture,” Thea pointed out. “Why not sticks and matches?”

  Hannah shook her head. “It’s different. It’s not about what they can do, it’s about what they’re allowed to do. There are rules.”

  Thea motioned for Gabe to put her down. She took a deep breath to calm herself. She needed to think. “That makes sense,” she said. “Or else it wouldn’t be fair. No regular person could compete with a ghost.”

  “And ghosts aren’t really supposed to be here,” Hannah said. “They’re supposed to go to the light. They had their chance. Now it’s our turn. They’re not supposed to interfere.”

  Gabe threw out his hands in exasperation. “Lacey’s interfered with the bookmarks. I’m living proof--or--you know what I mean.”

  “That’s why you’re allowed to stay and help,” Hannah said. “Or else you wouldn’t be allowed to interfere, either. You’ve been given special privileges.”

  Gabe and Thea glanced at each other. That explained a lot.

  “Lacey’s getting in big trouble, doing what she’s doing,” Hannah said.

  “But if ghosts aren’t supposed to interfere, why can she tamper with the bookmarks?” Thea asked.

  “Because bookmarks aren’t everyday, mortal things,” Hannah said. She looked at Thea. “No Patek is everyday, normal, mortal material.”

  Gabe became very calm. Too calm. “So what are you saying?”

  “Lacey didn’t start the fire.”

  “But I saw her!” Thea said.

  Hannah shook her head. “I KNOW ghosts. You saw her leaving after she woke you up. She came to save us. If whoever’s driving her nuts finds out, she’ll be in more trouble than she was before. We have to help her, Thea! We have to.”

  Thea chewed on her bottom lip. “If a person started the fire, that’s why the Universe hasn’t punished anyone. Man has to clean up his own messes.”

  “And Lacey?” Gabe asked.

  “Is a pawn. This isn’t about a ghost wreaking havoc on mankind. This is about a person wreaking havoc on whoever or whatever gets in his way.”

  “Then it’s worse than before,” Gabe said. “I have even less of a chance of protecting you.”

  Thea went to hug him. “You know, deep down, that no person can protect another person. Life isn’t like that. We can love each other, but we can’t protect each other. There are too many things we can’t control.”

  He sighed. “What can I do?”

  “Protect the studio, no matter what. That’s the only thing Lacey can do, pull bookmarks.” Thea put an arm out for Hannah to join them. “And we’ll all stick together the best we can.”

  They were silent a moment, each busy with his own thoughts.

  Finally Thea said, “You know, one bookmark or another doesn’t mean anything to Lacey, but whoever’s controlling her must want someone else dead.” She told Gabe about Lacey’s earlier visit, begging Thea to let her into the studio.

  “I bet it’s you,” Gabe said.

  “She can’t do that, can she?” Hannah asked.

  A shiver tickled Thea, and she rubbed her hands over her arms to calm herself. “That would be pretty cold, wouldn’t it? To come to me and beg to get into my studio to pull my threads?”

  “It was pretty cold to beg for help and then kill Les,” Gabe reminded her.

  “Well, even if that’s what she intended, the rules have changed since Grandma Doreen had to take her sister’s place. My bookmark’s protected.”

  “She’s desperate.” Gabe gave her a level glare. “And if she can’t hurt you, she can still hurt someone close to you.” He shifted his gaze to Hannah.

  “What would be the point?” Thea asked.

  Hannah’s eyes went wide. “Lacey wouldn’t hurt me. She knows me. She wouldn’t hurt a little kid.”

  “She knows you, not your name. And there’s still Rachel and Josh,” Gabe said. “Or maybe she wouldn’t want to piss Thea off that much, so she’d start with someone else who’s a friend--Cynthia, Shari, or Nancy.”

  “Why?” Thea asked.

  “So that whoever controls Lacey can put you on a short leash too,” he said. “As a warning that he can hurt you if you get in his way.”

  Thea took a deep, steadying breath. “There are only two people I can think of who hate me. Melissa and Randall.”

  “Why Randall?” Gabe asked.

  “I’m Cynthia’s friend. And we had a run-in over Toby.” Thea explained about Toby’s visit and how she wouldn’t let Randall take him. “It has to be one or the other of them, but I can’t prove it. I can’t prove anything.”

  “Especially without a body. You can’t even prove that Lacey’s dead.”

  “You can’t leave this studio, Gabe.”

  He nodded. “Be careful out there.”

  Chapter 56

  Thea drove into town to Cynthia’s gallery. She took Hannah with her. “Your mom has a right to know what’s going on,” Thea explained. “So does Cynthia.”

  They formed a little circle, like a pow-wow, to discuss the morning’s events. Thea was careful not to mention Randall’s name in front of Toby, but she could tell from Cynthia’s expression that her friend had made the same connection she had.

  No one could see Aggie but her daughter, but everyone could feel her anger.

  Toby shivered. “She’s making it too cold in here.”

  The temperature immediately moderated.

  “Mom’s ready to hunt Lacey down and beat some answers out of her,” Hannah said.

  Cynthia pursed her lips, thinking. “Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.”

  “But what about you?
” Thea asked.

  “I don’t think my tormentor wants me dead. Think about it. Whoever sent Lacey to move my furniture could just as easily have sent her to pull my threads. He’s playing with me. He wants me miserable, but he wants me to stick around.” She glanced at Toby. “Maybe because I serve a purpose.”

  Thea nodded.

  Cynthia looked at her son and Hannah. “Why don’t you two. . . ?”

  “I know,” Hannah said. “Go away so the grown-ups can talk.”

  “The last time, you stayed just outside the door,” Thea reminded her. “That’s not what we mean.”

  “We’ll go in Toby’s bedroom and turn on music. You can lock us in if you want.”

  “Don’t have to. Your mother’s here,” Thea said. “She’ll know what you’re up to.”

  Hannah groaned. “Okay, we’re gone.”

  Cynthia waited to hear the music before she said, “You’re thinking Randall, aren’t you? It all makes sense. Randall has no desire to raise Toby. He wants to look like a good father while doing as little as possible. That makes me an asset for him. But he hates me enough to want to make me miserable. That means he loves to mess with me.”

  “Actually, I was thinking Randall and Melissa,” Thea admitted. “A team. I can’t think of any reason Randall would want Gabe dead, but it would sure make Melissa happy.”

  Cynthia shook her head. “Not Randall’s style. Too close to home. Melissa’s his neighbor, part of his circle. He wouldn’t take chances that there’d be complications.”

  Thea sighed. “But if Melissa’s not involved, why would Randall want Les Smith dead? And how would he get control over Lacey?”

  Cynthia chewed her bottom lip. “I don’t have the answers, but the meanness behind controlling Lacey and making her do things she doesn’t want to do---that reminds me of Randall. He’s all about bending other people to do what he wants.”

  “And he’s ruthless,” Thea said. “Look how he treats you and how he handled Sheila Grayson’s house and the tea shop.”

  Cynthia picked up her telephone and dialed a number. “Could I talk to Randall please?” She listened for a moment and said, “No, no message. I’ll try again when he gets back.” She flipped her cell phone shut. “He’s out of town. Left on a business meeting yesterday morning. Won’t be back till the end of the week. He couldn’t have started the fire if a human had to do it.”

  “Is he close enough that he could sneak back without anyone knowing?”

  “L.A. It wasn’t him.”

  “He might not have started the fire,” Thea said, “but it still feels like the way he operates.”

  Cynthia met Thea’s eyes. “He wouldn’t be the one creeping through the woods to start that fire anyway. He’d send someone.”

  “Who doesn’t have much higher morals than he does,” Thea said, finishing her thought.

  They nodded at each other. They both knew the exact person who fit that bill in their minds.

  “Send Aggie after Lacey,” Cynthia said. “Randall’s out of town for the next few days. Gabe’s guarding the studio. I’m going to be okay.”

  “What about your furniture?”

  “If Lacey’s so bored that she has to move it, good for her! Now that I know what’s going on, and that Lacey can’t hurt me, I don’t care.” When Thea raised an eyebrow, Cynthia hurried to say, “All right, I’m a little anal. It’ll bother me. I like everything in its place. But if I make myself shrug it off, and I don’t let it drive me nuts, it will take all the fun out of it, won’t it?”

  “I’ll have Hannah tell Aggie. With Aggie on her tail, Lacey had better watch out.”

  “She’ll lie low,” Cynthia said. “Randall’s gone. Nothing’s going to happen until he gets back.”

  “You’ve decided he’s the one behind everything, haven’t you?”

  Cynthia sighed. “I’m clinging to that thought for now. Wishful thinking.”

  On the drive home with Hannah, Thea turned one scenario after another over her in mind. How to prove it? She couldn’t go to Mike and say, “Excuse me, but you have a murderer on your hands. Randall’s sending a ghost to my studio to pull threads.” Even if Mike believed her, what court would? Even if she convinced Lacey to work with them, would that help? A ghost couldn’t testify. There had to be a way! One step at a time, her mother used to tell her when she was frustrated or impatient. First, talk to Lindsay. Then work with Lacey. Then??? She’d know when she got there—she hoped.

  Chapter 57

  Rachel’s car was in the driveway when Thea pulled under the overhang of the house. Instead of getting excited, Hannah shook a finger at Thea. “She’s heard about the fire. You’re in trouble.”

  “Hey, how would you feel if she yawned when she found out?” Thea asked.

  Hannah wrinkled her nose. “I’m going to watch cartoons. If she wants to take me home with her, I’m not too tired.”

  Thea nodded. Hannah loved spending time with Rachel and Isak. She even loved spending time with Annabel. That made Thea think. “Now that your mom doesn’t have to stay with Cynthia, maybe we could have her guard the studio some afternoon so that Gabe can go see his grandmother.”

  “Why? Annabel can’t see him,” Hannah said.

  “I think it would make Gabe feel better just knowing that she’s all right.”

  Hannah shrugged. “I’ll tell Mom.” She hit the steps and hurried into the house, then disappeared into the basement.

  Rachel was pacing in the kitchen. “You’ve got to be more careful!” she said when she saw Thea. “You can’t send Josh away and then die while he’s gone. And I’m not trained enough to take your place!”

  Thea put up a hand to calm her. “Lacey came to warn us.”

  “This time.” Rachel ran a hand through her thick, dark hair. “Doggone it, Mom! I hate this. You have to stop it.”

  “I’m trying.”

  “You’re not trying hard enough. Find out who’s doing this and make them stop.”

  Seeing Rachel so upset rattled Thea. “I’m convinced Randall’s behind it, but he was in L.A. last night. He couldn’t have set the fire. I think Melissa might be helping him. Remember when she came and asked me to do a life map for her? I’d be worried if I was working with Randall, too.”

  Rachel shook her head. “Melissa’s in Indy right now, seeing Les’s lawyer about his will.”

  For a minute, that news deflated Thea. But Indy wasn’t that far away. Just far enough to be a good alibi if Melissa needed one.

  “You want it to be Randall and Melissa,” Rachel said. “What if it’s someone else?”

  Thea shrugged. “Who else would it be? They benefit from each person who died.”

  “Stop guessing and find out who it is,” Rachel snapped.

  Thea bit her lip before she snapped back. Rachel was only angry because she was worried. Arguing wouldn’t make anything better.

  “I’m going to call and talk to Lindsay at Les’s winery. She’s supposed to be back from her vacation today.”

  Rachel relaxed a little. “It’s a start.”

  “I’m hoping that she’s Lacey’s sister. I found out that Lacey worked at the winery for a while.”

  Now Rachel looked interested. “When did she leave?”

  “I’m going to find out, but it was sudden. Without a word.”

  Rachel nodded. “I’ll take Hannah home with me. That will give you time to visit the winery.”

  While Melissa was in Indy, Thea thought. This would be perfect.

  When Rachel backed out of the driveway with Hannah, Thea wasn’t far behind her. When Rachel turned to go into town, though, Thea turned to go to Les’s winery. Thea followed Ruby Riverwalk to Gold Galleyway, took a right past Shari’s inn, and turned onto Vintage Drive. The winding, blacktopped pavement ambled between tall trees and lush, green lawns to a sprawling, white stucco building with a red-tiled roof. Cars were sprinkled in the visitors’ lot for the tours and wine tasting. Several couples had spread blankets on the l
ovely expanse of grass and were enjoying picnics. You could purchase baskets filled with goodies inside. A brick patio, shaded by a trellis with a wisteria vine dripping purple blooms, was dotted with wrought iron tables and chairs. People lounged there, enjoying gourmet treats and glasses of wine.

  When Thea pushed through the heavy, double oak doors of the entrance, she was surprised by the opulence that greeted her. She knew that Les had renovated recently, but she didn’t expect vintage chandeliers, polished clay floors, and exquisite antiques. One of her own weavings hung on the far wall.

  “Hello.” A young girl stood behind the long, mahogany bar at the side of the room. Thea recognized the girl. She was the daughter of Robert Kroft, who managed the golf course for the country club. “Feel welcome to browse. When you want to sample some of our wines, let me know.”

  “Thanks.” Thea circled the room, admiring the rows of jams and curds, fancy crackers, and pate’s. Coolers held sandwiches packed with thin slices of ham, watercress, and specialty cheeses. She looked for a sign with times for tours, but didn’t see one. She’d almost made her way back to the girl at the bar when she saw a group coming upstairs from the deep cellar beneath the building. The group was led by a short, sturdy, young woman with a round, cheerful face. That’s how Rachel had described Lindsay.

  Thea waited politely for the people in the group to disperse before asking, “Lindsay Warner? Could I speak with you a minute?”

  Lindsay gave her a warm smile, and Thea was immediately reminded of Les. The girl’s build. Her coloring. Her smile.

  When Thea’s eyes widened, Lindsay’s mouth crumpled in a grimace. “No one else has placed it,” she said.

  “Not even Melissa?”

  Lindsay motioned Thea into a small, private office-- plush, but cozy. “Especially Melissa. It’s all coming out soon, though. Melissa went to talk to Dad’s lawyer this weekend. She’s not going to be happy when she comes back. Dad was going to tell her, but never got around to it.”

  Thea tried to wrap her mind around the word ‘dad.’ She wasn’t having much success. “Les and Ethel never had children, did they?”