Cadaver lab 2, p.8
Cadaver Lab 2, page 8
Not that she had any idea what kind of readings Liam was taking, but she did want to see if the ghost was hiding in the closet.
“Sure. Go ahead. Watch out. The one is packed full of Agnes’s stuff. The other one is pretty organized though— I had a book deadline recently so I cleaned the closet,” Harper explained in a statement that only a good friend of hers who knew her tendency toward chronic procrastination would understand.
Liam looked a tad confused but headed for the first storage room—the one used by Agnes for storage—and repeated his prompt, asking for any ghosts to make their presence known.
Again Gabe spoke. When Liam shook his head Gabe went so far as to stomp his feet on the floor. Then he tried to knock over a roll of wrapping paper. Still nothing.
“I don’t know.” Gabe shrugged.
“Is it the time of day possibly?” Natalie asked. She turned to Harper. “When exactly have you been hearing things?”
“The second time was late. Like the middle of the night. I was asleep in bed and it woke me up. But the first time was early. I’d gone upstairs right after the LADS meeting at your shop to get some work done. Then I heard it.”
“So not dependent on midnight or full dark then. Hmm.” Liam looked pensively perplexed.
Natalie on the other hand was starting to panic.
She didn’t know what she expected him to find or how it would help but maybe if Harper heard Gabe with them around she’d calm down. Or if Harper could hear him clearly say he meant her no harm, maybe she’d call off the exorcism. But if they couldn’t recreate what had happened before—couldn’t get her to hear him again, or at all—Twenties Girl and possibly countless other ghosts were screwed.
“What now?” Natalie asked Liam.
He bobbed his head to one side. “I can take some EMF readings in the basement while I’m here. See if this has anything to do with electromagnetic fields.”
Natalie cringed. Gabe didn’t look too happy either at the mention of the creepy basement.
Liam continued, “Besides that, I can leave a voice activated recorder in the closet where you heard them and see if we catch anything over night.”
Harper nodded. “Okay. That’s fine. I’m not sleeping up here anyway until this is resolved. I convinced Stone to temporarily move to a bedroom on the second floor.”
“The one with the balcony and the connecting bathroom with the clawfoot tub?” Natalie asked, knowing it was Harper’s favorite room in the house.
It was also the room with the ominous numbers scratched into the woodwork where she’d first found Twenties Girl hiding.
When Harper nodded, Natalie had nothing else to say except, “Oh. That’s good.”
While they’d been talking, Liam had set his ghost trap—that being the voice activated recorder—in the closet. That could be of use to her actually. She hadn’t given up on convincing Harper Gabe meant no harm.
If Gabe spoke into the machine and told Harper he was friendly, apologized for scaring her and promised to stay away—and then actually did stay away—maybe she’d forget about the exorcism and start sleeping in her own room again.
It was worth a try.
Liam preceded them downstairs to go down to the basement, where Natalie had no intention of following. Behind him, Harper and Natalie made their way downstairs more slowly.
She noticed Gabe wasn’t behind them.
He was probably searching for the girl. Good. He could explain to her what was happening. She had a right to know. She was probably frightened after having all these people and strange equipment invading her space. The poor thing.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t catch anything,” Natalie said when they reached the first floor.
Harper shrugged. “It’s okay. After Agnes agreed—however reluctantly—I was able to get on the exorcist’s calendar. She has an opening this week.”
“This week. So soon?” Natalie asked, panicked.
Harper nodded. “I was lucky.”
“Yeah. Lucky,” Natalie agreed.
And so the countdown began…
Chapter Fourteen
Sitting on the tattered old sofa in the shop’s meeting room, Natalie leaned forward and looked to each of the men opposite her. Liam sitting in the chair and Gabe standing next to him.
“I don’t think we have anything to worry about,” she began.
Liam nodded. “I agree.”
At the same time, Gabe snorted. “Easy for you to say. In just a few hours I could be dissolved into the ether and cease to exist completely.”
Harper had dropped off the voice recorder from the attic and Liam had confirmed it hadn’t captured any voices even though Gabe insisted he’d spoken into it, assuring Harper he was a friendly ghost.
That meant Harper was going ahead with the exorcism tonight.
Natalie directed her gaze to Gabe. “Hear me out. I did a lot of research since leaving Harper’s after our little ghost hunt and here’s what I learned about this exorcism she has planned…”
Gabe scowled. “Do tell. I can’t wait to hear.”
Ignoring Gabe’s sarcasm, Natalie continued, “An actual real exorcism has to be performed by an official priest. I got Harper to tell me who she hired and it looks like just some woman who sells her ‘house cleansing’ services.”
Liam raised his hand as if this were a class and he was a student. “Actually, I did a bit of research myself and though it is true an ordained official has to perform the highest level of exorcism—such as possession of a person—there’s an appendix to the rites to address places and objects. And those rites can be administered by a lay person. But here’s the thing, almost everything I read refers to demons. Demonic possession, demonic infestation.”
“Gabe’s not a demon,” Natalie said.
“Exactly. So suspending my doubt that exorcism works at all, and assuming it does, would it even work on a spirit that’s not demonic?” Liam, ever the researcher, asked.
“I bet he didn’t believe in ghosts either until you and me,” Gabe said directly to Natalie. “So forgive me if I’m not comforted by his doubts about exorcism now.”
Pressing her lips together, Natalie ignored Gabe’s snide remarks and tried to sort out their next course of action. “Okay. I think the safest thing to do is plan for the worst-case scenario.”
“That being what?” Liam asked.
“That this woman isn’t a fraud and the invocations or whatever in this appendix you mention can work and that they can work on all spirits not just the malevolent.”
Liam cocked up a brow. “Those are a whole lot of assumptions.”
“Yes. But better to be prepared than not. So assuming all of that I think the safest thing to do is get any and all ghosts far away from Agnes’s house tonight during the ritual.” Natalie turned her focus to Gabe. “Including Twenties Girl. Can you do that? Convince her to leave?”
“I think so. I’m going to have to or…” He visibly swallowed.
“It’s going to be okay. Like Liam said, we’re making a lot of assumptions that this can even work. But if it does, the range can’t reach out into the community. There has to be a limit, geographically speaking.”
Gabe nodded. “Okay. I’m going to the cemetery to ask Ricky to spread the word to everyone in town, then I’ll go convince Millie.”
“Millie?” Natalie asked.
Gabe tipped his head. “Twenties Girl.”
“I didn’t know you’d learned her name. That’s nice. I’m glad.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m so glad you’re happy. Can I go now? I have like an hour to try and save the entire ghost population of Mudville.”
“Yes. Go.”
Without even a goodbye, Gabe swooped through the wall.
“He gone?” Liam asked.
Natalie sighed. This whole thing had been exhausting. “Yes.”
“Would you like to catch me up on the conversation?” Liam asked.
She frowned as she tried to remember what they’d even talked about, specifically.
“Millie?” Liam prompted.
“Oh. Yeah. That’s the nineteen-twenties ghost hanging out at Harper’s house. The one that Gabe was visiting the two times that Harper heard them.”
“Visiting, huh?” Liam smirked.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.
“What’s this Millie look like? She cute?”
Natalie frowned. “What do you care if she’s cute or not?”
“Jeezus, Nat. I’m not asking for me. As if I’d be able to see or hear her anyway?” Liam shook his head. “I’m asking because I’m thinking Gabe might have a little ghost crush on this Millie.”
“You think?” She considered that.
The girl was lovely. Young. At least young to Natalie’s forty-year-old eyes, but not a child. She was definitely old enough to date. Although, Gabe was probably double her age. Not that it mattered. There was a long-standing tradition of men dating women half their age. Both parties being dead didn’t change that, she supposed.
“You’re awfully quiet.” Liam’s brow cocked up high. “I seriously hope it’s not that you’re jealous over the fact Gabe has a new interest in someone else besides you.”
Natalie rolled her eyes. “Stop. It’s never been like that between me and Gabe. You know that.”
“Even so. He spends like half his time with you. How are you going to feel if he gets a new bestie?” Liam asked.
“I’ll feel relieved that I’ll have more time to spend with my boyfriend, if he ever stops acting like an ass.” She crossed her arms to glare at him, even though in the back of her mind was a niggling thought that what Liam said might be true.
Gabe had become a fixture in her life. What would she feel if that changed? If he wasn’t around anymore. Not just because he could become busy with Millie, but worse, because this damn house cleansing might just work.
Natalie stood. “I have to close up and get ready to go to Harper’s.”
“You’re going?” Liam asked, standing as well.
“Harper said I could be there. I think I’ll feel better being on site, you know? Just in case.” She fought the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Any chance you want to come?”
“Because Gabe can’t?” Liam asked with that damn cocky brow raised again.
Feeling vulnerable, she said, “No. Because I’m a little scared and I want you with me.”
Liam took a step forward and pulled her into his arms. “In that case, yeah, I’ll come. I’ll always be there for you when you need me.”
“Thank you.”
Now if only she could be sure Gabe and all the rest of the ghosts she’d complained about over the past year would always be there for her too. She’d gotten used to them being around town. As used as she was to seeing Alice or Mary or Agnes and the rest of the livings.
It was completely true. A person didn’t miss something—or someone—until it was gone.
Chapter Fifteen
An hour or so later, Liam paused at the bottom step of the staircase that led to the front porch of Agnes’s house and glanced up—way up—at the ornate facade of the yellow Victorian. “This really is a nice house.”
Any other day, Natalie would have launched into tour guide mode, delivering the history of the house and pointing out architectural details and all the things she’d learned since meeting Harper. All the things they hadn’t discussed the other day when they’d been there and Liam had been in ghost hunter mode.
Today, all she managed to say was, “Yeah, it is,” as she continued to climb the steps ahead of him.
She wouldn’t say she was afraid, but she certainly wasn’t completely confident.
At this point all she could do was hope for a positive outcome. Hope that Gabe had successfully cleared this end of the village of all the ghosts—including Millie who was the one in the most danger.
The warmth of Liam’s hand on the back of her neck was a small comfort as she reached for the doorbell. Nerves riding her, she used the knocker too, just to make sure Harper heard her.
“It’ll be fine,” Liam said.
“It had better be,” she mumbled as Harper unlocked the door and pulled it wide.
“Hi,” Harper greeted as her gaze went from Natalie to Liam.
“Is it okay we’re here?” Natalie asked.
“Of course. Agnes and Stone are both here too. Come on in.” Harper led them inside. “Stone’s in the kitchen and the preparations for the rites are happening in the dining room.”
As they made their way through the center hall, she said to Liam, “You can go join Stone in the kitchen if you want.”
Natalie tried to sound lighter than she felt. She didn’t know if she succeeded.
“Yes, please do,” Harper said. “He’ll be happy to have another man to grumble about all this woo-woo mumbo-jumbo to. I’ll show you the way.”
With one last concerned glance at Natalie, Liam nodded and followed Harper through to the kitchen while Natalie took the opportunity to look around.
She didn’t see Millie or Gabe. Or hear them.
Sadly she’d never been able to feel the spirits. Never could sense when they were near. It was just like they were people—living people that is. If they were in front of her she could see them. If not, she couldn’t. What she’d give to be able to sense their presence just to be sure there weren’t any here now.
She’d have to trust in Gabe. That he’d done what he said he would—
While Harper was getting Liam settled with Stone in the kitchen, Natalie wandered into the living room where she had a clear view straight into the dining room.
There she was. The layman exorcist. The house cleanser.
Younger than Natalie expected—although she hadn’t been sure what to expect—the woman was dressed in a long sweeping skirt in a deep purple. The hem came to the tops of her feet, which were—at the moment—completely bare. A loose, shapeless tunic in a bright, intricate patchwork pattern flowed over the skirt.
Her hair was long and blonde with the tips dyed purple.
As she arranged items on the dining room table the multitude of metal bracelets she wore on each wrist clanked together in an almost musical accompaniment to her movements.
Was she a charlatan? Or a legitimate medium.
Natalie was so engrossed watching, so deep in her own mind as she struggled to form an opinion about this woman, she was startled when the medium’s gaze locked on hers.
“Hello. Are you here for the cleansing?”
“Uh, yes. If that’s okay.”
“Of course. You’re not sensitive to smoke, are you?” The young blonde lifted what Natalie recognized as a sage wand from all the many times the Wiccans had come in to cleanse her shop of negative energy—
A thought struck her.
The Wiccans had smudged her shop with Gabe standing in it and he’d been fine. Maybe this was going to be okay.
Immensely relieved, she hoped not prematurely, Natalie realized the woman was waiting for an answer. “No. I actually like the smell of the sage. Thanks for asking.”
She smiled. “Of course. And I like the smell of it too,” she said conspiratorially. “I might be guilty of using it at home way more often than necessary.”
Real or fake, the woman was charming and Natalie was beginning to like her in spite of herself.
“How long have you been doing this—cleansing houses?” Natalie asked.
The blonde laughed. “Oh, no. It’s not me. I’m Jill. I’m just an assistant. An intern on a spiritual journey to enlightenment. I’m not sure I’ll ever be as talented as Madame Letisha—she’s the medium and my mystic mentor. She’ll be here any moment. I lay out her things and handle any mundane earthly matters like the business of payment. She’s above all that. She must be in order for her to be able to completely commune on the spiritual plane. She’s very good.”
Natalie listened with eyebrows raised.
Her first thought was to wish that Liam was in the room to hear this, just so he could confirm it was indeed as big a load of manure as she thought it was.
Her second thought was to wish Gabe were here too. He’d be doubled over laughing.
But her third thought had her pausing. What if Madame Letisha—as over the top as she seemed—actually did have some power?
If someone had told Natalie a year ago that she’d be talking to ghosts, she’d have laughed them out of the room. But here she was, a conduit to the entire ghostly world. And to believe she was the only one on earth with that power would be hubris in the extreme.
Agnes, Liam, Harper and Stone had appeared in the doorway while Natalie was having her unwelcome revelation.
Liam took one look at her expression and came forward. Leaning low, he pressed a kiss to her cheek and then said against her ear, “Everything all right?”
She lifted her face to look at him and said low, “I guess we’re going to see.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Quiet! I must concentrate.”
Natalie’s eyes opened wide at the censure that she’d earned simply by the poorly timed vibration of the cell phone in her pocket.
Madame Letisha had indeed arrived and she was a piece of work.
The woman’s larger than life personality was a match for her appearance.
She had a wild mass of jet-black curls highlighted with strands of gray and lips painted a bright red. Her over the top style of dress—from the brightly colored head wrap to the bells on her shoes—made her assistant Jill’s outfit seem staid by comparison.
Natalie cringed as she caught Harper’s eye and mouthed, “Sorry.”
Harper waved away her concern as Natalie rushed to pull the phone out. Ignoring the text from Jules, she mashed the button on the side to power the cell down before it offended Madame Letisha again and got her thrown out of the performance.
And this clearly was a performance.
A show to impress them all, but in particular Harper, who was footing the bill. Natalie was sure this wasn’t cheap judging by Madame Letisha’s appearance.
