The Haunting at Grays Harbor (The River Book 8) (21 page)

 “‘Peruse the infinite sadness’,” Roy read from the book.

Maynard laughed and slapped the table. “No more! No more! I
can’t stand it!”

“‘…of the blue incline. My repast of exquisite sleep doth…’”

“Stop!” Maynard cried, trying to breathe. “Stop!”

Roy shut the book and lowered it to the table, laughing.

“Who writes like that?” Maynard said. “That thing is funnier
than a snot bubble on a baby!”

Steven walked to the coffee maker and poured himself a cup,
then joined the other two at the table. Maynard and Roy were still snickering.

“You look like shit!” Roy said.

“I didn’t sleep very well,” Steven said. “I don’t want to
bring the mood down, but guess who paid me a visit last night.”

“A visit?” Roy said.

“Who?” Maynard asked.

“Jason,” Steven replied.

“Your son?” Maynard asked.

“Yes,” Steven replied. “He was relaying a message from Unser.
Well, actually, it was from someone named Yann, who pulled him from the other
side to pass along the message. But I assume Unser was behind it.”

“Pulled him over?” Roy said, angry. “That’s obscene.”

“They thought I’d agree to their proposal if it came from Jason,”
Steven said.

“What proposal?” Roy asked, becoming even more angry. “Another
deal? No way!”

“That’s what I thought, at first,” Steven said. “But the
proposal itself isn’t bad, and there were some veiled threats if we refused.”

Steven shivered so violently both Roy and Maynard pulled back
a little from him, as though he was shaking off something they might catch if
they were too close. It made Roy think of redbugs.

“What’s the proposal?” Roy asked, suspicion in his voice.

“He said they want us to keep the place running,” Steven
said. “Make sure the device downstairs keeps working — that seems to be the
most important thing. Repair the vortex if there’s trouble again. Basically act
as caretakers. In exchange, we can do what we want with the place, and they’ll
make sure the access point upstairs stays closed. Says they have no interest in
using it.”

“Someone’s impressed that we fixed that rod, apparently,”
Maynard said.

“What about Unser?” Roy asked.

“Jason didn’t know who that was,” Steven said, “and whoever
put him up to playing messenger wouldn’t talk about Unser, either.”

“Looks like you were right, Roy,” Maynard said. “He doesn’t
want to come back.”

“I told him I wanted to talk it over with you two before I
agreed to it,” Steven said.

“Well, there you have it, gentlemen,” Maynard said. “Problem
solved.”

“I don’t like deals with these types,” Roy said.

“Me neither,” Steven said.

“But it’s probably a safe bet,” Maynard said, “because it’s
mutually beneficial. You get to keep using this place. He gets to stay in the
Dark River, where he wants to be.”

“I thought when people crossed over to the Dark River, they
stayed there anyway,” Roy said. “What’s he need the vortex and the machine for
now? Why does he care?”

“No idea,” Maynard said.

“Seems important to them,” Steven said. “That’s what they
want the most from our arrangement. Protection of that device. Keep it exactly
as it is.”

“But not important enough for him to come talk to us about it
himself?” Roy asked.

“That’s true,” Steven replied. “Jason said this Yann
character was pretty ugly to look at — riddled with maggots and worms. Maybe
Unser is even worse. Either way, they knew Jason would get to me.”

“Interesting,” Maynard said.

“What do you think? Do I tell him we agree?” Steven asked.

“I suppose it’s the best outcome I could expect,” Roy said, “considering
how impossible it would be to go there and try to dispatch him. He stays there,
we stay here.”

“Fences make for good neighbors,” Maynard said.

“Great, then that’s settled,” Steven said. “So…what’s the
plan for today?”

“I’m heading back,” Maynard said. “Time to hit the road. I’m
all packed up and ready to go. Want to thank you both for a most enjoyable
experience.”

“We owe you,” Steven said. “We wouldn’t have known what to do
if you hadn’t been willing to help.”

“Please tell Deem and Winn hi for us,” Roy said.

“Don’t know Deem, but I do know Winn,” Maynard said. “I’ve
known Winn since he was a teenager. Helped him with a similar problem.”

“A vortex?” Steven asked.

“And a vorghost,” Maynard said. “Every vorghost is different.
They construct their vortex for different purposes. Unser here has made the
biggest, most elaborate vortex I’ve ever seen, but most of them are more simple
setups, like Marie’s. They all take power to keep running, so most vorghosts
are interested in what humans can do to help out in that respect.”

“Like how Unser needs us,” Steven interjected.

“Yes, kind of like that, though what Unser is up to seems way
beyond what a normal vorghost wants. Most are willing to trade favors for
simple things. Winn needed a simple thing, so he saw a vorghost who could help
him out. I think he was shaken by it, because he came to see me after, wanted
to talk about it. We’ve been friends ever since.”

“Well, please tell him hello from us,” Roy said. “We’re
grateful he recommended you.”

Steven looked at Roy. “You want to head back, too?”

“Yes, after one stop,” Roy said. “Just to make sure things
are OK.”

◊

Barbara poured Steven and Roy a fresh mug of coffee as the
three of them sat at the table in her kitchen.

“It was nice of you to come by and check on me,” Barbara
said. “The girls are off playing with friends, and Brad is at work, so it’s a
little quiet around here.”

“Does that mean the problems are gone?” Steven asked. “No
more visitations?”

“Nothing,” Barbara said. “I’ve caught Georgina singing a
little song about ‘Murder Marie.’ The kids in the neighborhood sing it. I
banned it. I think we’ve sufficiently scared her about going back to that house
that she’ll not set foot in it again. At least I hope not.”

“Even if she does, I don’t think you’re at risk,” Steven
said.

“Why do you say that?” Barbara asked. “You say it like you
know for sure. What is in that house? Can you tell me?”

“You’d think we’re crazy,” Roy said.

“After what I’ve seen here?” Barbara asked incredulously.
“You must be joking.”

“Let’s just say that some of what you experienced here is
over there,” Steven said. “It didn’t come over here by accident. It was
deliberately sent with your daughter. I don’t think that will happen again,
because the person who sent it has had a change of heart.”

“Really?” Barbara asked. “And who is that?”

“Do you really want to know?” Steven asked.

“Yes, I do,” Barbara said earnestly.

Steven looked up at Roy, and he could tell from his father’s
countenance that Roy felt sharing the facts with Barbara was a bad idea.

“It’s a ghost from a long time ago,” Steven said, remaining
vague. “We simply convinced it to keep its rods to itself, or we’d come back
and exorcise the place. I think it’ll keep to itself from now on.”

“Why not exorcise the place anyway?” Barbara asked. “Remove
the threat entirely? That place is a menace to the whole neighborhood! I have
half a mind to take a match to it. It’s a danger to everyone!”

Steven looked at Roy again, and Roy’s face told him that
things were on the verge of getting out of hand.

“Actually, we did exorcise it,” Steven lied, trying to find a
way to end the topic such that Barbara would be satisfied. “Not a religious
exorcism, but our own method. It weakened the ghost severely. We could do
exorcisms all day, though, and never get rid of it completely. Trust me, as it
is, you won’t be bothered. It’s a good idea for kids to stay out of abandoned
houses regardless, right? All those loose boards and nails.”

“Well, I’ll take your word for it,” Barbara said. “And I’ll
make sure she stays away from there.”

Roy guzzled the rest of his coffee and stood up. “We’ve got
to get back to Seattle.”

“I’ll bet you’re both looking forward to being home,” Barbara
said, rising. “You’ve been out here for so long. It’ll be nice to sleep in your
own beds again, right?”

“You’re absolutely correct about that,” Steven said as they
walked toward the door.

“You sure I can’t reimburse you for your time?” Barbara
asked. “Expenses?”

“No,” Steven said. “That’s fine. We don’t need it.”

“I want to thank you both again for everything you did,”
Barbara said. “Brad spent all that money on that extermination outfit. What a
joke! All that equipment and running around like they knew what they were
doing. And you two walk in here, not wanting a dime, and have it figured out
just like that!” She snapped her fingers.

If only it had been that easy,
Steven thought.

“I can’t thank you enough,” she said.

“Call us if anything new develops,” Steven said. “And give
our best to the girls.”

“I will,” Barbara replied as Steven and Roy walked from her
front door to their car.

◊

Steven pulled his car up to the abandoned house. Just as he
turned off the motor, they saw a small girl run out of it and hide in the tall
bushes in the front yard.

“Wait,” Roy said, grabbing Steven’s arm to stop him from
leaving the car. “Let’s just watch for a moment.”

The little girl paused, then made a mad dash across the road,
into the brush on the other side.

“That was Georgina,” Steven said.

“And she’s headed back to her house, through that lot,” Roy
said. “Apparently none of us have done a very impressive job scaring her away
from here.”

They got out of the car. Roy walked to the trunk and removed
a small carton, then they walked into the house, navigating through the first
floor to the kitchen and down to the basement, working their way to the small
room with the plywood. They found it raised, positioned against the wall.

“Do you think Georgina did that?” Steven said, motioning to
the plywood.

They looked down at the grave, and the small fingers moved,
wiggling in the dirt.

“Maybe,” Roy said. He sat on the ground and opened the
carton. Then he sprinkled the dirt inside it over the grave.

“What are we going to say to her?” Steven asked, aware that
Christina might not be happy to hear about the arrangement.

“It was my idea not to go after him,” Roy said. “So let me do
the talking. You’re a bad liar.”

Roy began a trance, and after a few minutes the faint image
of Christina appeared over the grave. Steven dropped into the River and saw
that she was sitting on the grave, absently playing with her physical fingers
that stuck up out of the dirt, just as she had the first time they saw her. He
joined Roy’s trance and listened.

Christina?
Roy said.

Oh! It’s you!
the little girl said, seemingly delighted to see them again.

We said we’d visit you, so we’re back,
Roy said.

Thank you for coming,
Christina replied.

I imagine it’s pretty lonely here,
Roy said.

Not so much anymore,
Christina said.
Ever since you fixed the vortex, Georgina
comes to play with me. She came today, she was just here! Did you see her go?

We did. You and her play, down here?

Yes, she’s such a smart girl. She keeps me company. Sometimes
we go up to the first floor. She’s too scared to go up higher.

Steven shuddered, remembering the horrific climb up the
stairs in the house above them.
I don’t blame her,
he thought.

Yes, it is rather frightening, isn’t it?
Christina said.
My mother keeps
it at a very high level of intensity. Most kids from the neighborhood can’t
make it all the way up to the second floor — they run away screaming. Then
again, most can’t make it down here, either. The ones that do, they see my
fingers and scream. Georgina’s not like them. She’s nice, and now she stays to
play. I like her.

She’s been coming to visit you often?
Roy asked.

Seems like every day. I like her, because she’s funny. She’s
fun to talk to.

Well, that’s just swell, Christina, just swell,
Roy said.
Well, guess we’ll be
going. We just wanted to stop in and see how you were doing. Looks like you’re
doing fine.