The Haunted Stroll

by J A Whiting

  Removing the next piece of garland from the box, Lin hesitated. “I have a feeling that whatever Captain Baker is concerned about is right around the corner. I’ve been having trouble sleeping at night. I wake up in a cold sweat from some awful nightmare I can’t remember and then I have a hard time falling back to sleep. I lay there with my mind racing. All I can think about is Captain Baker. What does he want me to do? We’re running out of time. I can feel it, and I don’t know what to do.”

  Viv placed the ribbons on the table. “Can we go back to the house and talk to the painting?”

  Lin stared at her cousin. “You mean ask the ghost questions by standing near the portrait?”

  “It can’t hurt. Ask him yes or no questions and see if he responds … maybe he’ll make a tapping noise for no and he’ll move an object for yes. Suggest that to him.”

  “I guess we could. I’ll ask Robert if it would be okay, but I don’t even know what to ask the captain.”

  “The questions will come to us when we’re standing in front of the painting. You’ll sort it all out in time,” Viv said kindly. “You’ve never disappointed a ghost yet.”

  “There’s always a first time.” Lin shook her head. “I’ve never before been this lost on a case. I don’t know what is supposed to happen. I don’t know if someone is in danger or if something is in danger. That short man who came to the gallery with an offer to purchase the painting seems like an arrogant, unpleasant person, but is he bad? Is there a bad guy about to commit a crime? Who is it? It’s so frustrating. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know where to look, or even what to look for.”

  Viv asked, “But you know Captain Baker is concerned about something?”

  “Yes.”

  “And Sebastian and Emily were outside the Tangerine Street house the other day and they mentally passed you some information … listen for the click.”

  “Yes, right. I’m listening all the time. I’m waiting for the thing that’s going to happen.” Talking about how despondent she felt made Lin feel vulnerable and nervous.

  “Keep listening,” Viv encouraged. “When whatever is coming shows up, you’ll be ready for it. And I’ll be right by your side.”

  Lin felt like crying, but when she gave her cousin a hug of thanks, she sucked back her emotions before any tears could fall. I can’t be a weakling. I have to stay strong.

  A man came around the corner of one of the bookshelves and stopped short. “I was looking for you. One of the cashiers told me the two of you were doing some decorating back here,” Roy Snow said. “It was a quite an interesting evening at my parent’s house yesterday, wasn’t it?”

  They discussed the shattering window and Roy told them his parents were able to find a window installer who came right over and fixed it.

  “They were lucky to get someone to come over so late,” Roy said. “Otherwise, we would have had to find some plywood and board it up for the night.” The man looked around the store. “Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

  Viv gestured to a table at the far end of the store and they went to sit down.

  “Is everything okay?” Lin asked.

  “Yes,” Roy answered automatically, but backtracked a second later. “No. Honestly, it isn’t.”

  “Are you concerned about what the ghost did to the window?” Viv asked.

  “Not really. The captain has had outbursts before. When he does things like this though, he is always careful never to hurt any of us. It’s his way to express his displeasure with what’s going on.”

  Viv raised an eyebrow. “Then he must have been very displeased last night.”

  Lin asked Roy, “Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

  “I really don’t.”

  “Your parents told me the ghost has become more docile over the years. Sometimes, your parents forget the captain is around. Is that your experience as well?”

  “It is. I’ve never been bothered by the captain. It’s a part of life to have him living in the house with us. My son feels the same way. We all know we have to be careful who we talk with about it because the majority of people aren’t accepting of the paranormal.”

  Lin knew that all too well. “So the captain’s agitation is out of the ordinary, right? Your mother told me that there have been several outbursts lately.”

  “That’s right,” Roy said. “Once in a while, he’ll express some anger, but that happens maybe once a year, at most. Captain Baker has been out of sorts for several weeks now … and he sure didn’t want the painting to leave the house.”

  Viv went to the beverage counter and returned to the table with three mugs of coffee.

  Roy took a long swallow of his drink. “I thought it was a good idea to have Dr. Allen take the painting to the museum for analysis. Maybe she would find the answer as to why someone would be willing to pay so much for it. Why do you think the captain is so adamant about the painting remaining in the house?”

  “Not long ago,” Lin said, “I got the feeling something was wrong. I was drawn to the captain’s portrait. Occasionally, I get the sensation that something bad is going to happen and that Captain Baker wants me to prevent it.”

  Roy stared at the young woman next to him. “That’s astonishing. How I wish I was able to pick up on such things.”

  “You might change your mind if you actually experienced it,” Viv warned the man thinking about her own involvement in seeing and helping a ghost not long ago. She was happy her new ability had gone away after that one case.

  “Are you able to communicate with ghosts?” Roy’s eyes were bright with interest.

  “Not really. They never speak to me.” Lin didn’t mention that she had recently received a mental message from her long-ago ancestors. “I get feelings from them. I have to put clues together about what they need from me, but it’s frustrating and difficult and I often feel like I’m failing them. Because I have this unusual skill, I feel a duty to help them whenever I’m able to.”

  “You’ve been able to help spirits?” Roy asked.

  “She sure has,” Viv sounded proud of her cousin. “Lin has put herself in harm’s way many times in order to help a spirit find peace.”

  “This is remarkable.” Roy shook his head in amazement. “My father told me there was something special about you. He said if anyone would ever lay eyes on Captain Baker, it would be you. He was so right.”

  “I haven’t seen the captain,” Lin said. “I probably never will. He seems to prefer his privacy.”

  A serious expression moved over Roy’s face. “I saw your truck parked outside. I’ve been wanting to talk to the two of you so I came in. I’m concerned about something.”

  Viv’s voice shook when she asked, “What is it?” She had that tone that meant she really didn’t want to hear what was wrong and wouldn’t mind at all if the topic of conversation shifted to something else.

  “Is it about Captain Baker?” Lin questioned.

  “Well, I don’t know. My wife and Chase and I have a large suite of rooms on the third floor of the house. I often have insomnia and I walk around the third floor in the dark when I can’t sleep.”

  A chill ran along Lin’s arms as she listened.

  “One night, I was passing the window that faces Tangerine Street. There was a man standing in the shadows. He seemed to be watching the house and the gallery. Something about his presence made me uneasy. I tried to shrug off the feeling. It seemed foolish and an overreaction so I returned to bed.”

  “Did you see the man again?” Lin asked as her muscles tensed.

  “Twice more.” Roy’s face seemed to lose its color. “Once, late at night, he was sitting in a car outside the house. I watched him for a while, until he drove off. Then I saw him again last night. He was clearly watching the house. He may have been out there when the window was being replaced.”

  “What does he look like?” Lin asked.

  “He’s medium height, slim as far as I can tell with his winter coat on. He wear
s a knit hat pulled down around his face. He’s never under the light so I can’t make out his face. His coat is dark wool, long, below his knees. He keeps his hands in his pockets and just stares at the house. It’s unnerving.”

  “Have you told the police?” Lin asked.

  “I haven’t. I thought they’d brush it off. The man isn’t doing anything wrong. It isn’t against the law to stand on a sidewalk.”

  Lin understood Roy’s hesitation to bring the incidents up with law enforcement, but she knew it was a necessity. “You need to talk to the police. Have this information on record. And if you see the man out there again, call the police and ask them to come by.”

  “Do you think I need to worry about this?” Roy asked.

  Lin let out a small sigh. “I think you need to be watchful. I think you need to be careful. Tell your parents about what you’ve seen. Tell your wife.” An odd, uncomfortable tingling sensation nipped at Lin’s skin like the zips of an electric current. “And I think Chase should know about it, too.”

  18

  “What are you doing?” Robert Snow’s grandson, Chase, asked as he entered the living room of the Tangerine Street mansion with a school bag on his back.

  Lin and Viv greeted the boy at the same time Robert hurried into the room. “Lin wants to look at the painting again. Why don’t you and I get a snack and go sit in the den?”

  “Why?” Chase asked his grandfather before turning to look at Lin. “Are you trying to help Captain Baker?”

  Lin exchanged glances with Robert and when she saw his nod of approval, she said, “Yes, I am. The captain has been upset these past few weeks. I’m trying to understand what’s bothering him.”

  “I don’t like that he’s upset,” Chase said. “I don’t want him to feel bad.”

  “Can you see the captain?” Lin asked.

  Chase shook his head. “I wish I could. Can you see him?”

  “No, I can’t see him either.” Her disappointment was evident in her voice.

  “Can you see other ghosts?” Chase walked over to where Lin was standing.

  “Sometimes.”

  “Cool.” The boy’s eyes lit up. “Maybe I’ll get to see one when I’m older.”

  With a warm smile, Lin nodded. “You never know what the future holds.”

  “Can you see ghosts, too?” Chase asked Viv.

  “Only one ghost, but he’s gone now so I don’t see him anymore,” Viv said. “I didn’t like seeing him,” she confessed.

  “Why not?” Curiosity was written all over the boy’s face.

  Viv was honest with Chase. “It scared me.”

  “Some people are like that. Ghosts can seem scary. I wouldn’t be afraid if a ghost showed up and I could see him.”

  “You’re braver than I am,” Viv said.

  “Well, I grew up with a ghost in the house so it doesn’t bother me,” Chase explained before turning back to Lin. “Can you help the captain?”

  “I don’t know. I’m trying.”

  “I wish he wasn’t feeling so bad,” Chase said.

  “You know he feels bad?” Lin asked hoping the young man had some insight into what was going on. “Does he ever communicate with you?”

  Chase sighed. “I wish he did. I can feel his feelings though like when he’s happy or when he’s sad or upset. I don’t know why he feels bad right now. Did you know he got murdered in this house?”

  Lin’s eyes widened in surprise. “I heard about it.”

  “I heard the grownups talking one night.” Chase gave an impish grin. “I heard them talking about the murders.”

  Robert said, “We were not happy to have our conversation overheard, but we discussed it with Chase and he took it in stride. It was actually for the best. He would have heard about it one day anyway, at school, or somewhere else. We’re glad we had a chance to talk about it as a family before someone else brought it up and frightened him.”

  Chase put his backpack on the floor and plopped into an easy chair. “Can you feel the captain’s feelings?”

  “Yes, and I know he wants me to help him with something, but I can’t figure out what I’m supposed to do,” Lin admitted.

  “I know something’s going to happen that Captain Baker doesn’t want to happen.” Chase tilted his head and stared at Lin. “But I think you’re going to figure it out. So don’t worry. I’m not going to worry.” The boy stood up. “Do you want to look at the painting now? Do you need privacy?”

  A smile lifted the corners of Lin’s mouth. “If you don’t mind.”

  “I don’t mind. Grandpa and I will go in the den.” Chase picked up his backpack and happily joined his grandfather, but before leaving the room, he looked back over his shoulder and said, “Captain Baker’s in the room now. Good luck, Lin Coffin.”

  As Chase was saying the words, Lin had been enveloped by an icy chill.

  Viv pushed up against her cousin’s side and whispered. “Where is he? Can you tell?”

  “He isn’t visible, but I think he’s in the painting.”

  “Do you want me to stay in here with you or should I go in the den with Robert and Chase?” Viv’s voice trembled.

  Lin gave her cousin a stern look. “Of course, I want you to stay. Why don’t you sit and I’ll stand in front of the painting and see if I can pick up anything.”

  “Okay. Good. I’ll sit over there out of the way.” Viv indicated the chair on the other side of the room.

  “If you sat any further away, you’d be in another room,” Lin teased.

  “You’re lucky I’m staying in here with you.” Viv sat down and took in a long, slow breath.

  Lin approached the painting and reached up to run her hand over the frame. Without saying them out loud, Lin thought the words in her head. I’m trying to understand what you need. Help me.

  Lin closed her eyes and attempted to calm her racing heart by breathing slowly and deeply. She emptied her mind by clearing out any worries or ideas or thoughts that popped into her head.

  She stood stone still and quiet for almost ten minutes without anything happening and she was about to give up when an image of the mansion’s front door appeared in her mind.

  The door opened and, as if she were in a dream, she felt herself sort of floating over the floor and into the foyer of the house. She could hear two men talking and she floated along the hall, following the voices until she stood at the threshold of the living room.

  Captain Baker, his young son, and Roger Witters sat in the room talking. None of them could see Lin as she moved into the space.

  Heavy footsteps could be heard in the hall and because they thought they were the only ones in the house, the men looked to the door wondering who was coming in.

  A man burst into the room brandishing a gun. His dark hair was disheveled and his blue eyes were wide and wild.

  “Joseph!” Roger Witters, the owner of the mansion, shouted. “Put down the gun.”

  “I trusted you. You took it from me,” Joseph Bandy yelled at Witters. “Now I’ll take your life.”

  Captain Baker stood up suddenly to protectively stand in front of his son, but before he could get into position, Joseph Bandy fired his gun at the boy, killing him.

  Baker howled in horror as his son slumped in the chair. Bandy moved his hand slightly and pressed the trigger to release the bullet that would end the captain’s life.

  Captain Baker hit the floor, and in his last seconds, he witnessed the gunman shoot and kill Roger Witters. Then the man rushed across the room towards a painting hanging on the wall.

  Suddenly, the gunman stopped and whirled around. He’d heard the front door of the house open and close.

  Mrs. Witters called from the foyer, I’m home.

  The room went black and Lin’s vision ended with a bang that made her eyes snap wide open.

  Her equilibrium was so disturbed by the vision that she lost her balance and crashed to the floor on her butt.

  Viv yelped and dashed across the room where she
knelt next to her cousin. “Yikes. What happened? Are you hurt? Did the ghost hurt you?”

  “No, no. I’m fine. A little dazed.” Lin rubbed her forehead.

  “Why did you fall? Did you pass out?” Viv gently helped Lin to her feet and maneuvered her to the sofa.

  “I had a … a vision or something.” Lin’s face had paled and she felt weak and unsteady.

  “A what?” Viv sat down beside her cousin. “What does that mean?”

  “It was like I could see a movie in my head. I think Captain Baker was showing it to me.” Lin shifted on the sofa to face Viv. “I saw what happened on the afternoon Captain Baker was killed.”

  A gasp escaped from Viv’s mouth and her hand flew to her throat. “Oh, no.”

  “I saw Joseph Bandy shoot Captain Baker and his son. Then Bandy shot Roger Witters, the man who owned this house at the time.”

  Viv swallowed hard. “Did you find out why Bandy broke in and shot them? Did he mention the business deal he supposedly had with Witters?”

  “He shouted to Witters something like you took it, now I’ll take your life.”

  “Anton told us Joseph Bandy murdered Witters because Witters ruined Bandy financially in some deal they were supposed to do together,” Viv said. “Did Bandy say anything else? Did he say anything at all about the deal they were supposed to work on together?”

  “No. Nothing else.”

  Lin was about to say something when Roger and Chase ran into the room.

  “We heard a crash. What happened?” Roger glanced around looking for damage of some kind.

  “It’s okay. I passed out,” Lin said sheepishly.

  Chase stood in front of Lin staring at her with concern.

  “Why did you pass out?” Roger asked.

  “I didn’t eat lunch. I guess I got low blood sugar.” Lin didn’t want to talk about her vision with the man just yet.

  “I’ll get you some juice and something to eat.” Roger dashed to the kitchen.

  “Could you sense anything from the captain?” Chased asked softly. “Did he help you?”

  “I think he did.” Lin made eye contact with the eight-year-old and gave him a nod.