A Bar, a Brother, and a Ghost Hunt, page 15
“A few years tops, and he’ll be free,” Death said.
“I can lock him up for longer, if needed. Mental hospitals are equipped to handle these things,” I said.
“If you were out of control, you’d want to go to one of them?” he asked.
“Want, no. Need to, possibly. If I lost control of my mind or my powers, I could hurt people. My Guardian Angel seems to be on vacation most of the time, so I’d have to do something to limit myself. Mark has never learned to control whatever he has.”
“He is a receiver. He hears thoughts, feelings, and wishes. That’s all. But hears it all. People, spirits, and demons. He must learn to filter it out. Sort reality from everything else. It’s not easy. He might need medical help.” Death leaned back in his chair. “Or he might need to get out of the game.”
“Do you enjoy death? People losing their lives?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Angels follow orders. There is no free will. I do what I’m commanded.”
“So, you were commanded here to talk to me?” I asked.
“I showed myself when I shouldn’t have. I had to explain it. It was not your time to die. Mark was getting very agitated, and that would have triggered the prison guards to jump in. My distraction prevented a death. I can’t say whose, but that death was not meant to be that day. I had to intervene.”
“Matt’s no danger to me,” I said.
“No. He’s not really a danger to anyone.” Death smiled. “You’ve chosen your allies well.”
“Gran chose well. Is she okay?” I asked.
“She is. Eddie’s still avoiding us. She is not happy about that.”
“What did he do?” I asked.
Death smirked. “What?”
“What did he do that he’s so worried about facing judgement. No one is perfect. Humans are flawed and weak creatures. God must be very forgiving or Hell would be full,” I teased.
“He is. But human fear and guilt is strong. They punish themselves for things God has forgiven and live in that fear instead of doing good works here.”
“So, let Greg and his monks exorcise the bar?” I asked.
“That’s not my area. I can’t tell you what to do.” Death looked around. “Nice library. Your brother could hide in here. There is an entity here and powerful books. Enough other energy to possibly misdirect a lesser being.”
“Noah hangs out here. He and Missy would know if Eddie were here and tell me. Eddie could hide anywhere. I’m not helping. I don’t know what the problem is. Can you tell me?” I asked.
“No. All I can say is when they do exorcise that bar, don’t be there.” Death vanished.
“Damn, that’s one annoying angel,” I said. Why wouldn’t I be there? What difference would it make?
Chapter Seventeen
I slept in until about ten, but Ivy woke me up chattering to Greg about her little dog. By ten-thirty, we were at the shelter, and Ivy was gushing over the tiny white creature that seemed to shake all the time.
The manager of the shelter came up. “I hear you had some concerns about the haunted house.”
I nodded. “Well, I saw your volunteers taking care of the animals. It just seems like a lot of noise and light changes. It doesn’t upset them?”
She shrugged. “We take the most relaxed animals who are okay with loud noises and changes of situation. Also, animals that socialize well with other animals. They love the attention and fresh air. Unfortunately, a good percentage of animals can’t go there. They’d be too scared or overwhelmed, but adoption rate of those who are part of the exhibit is nearly one-hundred percent. And that helps other animals get adopted.”
“No one tries to bother the animals?” I asked.
“We had a few drunk boys try to take animals out and make them fight. Our volunteers caught the boys before they had dogs out of the cages, and the boys were ejected. We changed out the locks to keyed, but it’s one master key that all the volunteers have.” She smiled.
“What about a fire or emergency?” I asked.
“The animals are on wheeled pallets. We’d just grab the handle and pull them as a group. There are four groups, but we’ve tested it. We have plenty of volunteers on hand to pull and push. Your concern is very touching. Do you have a pet?”
“No, my life is a bit hectic. I’ve been bouncing between Chicago and here until recently. I’m not home a lot.” I shook my head.
“Well, we’re always here. We never run out of pets.” She sighed.
“I think Ivy is bringing home that little dog, so that’s enough for me.” I smiled.
Ivy rushed over. “Her name is Pearl. Isn’t she precious?”
“Is she house trained? We have a big house,” I said.
“Puppy training pads are on the list, as well as a rhinestone collar and some top-quality dog food.” Ivy grinned.
“If she poops in or chews up my shoes, she’s banned from my room,” I warned her.
“Fine. I need to get her fixed too, but she’s too small now. We’re taking her home, but they’ll do a home interview with everyone next week. They’re really busy, but since we’re two-thirds of the household, we’re good for temporary custody.” Ivy cuddled the dog.
“Okay, well, you go and get the dog stuff settled. I need to drop in at the bar and talk to a few people.” I was glad we’d brought our own cars. Ivy would be obsessed with the new animal, and I had some work to do.
I found Chet in his office on the second floor.
“What can I do for you?” He gestured to the chair in front of his desk.
“Thanks. I wondered if you had the name and contact information for Bob’s girlfriend. I just wanted to chat with her briefly.” I sat and looked around his office. It felt fairly safe and quiet in here.
“Sure, she was his emergency contact.” He tapped on his computer.
“Thanks. This room feels pretty safe. Do you personally experience the paranormal?”
“I see things move. People fall. But I don’t see a lot in person.”
“Do you catalog them?” I asked.
“No. That would be a full-time job. I know we have the third night scheduled. Hopefully, the exorcism will help.”
“You understand it won’t be easy. For an entire building, it might take them a few days. Maybe a couple attempts to clear it all.”
He looked a bit worried. “All? We don’t want to disrupt the harmless spirits.”
I had a feeling he’d be happy if the place stayed haunted. “Do you want us to get rid of any of them?”
“I want my employees to be safe. This is New Orleans. You can never guarantee any business is free of ghosts.”
He had a point. “I understand. Do you let people do anything to stir up stuff here?” I asked.
“It’s a bar. We don’t have anything like psychics in here doing readings or whatever. Would it help?” he asked.
“No, I just wanted to know. People seemed eager to blame Mark and have him arrested for what seems more like an accident on the stairs,” I said.
“The police were called because there was a death. The paramedics did that. They made the call to arrest Mark,” he defended himself.
“But who really could witness it? They were on the stairs above the bar, working on the second-floor ceilings’ smoke detectors.”
“Accidents happen.” He shrugged.
“Do you let your daughter hang out here a lot?” I asked.
“Her mother left me a few years ago, so yes, she comes here after school, but she stays on the second or third floors and does her homework. I mostly work in my office, so I’m available to her. A good bar runs itself,” he said.
I couldn’t argue keeping the daughter around rather than home alone.
His printer kicked on and spit out a sheet of paper. Chet handed it to me. “Bob’s girlfriend’s info.”
“Thanks. Just to be sure you don’t have any objections; do you mind if I talk to Tanya?” I took the page and headed for the door before I had any more circular discussions.
Chet shook his head. “No. It’s fine. I’ve told her to stay out of the attic, but I think she’d rather have some space than on the second floor with Dad.” Something in his eyes said he was a little afraid for me to talk to Tanya, but he’d said yes.
I climbed another flight of stairs and found Tanya at a small desk in the corner with her laptop out. Homework was a good thing to work on, but how could she focus in here? I felt like I was reaching trying to understand this teen. But she seemed so at ease here.
The chanting woman was standing near Tanya, feeding off her energy. The other women were calm—sleeping, it seemed.
But, as I came closer, the chanting woman turned on me. Yelling for me to leave.
“Tanya, why are you feeding them?” I asked.
“Feeding.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m doing my homework. Don’t make me into a bad guy. Dad won’t let me stay home alone.”
“I get that, but you do feel the women up here? The old pain and cruelty?” I asked.
“I’m a little sensitive. So was my mom. She had to leave New Orleans because ghosts would never leave her alone. I tune them out. I’m not feeding them or encouraging them.”
“Tanya, you’re a teenager. The energy and spark of puberty is something they feed off without you doing anything. Have you ever invited them in? Ouija board? Tarot cards?” I asked.
“Nope, sorry. I talk back to them when they do things so they know I know, but that seems to calm things down,” she replied.
“What about the storage room?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I’m only allowed in there to help with inventory or stocking. I can’t go in there alone because it’s all liquor and wine. I avoid the creepy corner Mark told me about when I have to go in and I’m fine.”
“So, you believe he saw and heard things?” I asked.
“Sure. Bob made fun of him, but servers before Bob quit left and right. Something weird was up.” She set aside her homework. “Do you think I’m feeding that, too?”
“No, if you got close to that—you’d be dead. You know it’s bad,” I said.
She rolled her eyes. “It’s New Orleans. There are ghosts at my school and on the football field. Dead teenagers are really annoying.”
“I bet. If you want help cleaning your school, I will,” I said.
She laughed. “You don’t get it. You’ll never run out of ghosts here. There will always be more to move in. The only reason Dad brought you here is because someone died and he didn’t want bad publicity, so he pulled out the paranormal angles and is going for good publicity.”
“So, your friends up here won’t go?” I asked.
Tanya smiled. “The real danger is in the storage room. That’s all they need to clear. We’re safe up here.”
“She doesn’t like me here,” I said.
“You talk about moving on. She wants to be left alone. Do that, and she’ll leave you alone,” Tanya said.
I looked at the woman, who gave me a smile that said maybe.
“Fair enough. Thanks for letting me pick your brain. If you ever get in a situation where you feel in over your head, call me.” I handed her a card.
“Texting is so much easier.” She took the card and cocked her head the way only a teenager can. “Thanks for checking on me. Lots of men around here. Girls have to stick together.”
The ghosts nodded, and so did I. I still wanted them to move on and enjoy their afterlives, but I had the feeling now that they were here for Tanya and she needed them now.
Bob’s girlfriend was named Meadow, and she invited me over to her house right away. She poured green tea and put out cookies.
“Are you going to tape this?” she asked.
“Sorry, no. I just had a few questions. The Ghost Tamers are the ones with all the cameras.” I wasn’t excited about chatting with an attention hog, but I had to rule her out.
“Did Bob like his job?” I asked.
“He was going to school, as well. Studying business. He liked it well enough. Boring, really,” she said.
“You didn’t worry about other women hitting on him?” I asked.
“He told me about girls slipping him their numbers. He threw them away. He teased that Mark guy who was really shy about talking to women. Bob had three brothers so he didn’t know how else to encourage guys. A little competition makes them better.” She smiled.
“So, you weren’t worried about what happened at the bar? Any of the paranormal things?” I asked.
She shook her head. “He never saw anything. He said it was for the customers. Just stories and spooky feelings.”
“And his death? Did you feel Mark needed to go to jail?” I asked.
She frowned. “I was angry. I know it was an accident, but he did push Bob. People said they saw it. I had no reason to doubt them. I wasn’t there, so I just trusted the witnesses and the police. What else could I do?”
“True. I just wanted to make sure you had nothing against Bob. There were no problems,” I replied.
“No, no problems. Chet was very nice. He gave me Bob’s final check and offered to help with the funeral. I couldn’t ask for more. Bob’s parents wanted him buried up near Shreveport where he grew up, so we went there for the funeral. His parents offered to help with watching the baby so I could get a better job. I might take them up on it. I’m still in school, too,” she said.
“Sounds like a plan. Okay, thanks. I’m sorry I had to interrupt your day. I was ruling out some of the other theories, but I wanted to speak to someone outside of the bar about Bob.”
“I understand. Thanks.” She smiled.
Chapter Eighteen
The doctor who’d taken on Mark’s case messaged me that Mark was still in the hospital undergoing tests and observation. Since I’d started the chain of events, I needed to check on him.
I walked into Mark’s hospital room. They’d decided to keep him on the psych ward for a few more tests. He’d agreed. There were no restraints, and he looked clear-eyed. That was good, no sedation.
“How are you?” I asked.
Mark smiled. “Okay. I like the doctor you referred me to. He doesn’t think I’m stupid or totally crazy. He’s ruled out bipolar disorder and a bunch of other stuff.”
“Are your night terrors as bad here?” I asked.
He nodded. “The nights are still hard, but the staff doesn’t get as mad. There are ghosts here, too. Lots of dead people visit me at night.”
“Did Tanya ever say anything about the attic?” I sat next to him.
“She liked it there. The ghosts there are female. I guess that’s it. They didn’t like when any of the men went up there.”
“I checked the employment records. A bunch of servers had started and quit before Bob. Why do you think he stayed?” I asked.
“He wasn’t bothered by it. Some people have no feel for the paranormal. I envy them. They can just ignore it all. He thought I was a wimp or making it up.”
“Did the demon do anything bad to anyone else?” I asked.
Mark frowned. “He told me to kill Bob, but I didn’t. It was an accident.”
“I believe you. But the demon pushed you to a point where you swallowed a bottle of pills. Obviously, it has a lot of power. Did anyone else get hurt? Any other accidents?” I asked.
“One of the servers who didn’t last very long, he had a car accident. We didn’t hear about it until a week later. He came to get his last check and had a broken arm. Some people are more sensitive. Some can stand it. That guy felt the anxiety, and he couldn’t work at the bar,” Mark said.
“We’re going to get rid of that demon. But I can’t get rid of your gift. You can learn to close off your mind, and it should help block out what’s causing your night terrors. Children usually suffer from them, and they learn to block it out in time. For some reason, your door to those terrors seems to be propped open. Medications might help, but I’m not sure.”
“The doc is testing some of that, too. And I’m under observation every night with sleep study equipment. It makes me feel safer. Will I have to go back?” he asked.
“I don’t know. The doctor might be able to get you in a locked down psychiatric facility. Did the demon ever push you to hurt others or yourself? Beyond your one suicide attempt? Anything else?” I asked.
He smiled. “You’re very good at what you do. He threatened if Bob wasn’t gone that he’d drag him to the portal and twist him. That demon hated being ignored. It would turn Bob into a serial killer. It sounds so silly, but I believed he could and would have.”
“But you weren’t going to be a serial killer?” I asked.
“I refused to hurt others over and over. I resisted.” Mark took a deep breath. “It’s nice to be far away from it. The prison had its own demons, but here it’s lighter. Death is more natural.”
“I’m glad you’re feeling more balanced. Make sure to tell the doctor about the threats and the serial killer part. And the demons at the prison. The more information you give the doctor, the better chance he can keep you a medical facility. I’m sure there will need to be a hearing at some point, but let the lawyers and doctors handle that.” I patted his shoulder. “I’ll write a recommendation as well when the time comes.”
He grabbed my hand. “Thank you! Please help the rest of them. The demon just gets stronger.”
“Don’t you worry. You’re safe here. Focus on that, and don’t think about the bar. I did speak to your cousin about why I did what I did so he didn’t think something bad happened at the jail. I noticed that you helped him build two rooms set up like the bar’s most haunted rooms. Why did you do that?”
Mark’s shoulders hunched. “He wanted something different. Everyone does the chainsaw killers or mental patients. Doing weird stuff throws people off. They don’t know what to expect. The animals really upset them. And he said the shelter loves it because people want the animals. I know it’s probably bad to spread the evil concepts, but I wanted to help his business.”
