Wilmington, NC 03 - Murder On The Ghost Walk

straight," Melanie retorted but grinned .

37

    "No way could Lambston get far in those flooded streets," Nick said. "His car got stuck. My guys found him wading in water up to his thighs. He confessed to everything when they brought him in. He's being charged with two counts of murder and two counts of accessory to murder."
    We were at Campbell House, Jon and I were sharing our plans for the mansion with Nick and Melanie. The sun was shining; the water had receded. Clean - up crews were working to restore the shine to the Historic District. Christmas was coming and the annual candlelight tour of homes. All the bells and whistles had to be in perfect working order.
    "Tell me something, Nick," I said, "what was Henry Cameron doing cruising my street the afternoon my house was broken into?"
    "Just an innocent misunderstanding. He was looking for a house number and had the wrong address. Nothing sinister. We checked it out and the homeowner vouched for him."
    "And what about Gordon and Sherman's fight? What was that about? I thought it might be an indication of guilt, crooks falling out."
    "Warner did some investing for Cushman and lost a lot of money. Simple as that," Nick replied.
    Jon asked, "How did Deborah Lambston know Henry Cameron, the care taker?"
    "Cameron had done some work for Mrs. Lambston. She knew he needed the money and wouldn't ask questions.
    "And I can clear up another mystery for you. Lambston told us the murders affected his mother's mental stability. She became nocturnal, and often came here at night to play the organ."
    "That's right!" I exclaimed. "She used to be a church organist before she went into decorating. But maybe we'd better keep this to ourselves. The tourists are really eating up Binkie's Ghost Walk tour." I thought of something else. "That also explains the missing wine."
    "What missing wine?" Jon asked.
    "The wine cellar is empty. Then, when I visited Teddy, he offered me wine from his mother's collection. She must have taken it to her house."
    Nick took a deep breath and said, "Look, I've got some explaining to do and I'm not very good at this sort of thing so hear me out.
    "Ashley, I was so worried I'd be unduly influenced by our . . . ah, our friendship . . . I failed to listen to you. It's one of the worst mistakes a detective can make. Melanie, I'm sorry you were accused, but at the time the evidence pointed to you."
    He looked at me and smiled apologetically. Those dimples. He had the power to melt my resistance. But I wasn't ready to let him know he was forgiven. Let him stew a little longer.
    Melanie on the other hand was not the melting type. She gave Nick a withering glance from under her long lashes and said, "If my daddy was still alive, he'd have your job. You're lucky I don't sue you and the City."
    "I'd like to make amends, starting by taking you both to dinner. I was wrong, I admit it."
    "Thanks, but I'm having dinner with Joel. I think I've found the perfect property for his resort so we're celebrating."
    "Ashley?" Nick asked.
    "Well . . . " I began.
    "Wait a minute," Jon interrupted. "I thought we agreed to take the dinner-dance cruise. They're back in business."
    "Actually," I said, "I promised to meet Binkie." Looking out the window I saw him approach the gate and went to meet him. Standing there in the mellow fall sunshine, I told him all about Teddy's confession and how he'd locked Melanie and me in the basement.
    "Binkie, I saw Jean Campbell. She opened the door for us and let us out of the basement. Melanie never saw her. She thinks it was Ellen Burns. But it wasn't, it was Jean. Just telling you this gives me goose bumps."
    He grinned. "So now you're a believer."
    "How can I deny what I saw with my own eyes. Binkie, I've been giving this a lot of thought, trying to square the existence of spirits with my religious beliefs."
    "And what did you decide?"
    "Well, I'm a Christian. I was baptized at St. James, and I try to attend regularly. So I believe our soul belongs to God and when we die our soul goes to God. Heaven and hell, just like we're taught in Sunday school .
    "But I think with some people, there's some bit of corporeal energy left behind. The human being is a complex creation . So some people have unfinished business, and with Jean Campbell, it was having her son and daughter-in-law murdered in her house, and hidden there. Some little part of her came back to grieve, to stay with them, to try to right the wrong. And she helped Melanie and me."
    I