by Agatha Ball
Madison shook hands with the guy as we came into hearing range. She said, "So, I'll see you Thursday. I'll send you a one-sheet with the ghosts to mention."
The ghost hunter folded his arms, patronizingly. "Sorry. I have my routine. I don't need some hack writer telling me what to say."
Madison was taken aback. "Excuse me. But I am not a hack. I based the outline for the tour on actual history and happenings on this island."
"Sure."
"Wait." She squinted at him. "You're telling me that unless I stand here telling you that ghosts are real and you need to cover them, you're going to ignore my direction?" I could see blotches of red flare up on her neck. Her thick foundation only covered her skin above the jaw line.
He shrugged. "I've got a working business and don't need your input on this."
Madison suddenly spotted us. She pointed at me. "Ask her! She saw one of the ghosts on my list!"
The ghost hunter stepped forward and I could see he was skeptical. "Wait. You saw a ghost? A real one."
I cleared my throat. "Um... no. It was nothing..."
But instead of discouraging him, it seemed to get him more excited. "No. This is good. A skeptic. Listen, anyone can believe in ghosts and rearrange the facts to convince themselves they've seen one. It's the ones who don't believe and who have had an encounter that I want to talk to."
"It really wasn't a ghost," I repeated again.
He held up his hands to assure me. "Listen, why don't you just tell me what happened and then we can figure out what exactly it was that you saw or think you didn't see."
Madison was shooting arrows at me with her eyes, as if telling me if I didn't say something that backed her up, she was going to take me down.
"No. It's just... my grandmother is buying the old hardware store and when we went upstairs, a bunch of paint trays fell over. There was no one there. It was probably the wind because a window was open."
I noted that Nate, the coward, didn't pipe up to say he had been there, too. He just folded his arms and listened, as if he was amused by the whole conversation.
"The wind? Knocking over a stack of metal objects. When did the window open?"
"I didn't notice," I said. "It was across the room."
"So, a wind that was from across the room that you all 'didn't notice' was powerful enough to knock over a pile of paint trays..." The guy nodded, getting more and more interested. He had made the accusation that others convinced themselves of squeezing facts into the narrative they wanted to believe, but I think we had a case of physician-heal-thyself. "Were they precariously stacked? Was gravity at play? Did you feel a little earthquake?"
"Um... not that I noticed..."
"Were there any witnesses?"
Nate, sheepishly, raised his hand.
"Why didn't you say you were there before?" Madison snapped, accusingly.
"Because this whole thing is ridiculous," he stated for the record.
However, the ghost hunter was getting excited. "Okay. So let's go check out this hardware store for psychic activity!"
"I can take you there!" Madison piped up, trying to make herself seem relevant.
"Okay," he said, but then slowed her roll. "However, then I need you to back off because you're creating disruptions that frighten ghosts away."
"That's not the only thing she frightens away," Nate muttered under his breath.
The leader held out his hand to me. "Thanks for the scoop. I'm Tango."
"Like the dance," Madison informed us, like Nate and I were too dense to put those pieces together.
The leader rolled his eyes. "Like the call sign."
"Oh! Like that guy Echo!" I exclaimed.
"Echo? Why would you..." Tango's face darkened and he stepped forward. He lowered his voice like he was scared of eavesdroppers. "Has Echo been here?"
"Yeah," I said, pointing toward the waterfront. "He's going to be leading tours from the surf shack."
Tango turned back to Madison. "Why didn't you tell me Echo was here?"
"Um... is that a problem?" asked Madison, nervous that her cash cow was about to bail on her.
The ghost hunter's face darkened. "No. It just means that I will absolutely be taking this job," he glowered.
Chapter Eight
The sound of the evening ferry's horn blew loud and low as it pulled out of dock. I finished loading up a few carafes of coffee and boxes of our autumn treats as Granny tottered in. She had tucked spider webs and glittery picks with dangling bats into her black bouffant, and was wearing a tight orange sweater with a jack-o-lantern face.
"You're never going to believe what Marnie made me!" she exclaimed. She hit a button and struck a pose. Suddenly, green and orange lights lit up her sweater.
"That is AMAZING!" I said, coming closer to admire her friend's handiwork. "We're not going to get lost in the dark in that!"
The bell tinkled and Nate entered. He was looking so cozy and comfortable in his cable knit sweater and fitted jeans.
"All ready to go?" he asked, jerking his thumb toward the street. "I have my truck parked out front."
Tonight was the first night of Johnny's ghost tours and we figured we'd do a little table on the street for people who might want a toasty beverage as they wandered around, and plant the idea that the shop would be open late for those who needed to warm up after the fact.
"Folding table is in the stock room," I directed as I gathered up our goods and headed for the door. Granny opened it for me and then went for the rest of the stuff.
We weren't going very far, but it seemed a little more professional to come rolling in with a truck full of supplies than multiple trips schlepping chairs and tables and coffee and snacks down the clattering boardwalk.
We got everything loaded and Nate hopped behind the wheel. "Coming?" he asked.
"I need my exercise!" Granny announced, giving him a wave.
"And I'll keep her company," I added.
"See you there!" Nate replied, turning on his engine and heading to the halfway point between Johnny's surf shack and Trevor's saloon.
Granny linked her arm with mine and we strolled down Main Street. Darkness had fallen. The sound of the ocean waves mingled with the distant gentle chatter of those out enjoying the evening.
"He's a good one," she commented, giving me a squeeze.
"I really lucked out," I agreed.
"Thinking we should keep an eye out for a space that could accommodate a double wedding?" she teased.
"GRANNY!" I exclaimed with mock outrage. I could feel myself blushing as red as Nate's taillights. Of course I had daydreamed about what it might be like to spend my life with Nate, but that was private and nothing I wanted to admit to anyone... yet. Certainly not a member of The Posse. Knowing them, she and her friends would rope Nate into a proposal before the week was out, whether he liked it or not. I tried to steer the conversation a different direction. "But since you brought space up, how are things going with Richard and the wedding plans and the historical society?"
She waved my question away. "Oh, well enough. It's easy enough to get engaged. It's the getting through the rest of forever that presents the challenge."
It was an odd response. "Is everything all right?"
"Oh, sure! Sure. Like any new business, it takes a little adjusting to the different styles of your team to get things running like clockwork. He'll come around soon enough and see my way is right," she said with a wink, but then heaved a sigh. "The problem is that there may be another buyer for the hardware store."
"What?" I asked, riffling through my mental index of everyone on the island who might want the place, and coming up empty.
"Some mysterious bidder," she replied. "All I can say is that we were here first." She gave another sigh. "I sure would hate to lose it and have Richard proven right, that it wasn't the right place for us, by default." But then she regathered her fight and that little bit of worry disappeared like it had never been there. That’s one of the things I admi
red about Granny the most. She never took a challenge lying down. "Everything will work out exactly as it is supposed to," she assured me, but then tilted her head conspiratorially. "However if you run into any witches this Halloween, you tell them I need someone to throw down a curse on whomever is trying to steal this out from us. I pay well."
I laughed, giving her a little side-hug.
I guess our voices carried further than I thought, though, because Marnie stepped out of her yarn shop like she knew we were coming. She gave a wolf-whistle as she saw Granny in her light-up sweater. "Looking good, Cindy!" she said as she joined us.
Granny struck a pose as the orange and green lights flashed along the lines of the pumpkin's face. "What? This old thing? Some old bat knitted it for me."
Marnie flicked the dangling bats in Granny's hair. "It appears you have some in your belfry." She reached out and gave me a hug. "Good to see you, Paige. Quite a crowd we have tonight!"
So, Madison is a dumpster fire and one of the worst things to ever happen to this island. But, as much as I hated to admit it, it appeared for the first time in human history, she actually seemed to have a good idea. The ghost tours had brought in a bunch of people from the mainland wanting something fun and slightly out-of-the-ordinary to do on a Friday night. Everyone seemed to be about my age, some a few years older. I crossed my fingers. If tonight was a success, they'd go back to their college campuses and tell all their friends. It could be huge if this went according to plan.
"Want to come with us?" Granny invited. "We're going to set up a little refreshment table."
"You always know how to turn a profit," Marnie replied, admiringly. She checked her pedometer. "I sure could use a couple more steps today. Hang on while I grab my keys."
She stepped inside for a couple minutes and then was back to join us wrapped in a thick, shaggy shawl that had been crocheted in a spider web pattern.
As a bonus, the little delay waiting for Marnie meant that by the time we reached Nate, he had already unpacked almost all our stuff.
"Perfect timing is perfect!" I exclaimed.
"I'm sensing a conspiracy," he replied, as he put the last box down on the boardwalk. He gave me a quick kiss. "I'm going to go park my truck and will be right back."
I gave him a wave as he hopped in the cab and drove around the corner to the public parking lot. Granny, Marnie, and I sped to get everything set up. People were lined up for coffee and cocoa before we even finished.
"And we'll be open late tonight!" I told the umpteenth person as I handed them their steaming hot beverage.
Nate and Marnie hung off to the side, getting caught up on all the Seaside gossip as Granny and I worked our magic. As the crowd began to thin, though, Granny said, "Paige, you and Nate should go on the tour. Text me when it is wrapping up so that I can know when to expect people."
"No, it's okay," I protested. "It's late..."
Granny was having none of that, however. She called out to Nate. "NATE! Paige is acting like an old stick in the mud. Take that granddaughter of mine on Johnny's tour."
Nate shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged, checking in with me to make sure I was okay with this plan. "Fine by me. Paige?"
"I don't know..."
Granny leaned forward, layering on the guilt thick. "I'm sure it would mean an awful lot to Johnny to have his only family and his best friend since childhood supporting him on this very first tour..."
Granny was a master. Defeated, I admitted the truth. "It sounds like it could be a lot of fun." I took a mental inventory of all the stuff we had brought. "But you'll need help loading everything up and bringing it back to Bitter Beans."
Marnie stepped forward. "And that is why your Granny has so many great friends. I'll help her clean. Go! We need eyes and ears to see if this thing is going to be a success or a disaster!"
"Are you sure?" Nate asked, still ready to scrap it all to help her, which is another reason why I liked him so much.
"Go make Paige have some fun and don't make me tell you twice!" Granny scolded with a twinkle in her eye.
He stuck his hand in his pocket. "Well here, at least take the keys to my truck."
"That'd be lovely," Granny replied.
"Now, I don't want to get a call from Stan and Fred saying they caught you doing donuts in the school parking lot," Nate joked as he slowly gave them over, pretending like he didn't know if he could trust her.
"Well, there goes our plan," Marnie pouted. "I guess drag racing up and down Main Street is out, too?"
"Shotgun!" Granny called. "Now, shoo! Don't miss the tour!"
Nate interlaced his fingers in mine and we jogged toward the surf shack.
I loved Seaside at night. The wash of the golden light from the streetlamps. The feel of the wooden boardwalk beneath my feet. And now the laughs and cheerful chatter from all the people who had come to the island.
But, of course, my least favorite person had to ruin all the good vibes.
"Headed to that other tour?" Madison busked from the street corner at the passing pedestrians. "Check out Seaside's ORIGINAL ghost tour." She handed out a flyer to a person walking by. "Because I invented it. This was all my idea." She looked up and saw it was Nate and me. She wrinkled her nose. "Oh. I suppose you're here to support your cousin," she accused.
Nate took one of her flyers. "I'm here to support all small business on the island."
"You're such a liar," she said, rolling her eyes.
Nate doubled down. "Today I'm going on Johnny's tour and tomorrow I'll come on your tour."
"But you did pick his tour first," she pointed out, trying to scrounge up what emotional blackmail she could in this moment.
"It's because I'm coming along," I informed her. "And I don't like you."
She squinted. "Fair. The feeling is mutual."
Nate stopped us both. "Come on. Think of it as me letting you work out any kinks before I see your tour." He jerked his thumb back to the coffee shop. "By the way, Bitter Beans will be open late if you hear of anyone needing something warm."
"And so will Trevor's saloon," Madison haughtily informed us. "Now, if you two would get off my corner, you're scaring away my customers."
"My pleasure," I replied, taking Nate's hand and dragging him away. "She is just the worst," I muttered.
"The worst." He tried to find a positive spin, because that's the kind of guy he is. "But hopefully it will bring people back for a return visit."
"Kind of funny that the ghosts won't scare people away but Madison might."
Nate let out a big sigh and glanced over his shoulder. "I think this is actually a really good thing we're going on both tours. It'll let me know how much damage control we need to do."
We reached Johnny's surf shack. There was already a large crowd. Johnny was handing out flashlights to everyone. "Safety first," he directed. "Don't shine it in anyone's eye. Keep it on the ground." He noticed us with surprise. "Nate! Paige!" He came over and gave us thumping hugs. "What are you doing here?"
"Keeping you out of trouble," Nate laughed.
"We're here to celebrate your very first ghost tour," I informed him.
Johnny stepped back, truly touched. "Dudes. Duuuudes. That's like... huge."
I suddenly was really grateful Granny had thought of this. She's always right.
"Really excited to see what you've pulled together," Nate added.
"Well, come on! Come on!" Johnny pulled out two flashlights and gently handed them over, like we had been found worthy and he was entrusting us with his two favorite ones. "Get ready for some ghostly adventures!"
We joined up with the group. They were giggling and laughing, getting ready for all sorts of fun. There was a hush that fell over the crowd as Echo stepped forward. He was dressed from head-to-toe in black and carried his black messenger bag.
He flipped back his stringy, black hair from his eyes dramatically. "Welcome, one and all," he said, his face deadpan and his voice grave with the weight of what we
were about to embark upon. "My name is Echo. Like the call sign. Not the scientific phenomenon." He raised an eyebrow, as if challenging them. "Or maybe both... But today, I am going to be your host as we explore some echoes of the dead here upon the island. I ask all of you to take this seriously." A girl snickered and he glared at her. "The dead are repelled by mirth. I have been a psychic medium since I was a child and tonight, I share my gifts with you." He held out his hands and took a bow. A couple of us applauded politely. "Now, if you would follow me."
I stole a glance at Nate, amused by our host.
"Stop smiling, Paige," Nate cautioned, tickling me in the ribs. "You're scaring away the ghosts."
I choked back a laugh as Echo turned to frown at me.
We hiked up the hill and pulled to a stop at the point where the pier meets Main Street in front of the ticket booth. Echo held up his hands and closed his eyes. We all waited in hushed anticipation.
"No. No, there is nothing here," he pronounced and then marched us down the street some more.
I looked at Nate, starting to get a little worried as Echo stopped us in front of Marnie's shop and closed his eyes. "No, no there is nothing here. Moving on."
Was this going to be our entire night? Just this guy telling us he didn't feel anything? Fortunately, he stopped in front of Trevor's saloon. He held up his hands as if pressing against a great wall. "This is a place of great evil. I invite all of you to refuse to enter upon danger of possession."
Madison shouted from the doorway. "Blow it out your ear, Echo!"
"See?" Echo said knowingly as he led us away. "Great evil..."
We all started laughing, but controlled ourselves as Echo threw us another warning glance.
"Well, at least he is going to drum up more business for Bitter Beans," I muttered, "because everyone is going to be dead asleep by the end of this tour and needing some caffeine to even make it to their hotel room."
"He's certainly not going to drum up any business for the island if this is the tour he's leading," Nate said under his breath. "How do we break it to Johnny that this dude is a dud?"
