Haunting Danielle 28 The Ghost and the Birthday Boy

by Bobbi Holmes

  “It looks like it,” Chris said.

  The eight photographs eventually went to Danielle, who snapped a photo of each one with her cellphone. She returned the original photographs to their envelope and resumed going through the boxes with Walt, Chris, and Heather. They stayed for another hour, occasionally snapping photos of pertinent documents or photographs.

  Walt and Danielle stopped at Ian and Lily’s after leaving the museum. The parents and sisters had not yet returned from lunch.

  “You won’t believe what Ian found,” Lily said when she opened the front door for Walt and Danielle.

  “Sounds like we both had an interesting day with research,” Danielle said.

  “What did you find out?” Lily asked, leading Walt and Danielle back to Ian’s office.

  “First, tell us what Ian found,” Danielle urged as she walked down the hallway. She glanced over to Connor’s bedroom, noticing its closed door.

  “He’s not sleeping,” Lily whispered. “But he’s in there with Marie and Rupert. I really don’t want to discuss this around Rupert.”

  When Walt and Danielle walked into Ian’s office, Ian looked up and smiled. “Glad you’re here. Now Marie doesn’t have to tweak Lily’s ear.”

  Danielle frowned. “Why is Marie tweaking your ear?”

  “To get us a message,” Lily explained. “How else is she going to let us know if Rupert has come in the room?”

  The next moment, Lily let out a yelp and grabbed her right earlobe. She looked around. “Marie?”

  Walt chuckled. Danielle glared at her husband. “That was not nice.”

  Lily frowned at Walt. “Did you do that?”

  “Sorry. I couldn’t resist,” Walt said sheepishly.

  “Brat,” Lily muttered.

  “Lily said you found something interesting on Rupert,” Danielle asked Ian.

  “Yes, but I’m not sure it’s our Rupert,” Ian said.

  “It has to be,” Lily said. “But it is bizarre.”

  Curious, Walt and Danielle looked to Ian.

  “The article you found had the name of Rupert’s parents. But I couldn’t find anything on them in California. Nothing after the article on Rupert’s death,” Ian began.

  “But Lily said you found something?” Danielle asked.

  “Yes. I found an obituary for a woman in Salem, Oregon, who would have been about the same age as Rupert’s mother—with the same name.”

  Danielle frowned. “I doubt it’s Rupert’s mother. Peterson is not that uncommon a surname. And Salem, Oregon? They lived near Sacramento. What’s the chances they moved to Oregon? Heck, if they decided to move out of state, there are forty-nine states to choose from.”

  “You know how obituaries list family members who already died?” Lily asked.

  “Yeah,” Danielle said.

  “Her deceased husband’s name is the same as Rupert’s father. Plus, she had a son who died before her—a Rupert Peterson. It didn’t list the middle name, but still, Rupert is not that common a name,” Ian explained.

  “Really?” Danielle frowned.

  “If it isn’t Rupert’s mother, then it’s some bizarre coincidence,” Lily said.

  “And she’s being buried in Salem?” Danielle asked.

  “Her funeral is on Friday,” Ian said.

  “This week? You aren’t serious?” Danielle asked.

  Lily nodded. “I know, isn’t it insane? You’re always telling me it’s common for someone who’s just died to show up at their own funeral before they move on. If that happened, it would be perfect, because we could take Rupert to her funeral, and when he and his mother see each other there, well, he would definitely move on.”

  Danielle leaned back in the chair; her forehead furrowed as she considered what Lily had just told them. After a few moments, Walt asked Danielle, “What’s bothering you?”

  “It seems a little… I don’t know… too convenient? Rupert’s parents not only moving to Oregon, but his mother’s funeral is Friday. Not only close enough to attend, but just in time to take Rupert?” Danielle looked up into Walt’s eyes. Their gazes locked.

  Ignoring Walt and Danielle’s silent exchange, Lily said, “I know. It’s crazy, isn’t it? I hope it’s his mom. It does seem farfetched. What are the chances we might actually find her spirit close by?”

  “Oh, it’s Rupert’s Mom,” Danielle said.

  Lily frowned. “But I thought you just said it was a little too convenient?”

  “I think Danielle just figured it out,” Walt said.

  “Figured what out?” Lily asked.

  Danielle let out a sigh. “It probably is Rupert’s mother. Because for all those things to fall into place so nicely—Rupert’s mother moving up to Oregon, Rupert finally getting out of that attic, and he comes to Oregon just in time for his mother to be buried. Not to mention the fact he has encountered mediums to help him along the way. No. That is beyond coincidence. It is a grand plan.”

  “You mean a grand plan from the Universe… God?” Lily asked.

  “Not in the sense it’s something preordained,” Walt said. “But an opportunity the Universe presents to set things right. Rupert should have moved on after he died, but he got confused, stayed with you, and then stayed trapped in the attic. Of course, he was never really trapped in your parents’ attic. He could have left at any time. He just didn’t know how.”

  “And who knows, it is possible his time with you was also an opportunity the Universe presented,” Danielle suggested.

  Lily frowned at Danielle. “How so?”

  “Think about it. He was robbed of his childhood, but then he found you and was able to be that little boy—with you—until it was time to move on,” Danielle suggested.

  “Yeah, but then he was stuck in that attic for years,” Lily reminded her.

  Danielle shrugged. “Like I told you before, time for a spirit is not the same as for a living person. Plus, I don’t believe he was trapped in that attic, not like Walt was in Marlow House.”

  “I had a choice,” Walt reminded her. “I could have left.”

  “True. And Rupert could have, too. He just didn’t realize it at the time. Maybe he was waiting for his mother,” Danielle suggested.

  “Like I waited for you,” Walt whispered. “And like Rupert, I didn’t realize what I had been waiting for all that time.”

  Thirty-Two

  Danielle hadn’t made breakfast for her guests the previous morning. Instead, they all agreed something simple like cereal would be easier, especially after the big dinner the night before. Danielle didn’t need to buy the cereal. June had cleaned out her pantry before moving, and she had several open boxes of cereal in her car that hadn’t been put into storage. But on Monday morning, Danielle made a large breakfast, and this time she invited Lily, Ian, and Connor to join them, along with Kelly and Joe.

  Normally, Danielle would have Joanne, her housekeeper, help prepare and serve the meals when guests stayed at Marlow House. Yet they were no longer a bed-and-breakfast, and Danielle did not want Lily’s and Ian’s parents to feel obligated to offer payment for their room and board. While they had already offered to pay, she feared having Joanne help prepare and serve those meals might make the parents feel awkward and then insist on paying her. She opted for a less formal route by giving them the option to help prepare breakfast.

  On Monday morning, Danielle soon learned not to expect any help from Lily’s sister. Laura sat leisurely at the table, chatting with Kelly and Joe, while oblivious to the surrounding activity. Both mothers set the table; Lily’s father flipped flapjacks on the griddle, while John stood in the kitchen, talking about his upcoming building project. Lily helped Danielle prepare the rest of the food, while Walt served coffee, juice, and eventually helped bring platters of food to the table. Danielle hadn’t expected Joe and Kelly to pitch in, considering they weren’t staying at Marlow House. Meanwhile, Ian entertained Connor.

  “I swear, that is so typical Laura,” Lily whispered t
o Danielle.

  “What do you mean?” Danielle asked.

  “She really loves being waited on.”

  “Well, she probably feels like this is her vacation,” Danielle suggested.

  “I thought she might at least offer to watch Connor while we get breakfast together.”

  “We could shake things up a bit,” Danielle whispered. “Ian could give Connor to Marie, and she could walk him around the dining room while we eat.”

  Lily giggled at the suggestion.

  “You have a highchair just for Connor?” Laura asked later that morning while they all sat around the breakfast table.

  “I imagine she bought it when she ran the bed-and-breakfast,” June said.

  “No. Actually, I bought it for Connor,” Danielle said while passing a basket of cinnamon rolls down the table.

  “I think I’m jealous,” Laura grumbled as she snatched a cinnamon roll out of the basket.

  Tammy laughed. “Why, because you don’t have your own highchair?”

  Laura looked at Connor, who sat in his highchair, pushing Cheerios around on its tray. “Kelly gets to see Connor all the time. And Danielle gets to see him so much she even bought him his own highchair for when he’s over here. I should move to Frederickport, like June and John.”

  “What about your job?” Tammy asked.

  “Oh, pooh on my job. I want to live closer to my sister!” Laura paused a moment, cringed, and looked at Danielle. “I forgot to ask you. Is it okay if I hook up to your Wi-Fi? If it is, I need the password. I brought my laptop with me; I promised my boss I’d do some work remotely. It’s the only way he’d give me the time off.”

  “Sure, no problem,” Danielle said.

  After breakfast, while Lily helped clear the table, she told Danielle, “Now I feel like an ungrateful rat.”

  “What do you mean?” Danielle asked, piling the dirty dishes in the sink.

  “Laura went to all the trouble to make it up here for Connor’s birthday. And all I do is bitch.”

  Danielle flashed Lily a grin. “We all complain about those we love.”

  Lily turned to Danielle. “I never hear you complaining about Walt.”

  “No. But I bitch about you all the time,” Danielle teased.

  Lily laughed and swatted Danielle with a dishtowel.

  Laura walked into the kitchen with Kelly.

  “Joe had to leave,” Kelly told them. She looked at Danielle and said, “He told me to thank you for breakfast, but he had to get to work.”

  “Glad you could make it,” Danielle said as she rinsed the plates.

  “I’m going to help Kelly plan her wedding,” Laura announced.

  “Laura has some great ideas,” Kelly said. Laura and Kelly started chatting amongst themselves and then walked out to the side yard, without another word to Lily or Danielle.

  “Well, gee, we don’t need your help,” Lily called out, knowing neither one could hear them.

  Danielle giggled. “Remember, you’re just happy they came.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Doesn’t mean I can’t complain about them.”

  After breakfast, instead of joining the others and going across the street to Ian and Lily’s house, Walt headed upstairs to research Marymoor Sanatorium and the women in the photographs. Meanwhile, Danielle decided to run down to Old Salts Bakery to replenish her cinnamon roll supply. Her houseguests had cleaned her out.

  When Danielle walked into the bakery, she spied Joe Morelli’s sister, Tori Simmons, sitting at a table alone, eating a pastry and drinking a cup of coffee while reading the news on her iPad. Tori’s husband, Craig, had initially introduced Danielle to Joe not long after she moved to town. Back then, Craig had been cleaning up the overgrown yard at Marlow House when he noticed someone had broken into her house. Craig had called his brother-in-law, Joe Morelli, an officer on the local police force, to investigate.

  “Morning, Tori,” Danielle greeted her when she walked up to her table.

  Tori set her iPad on the table and smiled up at Danielle. “Hello, Danielle. You caught me at my guilty pleasure.”

  “Guilty pleasure?” Danielle frowned.

  “I like to sneak over here and enjoy their decadent pastry and a cup of coffee, with no one bugging me.”

  “Then I should probably go,” Danielle said with a chuckle.

  Tori laughed and then reached out for Danielle. “No. I didn’t mean you. I meant from the kids. Thank God they’re back in school! Why don’t you grab a cup of coffee and join me? I have more pastries.” Tori lifted the sack on the table and gave it a little jiggle.

  “Thanks. But I’ll bring my own.”

  Five minutes later, Danielle and Tori sat together at a table in Old Salts Bakery, each one drinking a cup of coffee. Tori nibbled on the remaining piece of her pastry, but Danielle kept her recent purchase in its bag.

  “I’m still stuffed from breakfast,” Danielle explained after Tori asked if she was going to eat anything.

  “Joe mentioned he and Kelly were going over there this morning for breakfast. It must be rather hectic, having Ian’s and Lily’s families staying with you.”

  “It’s fun. And I miss the B and B, so it gives me my hostess fix,” Danielle said.

  “I’m not much on the hostess thing, but it looks like I’ll be playing hostess for Kelly’s bridal shower. I hope I’m giving everyone enough time,” Tori explained. “The invitations went out this morning; you’ll be getting yours.”

  “When are you having it?” Danielle asked.

  “I sort of decided at the last minute to have it while Ian’s parents were in town so his mom could go. But now I understand they’re moving here, so I could have had it a little later. But Kelly mentioned she wanted to invite Lily’s sister and mom, so…” Tori shrugged.

  “It’ll be fine,” Danielle assured her.

  “I’m great at deciding to do something at the last minute. I started a family history book for Kelly’s shower gift. My way of introducing her to Joe’s family tree. But it doesn’t look like I’m going to finish it in time.” Under her breath, Tori muttered, “Too many unanswered questions.”

  Danielle looked at Tori for a moment and then said, “Um… I sorta heard about your project.”

  Tori frowned. “You did?”

  “Walt’s doing some research on the Marymoor Sanatorium for a book he’s writing,” Danielle lied. “When we were over at the museum, Millie let us go through the boxes they have on the sanatorium. And Millie told us—”

  “About my great-great-grandmother?” Tori finished for her.

  “Is that who she was?” Danielle asked.

  “Yes.” Tori picked up her iPad and opened the photos app. She found what she was looking for and handed it to Danielle.

  Holding the iPad, Danielle looked down at the black-and-white image of a woman, her expression somber as she looked off past the camera. Danielle recognized the photograph from the museum. “She was beautiful.”

  “Yes, she was,” Tori said, taking back the iPad.

  “I saw her picture when I was over at the museum. It was in an envelope with seven other photographs,” Danielle said.

  “Ahh, the Forgotten Women of Marymoor,” Tori said.

  Danielle frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “That’s just what I call them. Do you know how I found out she was at that place?”

  Danielle shook her head. “No. How?”

  “I was looking through the census reports, trying to track down ancestors. I found her on a census roll. She spent the last three years of her life in Marymoor and died there. She was only twenty-six.”

  “What did she die of?” Danielle asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Why do you call them the Forgotten Women of Marymoor?”

  “Unlike many people who died there, they weren’t buried in the Marymoor section of the local cemetery. Are you familiar with that?” Tori asked.

  “Yes, I am.”

  “From what I’
ve found, after they died, they were returned to their families. Most had family plots at various cemeteries, where they were quietly buried. When I was in Portland a few weeks ago, I visited several of the cemeteries and the graves of those women. There was nothing on any of their markers that said where they died.”

  “How do you know where they died?” Danielle asked.

  “If you go through those boxes again, pay special attention to one ledger. There’s a page that lists eight patients. No names, just a number and initials for each one. Along with birth dates and death dates. Caroline, that was my great-great-grandmother, the number by a patient with her initials matches the number written on the back of her photograph. Plus, the birth dates and death dates on that patient are hers.”

  “I saw that page. I even took a copy of it, but I haven’t looked at it closely,” Danielle said.

  “I wanted to find out who the other women were. I thought it might be a clue as to why she was there. With some digging, I discovered who each one was. Their initials match what is in that ledger, along with their birth and death dates. There is also a column for when the body was picked up by the family.”

  “If you have all their names, would you mind emailing them to me?” Danielle asked.

  “Sure. I can do it now.” Tori picked up her iPad again and looked for the file with the women’s names.

  “I’m still not clear why you call them the Forgotten Women of Marymoor,” Danielle said.

  “Because I don’t think anyone today knows they were ever there. Well, aside from me—and now you. But from what I’ve learned, back then most of their friends and family didn’t know they had been sent there. My family never seem to know Caroline spent any time at Marymoor, much less died there.”

  “I assume you’ve gathered most of that information from old newspaper articles?” Danielle asked.

  “Yes, and obituaries. None of those articles or obituaries ever mentioned them being sent to Marymoor. But they were all on the census reports. They were all there,” Tori said. “Their photographs in that file, along with their initials in that ledger, prove it.”