“Hmm?” I said, coming out of the haze I’d been in while staring at the road ahead.
“For busting the school. What will you do first?”
“Oh,” I said with a giggle. “Yeah, I almost forgot why we were driving. Okay, so my first step will be to talk to Evie, try to get a feel for things from her perspective. Typically there’s a point right before a ghost shows himself when the victim senses something is off. Sometimes it can feel like they’re being watched, or that there’s an overwhelming sense of emotion emanating from a room, like a heaviness or sadness or even anger.”
“My poor niece,” Karen said. “Her father is such an idiot. I know he’s telling her that it’s all in her head.”
“If he’s so resistant to this stuff, how do you think you’re going to convince him to let me talk to Evie?”
“I don’t have to convince him,” Karen said. “Leanne will let us talk to Evie,” she said, referring to her sister-in-law.
“The one good thing my brother did was to marry such a fantastic woman,” she added. “It’s a wonder she’s still with him.”
I smiled. I had my own family struggles, so I definitely got where she was coming from. “After I talk to Evie, I’ll need to talk to some of the teachers at the school, see if they’ve seen anything they can’t explain. I’ll also want to hunt down that reporter who posted the story on the school’s Web site.”
“The one you told me about last night?” she said. “I can’t believe it’s already been taken down.”
I’d logged back onto the Web over our continental breakfast at the hotel and was shocked to learn that the story I’d read the night before about Hatchet Jack had been removed from the school’s Web site. “I wish I could remember the kid reporter’s name,” I said. “That way we could track him down at the school and get an interview with him. Still, Gil said he could work his computer magic and dig up the old article once we get off the road.”
“What do you make of that?” Karen asked.
“What do I make of what?”
“The fact that the story was removed so quickly. It’s like Northelm is really nervous about their reputation.”
“At forty grand–plus a year per student, I can see why,” I said. “They’re making a killing off their students.”
“No pun intended,” Karen said with a laugh.
“Right,” I said, laughing too.
“So then what?” Karen asked.
“Well,” I said, “after I interview everyone I’ll want to set up a baseline test—”
“A what-line test?”
“Baseline. It’s a test where Gil and I map out the area and measure temperature changes and electrostatic output. It helps us identify where there might be hidden pockets of electrical energy, like wiring in the walls or outlets that aren’t easily seen. These can make our meters go off, and if we know where they are ahead of time we can differentiate between what is normal and what is not normal. The same is true for temperature.”
“Sounds very scientific.”
“It can be,” I admitted. “After we get our baseline measurements, we’ll set up some trigger objects.”
“The objects you hope a ghost might want to play with, right?”
I nodded. “Exactly. Gil’s favorite is a house of cards; ghosts love to take them down, and we’ve even had one instance when the ghost put the cards back into a deck, arranged by suit and number.”
“That is so cool,” said Karen.
I nodded again. “After that comes the hard part.”
“Which is…?”
“We’ll need to camp out and wait for something to happen. I’ll do my best to make contact, but if I don’t get an initial reaction we might have to wait for the ghost to make the first move so I can follow his energy back to his portal and shut his ass down.”
“His portal?”
“Yep,” I said. “A portal is a window that nasty energies like him go through. It connects him with a lower realm or another plane of existence. I’ve found that most ugly energies like to hang out in the lower realms, where they can learn from other beastly energies, and often they become more powerful over time.”
Karen shivered. “That sounds so creepy,” she said. “How will finding his portal help you to bust him?”
“I can block his return from the portal with a couple of magnetic spikes. Magnets create a barrier of electrostatic energy, and as long as Jack’s portal is located in something I can drive some spikes into, it should be a fairly easy thing to do. This bust might be easier than most, in fact, especially if Jack’s as aggressive as he sounds. They hate to be provoked, and when you start insulting them they can’t handle it.”
“What can he do?”
“A variety of things,” I said. “He could appear in shadow or in full form, which would be great, or he could stay invisible and throw something at me, or resort to shoving and pushing.”
“They can do that?” Karen asked.
“They can do worse,” I admitted. “I’ve seen them drop a hundred-eighty-pound man and pummel him black and blue.”
“No way!”
I grimaced. “Way. Some of the worst ghosts are incredibly violent. That’s why this stuff isn’t a game. We’re always careful…well, except that time we were at Steven’s grandfather’s.”
“When Gil got hurt, right?”
“Yeah, and that was my fault. I’d forced Gilley along and left him alone on the stairs. We got lucky that he wasn’t hurt worse.”
“So if this ghost is wielding an ax, does that mean he can kill you?”
I smiled. “No, Evie said that when she opened her eyes she saw nothing. If Jack were toting a real ax it would have been left in the chalkboard. Still, the ax or hatchet or whatever it was is very real to Jack, and that means that while it probably couldn’t kill me, he might be able to give me something like a slap with it. I’ll be sure to keep on my toes for this one.”
“You can back out,” Karen said to me seriously. “I can talk to Leanne and convince her to find another school for Evie and call this whole thing off.”
“That’s just it, Teeko,” I said. “Who’s going to protect those other kids? If a demon like Hatchet Jack is loose in that abandoned wing, and they’re about to put up a dorm there, it means none of those kids are safe.”
“Good point,” Karen said with a heavy sigh. “Be careful, honey, okay?”
I winked at her. “Aren’t I always?”
“No,” she said flatly.
I smiled. “True enough, and point taken. This time I promise to be careful.”
Karen still looked worried, but she let the topic drop. “We should be at my brother’s in an hour.”
“How far is the school from his place, again?”
“About an hour. He lives in this really snotty neighborhood, and a few of the residents send their kids to Northelm.”
“It’s so weird that they make the kids board at the school when home is so close at hand.”
“Not for these folks,” said Karen. “I tell you, it’s like out of sight, out of mind with some of those parents. They pay more attention to their pets than their kids.”
“I’m assuming having Evie board at the school was your brother’s idea?”
Karen gave me a wry smirk. “Actually, it was Evie’s idea. That girl is a feisty one, and at the end of last year she told her parents she wanted to live at the school full-time. My brother was only too happy to ship her off, but Leanne’s had a tough time of it.”
“What does your brother do, again?” I asked.
“He’s a day trader,” Karen said. “The man doesn’t give a single ounce of credence to intuitive ability, and yet he’s never been wrong on a stock.”
I laughed. “I know! I hate it when people start telling me how unscientific intuition is, and yet they’re the ones going around advertising that everyone should trust their gut, or rely on their instincts, or my favorite, ‘listen to that voice inside.’”
“L
ike there’s a major difference between those things and intuition,” Karen said with a roll of her eyes. “People are so dumb.”
“Agreed,” I said.
“Anyway, let me handle my brother. You guys hang out in the van and I’ll give you the signal when it’s okay to come in.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said.
We drove for another hour in companionable silence, sometimes pointing out the increasingly beautiful scenery even though it was a drizzly, rainy day out.
The Adirondacks came into view about a half hour from Karen’s brother’s house. “Whoa,” I said as I spotted them. “Those are spectacular.”
Karen nodded. “My family’s ski lodge is up here right on Echo Lake, which is on the east side of Lake Placid. We used to come up here to ski when I was a kid. I think that’s why Kevin wanted to move up here. He was addicted to winter sports, and if you like to ski and play hockey and hang out where it’s cold, the Adirondacks are the place to be.”
“Does he live in Lake Placid?” I asked.
“No. He lives in Meridian; it’s about forty-five miles southeast. Many of Lake Placid’s superwealthy live there. It’s very chi-chi.”
“I would have thought the rich folks would be living closer to town,” I said.
“Oh, there’s still plenty of money close to Lake Placid proper, but it’s a bit more pretentious, if you can believe it. Meridian also has a lake, but it’s much smaller, and yes, Kevin and Leanne live on it.”
At that point Karen flipped on her turn signal and took the next exit. In my side mirror I could see Gilley and Steven following close behind. “We’ll need to shop for groceries before we settle in at the ski lodge, but it’s probably going to be more comfortable than staying at a hotel in town, and the commute to the school isn’t bad.”
“Is your family’s place big enough for all of us?” I asked.
Karen smiled. “I think so,” she said with a wink. “I’ll take you there after we meet with Evie. The school is only a fifteen- to twenty-minute car ride from there.”
We took another few turns and headed southeast for a while. The scenery outside continued to dazzle me. It had started to rain hard, but that didn’t diminish how spectacular the mountains were, or the beautiful views of greenery. Finally Karen turned onto a road that had a private gate and guardhouse attached. She drove up to the guardhouse and lowered her window.
“How can I help you, ma’am?” a pleasant old man in a gray uniform asked.
“I’m Karen O’Neal, here to see my brother, Kevin O’Neal,” Karen said. “And the van behind me is also with me.”
“Mr. O’Neal is expecting you?” the guard asked, looking a bit nervously at our big black van.
“Of course,” Teeko said confidently, flashing a winning smile at him.
The guard told us to hold on while he called Karen’s brother; then he waved us through. “Lots of crime around here?” I asked.
Karen laughed. “Not with Deputy Dog back there on high alert,” she said.
I glanced out my window as we drove and was surprised by the enormity of the subdivision. And by enormity, I’m not referring to the actual size of the subdivision as much as I’m referring to the size of the mansions making it up.
The neighborhood was full of them. Not one house looked to be under five thousand square feet; in fact, those under ten were clearly in the minority. I tried not to ogle, but it was hard, especially when we pulled into Kevin and Leanne O’Neal’s driveway. “Good Lord,” I said when we came to a stop. “This place looks like a hotel!”
Karen smirked. “I know, right? It’s like he’s trying to compensate for something.”
The “house” was enormous, at least twelve thousand square feet. A large white structure with triangular windows and a huge front door, it had some sort of ivy with large purple flowers growing up the front on white latticework. Lining the house were rows of well-tended flower beds and gardens. To the side I could see a small lake and a boat dock with two boats and three Jet Skis in attendance. The garage was detached, with three large bay doors and what looked to be a studio on the second floor. A light was on in the studio, and as I glanced up I saw a beautiful blond woman with curly hair staring down at us. When she saw me glance up, she waved.
I waved back and asked, “Is that Leanne?”
Karen leaned over and looked up. “Yep,” she said, and waved as well. “She’s probably painting today, since its raining. Kevin works from home, which means she’s usually in her garden or up in that studio.”
“They get along okay?” I asked, noting a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“No one gets along with Kevin okay,” said Teeko. “But Leanne probably does it better than anyone.” Picking up the walkie-talkie, Karen clicked the button and said, “Gil, I’m going to talk to my brother first and clear our visit with Evie before I bring you guys in. Sit tight until I get back, okay?”
At that moment the front door opened, and an incredibly tall and imposing figure stood in the doorway, his arms folded crossly and a scowl on his face.
“Oh, look,” Karen said when she caught sight of him.
“He’s in a good mood today.”
Karen got out of the car and hurried through the drizzle to stand next to the big guy on the front stoop. To the right of me a door on the side of the garage opened, and Leanne hurried over to join her sister-in-law and her husband. Hugs were exchanged with the two women, but no warmth passed between Karen and her brother.
Some sort of debate ensued, with lots of hand waving on Karen’s part, Leanne nodding vigorously, and Kevin’s frown deepening. At one point Teeko turned to her car and pointed at me. I waved and smiled broadly. Leanne waved back, and Kevin’s scowl deepened. “Fabulous,” I said at his reaction. “I love it when people are so open-minded.”
Finally Leanne said something to Karen, and she turned to her husband and placed an arm on his shoulder and spoke to him. He seemed to want to argue with her, but she only gave him a gentle pat on his arm and motioned for us to come in.
As I opened up my car door, I saw Kevin throw his arms up and stomp away into the house. Teeko flipped the bird at his retreating back, and Leanne giggled, putting her hand over Karen’s sign language.
Gilley and Steven also got out and approached the house. “Hello!” Leanne said as I came up the stairs. “I’m Leanne.”
“Good afternoon,” I said, shaking her hand. “I’m M. J. Holliday.”
“I’ve heard so much about you, M.J.,” Leanne said. Turning to Teeko she added, “You were right, Karen; she does look just like Sandra Bullock.”
“Oh!” Gil said, jumping in on the action. “Who do I look like?”
Leanne laughed. “You must be Gilley,” she said, and was rewarded with some enthusiastic head nodding. “Well,” she said, taking an appraising look at my partner. “I’d say that you must be related to Josh Hartnett.”
Gilley beamed, and I hid a smile. For the record, Gil looks nothing like Josh Hartnett. He doesn’t even look like Josh Hartnett’s fifth cousin. On a good day Gil is five foot seven (on a bad he’s a little closer to five-six), with thick, unruly brown hair, a strong Roman nose, and eyebrows that dominate his face. His strong suits are his broad shoulders and something of a bubble butt, which he makes sure to swish every time he’s within eyesight of a good-looking man.
Still, the ego boost seemed to be good for him, given the way he was puffing out his chest and batting his eyes at Leanne. “And this must be the good doctor?” Leanne added, turning to Steven.
“I am like Antonio Banderas, no?” he said, sweeping up her hand and giving it a kiss.
Leanne blushed and waved her free hand in front of her face. “Oh, my,” she said. “Handsome and an MD. May I ask, what is a doctor doing on a ghost expedition?”
“I am a Jack of trading,” said Steven.
I smirked. Steven never met a woman he didn’t flirt with. “Dr. Sable has taken an interest in what Gilley and I do and has become ou
r newest partner.”
“But you’re the medium, right?” Leanne said, pointing to me.
“I am,” I admitted.
“I’m so grateful that you’ve agreed to help Evie out,” Leanne said.
“Happy to do it. Is she here?”
“She’s up in the studio. I thought it might be a good idea for her to sit with me and paint this afternoon, anything to take her mind off what happened yesterday.”
“Is she up to talking with us?” I asked.
Leanne nodded. “I hope so. Come on; I’ll take you up.”
We headed back down the few steps leading to the front door and hurried through the rain to the side door I’d seen Leanne come out of. “It’s up these stairs,” Leanne said as she held the door open for us.
We trooped up the narrow staircase and came to a huge room with high ceilings, white walls, light hardwood floors, and fantastic lighting. Enormous windows on the left side of the studio gave an incredible view of the lake and garden behind the garage. Up against many of the windows were a half dozen easels, most with paintings of the lake, gardens, and mountains. Cluttering the space were canvases, empty easels, and drop cloths. “It’s a bit of a mess in here,” Leanne said as she hurried into the room and began straightening up.
On the other side of the studio, in front of the very last easel, sat a thin girl with long, wildly curly hair and overalls. She was looking at us with big brown eyes and a face that was as beautiful as her mother’s. “Hey, there,” I said, heading across the room toward her. “My name is M.J.”
“Hi,” she said in a voice that wasn’t much above a whisper. “I’m Evie.”
“That is one beautiful name,” I said.
“Thanks.”
I pulled a stool over to sit close so we could talk. “You like to paint?” I asked, noting her easel, which was turned away from me.
Evie nodded.
“I have no artistic talent at all,” I said. “It must be great to be able to draw something your mind imagines.”
Evie shrugged.
“You’re probably wondering why I’m here,” I said.
I got another shrug.
“I’m a friend of your aunt’s,” I said, pointing behind me to Karen, standing with Leanne and my two partners. Evie gave her aunt a shy smile, and Karen waved and gave her a big, encouraging grin. “She came to me and said that something bad happened to you yesterday.”