Clear Expectations - A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery (Book 20) (Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mysteries)

by Terri Reid

  She stepped up closer and looked into his eyes. “You do know!” she exclaimed. “Why won’t you tell me so I can stop worrying?”

  He shook his head. “Sorry, classified information,” he said. “A need to know situation.”

  Mary looked down at her bulging belly and then looked up at him, incredulous. “And you don’t think I have a need to know?”

  He stepped closer, his smile gone, replaced with tender concern. “I’m sorry, Mar,” he began. “I’m not…”

  She smiled at him and sighed. “Yeah, I get it,” she replied. “But, you know, if you could just see if they’ll make an exception…”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I’ll ask,” he said. “I’ll even get slightly annoying about it.”

  Mary opened her eyes wide again. “What? You get annoying? That couldn’t happen.”

  He grinned. “Keep it up and I’ll talk to them about teaching you patience,” he said, and then he slowly started to fade away.

  “What’s so bad about learning patience?” she asked to his nearly invisible form.

  “The elephant used to have the same gestational period as the human being,” he said. “Until she asked to learn patience.”

  “What?” Mary yelled into the now empty room. “Mike that’s not fair! Mike get back here.”

  “Gotta go,” Mike’s disembodied voice floated around the room. “Oh, and by the way, you can check out the third floor of the hospital. They’ve been waiting a long time.”

  “They?” Mary whispered. “They?”

  She glanced at the clock. Clarissa would be home in a few minutes.

  The knock on the front door surprised her. She hurried over and pulled it open to see her mother, Margaret O’Reilly, standing on the front porch.

  “Mom!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around her.

  Margaret wrapped her arms around her daughter and just held her. “Happy New Year, sweetheart. I know I wasn’t supposed to arrive yet,” she said. “But I just couldn’t stand waiting.”

  Mary laughed joyfully, her eyes filled with tears. “This is perfect!” she cried. “Absolutely perfect.”

  She stepped back, smiling, and took a deep breath. “And Bradley fixed the room for you this morning, so it’s ready,” she said.

  “Well, isn’t he a brilliant son-in-law?” Margaret laughed.

  “He’s as nervous as me about the baby coming,” Mary admitted. “So we will all sleep a lot better knowing that you’re here.”

  “Well, I’m glad to hear it,” Margaret admitted. “I was a little worried you’d turn me away and send me back to Chicago.”

  “Not a chance,” Mary said, putting her arm around her mother’s shoulders and guiding her inside. “Not a chance.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Grandma, I’m so glad you’re finally here,” Clarissa exclaimed as they sat around the table that evening.

  Margaret smiled at her new granddaughter. “I’m so glad I’m finally here too,” she replied with a soft chuckle. “I haven’t seen you since Christmas, and it seems like forever.”

  Bradley bit back a chuckle and nodded. “Forever,” he repeated.

  Clarissa nodded. “Christmas was a long, long, long time ago,” she agreed. “Grandma, you need to move next door.”

  “That would be a wonderful thing,” Margaret agreed with twinkle in her eye. “But I would really miss Grandpa.”

  Clarissa shook her head. “Oh, no, Grandpa would move here too,” she insisted. “He would have to!”

  “That would be wonderful,” Mary agreed. “You and Dad would love Freeport.”

  “Well, I’ll be sure to discuss it with him,” Margaret promised. “But I don’t think he’s ever going to retire.” She turned her attention to Clarissa. “So, when do you go back to school?”

  “On Tuesday,” the little girl replied with a sigh. “We only get one day to celebrate New Year’s.”

  “But you’ve already had two weeks off school,” Bradley reminded her. “And if you stay out any longer, you’re going to forget everything you learned so far.”

  Sighing dramatically, Clarissa looked at her father. “If I didn’t forget everything during the summer, I won’t forget everything during Christmas break,” she explained.

  “But it’s winter,” Bradley argued. “So, it’s cold and your brain doesn’t work as well. It freezes things out.”

  “Really?” Clarissa asked Mary.

  Margaret laughed. “Ah, I see she knows who does the teasing in this household.”

  Mary smiled at her daughter. “No, that’s not quite true,” she replied. “But you love school, don’t you? You love your teacher and your friends.”

  “I guess,” Clarissa said. “But with Grandma here, it would be more fun to be home.”

  “Well, tomorrow I’ll be here, and you’ll have the day off,” Margaret offered. “Shall we make a day of it?”

  “Really?” Clarissa asked, her eyes filled with excitement.

  “Really,” Margaret replied, then stopped and looked over at Mary and Bradley. “That is if it’s fine with your parents.”

  “I think that’s a great idea,” Bradley said. “Thank you.”

  “I love the idea too,” Mary said. “Just the two of you.”

  “Can we have just the three of us?” Clarissa asked. “Maggie is coming over tomorrow, remember?”

  “Oh, that’s right,” Mary replied. She had totally forgotten about her promise to Katie that she would have Maggie over. “I’m sorry, honey. Let’s schedule a you and Grandma day another time.”

  Margaret saw the disappointment in Clarissa’s eyes and turned to Mary. “Why?” she asked. “Is there something you had planned to do with the girls, or could I just add Maggie to our day?”

  “I really didn’t have anything planned yet,” Mary replied. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  “Mind?” Margaret laughed. “I think it would be delightful to have both girls with me. How about you, Clarissa?”

  “It would be so much fun,” Clarissa said. “And I know Maggie would love it too.”

  “Well then,” Margaret said. “It’s a date. We’ll have to find an adventure.”

  Clarissa wiggled excitedly in her chair. “I love adventure!” she exclaimed. “Especially when you’re part of it.”

  Margaret laughed. “And I love an adventure that you’re a part of, so we’re even.”

  Chapter Eight

  “I can’t believe she asked to go to bed. It’s not even eight o’clock,” Mary said as she, Bradley and Margaret were sitting together in the living room, the fireplace snapping as a warm fire blazed. Mary and Margaret shared the couch, and Bradley sat across from them in the recliner.

  “She spent the night at Maggie’s last night?” Margaret asked. “For New Year’s Eve?”

  “Yes,” Mary replied. “Why?”

  Margaret smiled. “Well, if she is anything like you, she didn’t get any sleep at all last night,” she teased kindly. “They probably spent the whole night talking about very important things.”

  Bradley laughed. “That sounds just like them,” he said. “They are inseparable. They’ve already decided to work together when they grow up.”

  “Oh, really?” Margaret asked. “And what do they want to do?”

  “Well, Clarissa wants to go into law enforcement,” Mary said.

  Margaret sighed. “Well, really, how could she not with this family,” she said. “And Maggie?”

  “Maggie has Mary’s gift,” Bradley explained. “She’s been able to see ghosts and, even at her young age, help them. So…”

  “They want to be like the two of you,” Margaret exclaimed as the truth dawned on her. “They are just emulating you.” She paused and smiled at them. “Well, you must be proud of them.”

  “Frightened to death is more like it,” Mary said. “Why can’t they both want to be supermodels or athletes like most girls their age?”

  Laughing softly, Margaret shook her head. “Because most g
irls their age don’t live with people who are heroes in their own right,” she said with a casual shrug. “You’ve both set a fine example.”

  Mary met her mother’s eyes. “You always made it seem so effortless,” Mary finally said.

  “What?” Margaret asked.

  “Being an example,” Mary replied. “You always seemed to know what to do, how to do it and how to handle things.”

  Margaret laughed. “Well, that’s the greatest secret of parenting,” she said, lowering her voice conspiringly. “Never, ever, let them see you sweat.”

  Bradley laughed. “Well, okay, I’ve already lost then,” he said. “I’m constantly worried that I’m not doing the right thing. Being a parent is the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done.”

  “Aye, it is,” Margaret agreed. “And the most satisfying.” Her eyes moistened slightly. “Seeing your children grow up to be fine adults, raising their own children with love. That’s a blessing to be sure.”

  Mary reached over and squeezed her mother’s hand. “Thank you, Ma,” she whispered. “I just always think, ‘What would Ma do?’”

  Margaret laughed. “And that will get you into all kinds of trouble.”

  “Speaking of trouble,” Mary said with a smile. “I played poker with Stanley most of the afternoon. I won his cabin in Sun Valley, his mansion in Tuscany, his condo in Aspen and his vineyard in France.”

  “So, I can quit my job tomorrow and we can live off the sale of his property?” Bradley teased.

  “I don’t think so,” Mary replied with a chuckle. “But it was fun to get him all worked up about losing to me.”

  “Kept his mind off being in the hospital?” Margaret asked.

  Mary nodded. “Yes, and it gave Rosie a couple of hours of free time,” she said. “Even though she’s devoted to Stanley, I’m sure she was going a little stir crazy.”

  “How’s Stanley doing?” Bradley asked.

  “His vitals are all good, his appetite is back and he’s complaining about the nursing staff,” Mary reported.

  “How are the nurses?” Margaret asked.

  “Amazing. We had a new one, Mandy, who was just so sweet,” Mary answered. “She actually just had a paranormal experience last night and told us about it.”

  “Someone told you about a ghost sighting?” Bradley exclaimed. “How unusual.”

  “Well, this one happened to her in the hospital, on the third floor,” Mary said. “She was working last night and went down to get supplies. When she looked up, she saw a little girl standing next to the empty nurses station. She initially thought the child was a misplaced patient, but when the little girl disappeared before her eyes…”

  “Did you go down to the third floor on your way home?” Margaret asked.

  Mary smiled. “I did,” she said. “Just to peek. But there was a nurse down there in the supply area, so I just came home.”

  Margaret studied her daughter for a long moment and then she smiled. “I think you and Bradley ought to go and visit Stanley for a few minutes tonight,” she suggested. “I’m here for Clarissa. And, if you both happen to accidentally press the button for the third floor instead of the fourth, who knows who you might find.”

  “Really?” Mary asked. “You wouldn’t mind?”

  Margaret’s smile widened. “I have a feeling that you won’t sleep very well until you figure out why that little girl is still there.”

  Mary leaned over and kissed her mother. “Thanks, Ma. You’re wonderful.”

  “And a mind reader,” Bradley added. “Thank you, Margaret.”

  “You’re both welcome,” she replied. “Now go and solve a mystery.”

  Chapter Nine

  Bradley stepped off the elevator before Mary and looked down the dimly lit corridor on the third floor. “I think I’ve seen this movie before,” he whispered over his shoulder. “And it doesn’t end well.”

  Mary giggled. “Stop it,” she said. “I already have to go to the bathroom and I don’t want to laugh. It makes it worse.”

  He turned around. “You have to go to the bathroom?” he asked, feigning surprise.

  “Shut up,” she replied.

  Bradley chuckled. “Well, I’m sure there’s a bathroom around here,” he said, stepping forward into the lobby area.

  Mary followed him, peering around. Only the emergency lights were lit, and the rest of the hall was filled with gloomy shadows. “It’s pretty spooky down here,” she said.

  Bradley stopped and looked at her. “Since when are you worried about spooky?” he asked.

  She sighed. “It’s weird,” she replied. “I don’t know if it’s because Mikey is coming so soon, or my ability to run and protect myself has been greatly reduced, or my emotions are on overdrive, but I’m easily spooked these days.”

  Nodding, Bradley put his arm around her shoulders. “That makes sense,” he said. “So, let’s take this slow and easy. Why don’t we find a bathroom first, and since this floor is deserted, I’ll go in with you and wait outside the stall.”

  “Really?” she asked.

  He grinned down at her. “Of course,” he said. “I always wanted to see what was inside a girl’s bathroom anyway.”

  She laughed. “You are so weird,” she teased.

  “And yet, you married me,” he replied.

  They walked down the hallway, and when it got too dim, Mary pulled a flashlight out of her purse to brighten the area.

  “What else do you have in there?” Bradley asked, motioning to her purse.

  Mary grinned. “Just wait until I start carrying a diaper bag,” she replied. “Then I’ll be fully armed.”

  A sign on the wall indicated a women’s bathroom, and Bradley opened the door to look inside. The fixtures were all in place. “Looks good,” he said. “Let me check and make sure the water’s on.”

  He walked over and turned on a faucet and water poured out.

  “Oh!” Mary squealed. “The sound of running water didn’t help. Gotta go.”

  She slipped quickly into a stall and Bradley reached over and turned off the water. “Sorry about that,” he called, biting back his laughter.

  “Oh, yeah, you think you’re so funny,” Mary called from within the stall.

  Still chuckling softly, Bradley looked around the room. There were probably eight stalls along one side of the room and four large sinks directly across from them. A mirror ran the length of the room over the sinks. In the dim light, he could barely make out his reflection in the mirror and chuckled when light burst from inside the stall Mary was in.

  “Got a little dark in there?” he called.

  “Funny!” she replied. “I’m looking for toilet paper, but I can’t find any in here.”

  “I’ll check the other stalls,” he called back.

  He went into the first stall and only found cardboard rolls. The second stall was the same. Mary was in the third stall, so he moved on to the fourth. As he approached the door, he happened to glance at the mirror, and then he froze, staring at his reflection. He could see himself, but next to his image was the reflection of a little girl in a hospital gown. He watched in the mirror as she lifted her hand and touched his hand. A shock of pure cold traveled up his arm, and then she disappeared.

  “Bradley,” Mary called out. “Are you okay?”

  It took him a moment to answer. “Yeah,” he breathed, his heart pounding in his chest. “Yeah, I’m good. But, um, I just met the little girl the nurse was talking about.”

  “You did?” Mary exclaimed.

  “Yeah, she appeared next to me and then touched my hand,” he replied.

  “Okay, you need to hurry and get me some toilet paper because I don’t want her to appear in the stall with me.”

  Bradley laughed, feeling some of the tension slip away, and checked the next stall. “We have a winner,” he said, pulling the roll from the next stall and handing it to Mary.

  “Thank goodness,” Mary said. “Because there was no way I was going to let you le
ave this bathroom to go search somewhere else.”

  She came out a few minutes later and hurried to the sink. He stood behind her, watching for any signs of the child. “What I don’t understand,” Bradley said as Mary washed her hands and pulled a bottle of hand sanitizer from her purse, “is how with all that other stuff in your purse, you don’t have tissues.”

  “Oh, I …” she stopped and looked up at him, biting softly on her lower lip. “I forgot.”

  He shook his head and then bent down and kissed her. “Actually, considering the circumstances, I would have forgotten too,” he said. “So, shall we continue the search?”

  Mary nodded. “Yes,” she said. “Especially now that she’s contacted you.”

  Chapter Ten

  Slipping past the deserted nurses station, Mary and Bradley pushed open the large, swinging doors that led to the old pediatric unit. The doors swished closed behind them, causing a chill to run down Mary’s spine.

  “Are you okay?” Bradley asked.

  She nodded silently, her eyes slowly scanning the long hallway before her. “I can feel someone in here with us,” she whispered.

  Instantly remembering their encounter in the asylum, Bradley put his arm around Mary and turned her to him. “Do you feel anything like you felt in the asylum?” he asked urgently.

  She paused for a moment, letting the energy from the unit wash over her, and then shook her head. “No. No, it’s not evil or aggressive,” she replied softly. “There’s sadness and…fear. Yes, there’s definitively a feeling of fear here.”

  “Fear of you?” Bradley asked. “Or just fear of the hospital?”

  She met his eyes. “Just fear,” she said. “I can’t pin it down. But let’s keep going.”

  They slowly walked down the corridor, pausing at each doorway and looking into the empty rooms.

  “Do you see anything?” Bradley asked as they stood in one of the empty rooms. The closet doors were open, the shelves dusty but empty. The walls had blocks of lighter color where shelving must have been attached in the past. The floor was linoleum with a thin coating of plaster dust from some of the remodeling that had taken place. The windows had beige shades pulled down over them.