“Hey, guys. I got caught up in a sketch. I’m sorry I’m late. No I told you so’s,” I said to Sierra before I sat down. “Helen not coming?” I accidentally slapped the book down on the table but kept it closed. I did my best not to “contaminate” the investigation by revealing my impressions too soon, but I was dying to tell someone about the dangerous situation we were walking into. It wasn’t good for team morale to be perceived as a know-it-all. I’d learned that the hard way.
“Sierra told you?” Midas eyed our office manager suspiciously. The friends were like brother and sister, and Midas always took it upon himself to scold her when he felt he needed to. I didn’t have to stick up for Sierra, though. She always did a good job of sticking up for herself.
“I couldn’t help it, Midas. I knew she was going to go home and paint, and I wanted to make sure she was going to be here. And let’s face it, it worked. While we’re on the subject, are Bruce and Helen a part of this investigation?” Sierra asked as she set up her laptop on the conference table.
I noticed her hands were trembling.
She caught me staring and smiled at me as if to say, “No. I’m okay. Please don’t ask.” So I didn’t.
Hmm…must be paranormal jitters. It wasn’t that she was afraid of what we might discover at Seven Sisters. Usually the jitters meant that we would certainly see something and that Sierra was bound to have a powerfully impressionable encounter. I smiled back and respected her enough to keep my mouth shut. Joshua didn’t seem to notice his wife’s apparent distress; he was tinkering around with his tablet testing out some new software he’d installed. Jocelyn was on her phone saying goodbye to Aaron. From the sound of it, those two were still pretty close, but Jocelyn didn’t talk about her personal life openly. She always kept her feelings and her business private. I respected that about her. But as far as paranormal investigation went, there wasn’t anyone more excited about wandering through old sanitariums or cemeteries than Jocelyn Graves. And crazily enough, she preferred solo investigations. She was certainly braver than I was. No way would I have signed up for investigating the Leaf Academy by myself. According to her, there was some truth to the legend of the October People, and she concluded that there was a maelstrom in the deserted schoolhouse. Even Midas had thought her going to the Leaf Academy would be a bad idea. Turns out, it was.
“I don’t think so, but they do plan on going to the Leaf Academy with us. That’s next month. As you all might have heard, the owner passed away recently, so we want to be respectful and as discreet as possible. They are still dotting their i’s and crossing their t’s legally speaking, but I think we’ll get final approval on that soon. Are you ready to go back, Jocelyn?”
“I will be, but I won’t be bringing my dog. He still jumps at every sound. That place is no joke, Midas. It’s one for the record books.”
“I’ve heard that it was, and we’ll have to really do our prep work before we hit that place. But Seven Sisters is a major paranormal playground too. There are tales of portals, vortexes, time travel, and that’s just scratching the surface. What makes it trickier is that Ashland Stuart is related to the original owners of the house, so we’ll have to be sensitive about our findings. It may get complicated, but it is certain that there has been a lot of ghostly activity the past three years or so. That’s why I want you all to come with me on this walk-through. It’s a big place, and both the house and the grounds have had activity. I want to comb as much of it as we can today. Let’s listen to what the Stuarts have to say and take it from there. I think we’ll probably need every bit of equipment we can get our hands on. That’s a lot of square footage.”
“Is it true that people disappeared from the property?” Jocelyn asked. Her hair had gotten really long. I’d never seen dreadlocks so long on a person.
“The first disappearance was in the 1830s…or was it the 1850s? I’ll have to find the article.” Sierra shuffled through her pile of paperwork and slid a piece of paper forward. “This is the uncle of Calpurnia Cottonwood. She’s the young woman most people are fascinated with, but it was her uncle who went missing first. I have a picture of his portrait and hers. His name was Louis Beaumont. It’s said that Louis actually bankrolled the building of the plantation. Louis’ sister, Christine, married Jeremiah Cottonwood. Apparently, at one time Louis and Jeremiah were friends, but over the years the friendship soured and Mr. Cottonwood became a horrible drunk. He was ruthless in his dealings with the slaves, his family and anyone else who crossed his path. And to make matters worse, when Louis stepped in to try and save Christine’s fortune, because Cottonwood was a terrible gambler and an even worse businessman, that’s when he disappeared. People say that Louis stole the family jewels and buried them somewhere on the property, that Cottonwood killed him when he wouldn’t tell him where he’d hidden them. Other versions say that it was Christine who buried the jewels on the property—and before Calpurnia disappeared. Either way, the treasure was found by the Stuarts during the renovation.”
Midas said, “And from what they say, they had some paranormal help.”
Joshua swore under his breath. “Wait. What’s this about treasure? How much? Like a for real treasure?”
“Yes, they found the Beaumont jewels. But Ashland and Carrie Jo gave most of it away to other members of his extended family. Quite remarkable,” Midas answered. He obviously liked hearing that. The Stuarts sounded like his kind of people.
“Right, Midas. I don’t know the first Cottonwood’s name, but I am sure I’ll find out all that information once Joshua and I visit the courthouse records. In the meantime…” Sierra’s smile vanished as the doorbell chimed and Helen walked in, without Bruce. And she wasn’t alone. Beverly walked in too. The Gulf Coast Paranormal offices had quickly become crowded.
“Helen!” I shouted as I scooped up my friend for a hug. “I’ve missed you so much. Did you…”
Helen held up her hand and showed me a stunning sapphire ring. “Yes, we did. I’m sorry that I couldn’t invite everyone, but we really wanted to keep it quiet. When you get to be our age, you appreciate keeping things on the down low.”
I laughed at her use of the phrase and continued admiring the ring. “Where is Bruce?”
“He’s not here. His son called and wanted to meet him. It’s just me.”
“That’s just fine, Helen. I have so much to tell you, but I think we’re wanted back at the meeting. Please say you’ll come with us on this investigation. I’m sure Midas would love that.”
“No, I think I’ll pass on this one. I’m still honeymooning. I’m going to hug everyone and then go meet Bruce for a late lunch. Promise me you’ll call when you all finish this project.”
I grinned at her and squeezed her hand. “Of course I will.”
Helen greeted everyone and quickly said her goodbyes. Although Midas was glad to see her, I could tell by the way his mouth was set that he was ready to get this show on the road. All business, my fiancé. At least when it came to ghosts.
Midas nodded toward her. “Hi, Beverly. So glad you could make it.”
“Thanks, glad to be here.” Beverly was a psychic that Midas occasionally brought along on complicated investigations. I hadn’t seen her in a while, not since we were investigating poor Gabrielle Bonet. Beverly tried to be friendly, but it didn’t come naturally to her, except with Midas. But then again, everyone liked Midas. I remembered her trying to explain to me that she was a physical medium, not a traditional psychic in the truest sense of the word. Beverly believed that most people have sensitivities, of the supernatural variety, but people chose to stay closed to anything out of the ordinary. I recalled that conversation perfectly.
Many folks refuse to acknowledge the activity even if they have seen it themselves. Closed people aren’t interested in getting to the bottom of the occurrences. They like to hide their heads in the sand and pretend like nothing is happening until it slaps them in the face—or scares the hell out of them.
I understood what she
meant, but I didn’t have disdain for “closed” people like she did. And I was also some kind of sensitive, I knew that. In my time with Gulf Coast Paranormal, I had learned that tragedies that hit close to home can be catalysts for awakenings that open people up to the other world. Sometimes people spontaneously opened up to spirit activity.
Yep, I’d learned a lot during my time with Gulf Coast Paranormal. I’d learned enough to write a book, but since I wasn’t much of a writer I decided to focus on the painting, the sketching and the seeing. Yes, that was when I felt the most alive. So even though Beverly and I weren’t best pals, I wanted to know what she knew. I believed she was the real thing. Who was I to judge another’s abilities or motives? Not everyone felt that way, though. The look on Sierra’s pretty face said she didn’t trust the psychic medium and resented the fact that Midas brought her in, and probably without Sierra’s knowledge.
Oh, well. You aren’t the boss, girlfriend.
“Hey, Beverly, you’re just in time,” Sierra greeted her with a tinge of sarcasm. As the woman excused herself to the restroom, Sierra frowned at me. Midas ignored all of us; he was on the phone, anyway. Yeah, this meeting wasn’t going as planned for him. I moved over to sit next to her and whispered, “If Seven Sisters is that haunted, we’re going to need everyone we can get.”
I don’t think she appreciated my perky attitude. She rolled her eyes and asked, “Did you know about this?”
“Me? Why would I know about Beverly? Uh oh, she’s not alone. Put on a happy face, girl.” Beverly’s boyfriend, Leeland, loped in; he had a perpetually sad expression, and he wasn’t much to look at to begin with…and even less to talk to. I’d met him at a small convention we attended a few weeks ago. He waved awkwardly and sat down at the table and immediately began tapping on his phone. He looked around, presumably for Beverly, and I let him know that she’d excused herself for a moment.
Midas hung up the phone and said, “Okay, everyone. Sorry about having to take that call. That was the homeowner; he’s anxious for us to get over there. Something happened earlier today, and there’s a child involved. Everyone is okay, but she saw an apparition.” He had his hands on his hips, as he usually did when he was in boss mode. “Most of you are familiar with Beverly. Jocelyn, I don’t think you two have met. Beverly is a psychic medium.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Midas continued, “I want every team to carry a handheld camera. Remember, our job is to collect the evidence and do our best to uncover who’s still haunting the place. There may be portals on the property, and there might be vortexes too. If you’re a sensitive, please be careful. Extra careful. I don’t want any of you coming up missing.”
Leeland spoke up, “My friends at the…well, that’s not important. What I mean is my friend told me that Carrie Jo Stuart is a psychic dreamer, a dream catcher in the truest sense of the word. Her husband, Ashland, has been seeing ghosts for as long as he can remember. These people are all activated and living in a house that has seen more than its share of tragedy. People disappear at Seven Sisters, most recently my friend’s student, Austin Simmons.”
“Is your friend a professor?” I asked. I rubbed my neck as I felt all the muscles tense up. What was going on?
“Something like that. He works with loads of people with abilities and has always had an interest in Seven Sisters.”
Midas went on, “Let’s be respectful to both the living and the dead, but don’t be shy. We have the run of the place, that’s for sure. We need to give these people answers. They want the activity to stop if possible. They want Seven Sisters to be a real home for their kids; they’ve just adopted their niece. They say they can handle the activity but don’t want that for their kids. Remember, I want you to be careful. Always work with a partner. All sensitives, and I think that includes you too, Jocelyn, go nowhere by yourself.”
And that’s how our meeting ended. The story of Seven Sisters was a remarkable one. One that I felt I’d heard before. No. Make that seen before.
Yes, maybe that was it. I could see the house in my mind even though I’d never been there.
“Cassidy, what is it?” Midas asked patiently. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t stop looking. I kept my eyes closed. I could see the little girl again. But I saw the other figure too. She watched from an upstairs window. One minute she was a beautiful young teen with a face like an angel, and the next she was an older woman with dark hair piled atop her head in a sloppy bun. She looked sick, kind of deranged and hungry. No, she changed again. I could see a blond girl again with dimples in her cheeks and perfectly arranged curls. But she was just residual. She had been very strong once, but that wasn’t the threat right now. This other woman, or thing, that was the threat. Whoever or whatever this creature was, it was clearly enamored of that child. I began blabbing away, telling the group everything I could see. I didn’t care that it didn’t make sense.
“Enamored? No. That’s not the right word, but she wanted to possess her. Kill her. Harm her. She is fascinated with the little girl, and she also hates her. I wonder why…”
“It’s okay, you can open your eyes now,” Sierra said, and I shivered as the mental picture faded. Sierra’s worried expression spoke volumes. “You did good. It’s easier for you to draw or paint it out, isn’t it?”
“Yes, much easier.”
Beverly stared at me like I wasn’t really there. Like she was looking through me.
“You need to be careful, Cassidy,” she warned.
“Thanks,” Sierra said as she took my hand and led me to her office to recover in privacy.
Midas wasn’t far behind her. He closed the door behind him as Sierra made herself scarce. “You know you can sit this one out if you need to.”
“That sounds like you want me to sit this one out. Is that what you want, Midas?”
“No. I want you with me. Forget I said anything. I’m springing for a quick lunch before the walk-through. You want to go, or do you need some more time?”
“I’d liked to hide out in your office a while; I mean, I do have a sketchbook and my pencil case. I’d like to draw. I saw a face, a woman’s face. She’s a threat, one of the threats. I have to get her face right before we haul the crew over there.”
“I think that is a great idea. I’ll call you when I’m headed back here.”
“Thank you, Midas. I love you.”
“I love you too. Lock the door behind us.” And he was gone. I was alone with my pencils and sketches. I heard doorbells ringing and locked the door after them.
For the next hour, I was somewhere else completely. Somewhere full of spirits.
Chapter Seven—Carrie Jo
“Lily, do you feel okay? Are you sure you want to go out with Rachel? You can go to the movies another day if you want.” I knew good and well that there was something going on with her, although she didn’t seem to be comfortable talking about any of it. “You know you can talk to me, baby. I promise I will believe you.”
Lily stuffed another unicorn and her journal in her fuzzy backpack. I wasn’t sure she could get one more thing in there. She paused. “I know, Aunt Carrie Jo. I know, but I don’t want to talk about it.” She reached for the backpack, and I offered to help her slide the oversized thing on her tiny body.
“Hold on a second. You need to brush your hair first. Are you sure you packed your toothbrush?”
“Yes, I did. Both. My hair is just ugly.” She sighed at my request but dropped the backpack on the bed and headed to her dresser to halfheartedly brush her curly hair again.
“No, it’s not. You and your hair are beautiful.” After frowning at me in the mirror, she decided to put on a rainbow-colored headband. “I love that headband. Oops, I think I hear Rachel downstairs. I guess we better go down.”
“Okay,” she said, still looking slightly pale. Paler than I would like. The room was beginning to feel cold too. Maybe it was a good thing she was leaving, even if only for a night. I fought the urge to kee
p her home, keep her close to me. I was being silly. Rachel and Jan would take good care of the kids. I knew that. Besides, as far as I knew, there weren’t any ghosts at the Kowalski place. I opened the bedroom door and put on a happy face as I walked into the hallway to wait while Lily put on her favorite bracelets. Baby Boy’s door closed, and I paused. I could hear my son downstairs with Rachel and Ashland. They were laughing and talking, the pleasant sounds echoing up from the bottom floor like they always did. I knew the acoustics of this house like I knew my own voice.
So why was I hearing movement in Ashland James’ room? I walked to his room and opened the door slightly, then gasped at what I saw. Every one of his drawers and even his closet door were open. Clothes hung out of the drawers, and the closet looked like a tornado blew through it. I know my son didn’t do this. I helped him pack his overnight bag, and then his father took him downstairs to wait for Rachel.
“I’m ready,” Lily’s soft voice called behind me. I quickly closed the door and reached out my hand to her. “I’m coming back tomorrow afternoon, right? I’d like to come home. I don’t want to stay gone for long. I’m supposed to be here.”
I chuckled and said, “I think that’s kind of up to Aunt Rachel. She might want to bring you guys home early, or maybe she’ll take you out for pancakes. But yes, tomorrow afternoon is the plan.”
I’m not looking behind me. I’m not looking behind me. I don’t feel someone walking behind us. Focus on the steps, on walking down them. Why is Lily glancing over her shoulder?
Thankfully, she didn’t ask me anything about it. Maybe it was just me. “I’ll keep an eye on Baby Boy. I won’t let anything bother him.”
My smile disappeared at hearing such grown-up declarations coming from her young mouth. “Try to have fun, Lily. I really want that for you.”
“You are fun, Aunt Carrie Jo. It’s going to be all right.”
I squatted down in front of my niece at the bottom of the staircase. In a whisper, I said, “Before you go, please tell me what you saw, Lily. Was it a woman? What did she look like? Can you tell me?” God, I hated sounding so desperate.
Return to Seven Sisters Page 44