“What is it?” he asked her.
“Are you sure you don’t see anything?” she whispered.
“I don’t know,” he replied honestly. Glancing around the room, no, he didn’t see anything. Then again, the light of the candles being used for the séance only reached so far. The furthest corners of the room were still pitch black.
He strained his eyes, trying to make out items on the shelves: large, old books, an antique globe, framed photographs. As his eyes adjusted, he was able to see an old armchair, probably a reading chair, next to a small round table with a lamp that looked like it belonged in the fifties and then –
There!
The dark, shadowed silhouette of a man stood near the far west end of the room. The figure was so still and so silent that Michael’s eyes could have easily passed him over had he not been looking for him.
Unsure of whether or not to speak up, Michael leaned into Kate and whispered, “He’s here.”
She drew in a quick, shaky breath, too soft to be called a gasp, but sharp enough to get Luke’s attention.
“What’s going on?” he asked, glancing up at them. “Mikey? We got something?”
Michael simply nodded in reply, hoping that Luke could see his motion in the dim candlelight.
“Sterling?”
Michael nodded again.
“Excellent,” Luke whispered. Then he turned to JT. “Do you think we should try the SB7 or should we stick with the digital recorder?”
The SB7, or Spirit Box as it was also called, was an irritating nuisance of a device that scanned radio frequencies and allowed spirits to communicate through the static. Michael had seen it in action back when he’d gone with Luke and Kate on their first investigation. As annoying and loud as the Spirit Box was, however, Michael had to admit... it worked.
“Digital recorder for now,” JT said. “This spirit seems reluctant, and the noise from the Spirit Box might discourage him, or even scare him off. We don’t know what kind of communication devices he’s been exposed to in the past, so it might be safe to say he’s never encountered an SB7 before.”
“Good call,” Luke told his friend. “Gail, proceed.”
“Sterling,” Gail spoke in her calm, soothing voice. “Are you here with us?” She paused. “My name is Gail. This is Luke and JT. We’ve come to speak with you.” Another pause. “If you’re here, give us a sign. Say something.”
After a few moments of silence, Luke asked, “Okay. Want to see if we got anything?”
Michael could have told them that they hadn’t. Sterling hadn’t spoken since he’d appeared. Still, he’d seen enough episodes of Cemetery Tours to know this was part of their routine.
They rewound and replayed the digital recorder. Nothing out of the ordinary. Luke glanced over at Michael as if to ask, Is he still here?
Michael gave yet another swift nod. Their ghostly visitor hadn’t moved much. Michael wished he could get a little closer so he could see the expression on Sterling’s face, but he wasn’t sure how to do that without seeming... well... really awkward. He was also pretty sure if he got too close to the ghost, he’d vanish. JT was right. This was one of the most reluctant spirits that Michael had ever encountered.
But why? He’d been dead for over a century. Surely he was at least sort of used to it by now. He’d spent more than twice as long wandering the halls of the manor as a spirit than he did in his living, breathing body.
So why was he so hesitant to make contact with them now? If the stories were to be believed, he’d been making his presence known for quite some time. He obviously had something holding him there, to Stanton Hall. And if not Stanton Hall specifically, there had to be a reason he hadn’t moved on yet. Did it have something to do with Joanna and her untimely passing? Considering Sterling had built the entire mansion out of adoration for her, Michael was willing to bet that it did.
Could that mean that Joanna was still trapped there too? It would make sense. After all, if Sterling loved Joanna as much as the stories all claimed he did, then the only reason for him not to move on to be with her would be if he was already with her. Ghosts didn’t often see or interact with one another, but it wasn’t impossible, especially for two people who had loved each other as much as Sterling Hall and Joanna Stanton.
“Hey, Sterling.” Luke’s voice interrupted Michael’s train of thought. He’d apparently taken it upon himself to make contact the Confrontational-and-Obnoxious-Luke-Rainer way since Gail’s gentle and understanding approach hadn’t done the trick.
“My name’s Luke. How are you doing?” Michael still couldn’t see the look on Sterling’s face, but he had a feeling he was either very confused or very irritated. Luke just kept on talking. “Okay, so here’s the deal, Sterling. See this little device in my hand? This is a digital recorder. If you talk into it, we’ll be able to play it back and hear what you have to say. I know others have probably tried to come in and talk to you before, but - ”
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Michael, along with everyone else in the room, clamped his hands over his ears, but it wasn’t enough to shield him from the awful, high-pitched screech of the digital recorder, now ten feet across the room where Luke had thrown it after the noise started.
“What is going on?” Gavin yelled over the racket.
“He’s messing with the - ”
CRACK!
The digital recorder gave one final fizzle before the room descended into a stunned silence.
“Well, I guess that’s the end of the séance,” Luke stated matter-of-factly.
“What the hell was that?” Gavin asked, sounding shaken. “Did he do that?”
“Yep,” Peter answered, abandoning his camera to turn the lights back on.
“How?”
“Spirits can interfere with electronics and drain them of their power. That’s why our batteries sometimes die for no reason at all, or a television or radio signal gets disrupted. It’s especially easy for them to manipulate devices on their own if they have enough energy to go on, and considering how many of us there are in this room, he had more than enough,” Gail explained.
“So, what you’re saying is he used all of our energy and killed the recorder?”
“Pretty much,” Luke replied as he trudged across the room to retrieve the device.
“Is he still here?” Kate asked Michael.
“No.” Michael wasn’t surprised. Sterling clearly didn’t want anything to do with them.
“What did he look like? Is he angry? Scared?” Kate asked.
“I didn’t get a good look at him,” Michael answered honestly.
“That’s okay, Mikey. You did good.”
Michael shook his head. “I wouldn’t have even noticed him if Kate hadn’t said something.”
“You could sense him?” Luke asked her. Kate nodded. “What did you feel? I wasn’t really paying attention to the energy in the room. I was just trying to get him to talk.”
“I’m not sure,” Kate replied, crossing her arms. “I just knew that something was here. I don’t know what he was feeling or anything.”
“That’s okay. You’ll get more in tune as you work at it. It just takes practice. Practice and exposure,” Luke said, glancing around the room. “Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m about ready to call it a night. Tomorrow is another big day and we still need to get this room picked up.”
“What are we doing tomorrow?” Michael asked as Gavin, Peter, and JT made their way around the room, unplugging cameras and collecting the motion detectors.
“Going into town. We’ve scheduled a few interviews here and there, but mostly we’re going to try to learn a little more about the history of the manor, see if there’s anything that Carolyn neglected to mention,” Luke said.
“Like what?” Kate asked, stifling a huge yawn.
“I don’t know. That’s what we’re going to find out,” Luke answered. “But for now, you get your gorgeous self into bed. That goes for yo
u too, Mikey. I need you refreshed and rested for tomorrow.”
Even though Michael knew that his mother would have scolded him for not offering to stay behind and help, he was so tired that he didn’t even try to argue. After bidding everyone in the room goodnight, Michael took Kate’s hand and, with her head resting against his shoulder, they walked out of the room and into the dim, haunting hallway.
Chapter 12
Kate closed her eyes and savored the sudsy feel and freesia scent of the rich, soapy lather on her skin. No doubt about it, there was no better way to end a long, tiring, albeit exciting day than a hot, soothing shower, especially a shower in what was quite possibly the most luxurious bathroom in the world. It had everything: antique mirrors decorated with colorful gemstones, statues of dolphins and ships and seahorses, and towels so soft and fluffy that Kate was almost certain they were made of clouds.
After she climbed out of the shower, she changed into her warmest pair of flannel pajamas and brushed her teeth. She grabbed one of the towels and began to dry her hair when she suddenly realized that her hairbrush wasn’t in with her other toiletries. Hopefully, it had just gotten mixed up in Gavin’s stuff. If not, she’d just have to borrow Gavin’s. She couldn’t go to bed without brushing the knots out of her hair. Not unless she wanted to wake up looking like she was growing a rat’s nest on her head.
Shivering slightly despite her warm, cozy pajamas, she tiptoed, barefoot, out of her room and down the hall toward the Storybook Room, where Gavin was staying for the next three nights. She considered just letting herself in, but since they weren’t at home, she decided against it and knocked on the door.
“Come in!” Gavin called.
Kate opened the door and stepped inside. The Storybook Room was designed like a book store, with antique novels lining each and every corner of each and every wall. It reminded Kate of the castle library in Beauty and the Beast. She couldn’t help but think how unfair it was that her brother got all those books to himself, especially considering how little he actually read.
Gavin, who had been kneeling beside his bed, apparently searching for something in his suitcase, stood to greet her as soon as he heard her open the door.
“Hey there, I - oh, it’s just you.” His face fell as soon as he saw his sister. Kate wrinkled her nose, not only out of confusion, but because Gavin was wearing nothing but socks and a pair of boxer shorts. “Were you expecting somebody else?” she asked, not entirely sure if she wanted to know the answer.
“No,” he lied.
Kate crossed her arms.
“You were hoping I was Gail, weren’t you?”
“No! Well, I mean... Maybe I was thinking she might... She did seem interested in me, after all - ”
“Gavin!” Kate interrupted her brother’s ridiculous rambling. “No! Just please, stop right there.”
“Why? She’s cute. She’s obviously into me. What’s the problem?”
“The problem, Romeo, is we are both incredibly lucky to be here and to be a part of this and it is not the time or the place to be hooking up with someone, especially one of the stars of the show!”
“See, last time I checked, her being the star of a television show is all the more reason to hook up with her. Besides, you’re one to talk, Little Miss I-Went-On-A-Date-With-Luke-Rainer.”
“Okay, A. That was not a real date. B. There is a big difference between having dinner with someone and hooking up when you’re supposed to be learning and working. And C. Luke has made it pretty clear that he expects nothing less than absolute professionalism from the entire team, and for the moment, that includes you!”
“Okay, okay, fine. I get the picture. No fun for Gavin. Why are you in here again?”
“I’m looking for my hairbrush. And you’re allowed to have fun, just not that kind of fun.”
“Alright, Sis,” he sighed, not sounding very compliant at all as he dug through his suitcase to retrieve her brush.
“Gavin, I’m serious. Please, please, please do not do anything to encourage Gail. Don’t wink at her. Don’t flirt with her. Please, just don’t reciprocate anything, at all.”
“You know, this is really rich coming from the girl who was all over her boyfriend during the séance,” he remarked, holding out her hairbrush for her to take.
“Oh, right. I sat next to him and held his hand when it got spooky. How scandalous.”
“So you’re telling me that you’re not going to sneak off to his room after you’re done scolding me?” Kate blushed, shocked that her brother would even suggest such a thing. Not that the thought hadn’t crossed her mind...
But there was no way she was telling Gavin that.
“No, I’m not. I’m going to brush my hair and go to bed.”
“But why would you bother brushing your hair if you’re not planning on sneaking off to see him? Hmm?” Gavin asked, holding the brush high above Kate’s head and acting as though he’d just discovered the key to cracking the ancient mystery of Girl Code.
“Because I’ve been brushing my hair before bed since I was ten years old, you dingbat,” Kate snapped, snatching her brush out of his evil clutches.
“You’re welcome,” Gavin taunted.
“Thanks,” she muttered. For nothing. “Goodnight, Gav.”
“Goodnight, Sis. Tell Michael I say hello.”
“Not going to see him,” Kate reiterated, even though she knew her insistence would only provoke more stupid remarks from Gavin. She wasn’t about to give him the chance. Before he could make one more witless comment, Kate was out the door and once again shivering in the hallway.
She wondered if Sterling or Joanna or maybe even Brink might be the reason the hallway was so cold, but then she realized that unlike southern autumns, October nights in the Northeast were actually cold. If only she didn’t have to wake up early. It was the perfect temperature for a curling up with a blanket, hot chocolate, and a cute guy for a late night movie by the fireplace. Alas, Luke had instructed everyone to be awake and ready for breakfast by 8 AM sharp, and it was already close to midnight. Perfect, cozy, cold weather date night would have to wait.
Kate had almost made it back to her room when a tall figure appeared in the hallway, making her jump.
“Don’t be afraid. It’s just me,” Michael assured her, his handsome features becoming clearer as he approached her.
“Hey,” Kate breathed, trying not to let him see just how startled she’d been. “I thought you’d be asleep by now.”
“I’m about to be. I was just getting a drink of water. My nerves are pretty much shot after today.”
“How come? Are you feeling alright?” Kate asked. She hoped he wasn’t coming down with something.
“I’m fine. It’s just been a long day. And after what happened at the séance...”
“I understand,” Kate told him. And she did. The last time they’d encountered a spirit that didn’t want them around, they’d ended up tangled in a mess of secrets, sins, and murderers. Hopefully this experience would be a little less traumatic. “So uh, is Brink around?”
“No. He gets bored at night so he usually goes exploring.”
“Good to know,” Kate remarked lightly. Then, hoping to make his day a little better, she wrapped her arms around his slender torso and kissed him lightly on the mouth. Sure enough, he grinned.
“What have you been up to?” he asked.
“Retrieving my hairbrush from Gavin. Clearly, I haven’t had time to use it yet...” she remarked, realizing just how wiry and matted her hair must look.
“You’re beautiful,” Michael assured her.
“I think you might be sweet-talking me.” Kate allowed her arms to linger around his lean body. “Keep going.” They both shared a laugh and Michael leaned down to kiss her. Kate felt her pulse flutter even though the kiss ended far too quickly. “I actually just had a talk with Gavin about this.”
Michael’s eyes widened with the slightest bit of alarm.
“About... us?” he a
sked.
“No!” Kate exclaimed, a little too loudly. “No, not about this.” Way to be vague, Kate, she scolded herself. “He has it in his head that he’s going to hook up with Gail sometime during our stay and I had to give him the list of reasons why that is a terrible idea and how he shouldn’t do it and then he gave me a really hard time about having my boyfriend here and I had to swear up and down that I wasn’t going to sneak off to your room in the middle of the night. ” Kate blushed, not only because she was rambling, but because she and Michael had never once discussed spending the night together. It wasn’t a subject she usually approached lightly, and yet, it had somehow managed to slip out like it was nothing!
Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on the perspective), Michael didn’t even seem fazed by it. Instead, he asked, “I was actually meaning to ask you about Gail.”
Wait, what? Kate didn’t say the words aloud, but she was definitely thinking them. “What about her?” she asked.
“What’s between her and Luke?” Michael asked. That actually hadn’t been what Kate was expecting either.
“I don’t think there’s anything between them. I think they’re just friends. Why? Do you think there’s something going on?”
“I don’t know. Brink’s the one who brought it up. When we were in the van earlier, he said they sounded like an old married couple. I was just wondering if maybe Luke liked her as more than a friend.”
“That would explain why he didn’t like her flirting with Gavin,” Kate said. “Wow, I don’t know. I mean, there have always been speculations. But then again, rumors and tabloids are hard to avoid when you’re in the public eye. If you’re famous and you’re spotted with someone of the opposite sex, it doesn’t matter who either of you are, someone is going to report that you’re dating.”
Between Worlds (Cemetery Tours Book 2) Page 9