Under the Willows

by Pamela McCord

“Yeah.”

  I think he was as uncomfortable as I was. He was done eating but the server had just refilled his coffee, otherwise I might have made an excuse to go. Since he had his coffee to drink, I would have felt awkward leaving abruptly. Again.

  My emotions were confusing. I was scared and wanted to bolt. I was excited to be with him and wanted to stay. I felt guilty for not honoring Tom’s memory.

  I squared my shoulders. I could do this. I told him I might like a cup of coffee so he flagged down the server and had her bring me one.

  The mundane actions of opening the sugar packet and dumping it in my cup, pouring in creamer and then stirring was comforting and helped calm my jitters. I picked up the warm cup and sipped my coffee.

  “I saw some posters around town about a missing little girl?” I said.

  “Yeah, Marilee Harmon. It’s a tough case. Her parents are devastated.”

  “I know I would be if anything happened to TJ. So, no leads or anything?”

  “Not anything I can talk about. You know, ongoing case and all.”

  “Oh, sure. I understand.”

  He picked up his cup but didn’t drink from it. “Anything new with you?”

  “No. Yes. No.”

  He chuckled. “Now there’s a straightforward answer for you.”

  “Sorry about that. Some strange things have happened lately.”

  “What strange things?”

  Was I really going to tell him about Alexa? “Yikes. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

  “That’s intriguing. You have to tell me now.” He sipped his coffee and set down the cup. “If you want to. I don’t want to pry. I remember what happened last time.”

  “Oh, God. I’m really sorry about that. That was all me being . . . something. I don’t know what was wrong with me, jumping to conclusions that way.” I was making it worse. “I mean, I didn’t jump to any conclusions. I didn’t think you were coming on to me or anything.” Shut up. Just shut up.

  “I wouldn’t—”

  “I know you wouldn’t, you know, do anything that was—” I could feel my cheeks burning. “What in the world are we talking about?”

  “Should we try for neutral ground?” he asked, folding his hands in mock seriousness.

  “Yes, please.”

  “Anyway, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”

  “I appreciate that. It’s just, it’s kind of weird, and you’ll probably think I’m crazy.” I took a deep breath, then another one. “I think my house is haunted.”

  He laughed, then stopped himself. “Wait. You’re serious?”

  “I don’t know for sure. I mean, who can be sure about something like that? But it’s unnerving.”

  “Huh. Can you tell me what exactly happened?”

  “I guess. Do you know what Alexa is?”

  “Alexa? Sure. I don’t have one but I’ve seen them in friends’ houses.”

  “You know that if you want to ask them something you say Alexa first?”

  He nodded.

  “That’s how you turn them on. Anyway, our Alexa has been crying.”

  “Crying?”

  “Yes. And it also said Help us.”

  “No kidding? What did you do?”

  “The night of Jen’s party is the last time something happened. The door to TJ’s room slammed shut when I was in there and I couldn’t get it open and Alexa was crying and asking for help. As soon as the door opened, I grabbed TJ and we spent the night in a motel. We moved back yesterday and nothing happened last night. You probably think I’m a crazy person now.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” he said with a grin. “A little out there maybe.”

  I raised my eyebrow. “You’re making fun of me.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.” He looked sheepish. “What are you going to do?”

  “Nothing for now. Just wait to see if it happens again. And keep my fingers crossed.”

  “Well, call me if it happens again. I’ll come over and see if we can figure out what’s really going on.”

  “I don’t want to bother you.”

  “It’s no bother. If it happens, don’t wait for morning. Call me and I’ll be there in five minutes. Or, if you want me to do an inspection to see if there’s anything out of place or unusual going on, I can do that, too.”

  “Ghost hunting isn’t really part of your job description, is it?”

  “No, not really. But helping a friend is.”

  “Are we friends?” I felt a flush creep up my neck and made a show of picking through the remnants of my salad.

  “I certainly hope so.” He took a sip of his coffee, and glanced at his watch. “Whoa. It’s getting late. I need to get back to work. Sorry to rush out on you.” He took another gulp of his coffee and set the cup down.

  “Sorry if I made you late.”

  “It’s okay. I’m not on the clock but I have several cases sitting on my desk needing my attention.” He tossed a twenty on the table. “Maybe I’ll run into you again soon and you can let me know how your ghost problem is going.”

  “Maybe. Hopefully there won’t be anything to tell.” I turned and watched him walk out of the restaurant, suddenly aware that I was watching him walk out of the restaurant.

  Chapter 15

  O

  W

  ith grocery shopping and a couple of errands checked off my to-do list, I headed home. Once the groceries were put away, there was no more stalling. I took a deep breath and went up to TJ’s bedroom. I stood at the door looking in, taking a read on the room, before I sat down on his bed. I needed to figure out just how much of a problem I had. I sat in silence for a while. A long while. Shaking off my fears, I cleared my throat and said, “Is anyone here?”

  The only sounds greeting me were the creaking of an old house.

  “What do you want?” Still nothing, except I think I felt the temperature drop and I shivered. “Is anyone here?” I waited a minute more, then stood. “This is ridiculous.”

  I left TJ’s room feeling no closer to figuring out what was happening than before I’d gone in. I couldn’t help recalling Rob’s offer to come check things out for me, and I smiled wistfully. Apparently, there was nothing to see here.

  And I fervently hoped it stayed that way.

  I picked up TJ from camp, watching him get off the bus laughing with his friends, a big, blissful smile on his face. He was still smiling when he climbed in the car and regaled me with a description of how long he could hold his breath underwater. Longer than Mike or Kevin. I congratulated him, but couldn’t help tossing in a warning to be careful in the water. It’s a mom thing.

  While I got the salmon fillets out for dinner, TJ was tasked with washing vegetables and whisking the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and lemon juice for salad dressing. If I let him help with the preparation, there was less chance he wouldn’t want to eat whatever I served. Fish had never been a favorite of his, and it was only in the last year or so that he stopped crossing his arms and pouting when I forced him to eat it.

  I let him drizzle melted butter over the salmon and sprinkle on herbs. I also let him add lemon slices and capers before he sealed the fish in tinfoil and put it in the oven.

  The little cutie kept peeking through the oven door every few minutes. This was the first time we’d collaborated on salmon. When it was within five minutes of being done, I asked TJ to set the table while I took the fish out of the oven. He hovered, waiting for me to peel away the tinfoil.

  “Doesn’t this look good?” I asked.

  “Yum. Can’t wait.”

  “Go sit down and I’ll bring it in, okay?”

  I dished up the steamed broccoli and nestled it and some rice beside the salmon on the plate. TJ might be excited about the dinner, but I was practically salivating over the aroma.

  Dinner tasted even better than I’d anticipated. It was the perfect distraction from all the stress.
I needed a peaceful moment before facing the night and what it could bring.

  TJ wasn’t the slightest bit fazed over the pending evening. I asked him if he was okay sleeping in his room and he rolled his eyes as if I was being silly. I hoped maybe I was being silly. I could live with that.

  After tucking TJ in for the night, I poured myself a glass of wine and disappeared into my own room. The warm comfort of the wine blunted the prickly worries I tried not to notice as I read a cozy paranormal romance novel on my Kindle. By ten o’clock, I was dozing.

  —

  “Mom!”

  I jolted up in bed, disoriented for a moment. My instincts sent me rushing down the hall to TJ’s room. “It’s back,” he whispered. I sat on his bed and pulled him into my arms. My eyes searched the dim room before landing on Alexa.

  “What happened?” I asked him.

  “She was crying again,” he said, looking like he might cry, too. “Make her go away.”

  This was ridiculous. We couldn’t . . . wouldn’t . . . be chased from our house by something we couldn’t even see. I kicked myself for not taking that thing out of his room after the first time, but TJ wanted it to stay so he could listen to his bedtime story.

  I squared my shoulders and said, “What do you want? Do you need help? You have to tell me what you want.”

  The room was suddenly freezing. “Are you here?” I asked.

  Help us.

  I clenched my teeth, my mouth pressed into a thin line. “Tell me what you need.”

  Help us.

  “Who are you?”

  It seemed like she wouldn’t answer, but after a minute, she said, Emma.

  “Emma?”

  I’m scared.

  TJ was tugging on my T-shirt, his big eyes reflecting his fear.

  “It’s okay, TJ. She’s talking to us. Maybe she can tell us what she needs and she can go away.” He looked uncertain but didn’t argue.

  “Emma, tell me where you are?”

  Again, there was a long spell of silence before she answered. I don’t know.

  “Are you alone?”

  No. Marilee is here, too.

  Why was that name familiar? I’d heard it before but couldn’t place it. The crying started again and no matter how many times I tried I couldn’t get Emma to talk to me again.

  “Come on, honey,” I said to TJ. “Come sleep in my room. I’ll talk to some friends tomorrow and see if we can figure out what to do. Okay?”

  “Okay.” He clambered out of bed and I took his hand and led him out the door and down the hall to my room.

  I tucked him in and waited with him until he fell asleep, then I padded downstairs to put the coffee on, all thoughts of sleep erased.

  —

  When the sun had come up and it was late enough, I texted Jen to see if she wanted to meet for lunch, then went upstairs to check on TJ. He was sleeping peacefully, so I left him alone. Checking my phone, I saw that Jen had replied that it wasn’t a good day for her. I waited awhile, wondering if it was a mistake, but finally texted her again to ask for Rob’s phone number.

  True to form, she made some smart ass comment akin to Kelly and Rob sitting in a tree . . . . But she gave me his number.

  You think you’re funny, don’t you? I responded.

  I AM funny. Seriously, why are you calling him?

  She’d probably pester me until I told her all the details. Now wasn’t the time, though, so I texted, If we were having lunch, I’d probably have told you all about it. Sorry. You’ll just have to wait.

  I needed to think about it more, however, before I would decide to call him. Getting TJ up and ready for the day was the perfect excuse to stall.

  After dropping him off for camp, I stopped in at Jane’s Special Coffee. I felt the need for a little comfort. As I sipped my mocha on the way out of the shop, I noticed the poster taped to the door, and suddenly I knew where I’d heard the name Marilee. She was the missing child. I almost choked on my mocha.

  What could it mean that Alexa was talking about Marilee? And who was Emma? No matter how unlikely, I now had a valid reason to talk to Rob. Once I reached my car, I texted him that I needed to talk to him when he had a chance.

  He responded almost immediately. Did something happen last night?

  Yes. And it’s something I think you might find interesting. Can you do lunch today?

  If we do it early. I have a busy afternoon. Can you meet me at Molly’s at eleven thirty?

  Sure.

  Relief at talking about my experience of last night mixed with the embarrassment of it being a ghost story. If Rob didn’t think I was nuts before, this new information might seal the deal. I left my car where it was parked and walked over to the square with my coffee. A warm summer breeze rustled the leaves of the elm and maple trees dotting the park, and I found a bench under one of them so that I could watch the leaves dancing to the music of the wind. And turned my face into the gentle breeze. I’d always liked windy days. I just didn’t like winds swirling through my son’s bedroom.

  I had a little time to kill before I needed to go to Molly’s. I could visit my favorite boutique and poke my head in some of the other shops I hadn’t explored yet. It seemed easiest to hang out in town until it was time to meet Rob. Anxiety kept me company while I waited until it was time to go.

  Chapter 16

  O

  I

  got to the restaurant first, but Rob arrived before I was shown to a table. He smiled when he saw me and I thought he meant to give me a hug, but he apparently changed his mind and stepped back. He smiled sheepishly as we found a seat by the window.

  Once the server had taken our drink order and had gone, Rob said, “I’m happy you texted me. I didn’t know I’d get to see you again so soon.”

  I smiled and took a breath. “It’s not really a social call.”

  “I know. You said something had happened last night?”

  “Unfortunately, we had another visitation.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “I can’t believe I’m sitting here talking to a detective about ghosts. This must be a new one for you.” I was thoughtlessly shredding my straw wrapper.

  “Well, it’s right up there.” He took what was left of the straw paper away from me and gave me a reassuring smile. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

  “Seriously, you can tell me anything and I won’t think you’re crazy.”

  I gave a small laugh and cleared my throat. “The reason I thought I should talk to you is because of something the . . . ghost . . . said. It started with tears, as before, so I decided to see if I could communicate with it. It kept saying help us, so I asked what it wanted and if it could tell me its name. At first, I didn’t think it would answer, but then it said Emma. I asked where she was but she didn’t know.” A shiver ran up my spine and I began to fold my napkin into smaller and smaller squares, not meeting his gaze. Rob watched my hands, but didn’t try to stop me. “Her voice . . . it was a little girl’s voice . . . it sounded so scared. She said she was scared. So, I asked if she was alone. This is the part I think you’ll be interested in. She said Marilee was there, too.”

  Rob jumped like I’d slapped him. He didn’t say anything, just stared at me.

  “At first, I didn’t know who Marilee was, but I saw that poster at Jane’s Special Coffee this morning and I remembered where I’d heard the name. What do you think?”

  His eyes grew hard. “Are you fucking with me?”

  “Am I what?” I was surprised by his hostile reaction. “You think I’d make something like this up?”

  “I don’t know what you might do. I barely know you.”

  His words were like a punch to the gut. For a long moment I sat there, unable to move. Then I stood and grabbed my handbag, oblivious to the staring faces turned our way. “I’m sorry if you think I wasted your time. And I’m really sorry you think I’d lie to you.” I slung my b
ag over my shoulder, shrugged my shoulders at the voyeuristic diners and stomped out of the restaurant. A moment later, I heard quick footsteps behind me.

  “Wait,” he said, taking my arm.

  Too angry to listen, I jerked my arm away and stood for a moment trying to recall where I’d parked, then started off to the left. “Wait,” he said again.

  But I didn’t. I rushed away from him, and he didn’t follow.

  When I reached my car, I slumped in the front seat, hot angry tears coursing down my cheeks. I was a fool to think he’d believe what I said. I was ashamed and my skin tingled with embarrassment and confusion at his reaction. For a second, I’d felt relief thinking I might not have to face this alone.

  I found a napkin in the glovebox and dried my eyes and wiped my face, straightened my back and headed for home. “Oh, Tom. If only you were here. You’d believe me.”

  I threw myself into housecleaning until it was time to pick TJ up from camp. I wanted my mind to be occupied with something besides the sadness and anger that threatened to settle over me. And I wanted to get some of the aggression out of my system before my son came home.

  Jen texted to ask how lunch with Rob went. With little smiley face emojis at the end.

  Not well. He’s an insulting mean jerk.

  What??? He’s not! You must have misunderstood.

  He said the F word while he was insulting me. I hope for his sake I don’t run into him again anytime soon.

  Kelly, I can’t believe he’d fly off the handle like that. What happened?

  He called me a liar to my face. That’s what happened. Anyway, it’s not worth wasting my breath over.

  Are you all right? Should I come over?

  No. I’m okay.

  You don’t sound okay.

  I’m dealing with it. I’ll be fine.

  I just can’t believe he’d talk to you like that.

  Are you calling me a liar too?

  Of course not. You don’t lie.

  Thank you. I’ve gotta go pick up TJ soon. Bye for now.

  I was surprised at how getting that off my chest helped. But it did, and my blood pressure was back to normal by the time I picked TJ up at the church.