by Patricia Fry
Iris let out a sigh. “I’m just wondering what’s going on. Obviously, something is making the sounds and causing vases and light fixtures to fall.”
“I think I know,” Michael said. “…well, I mean, I might know what’s causing some of the commotion.”
All eyes were on Michael. “What?” a couple of the diners asked.
“Huh?” he said, looking over the rim of his coffee cup at the others. “Um…well, us guys are going to check it out after breakfast. Then we’ll let you know.”
****
A little while later, as Ruth chatted with Rochelle and Peter in the gardens, Iris and Savannah helped Mattie with the breakfast dishes, and Margaret and Lily fed treats to Mavis’s Scottish fold cat, Savannah’s cell phone rang. She looked at the screen and laughed. “It’s Michael.” Appearing confused, she asked the others, “Isn’t he upstairs?” Into the phone, she said, “Hi. Where are you?”
“Upstairs,” he said. “Would you have Iris come up here, please? You and your aunt, too.”
“Oh, okay.” After ending the call, she said, “Iris, Auntie, he wants us to come upstairs.”
Mattie shook her head and huffed, “Modern technology.”
“What?” the three women asked when they joined the men in the second-floor hallway with the toddler.
“You know that thing that goes bump in the night?” Craig said, chuckling.
“Yeah, what is it?” Iris asked rather impatiently.
“Come inside,” Michael suggested, leading them toward the closet in room number five. “Listen and see what you think. What does it sound like to you?”
After a few seconds, Margaret said, “You know, it’s muffled, but it sounds kind of like that little plastic ball with a bell in it that Jack bats around our house.”
Michael looked her in the eyes. “Bingo.”
“What?” Iris asked, still not understanding.
“Listen,” Michael said.
Savannah cocked her head. “That sounds like scratching or scraping.”
Becoming more and more impatient, Margaret demanded, “Yeah, what’s up there, Michael?”
Rather than respond, he climbed up the ladder and unfastened a hatch in the ceiling. “Are you ready for this?”
Margaret pressed her fists against her chest. “Yes, Michael.”
“Hi there,” he said, once he’d opened the hatch. He leaned back a little for the others to see who he was talking to.
And what they saw made them smile.
“Sophie!” Iris shouted as the cat walked to the edge of the opening and stared down at everyone.
“Look out,” Michael said when Oscar stepped up and knocked something out onto the floor below. When the cat acted like he wanted to jump down, Michael lifted him and handed him to Iris.
“Oh my gosh,” she said. “It was the cats all this time?”
Michael nodded. “It looks that way.”
Craig put his arm around her. “There goes your ghostly inn idea, babe.”
“That’s crazy,” she said. After releasing Oscar, she stood up straighter and asked, “Okay, so what was that light we saw or was that our imagination?”
“I don’t know about that,” Michael said, stepping up onto the next ladder rung and peering inside the space above. After using a flashlight to look around, he said, “I see a couple of those plastic balls, a stuffed frog toy…” he chuckled, “…a sock.”
“A sock?” Francine said, having just joined the others. “There’s a sock up there?” She lowered her brow. “What color?”
“Oh, kind of blue-green. I guess you’d call it aqua.”
“Those little sneaks,” Francine complained good-naturedly. “I guess we have a klepto among us. I’ve looked all over for that sock. I figured the washing machine ate it.”
“Oh, my phone,” Iris said, pulling it from her pocket. “Hi, Son,” she greeted as she walked away from the others. When she returned a few seconds later, she announced excitedly, “Damon and Colbi are on their way to the hospital. They think she’s having the baby!”
“Really?” Savannah said. “Are you going over there?”
“Damon said to wait—that he’ll call to let me know what’s going on.”
Chapter 10
“It was a false alarm,” Iris told Savannah later that morning on the phone. “They sent her home and said Colbi can go about her normal day, so the kids have decided to take some time off this week and drive to the coast to see his Grandma Ellen and Aunt Audrey.”
“They’re allowing her to leave town?” Savannah asked.
“Yeah, it’s less than a two-hour drive. Damon said the doctor didn’t think it would be a problem. The kids feel it’s important to see Grandma Ellen. She and Damon really established a bond when they reconnected after Damon’s poor excuse for a father was murdered.” Her demeanor softened. “Ellen isn’t getting any younger.”
“Bummer,” Savannah said. “I was hoping we’d finally learn if it’s a boy or girl.”
“Yeah, it’s unusual, these days, not to know. But the kids want to be surprised like we were in the old days.” Iris changed the subject. “Hey, are you going to your aunt’s for dinner tomorrow night?”
“Yes, we’re planning on it. I guess Max really enjoyed cooking at the inn. He said this is a thank you for letting him take over your kitchen.”
“I know. Isn’t that cute? I just love Max,” Iris said.
“He’s a peach,” Savannah agreed. She then asked, “So Iris, what are you doing this week? Is the inn booked?”
“No. We need to get busy with promotion. Ruth has contacted some agencies to get something started. But Savannah, I was hoping you’d help me with a project.”
“Oh?” she said apprehensively. “What?”
“I want you to come over here and play in the garden with me.”
“Say what? Iris, I’ve been deadheading and watering over there. What more do you want from me?” she teased.
“Mattie wants to use fresh veggies and herbs in her cooking, so I had Rupert prepare an area for me to grow things like that. Will you come over and show me what to plant and how to do it?”
“Well, sure, I guess. Sounds fun.”
****
The next evening the Sledges arrived at the Sheridans’ home just before six. “How nice of you to invite us over,” Iris said as Max ushered them in. “Aren’t you tired of cooking for people?”
“Actually, no.” He grinned at Iris. “Maggie and I figured this was the least we could do for allowing us to take on fun roles at your inn.”
“Oh Max, that’s gracious of you to say, but you were a lifesaver.” She glanced in Margaret’s direction. “Both of you.”
Margaret sloughed off the comment by changing the subject. “I hear you and my niece made mud pies today.”
Iris laughed. “Oh yes, we sure did.”
“Come in and sit down,” Max invited. “I want to hear what you planted.”
“Hi kitty-cat,” Iris cooed when she saw Layla lying in a meatloaf position on the ottoman. She petted the orange faux-Persian. “You’re so pretty.” When she spotted a pair of eyes peering out from under a small table, she said, “Oh, there’s your hidey cat. How’s he doing?”
“Good,” Max said. “Watch out, he may climb up into your lap before the evening’s over.”
“Oops,” Craig said as he started to sit down. When the others looked in his direction, he explained, “I almost sat on a cat.”
Max laughed. “Yeah, you gotta be quick there, Craig. Jack’s a seat stealer.”
“What?” Iris asked.
“Wherever that cat thinks you might want to sit, that’s where he’ll sit.”
“Yeah,” Craig said, “I started to plop down and here comes the cat. He is a seat stealer.” After surveying the situation for a few moments, he said, “So what if I sit over there?”
Everyone watched as Craig moved toward a Queen Anne chair and prepar
ed to sit down. They laughed when Jack leaped from the sofa and onto the chair seat.
“What’s funny?” Savannah asked as she and Michael stepped in through the front door with Lily. When she saw everyone staring at Jack, she said, “Oh, he’s playing musical chairs, is he?” She looked accusingly at Margaret. “And Auntie says she doesn’t have any naughty cats.”
“He’s not naughty,” Margaret defended. “He’s creative.”
“And Rags isn’t?”
“Oh, now, don’t you two start,” Michael scolded, placing Lily on the floor and watching her run to the toy box.
Craig picked up Jack and walked with him to the sofa, where he’d started to sit down in the first place. He eased onto the cushion with the cat on his lap.
Max chuckled. “That’s the way to handle him, Craig. Good job.” Once everyone was seated, he said, “Savannah, I was just asking Iris about your gardening adventure today. What did you gals plant?”
She looked at Iris. “Well, the fall veggies, you know—broccoli, eggplant…”
“Mattie wanted eggplant,” Iris explained. “Brussels sprouts, chard, leeks, peas, beets…”
“Cabbage,” Savannah continued.
Iris reached out for the toddler as she trotted past. She cuddled with the baby for a moment. “Lily planted a couple of rocks, the digger thingy…”
“…and her juicie box,” Savannah added, laughing.
“That ought to make a good salad,” Max quipped. More seriously, he asked, “Who’s going to tend the garden?”
“Well, probably Rupert,” Iris said. “He’ll double as our maintenance man.”
“Speaking of such,” Craig said, “Michael, have you given any more thought about how to remedy the cat racket in room five?”
“Yes, rerouting the cats’ stairs should help, and more insulation.”
Max frowned. “Insulation? You don’t want to use insulation around cats.”
Michael chuckled. “Oh no, not your typical attic and wall insulation. I’m thinking of thicker carpeting, perhaps. For some reason, the builders left a little unfinished area above the closet in room five and the cats seem to like hanging out there. Since that part isn’t carpeted, they can be heard when they play.”
“Could you do that work yourself, Michael?” Iris asked. “I’m not sure I could explain it to a builder who isn’t familiar with cats and the unique structure we’ve created upstairs.”
“Sure, I might be able to, but I’ll need help. Shall we wait until Damon gets back from his grandmothers? He’s a good helper.”
“Yeah, he’s learned from you,” Craig reminded him.
“What do you hear from Damon and Colbi?” Savannah asked Iris
“It sounds like they’re having a wonderful visit with his grandmother.” She choked up a little. “He called me this afternoon to tell me how much he loves and appreciates me.”
Savannah smiled. “Oh, Iris, how special is that? I mean, you know he does, but to have a grown child go out of his way to tell you that…” she began to tear up.
Iris dabbed at her eyes. “Yeah, evidently Ellen told him how sorry she is and how responsible she feels for her son’s behavior and the fact that he was never a father to Damon. She said she has spent many hours in prayer trying to figure out what she did wrong—what caused Eugene to throw away his life. She told Damon that she realized recently that something decent did come from her son’s life and that it does her heart good to see what a wonderful young man Damon has become.”
Iris took a breath. “Damon said that when he saw the pain in his grandmother’s face when she spoke of her son—his father—he suddenly realized how much he must have hurt me during those years he was—you know, leading that awful drugged-out life. He apologized and thanked me for not giving up on him. He said he feels blessed beyond his wildest dreams to have such a supportive family, a wonderful wife, a baby on the way, and,” she gestured toward everyone in the room, “good friends.”
Savannah was the first to break the silence. “Wow!”
“Yeah, powerful,” Michael said.
“He’s come a long way,” Margaret said quietly. After a few moments, she took a deep breath and lifted herself from the overstuffed chair. “I think it’s ready. Shall we eat?”
Michael scooped up Lily, who was pretend-feeding a stuffed bear with a spoon, and they followed the others toward the kitchen. Suddenly, Iris stopped. “My phone.” She slipped it out of her pocket. “It’s Mattie. Hello, Mattie,” she said, turning and walking back into the living room. When she joined the others in the kitchen minutes later, she quietly took her seat next to Craig.
Savannah looked across the table at her friend. “Earth to Iris!”
“Huh?” When Iris saw everyone looking at her, she said, “Oh, sorry. Guess I was in another world.”
“What world?” Savannah asked. “Is there something wrong?”
“Uh…well…” she began, glancing around at the others. “Mattie said we have another electrical problem.”
“Electrical?” Michael questioned.
“Related to those upstairs hall fixtures. She stepped out of her room just now, heard a small explosion, and one of the globes fell to the floor. She believes the bulb inside burst. When she looked up there, she could see that it was broken. Michael, do you think there’s too much wattage going into those fixtures or something?”
He grimaced. “Gosh, I wouldn’t think so, Iris. I’d say you’d better get an electrician out there to see if he can figure out what’s going on.” He shook his head. “You know, that’s a separate problem from the racket the cats are making.”
“Can the cats get to the wiring?” Max asked. “Some cats will chew on wires.”
“Or, it could be ghosts after all,” Margaret said, her eyes wide.
“Since when did you start believing in ghosts?” Savannah asked.
“Since there seems to be no other explanation, Vannie. Think about it. Globes are breaking loose, bulbs are popping, vases are flying through the air. And what about that odd light we saw that night we stayed in room five? No one has identified that yet, have they? There are still mysteries on the table, and if they can’t be explained, they must be caused by something otherworldly.”
“Then why didn’t Rochelle pick up on that?” Iris asked. “And those other people—the ghost hunters who stayed in that room. They didn’t sense spirits, either.”
“Because they didn’t want to be detected, that’s why.”
“What?” Savannah asked.
“The spirits didn’t want to be detected,” Margaret repeated.
“What have you been reading, Auntie?” Savannah asked, laughing. “Are you researching ghosts? I’ve never known you to defend the concept of ghosts before. The very idea used to freak you out.”
Margaret shuddered. “You got that right. And it still does, but I’m trying my darnedest to understand more about those unexplained things, so maybe they won’t be so scary.”
“I think you’re obsessed,” Max said, reaching for the platter of salmon patties and passing it to Michael.
“I don’t know, Maggie,” Iris said. “No one who’s sensitive seems to be able to detect spirit activity in or around the place.”
“Like I said, they probably don’t want to be detected. They just want to play their little games with us. Look at what they’ve cost you already! Once they get bored with breaking things, they could start attacking your guests or your staff or you guys.”
“That’s absurd, Maggie,” Iris said.
Margaret ignored her. “I think you ought to have someone come in and do an exorcism—or at least a séance to find out if the place is haunted.”
“You do?” Iris asked, staring across the table at Margaret. “Really?” She turned to Savannah. “Do you think Rochelle would come back for something like that?”
“Is Rochelle the right person to do it? She isn’t connecting with your spirits,” Margaret rem
inded her.
Iris thought about Maggie’s words for a moment. “Yes, if we do something like that, I want Rochelle to do it. Rochelle I trust.”
“I think Rochelle and Peter are still in the area,” Savannah said. “I believe they’re going back to Frisco day after tomorrow. In fact, they thought they might stop in and see us again before they head out.”
“Can you call her, Savannah, and see if she’d be interested in doing—you know, what Maggie’s suggesting?”
“Sure,” Savannah said. “I can ask her.”
Chapter 11
“Iris, what did the electrician say?” Michael asked when they arrived at the Kaiser Inn two days later.
“He was stymied. He said he’s been an electrician for forty-five years and he’s seen only one other incident similar to this where light bulbs burst for no apparent reason. Even bulbs in a basket, that weren’t screwed into a socket, were breaking. He said he didn’t know what to do in that situation. But, within a few days or weeks, the affected household was back to normal. He figured it was some sort of random electrical current or unexplained force that sort of converged upon the place.”
“Like the Bermuda Triangle?” Savannah asked.
“Maybe something like that,” Iris agreed. She added, “I wonder if Rochelle’s powers can break up or short-circuit an unexplained electrical force.”
“Well, I guess we’re about to find out. Here they are,” Michael said, opening the door for Peter and Rochelle.
“Thank you for coming,” Iris said, hugging Rochelle. “I just didn’t know what else to do.”
Rochelle winced. “You may be right, Iris. It could be that we need to do some sort of ritual to clear the air. Probably not exactly an exorcism, but a cleansing, of sorts—an energy cleansing.” After hugging Savannah and Michael, Rochelle looked around. “Where’s the baby bug?”
“Lily?” Savannah said, laughing. “She’s with Brianna and Bud this evening.
“Good idea,” Rochelle said. “Not only is that little cherub charmingly distracting, but young children can be channels and we sure don’t want her getting caught up in some passing energy.”
