“I attended every single play you were ever in, mostly hiding out in the back of the auditorium.” Ned cautiously reached for Gary, careful not to overstep his boundaries.
But it was Gary who finally let down his defenses and allowed Ned to draw him into a father-son embrace. Then Brenda joined them and pulled Eddie into it, and suddenly I felt like an interloper. I caught Annabeth’s eye and pointed to the door. She nodded and tiptoed up the stairs to retrieve our coats.
Gary pulled back from his family hug and looked off into the corner of the room again. “Lucy’s saying something.” He listened for a moment. “Goodbye. She said goodbye.”
“I’ve got her!” Uncle Omar exclaimed in my ear, so loud that I winced.
After all this time I could finally see Lucy, and she looked radiant. Eddie has her dark hair and small frame, but I could also see Ned in him. “She’s with my uncle on The Other Side. He’s taking her with him.” I smiled. “Lucy’s going to be fine. She wants Eddie to know she couldn’t leave till he was reunited with his father…”
“…and got a new mom,” Gary finished. Surprisingly, he took my hand and squeezed it.
I watched as Lucy hooked her arm through Uncle Omar’s and the two of them strolled off into the ether.
Chapter 16
The next day I was helping Mom and her assistant at the store, which was crammed with Black Friday shoppers, and much to my surprise Gary dropped in. “What brings you here? And how did you get here?” But before he could answer I already knew. “Ned, right?”
He grinned and nodded, beaming. Gone was the scowling, angry Gary, and in his place was a guy with a spring to his step. “Yeah, he dropped me off. I told him I wanted to do some shopping while he and Eddie are getting their blood tests.”
Gary told me that Ned had done some online research to get a look at Eddie’s birth certificate. Lucy had listed her son’s father as Unknown, so Ned was forced to follow through on Detective Albers’ suggestion that he prove he was Eddie’s birth father. I already knew for a fact he was, and the resemblance between the two of them was obvious to anyone, but legally they needed the confirmation.
Gary chatted with me a little more, but I had to get back to work so I pointed him in the direction of some books I thought he might be interested in. After a while he caught my eye and waved as he headed out the door.
It was a whirlwind of a Thanksgiving holiday. Annabeth and I drove back to school together, and late Sunday night I was sitting at my laptop in our dorm room, with a huge story to write for The Herald. I’d been sitting on this mind-boggling information about Eddie, Lucy, Ned, and Gary for so long that I was eager to finally be able to tell the story. I’d sent a lengthy text to Del, who replied that instead of telling him, I should tell the readers of the school newspaper. I promised Del I’d finish the story in time for the next edition.
By late November there were only three weeks left till the semester ended. How this story was received, and how I did in the rest of my classes, would determine if I had a future in journalism. But hey, no pressure!
****
“Dude. You made the papers again,” Sean said as he neatly hung his coat on the back of his chair in the dorm cafeteria.
It was early Monday morning, too early for Gary’s tastes, but he was glad his roommate had rousted him out of bed. He didn’t want to be late to his classes, and he had a lot to accomplish today. Gary had been pretty sure he’d gotten the lead in Macbeth, but it was still a relief when he saw the online cast list with his name at the top. Today was their first read-through in the rehearsal hall, and then he had to go to the bookstore to talk to Ellis. Gary took a sip from his cup of hot, black java, watched with distaste as Sean tucked into his pancakes, and glanced at the copy of The Hamilton Campus Herald which Sean had spread out on the table.
Gary was looking at the story upside down, but he got the gist of it. “How did she get that story into today’s edition so fast?”
Sean grinned and shrugged. “Annabeth said Caryn was up all night writing the big reveal about Eddie, and Annabeth pulled up some shots of you to go with the story.”
It wasn’t a bad picture, but it was Gary in his costume from Pride and Prejudice and not necessarily the way he wanted to be depicted. “So now I’m going to be the talk of the campus. Again.” He glanced around the cafeteria to see which students might be reading the story. Well, lots, as it turned out. On Monday morning at eight a.m. after a long holiday break, the place was full of students eating breakfast and ready to hit the books. Gary glanced at the nearly empty rack near the cash register that held the copies of The Herald. He turned Sean’s copy of the paper around so he could read the headline:
Local Actor/Ghost Whisperer
Rescues Missing Teen
by Caryn Alderson
“Seems you and Caryn have come a long way. Listen to this,” Sean said as he read aloud from the story. “‘Gary Riddell, one of the rising theatrical stars in this year’s freshman class, and oh, by the way, the same guy who has that little talent of talking to ghosts, put his skills to use in a very special way…’” Sean looked up and pointed to the rest of the story. “She makes you out to be the hero.”
Gary was pretty sure he was blushing. “Well, yeah, but you guys were there, too. Caryn’s intuition was a huge part of this.”
Sean shrugged. “Maybe she’s just being modest, but a lot of the credit goes to the only person who could see and communicate with Eddie’s dead mom.”
Gary did feel a little like a hero. He’d helped his kid brother find his—their—father and get rid of that monster of a stepparent, sent Lucy on her way, and best of all, he’d seen his mother happier than she’d ever been. All because Ned, a man Gary had previously despised, turned out to be a decent guy.
Thanksgiving night the four of them—Gary, Ned, Brenda and Eddie—had sat up all night in Brenda’s living room. They talked, laughed, cried, finished off the pie, and simply got to know each other after all their years apart.
Gary finished reading Caryn’s story, shoved the paper aside, and nodded his approval. “Maybe Caryn isn’t so bad after all.”
“Ya think?” Sean said. “Isn’t there a line in Macbeth about somebody protesting too much?”
Gary snorted. “That’s from Hamlet, and it’s about a woman. But point taken.” He felt a tap on his shoulder.
“Hey Gary, nice article about you.”
Gary turned around to see Erica Stone smiling seductively, her long dark hair in thick curls falling around the stylish scarf draped over her coat. He politely stood up and because they were close to the same height, was able to look her in the eye. “Thanks.”
“Maybe we could get together some time, you know for coffee or something? You could tell me all about the ghosts you see.”
Gary looked at Erica, who was gorgeous by the way, but realized he didn’t have any interest in her anymore. Her appeal had been her height, her brains, and yes, her aloofness, but right now the only thing on his mind was a short, spunky psychic. “Sorry, but I’m taken.”
Where did that come from?
****
“Did you get the email?” Annabeth asked me.
I’d only had a couple of hours of sleep, so I was cranky and headachy. She caught me as I was about to dash out of our dorm room and head to my morning classes, which I couldn’t miss this close to finals. I sighed and turned back to Annabeth, who was sitting on the edge of her bed pulling on a pair of leather boots.
“I get lots of emails. Which one in particular?”
Annabeth giggled. “From Barry Lansing, of course. About that ghost stalking we did.”
“You mean the one that mostly lacked ghosts? Yeah, I got it.”
“Well?” Annabeth stood up and slipped her bulging tote bag over her shoulder. “Will you be there tonight? Ms. Pelson’s dying to hear what we found out.”
I sighed. “I’m not even a member of the club, Annabeth, and I sure don’t understand all that EVP stuff. Shoul
dn’t you guys be the ones to explain things to her?”
“You were there, Caryn, and you already knew Eddie was hiding out in that basement. Ms. Pelson’s gonna want to hear from you, too.”
I blew out a puff of air. “Yeah, okay, I’ll go. Student Union at seven, right?” I turned to leave, my hand on the doorknob.
“Say,” Annabeth said, a teasing lilt to her voice, “maybe Gary could walk you home afterwards.”
Say what? I opened the door and left.
After classes I went to the newspaper office to consult with Del about my story assignments. They were always posted on the bulletin board of course, but if I was being honest, I was hoping to hear if we’d had any reactions to my article.
I tapped lightly on his half-open office door. “You busy?”
Del was wearing his signature jeans and black turtleneck. He waved me in as he was hitting send on something or other.
“I see you put me down for that story on Finals Fashion Week aka wearing pjs to exams.”
Del swiveled in his chair, leaned back and nodded. “Yeah. Good job with the story today, by the way. Lots of positive feedback. But I think it’s time you got off the Gary Riddell track and onto something else. We don’t want you pigeon-holed.”
“I simply covered the biggest news story, and it so happens Gary was in the middle of it. Besides, this is a small campus and not much ever happens here.”
“Well, as a matter of fact it does,” Del said. He turned back around and scrolled through his emails. “I got this one from Serena Farrell from—”
“The Indianapolis Star?” I gasped.
“Yes, and she was impressed with your series on the Ghost Stalkers and the resulting discovery of that missing boy. She wants to talk to you about a possible internship next summer. Now that’s newsworthy!”
Ohmigod, my dreams were coming true! I’ve thought about an internship at the biggest newspaper in Indiana for ages, but I assumed I’d be farther along in school before I got the chance. I felt like hugging someone, but Del was an inappropriate choice, so I settled for a smile and a polite, “Thanks. I’ll give her a call.” Then I twirled around and bounced across the room to my desk, pulled my phone from my purse, and was about to ring Serena when a text popped up. From Gary.
—Your story was great. Thanks for not trashing me. :)—
I smiled, thinking I deserved that gentle ribbing.
—You going to the Ghost Stalkers meeting tonight?—
—Yes. You?—
—Annabeth’s making me.—
—I’ll be at the SU Bookstore. Stop in and we can walk up together.—
I thought about that. Did that make it a date, just to walk up a flight of stairs and take a seat next to someone?
“Niece, don’t blow this. He gets you.”
Uncle Omar was right. I felt like I could be myself with Gary. Quince never really understood my psychic abilities and certainly never felt comfortable when I used them, but Gary just accepts me for who I am. I gave my spirit guide a thumbs up and sent Gary an Okay. Hey, it’s a start.
****
Gary finished his morning classes and was running late getting to the bookstore. As usual. But he needed to talk to Ellis before his shift started. He rushed out of the theatre building, pulled up the collar of his coat and walked briskly across campus. But then he came to a dead stop in the middle of The Commons. The dry brown leaves on the ground made a swishing sound when he walked through them. The empty tree branches, covered with a light frost, seemed to catch the sunlight and wave in the breeze. As he looked around, Gary realized he’d never taken the time to enjoy the majesty of the historic buildings on campus. He was always in too much of a hurry. A lot had changed over Thanksgiving, and he felt an internal calm he’d never known.
“I say, young man, you shouldn’t be lollygagging. Have you no place to be?”
There it was, that familiar tingle at the base of his neck. Who says “lollygagging” anymore anyway? “You still here?” Gary asked the ghost. It was the same professor he’d seen around campus all semester, pipe smoke and all.
“I have no intention of leaving,” the ghost said in a huff. “You young people need someone to keep an eye on you.”
Gary shook his head. “If you’d just cross over, you wouldn’t have to worry about us. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m running late.” He took off, not bothering to look back.
“That’s the problem with this generation,” the ghost called after him. “No respect for your elders.”
“How was your Thanksgiving, Gary?” Ellis Garrett peeked out from behind the cash register as she was handing a student his credit card slip to sign.
Gary squeezed past her, swiped his badge on the time clock, and tied his apron on. “You mean you didn’t read Caryn’s story in the paper this morning?”
Ellis chuckled as she handed the customer his purchases and receipt. “Oh, I read it. I just wanted to hear it from you.”
Gary looked around the store and noticed that it was fairly empty. The rush would start when most classes had dismissed for the day and students were jonesin’ for caffeine. That and needing last-minute supplies for their final exams. He decided to take advantage of the relative quiet. “I wanted to talk to you about something. I’ve enjoyed working here, but I won’t be able to second semester, so I’m giving you my notice.”
Ellis lifted an eyebrow. “You got another job? ’Cause they’re scarce on a college campus with a ready supply of workers.”
Gary shook his head. “No. No job, but I want to thank you for this opportunity. I learned a lot from you, and I really appreciate your sympathetic shoulder that I cried on a lot.”
Ellis smiled and blushed a little. “So if you’re not taking another job…”
Gary grinned. “Ned—that’s my dad—he’s already paying my tuition and room and board, but he wants me to focus on my studies and my acting career. So he’s giving me an allowance.”
Ellis wrapped an arm around Gary’s shoulder and squeezed. “That’s wonderful, Gary. And I totally understand about the job.” Tears welled up in her eyes, so she turned around and busied herself straightening the display on the counter. “Say, tell me about this brother of yours. What’s he like?”
Gary thought for a minute. How in the world could anyone explain Eddie? He barely knew the kid, and what he did know was annoying, but he also had to admire his ingenuity and determination, getting himself out of the fix he was in. The two of them had a lot to learn about each other, but they had plenty of time. “He’s a genius.” Gary saw the dubious expression on Ellis’s face. “No, really. IQ over one-fifty. Ned pulled some strings and got him accepted to Willowby Prep starting second semester.”
Ellis let out a low whistle. “Now that’s a pricey place.”
Gary agreed, and at first he’d been a little envious that he hadn’t had the same advantage, but then he realized a school that small didn’t have much of a drama department. His theatrical opportunities would have been greatly limited. “Yeah, but Eddie needs a lot more than Belford Middle School can offer him. Willowby’s gonna put him in eighth grade for a semester so he can acclimate, and then he’ll start high school next fall.”
“Lucky kid. And lucky you, Gary. I’m happy for you,” Ellis said.
For once, I’m happy, too. Gary winked at her and got to work.
****
I stared up at the huge vintage clock over the Student Union’s main entryway. Six fifty-five. I was supposed to stop down in the bookstore to collect Gary and then be at that meeting with the Ghost Stalkers in five minutes. But I had a bad case of butterflies and I couldn’t bring myself to open the glass doors. My head knew this wasn’t a date, but my emotions begged to differ. I swallowed hard, gave myself a little pep talk, and went inside.
I didn’t have to go down to the bookstore after all because Gary was waiting for me in the lobby. He toasted me with his carryout coffee cup and walked over to join me. “Ready?” he asked.
&nbs
p; “Not really. I mean, I’m not even a member of the Ghost Stalkers Club.”
We started up the stairs, side by side. “Me neither, but Ms. Pelson needs to know what was going on at her house.”
We walked into the same second-floor room the Ghost Stalkers used before, the converted former library. But this time the room was staged informally, with a large conference table and about a dozen chairs encircling it. Annabeth waved at me and pointed to a seat next to Sean, so Gary and I joined them.
“Where is everyone?” Gary asked, surveying the room.
I had to wonder the same thing, because at the moment it was just the four of us and it was a few minutes after seven.
As if in answer to his question, the door opened and in walked Scott Tildren, Barry Lansing, and Clara Pelson. Poor Ms. Pelson looked nervous, like she was about to hear the bad news that her house was hopelessly haunted and she’d never be able to open it as a bed and breakfast.
Scott stopped and shook hands with Gary before helping Clara into her chair. “Read about you in the paper,” Scott said. He turned to me and added, “Nice investigative work.”
I blushed. “Thanks.”
Barry set his laptop on the table, yanked his chair out causing a scraping sound, and booted up the computer, rolling his finger around the mouse pad until he found what he was looking for. His demeanor indicated he was peeved, and he didn’t even bother with any niceties.
His expression steely, Barry turned to me and Gary. “What I don’t get,” he growled, “is how you knew Eddie Carson was hiding in that house, how you got him out of there without anyone knowing, why you didn’t bother sharing that with anyone, and why you misled everyone into thinking there were ghosts in that farmhouse.” He seemed to recover himself after his mini-tirade and offered a half-smile to Ms. Pelson that didn’t quite make it to his eyes. Everyone could see he was furious because someone else had stolen the limelight and usurped his role as lead Ghost Stalker.
I glared right back at him. “I was the only one who knew Eddie was there, so back off, Barry.”
Gary turned to Clara and explained in a much kinder tone, “There was a real ghost in the house. Is a ghost in your house.” Ignoring Barry, Gary craned his neck around Ms. Pelson to speak to Scott. “Didn’t your EVP equipment pick up anything?”
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