Ghosts on a Plane

by M. L. Bullock

  With a press of the button, I began the announcements. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard Flight 1199 with service from Turlington to Rachel Island. We are currently second in line for takeoff and are expected to be in the air in approximately seven minutes. We ask that you please fasten your seat belts and secure all baggage underneath your seat or stow it in the overhead compartments. Our in-flight attendant, Antoinette, will help any passengers who need help with storage. We also ask that your seats and tray tables remain in the upright and locked position for takeoff. Please turn off all personal electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones. Smoking is prohibited for the duration of the flight. Thank you for choosing Guardian Airlines. Enjoy your flight.”

  “Tower to Flight 1199, proceed to Runway Three.”

  Desi handled the communication with the ground. “Roger, tower. Proceeding to Runway Three.”

  My copilot and I queued and waited for our turn to taxi down the runway. “How’s Julie doing? Ready for the big move to college?”

  I sure as heck didn’t want to share the details of my personal life with my backstabbing copilot, but I could see he wasn’t going to make it easy to ignore him this morning. “Yep, all ready.”

  “Can’t be easy to do all this alone. I’m sure Veronica would be proud of her. Proud of you both.” Desi smirked at me like he knew what the hell he was talking about.

  Desi Scoggins stood all of five foot six and had a chip on his shoulder. It hadn’t helped our friendship or whatever this was when I got the promotion he wanted. I didn’t know why he got passed over again. Was there a height restriction for taking the pilot’s chair? I grinned at that thought but decided to keep my mouth shut about it.

  “Let’s focus on the flight, Des. What’s the weather like?”

  Desi’s smile vanished as he tapped on the screen. “All clear, Captain.”

  “Great. Piece of cake,” I said as we began to taxi down Runway Three. Waiting in line behind a 737, I engaged in what I liked to call “mental creative financing.” If I moved cash from here to there, I might be able to piece together a security deposit for an apartment. If worse came to worse, I could always cash in one of Julie’s CDs.

  How in the world had this happened to me? Who had I become?

  I’d suffered big losses last weekend, big losses. If Veronica were alive, she’d have been furious. This would have been the thing that put her over the edge. I’d put the house up as collateral, our Victorian home, the one we’d shed blood, sweat, and tears over together for twenty years. The one we loved in, played in, fought in. I’d put up our home, and I’d lost all those memories.

  How did you manage to be such a colossal screw-up, Gregory? I imagined her saying. Veronica administered criticism sparingly, but this one, this cock-up, had been a doozy.

  My daughter Julie wouldn’t be so kind about it, but it wasn’t her words that I dreaded. It was her knowing the truth about me. Knowing that good old Pops was an A-Number-One Screw-Up. Maybe that was why I didn’t like Desi so much anymore. I sensed he knew my secret, that I was spending every free hour at the casino. Thank God Veronica had been smart enough to prepay Julie’s tuition. At least I couldn’t steal that from her too. Right now, I was just trying to scrape gas money together to get her to the university next week. I was kind of glad now that she’d chosen to stay on campus. How would I explain moving out of the house?

  “Did you hear me? Where’s your head, Lawless?”

  “I heard you,” I lied, as we began the rest of the takeoff procedure. Minutes later, we were in the air and on our way to a small island off the coast of Florida called Rachel Island. It was a quiet place where I’d spent some time years ago, just getting lost in the wilderness trails that snaked the island. It was serene and sparsely populated. Hardly seemed like the kind of place that would have an airport, but it did. Not a large one but large enough for our plane.

  I waited until we settled into our flight pattern and reached for the radio again. As soon as I touched the mic, it squealed like I was standing in front of a rock band speaker. I winced at the sound, and Desi shot me a look that said I was a complete idiot. I had no idea how that happened.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the crew, I ask that you please direct your attention to your attendant as we review the safety procedures. There are four emergency exits on this aircraft. Take a minute to locate the exit closest to you. Note that the nearest exit may be behind you. Count the number of rows to the exit. Should the cabin experience sudden pressure loss, stay calm, and listen for instructions from the crew. Oxygen masks will drop down from above your seat. Place the mask over your mouth and nose. Pull the strap to tighten it. If you are traveling with children, make sure that your own mask is on first before helping your children. In the unlikely event of an emergency landing and evacuation, leave your carry-on items behind. Life rafts are located below your seats, and emergency lighting will lead you to your closest exit and slide. We ask that you make sure all carry-on luggage is stowed away safely during the flight. Please take a moment to review the safety data card in the seat pocket in front of you. If you have further questions, Antoinette will be happy to help you.”

  I put the radio mic back and stared at the clear sky ahead of me. For a moment, I could have sworn I heard a voice in my left ear. I swatted at my headset but felt nothing. Had a mosquito gotten in here? As we prepared for an even, steady climb, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

  Yeah, I still had flying. I was a damn good pilot, and nobody could take that away from me. So far, I hadn’t managed to screw that up.

  Yeah, at least I had this. For however long it lasted.

  5

  Bonnie Overton

  “Excuse me,” I whimpered as Antoinette shuffled by without even looking in my direction. I held my anxiety pill in my hand, but I wanted some water to take it with. With a sigh, I palmed the pill and clutched the armrest with my other hand, waiting for whatever was going to happen next.

  Think, Bonnie. What comes next?

  “First time flying?” the man beside me asked me with a touch of amusement in his deep voice.

  “No, but it’s been a while.” Squirming in my seat, I forced myself to open my eyes and look him square in the eye. I’d met handsome men before, but my seatmate was so handsome it surprised me. Chestnut hair that was artfully messy, a little bit of facial hair, medium-brown eyes with clear, tanned skin. He looked like a model, what my ex-roommate Tina would call “eye candy.” His hair had enough curl to make you want to run your hands through it. Knowing Tina, she would have made it her mission to do just that. Too bad I didn’t have her skills.

  “Did the last flight you were on go down in flames?”

  I gasped. “What?”

  “You can let go of my hand now,” he said with more unappreciated humor.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” I said as I pulled back my hand. I dug my hand in my jacket and played with my toy airplane. I rubbed the metal and tried to focus on the feel of the plane, summoning up the science of the law of lift, of the sheer number of safe flights that occurred every day.

  “No, I’m sorry. My jokes don’t always hit the mark. I meant to lighten the moment.”

  “I get that,” I said as I began to feel dizzy, like that time I’d tried the bungee jump on Corona Beach, also Tina’s suggestion. “Excuse me.” I turned my head and tried to toss the now-sweaty pill into my mouth. Naturally, I missed, and the pill fell to the floor. I know my seatmate saw my fail, but he had the good manners to pretend he hadn’t. An awkward silence fell between us. I finally said, “Flying gives me the heebie-jeebies.”

  He smiled and leaned back in the blue leather seat. “I haven’t heard that expression in a long time. Where are you from? Are you a local?”

  I half-turned in my seat away from the window, anxious to ignore the fact that we were five thousand feet in the air. Should I ask him if we could swap places? I pulled down the window shade.

  Why had I allowed Dr. K
ennedy to talk me into this? If I could get everyone else on this plane to close their shades, I might be able to pretend we were all on a bus.

  The plane lurched, and I gasped.

  “So, not a local?”

  “I’m from Florida originally, but I’ve been living in Turlington for about five years. My family is from Rachel Island, and I’m headed back there for a few days. I’m Bonnie Overton.”

  “Hi, Bonnie. I’m Heath. If it helps, I’ve flown about a hundred times and have never had a bit of trouble. Scout’s honor.” He made a hand signal that discredited him as a scout.

  “Nice try, Heath, but you’re way off with that scout sign. Unless the scouts in your neck of the woods use the peace sign as a way of identifying one another. I’m guessing you haven’t flown a hundred times either?” Geesh, the nerve of the guy.

  “All these years and I never knew. You’re the first girl to call me out on that. The truth is out now. No sense in denying it any longer. I flunked the scouts, but I have flown at least a hundred times. I’m in charge of national sales for Kimberly-Blake. Travel is my middle name.”

  “That’s where I work! You have an office in the Kimberly-Blake building? I’ve never seen you there.”

  He appraised me skeptically as if he couldn’t believe I worked in the same building he did. I quickly added, “Being in sales, you’d probably never see me. I’m a lowly accountant, I work on the fifth floor.”

  “That explains it. You know us sales folks are a lazy lot. We hang out on six and seven. You’re probably first in the building, too.”

  Another lurch of the plane and my stomach rolled. I tensed up, and there was no way to hide my fear. Was it possible to be sick again so soon? It felt like that might be the case. I closed my eyes and leaned back. A while later, the captain announced the cruising altitude and beverage service. I heard Heath’s low voice call to the hostess.

  “Hey, Antoinette. May we have two drinks, please? Rum and coke okay for you?”

  “Uh, I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I protested politely.

  “I don’t think it could hurt.”

  “More than happy to get that for you, Mr. Blake.” Antoinette pulled bottles from her drink cart. How strange, I never noticed her accent before. “Should I make yours a double, Mr. Blake?”

  Blake? This is Heath Blake? Oh, crap. He’s basically my boss. I’m drinking with my boss.

  “Sure, sounds great. Here you go, Bonnie.”

  I accepted the tiny plastic cup, and my mind reeled with the implications of this meeting as my stomach did a double-clutch. Maybe a little sip of something would calm me down. I decided to succumb to peer pressure. I sipped the drink and let the alcohol burn my tongue.

  “Thanks.”

  “Always happy to help a lady in need,” he purred, and I believed him. Heath Blake’s reputation preceded him, and he didn’t seem like the kind of guy who was lonely. Ever. He was attractive, but kind of full of himself.

  Heath eased out his tray table and powered on his laptop. “Not to be rude, but I need to check some things.”

  “I totally understand.” After a few more sips, I felt a bit more relaxed. I folded down the table in front of me, too, and set the drink in the cupholder. Might as well try to get comfortable. I plugged my headphones into the armrest radio. Anything to take my mind off the actual experience of flying. I tuned into a Neil Sedaka song, one of his more popular tunes. If that didn’t mellow me out, nothing would. I let the music carry me away, closed my eyes, and did some silent synchronized counting. One breath, two breaths, three breaths, just like Dr. Kennedy had taught me.

  A few songs and sips later, my radio station wigged out. The music cut in and out as if the headphones had a short in them. I tapped on the armrest, but that didn’t shake out the glitch. I had no idea how to fix this. Then again, changing flashlight batteries challenged me. I spun the dial, looking for another station. Nothing except voices. Had I tapped into the cockpit or something? There were whispering voices speaking some weird language. What was that? Latin? How strange! How did I get on the chanting channel? I spun the dial again. Nothing changed, except that the voices grew louder and more intense. They were so loud that I could hear them clearly now, and one voice, an old man’s voice, drowned out the rest.

  Sanguis eius exquiritur! Sanguis eius exquiritur!

  Fear climbed up my spine, and I snatched the earbuds from my ears, but that didn’t stop the voices. I looked around to see where the heck they could be coming from. Heath glanced over and smiled at me, but he had on headphones himself. He was apparently in the middle of a conference call mid-flight. I tossed back the rest of my drink. The voices stopped.

  Thank God. How weird was that?

  That was when I felt the cold hand wrap around my ankle.

  I screamed.

  6

  Heath Blake

  “Holy hell!” I shouted. The screaming woman beside me climbed out of her seat as if it were on fire. She stood on one foot like a petrified flamingo and pointed at the floor.

  “Something grabbed my ankle!” Rubbing her ankle furiously, she eyeballed the people behind us. An older couple stared back at her, both looking as if they were scared to death too. From the bleary-eyed expression on the man’s face, he’d been sleeping prior to his rude awakening.

  “I’m sorry to scare you, but I swear, someone grabbed my ankle,” Bonnie apologized.

  “Well, it wasn’t us,” the woman croaked.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” she asked as she rubbed her husband’s hand. While I thought of what to say, I couldn’t shake the feeling that they didn’t belong here. Not quite. Their clothes were old-fashioned as if they’d stepped out of the 1940s, but that’s the way it was with older folks sometimes. It was as if people got stuck in their favorite decade and refused to budge. But if they were stuck in the forties, how old could they be? And why the hell was I thinking such crazy thoughts?

  “Um, she looks all right to me.”

  “How are you, Walter?” she asked her husband. He didn’t have a chance to answer before she lit into Bonnie. “You’re going to give my husband his second heart attack if you don’t calm down, lady. The first one nearly killed him.” She shoved her crochet hook into a dingy-looking ball of yarn as she spoke.

  “I’m really sorry,” Bonnie said, close to tears. Immediately I waved goodbye to Jeff, my assistant, closed the laptop, and put everything away. I couldn’t work next to a screaming woman, and for some reason, I felt the need to help her and protect her. Why, I had no idea. I wasn’t usually this generous with my time, and certainly not with strangers. She sat back down, looking totally embarrassed. I noticed her face had paled and she was breathing fast, like someone poised on the edge of a panic attack.

  Just like Gloria. I hadn’t said my sister’s name or thought about her for so long. I couldn’t afford to. She was dead and gone, and her death had been my fault, even if I hadn’t killed her. It had been an accident.

  Still lying to yourself, Heath?

  “What’s going on, Mr. Blake? Is there a problem?” Antoinette hurried to my side as if she didn’t have any other passengers to take care of. With a hand on her narrow hip, she stared at Bonnie.

  “Miss Overton says something ran across her foot.”

  “Really?” She didn’t appear concerned about it. “Still upset about the window seat, Miss Overton?”

  Bonnie tucked a curl behind her ear. “No. That’s not what I said. I said someone grabbed my ankle and tugged on it. Real hard. A man’s hand.”

  “You must mean the gentleman behind you because the seat in front of you is empty.” Antoinette frowned at Bonnie.

  The big woman stood up with her ball of yarn in her hand. “We never touched her, miss. My husband can barely tie his shoes, much less crawl on the floor and grab a stranger’s ankles. I think you need to find other seats for us.”

  “I didn’t imagine that someone grabbed my ankle!” Bonnie exclaimed with her hand
s in the air now. This was getting out of control. Since Antoinette didn’t appear to have any intention of defusing the situation, I felt I should.

  I nudged Antoinette out of the way and knelt to investigate Bonnie’s seat. I didn’t see anything that would feel like a hand, but there was a strap dangling down from the man’s bag. “This gentleman’s bag is beneath your seat. Maybe you got your foot caught in the strap? That could feel like someone was grabbing you if you tangled your foot in it.”

  “I don’t see how,” she said, but she sat down again. People around us were whispering now.

  I said to the old man behind me, “Sir, would you mind if we moved your bag? I think it would make my friend feel better. Antoinette, could you find a spot for Walter’s bag?”

  “Certainly, Mr. Blake,” she said with a flirtatious smile. The man handed her his bag, and I pretended I didn’t hear him grumbling about it.

  “Hey, it’s okay.” I patted my seatmate’s hand as Bonnie flicked away tears and slid the window shade up so she could watch the weather and ignore us all. Well, at least she’s facing her fears. I sighed at the back of her head, noting the tortoiseshell barrette in her hair, just like the kind Gloria used to wear for school. I decided leaving Bonnie alone was the best course of action. I was no psychiatrist, and she seemed a bit high-strung.

  It was raining now, coming down in clear gray sheets. Last I checked, it wasn’t supposed to rain today. Maybe it rained in the clouds when it didn’t rain on the ground? I wasn’t looking forward to setting the ancestral stones around the property in the rain. Well, whatever. To be honest, I’d toss rocks in the rain, snow, or sleet and throw them as far as my great-uncle wanted me to if it meant getting that money. What the significance was, family tradition or the demands of a madman, I didn’t know and didn’t care.

  According to the attorney, it was the former rather than the latter, but how would I know? If Alistair Blake wanted me to arrange the remnants of our ancestral castle around my property as some sort of symbolic ownership, then I would do just that. I guessed it made sense in a way.