Oscar stiffened. Nigel glanced at Dr. Lawson, a bit taken aback. This was a new twist; the only thing Montague had wanted from them before was the raw footage they shot.
Dr. Lawson seemed equally surprised. “Is this really necessary? Do I need to sign one, too?”
“We’d like to be able to use the investigation on our channel,” Oscar said. “Is there a problem with that, or…?”
If there was, it would have been nice to know before they’d all taken time off work to come here. Nigel was supposed to be doing research here, and though research trips didn’t always pan out, if there was something he could use in a paper he’d like to have the option.
Montague seemed to wilt slightly, her gray eyes gone distant. “You must understand how difficult this is for me. Robin…I’m certain none of you would do anything to exploit her memory, but…”
“But you want to have the final say?” Oscar asked sympathetically.
“I’m sorry. I know this seems like I don’t trust you, but…if you could just humor an old woman. And don’t worry about losing out on revenue, I’ll compensate you all for your time.”
Dr. Lawson shook her head. “You always have to be in control, don’t you?” she muttered, but her heart didn’t seem to be in it.
“Of course we’ll sign.” Oscar held out his hand, and Ethan passed him a copy of the NDA. The rest of them took the other copies and Nigel skimmed through his.
It seemed straightforward enough—they couldn’t talk, write, or broadcast anything about the investigation without Ms. Montague’s personal approval. He wasn’t thrilled at having to sign, but in her place…
If Oscar died tragically at the hands of a ghost, would he want the details all over the internet? To be picked over by people who would say or do anything just to get clicks? Just the thought made him shudder.
Besides, what other choice did they have? Ask to be taken back to the mainland? He only had a job now because of Montague’s generous grants. If he refused to sign, he could kiss any future grant money goodbye. He signed his name and handed it back to Ethan.
“Thank you,” Ms. Montague said, once all the NDAs had been signed and collected. “I appreciate your indulgence.”
“I have a question.” Tina glanced around, her eyes magnified by the thick lenses of her black-framed glasses. “If that’s all right.”
Dr. Lawson shifted restlessly. “I’d prefer not to talk any more about what happened until you’ve at least had the chance to look over the house.”
“Not about the haunting.” Tina picked at a loose thread on her skirt. “The island isn’t inhabited, and judging by the fact you had to have a water tank brought in, it never will be again. The sea is going to swallow this place sooner rather than later.”
“So why bother clearing the haunting at all?” Montague guessed. “Why put ourselves through the pain of coming back here forty years after abandoning the island the first time?”
Tina nodded.
Montague closed her eyes briefly, then reopened them. “Because Robin has been coming to me in dreams.”
CHAPTER
FOUR
Oscar looked automatically to Dr. Lawson, who didn’t seem surprised. She must have already heard this.
“You mean her ghost?” Nigel asked, a trace of skepticism in his voice that made Oscar flinch.
Montague spread her hands apart. “Perhaps. I’m not a medium, so maybe it’s not her. Maybe it’s simply that I’m an old woman now, with unfinished business weighing on my shoulders, and only a few years left in which to complete it. But in my dreams, she’s trapped here. Still bound to this place, rather than passing on to the next world.”
Nigel blanched at that. No doubt he was thinking of his childhood friend, whose spirit had been caught in the moment of his murder, reliving it again every night of his afterlife. Thankfully they’d been able to free the boy’s ghost, let him find peace.
“Of course.” Oscar put as much compassion into the words as he could. “We completely understand.”
“I haven’t had any dreams.” Dr. Lawson sounded almost jealous. “But then, why would Robin come to me? I’m not the one with the money to finance a researcher and a ghost-hunting team.”
“You were the one who taught Dr. Taylor,” Montague said, putting one wrinkled hand on Dr. Lawson’s. “You already did your part. It was up to me to bring everyone together.”
“How long have you known about Ms. Montague’s dreams?” Nigel asked.
Lawson’s mouth thinned. “Only since she invited me back here. At least now I know why she was interested in ghost hunting again after all these years.”
