“Nothing wrong with that,” Oscar said. “Which one of them was the medium, do you know?”
“I’ve never heard that any of them had a particular talent.” Montague shrugged. “Perhaps it was all of them together, bending their wills on a singular wish, night after night, that allowed them to contact her.”
Dr. Lawson stirred. “As you know from your own experience, some ghosts haunt places, and some haunt people.”
True enough. He’d been haunted by his grandmother throughout his childhood. Mamaw died at the Howlston Lunatic Asylum, but she’d passed on from there, only stopping by to check in on him at home over the years.
“But Gloria lingered here, even after Ullman’s suicide?” Nigel asked.
“So it would seem.” Montague shrugged.
Were they able to interact with one another? What a terrible thought, that both ghosts haunted the same building but had separate existences. It might explain why Ullman was so angry…though he seemed more concerned about their presence in the house than with reaching out to his daughter.
“Are those two the only known spirits?” Oscar looked from Montague to Lawson and back. “Except possibly for…”
“There have been sightings of the other six, the men who perished at sea,” Montague said. “Or rather, sightings of their vessel. A flaming ship supposedly appears off the island during storms. My hope is that it’s merely an echo, and my great-great uncle’s ghost isn’t trapped on board.”
“Let’s hope,” Oscar agreed, because he didn’t know how he’d persuade a flaming boat to move on to the other side. Doubly so if it only showed up in bad weather.
Nigel finished off his lemonade, slender throat working as he swallowed. “What room were the seances held in, do you know?”
“The top of the tower,” Lawson said. “The room where…”
Where Robin died.
Nigel looked alarmed. “We should be very careful investigating there, then.”
“We will.” Oscar glanced at the TV waiting in the corner. “Anything more? Or should we watch the tape now?”
Lawson seemed to sag a bit. “I should watch it with you. I feel like a coward…”
“Don’t.” Oscar stood up and put a hand on her arm. “You need to take care of your mental health. The tapes aren’t going anywhere; if someday you think it will be healing, you can watch them then.”
Some of the tension drained from her. “Thanks, Fox. I can see why Taylor fell for you.”
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Back at the house, Nigel took the top off an old bankers box, revealing VHS tapes neatly stacked inside. Chris had hooked up the TV and VCR, and was now setting up a tripod to capture them watching the tape.
The contents of the box were marked by date and somewhat by subject. Vanderwall Interview 1 - K & L. Vanderwall Interview 2 - all. Montague Interview 1 - history. Anchorage Investigation 4 - discussion.
The first Vanderwall interview was what they were looking for, so he took it out. “Now to see if it will play.”
Nigel pushed the tape into the VCR. It clunked into place, and the machine whirred as it began to play.
For a moment, there was only static—then the picture resolved. A White couple sat in the bay window of the library, the curtains open behind them showing that it was night. Both looked to be around thirty, the woman’s brown hair teased into a voluminous bob with bangs, the man’s parted to the side and carefully layered. Across from the couple sat a young version of Ms. Montague with a Lady Diana hairstyle and a suit jacket whose shoulder pads could’ve doubled as airplane wings.
Beside her perched a young woman with long dark hair, wearing an eyelet-trim blouse and straight skirt, an amethyst crystal hanging from her necklace.
Robin.
Static lines ran across the image as Dr. Lawson’s voice emerged from the TV’s tinny speaker. “This is an interview with Karen and Larry Vanderwall, conducted by Patricia Montague and Robin Sawyer. Location: The Cottage, Devil’s Den Island, North Carolina. Recording starting at 22:05, June 16, 1983. Camera woman: Dr. Ruth Lawson.” She paused, then said, “Start whenever you’re ready.”
And the dead woman spoke.
CHAPTER
