As he pushed open the door a bell tinkled, and he was transported to a candy store of occult delights. Trinkets, books, candles and pendants all lined the walls. He found his head flicking from side-to-side as each new delight pulled his eyes in a different direction.
“Good day,” a voice called from further back, and Jesse walked in to see the owner. She was in her fifties, with long blonde hair tinged with gray, and a sweet face.
“Hi,” Jesse managed. “When did you open?”
“Oh just a few weeks ago. I’m Fiona.”
“Jesse,” he said, as he reached across the glass counter and shook her hand. Her grip was firm and cool and she gave him a slight smile.
She had a nice face, but he found his eyes drawn to the counter. It was filled with crystals in every shape, color, and size, as well as a number of tarot decks.
“Are you just browsing or may I help you?” Fiona asked.
Jesse smiled. “I... well, I’m a spiritualist. I help people with ghosts and spirits and I just love anything that could be spirit-related.”
“How interesting. How many people have you helped?”
Jesse felt his cheeks warm a little and he turned to look at the books. His business was so new that the only people he had helped were himself, Gail, and his friend, Mark. “The business is quite new, so far it has just been friends.”
“Are you the couple from Seafield House?” Fiona asked.
Jesse turned to look at her and nodded.
“Well, you helped all the women who were trapped there.”
Jesse nodded again. He was going to like Fiona. “Yes, and I helped a friend recently.”
“Why don’t you leave me a card or some details?” she asked. “If I hear of any clients then I can pass them on.”
Jesse reached into his pocket and handed her a few flyers as more heat hit his cheeks. Why did the business side of this still embarrass him? It was what he wanted to do, and yet his confidence was low. Maybe it was because only Gail could see the ghosts and he still felt as if he were just a kid watching from the outside?
Fiona took the cards and then pointed him to the far side of the store. “If you’re looking for spirit-related articles, every one of these has a history. Some I know, some I don’t; but I’m told that each has been involved with a haunting.”
Jesse looked at the wall. Shelves were lined with objects that looked like they could have been picked out of a jumble sale. It was filled from top to bottom with brick-a-brack. A cracked china cup and saucer with a rose design, a few old books, a brass pig, and a few framed photos of different people were displayed. One showed a young boy with tears running down his face. The most disturbing object was a doll’s severed head in a plastic bag. The neck was covered in a gooey red substance. The smile slipped from his face. If this was true, then the shop was a dangerous place.
“You shouldn’t sell these,” he said.
Fiona smiled. “Don’t worry, I bought them at an auction. I’m sure none of them are really haunted. I guess I just wanted to see if you were the real deal.”
“Did I pass?”
Fiona nodded, but somehow the store had changed for Jesse. Either she was a fraud, an unbeliever who was just making money out of vulnerable people, or she had lied to him, and there really was a wall of haunted objects in his town. If only he had the ability, then he would be able to tell. The thought of having to bring Gail into the shop to find out was too much for him. After all, he was supposed to be the psychic investigator; she was to be his wife.
Jesse spent the next ten minutes looking around the dark and dingy shelves of the store, but it no longer fascinated him. In the end, he bought a book on contacting spirit guides; it was one he hadn’t read and he hoped it would provide one more piece to the puzzle which he needed to solve. Then, feeling entirely deflated, he thanked Fiona, and taking the carrier bag with the Occult Mysteries logo on it, he left.
Chapter 3
Jesse had everything ready: the table was set, the wine was chilling and the curry was simmered on the stove. He found himself back at his desk staring at the engagement ring. It sparkled in the lights and lit up his heart with joy.
Gail would be back soon and then he would tell her. Closing the ring box, he placed it back in his desk drawer just as he heard an email notification. At the same time, her Volkswagen beetle pulled into the drive.
It would be a few minutes before she came in so he opened the email and found he couldn't stop reading.
It was from a lady called Margie. She claimed that she was being assaulted and terrorized by something in her house that she couldn’t make sense of. She said a presence, a darkness seemed to always be watching her. As he read on down the email his plans for the night were forgotten, and his worry for this new client took over.
"Hey there," Gail said from behind him. "Something smells delicious."
Jesse turned. "Hey sweetheart. How was your day?" Before he waited for an answer he had already turned his attention back to the email.
Gail knew him well and she came and stood behind him, reading over his shoulder.
"Is this a case?" she asked.
Jesse turned around and pulled her onto his lap. "Yes it is, but it can wait ‘till tomorrow. Why don't I make my starving girl a wonderful meal and let's relax for the night?"
"Yeah, but is this a case?"
Jesse laughed. "I guess the meal can wait for a little while," he said, his eyes flicking to the desk drawer. How he wanted to just open it, to pull out the ring and give it to her now. But that wouldn't do. It needed to be more romantic than that and it could wait another night or two.
Looking back at the email he switched to work mode.
"It sounds like she's been haunted by a malignant spirit."
Gail had been reading over his shoulder and she shook her head. "I um... I don't know about this one. To me, it sounds like she might just be imagining things. I mean, why would a ghost do that?"
"There have been many cases of hauntings like this," Jesse said.
"Really? Bright lights… the feeling of a presence? I understand. But under these circumstances, you think this could be real and not all in her mind?"
"I do. I have read about this type of thing before and they can get very nasty. We will investigate things and make sure that it is real but… I think this could be a paying customer." He raised his eyebrows and smiled up at Gail.
Her brown eyes seemed to sparkle with joy and a bit of mischief.
She put her hands on his cheeks and pulled his lips to hers, giving him a great big kiss. Long brunette hair swept over his face, tickling the skin as it caressed him before she pulled away, and he groaned at the loss.
"Then when do we go see her?" she asked.
Jesse laughed again. "Why don't you dish up the meal and I will send back an email asking her when she wants to meet?"
Gail jumped up from his knee and raced from the room as Jesse found himself chuckling. Since she had discovered that she could see ghosts, that she could interact with them, Gail couldn't get enough of it. Even though on several occasions it had been dangerous, even life-threatening. Still, Gail enjoyed the buzz and she wanted it more and more.
He understood that feeling; it was one he had as a child. He’d constantly tried to rediscover that feeling, even after he’d lost his ability to see spirits.
On his first visit here to Seafield House, he had found out that Gail was sensitive. Since then, they had decided to start this business called, The Spirit Guide. They established it in order to help people who were bothered by spirits. Their goal was to help both the people and the spirits find the peace that they deserved. This was to be their first paying case and he was excited, almost as excited as Gail.
Jesse sent an email back to the client asking her when and where she would like to meet. Before he had even closed out of the computer, he got a reply back asking if they could meet her tonight at a cafe. It gave them just enough time to have a quick bite to eat and get th
ere. It looked like his plans to propose would be put on hold for tonight, but somehow he knew that neither of them would mind. Already he was buzzing with excitement over what the new case would bring.
"This is delicious," Gail said, as she tucked into the chicken tikka. "Any special occasion, or did you just have an urge for curry?"
Jesse felt a touch of heat hitting his cheeks and he dropped his head down to hide it. Somehow he thought that she knew he was going to propose. It was almost like a dance between the two of them. He was trying to keep it a secret and she was trying to pretend she didn't know, yet she still had to tease him.
Had she guessed that tonight was the night? For a moment he put down his fork and started to stand. He just wanted to do it now and his friend Mark came to mind. He had decided he was going to propose just moments before Alissa was killed. Now, every time Jesse thought about proposing he thought about that, and it set his nerves on edge and turned his stomach. What if he waited and it was too late?
Though he knew this was stupid, he still hovered half-standing, half-sitting, thinking that he could grab the ring, throw it at her, and say there was no time. He loved her and wanted her to know he wanted to marry her.
But, that was not how he wanted to do this. He wanted wine, slow music, dancing, and a long, romantic night together. He had planned a scented bath and a night of passion, but now they would be rushing out. Still, he could give her the ring and at least the proposal would be over.
A vision of him throwing her the box came into his mind and he nearly laughed.
No, he could wait another day or two. He would wait until after this case and then they could celebrate properly.
"Hurry up with your curry or we'll be late," she said with a wink.
Jesse sank back into his chair with a laugh. "You’re right. We can't be late for our first ever client."
Gail let out a squeal of delighted laughter. "Am I an awful person being so excited over somebody's misfortune?"
Jesse couldn't help but laugh, but he controlled his face and put on a stern expression. "It’s a little bit insensitive, especially after everything she's been through."
He could see the joy dropping off Gail's face and couldn't keep up the ruse.
"No, I am every bit as excited as you are. That doesn’t mean we don't feel for this woman, for Margie. It just means that we are excited to discover the reasons for this. There is something about interacting with a spirit, whether it be benign or vindictive, that is exciting. It is a new frontier, an adventure, and let’s face it, a massive buzz. So no, I don't think you're a bad person; I think you're human."
"Good," Gail said. "Now what do we need to know for this case?"
"I think first of all we talk to her and get a sense of whether we feel she is having a breakdown. From there we visit the house and we take the equipment. You see if you can feel anything. If you can interact with the spirit, this could be handled very quickly. At least this case shouldn’t be too difficult and not at all dangerous. After the last two spirits being so malevolent, it is a relief to have something quite so mundane. It is most likely someone close to her, someone who passed away recently. If so, they probably don’t know they are gone. In that case, it will be pretty easy… you will just have to explain what happened and tell the spirit that he is scaring her and that he has to go. If it isn't anyone she knows... which I think is unlikely... then I don't know who it can be, and that will take much more investigation.
“Basically, we have to play it by ear. We won't know what we're dealing with until we discover a lot more about the case. Even so, the danger is more for Margie than for us. These cases can get difficult and we will have to watch for her, but that danger usually takes a long while to manifest so... as long as we can handle this quickly, it should be pretty easy. Are you up for it?"
Gail nodded her head and a smile as big as the moon lit up her face. “You know I am, and don’t go trying to stop me or keep me out of things. Remember, we are a team. We are The Spirit Guide together, and that is how we will work best.”
Jesse nodded. He knew he had a tendency to try and keep her out of the thick of things, to keep her safe. He had to learn to trust her ability as she could see the spirits much easier than he could. "Okay, I’m learning,” he said. “The Jeep’s all loaded, so why don't we go have coffee with our first client? It will be so good to have an easy job as our first one."
Chapter 4
Jesse pushed open the door and held it for Gail. With a smile, she walked into the coffee shop. Warm air caressed them as they looked around. They had visited the place before but always during the day, and he hadn’t expected it to be this busy at almost 9 pm. Scanning the booths, he wondered if they would spot the client. For a moment, he wondered if she would even be there. Part of him had this fear that he would never make it as a physic investigator and that he would fail and let Gail down. After all, what good was a ghost hunter who couldn’t see ghosts?
Then he saw her. She was easy to spot: a woman in her fifties sat alone right at the back. She had a brunette bob and looked thin and fraught. Her hands were clasped together in front of her. Even at this distance he could see the knuckles were white and her eyes nervously searched the room.
“I think that’s her,” he said, and indicated to Gail.
“She looks a little... she looks unstable,” Gail said, and then grimaced. “I didn’t mean to be rude but I think maybe this one isn’t a case.”
“You may be right but she could just be afraid. Put yourself in her position. Someone is haunting you and you don’t understand it.”
Gail nodded and squeezed his hand.
Together they approached the table.
“Margie?”
The woman nodded, popped out of her seat like a jack out of a box, and offered her hand.
Jessie took the thin hand and noticed the nails were bitten down to sore skin. He shook it gently. “I’m Jessie; this is Gail. Let’s see if we can help you.”
She smiled, a gleam of hope shining in her brown eyes and giving a slight curve to her heart-shaped lips. She had been a beautiful woman, but now, despair hung on her like a heavy cloak. It dragged down her facial features and weighed on her shoulders.
“Why don’t I get some drinks?” Gail asked.
“A Latté please,” Margie said, and almost fell back into her seat.
“Tell me a little more,” Jesse said as Gail returned.
Margie looked up, her brown eyes wide as if just the telling of it would somehow bring back the terror. She took her mug and poured in three sugars, stirring it over and over.
“Margie,” Jesse prompted, and she looked up from the coffee. “If we are to help you we need to know what happened.”
“Yes, yes of course.” She stirred the coffee some more.
Gail reached out and put her hands over Margie’s, stopping the obsessive behavior with a smile.
“You can tell us,” Gail said. “We have seen things; we will believe you and you can trust us.”
Margie nodded and let out a sigh that seemed to shrink her a little, but she raised her head and told her tale.
“At first it was just the sense of a presence and I thought it was my Alan.”
“Alan?” Jesse asked.
“My husband passed almost three months ago now. I thought that I was just sensing his loss, seeing things because I wanted to. I imagine that’s what you will believe.”
She raised her eyebrows and challenged them with a look.
“We are here to help,” Jesse said firmly but calmly. “You know that and you must trust that we can help. I know it’s hard, but tell us everything.”
Once more she let out a sigh and her shoulders dropped a little more. The challenge was gone, replaced by fatigue. With a shaking hand, she picked up the spoon, stirring the coffee.
“It all started about a month after Alan died, you see. I thought I was distraught, depressed, and that it was all in my mind.”
The silence spread
between them and Jesse, who wanted to leave it and let her come to terms with them, sat quietly, but he could sense Gail’s frustration.
“What made you change your mind?” Gail asked gently.
“It wasn’t one thing. At first I thought I must just be tired, imagining things, but it just got worse... cold, creepy noises at night. Whispers, shadows... I... I... I don’t think I can do this,” she said, and dropping the spoon, she got to her feet.
Like a startled bird she turned from the table ready to take flight.
“Margie,” Jesse called, and she looked back at him. “I know this is hard but we can help.”
“Then you believe me?”
“Yes.” Jesse felt Gail kick his leg. She didn’t believe, but that wasn’t the point. Later he would explain that they must always believe the client. Even if she turned out to be having a breakdown, she was still telling the truth as she saw it. In that case, it would be their job to help her see the truth, the real truth, and to explain how it was happening. However, he had a feeling about this. An excitement inside told him that Margie was in trouble and that they could help her. Maybe they were the only ones who could.
“We will investigate this Margie,” Gail said. “We will find out the truth, but we need something to go on.”
Jesse wanted to stop Gail. She didn’t believe the woman, and even though she was trying to be subtle, it came through in her tone. Why hadn’t he had this conversation before? It was too late now; he just had to ignore it and try to help Margie. “Now, take your time and tell us whatever you can.”
“Maybe I should just show you,” Margie said. A pallor came over her face and she gulped as if a lump had formed in her throat. Slowly she dropped the spoon into the mug. With shaking fingers she pulled back the sleeves of her blouse.
A deep blue bruise circled her wrist. In places, the skin had blistered and formed angry red scars.
Jesse had never seen anything like it. He had read how a malignant spirit could get so angry that the combination of force and cold it brought could burn skin but this was the first time he had seen evidence. A lump formed in his own throat and he had to swallow before he could speak.
DarkMan: Ghosts and Haunted Houses (The Spirit Guide Book 3) Page 2
