Lake of Secrets

by Shay Lee Giertz

  Cassie stuck them out even further. “You like them? I’m in a size D now. Can you believe it?”

  “They’re about to fall out of the little pieces of material. Of course, I believe it.”

  “Oh, don’t be jealous. You have nice perky ones. Besides, I don’t have your gorgeous hair. Mine is thin and straight.”

  I press a number key and hold up my finger to Cassie. She rolls her eyes. I hope Mum’s called, but no, it’s Alisa again. This time I hang up.

  “So, are you going to tell me about what you saw in the woods? You looked freaked out.”

  Cassie takes off her bikini right in front of me and throws on her shorts and tank combo. She plops herself on my bed with some nail polish and starts painting her toes.

  I don’t know how to answer her. My family will think I’m nuts if I talk about ghosts and beetles, but I know what I saw. I know who it was. Barbara Blackstone.

  “I’ve been told the land around Pigeon Lake is cursed. It’s done a number on me.”

  “Ooh.” Cassie’s eyes widen at the news. “Cursed? No one’s ever told me that.”

  “Anyway, I found a dead body the other day, and it’s wigging me out.”

  “I know. Tell me everything.”

  “Not much to tell. I went on the aluminum boat with Isaac and Ian and we got stuck—”

  “Isaac Fulton?”

  “Yes. Anyways, I tripped and fell and saw a hand.”

  “I can’t wait for Isaac to see me in that bikini. He won’t be able to take his hands off!”

  I pause and wonder how to approach this. Surely, Cassie will leave him alone if she knows I like him. “How do you know Isaac?”

  “We’ve had a thing the last couple of summers. He is an amazing kisser.”

  My stomach drops to the floor. I have no words.

  But I don’t need to say anything. Cassie keeps talking, “He’s a ladies’ man, if you know what I mean, but two summers ago, we sort of hit it off.”

  “You were fifteen.”

  “And he was sixteen. Trust me. He taught me a lot of stuff.”

  I get up from the bed. I need to do something fast. I grab a brush and start brushing my hair.

  Isaac has to know that Cassie is my cousin. Is he messing with me? My heart, that had been elated just an hour ago, now feels ripped in half. I stop brushing my hair when I remember how quickly he left yesterday evening. He didn’t want me to tell Cassie I was with him. I drop the brush, feeling hurt and disgust at the same time.

  “Did he say anything about me?” she asks. “When you were in the boat with him? And when did you meet?”

  I start braiding my hair.

  Cassie catches on. “Oh, he made a move on you, didn’t he?”

  “What?” I ask, fumbling with the braid. I turn around and face her. “No. No, he didn’t. Not at all.”

  “Oh, good, because that would suck. I’ve been crushing on him forever.”

  I smile tightly and nod. I need to tell her. But I can’t. Does he even qualify as a boyfriend? We went on one date and shared one kiss. He’s nineteen now—a man—and probably has more girls he’s interested in. That leads me to wonder what he’s doing with them.

  “Sit down and let me paint your toenails.”

  Sighing, I go back to the bed and give her my foot.

  “If I tell you something, you have to swear to never tell.”

  I don’t want to know what she’s about to say.

  She tells me anyways. “He’s the one. You know, the one I want to…”

  I put my foot down on the floor. “I forgot to call Mum. I’ve got to do it before I forget.”

  “Won’t she still be sleeping? London’s eight hours ahead of us, right? There’s no way she’d already be up.”

  “She’s waiting for my call,” I say and leave before she can say anything more.

  I fly down the stairs and open the door to go outside. I stop when I see Dad and Laura over by her car. Her arms are around him, and they are in quite a passionate embrace.

  Not that I’m one to be hypocritical, but didn’t we just arrive? And now he’s sucking face with little miss blonde doctor? Sure, Isaac already kissed me, but that was before I knew that I may not be the top girl on the totem pole.

  I go back inside and walk to the kitchen. I open the icebox and stare. Grab the ice cream, take a bite, put it back. That’s not what I want. I walk to the back door and think about going out onto the deck. The deck should be safe from ghosts. Still, I stand there and look out the wide windows that face the lake.

  Before I think twice, I dial Alisa. She, at least, won’t kill me for calling so early.

  “Hello?” she mumbles sleepily. “What do you want at this God-forsaken hour?”

  “It’s me, Ginnie.”

  “Ginnie? I’ve been calling you. But can you ring back at a reasonable hour?”

  I’m on the verge of tears just thinking about what that entails. “I need to talk to you. Don’t hate me for waking you up.”

  There’s a pause. “What do you need to talk to me about?”

  Alisa’s up. I hear her moving around. I also hear the guilt in her voice. Alisa could never hide anything from me.

  “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?” I try. Knowing her, she’s been partying up, having the time of her life without me.

  There’s another pause.

  “It was only coffee. Well, first the party, then coffee. But I won’t talk to him anymore. I promise. Pinky promise. Besides, you have your American boyfriend, right?”

  I feel my world crumbling down around me. “Leo?”

  “The American is named Leo? How bizarre is that?”

  “No, his name is Isaac, and I was wrong about him.”

  “Oh, Ginnie. Okay, I’m awake now. Tell me everything.”

  I should have known. I shouldn’t be upset. It’s not like I own Leo. The guy’s never talked to me, and I was just kissing Isaac, but my chest still hurts.

  When I don’t say anything, Alisa says, “Ginnie, I’m sorry. Mum wasn’t supposed to tell you until I did. I can’t believe her. You should be here. I wouldn’t be doing this if you were here, yelling at me.”

  “I wish I could come back.”

  “You can stay here. I’ll talk to Mum.”

  Before I can respond, I cover my mouth as I see the girl at the top of the deck’s steps, her hand still up as if in greeting. I close the cell phone and watch Barbara. She seems to come in peace, but I can’t shake the chills and foreboding I get around her. “What do you want?”

  The front door opens, and Dad enters the house. I keep my eyes on the ghost. Dad walks into the kitchen. “Hey, what are you doing?”

  She turns and stares at Dad.

  “What?” he asks.

  Of course, the girl is gone, but I am shaken to my core as if the coldness of her spirit has found a permanent home inside of me.

  “Did you see something?”

  Instead, I cry. I didn’t ask for any of this. My entire world was going fine until now. It’s been smooth with very little bumps. But not now. It’s a mess. I mentally shake myself. I won’t be a wimp. If that ghost wants me dead, I’d be dead already. Shoot, those beetles could have sucked the soul right out of me if they desired. I even out my breathing and wipe at my eyes. “Sorry. Just feeling a little like a basket case.”

  “Virginia, I need you to talk to me. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  What can I say? I can’t tell him the truth. He wouldn’t believe me. Dad’s too sensible to believe in ghosts. I had been, too, until this summer. “I miss Alisa. And Mum. Not that she ever calls.”

  “How about we go to bed. Tomorrow will be a busy day with all the family here. That should help with the loneliness. Cassie and you always have a good time together.”

  I smile tightly, but I know it doesn’t reach my eyes.

  Dad touches my arm. “Virginia? If you need anything, let me know.”

  “Sleep. I need to sleep. Good nig
ht.” I go up the stairs to my room, contemplating what I’m going to do. Obviously, the ghost knows where I’m staying, and is it only a matter of time before that crazy guy comes back? In all honesty to myself, I don’t want any more ghosts or jerk boys who pretend to be nice and lovely or Dads who forget about their daughters to be with blonde bombshells or cousins who ruin whatever romance this girl might have had. So, maybe I should focus on the mystery of this missing girl. Like Dad said, begin to look at it from a scientist’s perspective.

  “What’s up?” Cassie asks as I enter the room.

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “You’ve been acting strange since I’ve got here. What gives?”

  “It’s been a long day, and I think I need some sleep.”

  Cassie sits cross-legged on her bed and gives me a look that says, I-don’t-think-so. “You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”

  I think of Isaac and know that’s not true, but I need to tell someone something. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

  “My friend Beth lives in a haunted house. It’s one of those big, turn-of-the-century ones. She says that doors slam all the time on their own, and that she wakes up to someone literally shaking her bed.” Cassie’s eyes are huge.

  “I’m seeing things,” I admit.

  “What kinds of things.”

  “A girl, mostly.” I leave out the bugs part.

  “Like a ghost?”

  “Yeah.”

  Cassie watches me in either curiosity or shock or a mixture of both. “Why?” she finally asks.

  “I don’t know. Some guy came over today and said that girl whose body I found that her soul still needed to fulfill her purpose.” Remembering the picture, I say, “I even caught her on film. Want to see?”

  “Yes!” Carrie can barely contain her excitement.

  Okay, I guess she’s not afraid of ghosts. We wait until Dad has shut his bedroom door. The hallway is filled with sounds of snoring from the bedrooms, so we sneak downstairs. Once in Gran’s office, I start up the computer and wait to show her the pics. “Want to see something twisted?” I ask and pull out the old Bible. I take out the newspaper clipping and show Cassie.

  “Is this the dead girl?” she whispers.

  “Yep. That’s the girl I’m seeing.”

  I find the blurred picture and show Cassie. “What do you see?”

  She studies it before taking a step back. “Oh my word, I can’t believe this is what you’ve been dealing with the last couple of days.”

  “Do you see it?”

  She nods. “In all my years of coming here, this has never happened to me.”

  “My first summer, and it’s like everything is unleashed all at the same time.”

  “Then it’s a good thing I’m here.” Cassie puts her arm through mine. “You and I have a mystery to solve.”

  “You mean, you don’t think I’m crazy?”

  “Ginnie, this picture is proof enough. I saw on that Ghost Raiders show that when a ghost is in the room or close by and you take a picture, there will be a blurry type of light, just like this. Not to mention, you are the most down-to-earth realist I know. You wouldn’t lie to me about this. That’s not you.”

  “So, you’ll help me?”

  “Yes, where do we start?”

  We go back up to the bedroom, shut the door tight, and talk about how we were going to free the ghost and solve the dead girl’s mystery.

  Cassie eventually crashes and sleeps like a log. I, on the other hand, am a different story. My brain won’t shut off. Plus, my body trembles most of the night. Any noise makes me cling to the blanket. When I do fall asleep, it’s fitful and full of nightmares about beetles.

  My head doesn’t come out of the blanket until I hear noises downstairs that morning has come. Cupboard doors close, someone is talking. I peek my head out and check around. The morning sky is shaking off its gray, which means it’s early. I’m about to throw the blanket over my head again when I realize it is Dad’s voice coming from downstairs.

  I get up and tiptoe out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

  “I don’t know what’s going on,” he’s saying. When there’s a pause, I realize he must be on the phone.

  “Ever since she discovered the dead girl, she’s acting strange. Not herself. Have you tried calling her? She needs to hear from you.”

  Another pause.

  “There has to be time in your schedule, Melinda. Make time. It’s your daughter.”

  I press my lips together to keep from balling up right here on the floor. Dad’s trying to push me off on Mum. It should make me happy. It’s what I want, to get away from this ghost-and-beetle-infested place.

  “Maybe if she hangs out with Alisa, spends some time with you, she’ll calm down…No, I’ve got to stay here for another two and a half weeks, at least…No, I haven’t told her, not yet, but she knows I want to move back when she’s finished with school…I’ll take care of it. I’ve been taking care of her for eighteen years, I just need her to hang out with you for a few weeks while I set up some kind of home health care…”

  I step into the kitchen, mostly because I feel guilty for eavesdropping on my parents, but also because the more I think about it, the more I’m itching for Mum to let me come home.

  Dad sees me, smiles, and waves. He looks like he hasn’t gotten any sleep either. Gran leans against the counter, sipping coffee. I go and make myself a cup.

  “All right,” he says. “That’s fine. I’ll book a flight back at that point.” He gives me a thumbs-up sign.

  When he hangs up, I ask, “What’s going on?”

  “I know you’ve been wanting to go home, so I thought I’d try your mother again. She said yes, we could work something out.”

  “But Cassie just got here. I can stay for a few more weeks. I don’t mind.”

  Dad eyes Gran. “I thought this is what you wanted.”

  “It sort of feels like you’re pushing me off on her. Especially now that you’ve got the hot babe.”

  Dad runs his fingers through his hair. “Gran thinks it’s a good idea for you to spend some time with your mother, so you can make a sound decision about college. Melinda said that she’s finishing up a project, but in a couple of days, she’ll be free.”

  I glance over at Gran who is finding her cup immensely fascinating.

  “Do I get a say?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then, I want to stay here. I’ll let you know if I change my mind.” I leave them, and as I walk by the office I see the computer screen is up and running that scanned ghost picture. Gran’s Bible also lays out on the desk. Did I forget to put that back?

  When I go to keep moving up the stairs, I stop when I see Gran watching me. “Ginnie, I love you, and I want you protected. You need to fly back to London.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “I can’t tell you, but I will say that it would be so much easier on my heart if you were to be in London where it was safe.”

  “So, you did call me? Before we left?”

  She doesn’t say anything, but she doesn’t need to. “You know I love you, Ginnie-girl,” she says again. “Please, do this for me. Once it’s all settled and over, you can visit as long as you’d like.”

  “What about Dad? Is he safe?”

  “He’s not the one I’m worried about,” she says.

  London. Alisa. Mum. Home.

  “How do you know the girl?” I ask. If I’m going to leave, I might as well ask.

  “I was a substitute teacher in her class. She was a dear, sweet child. I took her death hard because that was around the time your father was born.”

  Dad walks to us, stifling a yawn.

  “When do I leave?”

  “I have to call the airline and see if I can book a Wednesday flight. Can you handle being here another couple days?”

  “I guess.” Gran hugs me, then says she’s off to get more sleep. I decide to pour some coffee that Dad must have
made.

  “I’m going to go crash for a little bit,” Dad says and kisses my forehead. “You probably should, too. It’s only six in the morning.”

  When he’s up the stairs, I set the creamer down and sip my coffee. An enormous weight should have been lifted; I get to go home. Instead, I feel frustrated at myself, like I’m quitting.

  I toast an English muffin, layer on the peanut butter, and decide to brave the deck. The sun is coming up, streaking deep pink across the sky. I tell myself ghosts don’t visit during the daylight.

  The coffee doesn’t keep me awake. Spread out on a lounger, the fresh morning air and chirping birds are therapy for my soul, and I find myself drifting into sleep.

  It seems as if I’ve just shut my eyes when someone shakes me. “Ginnie, there’s some hot Indian guy here.”

  I peek my eyes open and see Cassie leaning over me. “What?”

  “There’s some guy here to see you. And he’s not bad. Was that your date? I need to know because I can’t flirt if you’ve got dibs.”

  I sit up and rub my eyes. “How long have I been sleeping?”

  “Don’t know. It’s past ten o’clock though.”

  “He’s in the front?”

  “Yep. Is he your boyfriend?”

  I’m still in my pajamas, but I trudge through the house to the front. I stop at the screen door and recognition hits me. “Hi, Mitchell.”

  “You can call me Mitch.”

  I step outside.

  His hair is pulled into a small ponytail, but other than that and intense dark eyes that remind me of my Dad’s, he’s dressed like any other guy on the weekend in a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals.

  We stand for a second. I hear Cassie cough behind me. “Are you going to introduce us?”

  I hardly know him myself, but I quickly say, “Cassie, this is Mitch. Mitch, this is my cousin, Cassie.”

  He nods at her and says, “Hey.” To me, he says, “Can we talk?”

  “Sure. I’ll meet you at the dock in a few minutes.”

  Mitch glances at Cassie before heading around back.

  “Oh. My. Word. Am I drooling?”

  We run upstairs and both throw on clothes. I don’t do anything with my hair. Cassie stops me. “Oh no, you don’t. Don’t go down without me, and don’t go down there looking like that.”