The Ghost Maker

by Kara Lane Barstow

  “Mrs. Wells?” Chris asked tentatively.

  Daphne could hear someone excusing themselves through the small group, and turned to see the pretty blonde Craig had been with at the party making her way through the crowed. Sheila wore a green polo shirt with the name ‘Dunning’s Nursery’ embroidered in white. After wrapping her arms around the woman, she drew her in and comforted her as she would a frightened child.

  “Come on Nicole, you should be home. Eric is going to wonder what happened to you.” She said as she stood rocking the woman.

  “My baby!” Nicole wailed, “I just want him to tell me what he did with her.”

  “Nicole, you know Chris didn’t do anything to Stephanie. He wouldn’t have; he loved her.”

  Sheila tightened her grip around Nicole and pointed her toward the front of the store. She cast a look back to Chris and Daphne, jerking her head toward the doors, indicating that they should follow. When they got outside, Sheila whispered to Chris. “Where’s your car? You need to drive us back to her house.”

  Chris pointed to his car and stepped ahead to unlock it. He grabbed the packages to put them in the trunk, as Sheila maneuvered Nicole into the backseat. The woman was silently sobbing into Sheila’s neck, seemingly unaware of where she was. Remembering the box of Kleenex that she had reluctantly bought, Daphne opened it and handed it to Sheila who smiled her thanks. Sheila glanced at the gifts they had purchased for Craig from the hardware store, “The lights are Craig’s Christmas Gift?” She asked as Chris reclaimed the packages from Daphne to put them in the trunk.

  “Yes, from his mom, so don’t tell him.” Daphne said.

  “Who is the gun cleaning kit for?” She asked. “Someone in your family?”

  Daphne shook her head. “No Debbie ordered it. We thought maybe it was for Craig.”

  Sheila shrugged. “I don’t know why he’d want it, I don’t think he’s ever cleaned one before. He always asks my dad to do it whenever he remembers that it needs cleaning.”

  Chris and backed out of the parking spot. He asked softly, “How is she?”

  “She seems to have fallen asleep. Eric can come back and pick up her car later. I need to get back to work, I just ran out of the store when I saw her drive by.”

  “Why?”

  “She rarely drives anymore, she rarely goes anywhere. Craig had said you were going to be in town, so I was afraid she was on her way to confront you.”

  “Why? I don’t understand why she would think that I had anything to do with Stephanie’s disappearance.” He glanced at Daphne and she knew he had been about to say death.

  “She talked to Russ. After the party last night. When Craig drove me home, we saw Russ near the park and he was talking to Nicole. I think Nicole saw him and confronted him. He probably told her what he told everyone else. That he hadn’t seen Stephanie that day and that if anyone had hurt her, it would have been you.”

  Chris gripped the steering wheel and fought his response, so Daphne responded for him. “She can’t really believe that he would hurt her.”

  “I think she knows, deep down. She’s just been so worried and stressed since Stephanie left town.”

  “Craig said that she goes from believing Stephanie to still be alive to believing that she’s dead.” Chris stated.

  “She does. It doesn’t help that dad won’t let her believe that Stephanie is gone. He refuses to believe it himself.”

  “Why?” Daphne asked.

  “My dad feels responsible for the death of Nicole’s husband, Eric and Stephanie’s dad. He thinks that he must have made a mistake during his training which led to him getting shot by a poacher. Dad can’t accept that they both died on what he considers his watch.”

  Chris pulled up in front of the house just as Eric was getting out of his truck. In the back was a Christmas Tree. He slammed the door shut and rushed over when he saw Chris trying to assist Nicole from the car. With ease, Eric lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the door with Sheila, carrying the Kleenex and tea, behind them.

  Daphne and Chris stayed by the car and watched them enter. Chris leaned against the car with a sigh that came from his toes. “This is messed up. We need to find out what really happened to Stephanie. None of us are going to get any closure until the truth is found.”

  “We need to find Stephanie’s ghost,” Daphne told him. “She’s the only one who might know how she died.”

  “Meaning she might not know?”

  Daphne shrugged. “Not all of them know they are dead. There is a real possibility that she has no idea what happened. But she might be able to tell us more about what happened the day she disappeared. She can at least tell us if she left town or what she last remembered. Right now, any information will help.”

  “So she could have left town and then died somewhere else?”

  “It’s possible. She may have returned here because this is the place she remembers best. The place where she has the most ties.”

  Chris stood up and grabbed Daphne’s arm. “I think I know where to look for her. I’m such an idiot, we should have checked there first.”

  “Where?” Daphne asked.

  “The cabin, our cabin. Stephanie and I spent all of our time there.”

  The door opened, Eric and Sheila came out. Sheila squeezed Eric’s arm and with a wave to Daphne and Chris headed back to the nursery.

  “Sheila told me what happened at the store, I’m sorry, Chris. I thought she was sleeping, I went to the nursery to get a Christmas Tree.”

  “We might have woken her up.” Chris said. “We stopped by here before heading into town. She may have heard us say we were going there.”

  “Her car is still there.” Daphne said. “Sheila said she saw her drive by, we brought her back in Chris’s car.”

  Eric nodded. “I’ll walk into town and pick it up later. Why did you stop by earlier?”

  Chris looked at Daphne. Eric must have seen something in their expressions because his shoulders drooped. “You’ve seen her.” It wasn’t a question.

  Daphne nodded, placing her hand gently on his arm. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Have you spoken to her?”

  “No, I saw her last night outside Chris’s house, when we got home from the party. She wasn’t there this morning. Chris suggested we look for her. Starting with the cabin.”

  “Cabin?” Eric asked.

  “It’s the original homestead when my ancestor built the mill. He and his family lived there until they had enough money to build a better home.” Chris explained. “It isn’t much, just a couple of rooms, but Stephanie and I made our own little home there. She loved that place, I bet if she’s anywhere, its there.”

  Eric looked back at the house, then the woods. “How far is it?”

  “Not far, just inside the woods. It won’t take long to check.”

  Eric nodded. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chris led them through the park. In the winter, there wasn’t much to see in the way of flowers. Paths flowed in and around flowerbeds that probably held scent and color in the warmer days, some paths dead-ended into areas containing benches and most likely shaded by the large trees behind them. Currently it held some color in the winter roses, evergreens, and other plants that flourished in the cold. Toward the back of the park, closest to the woods, was an area setup with picnic benches and built in barbecue pits, all surrounding a large gazebo. With the exception of a narrow opening at the top of the stairs, the gazebo was encased in decorative half-walls that would keep anyone inside from falling off onto the ground below.

  Ignoring the gazebo, Chris led them into the woods onto what could barely be called a path. The woods were quiet, with only the occasional snapping of twigs under their feet and branches breaking under the weight of snow over their head providing the only sound. The path ended in a small c
learing. Rocks and gravel that covered the area kept the weeds and other growth from taking hold. At the edge of the clearing sat the remains of the cabin. At some point it had been ravaged by fire, it was now just a blackened shell with no roof and only partial walls. Standing in the middle of the carnage was Stephanie.

  “She’s there,” Daphne whispered to the two men with her. “Standing in the ruins.”

  Both Eric and Chris squinted as they stared into the rubble, but neither of them were looking in the right place.

  “I’m going to try and talk to her,” Daphne said moving forward, separating herself from the men.

  “Stephanie,” Daphne spoke gently, the quiet of the surrounding woods made it unnecessary to speak louder.

  Stephanie tore her eyes away from Chris to look at Daphne. Her eyes grew wide when Daphne smiled at her. “You can see me?”

  “I can, yes.”

  “How? No one else seems to be able to, I’ve tried. Craig walks past me and even though I shout at him, he ignores me. I don’t understand. Can Chris...?” Her question fell off into doubt as she moved toward him.

  “He can’t hear you or see you, Stephanie,” Daphne said, trying to draw her attention back.

  Stephanie floated all the way over to where Chris stood, ignoring her brother and ignoring her.

  “Where is she?” Chris asked. She stood right in his line of sight, but he couldn’t see her. Did he feel her?

  “She’s right in front of you,” Daphne said. “Less than a foot away.”

  Chris reached his hand out until it passed through Stephanie’s chest and out the back. Daphne cringed.

  “It’s colder right here, right along my lower arm.”

  “Yes, that’s because you stuck your fist through her.” Daphne said. She walked over to where Chris stood, careful not to touch Stephanie.

  She asked for his hand. He put his hand in hers, she turned it so that it was palm up. Stephanie hissed. Daphne looked right at her and said, “Go ahead, lay your hand in his.” Daphne removed her hands as Stephanie placed her hand in Chris’s.

  “It’s like holding an ice cube that doesn’t melt.” Chris said. “It is cold out here, but I can tell the difference. Oh Stephanie, I’m so sorry.”

  “Sorry for what?” Stephanie asked him, then when he didn’t respond she angrily turned to Daphne, “What is he sorry for?”

  “I imagine he’s sorry that you’re dead,” Daphne said. “He misses you.”

  “Dead? I’m not dead!” She screamed the last word.

  Daphne, feeling like it had become her destiny to explain to ghosts that they were dead, reached down and picked up a stick from the ground. She walked over to Stephanie. “Take this from me.”

  Stephanie looked at it and then at Daphne, she sneered and then grabbed the stick. Her hand passed right through it. She tried again and again, alternating hands until finally growling in frustration. “Why can’t I grab it?” She shouted at Daphne.

  “Because you’re a ghost, Stephanie,” Daphne said softly, tossing the stick aside.

  She turned back in time to see an irate Stephanie grab at her. Daphne barely had time to brace herself before she felt the tingle radiate from Stephanie’s touch followed by the icy coldness. It travelled up the bones and muscles, entering every cell. Her stomach roiled as the past and present overlapped in her vision, creating jagged images impossible to identify. When her vision finally cleared, she found herself standing in the cabin, but it was the cabin with solid walls and a floor. Pretty rugs decorated a floor that had been recently swept clean. Drapes in yellow and blue hung over the windows where warm sunlight brightened the room. A round bistro table covered in a tablecloth of the same material as the curtains sat in the center of the room, its two chairs tucked in. The other room in the cabin held a day bed and a couple of stuffed chairs.

  Daphne felt Stephanie lift their hands to place the bags she carried on the table. She was humming to herself, some love song that had been popular several years ago. From the bags she pulled out wrapping paper, tape, scissors, ribbon and two boxes, one twice the size of the other. She opened the longer box to admire the black and gold pen set. The gift she had bought Chris for graduation. It wasn’t an expensive set, but it wasn’t cheap either. She opened the other box to reveal a key chain that matched the pen set, a gold square embedded with mother-of-pearl with the initial D done in black and centered. The keychain awoke a feeling of familiarity in Daphne.

  Through Stephanie’s eyes and hands, they wrapped both gifts with great care. Using a ribbon to tie the two gifts together, she expertly added a flourish of curls so they cascaded over and around the gifts. A sound at the door interrupted her clean up. Expecting to see Chris, Stephanie whirled around, and Daphne felt a wave of disappointment, annoyance and revulsion flow through them. Standing in the door was Russ. So he had lied about seeing Stephanie that last day, Daphne reflected. He slouched in the doorframe, watching her. Seeing him made her skin crawl. She resisted a shudder as she blocked the memory of letting him paw at her, letting him kiss her. She only let him do that when Chris was around to watch. She knew Chris would want her if he saw her with Russ, and he did. He saw and he pursued, just as she had planned.

  “What are you doing here?” Stephanie asked him. “You’re on private property. You need to leave.”

  “Are you going to call the cops on me Stephanie?” He sneered at her. “I don’t think this is your property, is it?”

  “This cabin belongs to Chris and me. This is our place. So you can leave.”

  “Maybe I don’t want to leave. Maybe I want to talk.”

  “We have nothing to talk about and Chris will be here soon,” she said, looking at her watch. It read 2:15. “He’ll be here in fifteen minutes and he won’t take kindly to your being here. So you better leave, now.”

  “He’s at that lame senior party, he won’t be back until after 5:00pm.”

  “He texted me and said he was getting out early and coming here to meet me. So scram.” She walked past him to dump the bags on the table, he grabbed her arm. “Hey, let go!” She shouted at him.

  “Why are you wasting your time with him?” He asked her, she could feel his breath on her face. It smelled like licorice. He smelled like he could use deodorant.

  “I’m not wasting my time. He loves me and I love him. We’re going to get married. Then I’ll live in the big house and do what I want. I won’t ever have to work again, I’ll never have to worry about money.”

  “You want money?” He asked her, letting her go. “I can give you money, more money than he or his family has.” He stepped outside and came back carrying a black duffle bag. He dropped it on the table before unzipping it. The bag was filled to the top with stacks of money. The top layer were all hundred’s.

  Daphne and Stephanie goggled at the money. “Where did you get that?” She asked, her voice almost a whisper.

  “It’s mine. It belonged to my dad. He hid it in my aunt’s shed and I found it.” Russ said, his voice eager now, “I’m leaving this town, I’m taking this money and I’m going somewhere warm. I’m going to live on the beach and enjoy my life. I won’t ever have to work again either or worry about money. There’s over a million in here.”

  Stephanie picked up one of the stacks and thumbed through it. “Where did he get that much money?”

  Russ shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. It’s mine now. Come with me. We can have the easy life now, just you and me. We can be like we were before, before Chris.”

  Stephanie had been staring at the money, imagining what it would be like to have that much to spend on anything she wanted. Russ’s question finally penetrated her daydreams. She looked up at Russ and laughed.

  “There was never a you and me. I only went out with you to get Chris’s attention. I don’t care how much money you have, I wouldn’t go anywhere with you.” Her tone was pure derision.
“Although I like the idea of seeing you leave.”

  “That’s not true. You love me, or did, before Chris stole you from me. He’ll never love you like I do. He’ll get tired of you and dump you. But I’ll always love you.”

  Stephanie laughed. “Don’t you get it? Chris didn’t steal me away, I lured him to me by dating you. I knew he’d go for me once he saw me with you. He wouldn’t have been able to resist.”

  “That’s not true. You cared for me. I know you did.”

  “Seeing you makes me sick to my stomach. With you gone, my life here will be perfect.” Stephanie dismissed him, but Daphne could see the embarrassment and hurt in his eyes, she saw when Stephanie’s dismissal of him turned the hurt into anger and hate.

  Before Stephanie could react, Russ had his hands around her throat. She struggled and kicked at him, but he was oblivious to her attempts to defend herself. He continued to squeeze. Daphne and Stephanie could feel the shock to her system as the oxygen was cut off. Black spots danced in front of their eyes before all they saw was the darkness.

  Daphne opened her eyes to see Eric’s face looming in front of hers. It was a very nice face to wake up to. Cold seeped through her clothes as she became aware that she was lying on her back in the center of the cabin. Taking both of her hands in his, Eric lifted her up. He held on to her as he helped her out of the burnt down cabin. “Are you okay?” he asked, still holding her hands to keep her steady.

  “Yeah, just give me a minute.” Daphne closed her eyes, and breathed in deeply a few times before opening them again. While she felt more in control and more stable, she felt the exhaustion pushing its way through her. She opened her eyes and looked around. She didn’t see Stephanie, but hadn’t really expected to, but she also didn’t see Chris. “Where’s Chris?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “I don’t know” Eric said, glancing around. “He heard you talking in Stephanie’s voice to Russ. We heard only your side, or I guess Stephanie’s side of the conversation. When you started choking, we rushed forward but by then you were on the ground and unconscious. While I was trying to revive you, he took off that way.” He pointed in the opposite direction from where they had entered the woods. “So Russ killed Stephanie?” he asked her.