Skeptic in Salem: An Episode of Death

by Fiona Grace

  “You mean, like the hosts of podcasts and TV shows?” Sylvie said.

  “Oh no, I didn’t mean—” Brynn said.

  “Yes, exactly like that,” Mia said and winked at Sylvie.

  “Well, it’s true, he’s not too happy about your show,” Brynn said.

  Mia sighed. Even though her stepdad was a snob and her family were busybodies, she loved them. They were oddballs but good people.

  The food stalls were firing up their grills and the smell of heating oil and spices filled the air. The locals were rolling out of their apartments and heading out for morning coffee with their bulldogs, poodles, and mutts.

  Tandy lifted his head into the air and flared his nostrils, savoring the fascinating array of scents along the street, sniffing other dogs and nibbling on outcroppings of grass. Despite the cheerful atmosphere, Mia found her thoughts straying back to her dream of Lydia.

  There must be an explanation, but Mia was at a loss to account for how she managed to dream of the same entity Donnie Browder had described.

  Up ahead was a peculiar storefront—even for Salem. A large plate glass window was set between two wooden pillars, painted in a delicate shade of lilac. The sign hanging above the arched doorway was printed in gold and white calligraphy with butterflies and hummingbirds swirling through letters set against a blue sky with a bright sun rising in the background.

  The owners of the shop, T.G. Prophet and his wife, Hazel, were out in front, washing the large, front window with squeegees. Inside the window, a display of books was nestled between large crystals of amethyst and citrine.

  “So this is the Ascension Bookshop?” Brynn said, surprised. “Where are all of the bats and witches and creepy stuff?”

  “ Didn’t you just tell me Salem was lurid? I thought you’d be relieved,” Mia said.

  “I am!” Brynn said. “This shop isn’t like Salem at all.”

  “And why is that exactly?” Sylvie said.

  “Well, just look at the window! There are crystals and candles and self-help books by Eckhart Tolle and Deepak Chopra. This place looks like Oprah’s reading club come to life.”

  “I’ll introduce you to the owner,” Mia said.

  “Watch out, Hazel’s a white witch,” Sylvie teased.

  “Really?” Brynn said. “Now that seems more like Salem.”

  “Think of her more as a light worker, as Oprah would say,” Mia said.

  Tandy wagged his tail and ran over to greet Salem’s most perfect couple.

  T.G. greeted Tandy and waved as he recognized Mia and Sylvie walking toward them. He was tall and elegant with blond, almost white hair and penetrating blue eyes, dressed in a pea coat and plaid scarf.

  After greeting T.G., Tandy beelined for Hazel.

  “Hey, Tandy,” Hazel said, leaning down to ruffle Tandy’s floppy ears. She had delicate features with striking, moss-green eyes, and was dressed in layers of flowing Boho artisan knits. Her long red hair was loosely tied up in a colorful scarf and she wore dozens of amulets and beaded bracelets.

  “Hey, Mia,” Hazel said and smiled.

  “I wanted to introduce my sister, Brynn,” Mia said.

  “Your shop is so adorable!” Brynn said. “Oh, is that Deepak Chopra’s latest book? I love him!”

  “Let me show you around,” T.G. said and escorted Brynn inside the shop.

  “What are you two up to?” Hazel said, leaning her squeegee against the window.

  “We have a production meeting for our ghost hunt tonight,” Sylvie said.

  “How exciting,” Hazel said. “Where?”

  “The Elmswood House in Swampscott,” Mia said.

  “Where the Browder murders took place?” Hazel said in a low voice as her cheeks drained of color.

  Tandy stood beside Hazel quietly, gazing up at her in deep concentration. Her long tapered fingers petted his head and the dog’s eyes seemed to close at half mast, completely relaxed as Hazel stroked him.

  “Yes,” Mia said, surprised Hazel knew about the place. She glanced at Sylvie. They had both developed a superstitious awe of Hazel, who seem to be able to predict things before they happened. On more than one occasion Hazel had given Mia an object that actually saved her life. Mia had thought long and hard about how that was even possible. How could Hazel know just the thing someone would need in the future? What she finally decided was that Hazel had some form of precognition. ESP was a well-studied phenomenon with many credible scientific studies. So whenever Hazel spoke, Mia listened.

  “Did you dream about her yet?” Hazel said.

  A chill went down Mia spine. “Who?”

  “Why, Lydia,” Hazel said.

  Mia stared at Hazel, astounded. How could she possibly know about her dream?

  “You know about Lydia?” Mia managed to say.

  “Uh, what are you two talking about?” Sylvie said.

  “Remember the little girl I saw? Well, I dreamed about her last night,” Mia said. “She said her name was Lydia.”

  “No way!” Sylvie said, looking at Hazel superstitiously.

  “I saw the Browder family too. They asked me for help,” Mia said.

  “The family that got killed in that house?” Sylvie said, eyes wide.

  “What else happened in the dream?” Hazel said.

  “Lydia pointed out a weird house with two windows in the roof and a gnarled old tree in front.”

  “She’s trying to tell you something,” Hazel said casually.

  “So, you think Lydia is a ghost?” Sylvie said.

  “Yes,” Hazel said. “They can’t communicate directly, so they’ll send signs to guide you.”

  “Guide me?” Mia said. “About what?”

  “I’m not sure,” Hazel said. “There are number of ghosts in that house.”

  Tandy watched the conversation with a strange expression on his face as if he understood it. He was very sensitive to people.

  “Donnie Browder mentioned Lydia,” Mia said. “That she spoke to him.”

  “Yes,” Hazel said. “They say he was driven mad by her, but I’m not so sure. Sometimes people blame ghosts for their own evil. One thing to remember about ghosts, fear binds them to the earth and makes them manifest more easily.”

  “I wish Johnny Astor was here right now,” Sylvie said. “He loves ghost talk.”

  “I don’t believe in ghosts,” Mia said and shook her head.

  “Well, they believe in you,” Hazel said. “This isn’t the first time you’ve had an encounter. You saw something strange in the Howard Street cemetery too.”

  “She’s got a point,” Sylvie said. “You could be a ghost magnet, Mia.”

  “Come on, that’s crazy!” Mia said.

  Hazel took Mia’s hands in her own.

  “Don’t be afraid, Mia. Keep the light of your consciousness steady, so the ghosts can find their way home.”

  “How am I supposed to do that?” Mia said.

  “Fight the fear,” Hazel said. “You’re a truth seeker, and that means you serve the light.”

  Suddenly the shop door opened, and Brynn and T.G. Prophet stepped outside. Brynn had a paper bag filled with books, and she was giddy and happy, utterly charmed by the little shop. The lovely atmosphere, the aromatherapy, and the wind chimes and positive vibrations had done wonders for her. Tandy trotted over to greet Brynn as she stepped out onto the street.

  “Hello, pup-pup,” Brynn said in a sweet voice, refreshed and radiant.

  “Guess where Brynn is staying?” T.G. prophet said to his wife, knowingly. “Room Seventeen at the Salem Inn.”

  Hazel’s eyes widened and she took a deep breath.

  “You don’t say? So you’re bunking with Katherine?” Hazel said. “Wait here, I have something for you.”

  Hazel disappeared into the shop in a flurry of flowing skirts. A second later she was out again, carrying a small braided bracelet with a tiny goddess with upraised arms carved in alabaster. She tied the bracelet around Brynn’s wrist.

&nb
sp; “Keep this on your wrist while you’re in Salem,” Hazel said and smiled. “You’ll get a good night’s sleep from now on.”

  Brynn hugged Hazel and kissed her on the cheek.

  “Thank you!” she said.

  “There is one little side effect,” Hazel said. “The goddess energy sometimes attracts acolytes.”

  “Well, that’s a good thing, right?” Brynn said, waving goodbye.

  Mia, Sylvie, and Brynn headed down the street to the production office. Tandy was happy to be on the move again. He had taken the route a hundred times and was busy reading the news of the day via his olfactory receptors.

  Up ahead, Graham Stone stood on the front steps of the production office, talking on his phone. He wore one of his signature outfits, a silk shirt unbuttoned halfway down with an abstract pattern, topped by a white linen jacket with a wide lapel and mustard-colored brushed corduroy flares with a thick belt with circular brass holes. A few gold chains peeked through the gap in a shirt. Lately he had also taken to trying to grow facial hair. Mia did not need to be a psychic to predict a mustache was on the way. He looked like a holdover from the ’70s.

  As they drew closer, Graham saw Brynn and stiffened like a hunter in the forest seeing an elk.

  “Call you back later,” he said and sauntered down the steps, eyes fixed on Brynn. Sylvie grabbed Mia’s jacket and tugged on it; they both could see what was coming.

  “Who is this?” Graham said, rubbing his chin where stubble was growing. Brynn looked at Mia with concern, not sure what to do.

  “This is Graham Stone, one of our producers,” Mia said reluctantly. “And this is my sister, Brynn.”

  “So good looks run in the family?” Graham said. Mia and Sylvie watched in alarm as he kissed Brynn’s hand.

  “So, you’re Mimi’s producer?” Brynn said. “She’s mentioned you before.”

  “All good, I hope. Are you in town for long?”

  “Not long. My husband will be joining me soon. We’re staying for just a few days,” Brynn said.

  “That’s a shame,” Graham said, strangely undeterred.

  “I better go, Mimi,” Brynn said, looking at her watch. “ You know how Dad gets when he has a full day planned.”

  Brynn turned on her heel and disappeared back toward her hotel. Graham looked after her longingly.

  “What a knockout!” he said in a faraway voice.

  “Cool off, Graham,” Sylvie said. “She’s married!”

  “What?” Graham said, lingering for a moment, staring at Brynn’s retreating figure as she disappeared around the corner. “Hey, Mia, I’d like to take you and your parents, and of course your lovely sister, out to dinner.”

  Tandy made a strange throaty sound.

  Mia stared at Graham as if he’d gone quite mad, but he was deadly serious.

  “You don’t need to do that—” Mia said.

  “I insist,” Graham said. “It’s the least I can do for my star. And I can admire your beautiful sister while we dine.”

  Mia wondered about Hazel’s warning. As a skeptic she could not believe the bracelet Brynn wore could possibly have an effect, but Brynn certainly did have an acolyte now.

  As Mia prepared to walk into the meeting, she was nervous. Usually, she relied on facts and skepticism to guide her through an investigation. But for the first time in her career as a ghost hunter, she had more questions than answers. She was full of dread. Every instinct she had told her to run from the Elmswood House, and this meeting was the first step in walking back inside that awful place.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  As Mia entered the office, she felt heartened by the sight of her coworkers. The Bell, Book, and Candle offices were buzzing with energy. Ollie Cooper was on the phone with one of the show’s sponsors, Jake the cameraman and Will the intern checked equipment and piled bags by the door to take to the location for the evening shoot. You’d never know from the busy, professional atmosphere that they were all preparing to walk into a notorious haunted house.

  “Where’s Johnny?” Mia said, noticing the conspicuous absence of her co-host. Ever since she’d known him, Johnny had a terrible habit of making a dramatic entrance to every occasion.

  “He’s running late,” Graham said, sliding into his seat at the head of the conference table. He stared at his phone intently. “Just making reservations, Mia. I’ll email you.”

  Mia looked at Sylvie, who just shook her head in amazement. Graham was absolutely tone deaf when it came to picking up on social cues.

  Will rushed over to Mia. He was getting taller every day, his long limbs poking out of his clothing. He had turned into a good-looking kid, Mia thought. Handling the boom microphone had built his muscles up and he looked lean and athletic, even if he was still an awkward teenager. Will greeted Tandy and roughhoused with him a little bit, which Tandy loved.

  “Do you want me to put up that cat run for you?” he asked.

  “That would be great,” Mia said. “You have a key. Just let yourself in whenever it’s convenient.”

  “Cool,” Will said.

  Ollie Cooper got off the phone and stepped over to the conference table.

  “Okay, let’s get the schedule nailed down,” he said and pointed to a stack of papers. Will rushed off to grab schedules and place them around the table as everyone took a seat.

  “We’ll be blocking the show late in the afternoon. This is a one-day shoot with only one additional day for pickups, so we have a tight schedule. We can’t afford to have any major goofs, so bring your A-game.”

  “Also,” Graham added, “we’ve hired Albee Abernathy to give us a little history lesson.”

  Mia groaned internally. Please, not him, she thought. Albee Abernathy, the local warlock who ran Charnel Tours had a thing for Mia. But she had to admit, he did know Salem’s history.

  “Are you sure Abernathy is the right guy for the job?” Sylvie said. “Isn’t he in his coffin during daylight hours?”

  “Very funny,” Graham said. “Nobody knows Salem like Abernathy.”

  The door opened and Johnny Astor stepped inside. He was dressed casually in jeans, a black T-shirt, and a leather jacket. His ashy hair had grown to his shoulders and a lock fell across his forehead. Tandy ran to him and butted his head against him like a billy goat until Johnny kneeled down to greet him. He looked up at Mia and she was struck, as always, by his intense hazel eyes and long, dark lashes. He smiled when he saw her and Mia felt a flush of heat in her body. Being attracted to Johnny was extremely inconvenient for two reasons.

  1. Johnny Astor was her co-host.

  2. She had started dating Hugh Wolfe.

  She tried to ignore Johnny and think of something boring, like a detergent commercial; whites are whiter, colors are brighter, removes grass stains.

  “Hey, Mia,” Johnny said. “I heard your family’s in town?”

  “True,” Mia said. “They’ve been keeping me busy.”

  “I’m taking them out to dinner,” Graham said, pleased with himself. “Why don’t you join us?”

  Mia stared at Graham like he was crazy. He just grinned. The thought of Graham and Daniel Middleton in the same room together was like matter and anti-matter. If it actually happened, something would blow.

  “Sounds good,” Johnny said. “I’d love to meet them.”

  Mia blushed, completely thrown off her game by Johnny’s presence.

  “Okay, listen up,” Graham said. “We’re all meeting back here this afternoon to be briefed by Abernathy. Then we head for the Elmswood House.”

  “Are we all clear?” Ollie said.

  Everyone mumbled their agreement. Mia picked up the schedule.

  Clipped to it was a picture of the Elmswood House. The moment Mia saw the house again, an awful shudder of dread moved through her body. The place seemed to scream death and decay. She stared at the rotting boards and dead vines that shrouded the house and her heart beat faster.

  Mia stood up abruptly and swayed, feeling queasy and
faint.

  “Are you okay?” Johnny said, stepping by her side.

  “I think I need some air,” Mia said. The feeling she’d had in the dream erupted inside her mind. She felt a rush of adrenaline. Her breath huffed out of her chest as if she’d been punched.

  Johnny led her outside into the bright sunlight with Tandy trotting behind. They sat down on the steps together.

  “What’s going on with you? Are you sure you’re well enough to do this?” he said, concerned.

  “Of course,” Mia said, “I’ll be fine. It’s just my family being here and—”

  “And what?” Johnny said.

  “Nothing, the place just creeps me out,” Mia said, annoyed with herself. How was she supposed to be a ghost hunter if she got overwhelmed and emotional at a haunted house? At that exact moment she realized she couldn’t live like this any longer. She had to face her fear.

  “We can always call it off,” Johnny said, sweetly.

  “No,” Mia said. “I can do this.”

  “I loved your locations,” Johnny said. “But next time you run off to the Devil’s Swamp, you should call me. Please?”

  “I didn’t think you were the swamp type,” Mia joked.

  “I could be for you, Mia,” Johnny said and met her eyes with that deep, intense gaze. For a moment Mia felt herself falling into the depths of his gaze and wondering what if—

  Then the door to the office flew open. The meeting was over and the crew were headed their separate ways.

  “Don’t forget this,” Sylvie said and handed Mia her bag. “I’ll meet you back here. I’ve gotta take the production laptop to the computer store. FYI, Johnny, you missed some great stuff with Hazel Prophet and Mia’s creepy dream.”

  “Creepy dream?” Johnny said.

  “Mia saw the ghosts of Elmswood House,” Sylvie said, “in a dream.”

  “Really?” Johnny said, impressed. “It isn’t uncommon for sensitive people to start experiencing dreams and phenomenon around a haunting.”

  “I know you guys are trying to help, but sometimes a dream is just a dream,” Mia said, and checked her watch. She’d started to formulate a plan. She glanced at the contact sheet. Everything she needed to investigate was right there on the sheet. Cindy Moore’s number and the address of her real estate company, Seaside Estates. She could easily get to Swampscott and back before the Abernathy debrief and the shoot started.