“So your uncle had nothing to do with your death?”
“Hardly. I’m responsible for his death.”
Danielle looked at Harvey. “How? You were murdered before your uncle killed himself. You’re not responsible.”
“I told him I was going over to Bruce and Barney’s house. My uncle never cared for old man Presley. He knew him back before Presley was married, they were drinking buddies. They had some sort of falling out. When I disappeared, my uncle didn’t believe I had run off. He got drunk, went over to the Presley house…” Harvey let out a sigh and shrugged. He stared off to the ocean. Mr. Presley and his sons were no longer in sight. Harvey and Danielle sat alone on the beach.
“They killed your uncle?” Danielle asked.
“Yes. Made it look like a suicide.”
“I still don’t understand…what are you looking for? Why do you keep coming back to Presley House? And why only on Halloween?”
“I have a vague memory of waking up on the beach…after…after…”
“After they put your body in the ocean?” Danielle finished for him.
Harvey nodded. “And then I was at the cemetery. I don’t know how I got there. But there was my headstone. And next to it was my uncle’s headstone. He was gone too. But I had no idea why he was there.”
“Did you see him, after you died?”
Harvey shook his head. “No. I’ve never seen him, not since before…”
Before you were murdered, Danielle thought.
“I found myself wandering around the cemetery, looking for answers. And then one day…”
Suddenly Danielle was no longer sitting on the beach with Harvey. She now stood with him at the Frederickport Cemetery, looking at his headstone.
Two middle-aged women, each wearing a dress, hat, and gloves, walked up to Harvey’s grave and looked down.
“He was a good boy. I still can’t believe his uncle would do something like this,” one of the women said.
“That’s Clara Bennet,” Harvey explained. “Her husband owned the local market and I used to stock shelves for him. The other one is her sister, Miss Frances.”
“It was the drinking,” Miss Frances explained. “Does things to a man. Evil things.”
“But to kill a boy he so loved? And I know he loved Harvey.”
Miss Frances shook her head, “I imagine he did, which is why he took his own life. Sobered up and realized the evil he perpetrated. I’m just glad there was enough money left over to get them both a decent headstone. Now they are in the good Lord’s hands. He’ll straighten this all out.”
“Miss Frances was always the churchy one,” Harvey explained. “When I was younger she’d drag me off to the Sunday sermon.” The women vanished and once again, Harvey and Danielle were alone.
“Is this how you found out everyone thought your uncle killed you?”
Harvey nodded. “Now that I had my answer, I tried to leave the cemetery. I wanted to find someone who could hear me—so I could tell them what really happened. At the time, I thought my uncle had killed himself because everyone thought he murdered me. But I couldn’t leave. I was trapped here.”
“When you say you wanted to leave the cemetery, you weren’t trying to move on, were you?”
“Move on?” Harvey frowned.
“When we die, we move onto another level.”
Harvey looked off into the distance. “I don’t know about that, but I couldn’t move on. Not until I set things right.”
“You say you were stuck at the cemetery, but you obviously managed to go to Presley House.”
“A year went by, and all I could think about was going to the Presley house and setting things straight. And then suddenly, without warning, I was there. I saw them all…Barney, Bruce and Mr. Presley. They couldn’t see or hear me, but I could hear them. I found out they had murdered my uncle. I figured out how to move things around. That got their attention.”
“What happened?”
“I returned to the cemetery as quickly and as unexpectedly as I had gone to Presley House. But then another year went by…and it happened again.”
“Always around Halloween?”
“Yes. But this time something extraordinary happened—I was able to make Barney and Bruce see me.”
“How did they react?”
“They looked at me with the same fear as they had looked at their father when he killed me. Cowards, both of them. When I returned the next year, they were gone. And so was the journal.”
“The journal you’re looking for?”
“Yes. I had convinced Bruce to write down everything that had happened in the basement. Unfortunately, after I watched him hide the journal, I was sent back to the cemetery and had to wait another year. But when I returned, they had moved.”
“And the journal?”
“It’s somewhere in that house. I know it is. I just don’t remember exactly where he hid it.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The first quarter moon cast its glow across Marlow House’s front landscape. Standing at the attic window, Walt gazed outside, his thoughts on Danielle. Throughout the day and into the night he had tried to find his way into her dreams with no avail. If she were somewhere sleeping—the door was firmly locked.
Lily had been sleeping for over an hour. He knew she waited for him, yet he wasn’t prepared to talk to her—what would he say? What great plan did he have to find Danielle? Closing his eyes, he asked himself the same question he had been asking for the last few hours. Was Danielle now like him? If so, why hadn’t she returned to the house—or had she move on. Would he find her again? Was she lost to him forever, traveling her own cosmic journey?
While deciding what to tell Lily when they met up in her dreams, something caught his eye—a dark shadow moved swiftly down the street and into the yard. Then he heard it. The sound of the pet door swinging back and forth. Sadie, who slept by Walt’s feet, lifted her head, her ears perking up.
“I think maybe Max has come home,” Walt told her.
Sadie started to jump up, preparing to dash from the room when Walt stopped her.
“You can’t bark, Sadie. You must be quiet. Lily is sleeping and I need her to sleep so I can talk to her. But first, let’s see where Max has been keeping himself.”
“Did you know you snore?” Walt asked.
Lily opened her eyes and found Walt staring at her. Clutching her blanket, she sat up in bed and glanced around the room.
“I don’t understand. I can see you.” Lily whispered in awe.
“You’re dreaming,” Walt explained.
Lily frowned. “Then why am I still in my bedroom?”
“Is this better?” The next moment Lily sat with Walt on the pier. By the sunrise behind them, it appeared to be early morning.
“I suppose it doesn't matter where we are. For a moment…I forgot about Dani and how she’s missing.”
“I know where she is,” Walt told her.
Lily looked at Walt. “You do?”
“She’s at Presley House. Max came home tonight, he found her.”
“Is she okay?”
“Max thinks so. He didn’t see her exactly, but he knows she’s there,” Walt explained.
Lily considered Walt’s words a moment and then shook her head. “No, she can’t be at Presley House. Brian Henderson went over there and checked out the entire house. There wasn’t any sign of her.”
“She’s being kept in a secret room there. I imagine it’s the same room where Harvey hid the body.”
“Is he keeping her prisoner?”
“According to Max, he has her trapped in the room. Harvey is searching for something and whatever it is, he wants Danielle to help him.”
Lily stood up. “What am I going to do?” She began pacing back and forth in front of Walt.
“You could call Joe and tell him where she is.”
Lily stopped pacing and looked at Walt. “How can I convince him to go over there? As far as he’s concern
ed, they’ve already looked through the house.”
“You can tell him about the secret room,” Walt suggested.
“Exactly how do I explain I know there is a secret room at Presley House?”
Walt considered the question for a moment. “Perhaps you need to suggest the possibility, after all, they have to be wondering where the body went after the boys found it. I can’t believe the idea of a secret room hasn't come up.”
“If they do go there, will they be able to get Danielle? If she’s being held prisoner, what’s to stop Harvey from holding Joe or Brian prisoner? What if he does something worse?”
“Lily, I don’t believe Harvey has the power to hold the entire Frederickport Police Department captive—or even a couple of its officers.”
“But he is holding Danielle!”
“A spirit only has so much energy to spend.”
Frowning, Lily stared at Walt. Cocking her head to one side she said, “That’s pretty much what Dani suggested.”
Walt shrugged. “I suppose Danielle knows more than what I sometimes give her credit for.”
“So if Joe goes over there…are you saying Harvey wouldn’t have the power to keep them both prisoner?”
“I’m saying it would be more difficult for Harvey. I imagine he’s already using every ounce of energy he has to keep Danielle there.”
“Have you tried talking to her?” Lily asked.
“You mean a dream hop?”
Lily nodded.
“I’ve been trying since she went missing. I was beginning to worry that something had happened…”
“Like with Isabella?”
“Yes. But now that I know Danielle’s alive, I suspect Harvey has in some way invaded her dreams first, preventing me from entering. Which would also be taxing his energy.”
“Then what are we waiting for? I need to wake up and get Joe to go over there and rescue Danielle!”
The persistent ring of his cellphone refused to stop. Still half asleep, Joe rolled over and snatched the phone off his nightstand. Sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes, he looked down at the annoying device.
Had the caller been anyone other than Lily, he might have answered the phone by telling the caller he or she better have a good reason for waking him at 3:55 a.m.
“Lily, is Danielle home?” Joe asked when he answered the call.
“No, Joe. But I know where she is! She’s at Presley House.”
Joe sat up in bed and put his feet on the floor. “Presley House?”
“Yes, she’s trapped there; you have to go get her!”
Joe reached over to the lamp on the nightstand and turned it on.
“Lily, I’m afraid I’m not following you. Brian was already over there. There was no sign of Danielle.”
“I know, but she’s trapped in a secret room.”
“Secret room?”
“Yes. I bet it’s the same room where the body was hidden after the boys found it.”
“Are you saying whoever hid the body has Danielle? Do you have some idea who that is?”
“Umm…no…I am just saying if you couldn’t find the body when the boys told you about it, then it had to have been somewhere like a secret room. After all, a body can’t just vanish in thin air.”
Rubbing his forehead, Joe shook his head wearily. “Lily, what made you think of a secret room—in the middle of the night.” He glanced up at the clock on the nightstand. “It’s 4:00 a.m.”
“That’s not exactly the middle of the night, Joe. It’s morning. Sure it’s early, but it is still morning and not the middle of the night.”
“Okay Lily, I am going to ask you again. What makes you think Danielle is in a secret room at Presley House?”
After a few moments of silence Lily said, “I had a dream.”
“A dream?”
“Yes, but it is not that far fetched, considering the body that disappeared and reappeared.”
“Lily, I understand you are worried about Danielle. We are all worried about Danielle, but…”
“Does this mean you aren’t going to look?”
Joe took a deep breath. “We’ll look, Lily. If it makes you feel better.”
“You’ll find the door to the secret room in the hallway, off the kitchen.”
“A secret door in the hallway? How exactly do you know where the door is?” When Lily didn’t respond, Joe said, “You dreamt about it, didn’t you?”
“Just go look, Joe. You’ll see I was right.”
“Okay, Lily.”
When the call ended, Joe stared at the cellphone in his hand for a few moments. Finally, he let out a sigh, tossed the phone back onto the nightstand, turned off the light, and went back to sleep.
“A secret room?” Brian asked. He sat with Joe at the lunch counter at the Pier Cafe, having breakfast.
“That’s what she said.” Joe took a sip of his coffee. “I know she’s just worried about Danielle, we all are.”
“What did you tell her you were going to do?” Brian set his coffee cup on the counter.
“You mean about the secret room?”
Brian nodded.
“I told her we would check it out. It’s not a lie exactly. Someone will be going over there anyway since it’s Halloween.”
“And she said she knew this because of a dream?”
Joe picked up a slice of toast. He paused a moment and looked at Brian. “That’s what she said.”
“She really expected you to take her serious?” Brian asked.
“Like I said, she’s just worried about her friend. Grasping at straws.”
“Well, according to the neighbors, no one remembers seeing Danielle since she went missing. Hopefully that little radio blitz on her disappearance might help. There will be a lot of people walking around town tonight—and if we can get them aware that a woman is missing, someone might find something we can use.”
When Joe’s phone began to ring, he picked it up and looked at it. “It’s Lily again. She’s called me three times already since she woke me up this morning.”
“What have you told her?”
“I haven’t answered her call.”
“Seriously? You can’t just ignore her call.”
“I know,” Joe sighed. “When I told her we would check the house, I didn’t expect her to start calling me every hour.”
“I imagine she’ll call the station.”
“She has. Marsha told her I was out.”
“Maybe we should just go over to Presley House and check it out again.”
“Come on Brian, you don’t honestly believe the answer to Danielle’s disappearance will be found in Lily’s dream?”
“You’re the one who said you would go check Presley House again, not me!”
“I know.” Joe combed his fingers through his hair. “But it was four in the morning, I was half asleep, and I just wanted to get her off the phone so I could get back to sleep because I knew we were going to have a big day today. I’ll just run over to Presley House, check it out again, and then call her up so she’ll stop calling me.”
Joe’s phone rang again. This time when he looked at it, he answered it.
“I think we may have our first lead,” Joe said when he got off the phone.”
“What is it?”
“We finally have some activity on one of Danielle’s credit cards. Last night someone used it last night at a gas station.”
“I thought Lily said Danielle left her purse at home.”
“She did, but it looks like Danielle may have taken one of her credit cards with her.”
“Are you still going to go over to Presley House?”
Joe shook his head. “My first priority is finding Danielle, not placating Lily. I’d say a lead on a missing person’s credit card takes precedence over Lily’s dream. Someone will be going over to Presley House later tonight anyway.”
Joe’s phone began ringing again. He picked it up and looked at it. “I will say one thing for Lily, she is persistent.�
��
“Are you going to answer that?” Brian asked.
Joe sighed again. “I suppose I should.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Walt hadn’t left Lily’s side since she had woken up that morning. He watched as she angrily paced the kitchen while cursing under her breath over Joe Morelli.
She paused a moment and faced Walt, who sat at the kitchen table. “And just what does Joe mean, there is a more critical lead that takes precedence that he needs to first check out? He tells me his first priority is bringing Danielle home yet he can’t take ten minutes to check out Presley House like he promised he would do?”
Grabbing a mug from the overhead cabinet, Lily angrily poured herself a cup of coffee and then sat down at the table, facing Walt. “If I knew where the chief was staying I would call him and he’d have Dani home within the hour!”
Walt watched Lily. While he felt helpless being trapped at Marlow House, he was relieved to know Danielle’s location. After a long chat with Max, he didn’t believe she was in real danger, but he imagined she was probably hungry and thirsty. He had a friend once who survived a week without water, so Walt wasn't ready to start panicking yet. Why panic? Lily was already doing that for him.
“And to top it off, when I was talking to Joe on the phone I missed a call from Ian! And now he’s in a meeting and I can’t reach him.” Lily took a quick swig of coffee, burning her mouth. Cursing, she set the mug on the table and licked her lip. “But maybe that’s for the best. I don’t know what to tell him anyhow.”
Lily sat quietly for a moment staring at her coffee mug. Finally, she looked in Walt’s direction. “I suppose the only thing I can do, I need to go over there myself.”
The peppershaker rose up several inches and then fell back down on the tabletop. “If you go over there, you could get trapped with Danielle and then you’ll both be missing.”
“I have to do this Walt.”
The peppershaker rose up again, this time almost reaching the ceiling before crashing back down and shattering on the tabletop.
Lily looked down at the splintered glass scattered across the tablecloth. She shook her head. “Dani isn’t going to be happy you broke her peppershaker.”
Ghost of Halloween Past Page 24