To Catch a Spirit

by Carrie Pulkinen

  “Jesus.” The newspaper article said Lily had jumped out of a second story window. “I wouldn’t think it’d be high enough to kill her, though.”

  “It is if you go head first into the concrete.” Richard nodded at Gage and picked up a hand-held camera.

  “Logan, you’re going to wait in the van with me for a while. Richard and Lindsay are going to try provoking the ghost to get her to expend most of her energy, so she doesn’t overwhelm our medium…or you.”

  “You’re the experts.” He didn’t know the first thing about ghost hunting, and he wasn’t afraid to admit it. He followed Gage to the van, leaves crunching under their feet as they crossed the front yard. He could feel Gage’s excitement. His love of the hunt. It was refreshing to find someone who truly loved what he did. Most people just worked for the money.

  Gage opened the sliding door, and Logan’s eyes widened as he took in the technological backstage of D.A.P.S. A series of flat panel monitors lined one wall, and multiple computers and keyboards occupied a table beneath. Gage sat in a swiveling chair and invited Logan to sit in another one.

  “Impressive.” The monitors displayed different views of his house: the kitchen, upstairs where he heard the voices, his bedroom. “I never realized what all goes into this. It’s amazing.”

  Gage chuckled. “It’s all right. Wait till our medium gets here. She’s amazing.”

  He smiled at Gage’s admiration of the medium, and he sensed there might be something more than respect between the two.

  “Are you close?” It wasn’t any of his business, and as soon as the words escaped his mouth, he was sorry he asked. Allison’s inquisitive nature was already rubbing off on him.

  “I guess. She has a new boyfriend now, so who knows, right?” He opened a drawer under the table and pulled out a pack of Twizzlers. “You want some?”

  “Mmm…Sugar-coated plastic. My favorite.” He took a piece of the candy and chewed on the end. “What’s this medium going to do? How’s she going to send the ghost packing?”

  Gage’s fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed in some codes, then he swiveled around to face him. “I don’t know how she does it, honestly. Ghosts talk to her. And she can hear them. Hell, she can see them, and I’m looking at the same place she is, but I see nothing. It’s some crazy shit. She tells them to go to the light, but there’s got to be more to it than that. She’s doing something, but I have no idea what it is.”

  “Is she a psychic? I mean, what’s the difference?”

  “Yeah. Psychic. Medium. It’s all the same thing. She does it all.”

  Logan chewed on his Twizzler and thought about Allison. She’d never mentioned communicating with spirits. Was that something she ever practiced? He probably should’ve told her what he was doing tonight. He didn’t even consider she might be interested in his problem. He was too worried she’d think he was crazy.

  Well, shit. It was too late now. She said she had plans with some friends anyway. She was probably out with Tina at a bar somewhere getting hit on by all kinds of losers. A twinge of jealousy stabbed in his gut, and he had to stop thinking about it right then and there or he was going to have a meltdown.

  “What are they doing in there?” He had to get his mind off what Allison might be doing and focus on the problem at hand.

  “They’re provoking. Trying to make the spirit mad, so it’ll use up some of its energy. Your ghost is pretty strong. I mean, it scratched Lindsey, for Christ sake. That doesn’t happen very often.”

  “She’s not scared? To be in there again after that happened?”

  Gage laughed. “She’s probably scared shitless. But it’s part of the job. You have to get over your fears and do what you came to do.”

  Gage’s walkie-talkie buzzed with Richard’s muffled voice. “You can send him in now.”

  “They’re ready for you, man. I’m going to pick up the reinforcements. See you in a bit.”

  * * *

  In the silence of Allison’s apartment, the memories of her last escapade with D.A.P.S. rushed through her mind. Memories she’d worked hard to suppress. All those spirits. All those twisted emotions flooding her senses. She shivered as she slipped out of her clothes and turned on the shower.

  This time would be different. Gage said it was only one ghost. Surely, she could handle that. Even a really strong spirit shouldn’t be a problem for an experienced professional. Not if there was only one.

  The hot stream of the shower relaxed the tension in her muscles and cleared her mind. She breathed deeply, transcending into a shallow meditative state as the water cascaded down her body, washing away her anxiety. Shutting off the faucet, she slipped into a fuzzy, blue robe, dried her hair, and had just finished her makeup when someone knocked on her door. She tightened the belt around her waist and padded through the living room. Gage stood outside the door with his hands in his pockets and his eyes cast downward.

  “Hi, Gage. You’re early.”

  His cheeks flushed as his gaze traveled up and down her body. He swallowed hard. “I, uh…I’m sorry. I wanted to talk to you.”

  She clutched the top of her robe and stepped aside so he could enter. “Just let me get dressed, and I’ll be right out.”

  “Okay.”

  She hurried to her bedroom and threw on a pair of jeans and a deep burgundy sweater. When she returned, Gage perched on the edge of the couch wringing his hands. He stood up as soon as she entered the room.

  “Allison, I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m ready now.” She dismissed his apology with a wave of her hand and dug in her purse for her keys. When she turned back to Gage, he had a pleading look in his eyes.

  He crossed the room to stand in front of her. “Not for that. I mean…I am sorry I got here so early, but…” He sighed and took her hand. “I wanted to apologize for the way I acted this morning. I was out of line.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “No. No, it’s not. You were right. I should’ve been happy for you. I am happy for you. And I’m sorry for making things uncomfortable between us. Can you forgive me?”

  She put her hand on his cheek. “Oh, Gage. There’s nothing to forgive. I’m the one who should apologize for leading you on.”

  “No. You were just being you. You’re kind and caring and sweet. And you’re like that with everyone. I was hoping we could forget I ever said anything and go back to being buddies.”

  She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. “Of course we can.”

  He exhaled sharply and nodded. “Are you ready for this?”

  “I am.”

  “Then, let’s do it…Oh, do you have a blindfold?”

  “Right here.” She pulled a black velvet sleep mask out of her purse. “But I think I’ll wait to put it on until we get in the car.”

  He chuckled. “Good idea.”

  They walked side by side through the parking lot, and she shivered in the crisp Autumn air.

  “Are you cold?” Normally Gage wouldn’t have hesitated to wrap his arms around her and warm her up. But now he just looked at her with his hands in his pockets.

  “I’m okay. Just had a little chill.” She rubbed her hands on her arms and climbed in the car. As she slipped her blindfold over her eyes, all of her other senses sharpened with the loss of her vision, especially her sixth sense. She felt Gage’s conflicted emotions and quickly put up a wall between them. She’d already rejected him; she didn’t need to be nosing around in his psyche.

  He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. She tried to ignore the turns he took; she didn’t want to know where they were going, especially if it was a place she would recognize. She already knew too much as it was. The ghost was female, and she was hostile toward other women. The homeowner was well-known in the Detroit area. She would have to push those thoughts out of her mind, so they didn’t influence her psychic vision.

  Being a psychic wasn’t an exact science, and sometimes outside infl
uences or preconceived notions could affect what she saw in her mind’s eye. It took years of practice to eliminate her personal feelings from the mix and rely purely on her senses. She breathed deeply and cleared her mind for the job ahead.

  “All right. We’re here. I’ll come around and help you out.” He slid out of the car and opened Allison’s door. This was his favorite part of the hunt, Allison remembered. He loved watching her work. Being her anchor. Of course, now she knew it was more than that for him. She sighed and took his hand.

  They walked across the yard, and leaves crunched beneath her feet with each careful step. Gage stopped and put his arm around her shoulders.

  “We’re going to step up now. One, two, three, four, five steps, okay?”

  She nodded and began the climb, trusting Gage to guide her. When they reached the top step, familiarity swirled through her senses.

  She put her hand on his chest to steady herself, and he sucked in a deep breath.

  “I’ve been here before, Gage.”

  “Okay. Do you know where you are?”

  “No. But I know I’ve been here before.”

  “Well, try to push it out of your mind, and put up your shields, because we’re going in.”

  * * *

  Richard mumbled something into his walkie-talkie and turned to Logan. “Our psychic’s here. She’ll be blindfolded when she comes in, and it’s important that you don’t speak until she takes it off.”

  “Why is she going to be blindfolded?”

  “So she’s not affected by any outside influences. Your ghost is strong, and if she’s going to clear it out, she needs to be able to connect with it. She has no idea where she is or who you are, and we need to keep it that way.”

  “All right.” He shrugged. “You’re the experts. Just tell me what you need me to do.”

  “For now, we just need you to be here. We wore the ghost out provoking it. It used up its energy banging around and throwing stuff at Lindsay, so it’s weak. But it’s attracted to you, so we need you to be in the room.” Richard spoke into his walkie again. “Bring her in, Gage.”

  The front door opened, and Allison stepped in, wrapped in Gage’s arms. His heart stood still for a beat or two before slamming into his chest. She was their medium. Shit. How could he be so stupid? He should have known. He started to call out to her, but a sharp look from Richard stopped him short.

  They walked into the living room, and Logan felt Gage’s affinity for Allison. She was the one he went on about in the van. She was the one who had won his admiration and maybe a little more. Allison was the one Gage wanted.

  Fuck.

  Jealousy twisted in his gut as he watched Gage lead Allison around the house. The way she held on to him. The way she trusted him. She never flinched as they explored Logan’s living room. Like this was something they did all the time. He took a deep breath to steady himself. This probably was something they did all the time. They worked together.

  Gage mentioned he knew Allison was spoken for. Did she not tell him whom she was dating?

  “Gage, I can’t shake this feeling that I’ve been here before. It’s stronger now that we’re inside.”

  Gage glanced at Logan for confirmation, but he stared back blankly. Could Allison sense him? Could she figure out where she was on her own?

  “Well, what do you want to do? Do you want to know where you are, or do you want to talk to the ghost first?” Gage asked.

  “I’ll try talking to the ghost first.” She took a step away from Gage and reached out for his hand, gripping him tightly, inhaling a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

  “Whoa. It’s definitely female. She’s strong too. She doesn’t want me to be here. Alex…Alex is mine…Oh, God.” She covered her mouth as she began to sway.

  Gage pulled her close. “What is it, Allison? What do you see?”

  “She killed herself. Okay, I need to stop for a minute.” She rubbed her temples as she leaned into Gage. He rubbed her back, making the jealousy wring Logan’s insides even tighter.

  “It’s okay, baby. Just take your time.” Gage’s voice was soft and full of concern.

  Allison pulled away from him with a laugh, and Logan reached out to read her. He had to know if she had feelings for this guy. All he sensed from her was a nervous awkwardness.

  “I’m okay. Did her husband cheat on her?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “He did. Many times, and she killed herself. He didn’t love her.”

  “That’s exactly right,” Richard said.

  “And she thinks the owner is her Alex. She hasn’t been aggressive to the owner, has she? No. She still loves him. She still loves Alex.”

  Well, shit. The ghost thought he was Alex.

  Alex.

  The woman in white diving out the window. Could that be what his vision was about? No. Hell no. That was crazy.

  “What’s over here?” Allison moved toward the stairs, and Gage grabbed her hand to guide her.

  “It’s a staircase.” He put her hand on the rail and let her go.

  As soon as she touched the wooden railing, she stiffened. “Oh, my God...Logan?” She pulled the blindfold off and turned around, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light. “Logan…”

  “Allison.” He hesitated, but then walked toward her and took her hand.

  “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have helped sooner if I’d known it was you.” She leaned into him, resting her head against his chest.

  He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. “I’m sorry. I should have told you. God knows I’ve told you everything else. I was embarrassed.”

  She cradled his face in her hands. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. The ghost was already here when you bought the house. I saw her at your party.”

  “You saw her? The ghost?”

  “Yes. I thought she was a person. She was sitting on the stairs, right here. And she was crying. She was devastated. I tried to console her, but she disappeared. That’s when I left. Her emotions overwhelmed me, and I had to get out.”

  “So that’s why you were so upset that night? I’ve wondered about that. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Well, you never mentioned it, so I didn’t think it bothered you. There are spirits everywhere. I block them out most of the time. And most of the time they don’t bother anyone. I didn’t want to freak you out.”

  Gage looked back and forth between Allison and Logan. “Wait a minute. Logan is your new boyfriend? The one you said you—”

  “Yep. This is him.” She flashed Gage a sharp look.

  “Aw, hell.” Gage shook his head and walked away.

  “You didn’t tell me you were a ghost buster.” He tucked a piece of hair behind Allison’s ear.

  “A ghost buster?” She giggled. “I haven’t done it in a long time. But I think it’s something we’re going to have to talk about later. Richard looks like he’s getting impatient.”

  The leader of D.A.P.S. stared at them with his arms crossed over his chest. “Are you two love birds ready to get rid of this ghost or what?”

  Allison smirked. “Excuse me, Richard, for having a personal life. I’m ready now.” She walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. “Gage, are you ready?”

  He took a deep breath, sighed, and shook his head. “Yeah. I’m ready.” He sat on the couch next to Allison and took her hand. Richard and Lindsey stood across from them with video and audio recorders ready, while Logan sat in a chair adjacent to the sofa.

  He wrung his hands and stared at his girlfriend holding another man’s hand. Why hadn’t she shared this part of herself with him? She was nervous, he was sure of that, and maybe a little scared to call on the ghost again. But why? He wanted to comfort her. To be the one holding her hand and helping her with her gift.

  He tried to read her again. He wanted so badly to know how she was feeling. But the tension in the room was so high, he couldn’t single her out. Everyone was nervous. Had something gone wrong before? Was that why she hadn’t don
e this in a long time? With all the electric stabs of tension pricking at his skin and the heavy feeling of worry weighting down the room, that was all it could be.

  “Is there anything you need me to do, Allison?” Logan asked.

  “No. Just be here. Lily is attracted to you. Actually, she’s standing right next to you.”

  He jerked his head to one side and then the other, but he didn’t see anything. “What the hell? Where?”

  Gage laughed. “I told you, man.”

  He settled back into his chair as Allison closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

  “Lily, why are you still here? This isn’t your home anymore.” Allison went deathly still as she communicated with the spirit that no one else could see or hear. Logan watched her face as a myriad of emotions flashed across her features. She was in another place. On another plane, and all he felt in her place was emptiness. The tension in the room built as Allison sat in utter stillness and silence, and Logan’s heart dropped as he tried again to reach out to her and found nothing but a void.

  Gage squeezed her hand. “What are you getting, Allison? Is she talking to you?”

  Allison took a shaky breath and wiped a single tear from her cheek. “She loved him so much. She blames herself. If only she had been more supportive. Oh, Lily. It’s not your fault.”

  Tears streamed from Allison’s closed eyes, and Logan rose to comfort her. Gage put up his hand to stop him.

  “She’ll be okay. Just let her work through it.”

  He cursed under his breath. Gage was the expert, but Allison belonged to him. He sat on the edge of his chair and clenched his fists as she cried.

  “She couldn’t take it anymore. He was so callous. He took them. He took the women in her own bedroom. While she was in the house. Oh, God. She jumped out of the window at the top of the stairs.” Allison trembled as she relayed Lily’s emotions, and no one seemed to notice her pain. No one said a word as she sobbed into her hands. Gage rubbed her back and Richard and Lindsey just stood there recording it all. Logan couldn’t stand it anymore.

  “That’s enough.” He kneeled in front of her, resting his hands on her thighs, squeezing them gently. “Allison? Allison, it’s Logan. Come back to me.”