Walnut Grove House

by Alexie Aaron

  all set. Yes, I’ll sit in as long as Tub doesn’t splash me like last time.” Amy looked at Sally. “I’m the auntie or tía when a female is in a vulnerable position like hydrotherapy.”

  “It has been a pleasure.”

  “Make sure you send that to Cid. I hear the lunch ladies are working on a hash brown casserole for the next time Cid visits.”

  “Will do.”

  Sally sat down and sent the picture, adding: Can you talk?

  Her phone rang immediately.

  “Anything Ripley says about me is to be taken with a grain of salt. I did not put the baseball cards in the spokes of her chair, Ted did.”

  “I’m liking this Ted more and more,” Sally said.

  “Don’t tell the shrink that. They’ll commit you. How are you?”

  “Tired and a bit scared. They have me set up with a Dr. Myer.”

  “You’re going to love her. Lazar told me he’s been trying to get into her group therapy sessions, but she told him he’d have to grow breasts first. Where are you now?”

  “In room ten. It has heated floors and a view of a lake.”

  “That’s Big Bear Lake. I live northwest of where you are. You may be able to see a hillside with big pines on it.”

  Sally walked to the window. “I can see them.”

  “I live two hundred yards from those very trees. Tell Carl, if he wants to spend the night at my house or the Martins’ guestroom, to give me a call.”

  “I will. Cid, thank you for taking care of me.”

  “It was a pleasure.”

  “Please take care of yourself.”

  “I promise.”

  There was a knocking on the door.

  “Someone’s here. I’ll call you later.”

  “Bye, Sally, I love you.”

  “I love you too,” Sally was surprised to hear herself say. “Bye.”

  The door opened, and a short stout woman in a tweed pantsuit walked in. “Sally Wright?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’m Dr. Myer. Don’t let the dumpy pantsuit fool you, I can dance a mean rumba.”

  Sally smiled shyly.

  “Walk with me. I’ll show you how to get to my office.”

  Sally followed her out into the hall.

  “I hear you’re a friend of Mr. Garrett.”

  “Yes. A new friend. My foster brother Carl has been working with Cid for a few years.”

  “He reads a lot of psychology books. I keep trying to tell him that you can’t learn everything from books.”

  “He learned how to tango from a book. I’d be surprised if he’s not working on the rumba.”

  Dr. Myer laughed. “The day Cid asks me to rumba will be the day I retire. Are stairs a problem?”

  “No.”

  “Good, my Fitbit has been begging me to do a few flights of stairs.”

  Sally followed Dr. Myer up the stairs, down the hall and into a large airy office.

  “I think this used to be where ladies did their needlework. The light is excellent even on a dreary winter day. Please sit and get comfortable. We’ll talk first, and then I’ll take you to get your vitals recorded.”

  Sally sat down on the couch. Instead of sitting behind her desk, Dr. Myer sat in a swivel rocking chair.

  “I don’t have my records with me. I didn’t…”

  Dr. Myer waved her hand. “Sally, it doesn’t matter. Anything that has been recorded on a computer is being sorted through by my assistant. I want you to tell me what happened immediately prior to your two attacks.”

  “I fell in love.”

  “Well, that needs explaining.”

  “I didn’t simply want to exist anymore. I want to live.”

  “Emotional upheavals can create an imbalance. But I think you’re on the wrong therapy. You could have adopted a puppy and had an attack.”

  Sally giggled. “Excuse me. Your comment tickled my funny bone because the man I fell in love with does have extraordinary big brown eyes and big ears.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Cid angled his head so he could see in the mirror into his ear. “How in the world did I get paint in my ear?”

  Jesse, who was sitting at the banquette, answered him. “Gary likes to dab great amounts of paint when he’s painting plaster reliefs. He says it gives the plaster time to absorb some before he smooths it out.”

  “He’s just out of practice,” Cid said. “He’s used to having a crew to do the painting for him. He’s amazing with plaster. I would put him up there with the top five in his craft.”

  “He’s good. But I think he’s worn out like the rest of us. We’ve really been burning the candle at both ends. Wayne and Pete are walking through the house right now, assessing how much we have left to do. I believe he’s going to suggest we stop for the day and get some quality rest before we start fine-tuning the rest.”

  “I’m going to preheat the oven and start to put the pizzas in. While I’m sitting there, I’m also going to try and finish the book. It’s really horrible what humans will do to each other for the sake of money and power.”

  “Before you go, what happened to put Sally, basically, naked in my bed?”

  “She had an episode and…”

  “Enough said,” Jessie dismissed.

  Cid looked at his friend and said, “The more I know you, the more I have to acknowledge what a decent dynamic person you are.”

  “Not a cowboy?”

  “Not a cowboy. Actually, I think cowboys are getting a bad rap. Back in the…”

  “Save it,” Jesse said. “I’m going to take a shower.”

  Gary jotted down some notes and took a picture of a problem Wayne wanted to point out to Pete. They were on the west side of the house where the light from the setting sun had warmed the rooms.

  “I didn’t expect this heat wave,” Wayne said. “The snow has disappeared off the patio.”

  Gary pulled open a window and leaned out. “You would expect there to be puddles or water running off into the lawn.”

  “The whole patio structure should be angled to facilitate water runoff,” Wayne said, closing the window.

  “But that would be if building codes were being paid attention to,” Gary said, walking swiftly out of the room.

  Wayne watched the contractor descend the grand staircase at an alarming rate. “Holy Shit, slow down!” he called after the contractor.

  Gary disappeared from the gallery before Wayne finished with the stairs. Wayne heard the basement door slam and Gary’s running footsteps. They almost collided in the doorway.

  “Water in the basement!”

  “How much?” Wayne asked.

  “Enough to dissolve the salt,” Gary said, running for the front door. He skidded to a halt as three ghosts moved up through the floor and blocked their exit. “CID, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, WE’RE IN TROUBLE AT THE HOUSE! THE GHOSTS ARE LOOSE! I REPEAT, THE GHOSTS ARE LOOSE!”

  One of the ghosts lunged for Gary. He twirled around, breaking the contact and retreated to the stairs, where Wayne had just reached. Wayne poured a circle of salt. He only had enough to contain his large form.

  Gary looked at the situation, patting his pockets. He realized he failed to restock his ghost deterrents.

  “Get over here! I’ll hold you,” Wayne said as more ghosts moved up through the floor. “God in Heaven, there are so many of them.”

  Gary ran, dodging another emerging ghost. He jogged to the left and passed the creature only to find two more bearing down on him. He spun around and found himself surrounded by superpowered ghosts.

  The door crashed open.

  “FLOOR!” Cid shouted.

  Gary threw himself down. Wayne crouched in his salt circle on the stairs.

  Cid aimed high and pulled the trigger of the shotgun, discharging both chambers. Rock salt peppered the mob.

  Jesse arrived, in nothing but a towel, brandishing the Fed’s handgun. He
shot iron pellet after pellet at the beasts. The ghosts withered in pain. Some lost cohesiveness. A few managed to turn around and charge Cid and Jesse.

  Pete entered with a cordless, handheld paint sprayer and doused the creatures with holy water. They screamed as if on fire and melted through the floor.

  Gary crawled towards the door. Wayne saw a clear path and ran full out, stopping only to scoop Gary off the floor and toss him over his shoulder before exiting the building.

  Cid, Jesse, and Pete backed out, locking the door after them.

  Bouncing up and down over Wayne’s shoulder, Gary saw their three liberators turn around on the porch and lower their weapons. “God, I wish I had my camera.”

  Wayne stopped and set Gary down. He turned around to see the three contractors walk through the melting snow. Pete was whistling the theme from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

  “Here comes the good, the naked and What the Fuck,” Wayne said and saluted the guys. “Jesse, aren’t you cold?”

  “Cowboys don’t get cold,” Jesse said through shivering lips. He ran to the trailer.

  “And then there were two,” Wayne said. “How’d you guys get to us so fast?”

  “I heard you when I was with Jesse in the trailer,” Cid answered.

  “Gary butt-dialed me,” Pete said.

  “It must have been when I backed into the kitchen door on my way up the stairs,” Gary said and then held up his phone. “I will never complain about this piece of junk again.”

  “I wonder how much damage we did to the hall?” Cid worried.

  Wayne patted him on the back. “Don’t worry, we’ll fix it before Kiki sees it.”

  “Is anyone else hungry?” Pete asked.

  “I’m on it. Deep-dish pizza in forty minutes,” Cid said.

  Walrus gave him a thumbs-up.

  Cid walked up the stairs through the common room and into the kitchen. He found Faye waiting for him. She looked at him and asked, “What’s happened?”

  “There appears to be a leak in the foundation wall facing the lake. The weather warming has melted a lot of the built-up ice on that side of the building. Water has run in and dissolved the salt on the floor. We had to go in and do battle to get Gary and Wayne out safely.”

  “I’m sorry, I should have had their back. I was busy following a group of cloaked ghosts in the woods. I think someone slaughtered a black magic cult.”

  “Did you speak to any of them?”

  “I couldn’t, it was a residual haunt,” Faye answered.

  Cid set the sawed-off shotgun down and preheated the oven. He drew the red book from the back of his jeans where he had jammed it when he heard Gary’s distress call. “Before you ask, I intend to finish the book tonight. So far, our heroes have had a time of it.”

  “Heroes? You and Sally are nuts.” Faye scoffed. “They died, they failed.”

  Cid shook his head. “Jake inscribed this on Murphy’s coffin, ‘Remember, my friend, death is never the end.’ Just because Jon and Daniel are dead, it didn’t stop them from trying to protect us from the crazy ghosts, or Daniel entrusting me with his book. In my eyes, they are heroes.”

  Faye’s visage told Cid that she wasn’t convinced.

  “You saved Jon with my iron skillet. You’re a hero. You’ve saved us before. What do I need to do to get you to understand your value?”

  Faye hung her head. “I’m no hero, Cid. The more clues I pick up on about who I may have been, or who I associated with, I’m starting to fear that I’m a villain.”

  “Were a villain, not are,” Cid insisted. “Mia will tell you that people really don’t change after death, but they can change. Murphy changed. He stopped being a farmer with his nose in the dirt and, instead, became one of the strongest allies we have on the side of good.”

  “He was virtuous to begin with,” Faye argued.

  “No, he was cowed by his mother, and that’s a whole other thing. Faye, he isn’t a virtuous ghost. He has honor, but he slips up as all humans do. But he’s a hero, like Jon and Daniel are. You’re a hero. You could be sitting and haunting Hal’s mansion causing all sorts of havoc, but instead, you help us out. You’re our eyes. You have our backs.”

  “No wonder Sally fell in love with you, Cid. You make everyone feel better about themselves.”

  “I didn’t use to be this way. I changed.”

  Faye smiled. “Speaking of heroes, where is Jesse?”

  “I think taking a hot shower. He’ll be in soon to have dinner with us.”

  Faye walked to the window and looked over at the house. “You left the lights on. Do you want me to turn them off?”

  “It may be too dangerous.”

  “I’ll enter at the upper reaches of the house and work my way down.”

  “Say hello to Jon for me.”

  Faye blushed and disappeared.

  ~

  Kiki stared across at Alan. He was trying to find the right bottle of wine to go with their meal. Kiki didn’t care, but she knew Alan did. He was constantly working hard to learn the social graces that many of his clients learned at their nanny’s knee. He ordered and made a face after the waiter left.

  “I’m never sure. Ms. Wells said to look at the most expensive and then at the cheapest and find something in the middle.”

  “I’m going to take that advice when I’m next in your situation,” Kiki said. “Thank you, Alan, for being here with me, and for rescuing me from possession.”

  “It took me years to find you. I can’t let a demon ghost take you away from me.”

  “Can I go back tomorrow?” Kiki asked.

  “No.”

  “You said Cid and Jesse locked up the ghost,” Kiki argued.

  “We’ve been over this. Until the ghost is destroyed, it will always be a threat to you.”

  “But I know about it now…”

  Alan reached over and grabbed Kiki’s hand. “I’m sorry this has happened to you. I realize you’re starting to resent my interference. You need to stay away because if I had arrived a half an hour later, you may be facing a murder charge right now.”

  Kiki pulled her hand away and sat back. “But it would have been the demon ghost inside of me who killed Cid, not me!”

  “I still represent a young man who was possessed by a demon. Under the influence of the demon, he killed his family with an axe. Even though the demon was exorcised, he’s still in prison, and he’ll die in prison. There’s not a judge I know of that would let me put up a possession defense. The best I could do was an insanity plea, and you would end up locked up in a facility the rest of your life.”

  “I didn’t realize. I’m sorry, I didn’t think these things through.”

  “Did you get ahold of Wayne?”

  “Yes. The guys pulled a late night and worked most of the day today. If there hadn’t been a leak in the foundation, they would have the place almost ready for my inspection.”

  “I’ll look at the contract to see if you’re responsible for fixing the leak in the foundation.”

  “I was told no outside work. But it’s affecting the inside,” Kiki ruminated. “I’ll give the Atwater lawyer a call after we finish our investigation tomorrow.”

  “So you’re staying?” Alan asked.

  “Yes. This seems to be the best place for me right now. But that’s not why I’m staying.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I love you, Alan, and I’m enjoying spending time with you. Granted, I’d rather be swinging a hammer than reading boring pamphlet after boring pamphlet about Congressman Atwater.”

  “I’d rather be cuddling up in front of the television and watching you yell at the guys on This Old House.”

  Kiki blushed. “I’m wasn’t yelling, just offering constructive criticism.”

  ~

  Sally sat in the big wingback chair and gazed out at the lake. She could see lights moving slowly to and from the ice shanties in the middle of the
lake. She’d never been ice fishing and wondered what freezing in the dead of winter, staring down into a hole you cut into the ice had going for it? She turned off her lights to see the outside better and to feel less like she was in a fishbowl.

  Sally closed her eyes and reflected on her conversation with Dr. Myer and her brief conversation after with Carl.

  “You don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to,” he said. “I can take you back home and have Mama look after you.”

  “No, I want to be here.”

  “This isn’t all about Cid is it?”

  “No. It’s about me. Carl, I want to get better. If I can’t get better, then I want a plan so I can work, play, and love without risk to those I’m with.”

  “I’m proud of you, Sally.”

  Sally hugged Carl, and then she let him leave her. He had work to do, and she’d feel better if Cid had Carl around. He was strong as an ox and very able. He could fix anything but a broken mind. She’d had a crush on him when she first came to Mama Lee’s house. He was the dashing college boy who insisted anyone could learn geometry, even a blue-eyed leggy girl.

  A month into their relationship, it became evident that Carl only saw her as a little sister. Sally cried her eyes out privately in her room, and then she moved on. It was too easy to move on. Her parents had taught her that. It was harder being the one left than the one leaving. They died, depriving Sally of having them feel the weight of their daughter leaving them.

  Dr. Myer only touched briefly on her parents. “Sally, they made you and nurtured you. They didn’t plan on dying. Accidents happen.”

  “There are very few accidents in the world. It wasn’t an accident that brought that burning building down around me,” Sally said.

  “That’s right. And this is where we will start, as soon as I get your medication balanced.”

  “I don’t like taking pills.”

  “I don’t like prescribing them, but sometimes they help for a while, until we can train you to calm yourself down. I don’t want to mislead you. You’re not going to wake up one morning into a Hallmark movie. But with hard work, you and I will find a way to ease the symptoms and, with time, you’ll see a difference.”