The Hauntings Of Sugar Hill: The Complete Series

by M. L. Bullock

  I really ought to treat this man better.

  “Feeling better, Avery?” he asked as he handed me a couple of towels and retrieved the clothing I asked for. It was a polite question if a little impersonal. There was none of our usual banter.

  “I hate this, you know.” I mopped my face with a towel and handed it to him.

  “Hate what? If it bothers you having me help you, I can ask Robin to come up. I like taking care of you.” After he helped me finish drying off, he tossed my towels in the hamper and handed me my clothing, a loose shirt and elastic-waist shorts. Oh, if my fans could see me now.

  “All this sucks. I mean, look at me, I’m a hot mess, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I don’t like how we are right now. You and me. I wish you would trust me on this, Reed.”

  He ran his hand through his dark hair, and I almost caught my breath at how handsome my husband was. Forget Hollywood celebrities. Reed Dufresne was the real deal. I’d dated handsome men before, so it wasn’t like that was the only reason I married him. I loved Reed with all my heart. We had a rare chemistry, or at least it was rare for me.

  “Trust works both ways, Avery. I could say the same about you. You don’t trust me. I’ve taken care of this family for many years, but that doesn’t seem to matter to you. You’ve taken the gloves off, but you don’t have to fight me. I don’t want the anchor chair. You are the Matrone, and nothing I say matters anymore. You get the last word, Avery. ” He sat down on the edge of the bed as I sank deeper into my chair. I didn’t say much as I brushed my hair. I’d cut it off not long ago, but it was growing back fast. I was kind of glad.

  “I am sorry you feel that way, Reed. That’s not what I think at all. I’m not fighting with you over anything. Why not bring Mike in? He’s coming as a friend, not to represent a network. And may I remind you it was Anne who called him here in the first place? Not me. Besides, it’s not like he doesn’t already know our darkest secrets. If anyone knows how to reach Jessica, it would be someone in his field. He has all kinds of equipment and tons of experience.”

  Reed rubbed his face and sighed as he surveyed me. I slid my tiny diamond earrings into my ears, hoping they would make me appear a bit more put together. It didn’t help. I wheeled over to my vanity and started on my makeup. “Mike is a reality television celebrity,” he said. “And as far as I know, there is no diploma given for ghostbusting. You’ve hired people before. Would you hire someone with just those credentials? Come on, Avery. Think about this reasonably.”

  I put the makeup brush down and eased my chair back around. “I am not proposing we put him on the payroll, but you can’t deny he has a lot of experience with contacting spirits. Do you know how to do any of that stuff? Talk to the dead?”

  Reed shook his head. “So, you think she’s dead?”

  I wasn’t prepared for his question. I sure didn’t want to believe that or give up hope on finding Jessica alive or say it aloud, but she’d undoubtedly stepped into a different time, or realm, or something. I mean, Reed had seen her video too. He knew what she said she was trying to do, and if I believed her, she’d done it once before.

  While I was struggling for an answer, he said, “Mike DeLuca doesn’t know what we know. He hasn’t had a ghost follow his family for centuries. He is not a Dufresne. I mean, he knows some of the family history but not all of it. And we’ve had enough scandal as of late. It’s time for healing, Avery, don’t you think?”

  “How can we heal if people continue to allow people to get hurt? Besides Jessica’s disappearance, Summer left for another state. Handsome gave his life to free us from Ambrose. Pepper is gone now too. Who do you have in mind? Who can help us?” I wasn’t trying to be unreasonable, but I really didn’t have any other suggestions about whose shoulder to tap on for this kind of special help.

  “Those few that you named aren’t the only Dufresnes who have special abilities, Avery.” His cryptic smile disturbed me. “We could invite some of the others. Quietly, of course, without the television crew here to record it all.”

  “There’s no television crew coming, Reed. And I’m clueless as to what you are suggesting. Care to enlighten me? I’m the new kid on the block, remember?”

  He scooted closer to me as I wheeled toward him. “Just off the top of my head, there’s Dolly Jane and Arnold Lee. And even Danforth, if you can get past his bad attitude. He would be useful for this. They are just a few of our family members who have special strengths of the kind we need.”

  “Danforth? I had no idea he had any special power. What does he bring to the table? You know what, I probably don’t want to know. Do you think they’d be willing to help us? Maybe we could have our own investigation at Sugar Hill before Mike gets here.”

  “If we find answers, we wouldn’t need Mike,” Reed answered hopefully. I couldn’t understand his reluctance. If this was such a great idea, why hadn’t he suggested it before? I decided against asking him. Reed wasn’t the kind of guy who was overly jealous, so I got the feeling that something else was bothering him. Maybe it was just a matter of two A-type personalities clashing, but I wasn’t sure.

  “I’ve already asked Mike to come, Reed. He’s on the way, but he won’t be here until tomorrow. If you want to, let’s give your idea a shot before he arrives.”

  Reed sighed and clasped my hand. “Let’s at least try this. Dolly Jane is already at Sugar Hill. Her family came up this week. Danforth will come too if his Matrone asks him to, and I can relay that message for you. Arnold Lee, though…I’m not really sure about Lucas allowing that. Not after what happened with Alice Marie. They’re in the middle of a messy divorce and a tough custody battle, but you know all that. You’ll have to make that call. Maybe you could offer to help him legally.”

  “I have offered a number of times, but I can try again.” I chewed my lip and thought about Reed’s proposal. Lucas was in a difficult situation, but he was a Dufresne now. He’d have to step up to the plate when called upon. We were family. “I will give him a call. Can’t hurt to ask. I’m going to call Summer too. She should know about this.”

  “All right. Sounds like a plan. Let’s go eat, and then we can rally the troops.” Reed squatted down beside me. “I love you, Avery. I hope you know that.”

  “Yes, I do know that. I never doubted it.” We kissed, and then my husband patiently eased my chair through the bedroom door and pushed me down the hall. As we passed the large mirror in the hallway, I frowned at my reflection. The bath didn’t help much. I looked a hot mess in my cast and unfinished makeup. I smiled at Reed’s handsome reflection, and he smiled back.

  Only the reflection had shifted, and the man smiling back at me wasn’t Reed anymore.

  I stared in horror at the face that shifted. My beautiful husband’s face flickered briefly and he became Ambrose. His dark hair, a bit longer than Reed’s, fluttered around his face. His bright red lips curled up in an evil smile, and then he was gone. Reed didn’t seem to notice any of it, and for that, at least, I was thankful.

  But it wouldn’t be long before he found out. Before he saw him for himself because Ambrose was here.

  The Lovely Man had returned, and he was coming for us all.

  Chapter Five

  Arnold Lee

  Daddy picked up the phone and walked into the living room to talk to the caller. Arnold Lee didn’t know why he bothered doing that. Grandpa’s house was very small, and Arnold Lee could hear everything from his spot at the kitchen table. Unless his father went upstairs. He could hear less if Daddy went up there, but he didn’t bother trying to listen to his conversation. He wasn’t going to be nosy, and the lady’s song still played in his head. He wasn’t woozy anymore and could hear perfectly.

  Humming her tune, Arnold Lee opened the new box of crayons and enjoyed the smell. He closed his eyes and smiled. He also had a new drawing pad and lots of magnets for hanging his art on the refrigerator. His father bought him all these things when he got out of the hospital. Arnold Lee continued to h
um to himself as he drew his latest masterpiece. He knew exactly what he wanted to draw. He reached for the brown crayon and drew himself and his grandfather standing by the long black car. He used the blue crayon for his grandfather’s hat, and he colored one on his head too just for fun. Wouldn’t it be neat if they both had hats? He drew his grandfather waving at him and put a smile on his face with a red crayon. He missed Grandpa. He liked riding in his special car. It had a radio in the back seat and a little refrigerator with tiny bottles of water. Arnold Lee really liked that. Those bottles were so small, like him.

  Try as he might, he couldn’t ignore his father’s phone conversation. Daddy was mad at someone, but it didn’t sound like his mother calling. His parents were getting a d-i-v-o-r-c-e. That’s what Daddy told their friend Larry. Arnold Lee guessed it was extra bad if you had to spell it, but he knew how to spell and also how to count to a thousand. He was pretty smart. And he knew what divorce meant too. He tried not to think about it too much. He had too much to draw, too many songs to learn.

  As the lady sang, he continued to draw. His creation was almost finished. He grabbed a green crayon for the grass and trees, but the picture felt incomplete. Like he was missing something or someone.

  He closed his eyes and waited. It would come to him. He would know how to fix this. He held his breath and counted to ten. Ah, yes! That’s who was missing. Jessie, with the big, sad eyes. He put her face at the corner of the picture like she was photo-bombing Arnold Lee and his grandfather. Yeah, that’s what they called it when you snuck into a picture and you weren’t invited. He didn’t like the paleness of her skin. She had always been pale, but now she was even paler, and her lips were thin like she was thirsty or something.

  The lady sang about the pennies, so he penciled them in. He had to use a pencil, or else the pennies would look like brown blobs of snow. Luckily, he had a brown pencil and a blue pen too.

  “He doesn’t know anything, Avery. I’m sorry.” Daddy hung up the phone and poured himself a glass of tea. Arnold Lee had Kool-Aid, but he was focused now, entirely focused on getting this right. Daddy opened his checkbook and calculator. He tapped on the little black machine a few times and wrote in his checkbook. After a few minutes, both Arnold Lee and his father had completed their tasks. “What do you have there, son?” he asked as he scooted closer. “Another masterpiece, I see.”

  “Yep. I think so,” Arnold Lee answered. He slid the picture toward his father and sipped his red drink. His mother never let him have red Kool-Aid. He sure did like it even if it did make his tummy feel extra excited sometimes.

  His father stared at the picture and put his finger over Grandpa’s face. “Is that your grandfather, Arnold Lee? Does he visit you?”

  “No, but I can see him in that picture. I think he’s busy. He has a lot to do now.”

  “What about her? Who is this?” Arnold Lee stared at him. He felt a little disappointed that his father didn’t know who that was. Was his drawing that bad? “Did you hear me, son? Who is this?”

  What should he say? His mother had warned him about telling people about the things he saw, and he didn’t actually see Jessie. Not in person, like his father or that kid in the shower at the hospital.

  “You don’t have to hide anything from me, son. I can take the truth. Tell me the truth, Arnold Lee. I won’t punish you.”

  “Okay, Daddy. That’s my friend Jessie. You know her.”

  His father caught his breath and rubbed his hand over his mouth. He sometimes did that when he was nervous about something, like when his favorite football team played a championship game on television. “Can you see Jessica? It’s real important. Tell me the truth. I swear you aren’t in trouble. No trouble at all, but Jessica, this is Jessie? Do you see her now?”

  “No. Not like that. Not all the time. She just kind of pops up when I draw. I won’t be thinking about her, but poof there she is, and she wants to be in my pictures. She likes them. She always liked them because she is very nice.”

  “Yes, she is nice. I’m sure she does like your pictures. Are there more? Let me see them, please.”

  “Okay,” Arnold Lee answered. He ran upstairs and grabbed his stack of secret pictures. He put them in front of his father and stood nervously beside him. “Jessie is in a lot of pictures. She likes being in them. She wants me to see her. I’m not in trouble, right?”

  “No, no trouble.” His father wasn’t listening, though. He was shuffling through the pictures. There was Jessie in a big dress at a dance, dancing with an invisible man. In another picture, she was running, and a man was chasing her. Arnold Lee did not know the man, but he was sure he was going to hurt her.

  “Arnold Lee, I have something important to ask you. You can say no if you want to, and I won’t be mad. I can’t believe I am asking you this.”

  He didn’t know what else to say except, “Okay, Daddy. You can ask me.”

  “You know Jessica is missing, right?” Arnold Lee nodded because he wasn’t sure what to say. “Avery wants to find her, and she thinks you can help her. Do you think you can do that?”

  Arnold Lee scratched his head. “How can I help?” Had they forgotten he was just a kid? Grown-ups never asked kids to help them. This must be really bad for Jessie.

  “I’m not really sure, but Avery wants us to come to Sugar Hill this afternoon. Maybe we can search for clues, and you can show her your artwork if you want to. That might be enough to find Jessie and bring her home. Would you like that?”

  Arnold Lee smiled proudly at that idea. “Yes. I want to find Jessie. Nobody should be lost forever.”

  “You have to promise me, Arnold Lee. You can’t tell your mother about any of this. You just can’t. She won’t understand, and she’ll try to fix you by giving you medicine again. She might even take you back to that crazy preacher. I know you love her, and I respect that. I’m talking to you man to man here, but you have to promise me you won’t tell her anything. I can’t lose you, son.”

  Arnold Lee didn’t like lying to people, especially his mother, who always seemed to know when he did. But he liked that Daddy was talking to him man to man. Was he a man now? He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He felt as if the weight of the whole world rested on his shoulders, but he would try for Daddy. And for Jessie. And as his father had explained before, it wasn’t quite lying. It was just not telling everything.

  “What do we do?” Arnold Lee asked as he sat down and leaned forward in his seat, just like a grown man.

  His father rubbed the condensation off his tea glass with his finger. He never put ice in his drinks, but that tea was pretty warm since he just made it. Arnold Lee learned about con-den-sa-tion from his science teacher, Mrs. Milford. She was big into science, except for bugs. She did not like bugs. Daddy looked worried and unhappy, but more unhappy than worried.

  “What is it, Daddy?”

  “I don’t know, Arnold Lee. Just a feeling I have.” He picked up Arnold Lee’s picture and touched the faces again. “Hey, where am I in this picture? Don’t I get a hat too?”

  “No, but you have to wear boots. You’ll need some boots, I think. And some work clothes, so your good clothes don’t get dirty.”

  Daddy’s smile disappeared. Suddenly, he hugged Arnold Lee. He squatted beside Arnold Lee and hugged him tight. He sobbed once but didn’t actually cry. Arnold Lee was glad about that. He didn’t like seeing anyone cry, much less his big, strong father. Not when they were talking man to man.

  They didn’t talk any more about it, just hugged for a minute before Daddy went to make his phone call. Arnold Lee figured that was good enough. Hugs were always much better than words.

  Chapter Six

  Avery Dufresne

  “This isn’t the first time someone has disappeared from Sugar Hill,” Danforth’s voice boomed through the empty ballroom. He was so loud he didn’t need a microphone. God, I disliked this man. He’d been such a jerk in the past, especially to Pepper and during that whole thing with Bray. But he�
�d been repentant, and Reed had advised me about keeping my friends close and my enemies closer. Somehow, Danforth and I had managed to work together, but it was still difficult to trust him. I expected loyalty in every relationship, and when someone proved untrustworthy, I didn’t usually give them a second chance. I wasn’t convinced Danforth was going to be any help to us at all, but for Reed, I would go on a little faith. He deserved that, and in the end, I felt good about this. Even though I wasn’t sure how it would all work out.

  I shivered at remembering the weird reflection in the mirror at Thorn Hill. Surely that had been a trick of the light. Your pain medication. Anything but Ambrose.

  “Nope. Not the first,” he repeated proudly. As usual, Danforth sported one of his rumpled Matlock suits, and today he appeared a touch flushed around the nose and cheeks. He did like the occasional nip of bourbon. Kind of early for that, though, wasn’t it?

  “Are you referring to Regina Dufresne and her mother? I’d say their disappearance has been solved.” If I sounded like a smartass, it was all right. I meant to. “I think we know Arthur Dufresne walled them up. He left them to die in the most horrible way possible.”

  Danforth snapped back, “That was a little before my time and yours too, Avery. We really have no idea who put them there.”

  I shook my head, prepared to argue when Reed touched my shoulder. Did he really want to get involved in this skirmish? Before I could say another word, Dolly Jane walked in, a bored look on her young face. How old was she now? Kids these days looked way older than they actually were. She wore makeup, and her hair was straightened into a silky waterfall, as was the fashion. Dolly wasn’t a skinny kid anymore. That was easy to see with her fitted blue jeans and a cute polka-dot top. She barely limped at all. I couldn’t help but feel proud of how the family came together for her. We Dufresnes actually did something good! We were capable of doing good things like this. Looking for Jessica together was also a good thing.