Ghostly Town (A Ghost Hunter P.I. Mystery Book 4)

by Aubrey Harper

  “Have you felt anything in the places I mentioned? At the inn’s basement? At the abandoned church?” I asked her.

  “I’ve never gotten close enough to feel anything, I always felt it wasn’t my place to go there. I thought that there might be some old burial grounds or something so out of respect I stayed away. But now that I know that something more sinister might be going on, it’s making a lot more sense.”

  “Believe me, I wish I had never accepted that offer to come to this town. But I guess curiosity got the better of me,” I said.

  “That’s understandable,” Chloe said. “Every time I go out on the job, I seem to learn something new from the spirits. Have you had the same experience?”

  “At the beginning, it was all new. But of course, I was just a kid when I started seeing them. But lately, with each new case I take on, I seem to learn something new about the spirit realm. And each time it seems more powerful than before. I wonder what it’s all leading to? Or if it’s all just random noise?”

  “The others don’t understand it. They think my gift is something I can just turn off and on at will. But it’s something that’s with me constantly.”

  “I feel you there,” I said. “Sometimes I wish I could turn it off. But since my best friend happens to be a ghost, I’m kind of glad that I can’t.”

  We still had hours before we had to be at the inn. Which gave us a lot of time to get to know each other. Soon afterward, Chloe closed up again and went to have some rest. Too much human interaction was too much for her, I guess.

  I went over to where Kane, Mike, and Jacob were.

  “Do you have anything interesting caught on tape?” I asked the two ghost hunters.

  “As a matter of fact, we do,” Mike said excitedly. “We have a lot of spirit recordings here. Strange voices that shouldn’t be there. But from what Kane tells me, this wouldn’t be very impressive to you, now would it?”

  “I guess not,” I said. “I mean, there are two ghosts in the room with us right now. And I can talk to them like I’m talking to you right now.”

  Jacob looked a little unnerved by that, but Mike actually looked excited.

  “I know this might be a weird request, but could you tell them to do something? Something that could show us non-gifted folks that they’re here?” Mike said.

  Neither Charles nor Rebecca looked too enthused by the idea.

  “You’re kind of passing them off,” I said and laughed.

  Jacob looked worried, while Mike just looked amused.

  “Fine, I’ll walk through him and see what happens,” Rebecca said.

  I informed Mike of what was about to happen. He suddenly looked like a kid at Christmas about to open a present. He waited in anticipation for Rebecca to do her thing. For her part, Rebecca just rolled her eyes and walked right through him.

  Mike shivered from the cold feel. “Wow, I’ve never felt something that powerful before,” he said. “So she actually is here?”

  “Did you think I was lying?” I said.

  “Of course not,” Mike quickly said. “But you never know. There are plenty of charlatans in our line of work.”

  I still wasn’t convinced that Chloe wasn’t one of those charlatans, or more likely just one of those delusional folks that needed to feel special for whatever reason.

  “Man, you weren’t being serious, right?” Jacob asked Mike.

  “I don’t joke about stuff like this and you know it, Jake,” he said.

  “Do you want Rebecca to walk through you?” I asked Jacob.

  He shivered at the mere thought of it. “No thanks,” he said. “I’m quite happy to stay behind the camera in these kinds of situations.”

  I laughed. “If you ever change your mind...”

  It was then that Rachel came back with a bunch of things in hand. Crystals, herbs, and a bag of salt.

  “You can never be too prepared,” she said as a way of explanation.

  “You’re certainly better stocked than me. All I carry around is salt and iron.”

  “That actually works?” Rachel said. “I mean, I’ve thrown salt around to expel spirits, but I could never be sure if it actually worked or not. Chloe can usually say if she feels anything anymore, but it was always one of those things I wondered if it actually worked or if it’s just more the intention behind it.”

  “Oh, it definitely works,” I said. “It has nothing to do with intention. Neither does the iron. It makes the spirits answer any questions I pose to them.”

  “Gosh, I wish I had your gift,” Rachel said. “Sometimes it feels like stumbling around in the dark, just making educated guesses, and usually getting it wrong. Chloe says it’s a little better for her, but her gift is definitely not as strong as whatever you have.”

  “It has its upsides and downsides,” I said.

  “I can’t think of any downsides,” she said.

  Then I told her about the line of spirits waiting for me at the inn so that I could help them move on.

  “I guess that would get annoying after a while, wouldn’t it?”

  “You got that right,” I said.

  We were running out of things to talk about, so Kane and I made our excuse to go.

  “Remember, meet us around eight o’clock,” I reminded the group of ghost hunters.

  “We’ll be there at eight,” Mike said. “We’re nothing if not punctual.”

  Once we were on our way back to the car, Kane finally spoke up. “Do you really think this is the best idea?”

  “You know that I do,” I said.

  “I just hope that no one dies tonight. They seem like nice enough people,” Kane said.

  “They know the risks,” I said. “I was pretty open about it. Plus, this is kind of their job.”

  We were quiet on the drive back to the inn. But I couldn’t help but think that Kane was right. Was I just putting more people in danger by inviting them to the inn? I guess it remained to be seen.

  Thirteen

  I was nervous. I walked back and forth in our room, while Rebecca watched me with amusement in her eyes.

  “You look like you’re about to go on your first date, and remember I was there when that happened,” she said and laughed.

  “This is serious, Rebecca,” I said. “Two people are already dead and another one could be on the way there. I just hope that this works. I hope Chloe picks up something on a psychic level that I’m not able to figure out just by asking the ghosts.” Then Kane’s words started to echo in my mind. He was currently downstairs at the bar, getting ready for the night ahead. “Do you think I shouldn’t have involved them?”

  “You didn’t really have a choice in the matter,” Rebecca said.

  “Thank you for going through all this trouble for me,” Charles said. He was staring out the window at the gathering crowd coming to the inn.

  “It’s my job to help you move on, and I’ll do that until you do,” I said. “I just wish we knew more about what we’re walking into. That’s why I want you to stay here when we go down there.”

  “Not a chance,” Charles said. “This all started with me. I have to be there to finish it.”

  It’s too dangerous and you know it. Remember what happened last time they got their clutches into you? Maybe next time Henry won’t be so lucky and you’ll be stuck in that state. Is that what you want?”

  Now it was Charles that started to pace back and forth. “I guess not.”

  Just then, Kane returned from the bar. He closed the door behind him, a little harder than was necessary. He looked like he was running away from someone.

  “Are you ready?” He asked me.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said.

  “Because I just saw their van pulling up behind the inn.”

  “What were you doing out there?”

  “What do you think? I was waiting for them to arrive.”

  “Okay, I guess that makes sense,” I said suspiciously.

  “Don’t tell me you don’t t
rust me?” Kane said.

  “Of course I trust you, I’m just not sure if I trust myself anymore.”

  “We don’t have time for this drama,” Rebecca said. “Are we going or not?”

  “Yeah, I was thinking about that too. I think it would be best if you stayed behind with Charles.”

  “Not a chance, Meredith, and you know it. I’ve been with you since the beginning, I’m not about to abandon you now. I’ll be there with bells on.”

  “I don’t doubt your dedication and bravery, Rebecca,” I said. “But this is different. You saw what they did to Charles. I don’t want them to do that to you. If they do, and I can’t bring you back from that state, I would never forgive myself.”

  “You’re just wasting your breath,” Rebecca said. “I’m going and that’s final. You can’t stop me.”

  Since I wasn’t in the mood for another argument, I certainly had enough of that with Kane, I decided to let Rebecca come. Whether it proved to be a colossal mistake or not remained to be seen.

  “Charles, stay here or go somewhere else where those evil spirits aren’t. I suggest you stay here in this room. Do you want me to put a salt circle around you?”

  “A salt circle will not be necessary,” Charles said. “I learned my lesson and I will stay out of their way. Just make sure to come back here as soon as you can and tell me everything that happened.”

  Rebecca, Kane, and I made our way downstairs. I was right, the place was packed, and the inn owner was busy at the reception desk. Kane and I made our way to the back entrance where we agreed to meet up with the ghost hunters. We opened the door as soon as I got a text from Rachel that they were ready to enter.

  To my surprise, they were all carrying some heavy equipment. Well, all of them except Chloe. She looked like her sullen regular self, looking like she was afraid of the world and the people around her.

  “What’s all this?” I asked Mike and the others.

  “It’s our equipment,” Mike said. “Did you think we were going to use apps on our phones or something? We’re not amateurs,” he said.

  “I can see that,” I said.

  We quickly led them to where the general direction of the basement was. Thankfully, the crowd and the noise they were making covered our movements quite well. But that didn’t mean that the dead weren’t aware that we were coming. I ran into the woman that had looked after Barry.

  “Please don’t do this,” she said. “It’s dangerous. If you anger then, you will be their targets. And you know what happens to people they don’t like.”

  “If it’ll distract them from killing the medium that’s holding the séance tonight, I think it will be worth it,” I said.

  Kane was used to my strangeness, but the rest of the ghost hunters weren’t. They were all giving me dubious looks.

  I filled them in on what had just happened.

  “I’m so jealous right now,” Rachel said. “But do you think we should heed her warning?”

  “She didn’t tell us anything that we don’t already know,” I said. “You guys are free at any time to change your minds and back out. This is some sinister stuff that’s happening, and I won’t blame you if you don’t want to be a part of it or involved in any way.”

  To my surprise, it was Chloe that stepped forward. “I want to be here,” she said. “I want to stop them from hurting anyone else.”

  “That’s all I need to hear,” Mike said. “If Chloe is in, then so are we.”

  Jacob nodded reluctantly. Rachel looked genuinely excited by the prospect.

  We went down a flight of stairs to the basement, but of course, there was a door down there that was locked.

  “What now?” Jacob said. “Should we just turn around?”

  “This is my cue,” Kane said, stepping forward, his breaking-in kit in hand. “A PI always comes prepared.”

  “So cool,” Rachel said. “I feel like I’m in some kind of horror movie or something.”

  “I’m not sure why you would be excited about that,” Jacob said.

  “Just keep the camera steady, Jake,” Mike said. “And Rachel, try to keep your excitement to a minimum. We don’t want to be attracting any attention, especially not from this group of spirits. We’re just here on a fact-finding mission. We want to find out as much about them as possible. We’ll see how we’re going to deal with them later. Isn’t that right, Meredith?”

  “You got it, that’s the plan anyway,” I said. What I didn’t say was that things rarely went according to plan in my line of work. But if they were any good at their jobs, they would already know that.

  Once he’d successfully unlocked the door, Kane stepped out of the way. Chloe and I stepped forward together. I felt an uneasiness the closer we got to the entrance, but Chloe was absolutely shaking.

  I stopped and turned toward her. “Are you all right? Do you feel anything? Are you getting any psychic impressions?”

  “I…I’m getting a very strong feeling that we shouldn’t be here,” Chloe said.

  “I’m getting it too,” I said. I turned to Rebecca and motioned for her to stay behind us. As we stepped through the threshold, I was surprised not to see dozens of spirits everywhere trying to get us to leave. In fact, it was eerily empty down here. But there was a pressure, a feeling or energy in the air that told me that this was not just a normal basement.

  “Pure evil,” Chloe said. “Anger. Sadness. Desperation.”

  I turned toward Mike.

  “That’s how she tells us what she’s feeling,” he whispered. “It’s easier to use keywords instead of whole sentences.”

  I looked at Rebecca.

  “I don’t see them either,” Rebecca said. “There’s just this red hue to everything. It’s actually kind of creeping me out.”

  “You can leave if you feel you’re in danger,” I said to Rebecca.

  “Not a chance,” she said.

  Chloe slowly walked over to a regular looking wall. Then she reached out with her hand and completely blanked out.

  “She’s in a trance,” Mike said.

  I stepped forward and reached out my hand. I was about to touch her shoulder but Kane stopped me.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I have to know,” I said and put my hand on her arm. Instantly, I was enveloped by pure, pitch-black darkness. The basement room we were in was no longer there, or if it was, it was invisible to me. I looked around and the only person I saw with me was Chloe. I did not let go of her arm.

  She looked at me with fear in her eyes. “What is this?” she asked me.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “But I have a feeling we are about to find out.”

  We walked around in the darkness, holding onto each other just in case. I was her anchor to the real world, and she was my anchor to whatever place this was.

  “Come forth any spirits. Come forth and share your message with us,” I heard an echoing voice throughout the darkness. It was pulling us toward it.

  “Did you hear that?” I asked Chloe.

  She nodded slowly. “Yes,” she said. “Do you think…?”

  “It sounded a lot like something a medium would say.”

  We looked at each other. “Do you think they’re going to try and kill him?” Chloe asked.

  It sounded like a male voice, that much was right.

  “Come forth now, all spirits that want to share their message,” the voice echoed through the darkness again.

  “I don’t think we have a choice,” I said as we walked hand-in-hand toward the sound of the voice.

  “I’m scared,” Chloe said as we slowly walked in the darkness, following the sound of the echoing voice.

  “Me too,” I said. “The strange thing is, not even Rebecca is in this darkness. This is really freaking me out. Do you sense anybody else here with us?” I asked her.

  “I was hoping that you would tell me if you saw something,” she said. “I just sense that there’s somebody watching us in the darkness. But I don’t see
anybody.”

  “I don’t see anyone either,” I said.

  “Come forth any spirits. Charles. Madeline. If you are here, come forth and tell us what happened.”

  “These people are definitely looking for trouble,” I said.

  It seemed like we walked forever in the darkness. Then we saw a light in the distance.

  “Do you see it?” Chloe asked me.

  “Yes, I see it too.”

  We made our way toward the light. Perhaps this was our way out of this darkness. I sure hoped so, because I was starting to get worried that we were both dead and that this was our afterlife. Pretty crappy afterlife, if you ask me, after all the spirits I helped move on to the next world.

  The closer we got, the more it started to make sense. The light was not just a light, it was candlelight. One burning candle, to be more specific. As we got closer we could see faces appearing in the candlelight, in the form of a circle. A circle of people holding a séance. And right in front of us, with his back to us, was the medium. He slowly turned his head toward the ceiling and we could see the whites of his eyes glowing in the darkness.

  “This is what happened to Madeline and Charles before they dropped dead,” I said to Chloe.

  “Is there anything we can do about it?” Chloe asked.

  “I’m not sure,” I said. Then I felt like something was approaching right behind us. Chloe felt it too because she turned around almost at the same time as I did.

  “It’s powerful,” she said, “and it doesn’t have good intentions.”

  “We have to stop whatever it is from making contact with the medium because I’m pretty sure if it does, he will be dead,” I said.

  “What do you suggest? I don’t think we’re powerful enough to stop them by ourselves. Not without any tools, and I don’t think whatever it is, is interested in talking with us. Are you getting a different impression? Do you see anything?”

  I looked deep into the darkness until a shape started to appear. I don’t know if it was my imagination or if it was something that was actually there, but I saw a sinister looking creature. Not a man, more like a monster. It had a very sunken-in looking face, almost like a skull with just a thin layer of flesh covering it, and the darkest eyes, almost like two black holes suspended there. The figure started to open its mouth, revealing yet another black hole that seemed to stretch wider than any natural mouth would.