Case One ~ The Deceit (Trudy Hicks Ghost Hunter Book 1)

by Lori Zaremba

  “Yes, ma’am, I’m ready to roll.” He switched on the camera and lifted it to his shoulder.

  “Dana, I need you to sit in with Leslie and me while we meet with the Johnsons, and please alert me if you pick up on anything unusual.” She then spun to face the trailing Leslie. “Do you have your notebook?”

  Leslie lifted her sunglasses off her nose to the top of her head so she could torch Trudy with her eyes. “Do you really need to ask me that?” She showed Trudy several notebooks tucked inside her bag, getting tangled up in Jasmine’s leash and almost spilling the contents.

  Trudy tried to assist her, but Leslie brushed her hands away.

  “All right, don’t get your panties in a bunch. You know me. I’m just working it all out,” Trudy said with exasperation.

  They arrived at the front steps and looked up at the massive home, and the mansion, as there was no other way to describe it, looked down at them ominously.

  “Holy shit,” Patrick whispered, looking up in awe at the steeply pitched front gable that featured a lancet window. There was a dramatic tower on the east side of the house with decorative trim that boasted the structure’s Gothic Revival origins.

  Trudy let out a low whistle of appreciation. “I can see why the owners are fighting for this house.”

  From somewhere inside came a bark, and Jasmine promptly barked back. The team climbed the steps single file onto the massive front porch.

  Trudy looked around at the group before raising her hand to ring the doorbell. Just as she did, the elaborate panel door swung open, causing her to step back awkwardly.

  Trudy ignored Leslie’s curse as she stared up into a gorgeous set of vivid eyes that were looking back at her with honest and open amusement.

  “Mr. Johnson?’ Trudy felt a rare blush creeping up her face.

  “No, I’m Jason Young, and you must be Trudy Hicks?” He held out his hand and shook hers firmly. The warmth from his touch sent a thrill racing down her body. When he released her hand, she ran it through her hair, noticing his eyes swept her from head to toe.

  “Come on in. The Johnsons are expecting you,” Jason said, his gaze still on Trudy.

  Leslie spoke from behind Trudy. “Mr. Young, I’m Leslie Engler. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, reaching around Trudy to shake his hand. “Is it okay to bring Jasmine inside with the other dog?”

  “What other dog?” Jason replied, reaching down to give Jasmine a friendly pat.

  “The dog we just heard barking in the house?” Leslie leaned forward to look past Jason into the foyer.

  Jason shrugged. “No dog here.”

  Leslie turned to Trudy with a look of disbelief on her face. Trudy shrugged and started to snicker before Jason signaled for the group to come inside.

  “Follow me. Paul and Beverly are in the kitchen. I’ll show you the way.”

  Observing the space as the team spread out in the opulent foyer, Trudy was awestruck as she stood for a minute, admiring the finishes, while a pit formed in her belly. Sighing heavily, she looked around at her makeshift team of paranormal investigators and hoped she hadn’t bitten off way more than she could chew.

  “Um…” Leslie began while unbuttoning her navy blue coat and raised an eyebrow “Did ya have any idea the place was so massive?”

  Leslie’s snarky tone immediately put Trudy on edge.

  Dana did a small pirouette. Coming between the two, she gave Leslie a cross look before squeezing Trudy’s arm. “You got this.” As usual, she seemed to sense Trudy’s bundled nerves, then stepped away to walk beside Patrick.

  Trudy shook off her worry and found herself admiring the curved staircase that led to the second-floor landing. The balustrades were an intricate wrought iron that emphasized the grandness of the stairway and created a lavish balcony above.

  The ceiling above the foyer had to reach at least forty feet up, highlighting a massive crystal chandelier that looked to be eight feet in circumference and must weigh at least half a ton. Off the foyer to the left was a huge gathering room. Trudy could see a large fireplace on the exterior wall flanked by French doors. To the right was a small parlor with another hearth, and as they started through the central hallway, an impressive dining room was further down.

  Jason stood observing her curiously as she pondered the space. Trudy ignored him as she studied every detail, her eyes calculating and absorbing the surroundings.

  Trudy wondered if he had observed the moment of her brief panic. She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin a notch in an attempt to look confident before nodding for him to lead the way.

  Jason continued the tour down the long hallway past the grand stairway while the team followed behind, focusing not only on the grandeur but the floor plan of the house as well.

  Trudy’s focus then turned to the beauty of the male form walking in front of her. At six feet tall or so, she guessed him to be in his early forties. Being a good cop, she was taking in every detail. The dark gold hair skimmed the collar of his shirt, giving glimpses of a richly tanned neck. Jason Young must be former military; she could tell by the way he carried himself. Her eyes enjoyed the way his shirt spread across broad shoulders and tapered down to his narrow waist and tucked into a faded pair of jeans that emphasized the shape of his perfect…

  “Trudy!” Leslie elbowed her sharply. “Stop staring at his ass.”

  “Why?” Trudy asked, bemused, looking at Leslie then back at the subject in question.

  “Because, my dear, we’re here to do a job,” Leslie hissed.

  “Oh, yeah…I forgot,” Trudy quipped sarcastically before calling out to get Jason’s attention. “Mr. Young?”

  Jason turned his head toward her, barely hiding his amusement. It seemed quite apparent that he had overheard them discussing his gifted body.

  “Are you a relative of the Johnsons?”

  “Ah…no.” He paused, and as he swung around to look at them, he almost knocked over a lamp on a narrow hall table. He righted the lamp and made sure it was steady before continuing. “I’ve been hired by the Johnsons to do a job as well.”

  “What kind of job?” Leslie asked.

  Jason reached up to push open the kitchen door. “Here we are. Paul and Beverly will explain everything.” He smiled down at them.

  Trudy’s mouth went dry, unable to look away.

  A high-pitched female voice snapped her from the mind trip she almost went on.

  “Trudy Hicks, I am so glad to finally meet you!” Before she knew it, she was pulled into the kitchen and embraced. “I’m Beverly Johnson.”

  She was tiny, Trudy guessed about an inch shy of five feet, but her grip was mighty. She had the petite body of a gymnast that not even five babies could alter. Her smile was as genuine as the kindness in her eyes. They had communicated so much via email that Trudy felt like she had known her all her life.

  “This is my husband, Paul.”

  Tall and mild-mannered, he was the perfect complement to Beverly’s over-the-top energy. Paul shook her hand, smiling, and she could see the silent relief that help had arrived in his eyes.

  Trudy introduced the group, including Jasmine. “This is Leslie’s dog, Jasmine. Like me, she’s a retired police officer. Jasmine is a specially trained search dog. I thought she would be helpful, as you mentioned you have a spirit of a dog here.”

  Trudy looked up and caught the scowl Leslie was sending her way at the mention of the ghost dog and the mysterious bark they heard before entering the house.

  “Yes, we believe we do,” Beverly agreed as she and Paul gathered Jasmine in for some love. “How did you end up with a retired police dog?”

  “Oh, that was all Trudy. She thought I needed a companion,” Leslie explained, smiling fondly at the dog. “Thank goodness, it was love at first sight.”

  The group got comfortable around the large oak table that occupied the center of the kitchen. Trudy hung her heavy coat on the back of one of twelve chairs that surrounded it before sliding into a sea
t next to Leslie.

  Studying her surroundings, Trudy could almost see the many happy moments in this kitchen. It was warm and proudly wore the scars of time. The whitewashed oak cabinets seemed to have been around for many years, while the white marble countertops and subway tile backsplash looked brand new. The air carried the scent of baking bread and whatever Beverly had bubbling on the stove.

  Trudy, taking a folder full of notes from her purse, smiled up at Beverly as she was placing a large pitcher of minted iced tea on the table. Paul followed with a tray of glasses.

  While she poured, Beverly said, “I am so relieved to finally have some help. Paul and I are so grateful to have both teams here to get to the bottom of what’s going on in our house.”

  “Both teams?” Trudy raised a questioning brow to Beverly, who explained Jason was hired to do surveillance.

  “When we first bought the house, squatters had taken up residence in the room behind the kitchen.” She looked a bit nervous as she continued. “We hired Jason and his crew to keep an eye on the place. We want to make sure they aren’t trying to return.”

  Leslie leaned forward. “Wait. Do you think it’s possible that humans are causing the problems you’re having here and not ghosts?” She gave Trudy a little “I told you so” wink.

  “We’ve already discovered a family of raccoons living in the cold cellar.” Jason put his elbows on the table and glanced at Trudy before leaning toward the homeowners. “That could explain a lot of the moans and growls you hear coming from the basement.”

  Trudy looked over at Dana, who just rolled her eyes.

  “Thank you, Jason. We’ve already had the exterminator here this morning, and he’s returning the creatures safely to the wilderness.”

  Jason nodded and stared directly into Trudy’s eyes. “I think by week’s end we’ll be able to explain away a lot of what you’re experiencing here as anything but paranormal.”

  Wanting to smack the smug smile off his face, Trudy instead accepted the challenge in Jason’s eyes, not lowering her gaze until he did.

  She now understood what she would be up against, and Trudy was good with it. As a cop, she always took the practical approach first and preferred to deal with the facts. However, she did feel Mr. Jason Young was in for a rude awakening as the facts turned weird.

  Trudy lifted the glass to her lips and tilted her head back to take a sip. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a movement. Looking directly at the spot where the motion occurred, she watched as a dark opaque mass slid down the wall and disappeared into the floor. Quickly standing from her chair, which scraped loudly on the brick floor, she walked to the spot. Approaching cautiously, feeling the air drop suddenly in temperature, Trudy shivered as if she strolled into an industrial freezer. She blew out and saw her breath crystallize.

  “What the fudge?” Patrick said from his position filming right behind her.

  Trudy felt the hair on her arms rising and the familiar pit form in her gut.

  “Whoa!” Jason padded over and felt the temperature change, not meeting Trudy’s watchful eyes. “Is the air conditioning on?” Turning to ask Paul, Jason lifted his hand to the vent.

  Trudy tsked. “That’s not air conditioning, Mr. Young. That was someone who wanted to make your acquaintance.”

  “The mass was a spirit of a young female…perhaps a girl who served as a maid in the home?” Dana provided softly from her seat at the table.

  Trudy ignored Jason’s harrumph and turned to look at Paul. “Is this something that normally happens in this room?”

  “Nothing that happens here is normal, Trudy.” Paul’s gaze found Beverly’s across the room. Trudy looked away from the sheer emotion she saw between them.

  “It’s okay, we’ll get to the bottom of all this,” Trudy said softly to the Johnsons but found herself again caught in Jason’s gaze. This time she issued the challenge. “I don’t doubt that yours is a haunted house. My job is to find out who is here and why.”

  She paused as Jason folded his arms across his chest.

  “Once we know who and why, we can take the necessary steps to help them cross over.” Trudy wanted to smack away the grin that settled on Jason’s face but instead went back to the table. “Everyone, please take a seat.”

  Once everyone settled, she pulled out a pen and asked the Johnsons to tell her everything that had been happening since their last email to her.

  The next hour was spent discussing hot spots and Vanessa Wilcox Holland, one of the previous owners who the Johnsons believed was haunting the home.

  “I know it’s her!” Beverly exclaimed, while Dana leaned forward and placed a comforting hand on hers.

  “You’re correct, Mrs. Johnson. I haven’t seen her yet, but I felt her presence when we entered the hall.”

  Trudy looked at Dana thoughtfully then turned to the Johnsons. “We’ll map the house tomorrow and do a series of EMF sweeps, and then after dark it’ll be lights out for many hours of investigating.”

  “What’s an EMF sweep?” Beverly asked before taking a sip of her tea.

  “We use instruments that read any fluctuation in the electromagnetic fields,” Trudy said. “Every home has natural sources, such as power lines and appliances.” She paused to look around the table. “Paranormal experts believe that if there are no natural sources nearby to fluctuate the energy, then the anomalies could be spirits. Also, in areas where there’s a naturally high EMF, a ghost can draw from that energy to manifest.”

  Trudy noticed Jason’s raised brow just as she finished speaking. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, giving him the stink eye.

  “We must have a whole lot of high EMFs in this house.” Beverly looked over at Paul, who grimaced.

  Trudy smiled tightly. “These next couple weeks will be tough. We’ll do quite a bit of investigating at night and try to make contact with the spirits here.” Trudy nodded toward Leslie. “Leslie will do extensive research on the home and families who once lived here.”

  “We can then compare notes and see how everything correlates,” Leslie added.

  “What type of research experience do you bring, Ms. Engler?” Jason asked casually before finishing his tea.

  Trudy almost dropped her drink when Leslie peered up at him. “Well, Mr. Young, I’m an attorney, a damn good one.” She paused, taking the glass from Trudy’s hand and setting it on the table before grabbing a nearby paper napkin to clean up a few drops of spilled tea. “I win my cases because of the research and preparation I do. Surely, I can dig up information on the folks who lived here,” she scolded. “However, I don’t see why it’s any of your bus—”

  Beverly, sensing the tension, interrupted. “My cousin works at the library downtown. I can have her assist you in your research, if you like.”

  “Thank you. That would be helpful,” Leslie replied, not giving Jason any more airtime.

  They spent the next little bit going through the process and schedule. Once the meeting came to an end, Beverly asked Jason to give Trudy a tour of the house and the layout of his cameras, while Paul and the ghost hunting crew unloaded the vans.

  “Don’t forget I’m cooking dinner for you and a few friends this evening. I expect you all to be there,” Beverly reminded sweetly.

  Trudy followed Jason to get a good look at his operation. Having set up a lot of cameras to monitor the activity in the house, his team would conduct a full rotation of surveillance.

  Jason explained his professional background. He had worked for the FBI as an intelligence analyst and then as a regional director for over ten years. A few years ago, he took a hard look at the destruction the job had on his home life and decided to start his own surveillance company. “…and here we are.”

  Jason took a few moments to show her the cameras and the angles they covered. Don’t scratch your hind end at any point of this investigation, Trudy thought to herself, as the cameras were quite intrusive.

  “Each bedroom also has a camera that can
be turned on and off at the discretion of the occupants,” he added and gave her a strange look that brought out a little devil in her.

  “What?” She smiled wickedly at his bemused expression. “I can leave mine on if you like,” Trudy teased and enjoyed that his cheeks turned a bit red.

  He grinned wickedly. “No, I want my guys to keep an eye on all the monitors, not just the one in your bedroom,” he bantered and opened the door to the garage, showing her the elaborate setup where his team was busy turning on the cameras.

  “Hey, guys, this is Trudy, our ghost hunter.” Jason guided her in front of him to make the introductions.

  She heard a few snickers, but she ignored it. “Hi, everyone, don’t mind me.”

  Trudy came closer to get a better look at the equipment. Jason had six employees working the case, and they each were introduced to her. Trudy didn’t get offended by the odd looks she received. She worked with many surveillance analysts while on the force and knew they saw things very narrowly through the eye of a lens.

  Tyler, who was around twenty-two or twenty-three, gazed at her eagerly. “Would it be possible if I tagged along and helped investigate with you one night?” His face turned slightly pink when she gave him a curious look. Tyler lifted his shoulders and offered her a huge grin. “I really want to meet a ghost.”

  Trudy chuckled while the men on either side of him poked fun. “I’ll consider it.”

  Jason cupped his hand on Trudy’s elbow, indicating it was time to move on.

  She could see the disappointment on the young man’s face. “It was nice meeting you, Tyler. Drop by the house tomorrow, and we’ll see if we can put you on the schedule.”

  His face lit up as she started to turn away. “Ms. Hicks, I did want to ask you why you quit the police force so early,” Tyler blurted, and Trudy pivoted again to look at him thoughtfully. Apparently, Jason’s team knew all about her.

  She lifted her hand to comfort the scar on her chest and realized Jason’s men grew silent as if they were all waiting for her answer.