by Wendy Wang
"Yes," she said. "It did. I was surprised that you could see me that day. I've had quite a few shocks with people just walking right through me."
"Yes, I imagine that was shocking," Charlie said. "You brought me here. Now, what do you want me to see."
"Come with me," Margaret said. She disappeared and then reappeared with a little less vapor this time. She turned and continued down the passageway to a ladder that went straight up. She stopped beneath it and pointed, indicating Charlie should climb.
By the time she reached the ladder, Margaret had disappeared again. Charlie glanced up into the darkened tunnel and rearranged the crystal in her hand. She tried not to think about all the creepy crawlies that probably surrounded her as she made her way up. Spiders, palmetto bugs. She would take a hot shower and scrub until her skin stopped itching once she got home.
She should've told Ben what she was doing. What if she got stuck in here? Would anyone even hear her behind the walls of this old place? She hurried her pace trying to get to the top (if there even was a top) of the ladder. Maybe it just went on forever into the darkness. Something skittered across her hand, and she screamed, losing hold of the crystal. She heard it tapping the walls and finally landing below. Its yellow glow faded and then flickered out, leaving her in complete darkness. Her breath sounded harsh in her throat.
"Okay, Margaret, you brought me in here. I'm not moving another inch until you show me where I'm going." Silence. "Should have brought a damned God’s eye cross with me," she muttered.
Something clicked and a hinge squeaked. A crack of light filtered down and Charlie began to move again, holding onto the pale beam as if it were a life preserver. She scrambled the rest of the way up the ladder, not stopping until she’d reached the hidden door built into the paneling in one of the bedrooms. Charlie stepped inside the room and recognized it immediately. The wallpaper was peeling in places and there were rectangles on the wall where pictures had hung, leaving shadows of dark against the faded silk. The furniture and rug were gone, but there was no mistaking this had been Edwina's room.
Charlie turned in a full circle looking for — what she wasn't sure. "Okay, I got through your hell tunnel. You could've just led me up the stairs you know. What is it you want me to see?"
The bedroom door clicked and swung open just a little bit. Charlie walked out of the bedroom to the wide second-floor gallery landing. She peered over the banister and saw Ben. He was listening to Paul Ruskin go on and on about the history of the house. When Paul started to walk away, still talking and coaxing his audience of one to follow, Ben glanced up and did a double take. His mouth formed the word “How?” so Charlie waved and smiled.
The sound of a door lock and hinge squealing made her around. Down the hall, on the other side of the gallery, a long black opening beckoned. Charlie took a deep breath and headed toward the room. The door opened wider as she approached, and her hands began to sweat as blood rushed through her ears with the pounding of her heart.
She walked into the darkened room and could still smell the sickness lingering in the air. This was where the old lady had died.
The furniture was gone and the window shades were down, blocking any rays of cleansing sunshine. Charlie flipped on the light and the ball overhead flickered at first before fully lighting the room. A garden of roses covered the wall. The busy pattern in the wallpaper assaulted Charlie senses, making her dizzier than she already felt. The closet door opened wide and Charlie approached with caution. She was surprised to find closets at all in this house. Whoever built it must've been rich and a little forward thinking, even if the tiny box of a closet didn't hold much by today's standards.
Charlie looked around trying to see any sign of a false door, running her hands along the back of the wall. When she found nothing, she stood back and put her hands on her hips and stared into the dimly lit space.
"You brought me this far, but you're really not going to show me what you're trying to tell me?" She sighed and went back to work searching.
Standing on her toes, she ran her hands above the shelf two-thirds of the way up the wall. The floorboard beneath her feet wobbled a little and Charlie almost lost her balance. She looked down and realized it was loose. With a bit of pressure at the corner, the floorboard rose up and Charlie knelt, digging the floorboard up with her fingers. Inside she could see a box and several leather-bound books with gold decorations on each of their fronts. A layer of dust had settled into the cracks and crevices of the dirty, aged leather. She carefully lifted each book out and thumbed through it. The writing inside changed from front to back, going from a pretty feminine script to an almost childlike scrawl. Sentences jumped out at her.
Porter’s cheating on me again.
I feel so worthless.
Why doesn't he love me?
I can't remember that night.
An aching sadness flooded Charlie's chest, and an icy finger touched the back of her neck, making her glance over her shoulder. Standing behind her was Margaret Ruskin — not the beautiful, regal woman she had first met, but the shell of the sick and sad old woman who had recently died here. She wore a long white nightgown, and her thin, white hair hung from her head in long, wispy strings. She held her hands in front of her chest and pleaded, "Help her."
The old woman's voice scratched through Charlie’s senses. "Please. Help my Edwina."
Charlie heard footsteps climbing the stairs. She suspected that they were purposefully loud. Ben's voice came through clear, asking some question about mold. She scrambled to put the diaries into her purse, which made it stretch to capacity. Now she knew why Jen used that big bag.
The box caught her eye as she started to put the floorboard back into place. She had nowhere to hide it. Which gave her an idea. She removed the box and put the floorboard back in place, then took the diaries from her purse and put them inside the box. She was surprised to find several old reels of tape. Since they didn't look like videotapes or films, they must've been some sort of recording tape. She would figure out what to do with them later. It took her a moment to remember the spell that Daphne had taught her.
"The glamour can do more than just make you look pretty," Daphne had said. "Or in Tom's case make him look human. You can also use it to disguise things."
"Disguise them how?" Charlie had asked.
"You can actually make something invisible using a glamour."
"That could definitely come in handy," Charlie had laughed. “Show me what to do.”
"It's not so much that it’s really invisible as much as it is about a trick of the eye. That's really all glamour is. A trick of the eye." Daphne had grinned. "If glamour is done correctly, then whatever you're trying to conceal just blends in with the surroundings."
Tom is tricking me went through her head, but she batted that thought away. She could not think about that now. She was in too deep with him. And it wasn't like he was trying to hurt her.
Charlie arranged the flaps of the box so it would stay shut. She put her hands on either side and closed her eyes, concentrating on fashioning the concealment spell she had learned from her cousin.
“Box be concealed. Let your form be not revealed. Box bend the light, making you invisible to their sight,” she whispered three times.
When she opened her eyes she could no longer see the box, but her hands were definitely touching it, and she could still feel it. She rearranged her purse putting it close to her body and tucked the small box between her purse and her arm holding onto it. She hoped that Paul wouldn’t notice that her arm was jutting out just a little at an odd angle. She stood up just as Paul and Ben entered the bedroom.
"Oh, hi," Paul said. "I didn't realize you’d come up here."
"Yeah, I just couldn't resist." Charlie smiled at him, ignoring Ben, who was staring at the angle of her arm.
"Paul's going to show me the attic," Ben said.
"That's great, honey." Charlie poured it on thick. "I'm afraid all this dust is kinda getting to me. I
've got a sinus headache."
"Oh no," Paul said. "I'm really sorry about that."
"Don't you worry. It happens a lot when we go through old houses like this. I think I just need some fresh air. I think I'll go to the car. See if I have any sinus medication in the glove box."
"Great," Ben said, wearing a blank expression. "I shouldn't be too much longer, honey."
Charlie headed for the door.
"So what can you tell me about this room?" Ben asked, clearly trying to distract Paul.
Charlie smiled and headed down the steps.
Charlie tucked the box on the floorboard of the back seat and waited for Ben. Twenty minutes later, he walked out of the house carrying a business card in his hands. He climbed into the passenger side of the car.
"I hope whatever it is you found was interesting," Ben groused.
"The whole experience was interesting," Charlie said. "To say the very least."
"You know you're really good at this."
She frowned. "What? Being deceitful? I'm not sure how I feel about that."
"No, I mean investigating. You don't get too wound up when you have to lie. And you obviously have no problem taking things that don't belong to you," Ben teased.
"Not if it's for the greater good," Charlie said. "And anyway, Margaret Ruskin wanted me to take them. I say her wishes override her nephew’s. After all, she was the original owner."
"Fair enough. So what did you find?"
Charlie told him about the secret passageway that led her upstairs, and the appearance of Margaret Ruskin as both a stately woman and an old, dying one.
"Spirits," Ben remarked. Irritation etched into his voice. "It's almost like they get handed a guidebook when they die on how to manipulate the living."
"The way I see it is she's just trying to help her daughter." Charlie shrugged a shoulder and started the car. She pulled onto the quiet street and headed toward Calhoun. "Maybe it is manipulation, but in the end, if it helps them rest and pass on, then am okay with it."
"I would just be careful how okay you are with it," Ben said. There was something ominous in his words. Something that hinted at a darker meaning that Charlie didn't really want to explore at the moment.
"I'm just not sure where we’re gonna get a reel-to-reel player," Charlie said, after describing the contents of the box.
"We'll find one," Ben assured her. "There are a couple of old electronics stores down at the far end of King Street. I bet one of them will have something. And if they don't, I bet they could get one."
"I hope you're right. I think I’ll see if I can get a little help from Lisa and Daphne and Jen on this one," Charlie said.
"I think that's a great idea. The more heads, the better."
"Exactly."
"I don't know about you but I'm starving." Charlie reached for the door to the Kitchen Witch Café.
"I'm definitely getting there," Ben said. Almost every seat in the bustling restaurant was taken. Jen, Dottie, and the blue-haired waitress, whose name Charlie could never remember, milled about taking orders and refilling coffee.
In the large corner booth, a familiar face stared back at her with a smile. Daphne straightened and waved, clearly happy to see her. Her cousin motioned for them to join her, and as Charlie drew closer, she found her cousin Lisa in the booth as well. Charlie approached the table and put the box down. She slid into the circular booth next to Daphne, who scooted closer to Lisa in the center of the seat.
"I wasn't expecting to see you two here today," Charlie said.
Lisa smiled. "Jen said you pretty much come here when you don't have to work, so we stopped by on the off chance that you might be here,” she said. “What's in the box?"
"Just some old journals and reel-to-reel tapes," Charlie said.
"Oh." Daphne fingered the top flap. "Anything interesting?"
Charlie hedged. "Maybe. I was actually gonna call y'all to see if you wouldn't mind helping me."
Daphne and Lisa exchanged a glance. "I think we can help you, and we were hoping that you can help us."
"Help you with what?" Charlie asked.
Lisa put her elbows on the table and leaned forward. She lowered her voice. "With a missing person case."
"Is that what you're working on for Jason? Oh, I mean for your friend," Charlie teased.
"You're funny," Lisa said. "And, yes. It is."
"Did you happen to get the file?" Charlie asked.
"No." Lisa’s lips curled, showing her disappointment. "But I think I can if you really need it."
"It would help. Something personal would also be useful."
"Well, I can definitely help you with that. I made a doll and sewed some of her hair to it," Lisa said.
"That's perfect," Charlie replied. "Were you able to get any information with the spell?"
Daphne ran her finger around the rim of her tea glass, causing it to sing a little. "Yes. We know she's not dead."
"And we think she's being held in a basement somewhere," Lisa added.
"Well, that is actually good information." Charlie paused. "Does Jason know that you're asking me to help?"
Daphne glared at Lisa. "Nope. He does not. We figured this girl's life is more important than his feelings."
"Now, that's something I could definitely get behind," Charlie declared.
Dottie stopped by the table and took their orders. They waited until she was out of earshot to begin their discussion again.
"So, whose diaries are they?" Daphne asked and then took a sip of her tea.
"They belong to the ghost that came home with Ruby's Playhouse," Ben said.
"Or at least we think they do," Charlie said.
"What's on the reels?" Lisa asked, looking curiously in the box.
"I don't know," Charlie admitted. "But Edwina's mother wanted me to find them. She pointed me right to them."
"There must be some sort of answers on them," Daphne said. "I think it's cool that you want to solve her mystery instead of just having Tom come in and strike her down."
"That’s not exactly how he does it,." Charlie admonished. "I have seen him be very compassionate when he needs to be."
"I think this is my favorite thing in the world." Jen sidled up next to the table. Ben held his hand out for her. She took it and gave it a squeeze.
"What's that?" Lisa said.
"My family gathered around the dinner table," Jen said. "The only ones missing are Daddy and Ruby and Evangeline. That would make it perfect."
Charlie smiled but cut her gaze to Ben to see his reaction. Her heart swelled when he didn't flinch at being called Jen's family.
"Can you sit with us?" Ben asked.
"’Fraid not sweetie," Jen replied. "We’re a little short-staffed today.
"There you go, Charlie," Ben said. "You could always come and work for Jen. Although I can’t imagine that you’d make a fortune as a waitress."
All of her cousins turned their gaze on her. "Why would you need to come work here?" Jen asked.
"Thanks, Ben," Charlie sang out in a chirpy but fake voice. She sighed.
"Oh geez, I'm sorry," Ben said. "I didn't realize."
"No, it's fine. I should've told you not to say anything." If I wanted you to keep your mouth shut.
"Is everything okay, Charlie?" Lisa said.
"My call center’s closing," Charlie sighed. They haven't even announced it yet, but one of my supervisors wanted me to give her reading so she let the cat out of the bag, so to speak."
"They aren’t going out of business are they?" Daphne asked. "That's where I have my bank accounts."
Charlie shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that. They're just moving it overseas."
"Well that stinks," Jen said.
"Yes, it does, but I can't worry about it today. I'll figure something out. I always do."
"You could go full-time with your own business," Daphne declared.
"Daphne, I don't have a business," Charlie said.
"Yes, you
do." Daphne threw her arm around her cousin’s shoulders. "You have a website, you have a Facebook page, and you even have YouTube videos, thanks to me. You have a business. It's just a matter of getting in there and growing it."
Charlie couldn't help but smile at her cousin’s can-do spirit. "I'll think about it, Daphne."
"I thought you were doing readings already?" Lisa asked.
"I am, but it's kind of sporadic and it's not like I do any sort of marketing or anything," Charlie said.
"I think she should come work with me at the DOL," Ben cut in.
"It's kind of a nomadic existence, isn't it?" Lisa frowned.
"I think we can figure something out," Ben stated.
"I think that could be perfect," Daphne said enthusiastically. "Especially if you add in the easy money of additional readings."
"I’d have to think about it," Charlie said.
"Well, you know you have our support no matter what you decide," Jen declared.
"Yeah, of course," Lisa immediately agreed. "We are all here for you."
"I appreciate that. So are y'all off this afternoon?"
"No, I've got to go back to work," Lisa said.
"Me, too," Daphne chimed in.
"What are y'all doing tonight?" Charlie asked.
Daphne raised an eyebrow. "When did you have in mind?"
"I was hoping y'all would be able to help me with these journals, and then I could take a look at your file too, Lisa," Charlie said.
"Sounds good to me." A look of relief washed across Lisa’s features.
"Sure, but it’ll have to be after seven," Daphne said.
"Why don't y’all come by the house tonight, then we can all take a look," Jen suggested.
Ben nodded. "That sounds good to me. I called that electronic shop on King Street, and the owner suggested I look on Craigslist, so I'm gonna do that this afternoon and see if I can find reel-to-reel player."
"I appreciate that, Ben," Charlie beamed. “Then we can start figuring this stuff out tonight.”
"Oh my God." Daphne stood in front of one of the glass-front cabinets, running her fingers through her wavy, shoulder-length hair. "You better find a way to reverse this, Jen. I look hideous."
