The Ghost of a Memory

by Bobbi Holmes

“Screaming?” Brian asked.

  “Yeah. Someone was shouting for help. Turned out it was Danielle. We found her and Walt chained up in here. She told us Beau had attacked them, chained them up, and intended to smother them and burn down the barn. But when she started yelling, and then we showed up, it scared him off.”

  “But you had him when we got here?” Joe said.

  “About five or ten minutes after I called 911, Heather started yelling. She saw Beau trying to sneak out of a stall. I guess he hid after we got here. So I tackled him and held him until you arrived.”

  “Is there anything else?” Joe asked.

  “Well, there’s the human remains buried in that shed out back, and then the ones under there.” Chris pointed to the tarp.

  Heather sat on the lone folding chair in the barn and watched as Brian and Joe interviewed Chris. She couldn’t hear their conversation, yet with the double doors pushed wide open and the position of the late afternoon sun, light streamed into the old barn, providing ample illumination for Heather to see Chris and the two officers. Focusing on Chris’s lips, she tried figuring out what he was saying, yet soon admitted she sucked at lip-reading. Heather dreaded being interviewed, not knowing what Chris had told them. Why hadn’t they gotten their stories straight before the police had arrived?

  “Why the worried face?” Wilbur asked when he appeared by Heather’s side. After she told him her concern, he smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Chris already thought of that.”

  “Eva Thorndike, is that you?” a woman’s voice called out amongst the commotion in the barn. Only the remaining spirits heard. Marie had already left to the hospital to check on Walt and Danielle, and to tell Danielle what Chris had told the police. Dolly had not returned, and Chris and Heather were outside, walking back to Chris’s car. The remaining police officers were currently taking a closer look at the skeletal remains found under the tarp and concrete.

  “Charlene?” Eva said.

  “It is you!” Charlene gasped.

  Eva reached out her hand to Charlene. “Come, we need to talk.”

  “I’m afraid you can’t see Mrs. Marlow now,” the nurse told Joe and Brian. They stood in front of the nurses’ station on the third floor. “She was just given a sedative.”

  “We understand Walt Marlow is in intensive care?” Brian asked.

  “Yes,” the nurse said, offering no additional information.

  Brian spied Lily and Heather sitting together in the small waiting area next to the nurses’ station. He nudged Joe and nodded toward the women.

  “Look who’s here,” Marie chirped when Brian and Joe walked up to Lily and Heather in the waiting room. The two women looked up at the officers, who did not understand the spirit of Marie Nichols sat with them.

  “How’s Danielle doing?” Joe asked.

  Lily looked up to Joe. “They just gave her a sedative. But they said she would be all right. It’s Walt we’re worried about. Chris just went to talk to the doctors in ICU about him.”

  “They won’t say anything to Chris,” Joe told her. “He’s not a family member.”

  Lily smiled wearily up to Joe, her bloodshot eyes free of any makeup, washed clean by her tears. “They will. Both Chris and I have a medical power of attorney for Walt and Danielle, and they have it on Chris.”

  “Did you find their car?” Heather asked. Wilbur had already told her the answer. But she was curious if they would tell them.

  “Yes. We found it in the garage, with the keys in it. Beau Stewart claims Walt or Danielle must have parked it there. But his fingerprints were all over the car and keys,” Brian said.

  “Beau Stewart is a homicidal maniac,” Heather said. “I assume you found the skeletal remains?”

  “Yes. The ones Chris told us about, in the shed, and in the barn. Our team is still out there.”

  “They need to check behind the house, too,” Marie said.

  “I bet you’ll find more,” Heather said. “You need to dig around the house.”

  After Brian and Joe left the waiting room, they headed for intensive care. En route, they ran into Chris.

  “Lily said you were checking on Walt,” Joe said when they stopped in the hall to talk with him. “How’s he doing?”

  “Good, actually. He finally came to. But they’re still running some tests. I’ve arranged for them to move Walt and Danielle into the same hospital room,” Chris said. “Hopefully within the next couple of hours.”

  “They’ll do that?” Joe asked.

  “He really doesn’t need to be in ICU,” Chris said. “And both of them will heal faster if they’re together, not worrying about the other one.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Brian and Joe stood together in front of the hospital elevator, waiting for its door to open so they could go down to the first floor and head to the police station.

  “Chris and Heather told the exact same story when we questioned them,” Brian noted.

  “Almost like they rehearsed it,” Joe said.

  “Do we want to place bets that Beau Stewart is the one the chief wanted us to be on the lookout for on Wednesday?” Brian asked.

  “It looks that way, considering what they’ve been digging up. And the burlap sacks we found in the barn, we already knew the remains were related to Barr; now we know where they came from before they got tossed in the ocean.”

  “This entire thing is crazy,” Brian said.

  “You know what else is crazy,” Joe asked.

  “What?”

  “That Chris would have a medical power of attorney over Walt and Danielle, and they would have it over him.”

  “I know it used to be that way, before Walt came along,” Brian said.

  “Right, when Chris and Danielle were dating. And neither one had any family. But seriously? Would you feel comfortable having the guy who used to date your wife have the power to pull the plug? Or let your old girlfriend’s new husband have that power?”

  Brian chuckled. “Yeah, when you put it like that, it’s weird.”

  “That entire Beach Drive group, I don’t know, it’s like they have some secret club. Kelly often feels like an outsider. Ian’s her brother, and she shouldn’t have to feel that way.”

  “They invite you guys to all their parties,” Brian reminded him.

  “Yeah, because Ian is Kelly’s brother,” Joe grumbled. “When I first met Ian, back when Danielle and Lily moved to town, I felt closer to Ian. We had a lot of fun.”

  “Then we arrested Danielle for murder and the fun ended,” Brian said with a laugh as the elevator door opened.

  “We’ve gone beyond that,” Joe said as he stepped into the empty elevator. “They even invite you to their parties now.”

  Brian followed Joe into the elevator but didn’t respond to his comment because he spied two nurses running in their direction. He held the elevator open for them. Once inside, the nurses thanked Brian, punched in their desired floor number, and then began chatting amongst themselves. The door closed.

  “It must be nice to have that much money,” one nurse said to the other.

  “I don’t think it’s his money, it’s the foundation’s. But that generous donation will be appreciated by the hospital.”

  “All I can say, the Marlows must be close friends if he’s willing to risk his job just to change around some hospital rooms.”

  “I thought it was against hospital protocol. But hey, who says no to a generous benefactor? I’d like to have a friend like that,” the other nurse said.

  The elevator stopped on the second floor. The door opened, and the nurses stepped out. When the door closed again, Brian said, “I don’t think Chris has to worry about losing his job with the foundation.”

  Thirty-Nine

  When the sedative finally wore off and Danielle woke up, she was not alone in the hospital room. Marie sat by her side. Danielle was both disoriented and confused, but Marie held her hand and gently explained what had happened and why she was in the hospital. While Danielle un
derstood Marie’s body was only an illusion, and there was no actual hand holding hers, only the pressure of energy exerted by Marie to give the illusion of the intimacy, Danielle appreciated the gesture. While she had lost her own beloved grandmother years before, and then her parents, there was comfort knowing a grandmotherly figure was by her side, one who sincerely cared for her.

  “And Walt?” Danielle asked.

  “Walt’s awake. While you were sleeping, they moved you to another room, and they’re bringing Walt down from ICU to share this room with you. He should be here soon. I checked on him just a while ago.”

  “And he’s okay?” Danielle asked.

  “Yes, dear. They want to keep him over for observation. In fact, they want to keep both of you. But the tests have all come back, and there doesn’t seem to be anything of significant concern. You need to rest.”

  “Oh, Max,” Danielle said, remembering he had been alone all day.

  “I already popped over there and let Max know what was going on, and I fed him,” Marie said. “He just wants you to get better so you can get back home.”

  “Thank you, Marie. Do you know what happened to Beau Stewart?” Danielle asked.

  “I know they’ve arrested him. He left the barn kicking and screaming, saying ‘Don’t you know who I am!’ But I’ve been at the hospital since they brought you here, so I’m afraid I don’t know. But I imagine Chris or Lily will stop by later and update you. They were here earlier, but you had just had a sedative, so they couldn’t come in. Heather was here too.”

  “I wish I had my phone.” Danielle groaned and said, “I just remembered, they dropped it off the pier.”

  “You can get another phone, dear. Just as long as you’re both okay. That’s what’s important.”

  Commotion from the open doorway caught their attention, and they looked to see Walt being wheeled into the hospital room.

  “Walt!” Danielle cried out.

  He reached his hand out to her, and she to him, yet they were not close enough to touch.

  After the nurses settled Walt into his hospital bed and left the room, Marie said, “I’ll let you two have some privacy.” She vanished.

  “Oh, Walt, I’m so sorry,” Danielle said, bursting out in tears.

  “Why are you sorry? And please don’t cry!” He looked to the table next to him and willed a tissue from its box, sending it floating across the room to Danielle.

  She snatched the tissue from midair, gave a sniffle, and smiled before using it to wipe her eyes and blow her nose. “This is all my fault.”

  “It’s not. It’s Beau Stewart’s fault. I’m just sorry I wasn’t listening to myself, and they got the jump on us.”

  “What do you mean, listening to yourself?” Danielle asked.

  “I had a premonition when we were standing in that shed. I knew something was about to happen, but I brushed it off, told myself I was letting my imagination run away with me. I should have listened.”

  “What kind of premonition?”

  “It’s not that I saw what was about to happen, but I felt something bad was about to happen. That’s why I was eager to leave.”

  Danielle let out a sigh and said, “You don’t understand how relieved I am that you’re okay.”

  “And you don’t understand how annoyed I am with Chris,” he countered.

  “Chris? Why?” Danielle asked.

  “First, he races to our rescue with Heather and helps save us. Then, according to the nurses, he pulled some strings, along with some bribery—by a donation to the hospital—to get you and me moved to the same room.”

  “You didn’t want to be saved? You don’t want to share a room with me?”

  “Yes, of course. But now I have to be nice to Chris.” He laughed.

  Danielle rolled her eyes. “You’re always nice to Chris.”

  Walt grinned. “He’s a good friend.”

  A knock came at the door. They looked over and saw the chief standing just inside the room.

  “I hope you’re up for a visit?” the chief said.

  “Come in, Edward,” Walt said.

  “Hey, Chief, so you’re back,” Danielle greeted him. “Heather told me at the barn Ian couldn’t get ahold of you.”

  “That’s what I get for turning off my phone so I can spend some quality time with the boys.” He walked over to Danielle and gave her hand a gentle squeeze and then shook Walt’s hand before pulling up a chair and sitting between them.

  “We are a pain,” Danielle said.

  “Yes, you are,” the chief agreed. “Ian called me before Brian did. He filled me in on what happened, and I went right down to the station.”

  “Marie said they arrested Beau?”

  The chief nodded. “He’s not talking until his lawyer gets here, and that won’t be until Monday morning. But they’ve uncovered the skeletal remains for four people over there. Two in the barn, one in the shed and another behind the house. They’re looking for more.”

  “I don’t think they’ll find more,” Danielle told him.

  “Are you sure?” the chief asked.

  “I suppose it’s possible there are others, and their spirits moved on. But we only saw five spirits over there, and that includes Beau Porter Junior, who I assume belongs to the remains that washed up on shore.”

  “So who are they; do you know?” the chief asked.

  “Dolly Porter, Earl Barr and Beau Stewart’s great-grandmother, who I assume you’ll at least be able to determine they’re related by a DNA test. She was the one in the shed. Then Earl Barr Senior, who is the father to Earl Barr, whose DNA you already have. I’m sure he’s the one you found behind the house. Wilbur’s remains should show a match with the one Betty White has on file, and then you probably want to ask the Kings for a DNA match. I assume one is Charlene Davis.”

  “What I’m trying to understand, why exactly did Beau Stewart want you dead?” the chief asked.

  “He was definitely the one Wilbur overheard at the pier, and I assume his daughter was the woman he was talking to. She was the one who broke into Marlow House with her brother and took the letters,” Danielle said. “But I still don’t understand why.”

  “Those deaths all happened years ago,” the chief said. “I can understand he wouldn’t want the world knowing about the murders his ancestors committed, with him running for Congress. But killing you is extreme.”

  Back on Beach Drive, the friends asked the same question. Why was Beau Stewart so desperate to get Walt’s diary? Why was he prepared to kill them? It was a question they feared would not get answered, and one Heather woke up Sunday morning thinking about.

  She had just poured herself some hot tea when Marie appeared in her kitchen to give her an update on Walt and Danielle.

  “Glad you’re here!” Heather said.

  “You are?” Marie asked in surprise.

  Heather sipped her tea and said, “Actually, I wanted to talk to you. But why are you here?”

  “To tell you Walt and Danielle are doing very well this morning.”

  “That’s a relief. Walt had me worried.” Heather took another sip of tea.

  “Why did you want to see me?” Marie asked.

  “I need you to help me do something,” Heather said.

  “What?”

  “I want to convince Beau Stewart to explain why he wanted to kill Walt and Danielle.”

  “And exactly how do you expect to do that?” Marie asked.

  “Show him his daughter was right. I’m a witch.”

  Heather sat with Marie in her car in the police station parking lot thirty minutes later.

  “I don’t believe you thought this out very well. How do you expect to get in there to talk to him?” Marie asked. “Edward’s car isn’t even here, so he can’t help you.”

  “I don’t want to involve the chief. But I know Stewart’s here in lockup, and according to what Joe once told me, a prisoner can normally have visitors, but only if they agree to see them.”

&n
bsp; “Do you honestly think he’ll agree to see you?” Marie asked.

  Gnawing on her right thumbnail, Heather scrunched up her nose as she stared out the windshield, looking at the police station entrance. “Let me think a minute; I’ll figure something out.”

  A car pulled into the parking lot and drove by Heather’s car, parking behind her. Abruptly she sat up straight. “That was Beau’s son,” she said excitedly.

  “How is that going to help?” Marie asked.

  “Watch,” Heather said, rolling down her driver’s side window.

  Just as Brad walked by, she called out, “Hey, I have a message for your father.”

  He stopped and looked her way but said nothing and didn’t approach the window.

  Heather smiled at him and said, “If your father wants to get out of this, he needs to talk to me.”

  “What are you up to?” Marie asked.

  Hesitantly, Brad walked to her car. “Why would my dad need to talk to you?”

  “I was there yesterday when your father got arrested. But I’m willing to change my story, which will help your dad get off. I know something about Chris and Danielle that’ll help him.”

  “What do you know?”

  “I’m not telling you. I’ll only talk to your father.”

  “Why would you want to help him?” he asked.

  “I’ll do about anything for the right price,” Heather told him.

  He had to admit; he was curious to hear what she had to say. Sitting alone in the jail cell, he watched as the door opened and a police officer led Heather to his cell.

  Her complexion was paler than he remembered, a stark contrast to her inky black hair, its length straight and falling past her shoulders. She wore thick dark eyeliner and blood red lipstick. He thought her dress more appropriate for a Halloween costume, fashioned from black crepe and just short enough to show off black boots. Beau remembered what his daughter had said in jest about Heather being a witch, and he wondered what she would say if she saw her now. He wanted to laugh at the thought, but he didn’t think it prudent to insult her before she helped him. And if Heather Donovan imagined herself a witch, he really didn’t care, as long as he got out of this mess.