“You can take a look around anywhere you’d like,” she said.
I turned around and looked at her. “Thank you. What type of experiences have you had?”
She released a deep breath and then said, “Well, I hear footsteps all the time when I come in here. They’re really loud. And I saw like a misty white form in the room over there. That was just a few days ago.”
That certainly did sound compelling. “Are all of these happening recently?”
I wasn’t sure I was ready to experience anything in the house tonight. Maybe I needed a breather from the paranormal.
“I think the people who had it before me experienced things too. I guess that’s why they sold the place.”
“Do you know anything else about the house?” I asked.
“Other than it was a funeral home, no, I don’t know.” She shook her head.
“Well, I’ll make sure to do research so we can find out some more.”
“It should be easy for you since you have access to the library. You do work at the library, right?”
She certainly knew a lot about me and I didn’t know much about her.
“Yes, I do,” I said. “Do you mind if I have a look around upstairs?”
“Please, look wherever you like,” she said with a wave of her hand.
First, I’d start with the downstairs. I stepped over to the window and peered out. A faint light came from a nearby streetlight, but even with that it was hard to see with all of the dust layered on the glass.
“I’ll just wait outside, if you don’t mind.” She gestured over her shoulder.
How was she going to restore the place if she couldn’t stay in here very long? She seemed like she was eager to get out. Other than the parlor, she hadn’t even stepped much past the front door. I would just make a quick trip around. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be alone here either.
The downstairs of the home was huge. It had two parlors and a dining room. There was also a kitchen and a library. Dark wood trim edged every room except for the outdated kitchen. It felt as if eyes were on me the whole time as I went from room to room. I’d hurry and go upstairs and then get out of there before a ghost popped up.
I made it back out to the foyer and up the steps. There was a stained-glass window at the top of the landing. I turned to my left and down the hallway.
Five bedrooms lined the hall up there along with a couple of bathrooms that looked like they had been added on probably in the Fifties. They hadn’t been updated since then either. As I walked into one of the bedrooms, I moved over to the window and peered down at the street. There was a view of the front of the street and sidewalk.
I looked around for Cecilia, but she wasn’t there. I wondered if she’d come back inside. I hadn’t heard the door. When I looked at the street, her car was gone.
Had she left me here? Now I was starting to panic a little. Maybe something had spooked her and she’d driven off. As I stood by the window, I noticed the side of another house that backed up to this one. I knew I had to get out of there quickly. I didn’t want to encounter a ghost. Plus, I didn’t want to be in there alone. I rushed out into the hallway and headed down the steps.
Now that I was far into the house I was a bit spooked. After moving a couple steps forward, a door slammed. I stopped and clutched my chest. It could've been the wind, I reminded myself. I kept moving forward and I would try to ignore anything that happened next. Another door slammed. It would be hard to ignore that. I wasn't sure if the noise was someone really entering the house or ghosts. A few more steps and another door slammed. My nerves were on edge. Another door slammed.
It was time for me to get out of there. The paranormal activity was increasing by the second and I got the distinct impression that the ghosts didn’t want me there.
As I moved down the hall, the lights flickered. My anxiety spiked. I didn’t want to be in the complete dark. The flashlight on my phone wouldn’t be enough. Chills covered my body at the thought. Lights flickered again and I prayed that they wouldn’t go off permanently.
At least for now the door slamming had stopped. The lights remained on as I took a few more steps. Just then a cold spot surrounded me. The house had been a little chilly to begin with, but now it was freezing. I wrapped my arms around me to try to fight off the cool air. The more I walked the more the cool air stayed me. Something was following me. No doubt it was the same thing that had caused the door slamming and the lights to flicker. I didn’t need to be hit over the head to know it was time for me to get out of there.
When I turned around the corner, I spotted something over by the closet door. Sure, I should be running out of the place, but curiosity always got me. I stepped over to the closet. I paused and looked over my shoulder to make sure that the ghost wasn’t about to attack me, then I reached down and picked up the paper. It was probably just a piece of trash. Maybe it was something that Cecilia had lost. The cold had air had faded, so I had a little bit more courage thinking that the ghost had left.
It was a page from a book. My anxiety hadn’t completely gone away, so I wondered if I should take the time to read it. Probably not, but I had to know what it was before I left. The lights flickered again as if a warning for me to get out. I had to hurry. I read a few lines on the page and soon realized it was a story about a haunted house. I didn’t think it was this haunted house though. Now I really wanted to know where this page was from. The title of the book wasn’t at the top. It made my stomach twist at the thought of someone destroyinga book.
Was it the story from the Edgewood house? When I flipped over the page, there was only a few sentences. I couldn’t make out much about that story or where the place was located. It was kind of odd that found this considering I had found the books too. Was it a coincidence? Maybe, but then again, maybe someone was still trying to give me a message. I hoped that it wasn’t a deadly message. I needed to ask Cecilia about this. Maybe she would recognize the page. It might be a book that she’d left. After all, she did have a haunted house, so maybe she wanted to do a little research on the subject.
After stuffing the page into my pocket, I made it down the stairs in record time and to the front door. I glanced to my left and right, but Cecilia wasn’t there. I wrapped my hand around the old brass doorknob. It fell off in my hand. Of all things, now I was trapped in here. I shoved the thing back on, trying to get it to work long enough to allow me to get outside. I twisted, but nothing happened. Panic set in even more. My heart raced and sweat broke out on my forehead.
Finally, I shoved the doorknob back on and twisted it at the same time. Relief fell over me when it opened. I raced out the door and down the path to the sidewalk. I glanced to the left and right again, but still didn’t see Cecilia’s car. I couldn’t believe that she had left me there. Why had she done that? When I looked back at the house, there was nothing unusual, but that strange presence was still lingering. The place was definitely haunted. But now I didn’t know if I would add it to the tour or not. There was such a thing as too haunted.
I hated to leave the place unlocked, but I didn’t know what else to do. I definitely wasn’t sticking around. I just wanted to get out of there. The visit had turned out weird. If Cecilia wanted the door locked, then she would have to come back and do it herself. I would definitely call her and ask why she’d abandoned me. As I hurried down the sidewalk, I pulled out my phone. I couldn’t wait to hear her excuse.
I hit redial on my phone and waited for her to answer. Honestly, I hadn’t expected for her to pick up, but on the second ring she answered. She didn’t even say hello, but I knew that she was there.
“Cecilia, this is Ripley. Why did you leave the house without saying anything?”
She didn’t answer.
“It was incredibly rude,” I added when she didn’t say anything. “I know you’re listening.”
Finally, she said, “I’m sorry. I just had to leave quickly.”
Still, she could have said something. Did she leav
e because the place was haunted?
“Again, I apologize, but I just had an appointment come up and needed to leave immediately.”
This late at night? I supposed it was possible if it was an emergency that she wouldn’t have taken the time to say goodbye.
“I hope everything is all right,” I said.
“Yes, everything will be fine and I will call you about the tour, okay?”
“Yeah, sure, I’ll talk to you soon,” I said and then hung up.
I supposed I would have to accept what she said, but I was still spooked. And I had to make the rest of the walk home. What if the spirit had followed me to the old house too? That meant that it would probably be following me home. I wished that I wasn’t walking alone. There was something about Cecilia’s voice that made me not believe her. In my opinion, there was fear in her words. I figured she had seen the spirit too and was just too afraid to tell me. But why? She had already told me about the other things that she’d encountered. She knew that I had experience with the paranormal. It would be only natural for me to know about the spirit.
With darkness surrounding me, the walk to my place was especially spooky. It was always a little unsettling when I thought a ghost might be following me, but this time was worse than ever. I was practically counting every step. My street came into view and a tiny bit of relief fell over me. I glanced over my shoulder and luckily didn’t see anything. Just as my house came into view, I thought I heard someone call out my name. I looked back again, but didn’t see anyone. Now it sounded like there were footsteps behind me. No one was back there though, at least not anyone I could see.
I picked up my pace, but my legs weren’t moving fast enough for my liking. The more I walked, the farther my place seemed. And it still felt as if someone was behind me. I kept glancing back, but that was only slowing down my pace. I needed to calm down since there was no reason truly to panic. It had been a bad idea to go out to that place tonight anyway. What had I been thinking? The lure of a new haunted place had pulled me in.
After a couple more steps, I stumbled. I tripped on something and fell forward onto the pavement. The palms of my hands broke my fall. With the wind knocked out of me, I was startled, but I had escaped without breaking anything. It didn’t help that it still felt as if someone was behind me. Now I was in this vulnerable position on the ground. I looked down at my hands. They were a bit scraped, but otherwise okay.
The presence of someone right behind me made me whip around. Crystal was standing over me.
“Oh, Crystal, I’m so glad it’s you,” I said.
She stretched out her hand to me. “Are you okay? What happened?”
She helped me to my feet and I brushed off my pants. “I guess I just missed a step. There was a break in the pavement. I’m fine though, nothing’s broken.”
“Thank goodness for that,” she said.
“What are you doing out here?” I asked.
She grinned. “Oh, I was just supposed to meet my friend.” She looked around as if she wasn’t quite sure where her friend was supposed to be.
There was something about her demeanor that was a little different. It was unlike her to be out here by herself at night. I was used to running around the streets of Devil’s Moon when the sun went down, but Crystal wasn’t. She had always said it spooked her too much to be out at night alone.
Crystal glanced back over her shoulder.
“Did you see someone?” I asked.
Maybe she had sensed someone following her too.
She met my gaze. “I didn’t notice anyone.”
Normally that question would have scared her, but now she didn’t seem concerned.
Crystal reached down. “Is this yours?” She unfolded the page that I’d found at Cecilia’s.
“Oh, I found that back at this haunted house.”
She studied the page for a moment and then handed it back to me. “I’ve read that story before. It was about the ghost of a woman who was killed by someone who was obsessed with her.”
For some reason that sent a shiver down my spine. “Where did you read the story?”
She waved her hand. “It was a book from the library. I can’t remember the title. Maybe Melissa had it. Speaking of which, did you ever put any connections with the books you found? What was special about them?”
I studied her face. “Not really. Some of the sentences were highlighted.”
“Interesting… where have you been tonight?” she asked.
“I was just headed home. I had the weirdest encounter with someone tonight.”
Crystal gestured. “I can walk with you if you’d like.”
I pushed the hair out of my eyes. “That would be great.”
At least now I wouldn’t have to walk alone. I couldn’t get over that Crystal was walking alone.
“You said someone was supposed to pick you up?” I asked as we walked along.
“My friend. You remember her?”
I nodded. “Where is she picking you up?”
Crystal stared at me for a moment and then said, “Just down the street.”
Maybe she thought I was asking too many questions. Obviously there was something she wasn’t telling me and I supposed it was none of my business. I would just let the topic go. I hoped that she wasn’t in some kind of trouble. Surely she would tell me if that was the case.
We walked in silence for a moment, and then Crystal asked, “Do you think they’ll ever find the killer?”
I shrugged. “I certainly hope so.”
“You shouldn’t go to strange houses alone,” Crystal said.
“I know, but I just couldn’t help myself,” I said with a grin.
As we moved along, I realized that the presence I’d felt was no longer with me. Of course that was a good thing, but I wondered why? Was it because Crystal was now with me? She’d said she hadn’t noticed anything, so maybe it was all just my imagination. No, I knew what I felt and I shouldn’t just chalk it up as my mind playing tricks on me.
We reached the gate in front of my place. Crystal stared off into the distance.
“Thanks for walking with me,” I said. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay? When is your friend supposed to be here?”
I wondered why her friend hadn’t picked her up at her place. If she was staying with her then it would seem logical that she would just meet Crystal at her home.
Crystal didn’t answer my question. Instead she said, “I have to go.”
Yes, this was really strange behavior for Crystal. Something wasn’t right. She took off down the sidewalk and then crossed the street. Headed toward the tavern, I supposed. I hoped that she would be okay.
Wait. How had Crystal known that I’d gone to a strange house? I’d only told her I had a weird experience, not that I’d gone to the old funeral home.
Chapter 17
The next morning, I rushed to the library. Luckily, I had beaten Tammy and Crystal there this morning. After feeding Jane Austen, I talked to Annie while I worked. I filled her in on everything that had happened last night.
Just be careful.
She knew telling me not to do it wouldn’t work, so she didn’t even try.
After just a few minutes, Tammy and Crystal popped into the library at the same time. I figured I’d better get it over with or I would lose my nerve.
“It looks like something’s wrong,” Tammy said when she looked at me.
“Well, I have something to talk to you two about, so come over here.” I motioned for the ladies to come near.
“What’s up?” Tammy said.
Crystal looked a little green, like she thought I was about to fire her.
“Don’t worry. It doesn’t have anything to do with your jobs,” I said.
“Thank goodness,” Crystal said.
“Okay, here goes. I need you all to help me with a séance tonight.” I rushed out the words to get it over with.
Tammy’s eyes widened. “A what?”
I release
d a deep breath. “A séance.”
“As in talking to dead people?” Tammy asked.
Crystal caught on quickly. “This has something to do with Melissa’s murder, doesn’t it?”
I nodded. “Yes, it does.”
“Count me in,” Crystal said. “Whatever I can do to find the killer, I will.”
Tammy shook her head and said, “Of course I’ll do it, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t be scared.”
“I’m scared too, but that’s okay. It’s okay to be scared of something that’s unknown. I won’t lie and say I don’t get the bejesus scared out of me sometimes too,” I said.
Annie sent another text.
I still think this is a bad idea.
I filled the ladies in on when and where we were doing this. I just hoped that we weren’t really going to perform the séance in the cemetery. That would be a bad idea… a very bad idea.
Of course I was nervous the rest of the day thinking about what was going to happen tonight. Keeping my mind on work was almost impossible. The only thing that could have made it worse would have been a visit from Mrs. Agnew.
After finishing up all my duties, I was just ready to leave for the day. I fed Jane Austen again and headed for the door. As I made it around the reference desk, I received another text. I’d already said goodbye to Annie, so now I was nervous thinking maybe it was another bad text. Remain calm, I told myself. Maybe Annie just had something else to say before I left. When I glanced down at the screen though, I realized it was no such luck. It was another message from Melissa’s number.
Tonight is the night.
That was all the message said.
That was all that I needed to see to know that I could be in some serious trouble.
After shoving the phone into my pocket, I stepped out of the library and locked the door. Tammy and Crystal were already standing out on the sidewalk.
When I approached Tammy, she said, “So we’ll meet you at the cemetery after the tour, right?”
For a brief moment, I thought about telling her no, to forget about it, but then I knew that I had to go ahead. If I didn’t I would always regret it.
Haunt the Haunt, Walk the Walk (Haunted Tour Guide Mystery Book 3) Page 12