“Our son,” Laurel said. “And…?”
“This is my friend Drew,” Gabriel said. “He was with me when I got the call and is here to help if he can. What happened?”
“You know each other?” Don said, looking from Drew to Gabriel.
“That’s not important,” Gabriel said. “What happened?”
Don filled them in. It appeared that there had been a prank: Stu Chaudhry, who wasn’t spending the night at the camp, but staying with his wife and kids at their house, had gotten to the camp this afternoon after he’d been at church, to check on some things at the rink. When he’d gotten to the rink, he saw that someone had carved something in the ice. It was a message, sloppily hacked into the ice, that said,GET OUT, repeated many times.
“Thirteen times,” Stu clarified, and Don nodded.
Stu then told them how he’d gone to his office in the rink and had seen—here, he hesitated—that every single drawer and cabinet had been opened. Nothing else was disturbed, and nothing had been taken, but it had left him unnerved.
“It’s not the first time something strange has happened,” he said. There were dark circles under his eyes. “You know, I heard stories about the camp…but I never thought they were real. But I hear voices at night, or in the rink when I’m alone there. Sometimes I feel like someone is following me.”
“Youfeellike?” the police officer clarified. She looked skeptical. “What are you saying, Mr. Chaudhry?”
“He’s saying the place is haunted,” said the gruff old man sitting with his arms crossed.
“Hank, please,” Laurel said, looking distressed.
Drew glanced at Gabriel, but Gabriel’s face was unreadable.
“The camp isn’thaunted,” Don said sternly. “There’s no such thing.”
“Yes, there is,” Gabriel said, drawing disapproving looks from both his parents.
“Now’s not the time, Gabe,” Laurel said.
“I’m not sayingcampis haunted,” Gabriel began.
Hank cut him off. “It is.”
Stu Chaudhry crossed himself.
Don and Laurel both looked very worried. “Look, Stu,” Don said, “I’m sorry about this unfortunate prank. I’m sure there are some campers who’ve heard of the different stories, and they came up with this idea. We’ll figure out who it is, and there will be consequences.”
“There are cameras in the rink, aren’t there?” Gabriel asked.
“Yes,” Stu said sharply. “And they don’t showanything. No one went into the rink today. It was locked until I got there.”
Silence hung in the room for a moment.
Drew wanted to ask what the stories were that they all kept referencing, but he knew now wasn’t the time.
“Look, I’m sorry,” Stu said, “but if this place is haunted, I can’t keep working here. I was doing you a favor, Don, and I wish I could keep doing the favor, but I’ve got to think about my family.”
“You’re quitting?” said Laurel.
Stu looked miserable. “I have to. I’m sorry. I hope you figure this out.”
He stood and left.
They were all silent in the room for another beat, and then Don sighed. He looked very tired, and much older than Drew knew him to be. “This isn’t good,” he said. “Some campers, or even counselors, must’ve gotten into the rink and pulled this prank. We should talk to the counselors first.” He looked at the officer. “I’m sorry he called you, Claire. This shouldn’t have involved you.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “If it’s vandalism, we’ll want to write up a report.”
“I don’t want there to be anything in the news about this,” Don continued.
