Hamlet’s Ghost

by Jane Tara

  Rhi stopped walking as her heart hit the sidewalk.

  “The ads will be funny, with you predicting sale prices.” Melanie waited for a response but when there was none, she continued. “I know you want to step away from the witch thing, but you still need to earn money. One of these days you might have to accept that that’s your niche.”

  Rhi turned on her heel. “I appreciate the call, Mel, but I’m out of town for a while. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to work again.” She spotted the real estate and switched her phone off.

  Captain’s Realty was a bright, airy office filled with potted plants and framed black-and-white photos of the town over the years. Annie Anderson was perched on top of her desk with her back to the door, chatting animatedly on the phone.

  “Listen, Sam, there’s no way I’m going to date you…Because I’ve known you forever, that’s why. It’d be like dating my own brother…Of course I like you, but not like that…No, you can tell Jake I’m not going to date him either…Because he’s your brother, you big buffoon. If I can’t date one, I can’t date the other. It wouldn’t be right.”

  Rhi gave an embarrassed cough and Annie jumped.

  “I got to go. Now stop moping and I’ll see you soon. Actually, I’ve been having problems with my washing machine. Would you be a sweetie and swing by and check it out? Thanks, Sam. Bye.” Annie hung up the phone and made her way over to Rhi.

  Annie Anderson was a five-foot-two powerhouse. She had dark eyes, a mass of black curls and long, manicured fingernails. She was also savvy. She gave Rhi the once over and concluded, correctly, that she was a New Yorker, with money, who was passing through.

  “Can I help you?”

  “I hope so. I want some information about the Old Majestic.”

  Annie’s eyes squinted slightly. “Why?”

  “I’d like to rent it, or buy it—anything really. I want to bring it back to life.”

  “That’s like resurrecting Elvis. Impossible.” Annie shifted uncomfortably.

  “Nothing is impossible.”

  “You tell that to Elvis.”

  “I will next time I’m in Vegas.”

  Annie raised one eyebrow. “The Majestic has been closed for twenty-eight years. And the owner wants to keep it that way.”

  “I heard someone once opened a community center there.”

  “For three days.”

  “And a dance school.”

  Annie folded her arms and sighed. “You’ve done your homework. But since then the owner decided to just leave it be. I know it sounds crazy, but folks round here think the theater wants to be left alone.”

  Rhi mirrored Annie and folded her arms. She was becoming more determined by the second. “That doesn’t sound crazy to me at all. Therefore this won’t sound crazy to you: The theater called to me. It wants to be a theater, not a community center, not a decrepit pile of wood that scares the neighborhood kids. A theater. And I intend to see that it happens. Now, whom do I speak to about opening it?”

  “You would move here, to renovate the Majestic?”

  “Yes.” Rhi realized she actually wanted to. “Which means I’ll need to hire locals to help.”

  “Who’s doing the selling here?”

  “I feel like I need to persuade you.”

  “You’re persuasive.” Annie grinned. “It’s a massive project. How do you intend to pull it off?”

  “No idea yet.”

  “How do you even know you’ll like this town?”

  “I thought I might stay the night and see.”

  “Yes, one night will clarify everything.” Annie sighed and took a flyer from a pile on her desk. “Stay here. Tell Hilary I sent you.”

  “Would it be possible to see inside the theater while I’m here?”

  “I’ve got the keys.” Annie pursed her lips. “You’re not going to take no for an answer are you?”

  “No.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Rhi. Rhiannon…Wall.” Rhi flinched at her lie but there was no way she could use her real surname here.

  Annie clasped her hand and shook it. “I’m Annie. You from New York, Rhi?”

  Rhi nodded.

  “Then you’ll need somewhere to live around here as well. Why don’t we look in to that while I see what I can do about the Majestic?”

  Chapter 5

  “Fancy just driving into town and deciding you like it so much you want to stay the night.” Hilary Chapman had obviously never heard such a thing before, despite being the proprietor of Hamlet’s best B&B—so said the flyer. She was clearly suspicious.

  “Well that just goes to show what a lovely town it is.” Rhi decided that if Hilary thought staying the night was a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants decision, then it was best to not mention her spontaneous plans to move here and rent the theater.

  Rhi followed Hilary’s ample bottom up the stairs.

  “Checkout is at eleven,” Hilary said over her shoulder. “We let our guests stay a little longer during the winter months.”

  “That’s very nice of you.”

  “We know.”

  The stairs opened out onto a landing lined with Oriental rugs and lit by large windows.

  Hilary led Rhi to a door at the end. “We ask that there’s no smoking.”

  “I don’t smoke.”

  “And no casual overnight visitors.”

  “I doubt I’d be that lucky,” Rhi joked.

  Hilary shot her a look as she opened the door. “Here we are.”

  The Ocean View room was exactly that. Rhi walked over to the window and stared out at the Atlantic, stretching as far as the eye could see.

  “How lovely,” she said.

  Hilary seemed appeased by Rhi’s approval and gave her a much friendlier smile. “Anything else you need?”

  “Do you have internet?”

  “We do. The password is ‘Ten Commandments.’”

  “The phrase, or the actual commandments?” Rhi meant it as a joke but Hilary clearly thought she was serious.

  “Ten. Commandments.”

  “Ten the word or the number?”

  “The word.”

  “Excellent.”

  Hilary clasped her pudgy fingers in front of her. With her graying short hair and caramel-colored cardigan, she looked like she was in her seventies, but Rhi guessed she was actually much younger than that.

  “Thank you for accommodating me at such short notice,” Rhi said.

  Hilary nodded her approval. “Let me know if there’s anything you need. If it’s to do with Hamlet, we can help you out.”

  “You and…?”

  Hilary looked confused. “It’s only me.”

  “Oh…okay, then I’ll ask you.”

  “We serve breakfast from seven.” And with that, Hilary and her ample bottom disappeared back down the hall.

  Rhi took a moment to check out the room. The four-poster bed was covered in a beautiful patchwork quilt. The striped wallpaper looked new but gave the room a vintage feel. In one corner was an oversized velvet armchair, placed in front of a small gas log fireplace. Pillows and throws, some interesting framed sketches and a vase of crème roses and white Asiatic lilies finished the room off. And the view was nothing short of sublime.

  “Perhaps I could live here,” Rhi said to herself.

  She pulled her iPad out of her bag, switched it on, and typed in “Ten Commandments,” then spent half an hour asking Google questions, searching the history of Hamlet, and anything she could find regarding the Majestic.

  She discovered that Hamlet had a population of just over twenty thousand and had been established in 1654. The most recent census showed that due to an influx of Boston residents in the eighties, nearly thirty percent of the residents claimed Irish ancestry. It was the largest Irish population north of Boston.

  Now families flocked to the area due to the laid-back lifestyle and good schools. Real estate prices were booming. American classic literature was embraced, and the town bo
asted a number of literary organizations and an annual literature festival. The Hamlet Historical Society had recently formed a popular historical reenactment organization whose main focus was the pioneer settlers of the area and the American Revolution. There was a burgeoning art scene, with two galleries in town and a monthly artisans market on the beach where artists from all over Massachusetts came to sell. There was an annual Children’s Day, telling Rhi there were enough kids, and enough interest in kids, to start some acting classes. There was a lively restaurant and bar scene and one of New York’s top chefs had recently opened a restaurant on the wharf. The local newspaper said it was a sign of things to come.

  Hamlet really did seem like a lovely town with lots to offer. And yet, there was no theater company. Rhi did a little dance around the room.

  She jotted down the addresses for the chamber of commerce and the library, which she had seen earlier, and then, armed with a list of questions, she went and found Hilary, who was listening to a Maeve Binchy audiobook while she knitted.

  “Everything okay, dear?” Hilary asked as she paused her CD.

  “Absolutely. I love the room.”

  “The house has been in my family for four generations. Apparently Thoreau wrote Life in the Woods here.”

  “I thought he wrote that while he lived in the woods at Walden Pond.”

  “Yes, well, my great-grandmother said he used to get away for weekends.” Hilary placed her knitting to one side. “Can I help you with something?”

  Rhi perched herself on the sofa opposite Hilary. “What can you remember about the Majestic?”

  Rhi’s question clearly threw her hostess. “That’s been closed for many years. No one goes near it. People say it’s haunted, although I don’t believe that, do you?”

  “Sounds like gossip to me,” Rhi said.

  Hilary seemed to approve, because she opened up further. “I remember the theater as a child. It was a vibrant place. My parents would get dressed up to go to the Majestic on Friday nights. They had dances there, and movie nights. Vaudeville shows often came to town. Ethel Barrymore once performed there, you know.”

  “What happened?”

  “The theater was built by Alfred Knox in the early twenties. His son took over, but he never really had the same passion for it. By the time Alfred’s grandson inherited the place, it was well past its glory days.” Hilary thought about this for a moment. “It closed in the mid seventies. The community still used it for meetings. It was used a lot for rallies during the Vietnam War.”

  “It’s been closed since then?”

  Hilary looked wary. “In the eighties a young theater actor from New York came to town and restored the Majestic. He planned to reopen, but it didn’t work out. You sure do ask a lot of questions.”

  Rhi decided to change tack. “I’ve read that Hamlet holds some wonderful reenactment events.”

  “Well now, I’m a member of the Hamlet Historical Society and we organize the annual reenactment of a little-known battle during the Civil War. It’s only been running for three years, but it’s become quite an event.”

  “Hamlet sounds like it has a proud history.”

  “We’re certainly proud of it.” Hilary gave her an appraising stare. “Why are you so interested?”

  Rhi glanced at the clock on the wall. She’d arranged to meet Annie and needed to get a move on. “Because I’m going to move here and reopen the theater.”

  Chapter 6

  Annie was waiting for Rhi outside the theater, and shook a set of keys as she approached. “I only have fifteen minutes until I need to be somewhere, so I’m going the take you in, but then leave you to look around and lock up. If that’s okay with you?”

  Rhi nodded. It suited her. “What will I do with the keys?”

  “Drop them back into the office before you leave town tomorrow.”

  “You’re trusting.”

  Annie tossed Rhi a look. “Honey, this isn’t New York.”

  “I know. That’s what appeals to me,” Rhi said with a sigh.

  It took Annie a couple of minutes to unbolt the doors. Once inside the foyer, they both stood still for a moment to give their eyes time to adjust to the dim light. Something was scratching in one corner.

  “Rats?” asked Rhi.

  “Sounds more like a bear,” Annie said.

  Rhi jumped as a flapping sound came from above.

  “You really are a city girl.” Annie pointed to a bird’s nest.

  Rhi was relieved. Birds she could handle, bats not.

  “I haven’t been in here for years,” Annie whispered. She seemed a little nervous too, but put on a brave face, flicking her curls back and marching across the foyer. “As you can see, it’s run down but not a complete write-off. Some locals were concerned about the state of the theater, so the owner had a structural engineering firm in about eight months ago. Everything meets current Massachusetts codes. So any work that needs to be done is superficial.”

  Rhi made a quick circle of the foyer and stuck her head into the box office. Annie opened the doors of another office and a studio space. They were all in relatively good condition, with just some basic repairs and redecoration needed.

  “I’ll take you upstairs before I race off.”

  Annie led Rhi upstairs to two rehearsal studios and a storage room packed with old costumes and props.

  “There’s some water damage on a few floorboards, otherwise she’s in pretty good condition.” Annie looked around the room. “It’s a great space. And apart from the Catholic Hall and the council chambers, there really is a shortage of leasable rooms in town. These rooms would definitely generate an income for you.”

  Rhi could see it too. The space was fantastic. There was a lot of junk lying around, but overall it was a gem and Rhi was thrilled with it.

  Next, Annie led Rhi into the tech box.

  “I’m afraid this isn’t my area of expertise, but I called Annabelle, who opened the dance school here a couple of years ago.” Annie pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and read from it. “She said she had the theater wiring checked and it’s fine. Lights are good. She updated the sound system, but closed the school before she could put in a new phase board.” Annie looked back up at Rhi. “Does that make sense?”

  Rhi nodded. “Why did she close?”

  “Her husband ran off and left her in a mound of debt. She couldn’t afford to go ahead with this.” Annie glanced at her watch. “Let’s have a peek at the bathrooms.”

  The two women returned downstairs and stuck their heads into the foyer bathroom.

  “Might needed to be remodeled,” Annie said. “Or you could just make sure the plumbing is fine and go for the retro look.”

  Rhi didn’t say a word. She was starting to feel overwhelmed. Perhaps this was a crazy idea.

  “Let’s check out the theater,” Annie suggested.

  The minute Rhi stepped into the actual auditorium all thoughts of bathroom remodeling and tech box refitting disappeared. To her, the place was heaven. The theater seated an audience of two hundred on row after row of red velvet seats. The seats and hall were in excellent condition.

  “I have to go, but take your time. Check out the backstage area. See what you think.”

  “Thanks, Annie. I’ll drop the keys back in.”

  Annie put her hands on her hips. “I have no idea why I’m even doing this. I can guarantee the owner won’t want a bar of it.”

  “Then at least I tried,” Rhi said.

  Annie disappeared out the door and Rhi was alone. She felt alone. There was a weight to the silence that made it easy to believe nothing else existed outside the theater, that this was it; the whole universe, tucked away inside a 1920s theater. There was no place she’d rather be.

  She wandered up to the stage. It was a good size with spacious wings. The acoustics were great. There was a strange patch on the roof but that could be fixed. She pushed her way through the curtains and wandered around backstage. There was a small green
room and one dressing room, which was one more than most of the theaters she’d worked in. She ran her fingers along part of an old set and noticed it was propped against a door. She pushed it to one side and realized that the door led to a second dressing room. There was a faded star tacked on the door, roughly cut from silver paper.

  Rhi opened the door and stepped inside, but just as she did she felt a heave against her chest, as if she’d been pushed. She jerked back and knocked her head against the doorframe as an icy blast of wind caught her by surprise.

  “Ow. Damn.” Her fingers touched the bump.

  “What are you doing here?” echoed a deep voice.

  Rhi screamed, stumbled back over the old set and sprawled across the floor. She watched as a piece of a set shook above her, threatening to collapse on her. She scrambled out of the way just as it fell.

  Her eyes darted over to the side of the room—a figure was standing there, in no hurry to help her, obviously. Rhi’s eyes flickered toward the back door and gauged how quickly she could make a run for it.

  “I mean you no harm. Are you okay?”

  The man…a gorgeous man…an absolutely breathtaking man, stepped out of the shadows.

  It was the guy she’d seen running on the beach.

  They locked eyes for a moment and Rhi felt the world tilt off balance. She was falling again, only this time it was internally. Yes, this man was dangerous, but not in a psycho-attacker type way. He was so sexy he should wear a warning sign.

  “I didn’t mean to frighten you. Or injure you. I just want to know what you’re doing here.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I own this monstrosity.”

  She stared at him for a moment. Hot-man-from-the-beach owned her theater? And she’d made a total idiot of herself in front of him.

  “Did you hit your head?” He sounded concerned.

  She rubbed it in answer.

  He waited for her to say something. “Do you need medical assistance?”

  Rhi shook her head.

  “Are you stuck?” He took one step toward her, his hand out as if trying to pacify a frightened animal.

  Pull it together! Rhi clambered to her feet and dusted herself off. She decided against shaking his hand, mainly because she didn’t trust herself to walk across the room to him without tripping again. In fact, she looked at his hand like it was a live wire, aware that if she actually touched it, she’d be done for.