by Angie Fox
I slid an old iron doll bed out of the hole. It had been white at one time. Most of the paint had flaked away. Rust gripped the joints and stained a faded pink blanket. I caught my breath. “Oh, Charlotte. Is this your doll?”
She nodded and pointed to the ancient canopic jar with the human face that lay nestled under the tattered blanket.
I’d found Imseti—the missing jar—the doll that Charlotte had taken to her special spot.
Tears welled in her eyes and fell in fat drops over her cheeks.
“Sweetie,” I said, wishing I could touch her, “it’s okay. You didn’t mean to take anything. You’re a good girl. You showed me the doll.”
She’d tried to tell me at the fountain by filling it with doll heads. She’d left a lovely doll outside on the porch for me to stumble over. She’d sat in the backseat of my car and showed me the doll. She’d even brought it to the edge of my tub.
She’d told me without words that she had the doll. I just hadn’t understood.
“Thank you, Charlotte. I’ll take good care of her,” I promised. But that didn’t help Charlotte. She was still so sad, so alone. I had to try to fix that.
She needed her parents. Each of the ghosts, it seemed, had been so wrapped up in their own world, they had been unable to see anything else. Robert hadn’t kept them apart. A curse hadn’t either. It was their own pain and the inability to see beyond it.
It had taken the confrontation in the tub for Annabelle to see Robert, and the showdown with Robert for Jack’s eyes to be opened. I wondered what it would take for Charlotte.
I certainly didn’t want to scare the child, but now that she’d shown me the truth behind the hidden jar, maybe she’d be open to me showing her something as well.
I resisted the urge to take her hand. “You’ve been such a good girl. I have a treat for you. Do you trust me?”
She nodded. I knew she did. She’d helped me, and now I was going to return the favor. “Let me help you find your mom and dad.”
A tear rolled down her cheek and she nodded.
“Okay,” I said, crouching in front of her. “We’re going to play a game. It’s called the Seeing Game.” She blinked hard. “Try not to be afraid,” I said. “I know that’s difficult.” I’d been scared out of my mind most of the time at this house. “Your uncle can’t hurt you.” I moved to the side. “See? He’s not even mad anymore. He’s sleeping.”
She peeked past me toward her attacker, who lay prone in the grass.
“Now on the count of three,” I continued, “you’re going to turn around and the Seeing Game will let you see your parents. One.”
Her lip trembled.
“You can do it,” I told her, as if it were easy. As if I had any idea.
“Two.” Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Annabelle and Jack waiting behind her, their hands clutched together.
“Three!” I said as cheerfully as I could.
Charlotte spun around and let out a small cry. She ran for her parents.
Thank God.
Annabelle sobbed as she saw her daughter for the first time in a century. Jack scooped Charlotte up with a whoop and Annabelle closed her in with a tearful hug.
I sat back on my feet, knees on the ground, and marveled at that little girl’s courage after all she’d been through. She’d kept her strength. She’d broken through. And she’d found her mom and dad.
I had the best job in the world.
After a moment, Charlotte dragged her father over to see me, pointing at me.
“I know,” he said, chuckling, “she helped us, too.”
She pointed more insistently at the canopic jar while Jack scooped her up in his arms again.
Annabelle fluttered her hands, as if she didn’t quite know what to do with her reunited family. “Charlotte doesn’t speak,” she explained, watching father and daughter. “She never has. The doctors call it a brain condition.”
“She’s beautiful,” I said. “And I understood her quite well once I stopped and paid attention.”
Annabelle nodded. “There is a great contrast to be made between those who take the time to listen and those who don’t.”
“So true,” I told her.
Still, I couldn’t escape the idea that Charlotte had wanted to show me more a few moments ago. But we’d found the jar; we’d reunited the family. What more could there be?
I bent over the find, my back to the winds sweeping the cliff. With gentle care, I lowered the blanket away from the artifact and saw the jar had broken clear down the middle. Something glimmered inside.
Odd.
I gently separated the two halves, careful not to damage them, and revealed a ruby the size of my fist.
Oh, wow. “Take a look at this, Jack.”
I wished Lee were here. Between this and the relics in the carriage house, he’d never have to worry about money again. He could preserve the house and its history for this generation and the next. I’d done it. And I found myself supremely grateful.
The ghost glided over, holding Charlotte. “Well, I’ll be damned. It’s the cursed stone.”
I placed it on the ground. “Cursed?”
“Take it. Now. Or else he’ll get it,” Jack warned. “The queen used that stone to concentrate her power and gain her greatest desire, a land of her own to rule. In the wrong hands, it could cause disaster. When we didn’t find it in the tomb, I figured it was just part of the legend.”
But it wasn’t. It was sitting on the ground in front of me.
I gathered up my courage. I’d already touched it once. I winced and picked it up again. It felt heavy and ice cold to the touch.
“He’s coming back,” Annabelle warned. Robert’s body had disappeared, replaced by a dark mist. It began rolling toward us.
Jack lowered Charlotte to the ground and raised his gun, taking a shot at the swirling form. The bullet passed straight through and we heard the deep, sickening sound of Robert laughing.
“I won’t let you shoot me again,” he hissed. “Now give me the stone.”
The governess appeared directly behind Jack. “Give it to him,” she said coldly. “Now that he’s found it, he won’t stop until he has it.”
“What’s it to you?” I demanded. “Did he promise you something if you help him?”
“I’m protecting you. I’m protecting all of you. Now give it!” she commanded.
Jack turned to me, afraid. “Ghost hunter?” he asked, as if I knew what to do.
I didn’t understand how Robert could touch the jewel or what he could do with it. But if he wanted it, that had to be bad.
Robert’s spirit took form and swirled around Charlotte. “It’s mine. I found it in Egypt. I hid it in the jar. Only I know how to use it. Give it to me or I’ll kill Charlotte for good. I know how to do it.”
He was powerful. I could see him taking the child.
The governess glared at Jack. “Do it now!” She raised her hands as Robert’s energy swirled faster.
I nodded to the ghost. I couldn’t save Charlotte from her uncle, but maybe the governess could.
“Fine,” Jack hissed. “Take it. Give me Charlotte and leave!” Robert dove for the stone and Jack snatched up the child.
Robert let out a shout of victory as he touched the stone.
The blood red surface snapped and sizzled. Robert’s presence grew jagged and darker. I glanced at a wide-eyed Jack, who shielded his daughter’s face as we retreated from the powerful, angry ghost.
I watched in horror as Robert’s spirit mingled with the stone, giving both the ghost and the rock an eerie glow. This could be really, really bad. This ghost was deadly enough without him gaining an ancient power, one I couldn’t hope to understand.
Then Robert’s spirit jolted. He let out a hollow, unearthly scream as the stone began to suck him down. I stepped back more, watching it pull him in, not willing to be anywhere close as the stone absorbed the murdering ghost’s spirit. My attacker struggled and fought, just as I had when
he’d tried to pin me under water. But it didn’t change anything. The stone dragged him down until he was gone.
We watched as the last wisp of smoke disappeared into the stone.
“What was that?” I asked, heart pounding, throat dry. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see the stone implode on the spot.
“The curse,” Jack said, stroking Charlotte’s hair, keeping his distance.
“I got that.” But was it over?
No one else moved. So I did. I approached slowly, not about to touch the stone. I swore it pulsed with a heat and energy of its own. It seemed alive somehow.
And when I bent over it, I could see a shadow inside, barely. A dark, jagged presence.
The governess glided up on my left and I had to work not to flinch away.
“You ever see anything like it?” I asked, not really expecting an answer.
Her lips twisted into a rueful sneer. “His greatest wish in the end was to keep everyone away. And so he has gotten his one desire.” Her dark stare bored into me. “That is the queen’s curse.”
She’d told Jack to offer the stone to Robert, to give the malicious ghost ownership. “Did you know it would capture him like that?”
“I hoped,” she said coldly. “How else could we stop him?”
“True.” I was sorry it had to come to that. “I never would have imagined such a thing existed.”
She gazed down at me, serene with an edge of danger in her voice. “You’d be surprised what legends are true, ghost hunter.”
I was always surprised in this line of work. “Is he trapped for good?”
“He is. Until he has a change of heart,” she murmured. “I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”
“He cursed himself,” Jack said, joining us. “He let his obsession with the stone take over his life, and ours. But not anymore. Never again.” He held hands with Annabelle, who carried Charlotte. “He’s gone for good.”
And the rest of the family was free.
Chapter 21
Of course Frankie showed up again, after it was all over.
“I knew you could handle it,” he said, his disembodied head floating a safe distance away from the cursed stone. “I admit I’m not a natural ghost hunter. I prefer something I can shoot.”
“That actually would have worked out in this case,” I said, going to retrieve his urn. At least, it would have helped. I located my bag near the edge of the cliff where I’d dropped it. “I don’t know what we would have done if Jack hadn’t shot Robert when he did.”
“You could have joined me on the other side,” Frankie mused, as if it were no problem at all. “I could show you the ropes.”
I glanced back at the cliff that almost ended my life. “You’ve got to be kidding. You’re talking as if my death would merely mean a change of address.”
“No,” Frankie said, as if I was too daft to understand. “You wouldn’t have to move at all. We could haunt your house together.”
In his dreams. “I’d rather eat my own eyeballs.”
He shrugged. “You’re the one who trapped me. We have a bargain.”
Joy.
He eyed me. “Speaking of our deal…”
I felt a prickling rush as his energy left me.
“Wait.” I turned to see Jack and Annabelle playing with Charlotte on the lawn, before they disappeared. “I was going to say goodbye.”
“We’ll go back later, after they’ve had some time together,” Frankie said. “They’ve earned it.”
“Oh my.” I smiled at my ghost friend. “Is that you growing a heart?”
He wrinkled his nose like he smelled something awful. “I certainly hope not.”
* * *
Despite his faults, Frankie deserved a break after what he’d been through. He disappeared into the ether—where ghosts go to recover—while I called Ellis and asked him to meet me outside the carriage house.
Minutes later, my hunk of a deputy sheriff arrived with Lee and a half-dozen police officers.
“I stopped by to see you,” Lee said. “You were gone, so I ran by to see Ellis and get the update.”
“I can’t let you out of my sight for a minute,” Ellis said, folding me into a massive hug, not even caring about our audience.
That boy was sweet on me, and he didn’t care who knew.
“Thanks again for the phone,” I said, kissing him on the cheek, glad that he’d had faith in me to make this right.
I pulled away from Ellis and addressed Lee. “It’s good to see you as well.” I’d feared the worst when I couldn’t find my first and only client today. “I was worried about you.”
“Well, I was terrified for you,” Lee said, shaking his head. “I’m so sorry I put you through this.”
“I’m not,” I told him. We’d stopped a murderous, vengeful ghost. We’d brought a family together. And…“You’re never going to believe what Frankie and I found,” I said, leading him through the carriage house door.
* * *
Lee cried when he saw his grandfather’s greatest discovery preserved for more than a century.
“It’s too much,” he said again and again as officers helped him open bags, trunks, and crates full of priceless artifacts.
“I need you to see something else as well,” I said to Lee and Ellis. I led them to the ruby at the base of the old gazebo and told them the story.
Ellis, as usual, knew what to do. He removed the stone with a shovel and placed it in Qebehsenuef, the falcon-headed jar. With my vision strictly limited to the mortal realm, I no longer saw the shadows of Robert’s spirit inside, but I knew he was there.
“It should be safe until we can store it properly,” Ellis said. Even so, Ellis had insisted he be the one to carry the stone and the jar back to the carriage house. He turned and gave an order to Duranja. No one was to touch the artifacts.
“It’s the best way,” I agreed. The stone had been contained in a similar jar for the last hundred years.
Lee nodded. “It’s my responsibility now. I’ll make sure the cursed ruby won’t be touched by anyone, not now—not ever.”
“Your grandfather will be glad to hear it,” I told him.
“So what are you going to do with it all?” Ellis asked. It appeared as if he had half the police force already guarding the find.
“I called that armored security company you recommended,” Lee said. “They’re going to keep it safe until I can call in some experts and learn what we have.”
“What you have,” I corrected.
He smiled. “I haven’t forgotten about our deal. You get half, Verity. You’ve earned it.”
“It’s too much,” I said, relief flooding me at the thought of receiving a tiny portion. I could buy furniture, fix up the house. I’d have room to breathe. I didn’t need half of Lee’s family legacy to do that. I’d let him calm down. Then, we’d talk.
“All I ask is that you tell me what the heck happened,” Lee said.
“Come with me.” No one else would believe it.
Chapter 22
The three of us slipped outside and stood very close to the window I’d used to spy on the treasure before I even knew what it was.
“Robert killed Jack,” I told them. “He admitted it to me. Although he didn’t say how.”
The two men exchanged a glance.
Ellis drew our group closer. “Did Robert say why he killed his brother-in-law?”
“He wanted Jack’s find. And his life, from the sound of it. It seemed Robert was the one doing the work, at least according to him. Jack got the glory.”
Ellis nodded. “So he killed Jack and they had a funeral instead of an unveiling of the queen’s tomb.” He stepped back. “Talk about twisted family politics,” he mused. “At least nobody in my family resorts to murder.”
I counted myself lucky for that.
“When Jack’s family was in mourning, it made sense for Robert to disassemble the display in the music room,” I said. “But instead of storing
the queen’s mummy and her artifacts in the attic, in their crates, he had them taken out to his truck.” Disguised in fertilizer sacks.
No wonder the expedition boxes in the attic stood empty.
“Annabelle would have trusted him,” Lee said. “He was her brother and her husband’s business partner. I know my dad spoke highly of his uncle Robert.”
If he’d only known. I looked out over the overgrown garden, at the ruin of it all. “The trouble started when Robert finished stealing almost everything and realized he was missing one of the four canopic jars.”
“The one with the jewel inside,” Lee said, glancing back at the carriage house and the find it contained.
Ellis frowned. “Either way, if he was going to go on another expedition and later claim the queen’s untouched tomb was his, he’d need that jar.”
Exactly. “It just up and disappeared on him. Charlotte had it. She loved dolls and saw a new one in her dad’s office.” She hadn’t meant any harm. “Robert went after her. She ran. He says it was an accident. I’m not sure if he meant to harm her, but she went over the edge.”
“That poor kid,” Ellis murmured.
I hoped that Tobias wasn’t listening, that he didn’t feel too bad. When Robert had asked him if he’d seen the child, Tobias couldn’t have imagined it would lead to Charlotte’s death.
“Annabelle suspected, didn’t she?” Ellis asked.
I nodded. “Jack Junior was due in the next day. She was upstairs and had begun running a bath when she caught Robert looking through Charlotte’s room. She made some accusations; Robert grabbed her. She broke away and ran to her rooms and tried to hide. He drowned her in her tub.”
“Maybe the tomb was cursed,” Lee muttered, “to cause a man to do that.”
“But how did Robert die?” I wondered. “He killed everyone but the governess, but she couldn’t have known what he’d done, so it’s unlikely she avenged the family. And it doesn’t make sense that he’d just drop over dead.”
“We’ll have to ask her,” Lee said, “that is, if you don’t mind.”
