Haunted on the Gulf Coast (Gulf Coast Paranormal Trilogy Book 2)

by M. L. Bullock

  “Um, Sierra…you’re never going to believe this…”

  Chapter Five—Cassidy

  Asking Bob to join me at the entrance to Valhalla hadn’t been my first idea, but I couldn’t get a hold of Sierra, and I still couldn’t bring myself to call Midas. Man, I had to get over that. It wasn’t like he’d done anything to me, except try to help. What I needed to do was apologize.

  “Hey, Bob. Thanks for coming.”

  The older man climbed out of his tour van and smiled, showing his missing front tooth. “No problem. It’s a good thing I gave you my business card today. I’d hate to have missed this. Where is everyone else?” He reached for his camera and hung the strap around his neck.

  “I’m afraid it’s just you and me tonight. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Well, sure. I’m down for some investigating. Where’s all your equipment?” I could tell that Bob was a tech enthusiast by the excitement in his voice.

  “I’m kind of a newbie, so I’m bringing my audio recorder, and I have a K2 app on my phone.”

  “It’s a start. I’ve got my camera; it’s a high-res. Next time, let me know what you need. I probably have it in my garage.” Bob locked his van up, and we walked toward the entrance.

  “I think it’s best if we go in the other entrance, the one you showed us earlier. And then maybe after that, we can investigate across the road.”

  “I take it we’re not here only to gather proof of the paranormal. You want to make contact with the Ghost Queen specifically?”

  “That’s the idea. I can’t help but believe that if we can help Ettawa find where Leo is, or at least let her know that we’re looking for him, maybe that will make her happy. Maybe that will be enough to keep her away from Joshua.”

  Bob waved his tiny flashlight on the pathway that sprawled before us. “Or it’ll tick her off and she’ll kill us both.” I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, but just hearing him say made me queasy. I didn’t respond.

  “Okay, I’ve got the K2 app here. Let’s see if there are any fluctuations in the EMF. What did you think about the photo I sent you? Have you ever seen that before? An apparition on film?”

  “To be honest, I didn’t see anything.”

  “What?” I paused on the path. “How could you not?”

  “As I said, I don’t have supernatural abilities, not like you.”

  Unbelieving, I tapped on my phone to pull up the picture that Sierra had shared with me earlier. Sure enough, there was Bob, but he was right, there was no Ettawa behind him. She’d disappeared. “I swear she was there—Sierra saw her too, Bob. It’s not a joke!”

  “I believe you, but I think you—no, we—are up against a very tricky spirit. Hey, there’s Gosling’s monument.”

  “Reverend Gosling is buried here? Maybe we should start there, see if he’s willing to talk. I have my recorder in my pocket.”

  “Excellent.”

  It was the perfect night to be in a cemetery. A long string of fog was rolling in off the lake. Otherwise, the air was cool. The stars were out, but the fog threatened to hide them soon. The gravel crunched under my feet as I walked a few feet behind Bob. If someone had told me last week I’d be in a cemetery with a stranger, I’d have laughed, but my ghost-hunting partner was harmless.

  Bob glanced nervously at me as he waved his flashlight around. “There used to be a church here, but it’s completely leveled. It was abandoned and then torn down about fifty years ago. I’m not sure where the exact location was, but it was somewhere on this property.”

  “In the words of Alice, curiouser and curiouser. Hey! I got some blips on the K2. Hits in the dark green now.”

  Bob raised his camera and began snapping pictures of the nearby tombstones. “I’m probably not going to get much, but maybe I’ll get some orbs. I’m an orb collector. I know a lot of paranormal investigators don’t put much stock in them, but I think they have something to offer. You’d be surprised how many strange lights I have photographed in cemeteries.”

  “Interesting. Let’s do an EVP session, Bob. Since we have some activity on the K2, we might be able to find someone to talk to us.”

  “I have no doubt will find someone, but finding the right someone, that’s the challenge. There must be hundreds of people buried here; I think your chances of talking to Ettawa are slim. Needle in a haystack slim. But if you’re game, I am.”

  Refusing to be discouraged, I clicked on the digital recorder and said, “Cassidy and Bob at Valhalla Cemetery. Standing by the angel monument near the second entrance.” We waited a few seconds and listened to the sounds of crickets and the occasional bird. I’d never been one to be comfortable leading these types of audio sessions, but I couldn’t stop now. “Ettawa Maybee, are you here?” The K2 app went dead. There was no activity anywhere near Reverend Gosling’s monument. “Ettawa, does it bother you that Gosling is here with this beautiful memorial stone but nobody knows where Leo is?” Bob snapped a photo of Gosling’s gravestone and more pictures of the graves around it.

  No blips, no red light on the audio recorder. We had bupkus, as my dad used to say. “All quiet here. Let’s keep walking.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Let’s check out the area back to the left; there are some old graves back there. It’s possible that some of Quincy’s relatives are buried there. Maybe even Leo, although my theory is that he’d buried near the Three Crosses.”

  “Did you see that? I swear I saw a shadow moving between those two magnolia trees. Shaped like a person.” Bob began taking pictures furiously but swore he didn’t see anything. I waved my flashlight in that direction and shrugged. “I guess I’m just a little jumpy.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  We walked on, and I began experiencing a heavy feeling. Like something was pressing down on my chest. “Bob, I’m feeling kind of strange.”

  “You too? I thought it was just me. Is it like pressure?”

  “Yeah, that’s a good way to describe it.” My hand went to my chest, and I struggled to keep walking. “It’s almost like I can’t breathe.”

  Bob watched me for a minute, and I waved my hand at him to reassure him. “Okay, I think it passed. How are you feeling?”

  “Good enough to try another session.”

  I tapped on my phone, which indicated twenty percent battery. “That’s weird. I know I charged this thing before I got here. Now I have twenty percent battery left?”

  Bob smiled happily. “But you know what that means? That means something is draining the energy.”

  “I’d better not use this K2, then. It might kill my phone battery, and I’d feel better knowing I can make a call if we need me to.”

  “Good idea. Let’s do that EVP session.”

  “Second EVP session at Valhalla Cemetery with Bob and Cassidy.” I placed the device on a nearby tombstone. “Is there anyone here who wants to talk to us?” Before I could ask another question, I grabbed Bob’s arm. “Did you hear that? Sounded like…”

  “Sounded like whispering. Like a child or a young woman. Keep going.”

  “Leo? Leo Justice? Are you here?” I glanced around trying to make out if that was another shadow I saw lingering nearby. “Leo, did you know your mother is looking for you?”

  …whispers…

  “I saw the shadow! This way!”

  Before I could argue with him, Bob was walking further into the woods. He took the flashlight with him, so I grabbed the recorder and stumbled behind him.

  “Wait! I think we should stay here.” Thankfully, he listened to me. We paused between the two trees.

  “We came here to talk to you, Leo. To let you know that your mother is looking for you. If you can help us find you, we can lead her to you.”

  No!

  “Surely you heard that.”

  “Uh huh. Let’s listen to what we have on the tape.”

  Quickly, I pressed the rewind button, tapping it back ten seconds. We both grinned as we heard the “No” again.

  I cl
icked record again and continued, “Are you saying you don’t want to see your mother, Leo? She misses you.”

  “Ow! Holy crap! Something just hit me in the back.” Bob stumbled forward, practically dropping his camera.

  I looked on the ground to see if perhaps a stick or a magnolia seedpod hit Bob in the back. I found nothing, but I couldn’t see much without a flashlight.

  “God! It’s like I’m on fire. Let me pull my shirt up. Do you see anything?”

  “Hand me your flashlight!”

  He did, then pulled up his shirt and showed me his scrawny back, and I grimaced at the sight. An angry scratch pattern appeared on his pale flesh and reddened by the second.

  “Um, yeah. There’s a scratch. That looks painful. Maybe we should go back now.”

  “No. I want to keep going. Apparently, we’ve struck a nerve with someone. Can it be that Leo doesn’t want his mother to find him? Why would that be?”

  “Maybe it’s not Leo at all. Maybe it’s Gosling or someone else trying to trick us. I say we go to that tree, the one where they hanged Ettawa. We have to. Let’s see if she’s there and if she wants to talk.”

  “I don’t think Midas would like that too much. Not from what I’ve learned. And I think—”

  “Midas isn’t here. We are. If you don’t want to go, I understand, but I’m going.”

  “Okay, okay. I’m not gonna let you go alone. Let’s go this way, though. We can come around the backside and get close to the tree. But I’m not down for crossing any police tape.”

  “Fair enough. And I still see that shadow. It’s like it’s following us but at a distance.”

  “That makes sense. Remember, according to the legend, Ettawa cannot step within the old cemetery. However, that tree is the boundary line. We could be sitting ducks if she had a mind to come after us.”

  Well, I couldn’t believe that. Ettawa wanted to find Leo, and why wouldn’t she want help with that? I clicked off the recorder, and we walked further down the gravel pathway toward the ancient tree at the front of the cemetery. The fog was getting thicker by the minute, and the stars that had been so bright earlier were completely hidden now. It felt lonely out here, but I chalked that up to the location. Unlike some of my friends from high school, I never enjoyed visiting cemeteries, even in large groups. I couldn’t imagine the kind of people that would turn up for a cemetery tour.

  “So, how long have you been in this sort of business? Haunted tours, I mean.”

  “About ten years. And up until Chris Trapper, I have not had any problems. I used to run a tour in Lafayette, but when my wife got sick, we moved to Mobile. Better hospital here. After she passed away, I picked it up again, and this time my daughter wanted to help. So, it’s kind of a fun thing. And therapeutic, believe it or not. At heart, I’m really a historian. Sometimes I get the opportunity to share the legends and stories of the local area, and people seem to enjoy it. Bringing people to these old cemeteries and some of the homes really sets the mood for them.”

  “Sounds like you found something you love.” I kept a cautious eye out for more shadow play but didn’t see anything else. “Feels like that dark feeling lifted. How’s your back?”

  “That scratch feels like someone took a match to it. But yeah, the heavy feeling is gone. I think it’s worth noting that we were very near Reverend Gosling’s grave when that occurred. Maybe Midas should come back and investigate. You might want to start there.”

  “Are you saying you don’t want to come back?”

  “No, I just think he might have a different perspective on things, not to mention a ton of experience. Hey, here we are. Here’s the tree. I don’t know if you can see it, but it’s just a few feet ahead of us. You ready for another session?”

  “Sure.” I pulled the phone out of my pocket and waved it around. There was nothing visible on the K2 app, so I turned the phone off to save battery life again. I clicked on the audio recorder and began our third session in the cemetery.

  “This is Cassidy and Bob, in Valhalla Cemetery near the live oak where Chris Trapper died. Ettawa Maybee, are you here?” We waited a few seconds and heard nothing. “We have some questions for you. Did you kill Chris Trapper? Why did you kill him?” I waited a few more seconds and asked another follow-up question. “Are you angry that they are going to close the cemetery? Is that why you killed Mr. Trapper?”

  I heard Bob shift behind me but just figured he was adjusting his shirt where it was irritating his back. He didn’t say anything, so I continued, “If we find your son’s grave, will that make you happy? Will you leave the people here alone?” Still, I heard nothing. I turned to ask Bob if he wanted to ask a few questions, but he had disappeared.

  “Bob? Bob? Where are you?” The gathering fog troubled me—it was so thick now that I couldn’t even see my own feet. I wanted to cry out again, but the shifting sound behind me, like someone was stirring up a big pile of leaves, made me pause. I wasn’t alone, and that sure as heck wasn’t Bob raking leaves behind me.

  Vet-tu meong ichway…vet-tu meong ichway…

  “Who’s there?” I asked, knowing it was a ridiculous question. Who else could it be but Ettawa Maybee? As I blinked into the fog, I was surprised to see lights shining back at me, two lights, dark green and piercing. They came closer, slowly, pushing the fog back with them to reveal a woman’s small form, a large headpiece atop her head—no! That was her hair. I was looking into the face of Ettawa Maybee!

  I wanted to speak to her, so the rookie investigator in me reached for the audio device. But with a wave of her hand, I froze. She smiled, showing black teeth, and spoke without moving her lips. I heard the words again: Vet-tu meong ichway…vet-tu meong ichway…

  It was then that I noticed the rope in her hand. It dangled beside her like a thick, dead snake.

  Vet-tu…

  “I’m here to help you…” I said desperately, still unable to move. Cold grabbed my hands and crept up my arms. It was like I was freezing to death, slowly, limb by limb. I shivered and tried to appeal to her again. “You don’t understand. I want to find Leo.”

  Vet-tu… she said more viciously, but then another voice broke in. It was Bob!

  “Cassidy! Where did you go?”

  “Over here, Bob! Come quick!” I cried out, finally able to speak above a whisper. I watched in horror as Ettawa bowed her head slowly and stepped back into the fog, but not before giving me one more hard stare. The green glow of her eyes dimmed, and now her teeth were even and white as she grimaced at me. The terrifying facade she’d worn at first had faded, and now I saw her as she really had been, a petite woman with sticks in her hair.

  A dead woman who took my offer to help her find her son seriously.

  Somehow, I knew she would hold me to it.

  Chapter Six—Sierra

  “Extra sweet, just like you,” Papa Angelos said as he delivered my tea to the table. He patted the top of my head, and I grinned back at him. As soon as he walked away, Midas started in on Cassidy again. If I’d thought I’d be able to avoid hearing these two squabble, I had another thing coming. Papa Angelos left a donut too, which made me smile.

  “It’s dangerous to investigate on your own, Cassidy. Don’t do that again. You know that—that’s Investigating 101. Always investigate in pairs, and bigger groups are even better.”

  “I wasn’t alone. Bob was with me, and I think I can handle myself, Midas. But thanks for the advice.”

  I sipped my tea and took a bite of the donut filled with strawberry jam. I stared at the two of them. Obviously, they were crazy about each other. Midas spun his coffee stirrer on the table and gave Cassidy his classic, I’m-going-to-have-my-way stare, complete with the eyebrow lift. He wasn’t joking around, but I wasn’t sure Cassidy knew him well enough to know that. She laughed it off and sipped her iced water. Staring out the window now, Cassidy ignored Midas and me, and the conversation died.

  Taking a breath between bites, I confessed, “You two make me feel like I’m a k
id again and my parents are duking it out over something dumb, like who’s going to teach me to drive. Cut it out, you two! In case you forgot, Joshua is in trouble. A dead voodoo queen wants to plaster her hand on his face and take out his heart or something horrible. So, whatever y’all have going on, stop it!”

  “You’re right, Sierra,” Cassidy said as she wiped up condensation from her glass with a napkin. “Sorry.” Now it was Midas’ turn to stare out the window. He was hurt but probably not as concerned about Cassidy’s trip with Bob as he pretended.

  Smacking my lips, I said, “As far as I know, Joshua has never even heard of Ettawa Maybee. I can’t understand why she’d have him in her crosshairs. Any clues to offer, Cassidy?”

  “During our investigation, Bob and I saw some strange things. His back got scratched up pretty good. See? I’ve got a picture here.” She showed us and continued, “Shadows followed us around, and we caught a few things on the audio recorder. I can play it for you if you like.”

  “Yes, what did you get?” Midas asked. She pressed play, and we heard her ask a question and get a reply. Whoever it was talking to her said he wasn’t Leo, but it was a male voice. It said, “No!” When she asked the voice if he needed help finding his mother, he said no twice.

  “Can’t be sure who the voice is, though. Let’s listen to the recordings in the office the next chance we get.”

  She leaned forward over the table and said in a quiet voice, “And I have to tell you, Midas, Joshua bears a remarkable resemblance to Ettawa’s ex-lover, Quincy Justice. She hated Quincy, from what I’ve seen. Hated him so bad that I wouldn’t put it past her to try and harm Joshua. Her blood was boiling over him before her son went missing, but that obviously made her even angrier.”

  “Is it possible that Josh is related to this Justice character?” Midas asked. He eyed me suspiciously as if I’d know.

  “I’ve never heard that name, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. I guess it’s enough that he looks like him.”

  “How did Quincy Justice die, Cassidy, and is he buried at Valhalla?”