The Ghost and The Haunted Mansion: A Haunted Bookshop Mystery

of fish?
    “Easy, Jack. Don’t go getting jealous on me.”
    Jack grunted—and got a whole lot colder. With a little shiver, I rubbed my bare arms.
    The chief turned to Rubino. “Okay, Doctor, I’m listening. Explain what you mean.”
    “I mean Miss Todd wasn’t murdered.”
    “Go on,” Ciders said.
    “It’s simple,” Rubino said. “Miss Todd died of natural causes, not foul play. In my opinion she suffered a massive and instantly fatal cerebral hemorrhage. I can’t be certain, of course, until I conduct an autopsy, but—”
    “What about the blood?” Ciders broke in. “The victim was covered with it. Blood was all over the place.”
    “Well, it was a hemorrhage , Chief, and that means there’s bound to be some blood. When the vein in her neck ruptured, Miss Todd started to bleed from her nose and ears. This is not an uncommon occurrence.”
    You notice Doc Heartthrob still isn’t saying what caused the old dame to pop a pipe.
    “You’re right!” I told Jack—but it was Rubino who answered.
    “What’s that, Mrs. McClure? You agree?”
    “Uh . . .” I stared at the man. “Did I say that out loud?”
    Dr. Rubino frowned. “Say what?”
    Now everyone turned to stare at me. “Actually, Doctor, I have a few questions.”
    Atta girl, Baby Ruth. Swing away.
    “What questions do you have, Mrs. McClure?” The tone was mildly patronizing. I pressed on.
    “The expression on Miss Todd’s face,” I said. “She appeared to be positively terrified .”
    “You would be, too, if you felt a twinge in your neck and blood began to pour from your nose and mouth. You must understand that Miss Todd suffered a sudden, terrible trauma before she died.”
    I thought of that cold spot and the strange noises she’d reported. “But there could have been something else that may have frightened her, right?”
    The doctor folded his arms. “The only explanation I can offer for her frightful expression is medical.”
    “I have a question,” Ciders said, glancing at me, then back to the doctor. “We’ve had several complaints from the deceased in recent weeks. Miss Todd claimed she heard noises inside and outside her home.”
    Thank you, Chief! I thought.
    “I see,” Rubino said. “And did you find the source of these noises?”
    Ciders shook his head.
    “Well then, Miss Todd was probably suffering from some form of mild dementia,” Rubino replied. “She was quite old and very reclusive. On top of that, I doubt she’d had a medical checkup or a psychological evaluation in decades.”
    “Not everyone gets a psychological evaluation as a matter of course,” I noted.
    Rubino nodded. “True, but living alone like this . . . her physician probably would have ordered one. She could have been experiencing paranoia. Delusions. The onset of audio hallucinations—”
    Audio hallucinations! Jack laughed. Hear that, doll? That’s what you thought I was!
    “Excuse me,” Seymour interrupted. “But Miss Todd wasn’t suffering from any sort of delusions, audio or otherwise. I spoke with her nearly every day.”
    “And I spoke with her over the phone earlier today,” I added. “She sounded perfectly normal to me.”
    “Selective observations are far from conclusive,” Dr. Rubino said. “Neither of you are medical professionals.”
    “But still . . .” I paused. “Don’t you think it’s at least remotely possible that Miss Todd was frightened to death?”
    Dr. Rubino gave the notion about two seconds’ worth of consideration before laughing out loud.
    I shifted with embarrassment.
    You got nothing to be embarrassed about, baby. You asked a question. You deserve an answer. So tell him!
    Jack was right. I cleared my throat—loudly. “Isn’t it true, Doctor, that under certain circumstances strong emotions like fear or stress can initiate the onset of a stroke, a heart attack, or a hemorrhage?”
    Ciders stared expectantly at the doctor and so did everyone else in the room. Now it was Dr. Rubino’s turn to shift uncomfortably.
    “It’s possible, Mrs. McClure. Yes, I suppose. But dying of fright . . .” He shook his head. “That’s far from an official cause of death. Do you understand my meaning? It’s not something I’m going to rule.”
    Seymour loudly exhaled. He’d obviously heard enough. “I’m out of here!” he announced. “This is a bummer, you know. I was Miss Todd’s friend . . . and anyway I still have mail to deliver, too—if I’m not fired already!”
    Ciders stared