Ghostly Wedding (A Ghost Hunter P.I. Mystery Book 3)

by Aubrey Harper

  We reached the bottom. There were just a bunch of boxes and other odds and ends strewn about. It wasn’t particularly scary, but it did feel claustrophobic. At least in this part, there wasn’t much room to move around in. There was some kind of generator or heater or who knows what there. It was making a spooky whirring noise.

  There was another door further ahead, and it had a little glass window in the middle of it.

  I peeked through and saw a larger room. The lights there were even dimmer. And to top it off, they also flickered a bit.

  “Do you see anything?” Kane whispered.

  “It’s hard to tell,” I said as I looked closer. “There might be some movement but I’ll have to get closer to see.”

  I tried the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

  “Let me try,” Kane said.

  He didn’t have much luck either.

  “Move it, civilians,” Jackson said.

  He didn’t get far either.

  Sarah shivered. “Are we going back to get the key from the manager?”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Kane said, taking out a little lock pick kit from his pocket.

  “You carried that to my wedding?” Sarah said, looking surprised.

  “You know, you could get arrested for that,” Jackson said.

  “I think it’s cool. At least someone is being proactive around here,” Troy said.

  Kane worked his magic and unlocked the door, now the only question was if anyone actually wanted to step through that threshold.

  “I don’t like this,” Sarah said. “Can we please go back?”

  “I can’t go in first because I’m filming this,” Troy said.

  “I think the one who can see these things should go first, that way we’ll know what we’re dealing with and what to watch out for,” Jackson said.

  “That makes sense,” Troy agreed.

  “Thanks for throwing me under the bus, guys, but you do have a point. I’ll go in first.”

  “I’ll be right behind you,” Kane reassured me, but he didn’t offer to take the lead. I guess dead people had that effect on the living.

  “Did you see the sheriff?” I asked Rebecca as we slowly walked inside.

  “No. He must be checking out the top floors.”

  I used my phone’s flashlight to see in the dim light. There wasn’t much to see but a bunch of machinery that made unnerving noises. It sounded like a monster breathing. Now the only thing we needed to make sure of was not to wake that monster.

  “I don’t like this,” Sarah said, huddled between Troy and Jackson. “Why don’t we just turn back?”

  “We came here for answers, and we’re going to get them,” I said. Then I turned toward the large area in front of us. The corners in the distance were dark. Anything could be hiding in them, and I had some experience with that. Some ghosts liked to blend in with the darkness. Some more sinister ones actually enjoyed jumping out and scaring the living daylights out of anyone that could see them.

  “Stay back,” I warned them. “I’m going to try something.”

  “Are you sure?” Rebecca said. “I’m sensing a lot of negativity here.”

  “It’s all right,” I said to Rebecca. And then I looked into one corner of the darkness and hoped for the best, or worst in this case.

  “Whoever is here, I want to let you know that I am here to help you. We know now that you’ve been wronged and we want to make it right. If you have something to tell me, please step forward.”

  You could hear a pin drop in the basement. That’s how quiet it was. I had to admit that I was on edge as well. I didn’t know if I wanted something to step forward or not. I usually wasn’t this scared when it came to ghosts, but now that two people were dead, things were just a little bit different.

  I could hear a maniacal laugh in my head, and then I saw something approaching us from the other corner of the room.

  “Run!” Troy screamed.

  All hell broke loose as Troy, Jackson and Sarah made a run for it. The ghost flew through them.

  “Damn,” Sarah said. “That was cold.”

  The lights flickered then completely went out.

  They were screaming now.

  “Everyone, please remain calm,” I told them. “The more you panic, the more spirits you will attract.”

  Their screams got louder.

  Kane reached out for my hand in the darkness. “Are you all right?” He asked.

  I lit up his face with my phone. “Are you?”

  He put a hand over his eyes. “I was until you blinded me,” he said.

  “Sorry.” I turned the lights toward the exit. Rebecca was standing there. At first I thought it might have been another spirit and I almost forgot how to breathe.

  “C’mon,” Rebecca said. “The ghost went after them.”

  Once we were on the first floor, I was relieved to see that the lights were on. Only the basement was in darkness.

  We found Sarah, Jackson, and Troy gasping for air not too far from the basement entrance.

  “Where did it go?” I asked them.

  “I don’t know,” Sarah said. “I wasn’t exactly interested. I was just glad it was gone. I can still feel the chills.”

  “It might have been that way,” Jackson pointed toward where we came from. The great hall.

  “At least the lights are on, up here anyway,” Troy said. “But what exactly was that? It felt more like a demon than a ghost. Are demons a thing?”

  I shook my head. “I haven’t run into any angels or demons so far, but I’ve run into ghosts that could resemble either. I’ve also run into some naturally occurring spirits, like spirits of place. But they’re not interested in interacting with humans. They seem to live on a whole other plane and they rarely show themselves in this one or the one that ghosts reside in. The one that just scared you guys was definitely a ghost, but a ghost that hasn’t been human for quite a while. It might be more vengeful spirit than anything resembling a human now.”

  “It seemed to enjoy scaring us,” Jackson said. “I could hear that awful laugh in my head.”

  “I think we should go back to the great hall,” I said. “Let’s hope it hasn’t caused any chaos there.”

  “Thank God,” Sarah said. “From now on, I’m done going on these little ghost hunting trips. It didn’t help that I was dressed like this. I almost fell down those stairs. If Troy and Jackson weren’t there, I probably would have.”

  We made our way back to the great hall. It was unusually quiet. I had expected to arrive to a scene of chaos and screaming and people running every which way.

  When we got closer, I saw why. The officers were moving the bodies somewhere and everyone was quiet out of respect.

  The angry ghost hadn’t passed through here, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t going to.

  Sixteen

  I was on the lookout for any rogue spirits but there were none to be found.

  “That’s a good thing, right?” Rebecca said.

  She wasn’t wrong, but all that meant was that the spirits were giving us a temporary reprieve. While the rest stayed behind to pay their respects, I decided that this wasn’t the time to let my guard down.

  Kane followed me out to the hallway.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” He asked.

  “I’m gonna find the sheriff and see if he found anything.”

  “Then I’m coming with you,” he said. “Let’s just refrain from going into any basements, okay?”

  “I can’t make that promise,” I said. “I go where the dead go and I’m determined to see this through. I have to hear from the horse’s mouth what exactly their problem is.”

  “I think that’s pretty clear: they’re crazy.”

  “Good one. Sure, they might have been troubled in their human lives, but that doesn’t mean they’re not capable of changing in the next one. Sometimes, once they let go of the physical, some of those things just fade away. Especially if they’re a function of the
brain.”

  Kane didn’t look convinced.

  Troy joined us, his phone at the ready. “You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?”

  “You can come, but no more filming,” I said.

  He frowned. “That’s not fair. You know how important this is to me.”

  “People are dead, Troy. I don’t think this is really the time for fun and games, do you?” I said.

  “I guess not,” he agreed. He put his phone away. “So where to next?”

  “We’re going to locate the sheriff and see if he found anything. Who knows, maybe his killer is skulking around acting suspiciously in private moments.”

  “Does that really happen?” He asked.

  “Why wouldn’t it?”

  “Well, if I’d killed somebody and there was someone like you claiming they could speak to them, I’d definitely keep my head down.”

  He certainly had a point there. “Interesting. So you’re saying I should have played dumb until the killer slipped up?”

  “Exactly,” Troy said. “It’s too late now, but maybe next time?”

  “I hope there’s no next time,” I was quick to say.

  Kane gave me a look.

  “What?” I asked him.

  “Troy does have a point, and you know there probably will be a next time.”

  “Thanks, man. It’s nice to be appreciated,” Troy said.

  “Most of the ghosts I interact with have been dead for a while,” I said. “But if I find myself in a familiar situation in the future, I’ll take your suggestion under advisement.”

  “That’s all I’m saying. Though knowing you, I can’t really see you keeping your mouth shut for long.”

  I couldn’t argue with that point, either.

  Rebecca was impatient to get a move on.

  “Come on guys, Rebecca is getting restless,” I said.

  “Isn’t that a bad thing?” Troy said. “Aren’t you supposed to help restless spirits?”

  “Rebecca is not like that, and if I could help her move on, I would. But she doesn’t even remember her real name or how and when she died. She’s been a good friend to me through the years, and she still is actually.”

  “Have you ever tried making a sketch of her? Maybe you can post it online and ask if anyone recognizes her?” Troy said.

  “That’s actually a pretty good idea,” Kane said. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

  “It’s a good idea, except my artistic skills are nonexistent. Though I guess I could try describing her to a sketch artist.”

  Rebecca looked intrigued by the idea. “But don’t we have more important matters to attend to?”

  She wasn’t wrong.

  “Go and find the sheriff. If you see any of those rogue ghosts flying around, come back immediately. Who knows what they’re capable of.”

  I watched as Rebecca disappeared through a wall.

  The non-ghosts among us made our way the tedious way. We used the stairs because we didn’t want to take a chance on the elevators. If the power went out again, that was the last place we wanted to be.

  But just as we were halfway to the second floor, we heard voices. Not ghostly ones, but ones that sounded very much alive.

  Kane took the lead. He made a shushing motion over his lips. We listened in on the private conversation.

  “We have to get out of here,” a man’s voice said. “They can’t keep us here like this.”

  “They’re blocking all the exits,” another man’s voice said. “How exactly are you planning on getting out of here?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll find a way,” the first man said. “I don’t care if I have to break through a damn window. I’m getting out of here. Let’s go.”

  Kane quickly motioned for us to go up the stairs, toward the second floor. He was right behind us. We listened as the two men made their way to the ground floor.

  Once they were gone, I turned to Kane. “We have to tell Jonathan,” I whispered.

  Troy took his cell out. “Nope. Still no service.”

  “We’ll have to go back,” Kane said. “Let’s just hope we don’t run into those two.”

  “Do you think…?” I said.

  “It’s possible they could be involved in the sheriff’s death, but they could also just be restless hotel guests.”

  “What kind of people come to stay at a hotel in Silver Bells Cove of all places?” Troy said. “That should be suspicious by itself.”

  I gave Troy a look. “A lot of the wedding guests are staying here. The inn booked up pretty quickly.”

  Just then, Rebecca found us.

  “What are you guys doing here, cowering in the stairwell?”

  I explained to her about the two men we overheard.

  “The sheriff’s overheard a lot of similar conversations as well,” Rebecca said.

  “Any of those people confess to murder outright?” I asked, ever hopeful.

  She shook her ghostly head. “Sorry, no such luck. But he did run into a few of those rogue spirits. They didn’t seem much interested in him. They were more interested in the living. They’re definitely up to something.”

  Well, that didn’t sound good.

  I clued in Kane and Troy on what was happening.

  “I don’t want to run into those things again,” Troy said.

  “Me either, to be honest,” Kane agreed.

  “All right, let’s tell Jonathan what’s happening with those guests and then we can search out those spirits, though they didn’t seem too interested in talking last time.”

  “Maybe we could set some trap for them?” Troy offered as we slowly made our way down.

  “Maybe,” I said, though I wasn’t sure how exactly that would work.

  We were quiet for the rest of the way back to the great hall. Thankfully, we didn’t run into anyone on the way there.

  Jonathan was busy talking to a few of the other officers. I caught a few strands of conversation as I made my way. What can I say, I was a PI at heart.

  They were talking about how to keep everyone on their best behavior.

  “Speaking of which,” I said. “There’s something you should know.”

  “Thanks for that,” Jonathan said. He and a few officers went to check it out.

  “Did you see any more of those things?” Jackson said, coming up from behind me.

  “No, but they’re definitely around. Apparently, they’re more interested in the living than the dead.”

  Jackson looked around the great hall. “There’s a lot of living here,” he said.

  “That’s what’s worrying me,” I said. “I have to figure out a way to talk to them without anyone else getting hurt.”

  “Good luck with that. I felt that thing go right through me. It wasn’t a pleasant experience.”

  “It usually isn’t,” I said. “So now that the rogue humans are being taken care of, I have some rogue ghosts to go after. Did anything of note happen here while we were gone?”

  “No. Jonathan and the hotel manager tried unlocking the doors again, but without any luck. No cell service either, and the landline is dead as well. There’s no way we can contact anyone on the outside. We’re stuck here. The one bright side is that at least the A/C is still working. At least we won’t freeze to death.”

  “I hope you didn’t just jinx us,” I said, looking around.

  “Why? Are there any of those spirits here now?” Jackson suddenly looked a lot less sure of himself. The dead had that effect on most people.

  “No. Just Rebecca and Mrs. V, but they won’t do you any harm.”

  Mrs. V was hanging around Sarah now.

  I decided to see how she was doing. It was her wedding and I was the maid of honor, so I guess it was my duty.

  “I’m fine,” she said. “Just a bit tired.”

  “We’re in a hotel,” I said. “Why don’t you just get a room and rest for a bit?”

  “While all of this is going on? It just wouldn’t seem rig
ht to take a nap, now would it? Plus, I don’t want to be by myself while these evil spirits are lurking around.”

  “I’m sure Gran, your mother, and others wouldn’t mind keeping you company. Jonathan could even have one of the officers keeping guard.”

  Sarah smiled. “There’s a killer on the loose and we’re being held here by God knows how many evil spirits. I think I’ll be better off here.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that. The last two deaths did happen in the hall, but I didn’t tell her that. She already knew.

  “Holler if you need anything,” I told her.

  She held my hand back.

  “Are you sure it’s a good idea for you to be seeking these spirits out? They seem to have a grudge against the people of this town. What if one of our family members worked at that insane asylum?”

  “I can’t live my life in fear. Especially not of ghosts. Yes, they can be dangerous, but then again, so can living humans. Does that mean I should never leave the house?”

  Sarah shook her head. “Of course not, but this is different. People are dead, Meredith.”

  “People die all the time, Sarah. If they didn’t, I’d be out of business.”

  “Why are you always so stubborn?” She said, but I could see that she was too tired to argue. “Just promise me you’ll play it safe and always have someone with you.”

  “That’s a promise I can keep.” I looked over to where Rebecca, Troy, and Kane were waiting, not so patiently. Even Jackson was talking to them now. “I think I’ll be fine on that front.”

  Before I had a chance to join them and go, Gran and my mother stopped me.

  “Where exactly are you going, Millie?” Gran said.

  “Meredith, you need to stay right here, where it’s safe,” my mother said, a drink in her hand.

  “This is my job,” I reassured them. “I deal with this kind of thing every day. If I ran from every spirit that scared me a bit, I wouldn’t be much of a ghost hunter, now would I?”

  My mother rolled her eyes. “Ghost hunter? Do you hear yourself? This isn’t Ghostbusters, honey. It’s time for you to start doing a real job. Go to Hollywood and get paid for your gift, if you must. But please don’t tell me you’re planning on spending your life in this little town, dealing with their little hauntings.”