“I really have to pee,” she said.
“It’s a free country,” I said.
“Please don’t leave me. And please make sure no ghosts are spying on me.”
I looked around. Only Rebecca was with us and I told her to guard the door.
“You’re good,” I reassured her.
After she was done, she needed help getting out of the stall, what with her puffy wedding dress and all. We laughed as she almost fell on her face a few times.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” I said.
She washed her hands but then turned to me. “But what about you? Jonathan and his grandmother were really nasty toward you.”
“Meh. I’m used to it. Charlatan isn’t the worst thing I’ve been called, though despicable comes pretty close, I’ll admit.”
“I wish I could talk some sense into Jonathan, but you know how he is.”
“Set in his ways, you mean? Yeah, I know. I know he knows that what I do is real, he just doesn’t want to admit it to himself. Maybe it clashes too much with his dominant worldview.”
“Yeah, that’s exactly it. Every time I try to talk to him about it, he just changes the subject. And you saw his parents after they died!”
I remembered that. It was after their car accident that they wanted me to pass a message to their son, who was only twelve when it happened. Jonathan was thankful at the time, but now he just pretends like that didn’t even happen. He says that he was young and stupid at the time, though the more believable reason would be that I broke his heart and he didn’t want anything to do with me. Well, if he wanted to keep his distance, he shouldn’t have married my cousin…
“Let’s get out of here,” I said to Sarah. “Before your husband sends an army after you.”
We both laughed.
“The coast is clear,” Rebecca said.
Just before we got to the hallway, the lights in the restroom started to flicker.
“Oh no,” Sarah said. “It better not.”
I could feel a heavy energy around me.
I held Sarah closer. Even Rebecca stayed close.
The restroom went pitch-dark, as did the rest of the hotel. It was happening again. The only thing that remained to be seen was if there was going to be another murder.
I just hoped that neither Sarah nor I were the intended targets this time.
Thirteen
“I’m scared,” Sarah said, holding my hand tighter than was comfortable.
“Me too,” I reassured her. “Don’t worry, the lights will be back on in no time. You’ll see.”
After what seemed like an eternity in the darkness, the lights finally came back on.
But everything had a sinister edge to it. As if it wasn’t bad enough when the sheriff was killed, this felt a lot worse, because we didn’t know if there was another victim waiting for us in the great hall.
We slowly walked, each of us dreading that someone we cared about might be dead.
As soon as we came to the great hall, Jonathan ran to Sarah’s side.
“Thank God you’re all right,” he said. “I knew it was a stupid idea letting you go off like that.” He glared at me, as if I was the one that made the lights go out.
Kane and Troy came to my side.
“Was anyone hurt?” I asked them.
Jonathan and Kane gave each other a look.
“What is it?” I asked. “It better not be Gran.”
“She’s fine,” Troy reassured me. “But Mrs. V wasn’t so lucky.”
“What happened?”
“It looks like a heart attack,” Jonathan was quick to say.
“Actually, it looks more like she was scared to death. You should see her face,” Troy said.
“He’s not lying,” Kane said. “It was kind of horrifying.”
“Take me to her,” I said. “With any luck, her ghost is still hanging around and she can tell us what exactly scared her so much.”
I found Mrs. V standing over her body, covered by a tablecloth, a distraught look on her face. The sheriff, to his credit, was trying to comfort her.
“What happened?” I asked her without even looking at the body. Sometimes, when the death was unusually horrific, it was best that the recently dead didn’t see the bodies they just left behind.
“It was so awful,” Mrs. V said. “The most terrifying faces.”
“You could see them in the darkness?” I asked her, a bit surprised.
“No,” she said, “right after the lights came back on, they were right in front of me. They almost scared me to death.” She looked at her ghostly form. “Actually, it looks like they did scare me to death.”
“Can you describe what they looked like?”
I ignored the weird looks I was getting from officers and civilians alike.
“I don’t know. They looked absolutely deranged is what I’d say.” Then she looked me in the eye. “I’m sorry I was so awful to you.”
“Don’t worry about that, Mrs. V, just try to stay calm.”
“There’s no heaven, is there?” She said, looking more than a little disappointed.
“You can only move on after you’ve worked through your unresolved issues. In this case, I’m guessing it’s your death.”
She nodded in understanding. “Please tell Jonathan I’m sorry for making such a scene. And Sarah, too. It all seems so silly now.”
“Don’t worry, they know,” I reassured her. “But I’ll tell them anyway.”
I relayed the message to Jonathan and Sarah.
Jonathan for once didn’t make a sarcastic remark. I guess with his grandmother, the woman who raised him, dead, he really didn’t have it in him to insult me.
“Please tell me she knows who did this,” he said to me, looking more desperate than I thought was possible.
“She was scared to death by the spirits that have us trapped here,” I said, not holding anything back. “Now all we have to find out is why. Maybe this nightmare will finally be over if we do.”
“And how do you propose we do that?” Jonathan asked. “My grandmother is dead. What am I supposed to do now?”
He seemed really lost this time. Sarah held him, trying to comfort him, but I knew that wouldn’t help him. He needed to find those responsible. The only problem was that those responsible couldn’t be arrested.
“We need Wi-Fi,” I said, trying to think of a solution to our little problem. Then it hit me. “Maybe we don’t need Wi-Fi after all.”
“What are you babbling about?” Jonathan asked.
I glared at him but then softened my expression. He did just lose his grandmother. I wasn’t a complete monster.
“Usually, in cases like these I’d go to the local library and look at the historical records and newspapers and that kind of thing. I’d also look for info online, which is sometimes helpful as well. But barring all those avenues, there’s only one solution to our problem: old people!”
Troy raised his eyebrows. “Are you sure you haven’t gone a little cuckoo?”
I glared at him. “I’m sure. Old people know stuff. Well, at least the ones that can remember. They’re our best bet in getting the history of this place. There’s a reason all those angry spirits are here, and if we’re going to find out, we’ll need to ask the people who might remember stuff from way back in the day. Maybe they heard stories growing up, who knows.” I turned to Jonathan. “Round up all the old people. Let’s get this show on the road.”
“I know you want to help, but this seems a little, I don’t know, crazy,” Jonathan said.
“And your grandmother being scared to death, literally, isn’t?” I said.
“You’ve certainly got a point there,” he relented. “I guess I’ll start rounding up the elderly, as ridiculous as that sounds.”
While Jonathan and his officers were occupied gathering the living, I turned to the dead for answers.
“Do you remember anything, Mrs. Valentine?” I asked her. “Anything about this place whi
le you were growing up?”
Mrs. V thought about it. “Not that I recall. I know we never played here as kids, though.”
“Do you remember why? Did your parents tell you anything?”
“They just told us kids that it wasn’t safe.”
“And you listened to them? Curiosity never got the better of you?”
“Well, my brother and his friends couldn’t resist going to that place. My brother ended up hitting his head. He died a few weeks later in the hospital. Do you think he’s in heaven now?”
“Probably,” I said. “Unless it was more than just an accident that killed him.”
“I blame you,” said one elderly woman as an officer escorted her to the other end of the hall. “You killed her, you witch!”
“Hey, don’t talk to her like that,” Kane stepped forward. “She wasn’t even here when it happened.”
“She probably sent one of her demons after poor Virginia,” the elderly woman retorted. “You’re going to hell.”
“If you think I’m capable of doing that, do you really think it’s a smart idea to anger me?” I said.
The woman had a shocked look on her face. Then she started pointing at me hysterically. “Did anyone hear that? She just threatened me! She needs to be arrested!”
A middle-aged woman, possibly the older woman’s daughter, stepped forward. “Now you’re trying to scare an old woman. Have you no shame?”
“Look, lady, she came and attacked me last time I checked. And I don’t care how old you are, I will not stand for it.”
“My mother is right about you,” the middle-aged woman said. “How about you pick on someone your own size?” She stepped forward, presumably ready for a fist fight.
“Where’s your daughter?” I said, smiling.
All hell broke loose.
Troy and Kane stepped forward, while a few other people joined the other team.
“Burn the witch! Burn the witch!” A couple of teenagers started chanting in the back, trying to be funny I presume.
“I’m not a witch! I’m not a psychic! I’m a medium and ghost hunter!” I was quick to say.
Jonathan broke through the crowd.
“What’s going on here? The sheriff just died. My grandmother just died, and you people are doing what? Bickering?”
“She started it,” I pointed to the elderly woman. “She accused me of killing your grandmother.”
“You’re a devil girl!” The old woman yelled.
“She’s right!” Someone in the back said. “Mrs. V was brave enough to challenge her, and now she’s dead. We might be next! Lock her up! Lock her up!”
“Yeah, I think it would be best if you took her away, Jonathan,” the elderly woman’s daughter said. “Hasn’t she already caused enough trouble? Two people are dead because of her!”
“Do you hear yourselves?” Kane said. “All of you are crazy. Meredith had nothing to do with either death. She’s trying to stop more people from getting hurt.”
“Yeah, he’s right,” Troy stepped up. “If you’re going to go after my sister, you’re going to have to go through me.”
“But Troy,” Charity said. “She’s weird, and you’re normal.”
“If my sister is weird, then I’m a weirdo too and proud of it,” Troy said. I was actually touched by his support.
“Thanks, Troy,” I said.
“Do you talk to dead people, too?” Charity asked.
“No,” Troy said. “What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Then you’re normal, silly.”
I rolled my eyes. “Charity, if you have nothing smart to say, then don’t say anything at all.”
“Then she’d never be able to open her mouth,” Sarah said, snickering.
“I know you’re like the bride and everything, but if you wanna fight, you’re gonna get a fight,” Charity threw her high heels to the side and charged at Sarah.
I stepped in between them and got the worst of it. Charity even managed to pull some of my hair off.
“Oh no, you didn’t!” I said as I pushed her off. She fell on her ass.
“You’re going to pay for this, freak!” Charity charged at me this time but was thankfully stopped by Troy.
“Stop it, Charity,” he said. “This is crazy.”
“The only crazy thing here is your sister!” She spat back.
“I’d rather be crazy than an airhead,” I retorted back.
“Hey, everyone, calm down!” Jonathan yelled at the top of his lungs. “You’re all acting irrationally.”
“The only irrational thing here is that you’re listening to that devil woman,” the older woman who started all this said.
“Ma’am, you need to calm down,” Jonathan said. “Go back to that corner with the officer, all right?”
“It’s not all right,” the woman’s daughter said. “And why are you quarantining the old folks, anyway? Because she told you to?” She glared at me. “And you’re not the sheriff last time I checked. So why are you acting like you’re the one in charge?”
The whole hall erupted into people fighting amongst themselves. Even Gran, who was usually the rational one, was getting into verbal matches with a few folks her age.
My mother and my father and his new girlfriend were getting into a heated argument as well, but there wasn’t anything unusual about that. Even the officers, who were supposed to be keeping order in the hall, were getting into the action. A faction started to wonder why Jonathan was in charge as well, while another faction defended him.
Kane held me close. “We need to get out of here,” he said, looking at the chaos all around us.
“I don’t think that’ll be possible,” I said. “Not unless you want this mob to get a hold of me.”
I looked around, looking for Rebecca.
She appeared behind me.
“What’s up?” I asked her. Thankfully, since people were too busy arguing amongst themselves, they didn’t have time to judge me for being a weirdo who talks to people only she can see.
“The sheriff and I took a little trip around the hotel, and it’s not looking good. Those restless spirits are the ones causing all this. We can feel them inching in closer, if they’re not already among us. Meredith, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m scared.”
“It’s going to be all right, Rebecca,” I reassured her, even though I wasn’t certain of that fact. I took Kane’s hand and led him toward Jonathan. If anyone had a chance of stopping this, it was the groom.
“I need to talk to you,” I said to Jonathan, a little louder than intended since I was trying to be heard over the noise.
“There she goes again, whispering in your ear,” one of the officers said.
“Josh, this is neither the place nor the time,” Jonathan said. Then he pulled me aside. “What is it now?” He asked, looking like he wasn’t in the mood to be hearing any ghost stories. Well, tough luck, Jonathan, I thought to myself.
“The spirits are causing all this,” I said. “They’re feeding on this chaos, and the more there is, the more powerful they’ll become. You need to stop this.”
“And how do you suggest I do that?” He asked.
I looked around, and I wasn’t sure of that myself.
“Do you have a gun on you?” Kane said.
“You want me to threaten everyone? That’ll only make things worse,” Jonathan said.
“Just fire a warning shot in the ceiling or something,” Kane said. “It should get everyone’s attention.”
“That’s a great idea,” Jonathan said. “The only trouble is that my gun is back in my car. And we can’t go outside, last time I checked.”
“Maybe the hotel has a gun on hand?” Kane offered. “The seedier places certainly do.”
“Does this place look seedy to you?” Jonathan said. “Do you really think I’d have my wedding reception here if it was?”
“Well, it might not be seedy, but it’s certainly haunted,” Kane said.
; “And whose fault is that?” Jonathan said, looking in my direction.
I held my hands up. “It wasn’t haunted the last time I was here.”
He looked around the hall. “Two people are dead. We’re trapped here. And all hell has broken loose. Are you really telling me you didn’t sense any spirits when you checked out this place? Or did you want this to happen?”
“I don’t like what you’re implying,” I said.
“You wanted to sabotage our wedding, didn’t you? You’re still mad that I chose Sarah over you, aren’t you?”
“Are you serious? I broke up with you, remember? You proposed to me, Jonathan, and I was the one that left. I didn’t want that life and I still don’t.”
“Sure. Then why did you sabotage our wedding, huh?”
“Man, that’s out of line,” Kane said.
“This doesn’t involve you, so butt out,” Jonathan said.
“Jonathan, I know this isn’t you talking. It’s the spirits. Don’t you see that they’re trying to pit us against each other?”
“No, this is all me, Meredith. It’s your fault all of this is happening. I can’t believe I didn’t see it until now.” He looked at me like I was a stranger. “You wanted our wedding to be a disaster, didn’t you? You wanted to punish us for being happy, right?”
“You’re the crazy one,” I said. “I did no such thing. The spirits weren’t here when I came here a week ago. I think the sheriff’s murder woke them.”
“So now it’s not the spirits that are killing people. Make up your mind, Meredith,” he said.
“Man, you need to back off,” Kane said, stepping forward. “Now go somewhere and cool off because if you keep talking to my girlfriend like that, I don’t know if I can refrain from punching you in the face.”
“Are you threatening an officer of the law?” Jonathan said, shocked.
“No, you’re a civilian today, remember? Right now you’re just an ex who’s being a jerk to my girlfriend.”
“Now it’s on,” Jonathan said, fists raised. “Bring it on, Xavier.”
Kane stepped forward, ready to take on the challenge.
Before I could say anything, a shot rang out in the great hall and everyone stopped arguing. It became dead quiet.
“Everyone needs to calm down,” Sarah said, gun still raised.
Ghostly Wedding (A Ghost Hunter P.I. Mystery Book 3) Page 9
