Aura Lee made a shocked sound, her hand flying to her mouth. "A message from Cottie?"
"Not a message. It was from the title page from a journal dated nineteen thirty-nine to nineteen forty-five, written in Caldicott's hand. And I've never found anything that old, nothing." Kerry's hands clenched. "I'd give anything to get hold of that journal."
"Where could it have come from?" Rose asked blankly.
"That's the question." Kerry slumped in her chair. "Though maybe it's a dangerous one to ask."
"So you fainted?" Brenna asked in curiosity. "When you found it, I mean."
"Yeah." Kerry's lips twitched reluctantly. "Just like the heroine of a gothic novel."
"And did Max resuscitate you?" Noreen's voice was dry.
Kerry dropped her hand back to the table. Her cheeks were pink. "He was actually pretty nice about it."
"But where did the fragment come from?" demanded Rose.
"The Mystery of the Appearing Fragment," murmured Brenna, her eyes bright with interest. "I can't compete with my Mystery of the Odd Fortune Cookie."
This surprised a laugh from Noreen. "Sorry, it's so Agatha Christie. What do you mean?"
Brenna described the adventure with her take-out Chinese dinner. "I threw the fortune away, but when I went to the kitchen to look for my phone, it was back on the table." She dug in her jeans pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to Andrea.
"Kind acts result in new friends," Andrea read aloud.
"Bland enough, right?" Brenna took back the paper. "But when I first read it, what I saw written over it were the words Behind circle, like someone had scrawled it with a pencil. When I looked at it the second time, those words were gone. I was weirded out because I thought somebody might be playing a trick on me, so I there I was, checking the locks and looking into closets." She caught sight of Rose's expression. "What wrong? You look like you've just see a ghost."
The overhead light blinked off as air gusted through the room, blowing out every candle. It was utterly dark.
"What the hell!"
That was Kerry. Rose found the table edge and held on as she stood up. "Noreen, can you find the switch?"
"I'm closer," said Andrea. Patting sounds followed. "Ouch!"
"Why's it so damned dark?" Kerry snapped. "Is it a blackout?"
A thump was followed by a click and the lights came on. Andrea lowered her hand from the light switch as Rose sat down.
Aura Lee shrieked, pointing at the table.
"What is it?"
"My God," Brenna murmured.
Rose followed her gaze. The serving platter was empty and every dinner plate on the table had around it a circle formed with pieces of yams and celery, mushrooms and broccoli, pepper strips and pearl onions. The remains of the roast were arranged around the vase of autumn leaves.
Chapter 15
They fled to the living room and clustered together in the dim light of the lamp in the corner. "What just happened?" Andrea asked in a wobbly voice.
"I don't know but I don't want it to happen again." Kerry rubbed her arms, hunched against the chill in the room. "That took about ten years off my life."
"What if it comes in here?" Aura Lee whispered.
Noreen glanced around. "Maybe it already has." As the color drained from Aura Lee's cheeks, she quickly added, "No, no, I'm sure that's not the case. We're safe in here because the... entity probably used up all its energy rearranging our dinner."
Brenna couldn't suppress a laugh, but it sounded almost hysterical, even to her.
Kerry made a beeline for the fireplace and pushed the switch to turn on the blue and yellow flames.
Brenna was cold to the bone. Heat is a good idea. She hurried to the warmth on trembling legs and the others followed.
"Thanks, Kerry." Rose sounded shaky, but she picked up a throw from the sofa and set it around Aura Lee's shoulders and checked the others to see how they were doing.
Brenna rubbed her hands together in front of the blaze and turned to thaw the chunk of ice that was her spine. Right in front of her were the naked windowpanes with a view of the trees behind the house. The windblown branches looked like arms flailing against the night. She overcame her dread long enough to approach the glass and find the drapery cord. She tugged on it and the rich burgundy curtains surged together, shutting out the battle. When she saw Kerry staring at her she said defiantly, "I don't like the dark."
"Me, neither," said Kerry. "Not tonight."
Rose had Aura Lee settled and now motioned to the others to sit down. Brenna was turning on every light fixture in the room and passing out more throws and blankets. If they were warm, she thought, maybe they could think clearly about what to do next.
Aura Lee stiffened. "What's that?"
Brenna heard a high-pitched whine.
Kerry turned her head toward the door to the kitchen. "Is it Strudel?" She glanced around the room. "She wasn't in the dining room, was she?"
"No." The lines on Aura Lee's face deepened with worry. "She's alone in my place."
"She'd better be alone," Rose muttered. They exchanged glances.
"I really don't want to leave this room." Brenna's memory flashed an image of Strudel wagging her tail as she licked her hand. She's a sweet little dog. Dammit.
"Yeah," Andrea said. "She's probably okay."
Kerry glared at the fire. "I guess I could go get her."
I can only die once. "I'll race you." Brenna jumped to her feet and took the lead, Kerry right behind her.
Brenna slowed down when she saw the kitchen lights were out. The square windows over the sink reflected their movements.
"I don't know why I'm so scared." Kerry sounded breathless as they trailed past the refrigerator.
"You're kidding, right?" Brenna cast a quick glance around the shadowy cupboards and counters. The hanging pots gave her a bad moment, but she swallowed the gasp of fright. "It looks okay, I guess."
"Yeah." Kerry headed for the door to Aura Lee's quarters and grasped the knob. As she turned it, Strudel let loose a flurry of barks. "It's us, you silly dog." She pushed the door open and light spilled from the room. She stepped inside just as the cabinet organ in the corner droned a single note. Brenna bumped into her, forcing her further into the room.
"Shit!" Kerry scooped up the dog and turned to run as Brenna backed up to give her space.
Brenna looked at the organ and her heart skipped when she saw the candelabra candles begin to burn. At the same time some of the organ keys sank in a loud chord. The volume increased slowly.
"Oh-God, oh-God, oh-God." Kerry clutched Strudel to her chest and plunged out the door, Brenna at her heels. They ran across the kitchen and into the living room, pulling the swinging door shut behind them.
"What is it?" Andrea demanded. "What happened?"
Brenna waved a hand toward the door. "In Aura Lee's room—the organ—candles lit—I saw the keys—something pressed on the keys. Didn't you hear it?"
"Look out!"
Aura Lee lurched to one side, eyes closed, in danger of sliding off the sofa. Rose grabbed her by the arm and Andrea pulled her up against the back cushions. "Maybe we should get her lying down."
Kerry set down Strudel and helped Rose shift and turn Aura Lee's legs as Andrea got a pillow for her head. "Poor thing," Andrea murmured. "This has been so hard on her."
"Not just her." Noreen bent over Aura Lee and took her hand. "Aura Lee, wake up," she said in a louder voice, patting her hand. "Everything is all right, my dear. We need you to join us now. Get her a glass of water, will you?"
Aura Lee stirred and her eyes fluttered. "Mama's organ," she whispered. She opened her eyes and looked at Noreen and then at Andrea. "Why am I lying down?" Confused, she accepted Andrea's hand to sit up and took the glass from Rose. In a few minutes she looked stronger, although her face was far more pale than usual. When Strudel jumped up beside her, she stroked the dog with a trembling hand.
"Where were we?" Rose asked and
appeared surprised when Brenna and Kerry laughed, albeit shakily.
"When we were so rudely interrupted?" Kerry took a deep breath and let it out in tremulous sigh. "You didn't hear the organ, did you?"
"No." Rose glanced at Noreen. "Did you? Or you?" she asked Andrea. They both shook their heads.
"God, it was spooky." Brenna shivered. "There was a full-out Phantom of the Opera chord, and it was getting louder as we ran out. How could so much sound have been confined to that single room?"
"Did you see anything?" Noreen asked. "Did anything materialize?"
"No, I didn't. You?" Kerry asked Brenna.
"Just the candles on the organ. They started burning while I was watching. The lights were already on, so maybe we couldn't see who was playing."
"Ugh. There's a thought." Rose glanced at the coffee table, and then the end tables when she didn't find what she was looking for. "Do we have any paper in here? Something to write with?"
The others searched the room, and finally Andrea found a tablet in a drawer in the liquor cabinet. "Here. What's it for?"
"I want to write down everything we talk about so we can keep track of what's going on. Otherwise we'll never figure out what we're dealing with."
"I hope we can," Kerry muttered. "It's such a mess." Her gaze lit on the bottles. "I want some of that."
"Brandy?" Noreen shook her head. "Let's wait until we've debriefed each other. Rose is right. We have to keep track of these visitations, for lack of a better word. Things are heating up around here and if we're to do anything about them, we need to know what we're up against."
Rose looked up from the paper where she'd begun a list. "Let's start with the dining room. Everything seemed normal to me until the lights went out. What about the rest of you? Do you recall anything that might have triggered our... guest?"
Aura Lee shuddered at the word, but said nothing.
Kerry's eyes narrowed in the effort to remember. "We were talking about strange things happening to us, like the title page from Caldicott's journal and Brenna's stars in her film. And the fortune cookie."
"Yeah, that was when the lights went out," Brenna said. "Do you think it might be because we were comparing notes? Could that have made the, uh, the ghost angry?"
"But whose ghost?" Aura Lee's blue eyes were clouded with worry. "Say it was Cottie, then why would she not want us to talk about our experiences? It makes no sense."
"But if it's not Caldicott?" Noreen pursed her lips. "What if we have someone else haunting Wisdom Court? Maybe multiple someones."
Rose continued writing. "For all we know, when Andrea sketched Kelvin Haslett during our first haunting, it lit up a welcome sign in the land of the dead and we've got spirits coming out the woodwork." At their silence, she glanced up at them. "Sorry. Every time I actually think about what we're saying, I want to run screaming from the room."
"I'll second that." Kerry rubbed her forehead. "Let's keep going. The dinner table decorations—the vegetables around the plates?" she added at Andrea's quizzical look. "That was a variation on Rose's fountains being taken apart. So again we've got circles, this time lots of them. And Brenna's fortune cookie said behind circle. What in the sweet hell can circles have to do with all this?"
Aura Lee sat a little straighter. "As I told Rose, the circle is an important symbol. It can mean a lot of things."
"And that's the problem." Rose drew a small circle on the paper. "You said it could be a door between worlds, that it could be a message from beyond, that it could stand for Circe's spinning wheel, for heavens sake. But which? And how are we supposed to know? Did you learn anything else in your research?"
Aura Lee looked at her hands. "Well, yes," she said reluctantly, "I learned a lot. The circle has many more meanings than I realized. It can represent eternity, life, the tree of life, the egg of life, protection—"
Kerry groaned. "What good does that do us? We could spend a year trying to nail down the right symbolic interpretation as Wisdom Court fills up with ghosts."
Into the discouraged silence Brenna said, "What about architecture? I mean, circles are used a lot in windows and doors, and in landscaping and such. What if these recurring circles have something to do with Wisdom Court itself?"
They all stared at her. Then Andrea said, admiration tingeing her voice, "That's a good idea. What if the repeated circles refer to something or some place right here?"
Rose narrowed her eyes as she thought. "Hmm, it's certainly worth considering. At the moment I can't think of anything architectural here involving circles, but that doesn't mean there isn't something." She looked at Brenna. "At least it gives us a starting point."
Noreen nodded judiciously. "'The initial step of a journey has more importance than the last, for it determines the boundaries of exploration and thus defines the final chart of discovery.' Lucinda Blythe Hartshorne, 1833 to 1901. An early explorer of the Amazon," she added.
"That's what we could use," Aura Lee pronounced. "An explorer! Someone who's familiar with the paranormal." She looked sadly at Rose. "I haven't been able to do much during these situations. I never thought I'd say it, but I don't have enough experience to deal with what's been happening."
Rose patted her shoulder. "Because you're personally involved," she said. "Like a doctor not being allowed to treat members of her own family. You and Caldicott were best friends, and it's hard for you to come up against these manifestations, thinking they might have something to do with her."
"They have taught me that I don't know enough. We need to find someone to guide us through this, someone who's used to contact with these spirits."
Rose looked around the group. "I'm willing if all of you are. We need to agree to any action we take."
"We're not talking about Belinda Smythe, are we?" Kerry still held a grudge against the medium who'd unsuccessfully conducted a séance to contact Caldicott Wyntham.
"No. We need someone who has a broader background in the field." Rose nodded encouragingly at Aura Lee. "Do you know of anyone who might help us?"
"I can put out feelers in the psychic community." Already Aura Lee was looking more herself. Her cheeks were pink, and her eyes were interested again.
Noreen smiled. "That would be helpful."
The front door bell chimed, startling them all. "Lord," Kerry said with feeling. "My nerves are shot to hell."
Rose was halfway across the room when Andrea said, "Wait, I'll come with you."
"Don't be silly." Rose kept moving toward the door. "Nothing's going to hurt me."
"Let her go with you," Noreen said. "We need to stick together."
The doorbell rang again.
"Oh, all right." Rose motioned to Andrea. "Come on then."
As they left the room, Kerry turned to Noreen. "Do you really think we're in any kind of danger?"
"I don't know, but we're already scared. I don't like the idea of any one of us going through the kind of terror Aura Lee had yesterday. Seeing that spirit hand groping, and hearing the hideous sounds in your room couldn't have been easy for you."
Aura Lee's lips tightened. "It's not knowing what to expect next that I find so frightening."
"That's why your suggestion about getting someone in here to help us is a good one," said Noreen. "If we can find a paranormalist, or whatever they're called, who can help us understand the signs we've seen, maybe we can resolve our haunting."
"Seek and ye shall find," Rose said from the doorway. She stepped into the room and Brenna was intrigued by the expression on her face. Either she was irritated or taken aback.
Max Steadman followed Rose toward the sofa and Andrea slipped into her chair. "Max says he came because he felt that something is wrong here at Wisdom Court."
Aura Lee's gaze flew to his face. "What do you mean?" When he remained silent, she patted the sofa cushion beside her. "Come sit down."
Max made his way between chairs and settled onto the couch. His hair was windblown, and his coat unbuttoned. "I was reading after
dinner—" Strudel climbed into his lap and he rubbed her ears. "I nodded off, and awoke abruptly some minutes later, convinced something was wrong here. When I telephoned, there was only a busy signal." He looked at each of them, eyes narrowing as his gaze stopped at Kerry. "I had to come."
The color rose in Kerry's cheeks, and her eyes softened. As Max smiled, she stiffened. "Wait a minute. You had a feeling something was wrong. And on the strength of that you came here."
"Sometimes I receive—that is—I have an awareness..." Max looked at Rose in appeal.
She sighed. "In addition to working as a genealogist, Max has just told me he's is a card-carrying member of the Royal Paranormal Society." Her smile was strained. "At least I assume there's an ID card."
Chapter 16
"The Royal Paranormal Society?" Kerry shook her head in confusion. "I don't understand."
"There was no reason to..." Max began, but Kerry interrupted him.
"So that's why you were so strange about the page from Caldicott's journal. You wanted it to be a ghost, right?" She pushed up out of her chair. "You fed me that lousy slivovitz and didn't say a word about being one of the supernatural patrol. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I'm sorry," Max said.
"I'm out of here." Kerry shot a glance at Rose. "Let me know when the expert has left." She got as far as the door when Max caught up with her.
He reached for her arm to stop her. "Let me explain."
Kerry sidestepped him. "You should've been up front when you got here, instead of spinning that yarn about searching for what's-her-name."
"I am searching for what's-her—The woman's name is Clara Trinder." By now Max, too, was yelling. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to approach people and identify yourself as a paranormal investigator? You're fortunate if they don't show you the door with a boot at your backside to hurry you along."
"It's only what you deserve." Kerry folded her arms across her chest and lifted her chin. "How can you expect us to trust you when you lied to us?"
Noreen leaned closer to Rose. "Have you ever seen her like this?" she whispered.
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