“You’re still a good player, and I’m not saying youneedto retire. You’re one of the top guys in Boston, and they’re lucky to have you.”
Estelle didn’t know about Quentin, and he was not sure he wanted her to know. He trusted her with his life, but it was still a big thing to share with someone.
“Thanks, Estelle,” he said.
“I’ll support whatever you want to do,” she promised. “If that’s retiring, I’ll support you. If it’s playing, I’ll support that, too.”
“That means a lot. Let’s stop talking about my age. Are you enjoying your summer?”
“Almost too much.”
An idea struck him. “You should visit. If you want to, that is. It’s lovely up here, and I think you’d like it.”
“Eh, I don’t know if small towns are my vibe, but I’ll think about it.”
“What about haunted small towns?” he said slyly.
“Now I’m interested. What do you mean?”
“There are plenty of stories of hauntings. I’ve seen a few things I can’t explain.”
“I’ll think about it. I mean that. I’ve got to run, now, but I’m glad to hear you’re doing okay. Think about what you want next, okay? We’ll talk soon.”
Chapter 17
Gabriel
They were halfway through the second-to-lastsession of camp when it happened. It was Wednesday night, and they were having pork chops and mashed potatoes for dinner. The mess hall was loud and cheerful, the campers mingling and having a good time, the counselors exhausted and trying to relax, the senior staff hoping that the summer would wrap up well. Drew didn’t always join for dinner at the camp, but he had joined today, and Gabriel was glad. They hadn’t directly told Gabriel’s parents that they were involved, and they were discreet around camp, but Gabriel had a feeling that at least his mother suspected. She was perceptive, and it was hard for a mother not to notice when her child was in love.
The day had been normal. It had been busy, which was expected. The full routine of camp had become second nature to Gabriel. He was used to falling into Drew’s arms at the end of the night, exhausted and spent. Some days, he felt like he was living in a dream, only half awake.
There had been no other incidents at the camp related to the haunting, and Gabriel was beginning to think that their séance had helped. He had been skeptical of its success during the séance, but now he was hopeful.
He stood up to get himself more coffee when it happened: the lights in the mess hall went out.
Several of the younger campers screamed. Gabriel almost dropped his coffee mug in surprise, but steadied himself and whipped out his phone. He turned on the flashlight. Several counselors did the same.
“Don’t panic,” his father called, standing up. “I’m sure everything is fine. Everyone, stay with your tables, and I’ll check the breaker.”
The campers cheered, and Gabriel exchanged a worried look with Drew.
His dad hadn’t made it to the door when the lights turned back on.
One of the older campers hooted in relief, and there was some clapping. Before the celebration could really catch on, the lights shut off again, plunging the hall into darkness.
Gabriel’s stomach twisted in nerves. Haunting, he thought. Ghosts.
And then, the lights started to flicker. It didn’t seem random or like something caused by a power outage. It seemed deliberate, almost like the lights were sending a message.
Gabriel swore under his breath. “Dad, stay here, I’ll look at it,” he said. He was faster and could reach the electrical room more quickly. He touched Drew’s shoulder. “Come on.”
Before he left the mess hall, he raised his voice and shouted, “Everyone, stay with your cabins. Counselors, do a head count, please.”
As he passed his father, he grabbed Don’s arm and said, “Make sure everyone is accounted for. I’m going to find Hank, and we’ll see what we can do. If someone is pulling a prank, we’re going to find them.”
He had a sickening feeling that they wouldn’t find someone pulling a prank. He figured they wouldn’t findanyone, because whoever was doing this wasn’t part of the physical realm.
Drew followed him out of the mess hall. They both slowed when they saw that it wasn’t just the lights in the mess that were flickering. All of the lights in the Citadel were turning off and on in the same pattern. Whoever, or whatever, was messing with them was controlling all of the electricity to the camp’s main building. They called for Hank, and couldn’t find him.
