Looks can be deceiving, Carter said.
Hey, they say youre going to let Liz do a seance, Anthony Larkin reminded him. How hard-core would that be?
Liz was close with Gramps, too, Matt said. A really great nurse to him toward the end. I owe her. He shrugged. She begged when I told her that I had people coming down who were supposedly ghost experts. She wanted first crack at a seance, before any out-of-towners took over. She also holds her Womens Town Meeting in the house once a month, and its a big event that makes the house a good income.
Anthony shrugged. Figured it had to be something like that. I ran into her down at the drugstore. She said that shed been pleading with you, just for herself, since shes so sure she feels all that cold stuff, especially in the upstairs bedroom. And she said that the writer could come in, and the new guy from the Chamber of Commerce. Soits a crock if youre keeping out that pretty girl because shes more about ghosts than finding out if something natural is going bump in the middle of the night.
And damn, but she is good-looking, Clint supplied.
Matt nodded slowly. They were all rightand he had been one hell of an ass to the woman. She had just hit a raw nerve with him, he supposed, looking as if she had just stepped off a fashion page, heels clicking on the floor, manicured nails expressive in the air as she spoke, her face that of a sophisticated angelor siren, one or the other.
Redheads were always trouble.
Im just irritated, I guess. Maybe I do owe her an apology.
The phone rang stridently from the bar. He felt a surge of anger. She was already calling. Mae picked up the phone.
Helloyes, Penny, hes here. Hes got his cell phone turned off again, huh? Well, hes sitting here, sure as can be. Shouldnt have that cell phone turned off, Matt, you know that, she said, her hand over the receiver.
Shirley at the station knows where I am, and thats all that matters, Matt said.
Penny knows youre here now, come on over and talk to her! Please! Mae insisted, seeing the stubborn set to his jaw.
Matt cast Mae an evil eye, then rose to accept the receiver from behind the bar. Penny came on the line.
Yes?
Matt, I heard you gave that girl from New York an absolutely wretched time!
Penny, I really did no such thing. And how did you hear so fast?
Matt looked around. Sure enough, Marty SawyerPennys nephewwho had been watching Carters pool game was now nowhere to be seen. Hed slunk out already.
Matt Stone! There is so much good to be done here! Principal Joe from the grade school was telling me how much the schoolchildren just loved the living history productions we did last summer, and you know as well as I do that you cant keep that kind of program going if we dont make sure that the house is entirely safe. And youve already agreed that we can let the seance go on.
Because even though I dont believe in such a thing as a medium, I like Elizabeth! he said irritably.
Youre going to make a tiny percentage off Elizabethcompared to what Adam Harrison is paying to investigate your property. He usually charges people for his services. Now you know that I personally think that the ghosts are wonderful, but even Im getting nervous here. Think about poor Claras faceand dont go telling me she bumped into a wall. We need our ghost stories, some of them are so great. Passion, spurned lovers, murders, suicides! Buttheres something not at all right going on as well. Oh, Matt, please! If you really love the house and our history and want to keep the place open, not to mention in the family!please let this girl come and get started on her investigations, no matter what it is, exactly, that she does.
He gazed back at the bar. Everyone was staring at them. Penny was speaking loudly. They could all hear. Pennyyoure right. Murders and suicides. The woman in white whos been seen floating around the staircase. You know what? It isnt going to matter what I dothe stories are going to circulate forever.
Ive seen the woman in white, Penny said stubbornly.
Penny, you drank half the wine cellar that night, he reminded her.
Nevertheless, this is important. Yes, well have stories, no matter what. But you said yourself that you were suspicious that someone was causing some of the haunting. How will you ever know, or prove anything?
Penny, I am the sheriff. I know a few things about investigating occurrences on my own.
Matt, wheres your patriotism?
What? he said incredulously.
The house is so important. What if someone really gets hurt?
He almost smiled. It was a new line of attack.
From the table, he heard the sound of David Jenner clearing his throat. You know, Matt, things havent been that great. I could really use the work.
Right. You know, were not all rich, kind of famous, and born with absolutely legitimate names, Clint said, grinning with a shrug.
Matt, maybe you could do us all some good, Carter told him.
You wont have to do a thing, Pennys voice said from over the phone wire. Give Ms. Tremayne my number. And Ill handle everything. You dont have to come anywhere near the house if you dont want to while shes in it. But first, you go over right now and get her out of that ramshackle hotel wheres she staying.
Hey!
Carter could obviously hear Penny. He owned the ramshackle hotel.
Again, Matt couldnt help but grin. Hell, all right.
Matt, honestly, you dont even have to be involved, Ill do everything, I swear! Dammit, Matt, youre the one who called Adam Harrison, why are you balking now?
Because I expected Adam Harrison, he said, feeling like a broken record, his temper rising. Impatiently, he said, Ill talk to her, Penny. Then he hung up.
Mae grinned like a kid with a candy bar. This is so coolMelody House is getting real live ghost busters.
Theyre not ghost busters, Mae, Matt said.
Ive got to go to that seance! Mae said firmly.
You all really did hear every single word of that conversation, Matt said ruefully.
A circle of nods answered him. He shook his head. HellI guess I will start answering my cell phone, he muttered.
Well? Clint drawled. When are you going to bite the bullet, give that girl a call and convince her that she is welcome here?
Soon. But not from here, he said. He slid his sunglasses back down over his eyes, and strode to the door, taking his hat from a peg on the wall. He twisted his jaw; he didnt believe in ghosts, spirits, haunts, or the goddamned Easter bunny, and he sure as hell didnt believe in premonitions.
Still, he didnt like this.
He shook his head, speaking with his back to the others.
Theres an awful lot thats bad in that places past, he said.
He walked back into the sunshine of the day, letting the door slam behind him.
There was silence in his wake for several seconds.
Hes going to let it happen, Mae, dont worry, youll get to go to a real live seance, Clint assured the woman still standing behind the bar, and still staring after Matt Stone.
Yeah, well, its not the whole thing with the house that makes him so hostile, Mae said quietly.
Yeah, well, its not the whole thing with the house that makes him so hostile, Mae said quietly.
He just never should have married that bitch from New York, Carter agreed.
Redhead, too, David Jenner murmured.
Well, living or dead, its always people that haunt the living! Mae said sagely, offering a sad shake of her head. Then she brightened, sounding like a girl about to head for her first dance. And you bet your butts, gentlemen! Im going to get to see a real live ghost!
Mae, if you see a ghost, the point is, its not live, Clint said dryly. But what the hell? Things could get darned interesting around here.
Thirty minutes later, Darcy was back in her hotel room, listening to the voice on her cell phone.
You want me to do what? she said incredulously to Adam. Not apologize, right?
Darcy actually pulled the cell phone away from her ear to stare at it, despite the fact that on an intellectual level, she knew she couldnt see her employers face.
Dont apologize, just rethink things. Adam, far away in London, was quiet for a minute. Darcy, I have a vested interest in the house. Ill explain when I get back into the country. He sighed softly. Darcy, theres no one like you. I need you. Please dont sound as if Ive asked you to make peace with hostile aliens or some such thing.
Darcy winced. She knew that there was something about Melody House that Adam hadnt shared with her yet. Had to be. She was often certain herself that Adam, despite his own apparent wealth, was funded as well by another sourcepossibly governmental. Theyd quietly gone in and out of a number of Federal buildings in previous cases. This was different. He really wanted in. For personal reasons, so it seemed. Reasons he wasnt willing to share, as yet.
Adam, if this was so important, you should have been here.
I know. But I had to be in London.
She didnt ask for an explanation, because he was a man who always kept business confidential, and even with her, information was shared on a need to know basis.
Darcy, are you okay?
Ive met a lot of skeptics, she said, Ive just never had to actually work with anyone so openly hostile.
You can do it. I know you can, Adam said.
But, she said quietly, you dont really want me to call this guy and apologize, do you?
Id never ask you to do that.
So?
Lets let it lie for now. Im willing to bet that youll hear from him.
Darcy breathed out on a deep sigh. She hated the fact that she hadnt handled the situation well at all. Her affection for Adam was very deep and real.
All right. So what exactly do I do now?
Just sit tight. Is the hotel okay?
Darcy looked around the room. Sure, she lied. As she did so, the hotel line began to ring. She stared at the phone distastefully. It was dirtier than a pay phone outside a heavily frequented gas station.
Ive got another call, she told Adam.
Any premonitions? Adam said lightly. Im willing to bet that its Stone.
Well see. Ill give you a call back.
Actually, you dont need to, he said, and hung up. Again, Darcy stared at her cell phone, shook her head, and forced herself to pick up the hotel line.
Yes?
Ms. Tremayne, its Matt Stone.
She was silent, waiting. Adam had been right.
Of course.
Apparently, Matt Stone could be stubborn, too. The silence stretched on.
Yes? she said again. She could almost see his teeth grate in the steel cage of his face.
As youre aware, I own Melody House. I dont actually live in the main house all the time, though I stay now and then. However, I have a woman who manages the upkeep and the tours we allow through, and the events which are held there upon occasion. Her name is Penny Sawyer, and Ill put you in contact with her. Shes incredibly anxious to have you and your company in.
But youre not.
I did talk to Adam Harrison, he said, not agreeing or disagreeing. The house holds incredible historical importance, he said flatly.
Of course.
Look, Penny is supposed to handle everything. And shes great with the place, knows all about it, and can help you with whatever you need. When youve got your plans down all pat, Ill be back in on it, though. Its still my place. And I want final approval on what you do.
Naturally, Darcy said. She knew that it sounded as if her words were a flat fuck you, guess Ive got no choice.
Penny has suggested that you move on over to the house now.
Oh, thats not necessary
You need to be in the house to investigate it, right?
I just meant that there was probably no need for that kind of hurry.
Penny wants you there as soon as possible. Shes very eager to have you. Also, her office is in the house. We have all kinds of documents there, soyou could get started.
Darcy looked around her hotel room. It was stretching it to even call the place a hotel. She didnt flinch at the sight of bugs, but she had gagged over the film of them shed had to clean out of the bathtub before managing a quick shower.
Maybe Matt Stone was something of a psychic himself. His next words suggested that he had read her mind.
Ms. Tremayne, Im familiar with the hotel.
Fine. I might as well get started. Youre right.
Ill be there for you in thirty minutes.
She opened her mouth to protest. She could have used a little more time just to survey the area before entering the house.
Too late. Hed hung up.
Swearing, she did the same. She looked around the small room. Not much to pick upshed been too afraid of getting creepy-crawly things in her lingerie to unpack much. She fished her few personal articles from the bathroom and folded the few pieces of clothing shed had out in less than ten minutes.
Which turned out to be good. Matt Stones concept of time was not at all precise. She had barely made a quick run-through to assure herself she hadnt forgotten anything when there was a knock at her door.
She opened it. He stood there, sunglasses in place, a lock of his dark hair windblown and sprawling over his forehead. In her business heels, she was just a shade under six feet. He still seemed to tower. She didnt like the disadvantage, even if height didnt really mean a damned thing.
Ready, Ms. Tremayne?
She took a breath, forcing something of a grimace rather than a smile. Mr. Stone, somehow you manage to drawl out a simple Ms. as if it were a word composed of one long z, and a filthy one at that. My name is Darcy, and Im accustomed to going by it.
He cocked his head slightly. She couldnt read his eyes because of the shades. All rightDarcy. Im glad youre capable of moving. I have to get back into the office so lets get going, you know, quickly. Wheres your bag?
I can take it myself, thank you.
Would you just show me the damned bag?
She set her hands on her hips. Someone ought to call the local cops on you. You may be some kind of a big landholder in these here parts, bucko, but youre the rudest individual Ive ever met.
Sorry, but my time is limited. Please, Ms. Tremaynesorry, Darcy, may I take your bag? he said sarcastically.