The Visitor

by Amanda Stevens

  “It’s impressive, yes,” Louvenia agreed. She, too, extended her hand and while we conducted the initial pleasantries, I surreptitiously studied their faces for any resemblance to Ezra Kroll.

  Louvenia’s eyes were the color of moonstones, soft and dreamy, but Nelda’s were dark like her brother’s and I imagined they could be just as piercing.

  “Mrs. Durant has a cemetery located on her property that she may be interested in restoring,” Dr. Shaw explained, and I marveled at his smooth delivery. His tone conveyed not the slightest hint that we had spoken recently and at length about Kroll Cemetery. “Naturally, I told them about you and invited them to meet me here today so they could see a sample of your work.”

  “Thank you,” I said, trying to emulate his coolness. I shifted my gaze to his companions. “If there is anything in particular you’d like to see or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

  “I’m sure we’ll have a great many questions once we get closer to the process,” Louvenia said. “But for now, it would be helpful to know how long a restoration normally takes.”

  “It depends on the size and condition of the cemetery and the scope of the restoration. I’m afraid I can’t even give you a rough estimate until I see the cemetery for myself.”

  “That makes sense,” Nelda said with a nod. “However, before we take up any more of your time, perhaps we should inform you that the cemetery is said to be haunted.”

  Louvenia scowled down at her sister. “You know I dislike it when you speak so glibly about such matters.”

  “I didn’t mean to be glib,” Nelda said, but I thought I detected a faint twitch at the corner of her mouth. “I merely thought Miss Gray should be aware of the rumors before she commits to a restoration.”

  “What are the rumors?” I asked.

  A shadow flickered in Louvenia’s gray eyes. “Most recently, two of the workers I hired to clean up around the cemetery claimed they heard strange voices coming from behind the walls and some of their tools have gone inexplicably missing. Regardless of my sister’s intent, she was right to warn you. The dead don’t rest easy in Kroll Cemetery.”

  “Perhaps the restoration will calm them,” Nelda said. “At any rate, Miss Gray doesn’t strike me as the type to be overly bothered by ghosts.”

  “She’s never been to Kroll Cemetery,” Louvenia muttered.

  I suppressed a shiver as Dr. Shaw and I exchanged glances.

  Outwardly, Louvenia Durant appeared cool and composed, but there was something going on in the depths of her eyes. A feverish glint that echoed the nervous flutter of her hands before she clasped them behind her back.

  “Tell me a little more about the cemetery,” I said. “Is it a family burial site?” I knew from Dr. Shaw that most of the interred were from Kroll Colony, but I was curious to hear her response.

  “Our only brother is laid to rest there,” she said. “We have no other relatives in the cemetery, but since it’s located on my property, I feel a responsibility to care for all the graves.”

  “I understand.”

  “You may have heard of our brother,” Nelda put in. “He was once quite notorious. His name was Ezra Kroll.”

  I tried to sound only mildly curious. “Why was he notorious?”

  She glanced at her sister and something passed between them that deepened Louvenia’s scowl. “I don’t see any need to go into that right now. It has nothing to do with why we’re here.”

  “Sister is right,” Nelda said. “Ezra’s story can wait for another day. We’ve already taken up too much of your time and we’ve someone waiting for us.”

  “Dr. Shaw, could I have a quick word before we leave?” Louvenia asked anxiously.

  “Of course,” he replied with his usual courteous aplomb. He turned to Nelda and me. “Will you excuse us?”

  “Take your time,” Nelda said before I could speak. “It’ll give me a chance to get better acquainted with Miss Gray. That is, if she has no objection.”

  “None at all.”

  Nelda stared after her sister. “Poor Louvenia. She would never admit it, but she’s hoping Dr. Shaw can help exorcise her ghosts.”

  “Oh?”

  “My sister has always been given to flights of fancy, particularly when it comes to that old cemetery. A guilty conscience is a powerful conjurer, Miss Gray.”

  I didn’t know how to respond to her comment, so I held my silence and waited.

  “You see, she and our brother had a terrible falling-out before he died. She’s never gotten over it.”

  “That would be a hard thing to get over,” I said.

  “I only tell you this because if you decide to accept the restoration, you’ll be working closely with Louvenia, and I think it only right that you know what to expect.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “Physically, she’s as strong as a horse,” Nelda went on. “I’ve always been in awe of her stamina. Even now she works twice as long and hard as most of the hired hands that are half her age. But emotionally she’s a lot more fragile than one might imagine. Truth be told, I’m a little worried about how the restoration will affect her. Dealing with that cemetery is bound to stir up painful memories. But she’s right. Those graves have been neglected for far too long. The dead deserve better. Especially our dear Rose.”

  “Rose?”

  “She was the last person laid to rest in Kroll Cemetery. Perhaps you could give her grave a little extra care if you accept the commission. She was someone very special to us.” Nelda leaned heavily on her cane, her dark gaze rapt as she studied my features.

  “Of course,” I said, disconcerted by the intense inspection.

  “Forgive me for staring...the resemblance is just so startling.”

  My attention sharpened. “Resemblance?”

  “Did you not notice how Louvenia and I were both gawking at you earlier? I could hardly believe my eyes when Dr. Shaw pointed you out to us.”

  “I don’t understand. I look like someone you know...or knew?”

  “You are the spitting image of Rose, Miss Gray. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she had somehow managed to return from the grave. I expect that’s why I find it so easy to talk to you. It’s like having her back after all these years.”

  “How...interesting.” It was difficult to keep my voice even when my pulse had jumped so erratically at her revelation.

  “I was quite overcome when I first saw you,” Nelda said. “But now that I’ve had time to ponder the situation, I think you must somehow be related to her. You even share the same last name.”

  “She was a Gray?”

  “By marriage, I think. Do you have people in the Isola area?”

  “Not that I’m aware of, but I know very little about my family. I suppose it could be just one of those odd coincidences. Gray is a common last name.”

  “No, I don’t think so,” Nelda mused. “Things happen for a reason, I always say. Dr. Shaw bringing us out here to meet you... Rose moving to Isola just when Mott and I needed her the most...”

  Mott.

  At the mention of that strange name, it was as if a dark cloud had moved over the sun. A shadow fell across the landscape and I heard the eerie rattle of a cicada somewhere nearby.

  Rustling leaves drew my attention to one of the live oaks that had been planted around the edge of the cemetery. The drooping limbs provided easy access over the wall, and for a moment, I thought someone might be up there hidden by the foliage.

  A flock of blackbirds took flight, and I lifted my gaze to the cloudless sky, concentrating so intently on those flapping wings that I almost missed the stealthy shadow near the wall. A distorted form that faded so well into the gloom I wondered if my dazzled vision had played a trick on me.

  But no. Something
was definitely there.

  The form was humanlike, female and tiny—little more than four feet tall I would guess—with a pronounced hump on her back. Not a ghost, not a shadow being, she was unlike anything I’d ever seen before.

  My nerve endings bristled a warning. Here was yet another danger, another fear. The veil had parted, allowing something else to slip through.

  The rules kept you safe, Papa had once told me. But you broke them and now that the door has been opened, you’re vulnerable.

  To all manner of entities, it seemed.

  The silhouette moved slowly, using the shadows so effectively I had trouble tracking her. She was childlike in stature, but her features were wizened and not quite of this world. As I peered through the deep shade, she turned and looked directly at me as if to acknowledge my notice. The sensation was so creepy and invasive I took a step back, my heart flailing.

  As I stood there enthralled, she threw back her head and opened her mouth wide as if to call to someone—or to something—unseen. But the sound that sprang from her throat was more insect than human. Like the rattle of a cicada, plaintive and chilling.

  Thirteen

  Several moments passed and still I couldn’t tear my attention from the wall, even though the silhouette had disappeared into the deeper shadows.

  Nelda Toombs was still chatting away beside me, oblivious to anything amiss. But suddenly it came to me that the smock-like jacket she wore over her dress not only covered her shriveled body, but also disguised what most would assume was a dowager’s hump on her back.

  One of the twins died. The other was so distraught that she tried to hide her sister’s passing by using cloves to cover up the smell.

  Even as Dr. Shaw’s words came back to me, even as I turned to once again search the shadows, I reminded myself that sometimes the things I saw and heard and smelled really were products of my imagination. The sun had clouded my eyes and the shadowy form had been fleeting. Woods surrounded the cemetery. Wasn’t it possible that I’d heard an actual cicada?

  But what of that insect husk on my nightstand? What of that face in the stereogram, the voices in my head?

  Logic wasn’t going to work. I knew what I knew.

  “Are you all right?” Nelda asked in concern. “You look quite pale all of a sudden.”

  “I’m...still shaky from the fall, I guess. It was a little more serious than I let on to Dr. Shaw. In fact, I was just released from the hospital this morning.”

  “Bless your heart. I don’t wonder you’re shaky. Perhaps you should be home resting.”

  I managed a faint smile. “I’ll be fine. I’m enjoying our conversation. And I must say, I’m very curious about the woman you say I look so much like.”

  Nelda’s expression turned wistful. “Rose was everything to us. Our protector and champion and the closest thing to a mother that Mott and I ever knew.”

  “Mott was your sister?”

  “She was so much more than that, Miss Gray. We were born conjoined, you see. She was a part of me. Closer even than a mirror twin.”

  I swallowed past the foreboding that bloomed in my throat. “Mott is such an unusual name. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard it before.”

  “When we were little, I couldn’t pronounce Maudette so she became Mott and I was Neddy. We lost her many years ago.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you, but in some ways it was a blessing. We had a difficult childhood, you see. Shunned and bullied because we were different. But...” An apologetic smile flashed. “That was a long time ago and, as Louvenia said, it has no bearing on why we’ve come to see you today. Besides, I’ve rambled on long enough and I think she’s ready to leave.”

  I glanced down the path to where Dr. Shaw and Louvenia still lingered. She scowled in our direction as though worried about what her sister might tell me.

  Nelda leaned in suddenly and put her hand on my arm. For a breathless moment, the scent of cloves overwhelmed me. “Come see me when you get to Isola. There are things about that cemetery you should know before you agree to the restoration.”

  “What things?”

  “Not here. Not with him watching.”

  I thought at first she meant Dr. Shaw, but then I noticed a young man just inside the gates. He stood with arms folded, back resting against the wall as he stared down the path to where we stood talking. I felt a chill go through me as our gazes connected, and I could have sworn I saw him smirk.

  He looked to be just shy of six feet and so slender he might have seemed delicate except for the undercurrent of violence that belied his angelic visage. His hair was a strange silvery gold and his eyes were so light they appeared transparent from a distance. His unusual features were at once arresting and unsettling, and I couldn’t seem to tear my gaze away.

  “My great-nephew, Micah,” Nelda said softly. “You’re not the first to fall under his spell. He has a way about him, does he not?”

  “He’s very striking,” I murmured.

  “He was born with the face of an angel, but looks can be deceiving.” She was still holding my arm and I felt her grip tighten. “You should know that Micah is not at all in favor of a restoration.”

  “Why not?”

  “Not here,” she said again. “Just promise you’ll come see me in Isola.”

  I nodded, sliding my arm away as the hair on the back of my neck lifted. So many images swirled in my head as I watched her shuffle away.

  The stereogram of those strange girls...

  The arresting young man at the cemetery entrance...

  The hunchback entity I’d seen in the shadows... The noises in my wall... The nesting in my cellar...

  I had no idea how these events were connected, but like Nelda Toombs, I didn’t think any of them a coincidence.

  Fourteen

  “That was certainly an odd visit,” I said a few minutes later when Dr. Shaw had rejoined me. I moved off the trail into the shade.

  “Wasn’t it, though?” He chuckled as he followed me underneath the tree. “They are quite the eccentric pair,” he said, without a trace of irony. “It’s been a few years since my dealings with Mrs. Durant, so I was quite surprised when they turned up at the Institute this morning without an appointment. I hope you don’t mind that I invited them here to meet you.”

  I swatted a mosquito on the back of my arm. “I don’t mind. But are you telling me they just showed up out of the blue? Right after we had that long conversation about Kroll Cemetery?”

  “The timing is curious,” he agreed. “But I don’t see how it can be anything other than happenstance. I never mentioned that conversation to anyone. Did you?”

  “I told Devlin. I had to. My house was broken into last night and I thought it might be related to the viewer.”

  “Related how?”

  “Before I came to the Institute yesterday, I took the stereoscope to a place on King Street called Dowling Curiosities. I was hoping they could be of some help in tracking down the owner since the piece came from that shop. The man I spoke to was named Owen Dowling. Probably my imagination, but I thought I saw him again later at the hospital.”

  “Hospital?”

  “There was a bit of a scuffle during the break-in, but I’m fine.”

  “Was the suspect apprehended?”

  “Unfortunately, no.”

  “Owen Dowling,” Dr. Shaw said thoughtfully. “What did he look like?”

  “Tallish and slender. Dark blond hair. Midthirties. Why?”

  “A young man accompanied Mrs. Durant and Miss Toombs to the Institute this morning. He didn’t come in, but I saw him pacing in the parking area when I walked them out to their car. He was younger than the man you described. Early twenties, I would guess, and his hair was very pale.”
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  “I know who you mean. He was here just a few minutes ago. You didn’t see him at the entrance? Nelda called him Micah. He’s her great-nephew, which would make him Louvenia’s grandson, I suppose.”

  “Ah. Then that makes sense. Mrs. Durant mentioned earlier that her grandson had been away for a number of years but had recently returned to live with her on the farm. I gather he thinks a restoration would be a waste of her money.”

  “Yes, Nelda said he was against it.”

  Dr. Shaw’s expression turned anxious. “That young man... His presence was extremely unnerving. It’s hard to explain, but I actually experienced a chill down my spine when he turned his eyes upon me.”

  “I felt it, too, but he’s not the only one who unnerved me today. Do you remember what you told me about Ezra Kroll’s twin sisters? When one of them died, the other tried to cover her passing by using cloves to disguise the smell. I’m certain Nelda Toombs was that girl. The living twin.”

  “I’ve had the same thought,” Dr. Shaw said with a nod.

  “She called her sister Mott, which is the name in the stereoscope’s inscription. She also said I look very much like someone named Rose, the last person buried in Kroll Cemetery. But it’s not just that I look like her. Her last name was Gray and my middle name is Rose.”

  His snowy brows lifted. “That would be an extraordinary coincidence, wouldn’t it? Have you spoken to anyone in your family about the resemblance?”

  “No. My father would be the one to know if there’s a connection, but I’ve been reluctant to bring him into this because he’s not always the easiest person to talk to.” Papa’s withdrawal was only a small part of my reluctance. I was afraid to uncover any more of his secrets because they had a way of changing my life.

  “Dr. Shaw...” I paused, glancing up into the trees as a breeze rustled the leaves. “Something very strange is going on with these women.” I didn’t just mean Louvenia Durant and Nelda Toombs, but also the blind ghost and the hunchback in-between. All of them were linked. By blood, by friendship, perhaps even by death. But how were they connected to me?