we returned to Harvey, who was still waiting in the foyer.
At his raised bushy eyebrows, I shook my head.
“Well, you two,” I said to Zeke and Zelda, “if you’re happy with the place and ready to enjoy it on your own, Mr. Harvey and I will take our leave.”
“I hope you’ll come back soon.” Zelda hugged me for about the tenth time since we’d entered the house. “You’ve been such a joy to work with. I’m so glad we chose you to be our Realtor.”
My cheeks warmed at her compliment. “It’s been my pleasure.”
“There’s just one more thing.” Zelda looked around. “Where’s my purse?”
“You left it in the kitchen, baby,” Zeke said.
Zelda zipped into the kitchen and back again. “We want you to have this.” She handed me a jewelry box.
“You two didn’t need to get me anything,” I said, frowning down at the box.
“Open it,” Zelda urged.
Inside was a leather necklace with a white, arrowhead shaped trinket surrounded by beads. I lifted it out of the box.
“It’s an alligator tooth,” Zelda explained. “Some cultures believe alligator teeth bring good luck while gambling. Since you live in Deadwood, I thought of you when I saw it.”
Considering that I’d been gambling with my life more often than not lately, I was happy to have any good luck charms that came along. “Thank you both. It’s very sweet of you.”
“Here, let me help you put it on.” Zelda took the necklace from me and slipped it over my head. “There, now you’re ready to go out and win.”
I’d settle for going out and not dying.
“We’d like to have you come over for a thank-you dinner sometime, too, if you don’t mind.”
Dinner with Prudence the ghost? I didn’t know how I’d be able to keep from hiding under the table the whole time. “Sure,” I said, trying to mean it. “Give me a call and we’ll pick a date.”
“Deal.” Zelda followed us to the door while Zeke disappeared into the kitchen. “And please don’t be a stranger. I feel like you and I are two old souls who have been waiting to meet up again.”
I stared at her with my breath held, wondering if that was Prudence talking or Zelda. Usually Prudence’s melodic mid-Eastern Atlantic accent took over when she played puppet master, but maybe Zelda would be different. After all, I was pretty sure that she was the “librarian” Prudence had demanded I bring to the house on several of my past visits.
Harvey elbowed me in the spine, nudging a reply of, “Yes, old souls, definitely,” out of me.
I fingered the alligator tooth hanging from my neck. If Zelda and I were going to continue spending time together, I was going to insist it be outside of this house more often than not. Otherwise, she was going to quickly figure out what a nut case I was and hide when I came knocking.
Zelda opened the door for us. “Who’s that?” she asked, looking at me. A frown clouded her usually sunny demeanor.
Harvey and I shared a wide-eyed look.
“Where?” I asked, afraid to move in case Prudence was standing behind me.
She pointed out the door. “Sitting in your Honda.”
What? Sure enough, someone was sitting in the passenger seat. I could have sworn Harvey and I had come alone.
I stepped out onto the porch, trying to see who it was. “Harvey, did you leave your door unlocked?”
“Of course. This is Lead, not Los Angeles.”
True. Come to think of it, I had, too.
“It looks like a woman.” Zelda joined us on the porch, shivering in the cold breeze.
Who in the hell was in my vehicle?
“We’ll be on our way now,” I told Zelda, taking Harvey’s arm and dragging him down the steps with me. “Call me,” I hollered over my shoulder.
Zelda disappeared back inside, closing the door behind her.
Halfway to the SUV, Harvey tugged free of my grip. “You tryin’ to pull my arm off, girlie?”
We drew close enough to get a good eyeful of our visitor through the windshield and stopped.
“She looks familiar,” I