Ghost of Halloween Past

by McIntyre, Anna J

  “Lily’s right, Danielle. I don’t like the idea of you tromping around alone in houses with strange ghosts.”

  “Strange ghosts?” Danielle looked at Walt.

  “What strange ghost?” Lily asked.

  “Uggg…” Danielle groaned again.

  “Oh stop that! What strange ghosts?” Lily demanded.

  “Walt said he didn't think I should be tromping around alone, in houses with strange ghosts.”

  “I agree with Walt.”

  “Thank you, Lily.”

  “Whatever…” Danielle sighed. “If you two want me to finish telling you what I did today, then you’ll have to both be quiet.

  Walt and Lily each resisted the temptation to ask any more questions. Danielle then proceeded to tell them about the day’s events.

  “I can’t believe you were actually arrested again,” Lily said when Danielle finished telling her story.

  “I wasn’t arrested exactly.”

  “You said he put you in handcuffs,” Lily reminded.

  “True. But he didn't have his heart in it.”

  “Did they put those boys in handcuffs?” Lily asked.

  “What boys?”

  “The boys who broke into Presley House and said they found the body,” Lily reminded.

  Danielle frowned for a moment, considering Lily’s question. “Hmm, now that you mention it, according to the chief they didn’t take the boys in. They let them go after they searched the house.”

  “Ahh Dani, see, you still have a special spot in Officer Henderson’s heart.” Lily smirked.

  After Brian returned from taking Danielle to pick up her car, he found Joe in his office staring at his computer screen.

  “I’m back,” Brian called out.

  Joe looked up and waved him into his office. “Come here, I want to show you something.”

  Brian walked into the office and started to sit down. Joe stopped him, asking him instead to walk around his desk so he could look at the computer monitor. A moment later, Brian stood behind Joe and looked at the monitor. It was black.

  “What am I supposed to be looking at?” Brian asked.

  “Just a second, let me get it back.” Joe fiddled with his mouse. “Remember that computer stuff we confiscated from Presley House?”

  “You mean the surveillance cameras and stuff the boys left in the kitchen?”

  “Yes. I just got this off one of the cameras. Here…watch this…” Joe stared at the monitor as he strategically moved the mouse.

  A video began playing. The scene was dimly lit, but Brian could make out the setting. “That’s the kitchen doorway at Presley House.”

  “Yes. Listen to the voices. Wait a minute, let me start at the beginning and you listen.” Joe pointed to the monitor. “You see the three boys standing by the doorway.”

  “It’s pretty dark. I can’t really make them out. But yeah, I guess I see them.”

  “Listen to their conversation,” Joe told him.

  Brian listened carefully to the voices on the screen. “They’re talking about where they want to plant the cameras. So?”

  “You see three of them, right?” Joe asked.

  “Yeah, so what?”

  “Tell me who each one is by their voices.”

  Brian shrugged but continued to listen. “That was Brad…”

  “Yes.”

  “Curt, without a doubt.” Brian said.

  Joe nodded.

  “That was Jeff.”

  “Yes.” Joe smiled. “So tell me who is taking the movie.”

  “Obviously Kevin. I see the three boys standing in the doorway. I can’t see their faces, but I recognize their voices. It has to be Kevin filming them.”

  “Wait a second. Let me start it over again. I want you to keep listening and tell me what you hear,” Joe said.

  Brian shrugged again but continued to listen.

  “Hey guys! There is another door over here!”

  Brian frowned. “That sounded like Kevin.”

  “It was. I’ve played that over at least a dozen times. It’s coming from down the hall. Someone else took the movie.”

  “That’s impossible. They must have left the camera on.”

  “That might make sense if the camera was stationary. But look…” Joe replayed the video while Brian watched. “Someone is holding the camera, and they’re moving it around.”

  Harvey wondered if she had lied to him. She had promised to help him, yet after the cops showed up everything went crazy. He had to admit, it wasn’t completely her fault. He had watched her from the upstairs window after the cop forced her from the house. He had hoped she would come back after they took the body away. Instead, he helplessly watched as the cop put her in handcuffs and loaded her into the back of the police car. Perhaps he should have done something before the cop took her back outside.

  He wondered if she was in jail. If so, then there was no way she could help him. Frustrated, Harvey made his way downstairs. He was halfway down the staircase when he saw him—standing at the doorway of the kitchen, snooping around.

  “What are you doing?” Harvey asked angrily as he flew down the staircase.

  The man looked up at Harvey and smiled.

  “I forgot what an interesting place this is. Much more so than where I’m staying.”

  “You need to leave,” Harvey ordered.

  “I want to know what you did with the body. You did something with it, didn’t you?” the man asked. By the way he was standing, it was obvious he had no intention of going anywhere in the near future.

  “What do you care?” Harvey snapped.

  “I just want to know where it is. Can I see it?”

  “The police took it.”

  The man raised his brow. “The police? They took it, when?”

  “Today. It’s not here.”

  “What time today?”

  Harvey frowned. “I don’t know.”

  “This morning or afternoon?”

  “I guess this afternoon.” Harvey shrugged.

  “Hmmm…interesting. That might explain things,” the man murmured.

  “Explained what?” Harvey asked.

  “You did something to get them to find it, didn’t you?” the man asked.

  “I suppose I did. So what?”

  “What did you do?”

  “Why are you asking me these questions?” Harvey wanted the man to leave. He made him uncomfortable.

  The man stared at Harvey for a moment before answering. “I get the feeling you’ve been at this for a lot longer than me.”

  “Yeah, so what?” Harvey snapped.

  “I want you to help me.”

  “I don’t want to help you. I want you to leave!”

  The man chuckled and then walked into the living room. He glanced around. “This is a nice place you have here. Much nicer than where I’m staying.”

  “So?”

  “Maybe I’ll stay. Move in.”

  “You can’t do that!” Harvey snapped.

  “Why not? You can’t make me leave. If I want to stay, there really is nothing you can do about it.” The man walked over to the sofa and flopped down, making himself at home. Leaning against one arm of the couch, he rested his feet on the opposite arm.

  “You killed that man, didn’t you?” Harvey asked.

  “Took you long enough.”

  “Why do you want the body back?”

  “I don’t really want it. I just wanted to know what happened to it. I figured something had to have happened.”

  Harvey eyed the stranger suspiciously. “Why?”

  “One minute he was there, annoying the crap out of me. And the next—he just vanishes. Goes away. I rather liked that.”

  “I still don’t understand what you want from me.”

  “I just figured there had to be some connection between his body and why he’s no longer hanging around driving me nuts.”

  “If you didn’t like him, you should just be glad he isn’t here a
nymore. I want you to leave.”

  “You aren’t listening to me,” the man said angrily. “I need you to help me.”

  “How can I help you?” Harvey eyed the stranger.

  “Ahh…now you are asking the right questions!” the man smiled. He pointed to a chair. “Sit down. I’m going to tell you what I need, and you’re going to tell me how you might be able to help me.”

  Reluctantly, Harvey sat down. Silently, he listened as the man explained his problem.

  “Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Harvey asked when the man finished.

  “I don’t like what I have now.”

  “But it could be worse. In fact, I’m fairly certain it will be worse.”

  “Maybe. But at least I’ll be going forward, to wherever I’m supposed to go.”

  “I don’t think you’re going to like it.” Harvey warned.

  “Are you going to help me or not?”

  “If I don’t?”

  The man glanced around the dimly lit living room. He then looked back to Harvey. “Then I suppose you will just have to get used to me, because if I’m stuck here, I might as well keep you company.”

  Harvey silently stared at the man. Finally, he said, “All right. I’ll help you. But you’ll see I was right. You were better off lost.”

  “How are you going to do it?”

  Harvey considered his options a moment. “I could see if she’ll help me.” If she’s not in jail, he thought.

  “She? She who?”

  “Just a woman I know.”

  “A live woman?”

  “Of course. You don’t think someone like us could help, do you?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve come to you for help and you aren’t alive.”

  “If I help you, I want you to leave. There’s no reason for you to stick around here. You’ll know when I’ve done what needs to be done.”

  “Why can’t I stay here?”

  “If you want me to help you, then you need to leave.”

  Reluctantly the man stood up. “Fine. But I’ll be back in the morning.”

  “Give me until tomorrow night. This will take a little time.”

  The man stared at Harvey for a moment and then said, “Fine. I’ll give you until tomorrow night.” The man vanished.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Curled up on a kitchen chair, his head peeking out from under the hem of the tablecloth, Max watched as Bill Jones installed a pet door in the door going from the kitchen to the side yard. Walt sat in the chair next to him.

  “That’s kind of a big kitty door, isn’t it?” Lily asked. She stood with Danielle in the side yard, watching Bill.

  “I figure that way Sadie can use it too,” Danielle said. Her and Lily’s conversation drifted through the doorway to Max and Walt’s ears.

  Max let out a gurgling growl.

  “Stop that,” Walt scolded. “Sadie is not going anywhere.”

  Max stopped growling. He looked at Walt and blinked. Reluctantly, he rested his chin on his paws and watched the man finish installing the door.

  “Okay, it’s done,” Bill muttered as he gathered up his tools.

  “You did a nice job, Bill,” Danielle praised. “Thanks.” She reached into her pocket, pulled out some cash, and handed it to him.

  Pausing for a moment from gathering the tools, he accepted the money and shoved it in his back pocket. “Thanks,” he muttered under his breath.

  Danielle and Lily flashed him a smile before going back inside the house, entering through the kitchen door—now equipped with a newly installed pet door.

  Bill gathered up the rest of his tools and tossed them in the back of his truck. He gave the kitchen door one final look before climbing into the cab of his truck and grabbing his cellphone off the dashboard.

  “I finished the job,” Bill told Adam after Adam answered his call. Bill drove down the driveway toward the street, holding the cellphone to his ear.

  “Did she pay you?” Adam asked with a chuckle.

  “In cash, just like you said. I don’t get it. Why did she call me?” Bill pulled onto the street.

  “She asked me who could install a doggy door, needed the job done as soon as possible. Who else would I recommend?”

  “But why would she hire me. She knows we broke into her house.”

  “I told you, that’s all water under the bridge.”

  “I still say she is one ditzy chick,” Bill told Adam as he drove down the street away from Marlow House.

  “I can’t believe you used Bill Jones,” Lily said as she took a seat at the kitchen table.

  “He does good work. Adam recommended him.”

  “That’s another one. I remember when you couldn’t stand Adam.”

  “Lily has a point,” Walt chimed in.

  “Yeah, I know,” Danielle sighed. “I would feel totally different had they broken in after I found the Missing Thorndike and tried to steal it from me.”

  “They did try to steal it from you!” Lily reminded.

  “Not exactly. They saw it as treasure, up for grabs. Back then, no one really knew who owned it, and I didn’t even know it existed.”

  “I sorta understand what you’re saying. But still…” Lily grumbled.

  The next moment the sound of Sadie hitting the doggy door from outside interrupted their conversation. The golden retriever flew into the kitchen. Max immediately leapt off his chair into Danielle’s lap.

  “Nice door,” Ian said as he entered the kitchen, checking out the new doggy door. “But isn’t it kind of big?”

  “That’s what I said,” Lily chimed in.

  “I wanted Sadie to be able to use it too.”

  “She obviously knows how.” Ian looked over to Sadie who sat by Danielle’s chair, staring at Max, who stared back. “Those two becoming friends?”

  “Well, Sadie isn’t trying to eat him.” Danielle grinned.

  Ian eyed the two animals. “My money is on Max. Don’t let him hurt my little girl when I’m gone.”

  “I promise, she’ll be fine.” Danielle scratched Sadie’s ear. Max responded by reaching out with a paw, attempting to bat Danielle’s hand away from the dog.

  “You sure you don’t want to go with us?” Ian asked.

  “No, I’ve had a big day. But thanks for asking,” Danielle said.

  Lily was still out with Ian when Danielle climbed into bed that night. She was exhausted. The moment she pulled the blankets up over her, Sadie jumped onto the mattress from one side of the bed and Max from the other. The two animals stared at each other.

  Weary, Danielle glanced from Sadie to Max. Neither animal made an attempt to lie down or to move off the bed. They both stood, locked in a stare down.

  “You two are welcome to stay but no arguing! I need my sleep!” Danielle reached over and pushed Sadie down, and then she did the same to Max. The two animals curled up on the bed, each inching closer to Danielle, determined to stake their claim.

  Hugging her pillow tightly, Danielle closed her eyes and ignored the animals. Within ten minutes, she was fast asleep.

  Walt appeared by the bedside. He looked down at Danielle, who made a little snoring sound. He smiled. Looking from Sadie to Max, he noticed neither one was asleep but intently watching each other.

  “Listen up you two,” Walt said in a whisper.

  Max and Sadie looked up at him.

  “Danielle needs her sleep. No shenanigans.”

  Danielle rolled over in the bed, hugging her pillow. She was about to change positions again when someone abruptly snatched the pillow from her grasp and yelled, “I said, wake up!”

  Danielle bolted upright in her bed and looked around. Wild eyed, she tried to get her bearings. But she was no longer in her bed…or in her bedroom. She sat on a cold concrete floor in a dark and dingy room. She had been in this room before.

  “How did I get here?” Danielle asked frantically. She was in Presley House.

  “You are sure hard to wake up!” Harvey s
aid from the corner.

  Startled, Danielle looked to the voice. Suddenly it made sense.

  “I’m dreaming. I’m not really at Presley House.”

  “You catch on quick.” Harvey sat on the floor next to Danielle.

  “This isn’t a regular dream. You’ve dream hopped, haven’t you?”

  “Is that what they call it?” Harvey grinned. “I wasn’t sure I could do it. I’ve never tried. You’re the first.”

  “What do you want?”

  “I need you to do something for me.”

  “Is this about whatever it is you’re looking for?”

  Harvey started to answer and then paused. Cocking his head, he studied Danielle. “Are you in jail?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I saw him arrest you. I wondered if I hopped in your dream while you’re locked up.”

  “No.” Danielle shook her head. “They let me go.”

  “Why didn’t you come back then?”

  “If I came back, they would arrest me again. I can’t just walk into Presley House whenever I want. It’s breaking and entering.”

  “You said you’d help me.”

  “So that’s why I’m here?” Danielle asked.

  “I still want you to help me find it. But that’s not why you’re here. I need you to do something else first. I need you to drive to Pilgrim’s Point and walk to the cliff.”

  “Why would I do that?” Danielle asked.

  “Because I want you to. I want you to do it tomorrow.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t have to explain myself to you!” Harvey said angrily. “You will do what I tell you to!”

  “Go away,” Danielle said wearily. “I want to go back to sleep.”

  “You are asleep.”

  “You know what I mean.” Danielle yawned.

  Harvey glared at Danielle. Finally, he said. “Girls are afraid of snakes.”

  “Excuse me?” Danielle frowned.

  The next moment Danielle found herself in a deep pit in the middle of a jungle surrounded by hundreds of snakes. They slithered and rolled, inching closer to her. Jumping to her feet, she looked around frantically.

  Wearing only her nightgown, her feet bare, she stood in mud and could feel it ooze between her toes. While she knew it was only a dream, it felt more real than anything she had ever experienced. She loathed snakes—she hated everything about them. The way they moved, the way they slithered and coiled.