Ghost of Halloween Past

by McIntyre, Anna J

  The woman gave Ben a pat on the shoulder as he made his way from behind the counter to Danielle.

  “So how can I help you?” he asked Danielle.

  Danielle glanced around. The elderly docent behind the counter seemed more curious than Ben to hear her answer. The customer who had just made a purchase lingered nearby, also listening.

  Impulsively, Danielle said, “If you’re not working right now, how about I treat you to a cup of coffee and a donut at the coffee shop? We can talk there.”

  “Sounds great.”

  Danielle sat across from Ben at the diner. The waitress had just filled their coffee cups and had left to get the donuts.

  “I had some questions about Presley House,” Danielle explained.

  “Ahh… Presley House. I heard about the dead body.”

  “Dead body?” Danielle sipped her coffee.

  “From Millie. Said something about teenage boys breaking in, swearing there was a dead body in the house.” Ben shook his head. “Every year it’s the same thing. Kids pulling some silly prank. I told Millie not to get all upset. If there had been a dead body Henderson and Morelli would have found it.”

  “I understand you know a little about the house’s history.”

  “A little. The house was built by the Presley family in the early thirties. Moved when the boys were still in high school.”

  “Was one of them named Harvey?” Danielle asked.

  “You mean one of the twins?”

  “Yeah. I was curious about their names. I thought someone said one was named Harvey,” Danielle lied.

  Ben shrugged. “Not sure. Might have been. I really didn’t know them. They were older than I was. Closer to Marie’s age.”

  “Marie Nichols?”

  Ben nodded. “Yes.”

  “Would Marie have known them?”

  “I’m sure she would have. Don’t know if she’d remember them now or their names. I’ve a devil of a time remembering names, myself.”

  “Do you remember anything about the family?”

  “I know they left abruptly. Heard that from my sister. Family moved about a month before the boys were to graduate from high school.”

  “You think I might be able to talk to your sister about it?”

  “I’m afraid she’s been gone over ten years now.”

  “Oh… I’m sorry.”

  Ben shrugged and took a sip of coffee. The waitress came to their table with the donuts. After she left, Danielle continued.

  “Do you know anything else about the family?”

  “At one time, Mr. Presley—the twin’s father—worked for the Thorndikes.”

  “Eva Thorndike’s family?” So this was the Presley Walt knew, Danielle thought.

  “Yes. He was a caretaker for their house here, and he’d do some odd jobs for them. This was before he was married. He left the area for a while after Eva died and her parents sold their house here. Not sure if he was still working for the Thorndikes after they all left. But he returned with his family in the thirties, bought some property, had a house built.”

  “Who did he work for when he moved back?”

  “I don’t think he worked for anyone. He must have done something to make some money when he was gone, because according to my father, his financial situation seemed vastly improved when he returned.”

  “Where did they go when they moved again?”

  “I have no idea. They just upped and moved. As I said, they must have had some money, because they didn’t sell the house. But I never heard what happened to them.”

  “So what about the story of the house being haunted?” Danielle asked.

  “What do you mean?” Ben sipped his coffee.

  “How long have people been saying it’s haunted? How did those stories start?”

  “I know some strange things happened before they moved. Maybe that’s why they left.”

  “Strange? How?” Danielle tore off a piece of donut and popped it in her mouth.

  “A few of the people who worked there claimed the place was haunted. There were things like doors closing on their own and furniture moving. But my dad always said it was probably the twins.”

  Danielle picked up a napkin and wiped the corner of her mouth. “The twins? Why did he assume that?”

  “For one thing, those types of things only happened around Halloween.”

  “So why would that mean it was the twins pulling pranks?”

  “You believe in ghosts, Danielle?” Ben grinned.

  Danielle blushed. “Of course not. I’m just curious why your father thought it was the twins when others thought the place was haunted.”

  “Back then, Halloween wasn’t like it is now. It was mostly about teenagers getting into mischief, pulling pranks. Since the strange occurrences only happened around Halloween, Dad figured it was probably the twins messing with people.”

  “But the stories continued after they moved?”

  “I know the house sat vacant for years. Then one day, must have been in the seventies, someone came in, cleaned up the place and put it up for rent. But each year, never fail, the tenants would move out around Halloween, claiming the house was haunted. This went on for years. Finally they just boarded up the place and stopped trying to rent it out.”

  “So they claim paranormal activity only happens around Halloween?”

  “That’s what they claimed. I never saw it. The only thing I’ve ever seen is mischief by local teens—like those boys who broke in the other day and claimed to see a body. Just Halloween nonsense, if you ask me.”

  “So how do you explain the tenants seeing paranormal activity? Especially if more than one claimed to have seen something?”

  “I figure part of that was nothing more than a renter wanting out of a lease.”

  “And the other part?” Danielle asked.

  “An overactive imagination.” Ben glanced at his watch. “I’ve enjoyed our chat, but I didn’t realize it was so late. I really need to get going. I have a doctor’s appointment in about fifteen minutes.”

  “No problem. I really appreciate your time.”

  “Sorry I don’t know more about the family. You might ask Marie Nichols about it. Like I said, the boys were closer to her age.”

  “Thanks Ben, I think I’ll do that.”

  Danielle sat alone in the booth thinking about what Ben had told her. She was just about ready to get up and pay the bill when Adam Nichols walked into the diner. He immediately spied her sitting alone.

  “Morning, Danielle.” He glanced at the two coffee cups on the table. “I was going to ask if I could join you, but I see you aren’t alone.”

  “Go ahead and sit down. I was just having coffee with Ben Smith. He just left.”

  “Isn’t he a little old for you?” Adam snickered as he took a seat.

  “Ha ha,” Danielle rolled her eyes.

  “And I think he’s married too.”

  “Cute Adam… real cute.”

  “Yes,” Adam said with a sigh. “The ladies are always telling me that.”

  The server arrived the next moment. She took Adam’s order, refilled Danielle’s coffee cup and removed Ben’s cup.

  “What do you know about Presley House?” Danielle asked.

  “Presley House? Ahh, so you heard about the dead body?”

  “Things get around this town fast.”

  “It was in the paper. Although, from what I hear the dead body was more a figment of those boys’ imagination. What do you know?”

  “Nothing.” Danielle fiddled with her coffee cup. “I’m just curious about the house. They say it’s haunted, and it is almost Halloween.”

  “I used to property manage it for a while. I never saw anything to support the ghost stories, just a bunch of broken windows every year. Nothing paranormal in that. The owners got tired of replacing them, had me just board them up. I don’t manage the property anymore.”

  “What do you know about the Presley family?”

  “N
othing really. I was contacted by their attorney to manage the property. I figure the estate must have run out of money because they stopped paying me.”

  “Ben Smith said your grandmother might know the family who used to live there.”

  “Yeah, I think she did. I remember her mentioning something to me about it, around the time I took over the property.”

  “Is your grandmother home today? I’d like to talk to her about it.”

  “Knowing Grandma, she’d love to see you. But she’s in Portland until Wednesday.”

  “Portland? What’s she doing there?”

  “Little trip to see some of her friends.”

  “Did you take her?” Danielle knew Marie no longer drove.

  “No. Daughter of one of her friends took her.” Adam grinned.

  Danielle arched her brows. “You look awful happy.”

  “You know I adore my grandmother. But sometimes… well, she can be a little demanding. Let’s just say I’m enjoying this break.”

  “You’re a good grandson,” Danielle told him. “In spite of everything else.”

  “Hey,” Adam frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Well… let’s see…there was that little matter of breaking and entering at Marlow House…”

  “And I didn't take anything!”

  “You broke the window.”

  “In all fairness, Bill broke the window. But we did fix it.”

  “We? I didn’t see you repairing the window.”

  “I helped Bill pay for the glass.”

  “That was generous of you.”

  “Danielle, if you aren’t nice, I won’t bail you out of jail the next time you get hauled in for murder.”

  Danielle laughed. “Fair enough.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  After Danielle left Adam at the diner, she headed home. Before she reached her street, she impulsively took a detour, heading for Presley House. A few minutes later, she pulled up in front of the old boarded up Victorian and parked her car.

  Staring up at the house she thought about its ghost—Harvey. Was it Harvey Presley, she wondered, and why did he return to the house each Halloween season? One thing Danielle did know, according to some folklore, Halloween was a time when spirits could more easily revisit the earth and make themselves known.

  With her hands gripping the steering wheel, Danielle studied the house and debated about getting out of her car. After a few minutes, she unhooked her seatbelt and opened her door. She knew the house was locked, so she didn’t imagine she’d get inside. But she figured it was always possible Harvey might meet her outside.

  Walking up the stone pathway leading to the front door, Danielle noticed how quiet it seemed. The only sound was that of the breeze blowing through the treetops. She couldn’t even hear the breakers hitting the nearby beach. Tucking her fingertips into her pant’s back pockets, she nervously approached the house.

  “Harvey?” Danielle called out in a low voice. “You here?”

  No reply.

  Danielle glanced over her shoulder to see if any neighbors were outside. The street seemed as desolate as Presley House’s yard. She walked closer to the house, reaching its front porch. While she knew the chief had locked the front door, she decided to try opening it anyway.

  Stepping up on the porch, she walked to the door and reached out for its knob. Giving it a turn she discovered her assumption was correct. It was still locked. Standing on the porch for a moment, she looked around.

  “Harvey? Let’s talk. Maybe I can help you.”

  The doorknob rattled unexpectedly. Danielle startled at the sudden noise and looked at the door. The tarnished brass knob turned to the right and then the left. Danielle’s eyes widened as the front door slowly opened. She just stood and stared.

  Gulping nervously, Danielle called out. “Hello? Is that you Harvey?”

  Silence.

  The front door was now wide opened, but there did not appear to be anyone there. Glancing around, wondering if anyone was watching, Danielle slowly walked to the open doorway. She peeked inside. She didn’t see anyone in the entry.

  Taking a deep breath and mustering her courage, Danielle stepped through the doorway of Presley House. Once inside, the door slammed shut behind her. She turned to the door and stared at it.

  “Well, hello to you too, Harvey,” Danielle called out.

  Overhead, the lightbulbs in the vintage chandelier twinkled off and on.

  “That is really a cool trick, since this house doesn’t have any electric meter hooked up.”

  The lights went out.

  “You could leave them on. It would help me see. This place is pretty dark.”

  The lights went back on.

  “Thanks. That’s better.” Danielle forced herself to sound brave and calm.

  “Why don’t you show yourself so we can talk?”

  No answer.

  “You showed yourself to me yesterday. I saw you in the window upstairs. I waved to you.”

  Silence.

  “Why didn’t you want Chief MacDonald to know you’re here?”

  Still no answer

  “I came by myself. Don’t I get points for that?” She remained standing in the entry hall, the overhead lights of the chandelier flickering off and on.

  “Will you help me?” a male voice called out.

  “That’s better. Are you Harvey?” she asked.

  “How do you know my name?”

  “Umm… a friend told me.”

  “What friend?” he asked.

  “Max.”

  “Do you have Max?” he asked angrily.

  “You know cats, they sort of do their own thing.” Danielle questioned her wisdom of revealing the fact she knew his name—and that she knew Max. By his tone, he didn’t seem happy at the thought she had the cat.

  “Max belongs here!” Harvey shouted.

  “I imagine Max keeps you company.”

  “I need Max to find it.”

  “Find what?”

  “I don’t understand, how can you communicate with Max? You aren’t like me.”

  “Max sent me,” Danielle lied impulsively. “Max thought I could help you.”

  “He did?” Harvey sounded hopeful.

  “Yes, he didn’t feel he could help you. He thought I might be able to.”

  “I still don't understand how he told you that.”

  “How about we not worry about Max right now. Tell me why you are here, Harvey, why do you come every year?”

  “I’m trying to find it,” Harvey said.

  “Trying to find what?”

  “So they will know what happened. It’s here somewhere. I know it is. But I can’t find it.”

  “And if you find it, then you’re going to move on?”

  “I don’t like to come back here,” Harvey insisted.

  “Maybe I can help you find it, but first, what did you do with the body?”

  Harvey laughed. “You should have seen those boys’ expression. That was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

  “Why did you hide the body?” Danielle looked around the room, hoping to see Harvey. She disliked talking to just a voice.

  “I don’t know. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. Figured that way the police might start tearing this place apart looking for him, and then they would find it for me.”

  “You wanted them to look for the body?” Danielle asked.

  “Of course. Why else would I hide it?”

  “Where did you hide it? That was a pretty neat trick of yours.”

  “They didn’t look very hard. Those cops are useless.”

  “In all fairness to the cops, they assumed the boys made up the story.”

  “They took the trunk with them,” Harvey reminded. “I’m not sure what good an empty trunk is going to do them.”

  “Harvey, why don’t you tell me where you hid that body, and then I can help you find whatever it is you’re looking for.”

  �
�Why would you help me?”

  “Because you seem as if you need someone to help you.”

  “I still don’t understand. No one has ever been able to see or hear me before. Only Max. I miss Max. I want him to come back; he belongs here.”

  “I would like to see you now. Why don’t you show yourself to me, like you did when you were in the window yesterday?”

  “Would you really help me if I tell you where the body is?”

  “Yes Harvey, I would really help you.”

  Harvey didn’t respond. Instead, the room seemed even stiller than it had been just moments earlier. The lights overhead dimmed, they were barely lit.

  “Harvey? Are you still here?”

  There was no answer. The lights went out completely, plunging Danielle into virtual darkness. The only light came from shafts of sunlight breaking in through the edges of the boarded up windows.

  Then she heard it, a slamming sound, like doors opening and closing. Silence again. And then she smelled it. The unmistakable stench of rotting flesh. Pinching her nostrils closed, she reluctantly walked toward the smell, leading her to the kitchen.

  Once she walked through the doorway, she saw it: the bloated body of a man sprawled on the kitchen floor, his face turned away from her.

  Light spilled into the room from the partially boarded up window. The plywood—most of its nails removed by the teenage boys on Saturday—had that morning slipped from where it had been hanging and now only covered half of the opening.

  “Who is it?” Danielle found herself asking.

  “I don’t know.” Harvey appeared before her. He looked even younger than when she had seen him standing in the window. If this version of his body represented who he was shortly before death, Danielle figured he was barely a teenager when he died.

  “What happened to him?” Danielle asked.

  “Some man shot him.” Harvey shrugged. “Ran out of the house. Must have taken the gun with him because I never found it. I would have liked to have a gun.”

  “Why would you want a gun?”

  Harvey smiled. “Imagine if I could learn to use a gun like I’ve learned to do other things.”

  Harnessed energy, Danielle thought. The idea of a loaded pistol in the hands of an unstable ghost with harnessed energy sent chills up Danielle’s spine. Hopefully the universe would intervene, she thought.