by Kathi Daley
“Why exactly were you in this house this evening?” Wharton asked.
“My friend, Caleb Wellington, is in charge of the Haunted Hayride the high school puts on every year as a fund-raiser. We agreed to stop by to check on the house, and while we were here we took a look around. During our exploration of the house we found the secret room. When we realized what was inside we called you.”
“Do you have contact information for Mr. Wellington?”
“I do, but we called him right after we called you. He should be here shortly.”
“Has anyone else other than the three of you been on the property this evening?”
“Caleb and a handful of volunteers were here earlier, but they left by ten.” I figured not mentioning the three boys wasn’t really lying; the worst I could be accused of was selective truth telling.
“It appeared the lock on the door to the room where the skeletons were found had been tampered with.”
I nodded. “The room was locked when we found it. I think it must have been locked for a long time. I guess our curiosity got the better of us and we used tools I had in my Jeep to break into the room. The previous owner of the house is dead and his nephew said it was okay with him if we used any part of the property we found useful.”
Wharton frowned as he jotted down a few notes. I hoped the fact that I’d just admitted to breaking into the locked room wasn’t going to get us into trouble.
“Did you know the previous resident of the house?” Wharton asked.
“No. The man who lived here was named Eliston Weston. He died two years ago and I just moved to Cutter’s Cove a little over a year ago.”
“I see. Where did you live before?”
My mind went blank and I scrambled for the answer. “Minnesota,” I said, finally remembering my cover. “I have to say, the weather in Oregon is a lot nicer.”
“Yes, I imagine it is. Do you have any idea who the skeletons you discovered might belong to?”
I shook my head. “I’m afraid not. It looks as if they were there for a long time. I’ve been told Mr. Weston lived in the house for thirty years. Unless the remains turn out to be older than that, I assume he was the one to put them there.”
Wharton asked me a few more questions and then escorted me back into the room where Baker was waiting with Mac and Trevor. Wharton asked Mac to follow him into the room upstairs. I nodded at her to let her know I’d stuck to our story as we passed on my way in and her way out.
Caleb showed up while Mac was being interviewed. I introduced him to Officer Baker, who, I realized, was pretty darn good-looking for a cop. During our conversation, I learned he was just twenty-one and had attended Seacliff High, although being four years ahead of Mac and Trevor, they’d never attended the school at the same time. After we chatted a bit I realized we had quite a few friends and acquaintances in common.
“I’m sorry we went snooping,” I whispered to Caleb while Trevor was talking football with Baker. “I know this puts you in a tough spot. I really hope they won’t force you to cancel the Hayride.”
“With two skeletons on the property, I’m sure they will. Even if the police release the house in a few days we probably won’t have time to set things up.”
“Whoever was left in that room had been dead for a long time. I can’t believe there’d be a lot of clues to find all these years later, so maybe they won’t need to secure the house for long.”
Caleb didn’t look convinced. “I wonder who the skeletons belong to.”
I shrugged. “The only thing I can tell you is that one of them was a child.”
“And the other one?”
“An adult. Based on the height, I’d guess a man. Both bodies were completely decomposed, but the wooden boxes they placed in weren’t exactly air tight, and it looked as if moisture got in as well.”
“The previous owner had lived in the house for three decades. It seems like he must either have been the killer or he was protecting the killer.”
“Most likely. Here comes Mac. If they speak to you don’t bring up the vandalism. I’ll fill you in later.”
Trevor went with Wharton next and Mac joined Caleb and me. Baker stayed with us.
“Look,” he said, I assumed to calm Mac down after her interview, “I know things like this can be pretty nerve-racking, but it’s best to just relax and tell us what you know. It’s obvious the skeletons were in that room since before any of us were born. You aren’t suspects, just witnesses.”
“We know that,” Mac answered as she bent down to pet Tucker, who had approached her when she returned to the room. Tucker was very sensitive and always seemed to sense when someone needed comforting. “But it’s still pretty upsetting to be interrogated by a man who’s totally devoid of facial expression.”
Baker chuckled. “Yeah, that’s Wharton for you. Mr. Stoic. But he’s a fair man who just wants to put in his time, so I doubt you’ll hear from him after tonight. I, on the other hand, plan to be very involved in this case. A couple of the other cops are out on medical leave, so I may be able to work my way into this investigation.” Baker glanced at a spot behind where I was standing. “What’s that cat doing?”
I turned around and saw a boy peeking out from behind the old red drapes that covered the window. Shadow was batting at his leg. I knew instinctively that the child I saw was the spirit of the boy who’d been in the room. He looked scared and unsure, as confused as I was about what was going on. I smiled at him but didn’t bring his presence to anyone else’s attention. I wasn’t sure when I’d be able to come back to the house. The police would probably wrap the whole place up in yellow tape once we left, I had an odd feeling the boy was frightened by the other spirit that had been set free, but I couldn’t be certain.
The boy bent down and put his arms around Shadow. It almost looked as if an exchange of energy had occurred between them. The cat began to purr and the boy, who might be eight or nine, smiled. Shadow had helped calm my fears on more than one occasion; I hoped the boy was finding peace in his presence.
Mac was staring at me with a strange expression on her face. I knew she couldn’t see the boy and figured she was wondering what I was staring at. I tilted my head just a bit and she noticed Shadow’s tail, which was clearly evident from behind the drape, where he must have followed the child. I could no longer see the boy, but I sensed he was still in the room.
“Are you okay, miss?” Baker asked with an expression of genuine concern on his face.
“I’m fine. I’m just wondering what my cat is up to.” I nodded toward the drape.
Baker laughed. “It looks like he’s hiding from us. I take it he isn’t a big fan of the local police.”
“Shadow is new to Cutter’s Cove and I’m not sure how he feels about men in blue. He probably just found a mouse. Is it okay if I go over to check on him?”
“Sure. Go ahead.”
I thanked the officer and walked to the curtain. I separated it in the middle and took a step behind it, then said aloud, “Shadow, what are you up to?” Then I whispered to the boy, “Don’t be scared. I’m here to help you.”
The boy faded away, though I could feel him still there.
“I’ll come back tomorrow night. Meet me in the tunnel. I’ll bring Shadow.”
The cat meowed and the boy reappeared.
“I have to go now,” I said, picking up the cat. The boy faded away again and I went back to the other side of the room, where Officer Baker was chatting with Trevor and Mac. “Did Caleb go in for an interview?” I asked.
“Yeah, just a minute ago,” Trevor said. “Is Shadow okay?”
“Yeah. He found something behind the curtain.” I looked at Baker. “Will you need us to stay once Caleb’s been interviewed?”
“I’ll need to check with Officer Wharton, but I doubt it.”
“And the Hayride?” I asked. “Will we be able to have it as planned?”
“I’m not sure,” Baker said. “It isn’t up to me, but it would be a
shame to cancel it. I went on the Hayride when I went to Seacliff High and it was always an awesome event. If you call me tomorrow I should have a better idea of how things are going to play out.”
Officer Baker took a business card out of his pocket and jotted a number on the back. “The number on the back is my cell number. Feel free to call me on that line if you can’t get through by calling the precinct. If I can help smooth the way for the Hayride I will.”
I smiled as I accepted the card.
Shortly afterward Caleb returned to the room along with Officer Wharton, who counseled us to refrain from discussing with other people what we’d found until they’d had the chance to complete their investigation. He also said he’d likely be in touch with additional questions when they’d had a chance to figure out what it was they were dealing with.
“Will they take the skeletons to the morgue?” I asked Baker after Wharton headed back to the basement and the passage to the secret room.
“The ME is on the way. It would seem there might not be a lot to learn from remains that are little more than bones, but you’d be surprised.”
“Will you let us know what the medical examiner finds out?”
Baker looked uncertain. “I won’t be able to share information relating to an open case, but once the case is closed I don’t see why I can’t share our findings with you.”
“Thank you.” I smiled again. “I have to admit to being curious.”
As we turned to leave I caught a glimpse of a man at the top of the stairs. Like the boy, he was a very well-formed ghost, tall, with dark hair and old clothing. His hair was long and he had a wild look about him that sent a shiver down my spine. One of his hands was clutched in a fist that he raised when he realized I could see him. I felt an iciness touch my soul as he looked right through me. Suddenly, I was worried about the boy. Of course he was dead and I wasn’t sure you could physically hurt someone who was already dead, but I had to assume based on my previous experience with ghosts that they retained memories and feelings. I knew the boy was afraid of the man, but given the fact that I was being escorted out of the house by a policeman, there wasn’t a lot I could do other than pray that I’d be able to get back here soon, and that when I did return, I’d be able to help the boy move on to a happier, safer place.
Chapter 6
Saturday, October 21
Trevor, Mac, and I planned to return to the house via the hidden passage at around ten o’clock that night. We hoped to make a connection with the ghost of the child in the hope of learning more about him so that we could help him move on. The house had been taped off, but when I’d checked earlier in the day I’d seen that the entrance to the passage the three boys had shown us was still wide open. We’d park on the street and then walk through the dense forest to the opening so as not to attract attention.
It was just ten days until Halloween and I’d yet to buy any pumpkins, so I talked both Mac and Trevor into joining me at the pumpkin patch on Dooley’s Farm, a magical place in the Oregon hills. It sat overlooking the ocean, with hundreds of Christmas trees of various heights covering the hillside. In the flat meadow at the base of the trees, hundreds of pumpkins grew on bright green vines. There was a large red barn with rows of picnic tables off to the left. Behind the barn was a large pond where children were fishing, their parents snapping pictures.
“How many pumpkins are we looking for?” Trevor asked as he grabbed one of the green wagons the farm provided to haul the pumpkins you chose.
“I guess maybe six large ones and two or three small ones. I want two big ones for carving and four for the front porch, and I thought I’d make a centerpiece for the table with small pumpkins and fall leaves.”
Mac looked off into the distance, where the hillside was painted in red, orange, and yellow. “Do you need to gather leaves as well?”
“We have quite a few colorful trees on our property, but a hike in the hills would be perfect on a day like this.”
“While hiking sounds like fun, I really want to head to the costume shop after this,” Trevor said. “If we don’t get our costumes for the Hayride today everything will be picked over.”
“Do you think there’ll even be a hayride?” Mac asked.
“Hard to tell,” I answered as we started down the path to the pumpkin patch. “If it’s canceled we can put together a party for our friends. Either way, we’ll need costumes.”
“Something gory,” Trevor insisted.
“I think I’ll be a zombie in honor of my new game,” Mac commented.
“Okay, gory it is,” I agreed. “Oh, look at this one over here.” I jogged over to a huge pumpkin that would most likely take all three of us to lift. “It would look perfect next to the front door.”
“We’ll need another wagon,” Mac said.
“I’ll go grab one after we get this one loaded,” Trevor offered. “We can leave the first one near the checkout counter. I’m sure they’ll hang on to it for us until we pick out the rest.”
Mac and I continued to examine pumpkins, looking for ones with perfect shapes, after Trevor left to get the second wagon.
“Isn’t that Officer Baker over near the corn maze?” Mac asked.
“It sure looks like him. I guess he must be off duty today.”
“It looks like he’s with those two little boys.”
“Should we go over to say hi?”
Mac looked at me and then back at Officer Baker. “I think it would be the polite thing to do.”
“Maybe he has something he can tell us.”
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Even if he can’t say much he might let something slip, or we may be able to figure out what’s going on from his body language or what he intentionally doesn’t say.”
Mac and I set aside the pumpkins we were looking at and headed in the direction of the corn maze. When we got close to where Officer Baker was standing, we both said hello.
“Ms. Prescott; Ms. Reynolds,” he greeted us.
“You can call me Alyson.”
“And I’m Mac.”
“Okay, then, hello, Alyson and Mac. I’m Woody. Are you here to do the maze?”
“Looking for pumpkins,” I explained. “Are these your sons?” I asked, gesturing to the two boys, who both looked about three.
“My sister’s kids. Jimmy and Johnny, meet Alyson and Mac.”
The boys hid behind their uncle.
“Sorry about that. The boys aren’t real comfortable around strangers.”
“Not a problem,” I said. “Some kids that age are shy by nature. We don’t want to take up any of your time on your day off; we just saw you standing here and wanted to thank you for last night. Your calmness offset the iciness of your partner.”
“Wharton is okay once you get to know him.”
Mac spotted Trevor coming back up the hill and waved to him to let him know we’d changed our location.
“I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything about the fate of the Hayride?” I asked.
“The crime scene guys are at the house today, but I understand they plan to be done there by the end of the day. Their decision to release the house or keep it taped off will depend on what they find. The reality is, there most likely won’t be much to find. The victims died a long time ago and a lot of people will have been in the house since then.”
“Have you identified the two skeletons?” I asked.
Woody shook his head. “I ran missing persons reports for male children and adult males reported missing from the area between fifteen and thirty years ago, but so far I haven’t found anything. It will help if the ME can nail down a tighter timeline, but our little department doesn’t have the equipment it would take to determine time of death so long ago. We’ll need to send the remains out if we can’t determine identity, cause, and time of death another way.”
“If you wouldn’t be endangering the investigation in any way, will you let us know if you find out who the skeletons were?” I asked.
“I can do that, as long as it won’t hinder the investigation.”
Trevor joined us, so Mac and I said our good-byes and headed back to the pumpkin patch.
“What was that all about?” Trevor asked.
“Just trying to get intel on the two skeletons. So far, the cops don’t seem to know anything. Woody said he’d let us know if they do.”
“Woody?” Trevor asked.
“He told us to call him Woody,” I said. “I saw a couple more pumpkins I want over by the eastern border. Let’s head over there first; then we can continue up the hill.”
******
By the time we got to the costume shop it was packed. I guess we should have realized the Saturday before Halloween weekend would be a busy one for a store that sold costumes and decorations. Trevor seemed frustrated by the crowd, but I was enjoying spending the day in a town all decked out for the holiday, with window decorations and orange twinkle lights in all the trees lining Main.
“I’m going to need face paint,” Mac said right off the bat. “A lot of it.”
“What do you plan to wear?” I asked.
“I’m just going to rip up some old clothes and cover them in fake blood. Getting the face paint just right will be the tricky part.”
“How about you?” I asked Trevor. “Are you going the face paint or the scary mask route?”
“Mask. That way I can just take if off if I get some lip action on the night of the party.”
“Lip action?” I laughed. “You’re such a nerd.”
“Not just a nerd but king of the nerds.”
I rolled my eyes as Trevor picked up a disgusting mask and pulled it over his head.
“How about you?” Mac asked. “Are you going to get a mask?”
“I think I’m just going to make a costume from things I have at home. I need to pick up a few things for my mom, so how about I meet you back at the car in half an hour?”
