The Corbans let their cabin early in the morning, and they were surprised to find the Challenger already gone. On their way to town, they decided to drop by the flea market before checking in at the motel. They didn't expect to be so lucky as to come across Ann Campbell, but maybe they could get directions to her cottage.
"You mean to pay her a visit?" asked Claire.
"Hope we don't need to go knock on her door," Alex replied, her eyes on the side mirror to park the Hilux. "But the librarian told you the Campbells lived there for about a century, right? So chances are they had a little family graveyard nearby. And if Beth killed herself, she couldn't be buried on sacred ground here in town."
"Oh," muttered Claire. "And why does it matter where she's buried?"
Alex hesitated, and realized it was already too late to hold back. "Usually, the easiest way to get rid of a ghost is burning their bones."
The girl's eyebrows jumped up as her lips shaped a silent exclamation.
"Let's go," said Alex. "Some stands are already open."
Their first stop was a stand offering aromatic candles and oils. The nice woman selling them knew Ann Campbell, and explained to them how to get to the cottage in the woods north of town. Claire didn't hide her surprise when Alex picked a bunch of candles while the woman talked, and bought them all.
"Why so many?" the girl asked as they strolled around the gazebo.
"She gave us precious information. It's the least we could do in return."
"A couple of candles was enough." Claire studied Alex for a moment and giggled. "You're planning a romantic homecoming evening with George!"
Alex looked away. Gosh, she hated Claire's empathy sometimes! She was about to argue, but her eyes fell on a tall head she recognized right away. Without any kind of warning, she grabbed Claire's sleeve and dragged her to catch up with a group of people heading to the City Hall across the square. Hidden among them, they watched Sam stop on a dime and scan around, looking for them. They circled back the gazebo to approach the boy from behind.
"You're too tall to go unnoticed, kiddo," Alex said.
Mark spun around, his face a funny mix of relief and frustration that made Claire giggle. Alex patted his arm.
"Second breakfast on you, for losing your tail," she said. "C'mon, there's a nice diner at the City Hall corner."
"You guys left the campground early," Claire said as they started to the diner together.
"We had stuff to do," Mark replied.
"Trying to loosen the librarian's tongue again?"
He shook his head, chuckling. "No use. Lucky me, she's not the only one in town old enough to have known the Campbell sisters before the youngest killed herself."
"Oh, you're so gonna tell us about it."
"On top of paying for your breakfast? You already sound like my brother, Al."
Mark laughed heartedly when Alex gave him the finger.
"Where are you guys staying now?" asked Claire.
"We found a motel across town." The look the Corbans traded made the boy frown. "What?"
"Only motel in town," Claire replied. "Guess we're gonna be neighbors again."
"That's gonna be fun," said Mark, winking at her as his chin pointed at Alex, who rolled her eyes, snorting.
Over breakfast, the Corbans insisted until he told them what he'd found.
"According to police records, the kills happen every twelve years," he said.
"Makes sense," said Claire. "That's the time Beth's runaway groom took to come back to town."
Alex managed to make her question while chewing a huge mouthful of pie. "Always in July?"
Mark nodded. "July full moon."
"What I don't get is why Ann marked me as well," said Claire, thoughtful. "I mean, Nancy bought the pendant before I did, so Beth already had a couple to target."
"Because it's never been only a couple." Mark chuckled at the way the Corbans gaped. "Every twelve years, a couple dies on the first night of July full moon. And two nights later, when the moon wanes, a girl in her early twenties follows."
"Wait," said Claire. "Why three kills? I get it if Ann brought her sister back, to let her she seek revenge. But that doesn't make sense if the ghost kills three people every time."
Alex waited for Mark's answer with a suspicious frown. He met her eyes with a tight smile.
"There's a repair shop down the road from the motel, and the owner's father happened to be best buddies with Beth's fiancé before he skipped town. Looks like that wasn't the first time he dumped a girl over another. Turns out he started off dating Ann, not Beth."
Claire sat up, fighting to keep her voice down. "You're saying he dumped Ann to date Beth, and then he dumped Beth over some other girl?"
"Yup."
"So the one seeking revenge is Ann, not Beth," said Alex slowly. "And she isn't only getting back at the man who broke her heart, but also at her own sister, who stole him away from her. The couple are surrogates for him and his last affair, and the girl is a surrogate for Beth."
"Oh, boy," muttered Claire.
"Bet Beth didn't die the night he ran away, but two nights later. And let me have some doubts about her really committing suicide."
Claire covered her mouth, shocked. "You think Ann killed her?" she whispered.
"It'd figure," said Mark.
"So what now?" the girl asked.
"We gotta check in at the motel, but before that, I gotta swing by Wilma's to grab more books. We need to find a way to keep Beth away from you until this is over."
"Can I hop in?" asked Mark. "Aidan's busy and I can use a ride." He shrugged with a little smile. "I still have some things to do."
Alex forced herself to put aside what they'd just talked and smile. "Sure. Drop me at the motel, and then Claire can take you wherever you need to go."
There were only a few cars at the motel parking lot, the Challenger among them, when a taxi drove to stop outside one of the rooms. A moment later, Aidan opened the door and held it for Doctor Paulson to walk out, her hair still wet from the shower.
Aidan helped her into the backseat and leaned in to kiss her through the window. Then he straightened up to pat the roof of the taxi, watching it drive away with a satisfied little smile pursing his lips.
Until he spotted Alex.
She was coming from the reception office, pulling a rolling bag, a camping rucksack hanging from her shoulders, an open book on her spare hand.
"Way to go, tiger," she said, walking past him with her eyes turned to the rooms.
"Good morning to you too, Alex," Aidan grunted.
He turned around and saw her walk down that strip of rooms. She stopped at the last door, produced a key to compare the room number and came back toward Aidan.
"You gotta be kidding," he muttered. "Not next door again, please."
He recalled why he didn't believe in a higher power when Alex opened the room right next door to his.
She walked in and dropped her rucksack on the couch by the door, taking a first look around. The living area was nice and cozy, and she could see one of the beds at the other end of the room, past the bathroom.
She left the rolling bag by the couch too and headed to the table to leave the book there, still open. A firm knock on the door broke the silence. She didn't bother to get it. Instead, she marked the page she was reading and went to the fridge. Another loud knock thundered across the room as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and a third one as she gulped it up.
She finally yanked the door open before Aidan could knock for the fourth time, catching him with his fist in the air. She turned her back on him and grabbed her luggage to take it to the other side of the room.
Aidan knew he wasn't invited in, so he stayed at the doorway.
"What the fuck are you still doing here, Alex?" he asked in his trademark rough way.
"None of your fucking business," she replied from the beds.
"Don't you have more important things to do? A home to go back to? A niece to keep alive?"
Alex came back to the door and slammed it shut in his face.
The delivery would bring her lunch in twenty, so she had a while to keep reading. That book had an interesting variety of protection spells. Now she needed to find one to keep away a homicidal ghost controlled by a psycho granny.
"Fine, my bad! Sorry!"
Aidan's muffled voice from behind the closed door made her look up from the book, surprised to hear he was still there.
"I won't bring any more chicks here! Happy now?"
Alex turned to the door, not believing her ears. The arrogant prick! He stepped away from her door and stalked outside the front window. She let out a heartfelt laughter when he slammed shut the door next to hers.