Teddy shook her head. “It seemed like itwantedto take some sort of shape. Like it was fighting to become taller and slenderer, and Ithoughtat one point I saw something that looked like a limb—but it was so startling, I couldn’t wrap my head around it. And then it just rose a little bit, floated, then dove off the walkway here—and down. And then it was gone.”
Iva was watching her with wise, excited eyes. “The ghostly presence was showing you what happened. That person—it had to be Stuart Millore. Stuart, if you’re here, give us a sign,” Iva called out.
Teddy waited, butterflies in her stomach, her hair blowing in the breeze, but nothing happened.
“He’s probably still rather weak yet,” Iva told her calmly. “If he didn’t take any particular form, he may not have the strength to appear at will.”
“Right. But I didn’t tell you about the scream.”
“Yes, yes, that’s right. The scream—the one that comes every night. So that came from the Ghostly Manifestation?”
“Well, yes, of course. I mean, where else would it come from? I just know the sound filled my ears. It was awful. Just bloodcurdling. And then, once it was over, Oscar noticed that the door was ajar. The one that we’d been unable to open. It was just…ajar.” Teddy grimaced a little, remembering how horribly eerie that moment had been, and how she’d put all thoughts of it away to deal with later—after she’d finished her book.
And so now here she was.
“So the scream came during the manifestation? Or after it disappeared?”
“Well, hmm. It all happened very quickly, but Ithinkit was after it went over the side of the railing and disappeared.”
“Interesting.” Iva walked a little closer to the railing. “And the Ghostly Presence went over about here?”
“Yes, right about there.”
Iva eased back and looked at Teddy. “Well, that is where they found Stuart’s body. Straight down there.” She pointed to the ground below.
Teddy swallowed hard. “All right.”
“Now, when did you notice the temperature going back to normal? Or didn’t it?”
Before Teddy could respond, the gallery door opened and Maxine poked her head out.
“You solve any of it yet, Iva?” she demanded. “Time to get down and have a scone before Neety eats them all. Had to smell them all the way here, and there’s gonna be trouble if they’re gone by the time we get down.”
When Maxine Took spoke of trouble, people listened. And so they started down the stairs, pausing at the landing just below the lantern room where their self-appointed leader gestured at a small door. “That goes to beneath the lantern. For repairs and storage. Probably got bats in there too.”
“Come on, Maxie, get a move on. Now you’ve got me hankering for a scone,” Iva said. “Besides, I want Teddy to show me where they were standing the second time they saw the green ghost. You were on the ground, right?”
“That’s right,” Teddy replied, studiously avoiding looking at Oscar, because she justknewhe was rolling his eyes—at least internally.
Back on the ground floor, the group was relieved to discover that Juanita had not only not devoured all of the scones, but she’d set up the table with cups and plates, and had made a fresh pot of coffee. She’d also found Oscar’s Tetley tea bags and had them out for Maxine, who informed Teddy that she never drank coffee.
Bruce Banner, whom Teddy had never seen outside of his carrying bag, was prancing around the table trying to get the attention of anyone who’d give it to him. He bounced around, jumping up as if his rear legs contained springs, looking so cute that Teddy couldn’t keep from petting his soft furry head.
“No scones for Brucie,” Juanita said. “But I’ve got treats in my bag if you want to give him one.”
Teddy obliged the little pooch, then was ushered outside before she even finished her scone to show Iva where they’d been standing when they’d seen the apparition the second time.
“But it happened early that night,” Iva said. “Earlier than usual.”
“Yes, it was closer to ten thirty.”
“Have you seen the apparition every time you heard the scream?”
“Uhm, no,” Teddy replied with a shame-faced smile. “I never looked out the window when I heard the scream. I—I didn’t really want to.”
“Oscar, did you see the ghost on the other nights you heard the scream?” Iva asked.
“Well, I never looked either,” he replied.
