Scaredy Cat (16 page)

Chapter 27

“Oh, my God, look at these two,” Quinn said as she pulled up in front of Jacob and Tonya’s place a few days later. Both of them were wearing black, and Jacob had on a headlamp. Tonya was wearing a giant silver cross that would’ve made Madonna envious in the eighties. They stood next to a cooler that Quinn was certain was packed to the lid with special snacks probably decorated to commemorate the occasion. Cameras sat atop it next to a giant box of batteries, and a duffel bag lay beside it.

“I think they’re very serious about this,” Blake said as she waved at the pair.

Quinn opened her door. “I don’t think I have room for you and all your gadgets, Jacob. You may have to ride in the back.”

“Is that what you’re wearing?” he asked with obvious disapproval as he gave Quinn’s jeans and sweatshirt a once-over. “You’re so not cool.”

“I’m sorry, my geek gear wasn’t clean.”

“Don’t get out, we need to be there for the briefing.” Jacob hoisted the cooler in the back of the truck. “Does anyone need a drink or a finger sandwich before we hit the road? We baked the cutest ghost-shaped sugar cookies, bats and pumpkins, too. Oh, they’re just so—” Jacob cleared his throat and deepened his voice. “They’re cool, I ate a bat. And hey, avoid the pimento cheese, you know what that does to you.”

Quinn jerked a thumb at the backseat. “Get in, black string bean.”

Once the Scotts and their accoutrements were loaded, Quinn turned the truck around and headed for the road. “Jacob, I assume you know where we’re going.”

“Yep, get on the main highway headed south. Blake, you ready for this?”

“I think I am.”

“Oh, shucks, I forgot the napkins and paper plates,” Tonya said.

“We can’t afford to go back for them now, dear. We’ll just have to make do,” Jacob said as he patted her on the arm.

“I’m really surprised you two didn’t make a CD of scary—” Quinn bit her lip when one appeared between the seats. “Ah, you did.”

She handed it to Blake, who opened it and popped it into the player. Sounds of a moaning wind filled the cab of the truck. Then a retina-searing light switched on.

“Jacob! I’m trying to drive.”

“Sorry. Headlamp is a go. Check it off the list, darling.”

Tonya leaned up and handed Blake a small box. “Blake, I brought you a voice recorder, so you can document tonight’s events in case you want to use them for your next book.”

“Thank you,” Blake said and sounded a bit nervous.

Quinn gave her hand a little squeeze.

*******

The drive felt like it took five minutes to Blake, but in actuality, it was a little over thirty minutes. Her hand felt moist against Quinn’s, and she often closed her eyes to steel her nerves. Jacob and Tonya did provide some amusing distraction as they debated which of their treats would be an acceptable offering for the spirits.

Jacob pointed to a dirt road between two cornfields, and Quinn turned off the highway. The ride immediately became jarring and seemed to go on forever until the fields gave way to a two-story house. Blake was relieved to note there was electricity. An old model white utility van was parked out front with cables streaming out the back of it. Three men stood on the porch and descended the steps as Quinn parked alongside the van.

“Jacob, it’s good to see you, man,” one of them called out as he approached.

“Hey, Carl, you remember my wife, Tonya, and my sister Quinn. This is Blake Tay…Blake Tay.”

Blake half expected Carl and his crew to look like the male cast members of
Scooby-Doo
, without the dog. One at least favored Shaggy. He was thin and wiry, hair unkempt. The other was short and stocky with a closely trimmed beard like Jacob’s, which did nothing to man up his baby face. Carl was very nice-looking and well-built. His graying dark hair was cut very short and gelled. A pair of thick rimmed glasses covered intense brown eyes.

Carl nodded at Tonya and Quinn, then put out his hand to Blake. “It’s a pleasure to meet…have we met before?”

“I don’t think so,” Blake said as she shook his hand.

Carl turned and pointed at the others as they made their way over. “That’s Donnie and Joey.”

“You’re missing Jordan and a couple others,” Quinn said with a laugh. “You know…New Kids on the Block, the boy band?” Carl and the others exchanged confused glances, and Quinn waved a hand. “Never mind.”

“Y’all got here just in time for the briefing, so we’ll begin,” Carl, the apparent leader of the group, said. “The hotspots are the kitchen, the den, the hallway upstairs, and the master bedroom. We have IR cameras set up in those places, so watch your step. The cords have been taped down, but you can still trip.”

“What is an IR?” Quinn asked. “And define hotspots, please.”

Carl rubbed the back of his neck. “I forget that y’all haven’t done this sort of thing before. Hotspots are where the most allegations of paranormal activity have been reported. My wife sets up our investigations, and my team and I aren’t privy to the claims beforehand. Therefore, we don’t come in with predisposed ideas. For instance, if someone reports seeing shadows in a certain area, subconsciously we expect to see the same, and our own imaginations kick in. That make sense?”

Quinn and the others nodded.

“We investigate in the dark because it heightens the senses. IR is infrared so the cameras will record in the dark. We also use digital voice recorders because often they can pick up EVP, or Electronic Voice Phenomenon, that the human ear can’t. We picked up an outstanding EVP on the last case.” Carl threw up his hands. “It totally blew our minds.”

Tonya was engrossed. “What’d it say?”

Joey, the skinny guy with grease stains on his shirt, spoke up. “We’d just asked if anyone had a problem with us being there, and it said, ‘Burt.’ It could’ve been burp, but we’re all pretty sure it said Burt.”

Carl beamed as he pushed his glasses farther up on his nose. “You just haven’t lived until you’ve heard a disembodied voice speak.” He went on in a professional manner. “We also use EMF detectors, you may’ve seen electricians use them. They detect electromagnetic fields. Spirits supposedly use energy to manifest, so when we pick up a strong reading and there’s no explanation for it in the wiring, we also consider that a hotspot. We’ll usually do an EVP session there and try to make contact.”

“I’m the tech guy,” Donnie said as he stepped forward. “You’ll all be armed with either a video camera or a voice recorder and a flashlight while you investigate. We ask that you whisper so you don’t drown out anything the devices may pick up.”

Quinn raised her hand. “I have another question. Is there running water?”

“Yes,” Carl said, “and electricity, but we’ll throw the main breaker when it’s time to investigate. So if you need to use the restroom, now is the best time or you’ll be doing it in the dark. We have a few things to go over before we begin, so if you’d like to take a look around the house first, please be welcome.”

“I’m gonna go to the powder room.” Tonya looked at Blake. “Do you need to go?”

“No, but thanks.” There was no way Blake was going to let go of Quinn.

“I know I’ve seen you somewhere before,” Carl said to Blake as the others went up to the house. “You said your name is Blake Tay?”

Quinn stepped between them. “Sorry to interrupt, but you said something like if there’s no explanation in the wiring, what does that mean?”

“A leakage of energy that can happen with improper or faulty wiring. It can happen if you have too much plugged into a multiplug strip. High EMF has caused people to hallucinate, it can make them nauseous or nervous if they’re sensitive to that sort of thing. We find that’s often the cause of people feeling uncomfortable in certain rooms.”

“That’s fascinating,” Quinn said as she gave Blake’s hand a tug. “We’re gonna have a look around, get the lay of the land, so to speak, while the lights are still on.” As they climbed the steps, Quinn looked over her shoulder and noticed that Carl was still staring at Blake, his brow furrowed. “I think he may’ve recognized you. Are you okay with everything he said?”

“Not the lights out part.” Blake pulled Quinn to a stop before they crossed the threshold. “I knew it was going to be dark, but there is nothing else out here. When they kill those lights, it’s going to be black as pitch.”

With the hand that was not caught in Blake’s vise-like grip, Quinn ran her fingers down the side of Blake’s cheek. “You crossed a hurdle by agreeing to come out here. This is scary to someone who isn’t afraid of the dark. You say the word, and I’ll whisk you out of this place in a heartbeat.”

Blake swallowed as she stared up at Quinn. “If I can do this, I can do anything, right?”

Quinn smiled as her hand came to rest against the side of Blake’s neck. “You can do anything. I respect and admire you so much. You amaze me.”

“You know just what to say to get to me.”

“Because it’s the truth,” Quinn said with a smile as she leaned in and kissed her.

Blake breathed out a heavy sigh. “Let’s do this.”

*******

The walls in the den had obviously been covered with wallpaper and stood bare. It was empty except for an old sofa and two metal chairs. The camera Carl had mentioned was set up in one corner to cover as much of the room as it could. Blake expected to feel an ominous presence, but the place just felt empty and sad.

She followed Quinn into a wide hallway; on one wall was a staircase, beneath it an open door to a bathroom. Near the front door was the master bedroom, which was empty except for another camera. Quinn and Blake simply poked their heads in and looked around before proceeding to the kitchen at the other end of the hall. Yellowed wallpaper covered in roosters and hens made Blake’s skin crawl. The scarred cabinets were bare. There was an empty place where she assumed there had been a refrigerator. On the other side of the room were windows where a table sat with a few matching chairs.

“Very spacious,” Quinn said as she looked around. “With a lot—and I mean a lot—of TLC, this place could be something nice.” Something thudded on the floor beneath her feet. She and Blake stared at each other for a moment, then Quinn smiled weakly. “Probably needs a lot of plumbing work, too.”

Blake closed her eyes and started to softly sing her version of the “Star Spangled Banner.” “Oh, say, did you hear that knock on the floor? If it happens again, I’ll run for the door.”

“Very good,” Quinn said with a laugh.

They peeked into the adjoining dining room, which was also empty, then continued upstairs. Jacob and Tonya were already there and standing in the doorway of a bedroom. Blake could see past them to the wallpaper covered in balls representing nearly every sport. Most of it had been stripped away except for a jagged piece shaped like a V.

“This was obviously a kid’s room,” Jacob said, his tone soft as he laid a hand on Tonya’s shoulder. Quinn patted him on the back and moved on to the bathroom.

“Let’s make a mental note to avoid this room,” Quinn said, nodding toward the rotted floor near the bathtub. “It’s not safe.”

She led Blake farther down the hall where they looked into two more empty rooms. Through the windows of one, they saw lightning flash and heard the low rumble of thunder that followed seconds later. For a moment, the lightning had illuminated empty fields that seemed to go on forever and made the place seem even more isolated.

“That’s gonna fu— jack up things,” Donnie said as walked up behind them. “Rain and thunder make it difficult to hear. I hope that storm moves the other way. We’re ready for everyone to come to the den, so we can get started.” He turned to walk off, then spun around. “Carl’s thrilled to have you with us, Ms. Taylor.” He grinned when Blake and Quinn looked surprised. “That’s right, we know who you are. Carl’s on your Facebook. Frankly, I think what you do bastardizes a legitimate phenomenon.”

“Not yet,” Blake shot back testily as Donnie quickly retreated.

“I’m gonna shove him down the stairs,” Quinn said as she started after him, but Blake tugged on her hand. Quinn turned and faced her. “He really just pissed me off, but I like the way you handled that.”

“I get emails from people like him all the time. Cassidy has a form letter she just pastes in that reminds them that what I write is fiction and is for entertainment purposes only.”

“I still may kick him squarely in the ass, so don’t let me get near him,” Quinn said as she led Blake to the stairs.

In the den, everyone gathered as Carl gave his final instructions. “This place is kind of small in regards to an investigation, making it easy to contaminate evidence. For instance, if we’re down here and Jacob is upstairs, we could mistake his footsteps for those of a spirit. That’s why we’ll divide into two teams. Donnie and Joey will start off in the van monitoring the video feeds from the cameras. The rest of us will begin here in the den. Joey, we’re ready for you to throw the breaker.”

Tonya, Blake, and Quinn sat on the couch. A few feet away, Jacob sat in one of the metal chairs while they all silently listened to Joey’s footfalls as they echoed through the house. Moments later, everything went dark. Quinn pried her hand from Blake’s and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

Donnie’s voice came over the radio after a few minutes. “Joey’s clear, you’re ready for takeoff.”

The silence was so thick that even it seemed to make a sound of its own in Blake’s ears. Quinn’s grip on her shoulder tightened, but Blake felt somewhat safe sandwiched between her and Tonya. “I’m going to do a quick EMF sweep,” Carl said, shattering the stillness as he walked around the room. Everyone sat quietly as he did, then eventually returned to where they all sat.

“I’m not getting any readings, but I think we’ll start off with an EVP session,” Carl said softly. “Feel free to ask whatever you want, and try to remember that who you’re talking to are just people.” A red light appeared in the darkness. “My name is Carl, my friends and I would like to know your name.” A moment of silence followed. “Are there more than one of you?”

“You have a pretty house,” Tonya blurted out.

“That wasn’t a question, dear,” Jacob admonished.