“I think Zander can pull off anything he sets his mind to. I hope this chicken is as good as he promised. I really am starving.”
“Eat up. You’re going to need energy to tackle the basement.”
Harper had no doubt he was right.
“WHY ARE YOU bringing cameras?”
Jared was in a relatively good mood thanks to Zander’s chicken as they gathered at the top of the stairs that led to the basement. The feeling was fleeting when he saw Finn and Trey readying their equipment.
“Because this is a television show,” Michael replied. “We’re supposed to be filming so that’s what we’re going to do. This is going to be a very compelling episode.”
“Yeah, it’s going to be great,” Jared muttered.
“Ignore them,” Harper said, tying her hair back in a ponytail as she readied herself for the descent. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not our concern. We have to find Lucy. That’s where our focus should be.”
“Shouldn’t their focus be on Lucy, too?” Jared challenged. “She’s their co-worker.”
“If you think we’re not worried about Lucy, you’ve severely misjudged us,” Michael argued. “Why do you think I pressed so hard to go to the basement?”
“Because you know that’s where the truly terrible stuff happened and you want to see Harper perform like a trained monkey,” Jared replied. “She’s not going to do that, for the record. We’re going downstairs to look for Lucy. That’s all.”
“She signed a contract,” Michael persisted. “She has to talk to ghosts.”
“Yeah? I looked at that contract. It’s null and void if either party faces an emergency,” Jared said. “I think a missing crew member constitutes an emergency.”
“But … .”
“Shut up.” Jared didn’t bother masking his disdain. “I’m sick of this conversation. I happen to know a few lawyers who will rip that contract to shreds. Don’t push me on this.”
“Dude, you should totally have a T-shirt made up with that saying on it,” Finn teased. “You say it a lot.”
“Well, I happen to mean it.” Jared switched on his flashlight. He changed out the batteries before dinner because he wanted to make sure it didn’t accidentally die. Once the beam flared to life, he grabbed Harper’s hand with his free one. “Stick close to your partners. Molly, you stick close to Shawn and Zander. They’re your new partners for this little trip.”
Molly nodded, her eyes filled with fear. She was usually gung-ho when it came to ghost excursions, but she looked beaten down by recent events.
“What about me?” Michael asked. “I don’t have a partner either.”
“I don’t care if the ghosts take you,” Jared replied. “In fact, maybe they’ll be up for a trade. We’ll get Lucy back and leave you down here for the night.”
“That sounds like a splendid idea,” Shawn enthused.
“I get absolutely no respect from you people and I don’t like it at all,” Michael grumbled.
Jared ignored him as he descended the stairs, his senses on high alert. He considered finding a piece of rope and tying Harper to him for the trek through the dark and dreary space, but ultimately figured she would put up a fight if he tried. Instead he warned Shawn and Zander to keep a close watch on her and hoped things would turn out for the best.
That’s all he felt he could do.
Harper’s eyes were keen as she swished her flashlight through the darkness. The basement smelled of mildew, wet dirt, and blood. She hoped she was imagining the last one, but she had her doubts.
“I already hate it down here,” she murmured.
“You’re not the only one.” Jared’s hand was sweaty, but he refused to let go of Harper’s hand. “Don’t you wander away from me.”
“I won’t.”
“Promise me.”
“I promise, Jared.” Harper meant it. “I’m afraid to be too far away from you right now. I think this place has the potential to swallow me whole.”
Jared felt sick to his stomach at the admission. “I wish we’d never agreed to do this.”
“Me, too. I think the problem is that I would’ve always second-guessed myself if we hadn’t.”
“Well, it’s done now.” Jared flicked his light to a door and narrowed his eyes as he tried to read the lettering on the window. “All we can do is try to make it through so we have a terrifying story to tell our children one day.”
Harper stilled. “Children?”
“Are you about to tell me that you don’t like kids?” Jared tucked his flashlight under his chin so he could open the door without releasing Harper’s hand. He grabbed the flashlight and slowly scanned the room before turning his full attention to Harper. Her pretty face was devoid of makeup and hauntingly pale due to the limited light. He still thought she was the prettiest woman he’d ever met in real life, but her ashen features worried him. “If so, we’re going to have to discuss that later.”
“I don’t dislike kids,” Harper noted. “I’m just surprised you’re talking about them here.”
“Here was not the best place to talk about them,” Jared admitted. “I’m just glad we’re on the same page.”
“I didn’t say that,” Harper cautioned. “How many do you want?”
“One or two.” Jared was blasé when he answered. “If the first one is loud and mouthy – which is a distinct possibility given our attitudes and his delightful Uncle Zander – I might be happy to stop there. Otherwise, I’ve always pictured myself with two kids.”
“A boy and a girl?”
Jared shrugged. “I can’t control that. I just want healthy kids. If we have two girls or two boys, I can live with that.”
Harper couldn’t help being impressed. “Most men would rather hide under a truck than admit what you just said.”
“I’m not most men.”
“I know. That’s why I love you.”
“Oh, geez.” Trey made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. “Why don’t you guys just strip and start making these imaginary kids right now?”
“You’re back on the naughty list,” Zander hissed. “I gave in and let you have chicken because I felt sorry for you, but no more. You can eat dirt for all I care.”
“It’s okay, Zander.” Harper moved to the next door and opened it, mimicking Jared’s earlier actions as she searched for signs of Lucy. The room was empty other than a metal table in the center of the room. It looked like an operating table, which made Harper’s blood run cold and her mouth turn dry. “Nothing.”
“Everyone check each room,” Jared ordered, his eyes locking with Shawn’s as the gym owner crossed in front of him. “I want to keep this orderly but move fast. I don’t want to be down here when darkness falls outside.”
“How come?” Michael asked, speaking for the first time since they hit the basement. “I would think that’s the best time to be down here to catch paranormal activity.”
“I’m sure it is.” Jared’s voice was flat. “We’re not going to find out, though.”
“I think we should leave that decision to Harper,” Michael challenged, refusing to back down.
Harper responded without hesitation. “We’re not staying in this basement after dark. Anna warned me not to be in the building after dark. It’s bad enough we have to sleep here, but I won’t be in the basement during the overnight hours.”
“But … .”
Harper was firm. “Period.”
“That goes for our entire group,” Zander added. “If Harper believes Anna, she has a reason to do it. I believe Harper because she’s almost always right.”
“When am I not right?” Harper asked, suspicious.
“Whenever you go lingerie shopping,” Zander replied. “I’ve told you a hundred times to let me pick out your naughty stuff, but you never let me. You’re always wrong when you don’t let me, by the way.”
Harper turned her attention to Jared, irritated. “Tell him there’s nothing wrong with my lingerie.”
&nbs
p; “There’s nothing wrong with her lingerie,” Jared automatically answered, his attention on the way his flashlight bobbed around the room he searched. “It’s fine.”
Harper balked. “Fine? It’s supposed to be better than fine.”
“I prefer you naked. Lingerie is too much work.”
Harper rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I think you’re extremely lazy for a dedicated cop.”
“You’re not wrong.” Jared knit his eyebrows. “Heart, what is that thing?”
Harper moved closer and focused on the item that caught Jared’s attention. “It’s a hydrotherapy closet. Er, well, I think that’s what they’re called. I honestly can’t remember.”
“How does it work?”
“The two doors open up and the patient gets inside so only their head sticks out through the opening at the top. Then the bad vibes and nasty thoughts are steamed out of them.”
“So they’re kind of boiled?” Jared was horrified.
“Not exactly,” Harper clarified. “Hydrotherapy is one of the few practices from back then that’s still utilized today. It’s beneficial for sweating out toxins and stuff. It does not, however, cure mental disease. Zander and I like to take a steam at the gym when we go.”
“Hmm.” Jared risked a glance over his shoulder and met Shawn’s gaze. “Watch Harper a second.”
“What do you mean?” Harper was confused when Jared released her hand and stepped closer to the hydrotherapy closet. “Where are you going?”
“Not far,” Jared replied, purposely keeping his voice level so Harper wouldn’t panic. “I need to look inside.”
Harper realized what Jared wasn’t trying to say and broke away from Zander when he tried to put an arm around her shoulders. “You think someone could’ve hidden a body in there, don’t you?”
Jared scowled when he realized Harper followed him inside. “I just want to be sure. Go back to Zander.”
“No.” Harper moved her hands to the locking mechanisms on top of the device. “Have your flashlight ready and don’t panic if I scream.”
“Scream?” Jared arched an eyebrow. “Why would you scream?”
“Because I’m imagining rats running out of here.”
“Oh, well, in that case, don’t panic if I scream either.”
Harper flashed him a thankful smile, sucked in a breath and then shoved open the sides of the device. She held her breath as she waited for little squeaks to overtake the room. There was nothing, though, including a body.
Harper giggled as she let loose with a shaky exclamation. “Whew.”
“Whew is right,” Jared said, recapturing her hand as he exhaled heavily. “Okay, let’s keep looking. I want to get this search over with as soon as possible. The longer we stay, the more we risk something bad happening. Let’s finish this.”
13
Thirteen
“Here.”
Zander handed Harper a s’more – even though she didn’t ask for it – and settled next to her on the floor. The group did their best to clean off a space where they could camp, but the foyer remained filthy and there was very little they could do about it.
“Thanks.” Harper accepted the snack but didn’t immediately set about to eating it. Her stomach remained upset from the two hours they spent searching the basement … and coming up with absolutely nothing. “I’m not sure I’m hungry.”
“Eat it,” Jared ordered, taking the spot next to her. “You love s’mores.”
“I do but … .”
“Harper, you can’t beat yourself up about this,” Jared chided. “Lucy wasn’t in the basement. I’m not sure she was ever in the basement. You’re not going to find her because you decide to forego your treat.”
Harper exhaled heavily. She knew he was right, but she couldn’t stop the worry and dread from overtaking her. “Where do you think she is?”
“I don’t know.” Jared opted for honesty. He wasn’t keen on lying but would do it if he thought it would make her feel better. In this particular case, though, he knew she would see through any attempt. “This place is so big that she could be right under our noses.”
“Maybe we should look at the plans again,” Harper suggested. “We might see places where hidden rooms should be.”
“I will agree to that if you eat your s’more.”
Harper glanced at the gooey goodness in her hand and made a popping sound with her lips when her stomach growled.
“See, you really want it,” Jared prodded. “I know you feel bad and don’t want to enjoy anything while Lucy is missing, but you can’t stop living. I promise that we won’t leave until we know what happened to Lucy.”
Harper took a bite of the s’more, not bothering to wipe the chocolate from the corners of her mouth as she munched. “You can’t promise that.”
“I can,” Jared argued. “It’s a small island. If we have to tear down the asylum to make sure we find her, we’ll do it.”
“What if she’s not on the island, though?” Harper held the s’more so Jared could take a bite, which he did.
He methodically chewed as he considered the question, swallowing before answering. “What do you mean by that? Do you think she somehow left the island?”
Harper shrugged. “It’s a possibility, isn’t it?”
“I guess but … how? She wasn’t on the boat. It’s not big enough for anyone to hide.”
“Maybe she swam,” Zander suggested. “She could’ve decided that this place was too creepy and thought that swimming back to the mainland was a good idea.”
“That’s miles away.”
“The nearest island isn’t that far,” Zander argued. “You can see it from the west shore.”
“Yes, but it’s fall,” Jared pointed out, offering Shawn a manly chin bob as the man sat to Zander’s left and began eating his own s’more. “The water is too cold. She would’ve died from hypothermia before she got there.”
“It’s not that cold,” Shawn argued. “I saw a report on the local news a few days ago and it said, because the fall has been so warm, that the water temperatures in Lake St. Clair are higher than normal. It takes an extended cold snap to lower water temperatures. It hasn’t been great the past two days, but that’s hardly an extended cold snap.”
Jared rolled his neck, his mind busy. “Give me another bite of that, Heart.”
Harper did as he instructed, popping the last bite into her mouth as she watched him internally puzzle things out.
“Okay, let’s say she could survive the swim,” Jared said after a beat. “She looked to be in decent shape so she could probably swim the distance as long as the water didn’t get too choppy. Why would she want to do something like that?”
“Maybe because she and Michael came up with a plan,” Shawn said. “He was desperate to get Harper in the basement and you were against it. He knew you would win in the end and he needed to force the situation. They might’ve thought it was easy manipulation and that was the best thing they could come up with to make sure you guys didn’t discover her and ruin the episode.”
Jared ran his thumb over Harper’s lip, wiping at the chocolate remnants. Then, even though he was preoccupied, he leaned forward and kissed the corner of her mouth, removing the remains of the chocolate.
Harper giggled as he held her still. “You could’ve handed me a napkin.”
“This is a lot more fun.” Jared did the same with the other side of her mouth before releasing her. “I don’t doubt that Michael and Lucy could’ve come up with a plan to make it so Harper had no choice but to go into the basement. They seemed desperate to get her down there.”
“Yeah, and did you see Michael’s face when he realized Harper didn’t see any ghosts?” Shawn asked. “He was bitterly disappointed. He watched her the entire time.”
“How do you know that?” Zander asked.
“Because I noticed it right away and I decided to watch him for hints,” Shawn replied. “He had Trey at his side and a finger ready to point in Harper’s
direction. He never got to pull that trigger, though.”
“That’s because the basement was empty,” Harper noted. “I didn’t see or even sense anything else down there. It was dark and depressing, don’t get me wrong, but there weren’t any ghosts.”
“And yet you said before that you sensed a lot of ghosts.” Jared tucked a stray strand of Harper’s hair behind her ear. “When we first got here, in fact, you were a little withdrawn because you sensed so many souls milling about. Where did they go?”
“They’re still here,” Harper replied. “They simply weren’t in the basement when we were there. I mean, technically I guess they could’ve been there watching us, but if they were they didn’t want to be seen.”
“Why?” Jared absently ran his fingers over her back, the need to keep in constant contact with her somewhat distracting. “I would think these souls have been trapped here, alone, for so long they would enjoy playing with new guests. Isn’t that why you and Zander have jobs in the first place? Ghosts like to draw attention to themselves.”
“They like to throw rotten apples, too,” Zander muttered, shaking his head.
“Especially at people who move when they’re not supposed to move,” Harper said.
“Don’t go there.” Jared wagged a warning finger. “Now is not the time to fight.”
“When is the time to fight?” Zander asked pointedly.
“You guys can fight to your heart’s content when we get off this island,” Jared answered. “In fact, if you want to fight to the point where you can’t share the same roof, I’m sure Shawn and I could come up with a way to separate you for a few days.”
“Oh, we can’t be away from each other for days,” Zander countered. “One night will probably suffice, though.”
“Days is too long,” Harper agreed. “One night might work.”
“I guess I’ll take what I can get,” Jared said. “Go back to the ghosts, though. Why wouldn’t they want to be seen?”
“I don’t know,” Harper replied. “That’s a good question, though. I have no idea why they would want to remain in the shadows like this. I don’t get the feeling they see a lot of visitors, although your theory about kids partying on the island might prove me wrong.”
Ghostly Asylum Page 12