A Haunting Dream Read online

  PRAISE FOR THE MISSING PIECES MYSTERIES

  A Spirited Gift

  “An engaging mystery . . . Fans know this writing duet can always be banked on for a strong thriller.”

  —Genre Go Round Reviews

  “Readers will find themselves drawn into the investigation of the death. Throw in a little ghostly activity, the promise of a pirates’ treasure and the reader will be hooked.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  A Touch of Gold

  “Paranormal amateur-sleuth fans will enjoy observing Dae use cognitive and ESP mental processes to uncover a murderer . . . Readers will enjoy.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “The Lavenes once again take readers into a setting with a remarkable past, filled with legends and history . . . The characters are vivid and fascinating.”

  —Lesa’s Book Critiques

  “Spunky and interesting characters . . . Another great read by the Lavenes!”

  —The Romance Readers Connection

  “Will have cozy mystery lovers on the edge of their seats until the very last page . . . Jim and Joyce Lavene are superb storytellers.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  A Timely Vision

  “Grabbed my attention on page one . . . Puzzles are unraveled and secrets spilled in a fast-paced paranormal mystery full of quirky characters you’ll want as friends.”

  —Elizabeth Spann Craig, author of Quilt of Innocence

  “A delightful yarn . . . Kept me turning pages until it was done.”

  —Patricia Sprinkle, author of Friday’s Daughter

  “This opening act of a new amateur sleuth is a wonderful mystery . . . The heroine is sassy and spunky . . . Joyce and Jim Lavene have . . . another hit series.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “I could almost smell and feel the salty sea air of Duck as I was reading. The authors definitely did a bang-up job with the setting, and I look forward to more of Dae’s adventures and the hint of romance with Kevin.”

  —A Cup of Tea and a Cozy for Me

  “This is a mystery with strong characters, a vivid sense of place, and touches of humor and the paranormal. A Timely Vision is one of the best traditional mysteries I’ve read this year.”

  —Lesa’s Book Critiques

  PRAISE FOR THE RENAISSANCE FAIRE MYSTERIES

  Harrowing Hats

  “The reader will have a grand time. This is an entertaining read with a well-crafted plot. Readers of the series will not be disappointed.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “The Renaissance Faire Mysteries are always an enjoyable read . . . Joyce and Jim Lavene provide a complex exciting murder mystery that amateur-sleuth fans will appreciate.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  Deadly Daggers

  “The Lavene duet can always be counted on for an enjoyable whodunit . . . Filled with twists and red herrings, Deadly Daggers is a delightful mystery.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “Will keep you entertained from the first duel, to the last surprise . . . If you like fun reads that will let you leave this world for a time, this series is for you.”

  —The Romance Readers Connection

  “Never a dull moment! Filled with interesting characters, a fast-paced story, and plenty of humor, this series never lets its readers down.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  Ghastly Glass

  “A unique look at a Renaissance Faire. This is a colorful, exciting amateur-sleuth mystery filled with quirky characters, who endear themselves to the reader as Joyce and Jim Lavene write a delightful whodunit.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  Wicked Weaves

  “Offers a vibrant background for the mysterious goings-on and the colorful cast of characters.”

  —Kaye Morgan, author of Ghost Sudoku

  “This jolly series debut . . . Serves up medieval murder and mayhem.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Fast-paced, clever, delightful.”

  —John Lamb, author of The Treacherous Teddy

  “A creative, fascinating whodunit, transporting readers to a world of make-believe that entertains and educates.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “[A] new exciting . . . series . . . Part of the fun of this solid whodunit is the vivid description of the Renaissance Village; anyone who has not been to one will want to go . . . Cleverly developed.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “[A] terrific mystery series . . . A feast for the reader . . . Character development in this new series is energetic and eloquent; Jessie is charming and intelligent, with . . . saucy strength.”

  —MyShelf.com

  “I cannot imagine a cozier setting than Renaissance Faire Village, a closed community of rather eccentric—and very interesting—characters, [with] lots of potential . . . A great start to a new series by a veteran duo of mystery authors.”

  —Cozy Library

  Berkley Prime Crime titles by Joyce and Jim Lavene

  Peggy Lee Garden Mysteries

  PRETTY POISON

  FRUIT OF THE POISONED TREE

  POISONED PETALS

  PERFECT POISON

  A CORPSE FOR YEW

  Renaissance Faire Mysteries

  WICKED WEAVES

  GHASTLY GLASS

  DEADLY DAGGERS

  HARROWING HATS

  TREACHEROUS TOYS

  Missing Pieces Mysteries

  A TIMELY VISION

  A TOUCH OF GOLD

  A SPIRITED GIFT

  A HAUNTING DREAM

  A Haunting

  Dream

  Joyce and Jim Lavene

  THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

  Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  A HAUNTING DREAM

  A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the authors

  PUBLISHING HISTORY

  Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / December 2012

  Copyright © 2012 by Jim and Joyce Lavene.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  ISBN: 978-1-101-61333-7

  BERKLEY® PR
IME CRIME

  Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  BERKLEY® PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  This book is dedicated to the old stories of Duck and the Outer Banks, including “Bring Me Duck” by Suzanne Tate as told by Ruth Tate.

  Contents

  Praise

  Also by Joyce and Jim Lavene

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 1

  “Ann? Is that really you?” Kevin Brickman gasped as he stood in the middle of the laughing crowd at the newly dedicated coffee shop. “When did you get here?”

  “Just now,” Ann Porter, his ex-partner at the FBI, answered. Her pale face was devoid of emotion, though her voice trembled when she spoke. She was a tall, gaunt woman with string-straight, straw-colored hair. “I hope you’re happy to see me. I’ve missed you, Kevin.”

  “Can I get you something to drink?” he asked, obviously shocked, not sure what to say. He hadn’t seen her for years. “They have wonderful lattes here.”

  She took his hand and kissed it, oblivious to the people around them. “I’ve come a long way to find you. Can we please go somewhere and talk?”

  Kevin’s gray-blue eyes found mine, as though asking for understanding.

  What could I say?

  Ann had not only been Kevin’s partner in the FBI, she’d also been his fiancée—until she’d lost it one day when another child they’d been looking for was found dead. There was no way to know if she would ever recover after she was institutionalized.

  Kevin and I had known each other a little over a year, since he’d moved to Duck, North Carolina, where I happen to be the mayor and owner of Missing Pieces, a local thrift store. We’d been through so much during that time—with him opening the old Blue Whale Inn, and us working together on various problems that had come up in town—it seemed like longer.

  I admit it. I’d come to think of him as mine. I thought I’d finally found the right person for me, without having to leave the Outer Banks. Kevin was one of the few outsiders, people who weren’t from Duck, who just seemed to fit right in.

  Everyone gathered in the coffee shop seemed to be staring at us. Duck was a small town, barely more than five hundred residents during the winter. Just about all of them knew there was something going on between Kevin and me—one of the bad things about living in a small town—so those gathered around us now could tell Ann’s arrival was . . . unexpected. The festive moment we were all celebrating—Phil’s deciding to keep the Coffee House and Bookstore open—faded quickly for me. I had to decide what to do.

  Of course Kevin and Ann needed time to talk. They’d been planning their wedding when she’d had her breakdown. I knew he never expected to see her again. What could he be going through?

  I wanted him to know that I understood. I didn’t know what to expect from her, but I wanted him to know that I cared about him. “It’s okay,” I whispered, smiling at him. “Do what you have to do. We’ll talk later.”

  “Dae, this is Ann Porter, my partner when I was with the FBI. Ann, this is Mayor Dae O’Donnell.”

  “Hello, Dae.” Ann stared at me with ragged anger in her cold blue eyes. “I’m Ann—Kevin’s fiancée.”

  I acted like her words, her arrival were nothing to be troubled by. Like I hadn’t specially picked out the blue sweater Kevin was wearing. Like I hadn’t just kissed him a few minutes before when everything seemed so wonderful and life was falling into place.

  “It’s very nice to meet you. Welcome to Duck. If there is anything I can do to make your stay better, please let me know.”

  “Can we go now?” She tugged on Kevin’s arm.

  I wished I was telepathic and could just say, Go. But my gifts didn’t work that way. Instead, I said, “I’m going over there to get a piece of cheesecake. I’ll talk to you both later.”

  I watched them walk outside, then got in the long line for coffee and cheesecake, though my heart wasn’t in it.

  “Dae, who is that she-zombie Kevin’s leaving with?” My friend Shayla Lily stood next to me in the line. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before, and from the look on your face, I’d say you never want to see her again.”

  “It’s okay,” I told her. “She’s Kevin’s ex-partner.”

  Shayla sucked in a sharp breath. She knew about Kevin’s history before he came to Duck. “No way! You mean the crazy psychic girl who he thought was put away for good?”

  “I don’t think that’s the way he feels about her.”

  “Dae?” Trudy Devereaux, another friend, stared at the door as she watched Kevin and Ann walk away from the coffee shop. “I think that girl wants your man.”

  I explained to Trudy about Ann, still smiling. “It’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”

  “Fine?” Shayla tossed her shiny black hair, irritation causing her pretty cocoa brown face to pucker up. “That’s the understatement of the year! You might as well kiss your hunky boyfriend good-bye.”

  “Shayla.” Trudy intervened in her calm, no-hassle fashion. “Dae is in a tough spot here. Let’s show a little sympathy.”

  Despite her good intentions, Trudy didn’t make me feel any better. I knew Kevin would have married Ann if she hadn’t had her breakdown. I wasn’t sure where that left me now.

  And that was the part I had to remember. I didn’t know where that left me now. Kevin had changed a lot since he’d left Ann and the FBI behind. I was sure Ann had changed as well. They might not be able to pick up their relationship again like nothing had happened.

  I didn’t mean to wish Ann bad luck in coming here to find Kevin—well maybe I did. I had a vested interest in their relationship not working. Kevin and I were good for each other. What we had was special. I had a whole future planned around him.

  I was going to have to bide my time. Be patient.

  Duck residents shook my hand and thanked me for convincing Phil De Angelo, who owned the Coffee House and Bookstore, to stay in town. In truth, I had only facilitated. It was his sister, Jamie, who’d done all the heavy lifting.

  But I took the credit. I was running for reelection as mayor. I needed all the goodwill I could get.

  I decided against eating anything. Getting in line had only been a diversion for Kevin to get away without feeling guilty. I really just wanted to go home. Food didn’t figure into it right now.

  “I’m sorry. I changed my mind,” I told Phil when I reached the front of the line. “Thanks.”

  “That’s okay. It’s nice to see everyone is so happy that I decided to stay here.”

  Despite my two years’ practice as mayor of Duck, North Carolina, I couldn’t summon up a happy face for him. I turned away before I embarrassed myself, and walked right into Old Man Sweeney, my next-door neighbor.

  “Just the girl I wanted to see!” He hitched up his red and white checkered pants and grinned at me. “I’ve lost something. Horace said you’d help. I drove my golf cart all the way down here to find you. Can you help or not?”

&
nbsp; Old Man Sweeney had lived next door to my grandfather and me forever. His real name was Mac Sweeney—I’d just never gotten used to thinking of him as someone other than “Old Man Sweeney.”

  I had a lot of angst leftover from him telling Gramps every time I came home late when I was a kid. He’d even lately reported every time I kissed Kevin. The man had no life besides spying on me.

  “I’m sure I can try to help, Ol—Mr. Sweeney,” I said, hoping he’d not noticed me correcting myself. “You’ll have to tell me what’s wrong.”

  Not that all the way down here from his house to the coffee shop was more than a few minutes. But I was glad to have something to distract me from trying to guess what was going on with Kevin and Ann.

  The gift of being able to find lost objects had jumped from my grandmother to me, bypassing my mother. Since I was a little girl, I’d been able to find missing items by touching the person looking for them, usually by holding their hands. My mother had encouraged me, telling me I was gifted and that it was all part of giving back to my community. The idea of giving back had certainly stuck—it was the reason I’d agreed to be the first mayor after the town had incorporated.

  “It’s something special that’s gonna make me enough money to get one of those big-screen TVs everyone raves about.” Old Man Sweeney was still talking. “Yes, sir, there’s money to be made.”

  “Let’s step outside,” I said to him. “What are you looking for?”

  We sat at one of the outdoor café tables behind the coffee shop, with the yellow and green striped umbrella protecting us from the sun. It was the beginning of November, but still warm. Out here we’d be a little more alone. The whole town seemed to be pouring into the coffee shop to celebrate Phil’s decision to stay in Duck.

  Normally, I would’ve taken Old Man Sweeney to Missing Pieces, which was on the Duck Shoppes boardwalk only a short walk away. But this would do. I was starting to get a headache from trying not to think about Kevin and Ann.