The Ghost and the Halloween Haunt Page 7

  Clint Marlow—now the other Walt—that was an entirely different story. It was as if the ghost of Walt Marlow—if there really had been a ghost—had taken over his distant cousin’s body. Of course, that was a ridiculous thought, and the only explanation for the Marlow then and now sharing the same handwriting and fingerprints—someone from the here and now was messing with him. Who and why? He had no idea, but it sent his normally rational world off-kilter, and to make matters worse was the chief’s blasé reaction to it all.

  Of course, strange sightings didn’t just occur at Marlow House. There was that time he was at the grocery store and he could swear cereal boxes fell off the shelf, only to return on their own. Walt Marlow had been there, but neither man mentioned what had just happened. Or perhaps nothing had happened. I must have imagined it all, Brian told himself. Maybe I am simply losing it.

  He stood up and took his coffee cup to the sink. “No, I don’t need to go through a haunted house,” Brian muttered as he washed the cup.

  The chief stepped out of his office and spied Brian coming down the hallway. He stopped a moment and turned to the officer.

  “I understand you’re working for Gary tonight?” the chief asked.

  “Yes. You heading home?” Brian asked.

  The chief glanced at his watch. “I have to pick up Eddy—he went over to one of his friends’ houses after school. They’re working on some scout project. But I have to take him over to Marlow House after we grab a bite to eat. He’s helping with the haunted house. You going?”

  Brian smiled and shook his head. “No. Not interested.”

  “You should at least stop over and check out their side yard,” the chief suggested.

  “I heard. In fact, I got a call on it earlier. A complaint from a neighbor.”

  The chief grinned. “Pearl Huckabee?”

  Brian nodded. “That will teach me to give a chronic complainer my business card.”

  MacDonald chuckled and then glanced at his watch again. “I’d better get going.”

  When MacDonald arrived later at Marlow House with Eddy Junior, he found a hub of activity as they prepared for their first opening of the haunted house. Danielle gave Eddy his costume. They weren’t actually wrapping him with strips torn from a sheet—he would be slipping on what could best be described as a mummy costume.

  “That’s interesting,” the chief said, taking a closer look at the pair of pants that had strips of white sheet covering it, with bell-bottom-like cuffs large enough to conceal Eddy’s shoes.

  “We didn’t think it would be a good idea to wrap him up in sheets—makes it a little difficult if he has to use the bathroom. And considering the haunted house is going on all week, we figured a costume he could slip on and off might be the best thing. We also had an adult one made for Chris,” Danielle explained as Eddy took hold of his costume, preparing to go to the bathroom to put it on. “Ian will help you with it. He helped Chris with his,” Danielle told Eddy.

  In the next moment a loud groan interrupted them and they looked to the downstairs bedroom door. Stumbling from the room in their direction, arms outstretched in front of its body, was what appeared to be a mummy.

  Eddy giggled and said, “Oh cool!”

  A few minutes later, after Eddy and Ian retreated to the downstairs bathroom and Chris stumbled back to his coffin, Danielle stood in the entry hall with the chief and Walt.

  The chief looked Walt up and down, noting his vintage suit. There was something familiar about it. He thought about it a moment and then remembered. It looked like the suit Walt had worn in the portrait. “That is definitely a blast to the distant past. Where’d you get it?”

  “I ordered it online. Walt is dressed up as the ghost of Marlow House—Walt Marlow.” Danielle chuckled.

  The chief arched his brow. “You are going as yourself?”

  Walt shrugged. “I’ll be hanging out in the library with my portrait.”

  Danielle held Walt’s right hand and gave it a little squeeze. She flashed him a smile and said, “I rather like you in that suit.”

  “Where is Evan?” the chief asked, glancing around.

  “He and Ginny are upstairs,” Danielle explained. “They’ll be slipping in and out of rooms on the second floor, scaring people. Eva will be orchestrating them—of course Ginny doesn’t know that. She thinks Evan will be telling her what to do. But he will just be passing on what Eva tells him.”

  “I didn’t get a chance to really meet the girl,” the chief said. “She was covered in a sheet.”

  “They both look very ghostly.” Walt chuckled.

  “You would know.” Danielle snickered, giving him a little tap with one hip. She looked back to the chief and said, “She seems like a very nice little girl.”

  “There is something familiar about her. I swear I have seen her before—but I can’t remember where,” Walt said.

  “Maybe you’ve seen her around town,” the chief suggested.

  “It’s my understanding they just moved in yesterday,” Walt said.

  “It doesn’t mean they haven’t been in town,” the chief reminded him. “They obviously have been here before, when they bought the house.”

  Walt nodded. “True.”

  “I’ve been so busy I haven’t had a chance to go down and introduce myself to her aunt and uncle,” Danielle said.

  “They didn’t come up here and introduce themselves? I assumed they would since she’s helping tonight,” the chief said.

  Danielle shook her head. “No. I get the feeling she’s a free-range kid.”

  Walt scowled at Danielle. “A what?”

  “You know, she’s left to her own devices. But it isn’t that she doesn’t have rules, and while her aunt and uncle might not closely monitor her, it appears she respects their rules, considering what I’ve seen so far.”

  “Free-range kids I’ve seen are often neglected and go hungry,” the chief said with a frown of concern.

  “I wouldn’t worry about that. She hasn’t come across as underfed or hungry,” Danielle said. “Heck, she turned down pizza.”

  The chief nodded. “That’s good to know. I was a little concerned. She told Evan her aunt and uncle weren’t thrilled she came to live with them.”

  Danielle scrunched up her nose. “Yeah, Evan told us that too.”

  Eleven

  Clad in a floor-length pink terrycloth robe, fuzzy slippers and rollers in her hair, Pearl stood by her front gate. With her arms stubbornly folded across her chest, she looked up the sidewalk toward Marlow House. Overhead, the quarter moon partially lit the sky. Pearl had hoped the morning rain would have continued into the night, believing that would put a damper on the haunted house. But the rain had long since stopped, and by the line of cars up her street, it was obvious the fundraiser had been a success. At least for the first night.

  She glanced at her watch. It was almost ten p.m. Earlier that evening she’d had an unpleasant encounter with her dreadful neighbor Heather Donovan, who was walking over to Marlow House, and later, the Bartleys from across the street had joined her. She wondered how many of the neighbors approved of the Marlows turning their home into a haunted house for Halloween. She certainly would not appreciate strangers tromping through her home.

  Glancing across the street to the Bartley house, she noticed their porch light on. With a grunt she turned and made her way up to her front door.

  At the Bartleys’, Joe and Kelly sat with baby Connor while Ian and Lily were across the street helping with the haunted house. Kelly had just changed Connor’s diaper and returned him to his crib. He began to fuss.

  “I think he wants his teddy bear,” Joe said, carrying the stuffed Winnie the Pooh from the rocker to the crib. He placed it next to the squirming baby.

  Kelly snatched up the bear. “No. He can’t sleep with that.”

  Joe, who now stood by Kelly’s side, frowned at her. “Why not? I thought Lily said it was his favorite.”

  Now clutching the bear in her
arms, Kelly said in a whisper, “Goodness, Joe, he’s only a month old. I doubt he’s even aware of the bear. I’ve read how these things get dusty—which isn’t good for a baby. And it could smother him.”

  Kelly carried the stuffed animal over to the rocking chair and set it down.

  Joe shrugged. “My mother said I always slept with a teddy bear.”

  “And it’s a good thing it didn’t kill you,” Kelly teased as she grabbed Joe’s hand and dragged him out of the room.

  Across the street at Marlow House, Lily manned the ticket booth. She had just let a large group in, and for the moment things had settled down, and she didn’t see any new cars pulling up.

  “How’s it going?” Danielle asked when she came to check on Lily a few minutes later.

  “Good,” Lily said with a grin. “But how is it going in there?”

  “I think everyone is having a great time. But Chris might have made poor Susan Mitchell pee her pants when he popped out of that casket,” Danielle told her.

  Lily chuckled.

  “Everyone seems to be having a wonderful time,” Marie said when she appeared the next moment.

  “Although I have to say, it is killing me being away from Connor this long,” Lily groaned.

  “You were over there an hour ago to feed him,” Danielle reminded her.

  “I know. But still. I’ve never left him with Kelly before.”

  “Ask Lily if she would like me to pop over and check on Connor,” Marie offered.

  Danielle glanced quickly to Marie and then to Lily. “Marie is here. She offered to go over and check on Connor for you.”

  Lily perked up. “Really? I know this sounds awful,” Lily said in a whisper, “but I would like to know how Kelly really does with him. Makes me wish I had put cameras in—but Ian is not thrilled with the idea.”

  “I’ll go check and make sure everything is okay,” Marie said before vanishing.

  When Marie arrived at the Bartleys’, she found Kelly and Joe sitting in the living room watching television while Connor cried in the crib in the nursery.

  “He’s crying!” Marie said anxiously.

  “He’s still crying,” Joe said, glancing over to the hallway leading to the nursery.

  Kelly, who sat next to Joe on the sofa, gave his knee a pat. “He’s okay. Sometimes a baby just needs to cry. I don’t want a spoiled nephew.”

  “Spoiled? How do you spoil an infant?” Marie snapped. “He’s only a month old!”

  Marie heard what sounded like a scratch on the wall. She glanced around and frowned. “Where is Sadie?”

  Kelly glanced toward the direction of Ian’s home office. “If Sadie scratches up that door, my brother is going to kill me.”

  “I don’t know why you shut her in there,” Joe said.

  “Why did you do that?” Marie asked deaf ears.

  “Because she keeps trying to get into the baby’s room,” Kelly said.

  “I thought Ian said Sadie always sleeps in Connor’s room?” Joe asked.

  Kelly turned to Joe and rolled her eyes. “Yes. But while Connor is my responsibility, I certainly am not going to risk it.”

  “Risk what?” Joe frowned.

  “Sadie is a big dog. And I’m sure she’s jealous of Connor,” Kelly began.

  “She is not jealous!” Marie snapped.

  “You think Sadie would hurt him?” Joe asked.

  “I certainly hope not. But I won’t take the chance while we’re watching him.”

  Joe and Kelly hadn’t seen Marie when she popped into the living room with them, and they didn’t notice when she popped out, going to the baby’s nursery.

  “Oh, sweet boy, what is wrong?” Marie cooed down to the baby.

  Connor’s angry red face looked up to Marie, his little hands drawn into fists as he took a deep breath, preparing to let out another wail. But once he caught a glimpse of her smiling face, he seemed to relax, and instead of letting out a cry, he gurgled up to the ghost.

  “Where is your Pooh Bear?” Marie asked as she glanced around the room. She spied it on the rocking chair. The next moment it floated over to her. Snatching it out of the air, she placed it in the crib next to Connor. He began to giggle.

  “You just needed your Pooh Bear, didn’t you?”

  He responded with a little laugh.

  “We need to get you to sleep,” Marie whispered. Although it wasn’t necessary to whisper. Even if she shouted, the only ones who would hear were Connor and Sadie.

  Leaning over the crib, Marie began to sing a soft lullaby. Transfixed on her face, Connor listened to her sing a moment before letting out a little sleepy yawn. He relaxed, unfisted his hands and closed his eyes. Within minutes he was fast asleep. Marie watched him for a few minutes and then went to see Sadie.

  “Don’t bark,” Marie said the moment she entered Ian’s home office. The golden retriever, who had been sitting by the door, looked over at the ghost and began wagging her tail.

  “He’s alright, Sadie,” Marie told the dog. “He’s sleeping now, poor dear.”

  Looking at Marie, Sadie cocked her head.

  “I suppose I can’t fault Kelly. She doesn’t know you as well as I do.”

  Sadie tilted her head in the other direction, her eyes still on Marie.

  “Yes, I understand Kelly has known you since you were a puppy. But you can’t talk to her, can you?…What does that matter?…Well, she is just trying to keep the baby safe, and she might be a bit overzealous about it, but I suppose that is better than having it the other way,” Marie said.

  Sadie made a grunting sound.

  Marie nodded. “I have to agree. I’m not sure the point of making that poor boy cry like that. He obviously misses his mommy and daddy.” She smiled at the dog and added, “And his Sadie.”

  “He stopped crying,” Joe said from the living room. Both Joe and Kelly looked toward the hallway.

  “I don’t hear Sadie scratching the door either,” Kelly added.

  “Maybe you should go check on him,” Joe suggested.

  Kelly frowned and turned to Joe. “Why? Do you think something’s wrong?”

  Joe shrugged. “I don’t know. But he was crying pretty good and just stopped.”

  Kelly jumped up from the sofa and ran to the baby’s room, Joe at her heels. Once at the nursery doorway she peeked inside. She could see Connor in the crib. He wasn’t moving, but from where she stood, she could see the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

  “He’s breathing!” Kelly whispered in relief.

  “Breathing is good,” Joe muttered under his breath.

  They practically tiptoed over to the crib. Now standing by its side, they looked down at the sleeping baby.

  Kelly smiled at her nephew and was about to turn from the crib when she spied something that was not supposed to be there. She let out a loud gasp, the unexpected sound jerking the baby from his sleep. Connor began to cry.

  The next moment Marie reentered the room from the home office to find Kelly picking up the crying baby, attempting to soothe him.

  “You woke him up!” Joe said at the same time as Marie asked, “Why did you wake him up?”

  Awkwardly holding the baby and attempting to soothe him with gentle pats to his back, Kelly looked to Joe. “How did that thing get in the crib?”

  Joe looked down and spied the Winnie the Pooh. He frowned and then glanced over at the rocking chair and back to the crib.

  Connor stopped crying and a moment later fell asleep on his aunt’s shoulder as she continued to hold him.

  “It was on the chair,” Joe said numbly.

  “You need to check the house. Someone has obviously been in here,” Kelly said, looking around nervously.

  “Oh my,” Marie muttered. “I suppose I shouldn’t have left the stuffed animal in the crib after he fell asleep.”

  Before leaving the room, Joe checked the closets and window and then left Kelly in the nursery, locking the door behind him.

  Marie groaned
. “Oh dear, I do feel a bit like Lucy right now…I have some ’splaining to do.”

  When Joe returned ten minutes later, he said, “Everything is locked up. There is nothing.”

  “Well, someone was in here,” Kelly insisted. “That stuffed animal didn’t move to the crib on its own.”

  “True, it had some help,” Marie mumbled.

  Gently, Kelly placed the sleeping baby back in the crib. She then went out to the living room and called Lily.

  “Who are you calling?” Joe asked.

  Kelly shushed him, keeping the phone to her ear. A moment later Lily answered.

  “Is something wrong?” Lily asked anxiously.

  “No,” Kelly lied. “Connor is sleeping. I just wondered how you’re doing over there.”

  “It’s been pretty busy, haven’t even been able to leave to go to the bathroom, and another group is just coming up, so I’d better get off the phone.”

  “What about Ian?” Kelly asked in a rush.

  “What do you mean?” Lily asked.

  “Has he had any downtime?”

  “Umm, no. Not sure what you mean. He’s been with people all night. But I really have to go.”

  When Kelly got off the phone the next moment, Joe asked, “What was that about?”

  “I thought maybe one of them came over here and checked on Connor, came in the back door. But they didn’t. I think you should let Sadie out of the office.”

  “Why? I thought you wanted to keep her away from the baby.”

  “I might have been wrong. According to Ian, Sadie practically stands guard over Connor. She likes sleeping by his crib. Knowing Sadie, I don’t think she’s going to let someone near that baby.”

  “I still don’t see how anyone could have gotten in here,” Joe said. “I even checked outside by the windows. I would be able to tell if someone was walking around out there since it is so muddy.”