Ghostly Tours (Sweetfern Harbor Mystery Book 4) Read online

  “I don’t know where you get your imagination, Allie, to say nothing of your talent.”

  Allie’s smile almost reached her ears. “I love doing things like this. My mom is creative so I guess I got it from her.”

  “Hope certainly is artistic. I’ve seen that over and over every time she sends my order over for events. She’s working on one-of-a-kind cupcakes for the tour right now, did I mention that? When she opened Sweet Treats Bakery she knew what she was doing.”

  Allie agreed. William Pendleton strolled into the sitting room and admired the handiwork. When he saw Allie’s poster he told her she should submit a painting for the next art show in town. He started to tell Brenda how many tickets had sold so far when Phyllis raced into the room. Her ashen face startled all three. Brenda had never known her housekeeper to run through the bed and breakfast like that. In fact, she had never seen her run since the first day they met.

  “What’s wrong, Phyllis?” Brenda reached for her just as William pulled her close to him.

  “What has frightened you so?” he asked.

  She took several gasps of air and finally a deep breath. “I was cleaning when I swear I heard a moan. It was in that room. The room where Ellen was murdered. The room where the others…” she shuddered, unable to complete her sentence. “There was no one there except me. I had the door open and no one came or went while I was in there.” She looked at Brenda for support.

  “I’ll go look, Phyllis. There must be an explanation. The wind is quite high today. Maybe you heard it whistling through a crack in the window, or between the tree branches outside the room.”

  Phyllis shook her head vigorously. “I am telling you that I heard a moaning sound like from a man. The tone was deep and persistent. The windows are closed tight and no branches are brushing against the building in that room. I heard a man moan. I heard him breathing. I heard it in Ellen’s room, Brenda. I know I did.”

  William soothed her, as did Brenda and Allie. Brenda noted a gleam in Allie’s eyes and knew the young girl was probably just thrilled at the prospect of another modern-day ghost sighting. Once Phyllis was somewhat calmed down, Brenda spoke a word of caution to her employees.

  “I wish you wouldn’t refer to that room as Ellen’s room. It only encourages rumors. That room has always been called the Captain’s Room and I would like you to continue to use its proper name, especially when guests are around.”

  “Maybe it was Captain Eddy, back from the grave,” Allie said. “I don’t see the difference in calling the room Ellen’s room or the Captain’s Room. They both remind me of murder.”

  “Captain Eddy was not murdered at Sheffield Bed and Breakfast, and it is not named after him, Allie, you know that. It is named after Captain Sheffield who was an ancestor of my uncle’s.”

  Phyllis closed her eyes for a moment and Brenda could tell that her friend and housekeeper could care less what the room was called. She wanted someone to do something about her frightening experience. Brenda returned to the issue at hand. “I’ll go up there right now.”

  “Do you want me to come up with you?” William said.

  “I don’t expect to find anything dangerous. I just want to make sure that whatever it was can be explained.” Brenda turned without hesitation and went upstairs, but by the time she reached the landing she started to have second thoughts. She wished she had taken William up on his offer. She shook the feeling off and went ahead.

  The second floor was quiet. Most guests had finished breakfast and were taking advantage of the downtown shops or the local beaches. She walked resolutely forward, trying to remind herself that the silence was perfectly normal and that there had to be a reasonable explanation for Phyllis’ encounter. She knew that her housekeeper was a practical woman and wouldn’t make things up if she didn’t believe them. Still, Phyllis had experienced something that frightened her.

  Brenda saw that in her haste to leave, Phyllis had flung the door wide open and left it that way. Brenda cautiously peeked through the open doorway before entering. After walking around, looking in the closet, under the bed and in the small alcove that served as a dressing room, she then went into the bathroom. Nothing was out of place except for the half-made bed. The windows were still tightly closed. She could see that the trees outside, though they moved in the autumn winds, did not scrape together in any way that caused noise. The door to the hallway and the adjoining suite was shut tightly and the lock remained closed. There was nothing.

  When Brenda returned downstairs, all eyes were on her. “I didn’t hear or see anything unusual. But I believe you, Phyllis, if you heard something. And clearly the McCormicks had their reasons for leaving. I’ve come to a decision. That room is one of the ones that a guest canceled. I’ll spend the night in that room and determine if there are any strange things going on, once and for all.”

  There was a moment of shocked silence.

  Even Allie gaped at her. “I don’t think you should do that,” she said.

  Phyllis agreed with her. “I did hear something or someone. The moaning sound isn’t something I’m making up. Think twice about your idea, Brenda.”

  “Nonsense,” Brenda said. “There must be some kind of logical explanation. If I stay the night in that room, I will be able to figure out what’s going on. I know you heard something, Phyllis. That’s why I want to find out what it was about.”

  Again, the two women tried to talk her out of it. Finally, William spoke up. “Do you have a second empty room tonight? I thought Allie said two rooms had been canceled.” Allie told him so far neither had been booked. “I’ll stick around here tonight, if you like,” William offered.

  After discussion, it was agreed Brenda would occupy the Captain’s Room and William would stay in the other empty room, the Pratt Room across the hall, in case she needed help in the night. Brenda noticed the worried look on Phyllis’ face.

  “I’ll take a book with me. I checked some out while at the library and haven’t had a chance to dig in to any of the three. I’m sure it will be fine – maybe I can figure it out and we can put this all behind us.” Brenda smiled and as everyone relaxed, they once more started talking about the coming Halloween festivities at the bed and breakfast.

  Later, Allie offered to help finish cleaning the Captain’s Room. “I’ll get that room in order in no time. If any ghost is up there, leave it up to me, Phyllis. You have nothing to worry about.” Brenda thanked her and promised Phyllis again that everything would be fine. Her housekeeper seemed relieved that her concerns were being taken sincerely, even if she was nervous for Brenda’s plan.

  It was a busy day and Brenda lost herself in a slew of tasks necessary to get the bed and breakfast ready for Halloween. She wondered briefly if she should let Mac know of her plan to sleep in the Captain’s Room, but told herself she was being silly and should not trouble him with such things. By nightfall, she gathered her pajamas and a few other necessaries into a small overnight bag and headed for the Captain’s Room. She pushed aside disquieting thoughts that stopped her in the hallway and forged ahead. She met William in the hallway.

  “Let me know if you need anything tonight, Brenda. Though I really think whatever Phyllis heard came from outside, or the old place was simply creaking a little. I know old buildings do that, especially when things get quiet.”

  “I guess we’ll find out tonight, won’t we?” Brenda said, forcing a brave smile onto her face. She told William goodnight and went into the Captain’s Room with her books under her arm.

  This room had always fascinated her. Like the rest of the historic house, it was decorated to match the Queen Anne era, and commanded a beautiful view of the ocean. Above the small mantelpiece hung two antique oil paintings of racing boats, evoking the Captain’s Room theme and the annual sailing race held in Sweetfern Harbor. For many years, three local captains had vied with one another for the winner’s cup until the sad death of Captain Eddy, caused by one he trusted most of all. Following his death, a replica
of his ship had been placed on the mantle in tribute. The highly polished mahogany headboard gleamed above the subtle lace coverlet on the comfortable bed, and an old steamer trunk at the foot of the bed held extra pillows and blankets.

  Brenda got ready for bed and propped herself up against the fluffy pillows, turning the bedside lamp down to its dimmest setting. She enjoyed the cozy glow and nestled into the blankets. She opened the smallest book, a novella about a young woman sailing across the ocean to America, to meet and marry a man she had never met. Mrs. Perch strongly recommended it since it was based on a true story that happened in the area, though embellished into a fictional read. Brenda needed a little fiction to relieve the edge of anxiety she still felt. Once into the book, she relaxed and got caught up in the story.

  It was a sudden, strange sound that pulled her from the tale. Her heart dropped into her stomach. She listened intently. Again she heard it – a soft flapping or tapping noise came from somewhere inside the room. She turned the lamp up and the room brightened. Silence. Everything looked as expected, but then she heard the sound again. She told herself to steady her breath, and when she did, she realized she could detect the source of the noise. She got up and went to the two large windows and looked out. She angled her head to look both ways and spotted a shutter that seemed loose, moving lazily in a gust of wind. She made a mental note to let her maintenance crew know and climbed back into bed, relieved. After another hour of reading, she finally realized she could no longer keep her eyes open and closed her book. Brenda snuggled deep into the comfortable bed and was soon sound asleep.

  She was in a deep sleep when she was suddenly awakened by the strong sense of someone in the room with her. As she struggled awake, her heart pounded. Her eyes glued to a figure standing at the end of her bed, staring back at her in the pitch-black darkness. The figure frightened her so much that she didn’t realize her scream had not left her throat. Panicked, she saw the door stood wide open although she had locked it the night before. Brenda scrambled to turn on the lamp and as she did so, her books on the nightstand tumbled onto the floor in a loud crash. She fumbled for the switch. Once the room was lit, she whipped her head around to look again. But she saw no one.

  Brenda was aware of her short, panicky breaths and drew in one long one before getting out of bed. She turned on the lights in the bathroom, the alcove, and the overhead light in the room. There was no one hiding anywhere that she could see, so she headed into the hallway searching for whoever had appeared at the foot of the bed. The hallway was warm but she shivered as she turned on the bright hallway lights. There was no one in sight.

  She stood still for a moment and ran through the guest list in her mind. There was no one at all who resembled the shape of the figure she knew she had seen – tall and angular. She thought about waking William up but decided against it. What would she say? Would he think she had been dreaming? Besides, in two hours, the sun would be up again. Things would look different in the light of a new day. She left the hallway lights on and returned to the well-lit bedroom.

  Still, Brenda tossed and turned. There was no more sleep for her that night. The dark figure clouded her mind. She got up twice to double-check the deadbolt on her door and the locks on the windows, but never got the courage to turn out any of the lights. The lock on the door to the small passageway connected to the next room remained secured, too. She finally dismissed the figure as either a bad dream, or a guest who had lost his way in the night and had fled in embarrassment. She worried about the problem with these theories, however. Both ideas ignored the fact that her locked door had been opened.

  Although dawn had yet to appear, Brenda finally pulled the covers off and took her book down to the sitting room. She tried to read but the book no longer interested her. She paced back and forth in the room, trying to figure out what had happened. She didn’t realize how much time had passed until she heard Phyllis’ voice.

  “What are you doing down here in your pajamas?”

  Brenda looked down at her sweats and then at Phyllis. Her face crumpled. “Oh, Phyllis. I had a terrible experience in that room in the middle of the night.” Her voice quivered, and Phyllis placed her hand on Brenda’s arm to steady her. “Phyllis, there was someone or something standing at the foot of the bed. I swear it was real, but...maybe it was an apparition of some kind.”

  “Take it slowly, Brenda. Do you want a cup of hot tea?” Brenda shook her head no. Phyllis guided her to the sofa and forced her to sit and rest a little.

  After a few seconds, Brenda tried again to tell her story. “There was a man standing there. I had the door locked and somehow he came in. By the time I got the lamp on he was gone. I went into the hallway and turned on all the lights and there was no sign of anyone. He didn’t resemble any of our guests and he was too tall to fit William’s description.” She attempted a chuckle that failed. “I know William wouldn’t do something like that, Phyllis. I just mean as a comparison to the physique of the figure I saw.”

  “That explains why the lights were full blown in the hallway. I expected to see the usual nightlights along the passage. You poor dear. Why don’t you go upstairs and get ready for the day? I’ll get some coffee ready. We’ll drink it in my apartment and you can relax.”

  Brenda agreed. The guests would soon be getting up and she didn’t want to greet them in her nightclothes. She reluctantly climbed the stairs to the second floor and passed the Captain’s Room without looking inside. But she pulled the door closed as she passed it. Once dressed and ready for the day, she joined Phyllis in her apartment located on the main floor in the rear of the bed and breakfast. William was waiting with her, and handed Brenda a cup of hot coffee.

  “You should have awakened me, Brenda,” he said, his brow furrowed with concern. “I had no idea. I want to hear the whole story from you.”

  Brenda repeated all she knew. “There was absolutely no one anywhere but I know I saw something standing at the foot of the bed. The moon shed enough light to discern a figure.”

  “I know both of you are practical women. There is definitely something going on in that room, but I doubt it has anything to do with paranormal activity,” he said. But his face was troubled, as if he was trying to convince himself. “You need to get some rest, Brenda. I hope you can take a good nap to catch up on the sleep you lost last night. I’ll come up with a plan before this goes on much longer.”

  In truth, William had no idea what to do. He felt the women had seen and heard what they explained, but there had to be a reasonable explanation. Someone was harassing them for sure.

  When Allie heard the story, she was adamant about the place being haunted. “That explains it all,” she said. “Phyllis heard moaning and you actually saw a ghost, Brenda. That room is really haunted.”

  Brenda felt there was no way to dissuade her young employee and so she didn’t say anything. She hated to add fuel to the fire, but what other explanation was there? Meanwhile, Phyllis’ eyes grew rounder at each retelling. That was all Brenda needed, to have her practical housekeeper convinced a ghost was haunting the bed and breakfast. She told them she was going to take a walk through the house to make sure all decorations were ready for the tours. She pushed thoughts away that perhaps there truly were ghosts in her beloved Sheffield House.

  Chapter Four

  The Tours

  There was an underlying current of excitement throughout the Sheffield Bed and Breakfast. Tonight was the first of the three nights of candlelight tours and everyone was determined to make it perfect for the guests and ticket holders.

  Brenda saw Mac Rivers park his car. She adjusted her black, pointy hat and glanced at her watch. She had one hour before the first tour was to begin. Mac hesitated with a smile when he saw her and then kissed her. “Well, Brenda. I never thought I’d see the proprietor of the famous Sheffield Bed and Breakfast in a witch get-up.”

  “There are still plenty of costumes to choose from, Mac,” she teased him. “Are you sure you don’t wan
t to join in the fun?” He shook his head in a quick refusal.

  “I can’t stay long. I took a shift at the police station tonight for Bryce. He’s all caught up in this stuff, but not me.” He took a second looked at Brenda. “I know you have creepy make-up on, but you don’t look so well.”

  “I...I’m fine. Just busy with this tour about to start up.” She didn’t want to discuss the events of the night before with her fiancé. She knew he would brush it all off – or worse, laugh – and there was no time to waste swaying him to her side. Detective Mac Rivers had no patience for Halloween and all the havoc it usually caused around town.

  “I brought your favorite – stopped by the bakery on my way over. I know you have a lot of food out already but it’s my way of saying have fun tonight. Just not with me.” He laughed apologetically and she managed to smile. She could smell the aroma of the meat filled pastries in the bag he handed her.

  “I’ll put them in the warmer in the kitchen and have them in a little while. Thanks, Mac.”

  He waved over his shoulder as he pushed through the crowds that already lined up at the door. Brenda turned back to make the last preparations for the evening’s events.

  All staff members were already dressed in Halloween costumes, lights were dimmed and lanterns glowed throughout the building. The bed and breakfast guests had been given the option to wear costumes if they wanted to, from a rack of costumes unearthed from Randolph Sheffield’s theatre days and some others rented for the occasion. The newlyweds had belatedly opted to stay another night, so Allie obligingly booked them into the vacant Pratt Room. Then they followed her to pick out their costumes and get ready.