The Haunting Season (28 page)

What if it’s Riley?

It’s not.

If he were free of the mirrors, he wouldn’t be walking the hallway waiting for an invitation. Her hand hesitated only once. Gathering up every ounce of courage she had, Jess grabbed the knob and flung the door open.

No one was there. There should have been. There should have been someone standing right outside the door. For some reason, part of Edgar Allan Poe’s
The Raven
came to mind—the part where Poe kept hearing the tapping on his chamber door, but when he answered,
quoth the raven, nevermore
.

Stop it! You’re freaking yourself out even more because Allison is on the edge, and she’s going to take you with her.

Jess scanned the hallway and gasped. Mrs. Hirsch walked from one of the rooms. She switched the key ring from one hand to the other before looking in Jess’s direction, then raised the chain around her neck—the one with the pendant she always wore. She held it as though showing it to Jess, then tucked it back inside her uniform and walked off toward the stairs. Without a single word.

Jess exhaled and leaned against the doorway.

When had Mrs. Hirsch returned?

Jess stepped out of the room in time to see the woman’s shadow on the landing wall.

“Mrs. Hirsch!”

The first step creaked and the shadow on the wall headed downstairs.

Jess jogged down the hall.

“Mrs. Hirsch!” Jess shouted. “Wait!”

What was with her, anyway? Jess came to the top of the stairs.

And came to a complete stop.

The stairwell was empty. Mrs. Hirsch couldn’t have gone down the steps that fast. Jess ran halfway down the stairs before a few things occurred to her. The ghosts at Siler House were becoming less and less transparent or
glitchy
as they’d once been. In fact, the last time she’d seen Gracie and Emma, they hadn’t been transparent at all. The only other explanation was that Jess was getting better at seeing ghosts. Probably a combination of both.

The hallway behind her seemed too open, the stairwell too treacherous. All Jess wanted was to get back to her room. She raised a trembling hand to her mouth. Dr. Brandt had lied to them.

Something had happened to Mrs. Hirsch, because what Jess had seen was her ghost.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Footsteps and voices echoed up the stairwell. Gage, Bryan and Dr. Brandt. Jess blinked. Her pulse still wild, head still reeling, she tried to unscramble her thoughts. Did Brandt know? If so, why hadn’t he told them?

Unease pooled in her stomach. She needed to talk to everyone, everyone
except
Brandt. But there was no time. They were coming up for the séance. Brandt would know something was up if she asked to speak to everyone else—alone.

Something is terribly wrong here. Something is wrong with Brandt.

The three of them met her at the landing. Bryan panned the video camera to Jess.

“And this is Jess, our resident Ghost Whisperer.” Bryan waved at her from behind the camera lens.

She forced a smile in his direction.

“Is Allison ready?” Brandt asked casually.

Jess nodded. “Yeah, she’s ready. I just need a moment with her before we start.”

Brandt glared at her. His eyes were different. Darker. Colder, although not as cold as the chill that scurried up the back of her neck. “Five minutes.” He grinned and Jess wanted to recoil. “Do
not
make me come for you.”

Bryan was recording the whole thing and Gage’s face was tight. So they knew something was wrong. They just didn’t realize
how
wrong.

“It’s a shame Mrs. Hirsch isn’t here,” Jess said. Hopefully, the guys would pick up on her comment. She couldn’t see Bryan’s reaction from behind the camera, but Gage gave her a questioning frown.

Brandt waved a dismissive hand. “Given our task, I think it’s better she isn’t here.” He walked ahead to the staircase leading up to the music room.

Gage stayed alongside her, letting Bryan and Dr. Brandt get ahead of them. “We need to talk—”

“I saw her ghost,” Jess whispered, interrupting him. “He knows. He has to.”

“What?” Gage shook his head. “Are you
sure?
”

Jess nodded.

“Son of a
bitch
.”

“The clock is ticking, Ms. Perry. You and Ms. Giles now have four minutes,” Brandt called back to them.

Gage took her gently by the arm and they ducked into her room. “Four against one. We can take him down, tie him up until after the séance.”

“We don’t have time,” Allison said. “It’s too close to midnight. It’s important that we start this as soon as possible.” She unfurled herself and slowly swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “If we’re going to do this, we need to hurry.”

Siler House had already broken Allison. Shoulders slumped, she wouldn’t meet Jess or Gage’s eyes. If she checked out now, they were lost. Jess had no clue why it was important they start the séance as soon as possible, but it didn’t matter. She either trusted Allison at this point, or she didn’t. “You can do this,” Jess encouraged. “I have faith in you.”

Allison smiled briefly and moved past them, looking like someone walking death row on execution day.

Brandt had set up the music room. He’d placed four folding chairs around a card table in its middle. Candles burned atop the baby grand piano in the corner and the lights had been dimmed. The odd glow coming from Bryan’s camera and the candles’ flames reflected eerily off the mirrors. Brandt had taken down the sheets they’d hung over them.

Another larger, floor-length mirror trimmed in ornate gold had been propped against the far wall. Like the others, it was uncovered.

Brandt sat at the card table, the Ouija board already in place.

Allison gasped and Jess placed a hand on her arm to calm her.

Keep going. Just keep going, Allison…

“Have a seat,” Brandt said rather coolly. “Jess and Allison should sit next to each other.” He motioned to the two empty chairs across the table. “Gage, sit next to me. Bryan is recording the séance and won’t be participating directly.”

Gage leaned in and whispered into Bryan’s ear. Bryan frowned.

Allison’s expression resembled a rabbit cornered by wolves and Jess felt sorry for her. “We need you, Allison. Stay strong. You can do this. We’ll follow your lead. Just tell us what to do.”

“The candles,” she said, her voice faint. “The color is wrong.”

The candles? The mirrors were uncovered and Allison was concerned about the color of the candles?

“What about the candles?” Gage asked.

“They’re not white,” Allison stressed.

Jess frowned. “What does that mean?”

“They should all be white. White is pure.”

“Well, some are close,” Gage offered. “Most of them look yellow. Except for the couple of red ones. At least they’re not black.”

“At least they’re not black,” Allison echoed.

Don’t space out on us.

Allison’s words and that damn song echoed in her head.

Run away, Allison! Run away!

See how they run! See how they run!

Brandt observed their conversation and reactions, Jess noticed, but never said a word. The apprehension in her stomach had turned into greasy panic. She took a deep breath and pushed the unease down.

When they had taken their assigned seats, Brandt leaned forward. “Here are the rules. We concentrate on Riley and Siler House.” He glanced at Jess and Gage. “No one else. Not your grandmother or father, and not Ben.”

He leaned back. “Of course, if someone or something
else
presents itself to Allison, then the choice is hers.”

“But that’d be opening her up to—” Jess interjected.

“Yes! It very well might, Ms. Perry. And as I stated, we leave that choice up to her. Is that clear?”

It was. All too clear. To everyone. Brandt belonged to Siler House now. Jess reconsidered Gage’s offer to deck Brandt and tie him up. She gave Allison a sidelong glance.

Allison watched Jess carefully, and slowly shook her head. “No,” she mouthed.

And that ended that idea.

“Good,” Brandt replied, taking everyone’s silence for agreement.

He templed his fingers. “Riley is stuck in the mirrors because of a séance Catherine Siler and a chambermaid held after the failed exorcism. One of the maids knew a little voodoo and cast a spell designed to bind Riley’s soul to a mirror. The women held the séance, calling upon Riley. When he presented himself, he caught his reflection in the mirror. Once trapped inside, Catherine Siler had the mirror dumped into the Savannah River, away from Siler house.

Jess shook her head. “Then why is he still here?”

“Because, according to the journals Mrs. Siler kept, the demon who possessed Riley told him how to escape into the house itself. Unfortunately, he’s limited to the mirrors—any mirror brought into the house.”

Gage shrugged. “So, why can’t we just break the mirrors?”

“That would be destruction of property, and I’m not sure that would do any good in freeing Riley. He has to be invited back into our realm. I chose the mirror in the corner because it’s an original and closest to the one Riley was first trapped in.” Brandt’s gaze shifted between them. “We want him to feel comfortable, right? Any more questions? Or shall we get started?”

Yeah,
Jess thought.
Tell us about Mrs. Hirsch
. She wasn’t sure what had happened, but she sure bet Brandt knew more than he was telling.

The time for questioning Brandt had passed. He’d already said what he was going to about Mrs. Hirsch. If she was here, she might answer to Allison.

Allison’s eyes grew wide and fixed in the dim lighting, her breathing becoming quick and shallow. Jess reached over and squeezed Allison’s hand.

“We do exactly as I say,” Allison told them without looking up.

Brandt smiled. “That’s my girl.” He rubbed his hands together with enthusiasm. “Now, shall we begin?” He placed two fingers lightly on the planchette. Gage and Jess did the same. Allison’s hand shook as she joined them.

Allison took a deep breath. “Ouija, are you here with us? Can you help us?”

The planchette jerked right, then began spelling its reply.

J E S S

“It wants you to ask the questions,” Allison said.

Jess blinked. “Me? But you’re the one with experience.”

“I’ll tell you what to say and what to do. But you have to be the one to open the connection. You’re the one the house wants most.”

Brandt handed Allison his pad and pen. “Write the questions down, then put your fingers back on the planchette.”

Jess’s mouth went dry. This was supposed to be Allison’s job. The plan was spiraling out of control. First, Brandt intervening, and now this. She forced herself to swallow. Eyeing the others, Jess asked Allison’s original question. “Ouija, can you help us?”

Y E S

Jess read Allison’s question. “We are channeling the spirit of Riley who lives here, in Siler House. Riley, are you here?”

Without hesitation, the planchette shot to Y E S.

“He’s not alone,” Allison said. “Oh my God, he’s not alone. There are others.”

“How many?” Brandt demanded.

“Two more,” Allison answered. She looked as though she might be sick.

“Who?” Brandt asked. “Who’s with Riley?”

“Is Mrs. Hirsch with you, Riley?” Jess asked. Brandt shot her a hard glare, but she didn’t care.

N O

Brandt grinned.

Allison scribbled something down on paper.
Which spirits are with you?

Jess concentrated on the planchette. “Who is with you, Riley?”

“No!” Allison shrieked. “That’s not what I wrote!”

The planchette jerked once and began going over letters so quickly that keeping their fingers resting on top of it was difficult. Through the hole in the planchette, Jess read:

G R A C I E

E M M A

The planchette abruptly returned to the middle.

Jess gasped. How? How could they still be here? Why hadn’t burying their bones worked?

“They’re supposed to be at peace!” Bryan lowered the camera for a moment.

“Keep recording!” Brandt ordered. Bryan raised the camera again.

Jess shook her head slowly. There was only one answer. “They have unfinished business.”

The planchette jerked again, this time hard enough that it pulled away from their fingertips. Moving on its own, it replied.

Y E S

The piano played a familiar stanza. Jess’s breath caught and her blood froze.

She cut off their heads with a carving knife,

Have you ever seen such a sight in your life…

Allison was crying now. Her hands, although shaking hard, reached for the planchette. “We can’t let the board answer by itself.”

It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t. This was wrong. All wrong!

“You’re supposed to be at peace!” Jess nearly shouted.

N E V E R

“Come on!” Allison urged. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “We have to finish it. We have to bring over Riley before anything else crosses over.”

“Finish it?” Brandt asked, his voice almost childlike.

Bad idea. Bad idea.

But what else was there?

Get ready. Get ready to grab Gage’s hand and run out of here as fast as you can.

Jess and Gage placed their fingers back onto the planchette.

“Bring over Riley,” Brandt demanded. “Bring him over. He’s right there.”

“Oh shit!” Bryan cried out. “He’s in the mirror. Guys, he’s in the freaking mirror!”

A dark shadow in the outline of Riley appeared in the ornate mirror.

“NO!” Allison screamed. “Don’t. We can’t. I didn’t know! I was wrong! Please don’t make me do this. Close the session! Tell the board good-bye!”

Jess couldn’t contain the fear rising in her throat like vomit. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Riley’s not a ghost. He’s been hiding it all along!” Allison cried. “We can’t bring him over!”

“Great!” Gage said through gritted teeth. “Do it, Jess. Clear the board!”

The fear was nearly paralyzing. “Good-bye!” Jess called out.

The planchette refused to move.

“GOOD-BYE!” Jess screamed at the board.