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Chapter four






“It doesn’t look all that scary.”

Andi pulled her eyes from the old house, regarding Ronnie as he continued to stare at the giant relic. He was quickly getting on her nerves. He was the technician. And as he’d told her during their meeting, she was not to touch the equipment.

“Yeah? Well it’s scary as hell at night when you’re seventeen, ” Jaime murmured, her eyes still glued to the house.

“Can’t believe you guys grew up here. Talk about a small world, Jaime. I thought you said you haven’t even been back in the state since you moved away.”

Andi silently watched the exchange between Jaime and her technician. Judging by the body language Andi remembered, there was no love lost between these two.

“Shouldn’t you be setting up your shit, Ronnie? ”

“Oh, sure. Be a big ole girl and make me go inside first.”

“I thought you said it wasn’t scary.”

“Oh, hell, Jaime, I’ve been in a lot tougher places than this. Can’t believe you talked Gilbreath into coming here. It’s not like it’s even famous.”

But he moved away, leaving Jaime and Andi still staring at the old Zeiko Place. It hadn’t been inhabited in years, judging by the appearance of the yard. The shutters Andi remembered from childhood were there, the lower floor closed up tight. She turned to Jaime, questions flying through her head as to why they were here, but approaching footsteps stilled her.

“Well, ladies, what do you think? ”

They both turned as Dr. Gilbreath walked over, her young secretary right at her heels. The young woman appeared to be no more than twenty, but the wire-rimmed glasses and severe hair style indicated she was very serious about her job.

“Looks about as I remember, ” Jaime said. “Although it wasn’t quite this shabby then.”

“Well, I’ve made sure the utilities are functioning for our stay, so shabby or not, we should be comfortable. Now, we’ve got about four hours of daylight left. Let’s get those cameras set up, shall we.” She clapped her hands together, moving quickly towards the house.

Andi chanced a look at Jaime, surprised when the other woman turned, capturing her eyes. “Never thought I’d willingly walk into this place.”

Andi simply nodded. The last thing she wanted to do was to become friendly with Jaime Tucker. She had too many years of pent-up anger to deal with. She wasn’t simply going to dismiss it after all this time. And if it was the last thing she did, Jaime Tucker was going to get a piece of her mind!

But Jaime had already walked off. She paused on the front porch, glancing back at Andi, then went inside.

Andi was left alone on the overgrown sidewalk and a cool breeze unexpectedly rustled the leaves around her. She glanced to the sky, the clouds seeming to hover overhead, making the early afternoon appear much later. Perhaps they didn’t have four hours until darkness.

She forced herself up the steps, her backpack slung over one shoulder, laptop computer slung over the other, trying not to think of all the ghost stories she’d heard as a kid. Ghost stories that had left her trembling in the night.

The front door stood open, almost welcoming, and she took a deep breath before walking inside. The entryway and foyer, for the most part, were empty. A table was shoved against one wall, a small lamp, still plugged in, sat on top. Moving farther into the house, bits and pieces of furniture remained—even partially packed boxes—as if the last residents hadn’t had time to pack properly. She heard the others at the back of the house, heard the shutters opening one by one, letting in light. She walked into a formal sitting room, framed pictures still hanging on the walls, and the fireplace was stacked with wood, as if expecting them.

“Can you feel it? ”

Andi whipped around, startled. Jaime stood in the shadows, a small flashlight in her hand.

“Feel what? ”

“Cold.”

Andi looked around. Yes, she did indeed feel the chill in the room. But, as she’d said, things could always be explained. “The house has been closed up. This is an interior room, ” she said matter-of-factly.

“Yes. But it wasn’t unusually cold today. In fact, it was quite pleasant for October.” She moved farther into the room, bending near a lamp and turning it on, chasing the shadows away.

“And cold is a sign? ” Andi asked before she could stop herself.

Jamie shrugged, then arched an eyebrow. “That’s what I’m told.”

Andi could hold back her questions no longer. She let her backpack and laptop slide to the floor, flexing her shoulders to get the soreness out.

“How long have you worked as a... a ghostbuster? ”

“What? ” Jaime grinned. “Ghostbuster? Is that what you call it? ”

Andi shrugged. “I don’t know what to call it. What do you call it? ”

“I used to call it fiction, ” she said.

“Excuse me? ”

Jaime walked to the fireplace, examining the portrait over the mantle. “I don’t actually work for Dr. Gilbreath. I’m doing research.”

“Research? ”

Jaime turned, fixing Andi with those dark eyes she used to love to look into. She pulled her gaze away, making a show of studying framed pictures on the end table.

“I’m writing a book on haunted places.”

Andi’s head whipped around. “You’re a writer? Like an author? ”

“Why does that surprise you? ”

“Because you were a... a jock.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t have a brain.”

“Of course. I just never saw you use it before, ” she murmured as she turned away.

The deep, hearty laugh she heard was not what she expected. She turned back around, meeting the laughing eyes of Jaime Tucker.

“Good one, Beenie Weenie.”

Andi scowled. “Look, I hated that name in high school and I despise it now. Please don’t use it again.’

“And I’m supposed to care? ”

Andi’s eyes widened. “Excuse me? ”

Jamie shoved both hands into the pockets of her jeans as she regarded Andi. “You didn’t seem to care too much about me or what I wanted back then. I’m not really too concerned about what you want now.”

Andi’s mouth fell open as she stared, wondering what the hell she was talking about. Before she could ask any questions, Dr. Gilbreath and her assistant, Beth, walked into the room

“Good. You’re both here. Ronnie is through with the kitchen area. This room will be our... oh my, ” she murmured as she spread her arms. “The energy in this room is very strong, ” she whispered. “Something happened in this room.”

Andi looked up, locking gazes with Jamie. Yes, they’d both heard the stories of how three of the children’s remains were thrown into the fire, their charred bodies found weeks later. Their bodies. Not their heads.

“I was going to say this would be our meeting room, but no, we need to stay out of this room. We’ll find another room for our daily meetings.”

They all looked up as boards creaked overhead. Andi involuntarily wrapped her arms around herself.

“I guess Ronnie’s already made it upstairs, ” Dr. Gilbreath said. “We have three bedrooms made up. They were all guest rooms, so I don’t see the need to monitor them. Of course, if we see or hear... or feel... a presence in those rooms, then we’ll change our strategy.”

Andi cleared her throat. “Three bedrooms? There are five of us, ” she pointed out.

“Well, obviously we can’t occupy the entire house, especially the main rooms that were inhabited. Ronnie will, of course, have his own room. Beth and I will share, and you two will share.”

Andi was surprised that it was Jaime who protested. “Share? For a week? ”

“The rooms were furnished with the standard, old-fashioned double beds. We’ve had an extra twin brought in for both your room and ours, ” Beth said. “You’ll have to decide between the two of you who gets the twin.”

“Great, ” Jaime murmured sarcastically.

“Lovely, ” Andi added.

Ronnie walked in, both hands carrying heavy satchels. “I’m ready to head upstairs. Who wants to come? ”

They all looked at each other, then slowly slid their eyes to the ceiling, where only moments before, they had heard the creaking boards.

It was Beth who spoke first.

“You haven’t already been up there? ”

‘No. I was doing the dining room.”

Dr. Gilbreath clapped her hands. “Wonderful! Then we already have ghostly company! Isn’t this wonderful? ”

Again, Andi and Jaime exchanged glances.

“What exactly is on the second floor? ”

“The second floor was the main residence. The master bedroom is there, as well as the children’s rooms, and another living room area, not quite as formal as this one. The third floor is where the guest rooms are.”

“The realtor assured me that the rooms were prepared, ” Beth said. “Clean sheets, towels, and the like. Unfortunately, modern plumbing only made it to one room on the third floor, so we’ll be sharing.”

“Of course, the second floor has two full baths, so let’s don’t worry about that.”

“That’s the least of my worries, ” Andi murmured as her eyes again slid to the ceiling.

“Well, I suggest we take our things to our perspective rooms, then help Ronnie with the rest of the cameras. We won’t get a chance to set up full audio until tomorrow.”

Nobody moved.

“The electricity is fully functional, by the way, ” Beth added.

Andi looked at Jaime. “You go first.”

“Me? Why me? ”

“You’re bigger. You’re an athlete.”

Jaime scowled. “You’re shorter. Maybe you should go. They probably won’t even see you.”

Andi grabbed her backpack and slung it over one shoulder, then did the same with her computer. “Very funny... you big chicken, ” she murmured.

“I heard that, ” Jaime muttered.

“Good.”

“Dr. Tucker, is there a problem? ”

Andi’s head snapped up. “ Doctor?

Jaime shrugged. “Not like a real doctor. I just went to college forever. They had to give me something.” Then to Dr. Gilbreath, she smiled. “No, everything’s fine. We’ll head up.”

Andi bravely took the first step, the old stairs creeping under her weight. The stairwell was dark, but Beth assured her there were light switches at the top of the first landing. She hugged the wall as she slowly, one step at a time, crept up the stairs. She was conscious of the others following silently behind her. She successfully shoved childhood stories from her mind as she kept a watchful eye on the second floor landing. Half-way up, she was surprised when Jaime shoved a small flashlight into her hand.

“This might help.”

Andi turned it on, nervously flashing the dim light in front of her, letting out her breath when she saw the light switches on the wall up ahead. She reached out a shaking hand, sliding it against the wall in the dim light, finally finding the switches and flipping them on. The stairwell was suddenly bathed in brightness and she blinked against it, pausing at the last step to get her bearings.

“Most of the sightings have been on the second floor, ” Dr. Gilbreath said quietly, her voice drifting up the stairs.

“Lovely, ” Andi murmured.

The expanse of the second floor spread out before them, corridors going in both directions, but a smaller, less formal living area welcomed them on the landing. It, like most of the other rooms, was still partially furnished.

But it was Jaime who asked the question, not Andi.

“Why is there still so much furniture if it’s been vacant for six years? ”

“The last owners left in... a bit of a rush. But a lot of this furniture is from the original owners. The Zeikos collected antiques. I’m sure a lot of the pieces in the house date back a hundred-fifty years or more.”

Andi avoided the still dark corridors, instead looking up toward the third-floor landing. It was brighter up there, the afternoon sun creeping in on the exposed windows. It was only then that Andi saw the heavy, dark drapes covering the windows on the second floor, leaving it in darkness.

The stairs to the third floor seemed to beckon her, the cheery light a welcome change from the darkness of the second floor. She didn’t hesitate as she climbed the stairs. The second floor seemed nearly stifling compared to the airiness of the third.

Andi skipped the first bedroom, instead choosing the second. Only three pieces of furniture remained—double bed, a small four-drawer dresser, and the hastily added twin bed.

She eyed the double bed, the dutifully tossed her backpack on the twin. No doubt Doctor Tucker out-ranked her.

 


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