Spirits 04-Spirits of Seacliff Manor

by Morgan Hannah MacDonald

  Jane stopped reading and glanced at Tim. “If you remember, Mina Crandonn was the medium that Houdini famously debunked in 1924.”

  “Poor lady. Crandonn probably milked her for a lot of money,” Tim said.

  “No doubt.” Jane looked back at her notes. “Bess passed in 1948 at the age of eighty-eight, at which time, the house went to her oldest son, Ryan Patrick MacDougall, who was sixty-eight at the time. Five of his six children married and moved away. His youngest, Vera, lived with her parents, taking care of her mother, Dolly, who was bedridden.

  “Ryan MacDougall passed away in 1962 of heart failure and Dolly went a few months later that same year. That left Vera to live in the house all alone at only twenty-one.”

  “When the hell did you have time to do all this research? Have you slept at all?” Tim asked.

  “I just printed this stuff out and highlighted the important parts,” Jane answered.

  “This is a first. You’ve never researched a place before we checked it out to see if there’s even a haunting,” Danny said.

  Twenty-four year old Danny Santino worked in a surf shop. He’d taken classes at the university where Tim and Jane taught. Originally Tim’s teaching assistant, he started joining them on investigations when Tim learned he had a knack for all things technical. Since then he’d been in charge of their recording equipment and computers.

  Somehow Danny always found a way out of work to go on their investigations. He said it was his charm and good looks. Jane had to admit he had both in spades. He stood a little over six feet, and although half Italian, he had long blond hair to die for that he always kept tied back at the nape of his neck.

  But Jane thought his best feature was his sense of humor. What surprised most people upon meeting him was how smart he actually was. Because of the way he talked and handled himself, one would assume he was another Spicoli from the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Danny was anything but.

  “That’s because the house is famous,” Jane said.

  “It can’t be too famous. I’ve never heard of it,” Danny replied.

  “That’s because you don’t watch the news or read a newspaper,” Jane shot back.

  “Too depressing.” He shook his head. “There’s a damn shooting every other day at a school, park, movie theater, or club. Who needs that?” Danny said with disgust.

  “Two years ago, the house made the news when the occupant, Vera MacDougall, was found hanging in one of the towers.”

  “What’s so newsworthy about that?” Danny asked. “Was she famous or something?”

  “Not exactly. To start with, she was seventy-five and there are a hundred steps leading up to the tower. Then there was no ladder or step-stool in the room for her to climb up on. No one could figure out how she got up there. Then when the autopsy results came in, the coroner said her body was riddled with arthritis. The climb would have been a slow and painful process.”

  “I think the more obvious question is why would an elderly woman choose hanging to end her life in the first place? She must have had a plethora of pills to select from that would have done the job a lot easier,” Tim said.

  “So she was murdered. Did they ever catch the guy?” Danny asked.

  “That’s the thing. The house was locked from the inside. All the windows on the first floor were boarded up. There was no DNA or evidence of any type to confirm there was someone else in the house. Then there was the mysterious note pinned to her dress,” Jane said.

  “Well, if she left a note, it was definitely suicide,” Danny said.

  “See now, you’d think so, but the note read: I’m sorry. It wasn’t me. It was Him. She even capitalized the H in him, like it was someone’s name,” Jane replied.

  The street ended at a private road. The tall black iron gates were open, so Danny continued on. Jane’s excitement mounted. She’d seen a black and white photo from the newspaper, but she was dying to see the house in person.

  “So who owns it now?” Danny asked.

  Jane consulted her notes. “Alyssa and Brandon Barnett.”

  “I bet they had no idea a little old lady was murdered there,” Danny said.

  “The house was inherited by the husband, and I have no idea how much he’d been told,” Jane answered.

  “If he’s smart, he did a background check on the residence before he moved in,” Danny said.

  “Who the hell does a background check on a house?” Tim asked.

  “Me!” Danny answered.

  “Of course you would. But that’s because of the things you’ve witnessed in our investigations. A normal person doesn’t think like we do,” Jane said.

  “Yeah, they’re clueless,” Danny offered.

  “I prefer to think of them as happily ignorant,” Jane said.

  “Whatever.” Danny rolled his eyes.

  “This is all very interesting, but why did she call us?” Tim interrupted.

  Jane turned toward him. “The person who called, Courtney, is the wife’s sister. She came out here for a visit and has been attacked. Twice. Then, night before last, all three of them were assaulted at once.”

  “Whoa, dude, attacked? Like how?” Danny asked.

  “The first time, things were thrown at Courtney and something grabbed her ankle. The second time, she was throttled about the neck, her breath cut off to the point of passing out. The third time, a tall dark figure appeared before all of them, and when they tried to escape all hell broke loose.”

  “Whoa, harsh,” Danny said. “How did they get away?”

  “It all stopped mysteriously,” Jane said.

  The house came into view.

  “Whoa, cool,” Danny said.

  “Very,” Tim added.

  After Danny parked, Jane could only stare. Since the house had been built during the Victorian era, it was a prime example of the time.

  The windows on the first floor and part of the second had been replaced, but many were still boarded up. The waist-high weeds she’d seen in the newspaper had been cut down. The garden now consisted of dirt with patches of dead crabgrass here and there.

  Except for the roses. They were all in bloom. A strange sight for sure, a burst of color amid all that brown. It was like a sepia-toned photograph where someone had painted just the flowers. An empty scaffold hung outside a third story window.

  “They’ve been renovating. The house was already in disrepair when Vera died. Then it was held up in probate for two years. The new owners took possession only a few months ago,” Jane said.

  “We all know how renovations can stir up the spirits of the dead,” Tim added.

  “Exactly.” Jane looked down at her notes. “The couple transferred here from Kansas. The husband had already been offered the job when they were informed of the inheritance.”

  “No way, dude. That’s too much of a coincidence,” Danny said.

  “It kinda is.” Jane hadn’t actually thought about it before.

  As they headed up the steps, the door opened. A petite blonde with fuchsia streaks and multiple facial piercings stood there. “Are you the ghost busters?”

  “Something like that.” Danny thrust his hand out. “I’m Danny Santini.”

  Jane noticed the girl appeared flustered as she shook his hand. He’d turned on the charm; poor thing didn’t stand a chance.

  “I’m Courtney, the one who called you. Come in, come in.” She waved them through the door and closed it behind them. “Thank you so much for coming. I thought famous people like you would be too busy to come yourself. I figured you’d just send someone. You know?”

  Jane jumped in before one of the guys said something stupid. “It just so happens we were free. Where are the others?”

  “We’re camped out in the den. Except to use the bathroom, we’ve been staying together as a group. The TV’s on, but it’s kinda hard to focus on anything. Follow me.” Courtney led them through a main room shaped like a dome. A claw foot table stood dead center on top of an area rug. A vase of
dead flowers decorated the top.

  “Damn, girl, this is a sweet place to crash,” Danny said.

  Courtney turned around and walked backwards. “I know, huh?” She faced forward again.

  “Is it just the three of you, then?” Tim asked.

  “Yes. Brandon called the workmen yesterday and told them to take a few days off because of everything going on here. It’s a blessing really, the constant hammering is majorly annoying, you know?”

  “Oh, man,” Danny replied. “That could really harsh your mellow.”

  Courtney smiled back at Danny. “Seriously.”

  Jane watched the two of them converse in their own language. Young love, is there anything cuter?

  “So I read your book and loved it,” Courtney said.

  “Thank you. We’re glad you liked it,” Tim said.

  “My favorite case, the scariest, was the one on Isabelle Island up in the Pacific Northwest.”

  “That was definitely the most active haunting we’ve encountered to date,” Tim said.

  “Seriously. I mean, that woman hanging on the door with only knives holding her up? I would have peed my pants for sure.”

  “I was seriously bummed I had to miss that one,” Danny said.

  “I bet.” Courtney came to an open room at the back of the house. “In here.”

  When they entered the den, the husband and wife were asleep on the couch. Jane hated to wake them. She could only assume how tired they must be after all that had been going on.

  “Is there somewhere else we can talk?” Jane whispered.

  “Sure. Let’s go to the parlor.” Courtney led them back to the front of the house to a room just right of the door.

  “Whoa, this is prehistoric,” Danny said.

  They turned to see what he was talking about.

  “I know, huh?” Courtney said. “We call it the Zoo.”

  Jane and Tim came up behind Danny.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a lot of activity in this room. I don’t think I would be at all pleased to be stuffed and put on display,” Tim said.

  “You mean animals can be ghosts too?” Courtney asked.

  “Sure, why not?” Tim answered.

  “I don’t know, I just never thought about it, I guess,” Courtney replied. “I hate this room, all those glass eyes staring at you. It’s really creepy, you know?”

  “No doubt,” Danny replied.

  FIFTEEN

  Tim, Danny, and Jane got comfortable in the piano room and sat quietly while Courtney filled them in regarding her encounters. Most of it Jane had already heard, but in her experience there were always a few new things that came to light in the retelling. Things that a person may have forgotten but remembered later after the shock had worn off and they could think clearly.

  “Let me get this straight,” Tim said. “The night you were playing with the Ouija board, Bess warned you to leave because of him. Then after she mentions this mythical him, all hell breaks loose?”

  “Uh, yeah. I didn’t make the connection before,” Courtney said.

  “What were you thinking? You should know that playing with a spirit board is dangerous. You’re opening up a door that anything could come through,” Danny said.

  “I was just excited to talk to a real ghost,” Courtney answered quietly.

  “And look what it got you. Those black and blue marks on your neck are gnarly. You can actually make out the outline of fingers. You’re lucky he didn’t kill you,” Danny said.

  Courtney’s hands flew to her throat at the mention of her bruises. “Maybe he thought he had when I passed out.”

  Jane felt sorry for the girl. Danny wasn’t usually so passionate about a subject. “We’re just glad you’re okay.”

  “Let’s go back to the night you witnessed the children playing in the hall. They were giggling until the entity began to materialize, at which point they screamed and disappeared?” Tim asked.

  “Yup,” Courtney said.

  “Interesting,” Tim said.

  Jane caught Tim’s eye. He appeared to be just as worried as she was. “Do you mind if we see your back?”

  “Sure.” Courtney turned around and lifted her shirt.

  Jane snapped a few shots with her phone while the guys came in for a closer look.

  “Shit, dude, that looks like it hurts,” Danny said. “So you guys think this is a demon?”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Courtney exclaimed.

  “It’s definitely a negative entity,” Jane rushed to say. She made sure Danny witnessed the stink-eye she sent his way.

  “We need to confirm everything by doing our own investigation first,” Tim added.

  “Exactly,” Jane said to Danny, before she turned to Courtney. “We prefer to come to our own conclusions.”

  “Oh, yeah, sure,” Courtney said.

  Chances were this girl was telling the truth, but you never knew. There were a lot of people out there who thrived on attention. Add that to the fact that she was obviously obsessed with all things related to ghosts. Who knew if some of this wasn’t just her imagination?

  There was also the fact that many things could be explained away; orbs could be dust particles that caught the light, cold spots could be a crack in a window or a window that didn’t fit properly, electrical surges could be faulty wiring, banging noises could be old pipes, and noises in an attic could be rats or other vermin.

  On one occasion they had been called to a house, only to find a family of raccoons living in the attic. All of these things needed to be ruled out.

  Jane stood. “Do you mind if we walk around and get a feel for the place?”

  “Oh, sure, go ahead,” Courtney said.

  “Jane is a sensitive. She can feel the shift of energy and at times she sees the outline of an apparition,” Tim said.

  “What do you do, Danny?” Courtney asked.

  “I’m the awesome Paranormal Tech Specialist. They couldn’t do anything without me running the show,” Danny replied.

  Jane smiled. “He’s also the modest one in the group.”

  Danny crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m just telling it like it is.”

  “Of course you are,” Tim said.

  Courtney’s sister came to the doorway and stopped.

  “Oh, good, you’re up. Alyssa, these are the folks I told you about. This is Jane, Tim, and Danny.” Courtney pointed to each of them as she said their name.

  The sister was acting strange. She stared straight ahead as if in a trance. Alyssa made her way toward Jane, so she put out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Alyssa didn’t say anything. Her right hand went over her head. That’s when the light reflected off the blade of a large butcher’s knife. Jane grabbed her arm with both hands in an effort to stop the sharp point heading toward her face.

  The woman was abnormally strong.

  “Alyssa!” Courtney yelled.

  “Hey!” Tim jumped up.

  “Whoa.” Danny ran across the room and tackled the woman around the knees. They both tumbled to the ground, but Jane still found herself fighting for her life.

  Tim grabbed Alyssa’s hand with both of his. “Jesus, she’s as strong as the Hulk.”

  Danny punched her in the stomach. She doubled over and finally dropped the knife. Tim kicked it out of the way.

  Alyssa lay on the ground with her hands wrapped around her middle, gasping for air. Everyone was stunned. They watched her carefully.

  Alyssa blinked a couple of times and looked around. “What’s going on?” Her eyes were now focused.

  “What’s the last thing you remember?” Jane asked.

  Tim put out his hand and helped Alyssa up. “Thank you.” She stared at the people around her. “I was watching TV and must have dozed off, but I don’t know how I got in here.”

  “Do you have a habit of sleepwalking?” Tim asked.

  “Not until I moved here. I’m sorry, but who are you?” Alyssa asked.
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  Courtney came up beside her sister. “These are the people I called to investigate the house. They arrived while you and Brandon were sleeping.”

  “Oh, sorry. I’ve just been so tired.” Alyssa still appeared a bit dazed.

  “I’m Jane Spencer, this is Tim Reese, and he’s Danny Santini.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Alyssa said.

  “Let me get you some water, anyone else?” Courtney asked.

  They declined the offer and Courtney rushed out of the room.

  “Why don’t you come over here and take a seat,” Jane said indicating the couch.

  Once Alyssa was comfortable, Jane sat next to her and the guys took seats opposite them. Courtney appeared with a bottle of water and handed it to her sister before she sat cross-legged on the floor nearby.

  “Tell us, Alyssa, have you been losing time lately? Like today where you woke up and didn’t know how you got somewhere?” Jane asked.

  “Yes, a few times.”

  “Has it been just since you moved into this house?” Jane asked.

  “Yes. I just figured it was anxiety from the move, the renovations, the mounting bills.” Alyssa twisted off the cap on the bottle and took a drink.

  “It is a big project. One I’m certain carries a lot of stress,” Jane said.

  “Tell us where you’ve been when you suddenly became aware,” Tim said.

  “Once in the big tower, a few times in the yard, and just the other day I was at the front door when Courtney woke me. Each time I had no idea I was sleepwalking.” Alyssa looked down at the water she now cradled in her hands. Condensation dripped down the sides of the bottle.

  “Do you remember what you were dreaming when this happened?” Tim asked.

  “Only the last two times, before that I wasn’t aware I was dreaming,” Alyssa said. “What does this all mean?”

  “It could mean a couple of things,” Jane said.

  “Is she possessed?” Courtney blurted.

  “What?” Alyssa asked alarmed.

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here,” Tim said.