“Is that the correct time?” Lorene asked, pointing to the antique timepiece.

  “It is,” I confirmed as she got up. “Why?”

  “I... I have to go now,” Lorene abruptly announced, walking toward the front door with quick steps.

  “Wait, don’t leave yet,” I said, standing up to stop her. “What about your sister?”

  “I’ll find her,” she said, now in a dead run for the front of the store. “Thanks for letting me help you, Syd!”

  I ran after her but wasn’t fast enough, because when I opened the front door and walked out, there was no sign of Lorene. I turned my head from right to left down Main Street but she was nowhere in sight. Very strange, indeed.

  “Syd?” a familiar voice called out from down the street, in the opposite direction I was facing. Turning, I caught sight of Bailey and immediately smiled.

  Wearing a plain t-shirt and worn but fashionable blue jeans with black flats, I noted she was coming from the same direction Lorene had pointed to earlier.

  As Bailey got closer, she asked, “Anything wrong?”

  I debated whether or not to tell her. Whatever Lorene’s true nature, she didn’t seem malevolent in any way. On the other hand, the last thing I wanted Bailey to suspect was that I was seeing things that weren’t there. Besides, the Council took a dim view of educating humans about its supernatural denizens and the last thing I needed was Maverick randomly showing up while I was explaining to Bailey about my strange visitor.

  “Nothing,” I finally said. “Just taking a break from putting all the bed frames together.”

  I sighed and waved towards the doorway. “Are you ready to start your first day on the job?”

  Bailey’s expression was unreadable. Nevertheless, she went inside. I followed her, catching our reflections in the mirror. Stopping dead in my tracks, I realized both our images were clearly visible in the glass while Lorene’s figure had appeared smudged. When Bailey asked me why I’d just stopped walking and what I was looking at, I hoped I convinced her when I replied I was just out of breath.

  Chapter Nine

  I didn’t look at the clock on the wall again until I was gathering up my tools.

  It read five-thirty. Shocked at the late hour, I glanced outside and noticed, sure enough, the sun was low in the sky and dusk was just around the corner.

  Taking a moment to look around, I was amazed by how much Bailey and I (don’t forget Lorene, I reminded myself) had accomplished in one day. Along with a lot of sweat and hard work, the beds were now all assembled and complete with my sand mattresses.

  Bailey was still fussing about something in the back corner, near the unhung mirror. Using only a broom and dustpan, she was expertly tackling the debris from everything we’d accomplished earlier. Brown clouds of dust rose with each stroke of the broom and hearing a series of high-pitched sneezes from her was about as cute as it got. After getting the dreamcatcher orders in the mail, I told her to wrap up her day, but she insisted on doing more.

  Meanwhile, the Victrola was playing the final track of the Flying Burrito Brothers album “Burrito Deluxe.” “Wild Horses” by the Stones came on next. Its deep melancholy tones matched the gradually darkening shadows of the town outside the shop door.

  Long ago, my father told me this was the real “twilight zone,” the moment between day and night when both were perfectly in balance. It was always at this moment, as the day began to fade, when I missed Melody the most—maybe because it was the simple realization that another day had passed without her, soon to follow by another night. If I were alone, I’d have stopped and listened to Gram Parsons finish singing. Instead, I grabbed a cloth bag from under the counter before walking over to Bailey.

  Bailey was sneezing yet again, and she failed to notice me until I was standing right next to her.

  “Almost done,” she said with a sniffle.

  “Looks very tidy,” I observed, opening up the trash bag. “Just needs a bag for disposal.”

  “I can take care of that.”

  “I’m sure you can,” I replied, holding the bag as wide open as I could. “My father always told me that a good leader leads from the front.” Saying that, I extended the open bag to her.

  “Guess that includes bosses,” Bailey answered with a smile, dutifully emptying her haul into the bag.

  I arched an eyebrow. “You sound skeptical.”

  “I just wish more people followed your dad’s advice. You’re the first person I’ve ever met who acts like he really means those words.” Then she sighed. “I wouldn’t call my boss at Spook Society especially friendly.”

  “Ah,” I answered as our eyes locked onto each other for a few seconds. Bailey broke our eye contact when another sneeze made her duck her head.

  Wiping her nose with the back of her hand, she remarked, “I swear, I’ve never seen so much dust anywhere. And I’ve lived in all kinds of messy places.” She looked down into the bag. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear it was mostly made of sand.”

  “It’s part of the packing material for the mattresses,” I explained with a shrug. “Most of it stays in place, but there’s always some leakage when the mattresses are moved.” All of that was true. No matter how careful I was with the sand I used to conjure the mattresses, there was always a small amount that escaped. That problem was one I hadn’t found a solution for.

  As Bailey swept more of the “dust,” I held the plastic bag open for her to collect all of it. She dumped another load of her dustpan’s contents into the bag, then stepped away from the slight cloud billowing up from her last deposit.

  “If you don’t like your boss, why don’t you quit your job at Spook Society?” I asked on a shrug.

  Bailey immediately shook her head. “Because I like my work too much. It feels good knowing you’re helping not only the living, but also the dead. Besides, I’ve got friends there too.” Then she smiled up at me. “All in all, it’s not so bad.”

  Pulling the drawstrings of the bag together to seal it tight, I waited for the final chord of “Wild Horses” to end before carrying the closed bag over my shoulder. Then I quickly plucked the needle off the vinyl grooves and looked closer at it before frowning in dismay. “Dammit,” I said out loud.

  “Something wrong?” Bailey inquired.

  “Oh, nothing important,” I replied, putting the bag on the counter. “The needle on my record player is dull from playing too many LPs.”

  “I thought record needles lasted forever.”

  “On average, they’re good for one to two thousand hours of play. Like anything else, they get worn down. I’ll get a replacement soon.”

  “Hey, you know the antique store over in Shady Hills?”

  “Shady Hills?” I repeated, frowning. “Is that the next town over?”

  “The next town after the next town,” Bailey answered on a smile. “There’s an antique store there on Bachman Drive,” she continued, coming over with the broom and dustpan in one hand. “I seem to remember the owner sells old parts for antique stuff like that.” Then she pointed at the player.

  I sighed and took the record off the Victrola to put it back in its sleeve. “I’m afraid I don’t know the place. I haven’t had much time to explore the local geography.” Taking an appreciative look around the mostly finished store, I added, “But now it looks like we’re easily two days ahead of schedule.” I watched my new office assistant put the broom and dustpan on the other side of the counter. “And I’ve got you to thank for that, Bailey.”

  “Oh, c’mon,” Bailey demurred, walking over to me. “All I did was give you a hand with the bed frames.”

  “Not to mention all the cleanup.” I pointed out.

  “Well, that too.”

  “Your help triples my output. Little things make all the difference.” I was reminded of Lorene’s help, but didn’t mention it. Even though Bailey obviously had her own connections to the supernatural world, I didn’t want to run the risk of being in breach of contract if I mentioned the child and it turned out she was one of the supernatural residents of Haven Hollow. The last thing I wanted was to be in trouble with the Council… and with Maverick.

  “I’m just glad to help,” my new employee replied. A sudden hunger pang pealed from her stomach that was very audible in the spacious shop. The sound was so comical that both of us laughed in unison.

  “Well, your tummy seems to be telling another story,” I said after I stopped chuckling with her. “Dinner at The Half-Moon?”

  “Sure. I’d, uh, I’d love to know more about the Sandman legend you brought up at breakfast.”

  ***

  The evening sidewalks were filled with pedestrians and strollers.

  While it wasn’t nearly as packed tight as a major city, we had to dodge a few bodies as we walked to the Half-Moon. It struck me that we could be any couple who called this town “home.” And that was a strange feeling, one I hadn’t experienced in quite a while. Even though I definitely wasn’t ready to date or even consider dating, there was something about Bailey and being around Bailey that made me feel strangely comfortable, like walking into your living room after a long day of work and taking off your shoes, just before you settle into your favorite chair.

  “So, tell me something, Syd,” Bailey began, “what are we working on tomorrow? The shelves?”

  “No, RJ promised to finish those in a couple of days,” I answered. “He was supposed to come by today—”

  “But he, Marty and Henner got called to a haunted hotel about six hours from here,” she interrupted with a nod as she looked up at me. “Apparently it’s a pretty big gig so they’re excited about it.”

  “I hope it goes well for them,” I answered. “So, tomorrow might be the perfect time to get the office organized and running.”

  “Be nice to have a place where I can fill all the online orders,” Bailey chirped with a smile.

  I was about to tell her that task could be delayed until the end of the day when a familiar face appeared in front of us. He was holding a pile of hardcover books and folios.

  “Oh, Ms. Bennett! Mr. Blackstone!” Quincy Derleth exclaimed upon seeing us. “Good to run into you!”

  “Oh, Quincy, call us by our first names so we don’t sound like a BBC movie,” Bailey replied.

  Both Quincy and I laughed at that.

  “Enjoying an evening stroll?” I asked.

  Quincy sighed as he lifted the stack in his hands. “If by ‘enjoy,’ you mean ‘hauling more research material back to my room to review,’ then yes, it’s very enjoyable. The librarian had to kick me out of the library so she could close for the night.”

  “Did you find everything you needed?” Bailey asked. Her tone of voice was a bit guarded which didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. I also glimpsed another familiar face now exiting The Half-Moon further up the street: Lizzie.

  “For now, but I won’t know until I get an in-depth view,” Quincy admitted. “I must bid you good night. Glad to see you both!”

  After we said our goodbyes, Bailey opined, “Wonder if he’ll be leaving Ethel alone tonight.”

  “Has he been bothering her?” I asked, frowning.

  “More like pestering her. He keeps peppering her with questions about the graveyards in Haven Hollow.”

  I shook my head. “Strange,” I answered.

  “According to Ethel, the graveyards here are something of landmarks,” Bailey continued. “Near as I can tell, Quincy’s research revolves around the cemetery right behind Poppy’s house, or at least, it plays a big part in it.”

  “I didn’t know there was a cemetery behind Poppy’s house,” I answered, not even aware where Poppy lived.

  “Yeah, it’s a small one.”

  “I noticed one of the titles in Quincy’s hands,” I replied. “The Golden Bough is a history of witchcraft as it was practiced in various countries and times.”

  “Hmm, maybe he thinks there’s witchcraft going on in the cemeteries?” Bailey asked, but by her expression it seemed she wasn’t at all surprised by this revelation. I had to wonder how much Bailey knew about Haven Hollow and its stranger citizens.

  By then, we arrived in front of The Half-Moon. I barely savored the delicious aroma coming from inside when someone barreled out the front door. Sam Clarke nearly knocked me over before I could step out of his way. I quickly noted the younger man’s flushed cheeks and angry expression before Sam whirled his head around.

  “What are you looking at?” Sam barked at both of us.

  The words left my mouth before I realized it. “A man who needs to calm down!”

  The moment Sam’s eyes flared, I knew I was in trouble. Sam drew back his fist to smash it in my face. On instinct, I dipped one hand into my pocket and scooped up the sand I kept there. Barely avoiding his punch before surreptitiously throwing my sand up in the air, unfortunately, the sand flew directly into Bailey’s face. Once she inhaled it, she sneezed hard and blew the barely visible sand cloud into Sam’s face, whose expression immediately went vacant before he did a face plant on the sidewalk.

  A horrified scream came from the doorway of the café and I barely caught Sam’s head before it cracked on the concrete. Bailey stared in amazement at the whole proceeding and I was fairly shocked to realize she hadn’t blacked out by inhaling my sand, yet Sam had.

  Off to the side, I heard Ashley calling out, “Sam, I didn’t mean it. I’m so sorry. Please be okay...”

  “What… what happened to him?” Bailey whispered to me as Ashley approached us.

  I shook my head, my heart still riding up my throat. “My guess is his anger made his blood pressure sky-rocket to the point where he passed out.”

  As Sam began snoring in our arms, Ashley asked, “Will he be okay?”

  “Oh, he’s perfectly fine,” I answered, knowing he’d simply reacted to my sleep sand. “I’ve seen these narcoleptic attacks before. They’re unpleasant to watch but they do pass without incident.”

  They both looked at me strangely.

  “I... I’d feel much better if he could see a doctor,” Ashley said.

  “Let’s get him inside and we’ll call one,” Bailey suggested.

  I sighed. So much for a quiet meal.

  ***

  For the fourth consecutive time, Ashley looked over her shoulder at the people within the Half-Moon, where we’d carried Sam inside. He’d just been tended to by the paramedics, who pronounced the same diagnosis I had: Narcolepsy. And, of course that was no surprise, considering I’d used my sleep sand on him. Just in case, though, the paramedics had wanted to take him to the hospital and now were in the process of getting ready to carry him out to the waiting ambulance.

  “It’s just like you said it was, Syd,” Ashley said as she looked up at me with an expression of awe on her face. Then she traded a look with Bailey that was less secret than she realized. “Something tells me it was more than just a guess on your part.”

  Her remark made me wonder how much she’d actually seen. But even if she’d seen the sand, it was unlikely she would have connected the dots. So, I decided to play coy. “Well, as the owner of a mattress store, I consider it good form to stay abreast of most sleep maladies. It helps me recognize them on sight.”

  Ashley frowned but nodded as we all headed outside, following the last of the paramedics. “I guess that makes sense. But it’s a little strange for Sam to suddenly have that affliction out of the blue.” She shook her head. “He’s never had it before.”

  Despite my casual demeanor, I had my own concerns about what had happened. Yes, my solution to the Sam situation was discreet and my finding was largely corroborated by the paramedics. But for all I knew, the Council might still take a dim view about how I’d handled things. Luckily they didn’t have to find out about it because it wasn’t as though I’d offer up the info to Maverick.

  “If you’re that worried, why don’t you ride to the hospital with him?” Bailey asked, sounding more confused than critical about Ashley’s decision.

  “Oh, I’m definitely worried but...” She looked between us before saying, “Look, before I can explain, I need your promise not to say anything about this to anyone. And I mean anyone.” She scanned both sides of the street we were now standing on, just outside the Half-Moon. The paramedics were now loading Sam into the back of the ambulance. “The last thing I want to be is the subject of small town gossip forever and a day.”

  “From what I know about Haven Hollow,” Bailey said ruefully, “I’m pretty sure it’s a little late for that.”

  “Yeah, news does travel incredibly quickly in a small town,” I continued.

  Ashley looked at the ground in dismay. “I know it sounds stupid.”

  “For my part, I promise not to breathe a word of any of this,” I told her.

  Ashley looked at Bailey, who nodded, adding, “I’m making the same promise as Syd.”

  “Well,” Ashley said, rubbing her hands on her face. “I’m glad to hear that from both of you. It’s just...” She cleared her throat, obviously buying time to gather her thoughts. “Sam’s always had a roving eye, even when we were dating.” She breathed in deeply. “Its just… it’s just the way he is.”

  Her words made any sympathy I might have felt towards Sam turn sour, even if this information wasn’t new. I’d noticed the same thing about Sam the first time I met him and the longing way he was staring at Lizzie. What was it with married men who failed to appreciate the love and support their spouses gave them? Didn’t they realize how lucky they were to have that love? Apparently not.

  “He could have married any girl in our graduating class at college,” Ashley went on. “But he chose me.” She smiled then, like it was some big honor she’d received. “Everyone told me how lucky I was. And I agreed with them... at the time, I did anyway. Now, I’m wondering if he just married me because my family has more money than his.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Is he poor?” Bailey asked, the brusqueness of her question surprising me, but there was something about Bailey that said she didn’t bother with beating around the bush. Nope, she would simply uproot the bush and knock it out of her way.