Haunting at High Tide

by Agatha Ball

  We paused in front of the hardware store. Echo held up his hand and then closed it into a fist, signaling that we should stop like he was some sort of a soldier leading a platoon. Swiftly, he turned to address us. "There have been rumors of a haunting here at the hardware shop. I have brought a device that detects vortexes to other realms. We shall see if it is merely a spirit in unrest... or a portal to the underworld."

  He whipped out of his bag a small grey square. He pulled up the antenna and flipped a switch. There was the sound of radio fuzz, like someone was scrolling through the dials really quickly. "This is spirit box. It is a communication tool for paranormal entities. It sweeps the radio bandwidth, and the spirits can boost the electrical signal to select the words they want to speak with us." Then a couple words jumped out. "Run. Fast."

  "How did you do that?" asked one of the guys on the tour, jostling his way to the front of the crowd.

  "It wasn't me," Echo informed him, as if insulted that the guy would insinuate he had. "It was the ghosts telling us what they want us to hear." He turned off the radio and then pulled out his black box with the blinky green lights. He swung it around and checked the gauges, like he was trying to figure out where the strongest ectoplasmic pull was coming from. He held his hand up like a blade. "Follow me. There is a vortex this way."

  We passed by the Grand Hotel. There was a lot of stuff that happened there during the bake off two months ago and it was a likely spot for some sort of otherworldly activity. But that wasn't where he stopped. He kept leading us beyond, out into a field that ran into the sparse Seaside forest.

  "Here!" he said. "There is great evil here." He then switched off his box and closed his eyes, placing his fingertips on the side of his temples to concentrate.

  As everyone sat there with rapt attention, wondering what was going to happen next, I wandered off a bit, sweeping my flashlight through the tall grasses.

  My light fell upon a blood soaked body.

  And I screamed.

  Chapter Nine

  Nate and the entire group came running over. Nate's flashlight swept across the body and I saw his eyes widen. He immediately pushed everyone back. "Echo, could you take everyone back on the tour?" he said, trying to be calm but insistent. Echo looked at him with confusion, but got the fact Nate was giving an order, not making a request. "If we don't catch up with you, bring everyone to Bitter Beans at the end and remain there," Nate commanded.

  Echo had the good sense to listen. There was an excited buzz from the crowd as he announced. "The tour proceeds! The undead call me from over there!" He pointed his finger toward the Grand Hotel. Everyone rubbernecked, but walked away.

  The moment they were out of earshot, Nate immediately went back to the body. I could see he was building up his courage for what we both knew was there. "Paige? Could you call Fred and Stan and tell them we need an ambulance?" he asked.

  "Wait! Don't do that, Paige!" said the body.

  And then he stirred and sat up.

  I could have killed him.

  "Trevor? What are you doing?" I shouted as I realized who it was. I socked him in the shoulder as my fear became anger.

  He waved sheepishly. He was dressed in a bloodied sweater and there was blood on his face. But he was also wearing makeup and contact lenses that made his pupils white. "Um... hey. I was... atmosphere. Boo!"

  Nate threw up his hands in disgust. "You were pretending to be a dead body???"

  He shrugged, a little embarrassed. As far as I was concerned, he should be a lot embarrassed.

  But Trevor said, "Yeah. Tango and Madison thought it might make our tour more interesting." He pointed into the trees. "There's some ghosts and stuff hidden in the forest and it was supposed to be a fun haunted Halloween thing." He then tried to make this our problem, like this whole thing was our fault. "Isn't your tour supposed to be one block over? Why are you even here?"

  "Well, our guide had some ghost equipment that said there was a vortex of evil this direction," Nate informed him.

  "A vortex of stupid," I said, wanting to smack Trevor upside the head.

  "Hey! Listen, it was just part of the show!" he protested.

  "That's great," I fumed, "but next time, let us know so that we don't think we have an actual murder to deal with."

  "Don't be like that," Trevor said, getting up and brushing himself off. "You poached my clients."

  I could not believe this guy. "I poached your clients? I'm not running a ghost tour. I'm supposed to be having a fun night out with my boyfriend."

  Trevor's eyes shifted to Nate with the word 'boyfriend.' He's always been a competitive person, and even tried to make a play for me when he first arrived on the island. Not that he actually was interested in me, but more because I was interested in Nate.

  "I didn’t mean you," Trevor clarified. "I meant Johnny."

  "Johnny is a grown man who makes his own decisions."

  "Then why did you go on his tour before mine?" asked Trevor. There was even a little bit of a whine that dropped into the tone of his voice, which made me hate him in this moment even more.

  "Because we're going on your tour tomorrow!" I shouted with frustration, throwing up my hands. "Although now? Listen, Trevor, that girlfriend of yours once convinced you to dress up like a seal. And I thought that was the lowest you could stoop. But to be lying dead in a field covered in fake blood? What is wrong with you?!"

  Nate held me back by my shoulders, as if trying to remind me not to go kicking Trevor in the kneecaps for being an idiot.

  "I wasn't hurting anyone..." he griped. "It is a part of Halloween! Have you never heard of a haunted house before?"

  "We're not in a house!"

  "Well, a haunted forest! Or haunted field!"

  "What if some kid found you instead of me?"

  "They'd figure out it wasn't real."

  "After you scarred them for LIFE!"

  We could see the flashlights from the other tour coming. Nate took my hand. "Let's let the man do his job, Paige. Seems faking people out is what he does best."

  "I'm running for the city council!" he called after Nate as he lay down in the grass. "And then you'll see what true leadership is like!"

  "I hope he gets ticks," I muttered.

  As we got back to civilization, we could hear Tango's group shriek with delight as they stumbled across Trevor's body and they were directed toward the woods. Stupid ghost tour.

  Meanwhile, we caught up with Echo and his gang. I saw several of them craning their necks, listening to the fun being had by Team Tango. They were looking mutinous. Not to say I could blame them entirely. Echo was a snore, but I made the executive decision to pretend like I was having the most fun in the world on this tour. I wasn't going to let Johnny down. And even more, I wasn't going to let Trevor win.

  Echo noticed Nate and I had returned with interest, but continued his spiel. Finally, he handed over his equipment and allowed the group to roam around Main Street and see if they could find some ghosts. That seemed to make them look a little happier.

  He took the opportunity to come over to Nate and me. "Is everything okay?"

  Nate shook his head and sighed. "The saloon is running its own ghost tour and they decided it needed some theatrics. They had a guy douse himself in fake blood and hide in the field."

  Echo's brow furrowed. "Who is leading their tour? Someone in town?"

  "Some guy named Tango?"

  I could see that Echo was about to explode. "Oh. OH! TANGO did this. He's here?" He turned to me and Nate for confirmation. "Well, this is just like something he would try to do. He treats this calling as a joke. His lies cause people to mistrust the truth." He took in our group like a general protectively surveying his troops. "I would never stoop so low. It makes a mockery of our profession."

  Nate tried to soothe. "People will know to come to you if they seek an authentic experience." He placed a reassuring hand on Echo's shoulder. "There is room enough on this island for everyone."

&nbs
p; Echo glowered at him with fury. "No. I don't think there is."

  Chapter Ten

  The remainder of the weekend passed without incident. I, still angry that Trevor hadn't warned us about the dead-body-in-the-field gag, needed a little more time to calm down before I was ready to go on his tour, so we pushed it off for the following weekend.

  The evening traffic to Bitter Beans was great, though. Cold and wanting someplace quiet to talk, the post-tour crowd from both Trevor and Johnny's operations all gathered inside the cozy warmth of our shop. It was a real boon to our bottom line, and Granny made sure to give them some bonus ghost stories as she worked the espresso machine, even timing the hiss of the milk steamer to just the right moment. The tip jar was overflowing. I could tell that Echo didn't entirely approve of all the theatrics and scandalous lore she was dishing out, but since he got a free cuppa, he kept his mouth shut.

  But the big test of the commercial viability of this Halloween business venture was the following week – the start of the Halloween Festival.

  Beginning on Monday, the ferry was packed with vendors coming across with their supplies and trucks. The Grand Hotel was completely sold out. People were at our door at all hours. Granny and I were working twelve-hour days, closing down in the afternoon for naps, and then coming back in the evening for the night owls.

  Granny shook her head with wonder as she packed up a box of goodies from the pastry case. "And here you thought that we wouldn't have enough work for two people. I'm thinking we should see if anyone is available for a short term hire."

  Granny had decided against a permanent presence at the festival. There just weren't enough hands on deck. But in a show of solidarity, she bought a table for tonight and Bitter Beans was going to do a limited service — hot coffee and cider, bottled water, and then some of our Halloween-themed cookies. We were hoping to increase "brand awareness", something Johnny was now frequently informing us was important. Personally, I just hoped people would remember us the next time they were waiting in line for the ferry.

  My eyes fell upon the stack of newspapers by the door. "I wonder if Lottie would like a job..." I mused, thinking about how she was hustling hard since losing her permanent position.

  But I was cut off as the bell over the door tinkled. I stifled a disgusted sigh as Trevor dragged his unwelcome self inside. He was wearing a striped, waffle-knit thermal I had always liked and had the glow of the freshly showered and shaved. He made a big show of examining some of our trinkets, glancing over surreptitiously to see if Granny and I were in the middle of something or what.

  Granny raised her eyebrow and picked up a box to take into the back room. "Call me if you need me."

  I folded my arms as Trevor approached, just steeling myself for whatever can of chaos he was about to open. "Whaddya want?"

  "Come on, Paige. I don't treat you bad when you come into my place," he pleaded.

  "I also don't scare people who have been through some trauma by faking that I'm dead in a field," I pointed out.

  That seemed to cut to the quick. He bowed his head and placed his hand on his heart. "I just came to say I'm sorry. Truly. It was insensitive and I should not have done it without letting people know."

  I took a deep breath. Whether he actually meant it or not didn't really matter. The thing about living on a small island is there isn't really anywhere to go if you've got a feud with someone. So, I sucked it up and decided to take his apology at face value. "Let me buy you a beverage as a peace offering."

  He smiled his charming smile, reaching out to place his hand on mine. "You don't need to do that."

  I slowly withdrew from his touch. "You can buy me a drink the next time I'm in your place. Now, what can I get you?"

  He made the wise decision to not press the extent of my hospitality and said, "Just whatever you've got on tap."

  I poured him a cup of brewed coffee from a pump pot. It was kind of cold and toward the end of its cycle, but compared to the swill he percolated in his place, he wouldn't know the difference. But I made sure to put it in a "to-go" cup, hoping he'd get the hint.

  He coughed nervously and then pulled something out of his messenger bag. "So, listen, I was wondering if I could put up a sign for my tour in your window."

  I leaned back my head, ready to scream at the audacity. I turned to him. "Are you kidding me?"

  His eyes got big and he put it away. "No... no... you're right. Too soon." He took the cup. "Listen, Madison said you were going to come on my tour sometime this weekend. Why don't you and Nate come tonight? As my guests."

  "I should tell you to take a hike," I replied.

  "Please," he said, giving me his big, doofy puppy eyes, the look that once had drawn me in. And, as much as I hated to admit it, it still kinda worked. "I hate to throw this back at you, but you diiiiid promise..."

  "FINE!" I replied. "It was a moment of weakness."

  "And one I am glad to take advantage of. I'm glad you're going to be there."

  I gave him a little side-eye, letting him know he wasn't out of the woods yet for his stunt near the woods, but we were not enemies. "Now, if you don't mind, I have got some work to do."

  He glanced around mystified. "The place is empty."

  "We're setting up a booth at the Halloween festival," I informed him, firing up the coffeemaker to fill up the portable pots.

  "Oh!" he said, with surprise and interest. "That's great! I should do that!"

  I shrugged. "You've got the saloon. People have to pass by it to get to the ferry."

  "Yeah, but if they wanted some street fries or something to eat as they walked? Maybe I'll see if Madison wants to give me a hand."

  I couldn't help myself from snorting at the ridiculousness of that statement. "Sure, Trevor. I think that's a great plan. You see if she's up for that."

  "She's not as bad as she seems," he defended, but I could see he had to struggle to even say those words.

  "If you even have to say 'she's not as bad as she seems' to someone, she's as bad as she seems."

  "She really helped me out in a tough time," he protested weakly.

  I put my elbows on the counter as I leaned over. "Trevor. I'm thrilled you're happy. And you and Madison definitely deserve each other."

  He didn't catch the insult. Instead he just smiled. "Thanks, Paige. I know I can always count on you." He then reached again for his bag. "Now about those posters—"

  I pointed my finger at the door. "OUT!"

  He laughed, letting the flap on his bag fall. "I was just kidding!" He picked up the coffee. "Thanks. See you tonight?"

  I sighed. "Sure. See you tonight."

  As he left, Granny came out of the storeroom. I could tell she had heard every word.

  "That boy is a snake in the grass."

  "You got that right."

  "Takes after his uncle," she glowered. But then she stood up tall, deciding this was all beneath her. "The best revenge is a happy life, so let's make that our mission. Now, Richard and I are going to start taking things over to the festival. Are you all right to close up?"

  "I'll hold down the ship!" I said, giving her a little salute.

  She grabbed the fresh coffee and supplies, and went out the back door. I flipped the front door sign to "Closed", swept up the shop, and switched off the lights. I flashed a text to Nate and by the time I was done, he was waiting for me out front. He gave me a bemused smile as he rapped on the glass with one knuckle. I gave him a little wave and hurried to grab my stuff.

  I walked outside and he greeted me with a smooch warm enough to chase away all the October chill.

  "Ready to go?" he asked, his arm still around my waist.

  "Absolutely!" I replied, kissing the tip of his nose before turning to lock the door behind me.

  "So, what's the game plan?" he asked me as we walked hand-in-hand up to the fairgrounds.

  "Granny sets up, I'll take over while you charm all the citizens of Seaside for a couple hours with your dashing good looks...
"

  "Assignment accepted," he said.

  "And then Granny will be back to close up." I dropped his hand to snuggle into his side. "Now, normally, I would just go back to my cottage..."

  He raised a brow with a curious glimmer in his eye. "Yes?"

  And then I dropped the bomb and ruined everything. "But we told Madison we'd go on Trevor's tour and he dropped by the shop to make sure we were going to be there tonight."

  Nate groaned. "UGH! SO much potential... I guess we have to face the music, huh?"

  I nodded, feeling exactly the same way about the prospect. "I know..."

  "Well, if it'll help keep the peace."

  "Promise to make it up to you later," I offered.

  He took my hand again and brought it to his lips. "That I will take you up on..."

  The open field was now covered in bouncy haunted castles, farm stands with pumpkins, and hayrides. The smell of apples and cinnamon filled the air. I laughed at a play pit that had been built for the kids. Instead of being filled with balls, it was filled with dried corn, and they were throwing themselves inside, using their arms and legs to make kernel angels.

  I waved at Marnie as we passed. She and Wanda had joined forces, putting together a joint booth, combining Wanda's souvenirs with Marnie's knitting supplies. It actually kind of worked. It merged together into a craft booth with cool things to buy and cool things to make. She was super busy with a customer, but she motioned like she was guiding a plane down the runway that Nate and I should head one row over. We rounded the corner and I spotted the Bitter Beans booth.

  Granny and Richard had set up shop in the food aisle. There was the smell of kettle corn and apple cider donuts. My mouth was already watering and I knew that I might end up spending as much as we made working alongside all these temptations.

  "Did you get anything to eat?" Nate asked, his eyes drawn to a booth with a saltwater taffy machine pulling the candy.

  "Nope."

  "Oh... this is dangerous..." he said, spinning as we passed the deep fried hamburger stand.