Chapter 27

Tommy was banging away at a piece of drywall that he’d used to replace a water-damaged section of the dining room. The quartet of workers had started off in the living room, ripping down the terrible wallpaper and replacing it with a fresh coat of paint. Once dried, they arranged the furniture and hung pictures. From there, they moved on to the hallways that connected the downstairs rooms to each other. Tommy had brought in some shop fans to help the paint dry, and the windows were all wide open, cooling the workers as they labored through the day.

He enjoyed listening to the silliness and banter that the three others had between them. They laughed and chased each other around with paintbrushes, slinging paint on the plastic as they did so. Amanda had accidentally stepped into a tray of paint that Hayden had set aside and cursed up a storm. Everyone nearly died laughing as she struggled to get her soaked tennis shoe off her foot that was dyed a very light blue. Hayden fed them lunch, and they took a break amid the work to relax for a moment.

What bothered Tommy a little was Hayden’s avoidance of him. It made Tommy feel guilty for last night. Whenever they were alone, Hayden would find some excuse to exit the room. At one point, Tommy had followed Hayden up to his room only to observe the man sitting on his bed, staring at the portrait of him and Malcolm. Tommy sighed, left him alone, and went back down the stairs to work.

I’ve overstepped. The thought darkened his mood. He’d done that so many times before. Yet, no matter how he tried, he didn’t regret what had happened. He cherished those hours, simply being together with Hayden. He could still smell him on his clothes and occasionally caught a whiff of the cologne he wore as he worked.

As they finished their lunch, Terri gave him a sympathetic smile and a gentle pat on his shoulder, and she and Amanda went outside.

Tommy and Hayden were finally alone. He walked over to where Hayden stood with his back to him, reached out a hand and placed it on Hayden’s side.

Hayden jumped and turned his head, a startled expression on his face. “Shit, Tommy I am sorry. I was lost in my own thoughts.”

“You’ve been that way most of the day,” Tommy said, leaning against the counter.

“You’ve noticed, huh?”

“Yeah, if I’ve done something to upset you, please let me know. I’ll avoid it in the future.” Tommy watched Hayden rinse off the final plate and put it in the rack.

“You didn’t do anything, Tommy. It’s just…last night was great and all…”

“One of the best nights of my life,” Tommy replied offhandedly.

Hayden stopped and turned to him. Tommy’s admission stopped the diatribe of things he was going to say in protest, dead in their tracks, and he stared at him in wonder. “It was?”

“Yeah. It was. Look, I know you’re still grieving, and I don’t want to march all over that. I have no idea what kind of bravery it takes to face something like that.”

“Meh. Bravery? I don’t feel brave. I feel like a coward. I left my work, my life, my husband who is buried in Woodmere Cemetery back in Boston. And I fled here.” Hayden leaned back on the sink and folded his arms over his chest.

“You know, sometimes in the military as well as in life, there has to be retreats. Not because you’re giving up the fight, but because you must regroup, reassess your strategy, and gather your resources. This is no different, Hayden. You haven’t lost yet.” Tommy reached for Hayden’s hand. “Trust me when I tell you, there is no shame in finding a place of solace for a while. None.”

Hayden’s face had turned red and his eyes filled up with tears. He raised his face to meet Tommy’s, who was watching him intently. “I’m so tired. I don’t want to fight anymore.”

Tommy held him close as he cried, marveling at the strength in him, the ability to wake up in the morning and keep going on with life when the worst of all tragedies could strike.

“Then let me be your rock for as long as you need. I’ll be right here,” Tommy said. The door from the outside opened, and Hayden stepped back. Tommy dropped his arms and turned and walked away.

Hayden watched him go as Terri spoke up, to break the tension of the room. “So, what’s next?”

* * * * * * * *

They all sat around the table at the bed-and-breakfast with faces that were a mixture of astonishment and disbelief. Audrey retold her story for Paul and the others in as much detail as she could. She felt her face burn as she recounted the moments when the spirits or whatever they were made themselves known. Michelle had shown up with Cassandra to listen, to help with the researchers, and they were both blown away with what they were hearing.

“That is so creepy.” Cassandra said and shivered.

“Yeah, no shit,” Tara said. She had gathered a little closer to Robert who was also astonished to hear the story.

Jake sat there, pale, and miserable. Mrs. Hatch had put on a pot of soup while they talked and gasped and muttered things while Audrey had gone through some of the worst of her story. She now put a large cup of chicken soup down in front of the boy. His coloring worried her; the shock of what was happening weighed heavily on the boy’s shoulders.

“Thank you,” he managed and wrapped his cold hands around the hot mug.

“You eat that all up. Get some blood flowing in your veins. The rest of you, food is ready,” she said, wiping her hands on her smock.

“Daniel can verify everything I just told you,” Audrey muttered.

Daniel, who had been leaning against the counter, nodded his head grimly. In all the years of his life, he had never seen anything so strange, and he felt powerless to do anything to stop it. He worried about his son, about Audrey, and now he was worried where this group of people may take this story.

“Please, I don’t want this to end up on some magazine cover or in the news. My family is trying to keep itself together.”

Paul spoke up. “Daniel, we’re not here for that. We’re here to try and figure out just what in the world is going on in this town.”

Cassandra spoke up meekly, and everyone’s attention turned to her. “I don’t know if this has anything to do with it, but my husband Tony is a cop in town. He got a phone call this morning from Mrs. Lage, Elizabeth’s mother, to let him know that his boss, the police chief, died of a massive heart attack this morning.”

“My God!” Mrs. Hatch’s exclamation mirrored exactly what Paul was thinking. He had met the man and knew that his heart was a ticking time bomb.

“That’s not all. Apparently, he had woken up from a nightmare about his daughter. On the subject of nightmares, Tony and I have been plagued with them too, recently.”

“Nightmares about what?” asked Robert.

“The lake,” Michelle said. They all turned to look at her, Cassandra’s eyes widened. Michelle explained, “I had a dream about Mike. He was standing out by the lake shore screaming for me to get away. I’ve had that nightmare twice since, and it always ends up the same way with the light…”

“…coming up out of the lake itself,” Mrs. Hatch finished. She looked over at Paul and then up at the two girls who huddled close together. “I’ve had it too and so has Mr. Hatch. I woke up in a fright the other night just as he was coming out of it himself. He was frantic. But our dreams were tweaked a bit differently than each other’s. In mine, he was walking down a mine shaft and I heard it caving in. In his, I was out on a boat in the middle of the lake when it toppled over, and I drowned. Either way, one leaves the other in death.” She shivered.

Everyone sat in somber silence until David asked, “How is it everyone is dreaming the same thing?”

“I don’t know,” Paul said. “But by the sound of it, whatever it is that is bothering people seems to be those who are romantically attached to each other. Think about it. Chad and Elizabeth, and Jake and Jessica—that’s the only common link I can think of.”

“Then the curse is coming true,” Cassandra said.

“Michelle, I think we need to find a boat, and quick. Do you know of anyone?” Paul asked, forcing his mind away from his romantic feelings for her. The last thing in the world he wanted was to put her life in danger.

“Mr. Hatfield, down on Dagger Road, has a boat. Then there is the marina that rents small ones out in the summer. Tom McKenny has a larger one that I’m sure he would let us borrow.”

“Internal Affairs Tom?” Cassandra asked.

“Yeah. He’s a pretty good guy. He and his wife call every once in a while, to check up on me and the kids.”

“Could you call him for us?” Paul asked. “I hate to do this to you—I feel like I have to go to you for everything.”

Michelle laughed. “That is what I am here for.” She walked outside to make a call.

“Once we have the boat, we’re going to need a place to launch it. Cassandra, are there any piers or anything near this area?”

“Well there’s the marina Michelle mentioned, but it’s closed up for the winter. The owners go to Florida. The only other one I can think to use would be at the old Woodbridge place out on the highway. It has a new owner, but I’m sure if you explain…some of what you’re doing, he won’t mind.”

“All right, I’m going to ride over there. Be back in about an hour. I’ll take Michelle with me. Anyone else have anything they want to add before we break for now?”

“Yeah, Tara and I are going to get our equipment ready,” Robert said. Tara nodded and fiddled with the lens on the camera around her neck.

“Okay, good. Just in case, everyone stay close to each other. Audrey and Daniel, why don’t you stay here with Jake until we can figure out what is happening? You’ve managed to thwart whatever it is that is stalking your son so far. I just figure that perhaps there’s safety in numbers.”

They both nodded. Daniel’s squeezed his son’s shoulder.

“Jake?”

The young man looked up at Paul having heard his name mentioned. “Yeah?”

Paul kneeled until he was eye level with him. “I was the one who found Jessica’s vehicle. That thing that is coming after you is not her. It may look like her, but it isn’t. Remember that, okay?”

Jake sadly nodded his head.

“We’re going to find a way to stop whatever it is, do you believe me?”

Again, Jake nodded, his face a picture of agony.

“Okay, see you all in a few,” Paul said and walked out to his truck.

Cassandra sat down at the table and pulled out her cell phone. “All right. I’m going to call my husband and have him stop by. Afterwards, Mrs. Hatch, I know Michelle has been trying to get to these journals for a few days now, and she keeps getting sidetracked. How about you and I sit down with them and see if we can find something to help with?”

Mrs. Hatch’s face was set in grim determination. “Absolutely. Everyone else, get to work. We have a lot to do in a short amount of time, it seems.”

And just like that, everyone left the kitchen to go about their business.

* * * * * * * *

Terri was working on a windowsill, taking the brush down the side of it with a steady hand, listening to Amanda and Tommy talking behind her, when she noticed the man standing out in the yard. She stopped what she was doing to get a better look, brushing the hair out of her face, and gasped a little at what she saw.

He was staring right at her. His black hair hanging loosely on the side of his head. His pale face was a stark contrast against his dark clothing and through the windows looked a bit distorted. But his eyes…his eyes were as clear as anything she had ever seen before in her life. The expression on his face made her put down her paintbrush and rush to the door to see if he needed help. His sorrow made her think there must have been an accident on the road or something.

Tommy, seeing Terri move so quickly, followed close behind her, and as they stepped out onto the porch, Terri shouted. “Hello?” She walked down the steps and into the yard, looking around for something that Tommy couldn’t see.

“What is it?” he asked.

“You didn’t see him? He was standing right here.”

“Who?”

“The man in black? You didn’t see him?”

Hayden and Amanda followed, coming out of the door and down the stairs. Terri looked distressed and confused.

“What’s wrong?” Hayden asked.

“She saw something,” Tommy said.

“Not something—someone. A man all in black, holding a hat in his hands.”

Hayden felt his blood run cold. She was describing the same man he’d seen in his house.

“Was his hair really long?” he asked, dreading the answer.

“Yeah. Like stringy and unkempt,” she said, nodding enthusiastically. “That’s him.”

Tommy looked at Hayden. “That’s they guy you saw in your house?”

“That’s him exactly.”

“Holy crap, Hayden, maybe your house is haunted!” Amanda said excitedly. “We should go get a Ouija board and hold a séance.”

Terri looked stricken at the suggestion. “Are you kidding? I’m Catholic. Those things never work out well for us.”

Tommy snorted back a laugh. “No, they don’t, do they?”

“No. Jesus. He was just out here, right where I am standing now. Maybe it’s the paint fumes.” She rubbed her temples.

Hayden nodded. “Well, we’re almost done…wait, who is that?”

A blue Ford pickup had just pulled into the driveway, and out stepped a man and woman. Hayden looked over at Tommy, who simply shrugged his shoulders. The couple walked over to where the group stood, and Hayden immediately assessed them. Older man, younger woman…married? No. No ring on either finger. Father, daughter? No, no resemblance.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“Perhaps you can. My name is Paul Spencer. I’m with the USGS, and this is my assistant Michelle. We were wondering if we couldn’t have a few minutes of your time, Mr.…?” The man extended his hand.

“Moore. But you can call me Hayden. This is Terri Davis, Amanda Lilley, and Tommy Law.”

“Hey, Tommy,” Michelle said.

Hayden looked at him. Apparently, they knew each other.

“Do you mind if we step in out of the cold?” Paul asked.

“Sure.”

“I need a few more minutes out here, Hayden, I’m not ready to go back in just yet,” Terri said.

Paul couldn’t help but notice she looked distressed. “We’re not here at a bad time, are we?”

“No. She just saw a ghost, it’s fine,” Amanda said.

“Indeed?” Paul asked, his eyes wide. “What did he look like?”

Michelle nudged Paul with her elbow and nodded towards the door. They all, save Terri and Amanda, who stayed out to make sure she was okay, went inside.

“I’m sorry my house is a mess. We’re in the middle of renovations,” Hayden explained, leading them all into the kitchen.

Michelle looked around in awe. “I’ve always wanted to see the inside of this house since I was a little girl. Thank you for inviting me in.”

Paul was impressed as well. It was huge on the inside, and the layout was open and spacious. The kitchen was well-kept, with brick backsplashes and granite countertops. He wondered if they came from the mines here in Vermont.

“Can I offer you some coffee?” Hayden asked.

“I’ll take some, sure,” Paul said. Michelle also nodded.

“I’ll get it,” Tommy offered. “Do you want some, Hayden?”

“That would be great. Thanks.” Hayden took his seat across from them and leisurely waited for them to start talking. It was Michelle who spoke first.

“I don’t know how much you know of what’s been going on lately, but Maplewood has taken a turn and a rather bad one at that.”

“What do you mean?”

“A week or so ago, the USGS noticed a very tightknit cluster of earthquakes happening in this region. Our calculations led us to Lake Veronica as the epicenter. Now, the quakes have been minute, no one could feel them. Yet they keep happening in rapid succession. We’re worried about the region, about what this could mean.”

Paul jumped in, stopping Michelle from going on any further about what else they had discussed. “I have a team with me looking into the problem. We were wondering, since you have a pier, if you wouldn’t mind us launching a boat off it so we can analyze what’s going on.” He wasn’t sure how they would take with the opinion that the town was under a curse.

Tommy set the cups of coffee down and sat near Hayden. Paul didn’t like the way he was looking at him. His eyes were inquisitive, almost like he knew Paul wasn’t giving him everything that he knew.

Hayden sat back in his chair, arms folded, head cocked to the side. He wasn’t buying it answer either. “What aren’t you telling me Mr. Spencer?”

Paul sighed, and Michelle took over again.

“We think the lake has something to do with the mysterious drowning deaths recently. Not that these people simply fell into the water, but something in the lake dragged them into it. Something sinister and rather…unworldly,” she said, looking nervous. Paul drew breath to speak, and she put her hand over his. He shut up, letting her continue.

She explained the events and their theories about what was going on, watching the men’s expressions shift repeatedly from disbelief to wonder. The two women who had been outside had also come in and sat at the table to listen; all four were thunderstruck. When Michelle finished, they just sat there, stunned, while she nervously fidgeted in her chair.

“Look, I know how crazy this sounds…” She tried to fill the uncomfortable silence, but Tommy interrupted her. He felt nauseous. His childhood visions danced in his memory causing his stomach to cramp.

“I’ve seen a lot of crazy stuff in my time in the service. Things I cannot explain. Michelle, you know I grew up here. I’ve been here most of my life. But I believe you.”

She relaxed a little but was taken aback by what he’d said.

Hayden was also surprised and turned his head to look at him. Tommy’s eyes were sincere, and he looked as if he had lost a few shades of color. This is really bothering him.

Tommy met his eyes and nodded, as if hearing his thoughts. “Hayden, I’ve always hated that lake. When I was a kid, I refused to go swimming in it. It always made me feel uncomfortable, like there was something under the water. I used to go wading in it, if my mom and dad were close by, but when fish or something would brush against me…my mind would change them from fish to human flesh. Sometimes, if I looked down into the water, I thought I saw bodies floating under the surface. I know it sounds nuts—I thought I was going crazy too—but I never had any problems outside of the lake. It would just overwhelm me.” Tommy sat back, resting his hands on the table.

“You may be medium, Tommy. Have you ever thought about that?” Michelle asked, wrapping her hands around the hot mug in front of her. Her curiosity was piqued, and she stared at the man in wonder.

“Medium? Like psychic? I don’t know about that. Sometimes I get feelings about places or—” he looked at Hayden “—people. Came in handy when I was in Afghanistan.”

“I’m sure it did,” Paul said. He turned the conversation towards Hayden. “I’m a geologist. I believe in the hard sciences, I’m not religious, nor am I prone to go chasing Big Foot. This is completely out of my expertise. I don’t even know if there is a field that could handle this, but I can’t deny what we have seen and been told, especially by the family waiting at the bed-and-breakfast. We have to hurry. We have a young man’s life to save.” He had worried about the conversation deteriorating and them being tossed out, their request denied. But Hayden looked as if Tommy’s words had impacted him and that he valued his experience.

“Okay. If there is any other way I can help, let me know. I’ll have everyone pull their vehicles onto the lawn, so you can get the boat through. You said you had a headquarters at the B&B, but you’re more than welcome to use this place as a satellite if you need to.”

Michelle grinned, and Terri interjected. “Do you need any other help with this? If so, I’d like to help,” she said, surprising Hayden. When Hayden glanced her way, she simply shrugged and continued, “I saw something out there on the lawn, Hayden. It freaked me out. I don’t like being scared.”

Paul stood up, as did Michelle. “We will definitely let you know as the investigation continues. We have journals and other research to do. Do any of you have any experience with research?”

Amanda and Terri both looked at each other and then back at the older man with smiles on their faces. “Yeah, we have had a little bit of experience in research. Bring us those journals and we’ll see what we can do.”

“All right, we’ll be back shortly. I’ll be bringing others with us, two at the least, is that all right?”

“That’s perfectly fine. We’ll be here,” Hayden said.

“Thank you very much. You ready?” Paul asked Michelle.

She nodded and got up with him, and they both headed towards the door. Terri and Amanda saw them out, asking questions along the way. Hayden watched Tommy exhale slowly as the color began to return to his face. He reached over and grabbed Tommy’s hand causing him to look up. Tommy smiled weakly and interlocked his fingers inside of Hayden’s, who gave them a squeeze.

It bothered him to see Tommy so distressed, so vulnerable. He’d never thought that a man this large, having seen what he had, could ever be afraid of anything. He seemed unsure as they sat there together at his kitchen table with the late-afternoon sunlight pouring through the window.

On impulse, Hayden raised his hand to Tommy’s face and rubbed the stubble on his cheek. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Sorry if what I said bothered you. I know how it sounds.”

“Trust me, I’ve heard weirder things. Tell me more about what you saw as a kid.”

Tommy exhaled and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes for a second. “It’s hard to explain. It’s not like I saw anything. It was just, like, in my mind’s eye. Like my imagination would run wild. I would also feel sick to my stomach.”

“Are you afraid of water,” Hayden asked.

“No. We had to do training in water when I was a ranger.”

Hayden was quiet for a moment as he considered what Tommy said. “I do know one thing for sure.”

“What’s that?” Tommy asked.

Hayden leaned in and kissed his lips, gently at first and then with a little more passion. He pulled away after a minute, breathless and grinning wide. “That I will protect you,” Hayden said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Tommy liked that idea.

* * * * * * * *

Mrs. Hatch watched as her house was transformed right in front of her eyes. Large black cases were hauled in, full of equipment which the three researchers worked together to assemble. They chatted technobabble and willingly answered questions she had about this and that. She owned only one computer that her daughter Melissa operated for work. The only thing Mrs. Hatch used it for was to play solitaire so the equipment before her might as well have been space-age technology. They pointed out depth finders and seismographs, which were now up and running, etching ink on a never-ending scroll of paper.

“Do you have enough batteries for the camera?” Robert asked Tara, who nodded.

“Yeah, I’ve got enough for a couple of days. I also have a charger for the video camera. This here is what we will use to explore the lake floor.” She pointed to a large yellow and black contraption. It had a small fan on the back, and when Mrs. Hatch pointed it out and inquired about it, Tara explained further.

“This is a propulsion system that will let me remotely guide it wherever I want it to go. While it’s taking video underneath the water, it will transmit the images to the monitor here, so we can see what it sees in real time.”

“Will you have it tethered to something in case it catches?” David asked as he assembled the monitor.

“Yes. It has a belt that I will attach to the boat somewhere just in case,” she confirmed, pulling up a coiled rope made of some type of plastic-looking material.

“Okay, good. The seismograph is quiet for now. We need someone to monitor that throughout the night. We can do rounds, shifts, it isn’t hard to read.”

“Right on,” Robert said. “Radios are charged, handheld devices are all tuned to channel thirteen. If there’s a radio on the boat, depending on its strength we can also use that to talk to each other.” He looked uncomfortable for a second as he held something in his hands. “Hey, guys, if you promise not to laugh at me, I’ve had another idea.”

Tara rolled her eyes. “I don’t promise but tell me anyway.”

“Since we had this discussion, I went on a ‘ghost hunting website’ to see what kind of equipment they used, and well, I had most of the stuff so…” He was little embarrassed; his face had turned a shade of red that matched his shirt.

David cut Tara off. She looked like she was going to launch into a scathing critique. “Given the situation, Robert, I think you doing that was resourceful and good thinking. What have you got?”

“Well, I have an EMF detector and some spare cameras that I would like to have around. Also, I have electronic thermometers that gauge and record fluctuations in ambient temperature. If Jake is going to be attacked again, I’m worried that, like before, there won’t be any prior signs. Maybe with this, we can give him and his parents a heads-up. You know, for precaution.”

“Do you think it will work?” Daniel asked from behind him. Robert turned to see him leaning in the archway of the living room where they all were. He looked worn out and nervous.

“I can’t say for sure. But if it is indeed a spirit, specter, or demon, there are people all over the country who have recorded incidences using these devices that professionals can’t explain. It’s a shot in the dark but, I think it’s worth a try. Besides, I think it may be a little empowering for your wife and son if they think they are involved in some way.” David was beaming at the young archeology major. Tara even looked satisfied with his explanation.

“I appreciate it. Thank you, all, for trying to help us,” Daniel said, taking the EMF detector from him.

“What I would do now is gather your wife and son and make a round of the house where you’re going to be staying during the duration of your time here. Record on a piece of paper, or make a mental note, of places where this may spike, around power lines and so on. It’s used by electricians so they don’t zap themselves while they’re working. Quote-unquote ghost hunters use this to detect shifts in the electromagnetic field around them. They believe that it may indicate a spiritual presence as it manifests itself.”

“And what do we do if we, you know, see this thing coming after us?” Jake asked, coming in from the kitchen where his mother and Cassandra were reading journals and talking.

“Well, you were able to combat it twice, haven’t you?” Robert asked Daniel.

“Yeah. The first time was effective. The second time was a little more intense, like whatever it was is ramping up its attempt to get at Jake.” The unspoken part of what he was saying was that he didn’t know what would happen next or if they could stop it this time.

“If you can’t get it to go away, run. Get out of here. Head to the lake where we are. We’ll figure out what to do from there. I’m going to have a few cameras set up that are constantly recording different areas of the house, so, hopefully we can find out what’s happening. Jake, you’re not going crazy, you need to understand that.”

Jake nodded, and his dad put an arm around his son’s neck, pulling him close. Tara wiped away a tear from her eye. Her heart went out to the family and she felt for them. The torment of this entire situation was evident in their faces. But Jake was a lucky guy, his parents were really pulling together for them. She knew they would do everything they could to save his life.

* * * * * * * *

In the kitchen, Audrey and Cassandra sat across from each other, their noses buried in the journals. They had been reading already for a couple of hours when Audrey spoke up.

“Wow, I have Veronica’s father’s journal here. You can see the attitude change in him over time. He seemed like a very kind man—sweet, almost. Yet when this Riley guy came into their lives, his demeanor and language became almost nasty. Listen to this:”

 

April 1

The impetuous Riley Dunne will not leave my family in peace. I daresay that I cannot bear the sight of him at all. The town has gravitated toward him and has benefited from his work in the mines, the men love him. But I feel like he is nothing more than a nuisance. He shows up to town meetings and asserts himself, wrongly, I may add, in matters that do not concern him. From funding the school to the addition of a new mill, he has something to say about everything. And the people listen to him! It doesn’t seem to faze them at all that he doesn’t attend church on Sundays or give tithe!

I personally suspect that he is a Papist! I have inquired about his faith while trying to make small talk, and he avoids the questions and changes the subject. He doesn’t talk much about his life in Ireland either, or his parents, for that matter. I find him to be arrogant and insolent and I know he has no regard for me or my position in the town.

What makes matters worse is that he is attempting to court Veronica. Even she, when I try to persuade her to my way of thinking, has simply started ignoring my wishes! MY DAUGHTER! She has become argumentative and head strong. I won’t have this man sweeping her off her feet and turning her against me! I’ve chased him off my doorstep several times, but he keeps coming back. I fear I may have to take more drastic measures where he is concerned in the future. I will not have my daughter marrying that vagabond!

 

“What a bigot. He had a problem because Riley was Catholic?” Audrey asked.

“You have to realize the time in which this was written. There was a time in our nation’s history where Catholics were persecuted. The KKK was reformed after the civil war to deny black people their rights, but they surged in the early 1900s to keep Catholics out of the country. His reaction isn’t abnormal, but I think he was wrong about Riley being a Catholic, listen to this.

 

February 14

Today as I left the school, Mr. Dunne was standing in front of the yard with a smile on his face and yet another fistful of flowers. They were the most beautiful I had ever seen. There is something strange about him that I can’t seem to pin down. He seems to be like a walking ray of sunlight whenever he comes to call. You can almost see the grass growing greener where he treads.

I, of course, couldn’t accept the flowers. Father would have been furious had I returned home with them on my person. But I knew, just like the others, that I would find them again, hung outside of my window by a single thread. I don’t know how he does it, surely risking life and limb climbing up the side of the house, but there they are. I shouldn’t encourage him, but he is so kind to me and walks me home every night.

Our talks are wonderful. He is inquisitive about my hopes and my dreams; he thinks that teaching is a wonderful career and said the children will benefit greatly from my endeavors to educate them. There is so much more to life than digging out rocks for a living, he told me.

He also speaks of home, of his family, and his views on the world. He is fiery and passionate, and I disagree with some of his views, but they come from a good place. He has a good heart. Oh, and handsome! He is the picture of health and vibrancy, and his smile is beautiful and mysterious.

Father’s growing hatred for him is unbearable. His assumptions over his faith are ridiculous. He believes Riley to be a Catholic and I inquired about what faith he carried with him. Riley grew quiet and pensive. Our walk ceased at that moment as he turned to me to say that his faith was very old and was practiced in his family for generations. When I prodded further, he dodged the questions and eventually changed the subject. Whatever it was couldn’t be terrible. I have seen no fault in him. To be honest, he pursues my heart and my hand in marriage and I daresay, I may just give it to him despite father’s bloviating. I just hope that whatever hurt feelings I cause can be healed in time.

 

“Wow. Are you thinking what I am thinking?” Audrey asked.

“That he was a child of nature?” Cassandra asked. “Yeah, I’ve thought about that.”

Just then, the back door opened, and Michelle and Paul walked in. They were grinning from ear to ear.

“Is he going to let you use the pier?” Cassandra asked.

“Yes. And get this,” Michelle said. “Apparently, Jake and his family aren’t the only ones seeing things. Hayden, the man who owns the house, has been having some sort of painting party with a few guests. Well, just prior to us arriving, one of them saw the figure that you described who was standing in your hallway.”

Audrey’s eyes grew big. “No kidding.”

“No kidding,” Paul confirmed. “As a matter of fact, he described him to a T. Michelle did a sketch on our way back from the house, using what the both of you described. Show them.”

Michelle brought out a yellow legal pad that she had swiped from Hayden’s house and handed it over to Audrey. She almost dropped the pad.

“That’s him,” she whispered. The eyes were even perfect: black, deep, and seemed to interrogate your soul. The only thing missing was the expression on his face that broke your heart when he looks at you. The sorrow in his eyes was almost overwhelming when he looks at you. Audrey mentioned this, unaware that she was thinking out loud.

Michelle nodded. “Terri said that too.”

“I have a theory on who that is,” Cassandra said, holding up her journal.

“The father?”

“Bingo.”

“Why would he be involved in this?” Paul asked.

“I’m not sure yet. Audrey and I have been reading through the journals since you left. Audrey, fill them in on what you told me.”

The woman did and reread to them the journal entry from Jeremiah’s book; Cassandra followed up with her own.

“That’s interesting. Ladies, if you would, keep reading. I think that we may be on to something. I am going to go check up on the other’s progress. Michelle, would you call about that boat, I…damn it, I feel like you’re my workhorse.”

She smirked. “Don’t worry, we’ll take it out in trade later.”

The look on Paul’s face was priceless as she winked at him and walked back out the door to make her call. Cassandra and Audrey both grinned as their geologist stammered and shuffled and turned beet red. He looked at them, his mouth working but no sound coming out, and ducked into the other room, leaving both ladies laughing behind him.