Harrison Investigations 1 Haunted (26 page)

BOOK: Harrison Investigations 1 Haunted
7.89Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

"How wonderful," Darcy said.

"You're sweet. But you're here for a reason."

"Yes." Darcy stared steadily at her. "I believe with my whole
heart that there is a ghost in the Lee Room, and I'd like to hear
about your experience there."

Marcia stared back at her, and then shrugged. "You see, the
thing of it was, I was drinking that day. I went to work with a
little flask all the time. I loved the place, too. I'd worked for
Matt's granddad now and then, knew all the guys around the place,
even pretended I didn't know about a lot of the fooling around
going on there, you know what I mean? Lots of women thought it was
hot to let guys like Carter, Clint, and even Matt pick them up, you
know, then screw around in a supposedly haunted room as truly
historic as the Lee Room. The old man was tolerant of Clint,
of course. And even Carter. Matt was gone a lot-he was working in
D.C. before his granddad got sick, but when he was home, well, you
meet a pretty girl, you get to tell her that you live in an
incredible mansion like Melody House... Well, that's all beside the
point. I was cleaning up there one day and suddenly it feels as if
my hair is being pulled. Not tugged by a breeze, or anything.
Pulled! Hard. I whipped around, thinking I was losing my mind. Then
I hear this voice. And it's soft and moaning and going, 'Help. Help
me! Please, for the love of God, help me!' I thought at first that
one of the fellows was just kidding around. So I yelled at them to
stop. Then...I thought I saw something. Like a little glimmer of
light, heading out of the room and down toward the landing of the
stairway. So I followed...peeked down the stairs, and the next damn
thing I knew, I was lying at the foot of the stairway! By the mercy
of God, I didn't break my neck. Penny found me there, and I suppose
I reeked of alcohol. Still, I started raving, told her what had
happened, that I'd been shoved down the stairs by a ghost. Penny is
just dying to have ghosts there-I would have thought she would have
believed me. But then again, I don't think she'd ever realized
before that I did drink on the job. She didn't fire me. Only Matt
could fire me then-his granddad had passed away. But with the way
Penny looked at me, all disgusted over the way that I smelled, I
knew that no one would believe me. Not even Penny. And Matt...if he
knew, he'd say it was the alcohol for sure." She let out a long
sigh and shrugged. ' 'I told Penny that I was leaving, to please
tell Matt. And she told me to get help, and she'd never tell him
the real reason that I left. So...some people know now. Cathy
O'Hara, over at the library, is a saint. She had a run-in with
vodka in her twenties, and was my mentor at the meetings. So...she
knows all about me. And my experiences. The thing of it is, though,
I don't talk about it, even when I hear about new episodes at
Melody House, because I wouldn't be credible in any way to most
people. Hell, I'm not sure I would have been credible to myself at
the time."

"Well, alcohol or not, I think you did meet up with a ghost. A
dangerous ghost, so it seems. But at least, it did do something
good for you," Darcy said.

Marcia smiled. "Yes, the occasion did change my life. But I can
tell you one thing-I'll never step foot inside Melody House again.
Ever." She studied Darcy. "Psychic investigator...so? Have you seen
the ghost?"

"I know that there is a ghost in the room, and that she's trying
very hard to make us understand something. I think she may be a
woman who lived there hundreds of years ago by the name of
Arabella,'' Darcy told Marcia.

"Yeah, maybe," Marcia said.

"You have another idea?" Darcy asked her.

"No...no." Marcia shrugged. "I don't know-I had worked there
before, that's all. Been in and out of that room dozens of times.
And I'd never felt anything before."

"Really?"

Marcia nodded. "It was about.. .I don't know, five years ago, I
think. You could check the records. But I'd done parties in that
house, worked part-time, forever." She grimaced. "Arabella
sure has taken her time getting around to whining, huh?"

"I guess she has," Darcy said, then asked, "Is there anything
else you can remember that might help me?"

"I wish. Like I said, I was drinking back then. I wish that I
could help you more."

"Believe me, you've helped me a lot," Darcy told her. "I guess
I'd better get going. It was a pleasure to meet you. And thank you
so very much."

"My pleasure," Marcia assured her.

"And-" Darcy began.

"If I do think of anything else, I promise, I'll call you right
away. Hey! Tell the gang hi for me, will you? Clint, Carter,
Penny-and Matt."

"I'll do that," Darcy said. She waved as she walked out to the
car, feeling as if a bunch of puzzle pieces were in front of
her.

Their positioning should have been obvious, and she was certain,
if she just tried hard enough, they would all fall right into
place.

Just what was it that she was missing?

There was time to go back to the office when the judge adjourned
the court for the day. Matt realized that he simply didn't
want to go back.

Adam had never told him how long he and Darcy planned to be at
Melody House. He could remember Adam telling him, "It's not a paint
job. I can't really estimate the hours we're going to need. But
don't worry about it. You'll be able to go about your day-to-day
business with no interference."

Hah.

All right, so they didn't really interfere with his life. Not by
just being there.

But there was this ridiculous tug. Not a hunch, or a gut
feeling. He was anxious to be at the house.

Anxious, sure, because there were people in it.

There were always people in Melody House. They hadn't rented any
of the rooms for now, and they hadn't scheduled any tours. But if
they really needed to, they could. He was just loathe to do so
until...

Until whatever was happening was solved-and not happening
anymore.

He turned his car toward home, then poked the speed dial on his
phone for home. Penny answered. "Hey," he told her.

"Hey."

"What's going on there?" he asked.

"Nothing much. I'm in the office, calling a few people. Juggling
some Christmas parties-do you believe we have to book this early?
Of course, it's exciting, but-"

"Darcy around?" he broke in.

' 'Yes, she and Adam were just having tea, and they're going up
to the Lee Room soon."

"She's all right?"

"Perfectly."

"Has she been in all day?"

"No, actually, she wasn't here when I finished
shopping."

"Where did she go?"

"Honestly, Matt! I don't know. I don't give her a third degree
every time she walks in or out of the house."

"Maybe you should," he muttered beneath his breath.

"What?"

' 'Never mind. By the way, call the appropriate minister and see
if we can't have a little rite and get that skull buried
tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, Matt? That's too fast! We won't be able to invite
people, to have the press."

"That's right."

"Matt!"

"Penny."

He heard a huff so loud the wind from it almost came through the
phone. "All right, Matt. As you wish."

"Thanks, Penny. You're a doll."

"And you're a tyrant."

"Sorry."

"What on earth was that?" Penny murmured.

"What?" he asked, frowning.

"I don't know...a thudding sound. I'll go see. Bye, Matt."

"Penny, don't hang up-"

His answer was the dial tone. He tried to call back, and got the
answering machine. Swearing, his lowered his foot on the gas
pedal.

Adam knew that he was a good hypnotist, but there was also no
subject in the world quite like Darcy.

They had talked awhile when she'd returned that afternoon
to tell him about her visit to Marcia Cuomo. They had gone over the
various events that had occurred in and around the house, and both
agreed that there was something very peculiar about the
ghost's desperation-and fear.

Most of all, Adam was disturbed that Josh didn't seem to be able
to enter the house, the realm of onetime violence. He had
always been Darcy's spiritual guide, and he knew that she sometimes
felt lost without him.

"There's a force that keeps him away, and I can't
understand it," Darcy explained, shaking her head.

Adam was silent for a minute. There were still so many things
that he would never understand. He had never had the abilities Josh
had possessed, now passed on to Darcy, but he did have a tremendous
skill with the occult and it saddened him that he couldn't reach
his own son, not the way that Darcy could. He had always recognized
an extra sense in others, and he had known how to mentor and lead
those who were confused and horrified by their own gifts.

He had begun Harrison Investigations when his wife, Carol, had
died, and Matt had only been a child. His son had told him then, at
the funeral, that his mother was there, trying to make them both
understand that she would never really leave them, that she would
be with them forever. He had wanted to contact her himself so
desperately, for the pain of her loss had been devastating. And
yet, he'd known that Josh had spoken the truth when he talked about
seeing his mother, for he had told Adam things that only Carol had
known, and in the time that followed, he had discovered himself
incensed by those who claimed to be mediums and merely took the
bereaved for all they were worth. In his pursuit of lies, he had
stumbled upon truth, and found his own fascination with the sixth
sense and the powers of the mind-and spirit.

Death had not been a terrifying prospect for Josh. He had known
that his mother would come to take his hand, just as he had known
that he was not meant to have many years on earth. Josh's certainty
regarding his own early demise had chilled Adam, and yet Josh's
calm acceptance of the fate awaiting him and the knowledge that he
would reside again with his beloved mother had been a strange
comfort for Adam.

And though his son wasn't with him, there were times when Darcy
could make him feel as if Josh were in a room, joking with them,
helping them.

In the realm of the world of the dead, however, Josh was not an
old soul. And there were barriers he could not cross, forces he
could not best.

Adam thought that pure malevolence was something Josh couldn't
touch. He had been far too decent to know evil. Perhaps, one day,
he would gain the strength to go against such a force. Not yet. He
was a spirit as kind and patient as the human he had been, able to
touch pain, sorrow, regret, and loneliness, simply not a
lingering wall of brutality.

"Adam," Darcy said softly. "Josh doesn't come in this room."

Adam nodded. "If I'm frightened for you, Darcy, I'll bring you
right out."

"I trust you completely, Adam," she told him. And he knew that
she did. He reached out and squeezed her hand.

"Let's begin," he said, and she settled back.

They were in the Lee Room together, she lying on the bed, he in
the chair by the little secretary against the wall.

Adam had suggested that they work alone, quietly, without
having the household around. There had been too much disruption at
the seance.

' 'Relax, breathe. In and out, in and out. Think of cool
mountain streams, the sweet sound of the trickling water. Let
nothing disturb the sweetness of the moment, the absolute
calm and tranquility that seep into you with every breath." He
didn't dangle chains in front of her face; he talked her into a
state of calm, cleared her mind, and left it open to possibility.
"Think of nothing, just feel the peace of the water, of the wind.
Ease all your muscles, stretch, release, relax, and feel the air,
fresh, clean, free...you'll enter a state like sleep, totally open,
and let those who would speak come through, but you'll be safe,
because when I say the word 'redhead,' you will awaken with ease.
Follow my voice, and listen to the breeze, the water, and let the
voices enter in...."

His voice droned on. He could see the changes as Darcy entered a
stage of consciousness that was neither sleep, nor wakefulness.

"There is someone here," he said then. "Someone who resides in
this room, and perhaps roams the house upon occasion. Someone hurt,
brutally hurt. I'm here to listen."

He waited.

For a moment, there was nothing. Then, he started as the phone
book flew off the secretary and landed with a hard thunking noise
on the floor.

A moment later, Darcy's lips moved.

"Help, God help me."

The voice they had heard at the seance left Darcy's lips. The
spirit spoke in a desperate moan through Darcy.

"We must know who you are."

"There's danger... danger.''

A strange sound, a moaning, a keening.

"You've got to explain," Adam said patiently.

"Afraid..."

"You mustn't be afraid." He hesitated. "You've gone on. Nothing
can hurt you now."

"No...still here. He's still here."

"Who? We must understand who you are, and who he is, and why he
is still here. You're not the one hurting people, he is-is that
right?''

"No."

Adam was startled and silent.

Darcy was beginning to breathe harder and harder. He needed to
keep talking. "Are you hurting people?"

"So...hard. So hard...to touch. I'm tired...exhausted. They
won't see."

"Are you hurting people?"

"No. Showing them, trying to show them...they don't know."

"Are you Arabella?"

Darcy's lips began to move. She said something, but Adam didn't
hear what. The door to the room flew open, and Penny was standing
there.

"My God!" Penny said. "What on earth was that?"

Adam frowned fiercely, shaking his head.

"Oh!" Penny said softly, staring at Darcy, who still lay on the
bed, eyes closed, breathing coming deeply, shal-lowly.

Other books

Bittersweet Seraphim by Debra Anastasia
Five Classic Spenser Mysteries by Robert B. Parker
Homunculus by James P. Blaylock
Tripp by Kristen Kehoe
All That You Are by Stef Ann Holm
Sweet by Skye Warren
The Actor and the Earl by Rebecca Cohen
Grind Their Bones by Cross, Drew