Upsetting a Poltergeist Never Ends Well: Diva Delaney Mysteries, #3

By Anni Jayde

Framed for another murder that she didn't commit, Diva Delaney once again finds herself neck deep in trouble. This time, she knows who is behind the crime, but proving it isn't going to be easy when the evidence against her is so overwhelming. She will have to rely on the father of her high school nemesis to get her out of jail. Luckily, Roger Mayhew owes her one, thanks to Haydn Creighton's blackmailing skills.

As if Diva doesn't already have enough problems, Nina Rivers warns her that she's in danger. The witch might only have moderate power, but one thing she excels at is hunches. Her intuition is never wrong and she senses Diva is in extreme peril. Someone out there means her harm, but she doesn't know who it is, or when they'll strike. Personally, Diva suspects the danger will most likely come from Gillian Farque. Haydn's fiancé already has it in for her. Thanks to the damage Diva did to her sports car, she's going to make her pay big time.

Diva's cousins, Eve and Courtney are having problems of their own. Eve's is a direct result of accompanying Diva on one of her jobs. Courtney's is self-inflicted. Her decision to attempt to force the handsome sheriff to fall for her has repercussions she didn't plan on. There's a reason why conjurers are forbidden from casting magic on normals. Doing so often backfires on the caster horribly.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Seize The Night Agency
• Release date: Nov 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393809968

Book preview

Chapter One

THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING, I moaned as I paced up and down in my jail cell. Please tell me I’m asleep and that I’m having my worst nightmare again, I said to my best friend in desperation.

This is not a dream, Jess replied, averting her gaze from the other occupant of the cell. If this was your worst nightmare, you’d be wearing an orange jumpsuit and you’d be forced to pee in front of your roommate.

So, Gary The Pervert said with glee, what did you do? Did you kill someone? He sat on the long wooden bench against the far wall, grinning at me evilly.

I didn’t kill anyone! I snapped.

So, you’re a murderer, huh? the naked phantom said knowingly. He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms behind his head. My upper lip wrinkled when I glanced at him to see his junk on display. He’d died while having sex and was therefore cursed to be erect forever. Jess was cursed to have crimped blonde hair and to wear electric blue eyeshadow, headband and matching legwarmers. Her hot pink t-shirt clashed with her acid wash jeans. Sometimes, I wasn’t sure which ghost had it the worst. Who did you kill? Gary asked.

A normal by the name of Hugh Fogarty, Jess told him. But Diva didn’t kill him. She’s being framed.

I don’t know that name, our unwanted companion said. Is he new to town?

He lives in Verity Falls.

How did you kill him? he asked me.

I told you, I didn’t kill anyone! I said with a glare.

That’s what they all say, Gary The Pervert said with a smirk. All criminals are innocent. Just ask them. He uttered a nasty chuckle, enjoying my torment far too much. Taunting me was his form of payback. I’d banished him from a client’s home so he couldn’t haunt her every night. I’d ruined his fun and now he was using me for his entertainment.

Shouldn’t you be entitled to a phone call? Jess asked.

I’d only been locked in the jail for about ten minutes or so now, but it already felt like a lifetime to me. I doubt it’ll be necessary, I replied. My family will have heard about this by now. They’re probably already on their way here.

Right on cue, the door slammed open and a gaggle of females all began talking at once. Where is my granddaughter? Lilla Delaney demanded. Her voice rose above the others, silencing them all.

She’s in the first cell, ma’am, Penny said in a meek voice. She was Drew’s receptionist and she was just a normal. She knew I could see ghosts, but she wasn’t aware of the magical community that surrounded her. At least not as far as I knew. She’d given me the idea to ask Haydn to cast a voodoo spell to evict Gary from my client’s house, but it might have just been her idea of a joke.

I strode over to the bars as the entire Delaney Coven converged on me. Aunt Janet and Aunt Isabel looked worried, as did my cousins, Eve and Courtney. Grandma looked me up and down and shook her head. How do you manage to get yourself into so much trouble, Diva? she asked grumpily.

It’s a gift, I replied dryly.

Are you sassing me? she demanded.

No, Grandma, I said quickly. I’m really glad to see you all.

What’s this we’ve heard about you murdering someone? Aunt Janet asked.

I’ve been framed by a client, I explained. Marcia Fogarty came to see me a few days ago about her missing husband. She handed me a ransom note and said she thought it was fake and that he was behind his own abduction. I saw a vision of him with two men and a woman. They were conspiring to blackmail ten million dollars from his wife. I wrote down everything I saw and gave it to Mrs. Fogarty.

Your fingerprints are on the ransom note? Grandma asked. I nodded and her lips pressed into a thin line.

What are we going to do? Aunt Isabel said. Diva is innocent.

That’s debatable, Gary said with a sneer.

Shut up, Gary, I said wearily. I’d only been locked up with him for a short while, but I was already sick of him. At least he had the option to leave. I was at the mercy of two lawmen. The sheriff from Verity Falls had come to our town. He was currently in Drew’s office, checking my fingerprints against the ones from the ransom note.

Is that naked pervert in there with you? Courtney asked, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

Yeah, he and Jess are both here.

Where are the Three Stooges? Eve asked just as the trio of ghosts zoomed through the wall and into my cell.

They’ve just arrived, I told my cousin.

So, the rumors are true! Fran said, wringing her hands in worry. You’ve really been arrested.

They didn’t arrest me. I’m just here for questioning.

They don’t usually lock people they’re just questioning in a cell, Aunt Isabel said doubtfully, following my end of the conversation.

It’s probably Drew’s way of punishing me. He’d been hit on the head and had been knocked out after kissing me recently, courtesy of my curse.

You’re going to need legal representation, Aunt Janet said. We’ll have to call in a lawyer from out of town.

No, we won’t, I refuted as a realization dawned on me.

Roger Mayhew is the only lawyer in Hollowood Grove, Grandma reminded me, not that I needed it. You’re sworn enemies with his daughter, Angelica. I highly doubt he’ll take your case.

He’ll take it, I said confidently.

How can you be so sure? Eve asked me suspiciously, then her eyes widened. You have some dirt on him!

Spill it! Courtney added.

If I spill his secrets, I won’t have any leverage over him, I pointed out, to their disappointment. Can someone call him and ask him for his help? I have a feeling I’m going to be charged with murder very shortly.

As if in response to that, Drew’s door at the far end of the hall opened and the two lawmen stepped out. I leaned forward and peered down the hall to see Drew grimace when he saw my entire family was here. The second sheriff braced himself for battle, then strode forward. He came to a stop at my cell and stared at me through the bars, ignoring the others. Diva Delaney, you are now a suspect in the murder of Hugh Fogarty. I’m taking you into custody and will be transporting you to Verity Falls.

Over our dead bodies, Grandma said, elbowing her way through the group to stand in front of him. My granddaughter is innocent! She’s never harmed a fly.

Aunt Isabel took her phone out to make a call, speaking quietly when it was answered.

She almost killed a cockroach once, Jess said. But then she fainted afterwards. I cut her a look, but couldn’t deny that I’d fainted with two normals watching me so closely, not that they’d heard her. Drew already thought I was crazy. It wouldn’t be helpful for me to start talking to thin air right now.

Your granddaughter’s fingerprints are on the ransom note that was delivered to the wife of the deceased man, ma’am, the sheriff said. The name embroidered on his tan shirt said, ‘Sheriff Troy Ambrose’. He was tall, on the slender side, had thinning brown hair and was somewhere in his forties.

She’s been framed, Aunt Janet told him. Diva isn’t capable of murdering anyone.

Everyone is capable of murder, ma’am, Sheriff Ambrose replied sternly.

Are you just going to let this man take my granddaughter away? Grandma said to Drew. She was quivering with outrage and was on the verge of casting a spell at both men.

I don’t have a choice, Drew said unhappily and reached for his keys. The evidence is irrefutable. Even I can see Diva’s fingerprints are a match. Sheriff Ambrose has jurisdiction, since the murder was committed in Verity Falls.

Unlocking the door, he motioned for my family to move back. Ambrose took a pair of handcuffs out of his back pocket, stepped into the cell and turned me around. He cuffed my hands behind me and I met Gary The Pervert’s merry eyes. Have fun in Verity Falls, roomie, he said with a cackle. I hope you like orange, because I’m sure they’ll have a lovely jumpsuit lined up for you to wear.

My ghostly friends shot him withering glares, but he slapped his knee soundlessly, almost turning transparent he was laughing so hard. The cold metal closed around my wrists and fear crept into my heart. This mess wasn’t something my family could get me out of easily. I was going to have to rely on the father of my high school nemesis to work his own brand of lawyerly magic to rescue me.

Chapter Two

INSTEAD OF MARCHING me out through the front door, Sheriff Ambrose followed Drew down a short hallway that led to the back of the building. My family were right behind us as he escorted me to his cruiser. They had a chance to hug me, then I was placed on the back seat. A faint smell of vomit clung to the fabric, adding to my own nausea that was swirling around inside me.

We’ll get you out of this, dear, Aunt Isabel said through the window as Ambrose climbed behind the wheel.

Jess floated into the cruiser beside me with a worried expression. I wish I could go with you. You’ll be all alone in Verity Falls.

I’ll be fine, I said with a forced smile.

You keep telling yourself that, Ms. Delaney, the sheriff replied, mistakenly believing I was talking to myself.

My family and ghostly friends waved as the cruiser drove away. Jess was able to stay with me for a couple of miles past the town line before she reached the extent of her range. When she suddenly disappeared, fear crashed down on me. I didn’t know anyone in Verity Falls very well, but I had a few clients from there. None of them would be able to assist me. I would be on my own, at least until Roger Mayhew turned up. This was going to take time to sort out, which meant I could be locked up for a while.

Depressed and shaking, I didn’t take in any of the scenery during the half hour drive to Verity Falls. It was larger than Hollowood Grove and the Sheriff’s Department was more extensive. It was in the heart of town and he parked out the back of the low, wide concrete building. I was escorted inside and to a room that was more private than the open cells. I had a small cot and a toilet tucked away behind a privacy screen. Relief that I wasn’t going to have to pee in front of anyone made me feel almost giddy for a moment.

Ambrose unlocked my cuffs, then gave me a light push to get me to enter the cell. Sit tight. I’ll be back in a while to question you. He locked the door behind me, then strode off down the hall.

Taking in my room, I walked over to the cot and sank down. A head popped through the wall and a ghost examined me. He was average to look at and wore a loud Hawaiian shirt in shades of pink and green, brown shorts and flipflops. Hi, I said and his mouth dropped open.

You can see me? he asked, stepping all the way into the cell.

Yeah. I’m a medium.

Your name isn’t Diva Delaney, is it?

That’s me, I confirmed unhappily. My infamy had spread to Verity Falls even before I’d met some of the ghosts that lived here a few days ago.

Big Charlie will want to hear about this, the unnamed spirit said, then rapidly floated away.

Within two minutes, my cell held a trio of phantoms. Big Charlie was their ringleader. He was a giant of a man with graying curly hair and a matching monobrow. He’d been the cook at Denny’s Diner back in the fifties. He must have died on the job, since he was clad in cook’s whites, apron and white hat. I thought we’d see you soon, he said and took a seat next to me on my cot. We heard about Hugh Fogarty’s death and that you were implicated in his murder.

I didn’t do it, I said miserably.

We know that, a ghost wearing a ratty brown robe over striped blue and white pajamas said. He was small, thin and was Big Charlie’s main sidekick. He had brown hair and a scraggly beard. I had no idea what his name was.

We think it was the wife, Big Charlie said. She and her best friend, Mrs. Saunders, have been plotting against Hugh for months, or so the word goes.

Are you talking about Tricia Saunders? I asked with a frown.

That’s her name, Ratty Robe said, then withered beneath the glare Big Charlie gave him for beating him to the punch.

While the two women were plotting against him, he was scheming to extort millions from her by setting up a fake kidnapping, I told them.

It looks like her plan worked better than his, Big Charlie said with a grin.

Why did they frame me? I asked.

Why not? the former cook said with a shrug. You talk to ghosts, which makes you crazy in most people’s eyes. It wouldn’t be hard to make Sheriff Ambrose think you’re bonkers. That man has no imagination.

He doesn’t know about the magical community? I asked.

He wouldn’t believe it even if the proof walked right up to him and smacked him in the face.

He’s just like our Sheriff, I said in defeat. No matter how much proof I’ve shown him, Drew still doesn’t believe me.

Do you have a good lawyer? Big Charlie asked.

I think so. I’m hoping he’s on his way here now.

What’s his name?

Roger Mayhew.

I’ve heard of him, Ratty Robe said. He’s defended a few clients here in Verity Falls.

Were they witches and warlocks? I asked.

Magical folk don’t usually get caught by the cops, Big Charlie told me. They have their own form of justice and take care of their own matters privately.

Coven law, I said and they all nodded solemnly.

We heard you were seen at the Fogarty house, Ratty Robe said. Why were you there if you didn’t whack Hugh?

I don’t even know where their house is, I replied blankly.

Ambrose has photos of you at the Fogarty residence, Hawaiian Shirt said. It’s definitely you in them.

What photos? Big Charlie asked his stooge. Hawaiian Shirt had to be the guy he’d set to watching the Sheriff’s Department.

I saw them in Fogarty’s murder file, Hawaiian Shirt replied. There’s photos of Diva approaching the front door through the security footage. She was in the house for over an hour before she left.

It was Tricia Saunders’ house that I went to, I protested.

Nope, Hawaiian Shirt refuted. It was Hugh Fogarty’s place.

It’s all part of the frame job, Big Charlie realized. Saunders lured you there and made sure you were seen on the security cameras.

Mrs. Fogarty gave me the ransom note when she came to my office, I added. She wanted to see if her husband was behind his own abduction. My fingerprints are on it, which is more proof that I’m the murderer.

You’re in deep trouble, doll face, the former cook told me gravely. I hope your lawyer is good. He’s going to need to be to get you out of this mess.

She could always plead insanity, Hawaiian Shirt suggested. "You can’t