Ghost Train (Haunted Souls Book 16), page 5
“I’m not sure. Maybe?” Before he could continue his thought, Cope jumped out of his seat like it was on fire. “Let’s go find her.” He pushed past his husband and had his hand on the door handle when Jude’s voice stopped him.
“What?” Jude asked. “You want to go look for this widow?” Okay, it wasn’t the craziest thing Cope ever wanted to do when they were on a case. It’s not like the woman could have gotten off the train, so finding her shouldn’t be much of a problem. After all, how many women aboard were dressed like extras in Gone with the Wind?
“Like you said, she’s probably just someone on the train. A ghost-hunting superfan or a cosplayer. What would it hurt to take a walk to the next car and look for her?” Cope looked determined to find her.
“Are you sure you want to do that? What if the other passengers recognize you and want to know what you’re doing?” Or worse, wanted him to channel their long-lost grandmother to ask where she’d hidden the family silver.
“If that’s the case, I’ll tell them what I’m up to. They all came on this trip with the hope of seeing spirits. No one will think anything of it if I tell them what I saw. Hell, Aloysius would love the energy and excitement it would generate.”
“I don’t know.” For some reason, Jude didn’t like the sound of this plan. He’d been around more spirits than he could count, most of whom had never meant them any harm, but there was something about the look on Cope’s face that made him feel off-balance. Maybe he was just picking up on the unsettled vibe his husband was throwing off.
“Ten and I are here to entertain these guests. I would be doing my job speaking to the spirit. If what I saw was an actual human, it would be fun to talk to her and hear all about the costume and why she chose it.” Cope pressed a kiss to Jude’s lips. “Come on, it will be fun.”
“Yeah, just like a root canal.” Jude rolled his eyes but followed Cope out into the hallway. “What if people recognize me and want to talk about the cold cases I’ve helped solve?”
“So you’ll use your indoor voice and manners. You talk to people all the time at work. Why is this so different?”
“At work, I’m interrogating possible murder suspects, not having tea and crumpets with debutantes.” To be honest, he preferred interrogations, although he could go for a midmorning snack.
Cope’s stomach grumbled when Jude mentioned food. “The dining car is two forward from us. Let’s just walk through the next car on our way there, and I’ll surreptitiously look for the woman. How’s that? I won’t say a word if I see her. We’ll just keep walking.”
“That will be the day. You and your Southern charm. You chat with everyone.” Jude sighed. There was no talking Cope out of this plan. “Let’s do it before I change my mind.” There was no chance Jude would change his mind. He was curious to find out if the woman was real or a spirit himself. Figuring out the puzzle might help calm Cope’s buzzing senses.
Opening the compartment door, Cope stepped into the hallway and turned right. He headed for the next car. After crossing through the pass, he slid the door open and stepped through. The car was for passenger seating. Row after row of people sat chatting with their neighbor or scrolling through their phones.
Jude scanned the space for a woman wearing a black hat with a veil. He didn’t see one, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t here. It was likely she took off the hat after taking her seat. His focus turned to Cope, who was walking down the aisle, taking a close look at everyone. He smiled and waved when people recognized him, something Jude would never get used to. Before long, they were in the dining car. “Did you see anything?”
“Not the woman I was looking for. I did see several spirits back there. All of them were eager to speak with their loved ones—I told them they’d have to wait for later. I’m not sure if Aloysius wants us doing readings during unscheduled times. I’ll ask him.” Cope pulled out his phone and started tapping out a message.
“Let’s grab something to eat. It won’t be long before we pull into Providence.” Jude led Cope to the counter and ordered muffins and coffee. They took a seat at an empty booth and dug into their food. Cope tired more quickly in situations like this, where he was surrounded by other people and a bevy of spirits. The best thing he could do for his husband was to keep him fed and well hydrated.
“I never realized how pretty it was south of Boston. Every time we’ve been on road trips down this way, I’ve been busy being the navigator or with keeping Wolf occupied. This is definitely an interesting way to travel.” Cope peeled the paper wrapper off his muffin and broke the sweet treat in half.
“That’s the one thing that excited me about this trip. Getting to just sit back and be a passenger. There’s no stress worrying how to get to where we’re going or when the next bathroom and snack break will be. I don’t have to only sip my drink in case we get stuck in traffic and there’s nowhere to pull off and use the bathroom.” Jude laughed. To be honest, this trip really wasn’t half-bad. He was used to working cold murder cases and dealing with angry, unsettled spirits when he partnered with Cope. This would be a nice change of pace.
Cope laughed. “Seriously. This is the life.” He opened his mouth, looking as if he had something else to add, but didn’t. His eyes fixed on something behind Jude’s right shoulder.
“What is it?” Jude asked. A shiver tore down his spine.
“It’s her,” Cope whispered.
“Where?” Jude didn’t want to turn around and gawk. Not yet anyway.
“Coming up the aisle toward us. She’s dressed just like I saw her earlier.” Cope’s lips barely moved as he spoke.
“Is she alive?” Jude’s voice was barely above a whisper. His stomach rioted with butterflies.
“Nope, definitely not,” Cope said, his eyes tracking the spirit’s movement. “She’s one booth back and heading this way.” He folded his hands in front of him and shoved over to the right side of the booth as if he were making room for her to sit down.
A few seconds passed. Nothing happened. Cope didn’t speak. Didn’t move. It barely looked like he was breathing. Jude wanted to ask what was going on but stayed quiet in case Cope was speaking telepathically with the ghost or if she was the one doing all the talking.
“Wow,” Cope whispered seconds later.
“What did she say?” Jude asked. His fingers burned with adrenaline.
“Her name is Augusta Harbor. Her son fought in the Civil War and was killed in action.” Cope shook his head sadly. “His remains were never returned home.”
“Jesus.” Jude shook his head. He imagined the pain of losing a child was something that stuck with you for as long as you lived. No wonder Augusta’s spirit was still wearing her mourning clothes. His mind went back to Abraham and Mary Lincoln, who’d suffered through the loss of two children. It was no wonder Mary had struggled with her mental health and sought out spiritualists. She even held séances in the Red Room of the White House after Willie’s death, hoping to connect with his spirit. “Did Augusta say why she’s on the train?”
“She’s looking for her son, Samuel. Augusta asked if I’d seen him. I told her that I hadn’t. None of the spirits I’ve seen have matched his description. I promised to keep an eye out for him. The poor woman looks as if her son was lost yesterday and not a century and a half ago.” Cope felt awful for Augusta.
Jude’s heart ached for the woman and her dead son. He hoped there was something Cope and Tennyson could do to reunite them. “I know you’re able to connect with spirits through members of their family. Would Augusta’s spirit be able to facilitate that kind of meeting?”
Cope tilted his head in thought. “I’m not sure. I’ve never tried to contact one spirit using another before. I’ll have to see if Ten has ever done anything like that. Bertha too.” Cope reached for his muffin and ate with a thoughtful look on his face.
Feeling more at ease than he had since Cope first told him about this proposed trip, Jude sat back and sipped his coffee. His eyes were on his gorgeous husband, who was no doubt thinking of ways to reunite mother and son.
All they had to do now was find Samuel’s spirit, something his grief-stricken mother hadn’t been able to do herself. Piece of cake. Right?
8
Cope
His heart heavy from his encounter with Augusta, Cope sat in the caboose with the kids, who were watching Toy Story 2. Everly and Aurora wanted to see Jessie, the cowgirl. It was a nice break from watching Frozen on a loop, but for the fact that the girls were both yodeling like the doll.
“Okay, monkeys, we’re almost to the first stop. We need you all to listen to Nana Kaye while we’re gone, just like at home, right?” Jude asked.
“Right!” the kids chorused back.
“Kaye, do you want me to stay?” Fitzgibbon asked. “I’m not psychic, and Ten and Cope each have their husbands with them.”
“Go have fun, Kevin. I’m good here with my grandbabies.” Kaye smiled fondly at the kids whose eyes were glued to the television.
“A haunted drawbridge isn’t my idea of a good time, but thanks. Text me if you need anything.” Fitzgibbon headed toward the door, where Jude and Ronan were waiting for him.
“Who wants snacks?” Kaye asked.
“Me! I’m so hungry I could eat a whole elephant!” Wolf got to his feet and ran to Kaye. Aurora was right behind him, but Everly headed for Cope.
“Michael’s waiting for you,” she said softly. Her hands twisted around themselves as she spoke.
Cope crouched down, reaching for Everly’s hands and detangling them. “The boy who drove the car?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “He wants his mommy. Can you help him find her, Uncle Cope?”
“I’ll do my best, honey. I promise.” Cope had several follow-up questions he wanted to ask but didn’t want to pepper the little girl with them all. He settled instead for one. “Are the other kids there too?”
“Michelle and Brian are. They don’t talk, only Michael.” Everly looked as if she had something more to say but stayed silent.
“Well, I guess that means we’ve got a lot of work to do, then. Thank you for helping me.” Cope hadn’t been able to sense any of the spirits Everly mentioned. He had absolutely no doubt they’d be waiting when he and Ten got off the train. Her powers, especially at her age, were stunning. Everly had been able to sense Michael from Boston. Cope hadn’t even come into his psychic abilities until he was a teenager, but here was this five-year-old with more skill in her little finger than he had in his entire body.
“You’re welcome.” Everly turned back to the other kids, who were eating Goldfish crackers. “I gotta go get my snack.” She ran back to the other kids. Kaye handed her a baggie of her own. Soon after, all the kids were laughing together.
“Is she okay?” Ten asked as he and Cope left the caboose together.
“She let me know she can sense three of the teenagers who died that night on the bridge. Two are silent, while the other wants his mother.” One drunken mistake ended five lives, destroying five families. Cope could well understand the spirits wanting to be reunited with their parents after all these years.
“Her abilities knock my socks off,” Ten said, shaking his head. “I called Madam Aurora last week to see if there’s anyone in her circle of friends who would be able to work with Everly. Someone who knows how to handle kids. She said she’d ask around. What Everly can do far surpasses my skills.”
“Mine too,” Cope agreed. The trick with Everly would be to find someone who could help her tame what she saw and when. Learning how to turn his gift off gave him time to relax and unwind without there being a constant crowd of spirits needing his help.
“Are you ready to talk to some ghosts?” Aloysius asked when Ten and Cope met up with him on the platform.
“We sure are!” Cope offered a bright smile while he worried internally if he would be able to speak to Michael and the others. He was mere feet from the bridge itself, and he wasn’t sensing any of the teenage ghosts.
As if he was reading Cope’s mind, Ten shook his head, which told Cope he wasn’t connecting with the spirits either.
“Welcome to Haunted Providence, Rhode Island!” Aloysius said to the crowd who’d debarked from the train. “It’s my pleasure to present the Seekonk River Bridge, the infamous site where five teenagers tragically plummeted to their deaths trying to jump their car to the other side while the drawbridge was opening. Step right up and see for yourselves.” Aloysius threw his arms wide and led the group toward the footpath that led out onto the abandoned bridge.
“I see spirits on the bridge. Three of them, dressed in bellbottoms and winter coats,” Cope said.
“I do too,” Ten said on a sigh. “Phew, I was afraid we wouldn’t be able to sense them. Why do you think Everly was able to connect with them while we couldn’t?”
“Maybe her receiver is stronger than ours.” Cope had been wondering the same thing himself. This was the only answer that made sense.
“What do you mean, her receiver?” Ten asked, slowing his pace to a stop.
“You know those big radio antennas? You get a great signal in your car when you’re near the tower, but the further away you get from it, the signal starts to fade out, right?”
“Yeah,” Ten agreed, burrowing deeper into his heavy coat.
“So think of us as the radio receiver in that car. Some are stronger than others and can pick up fainter signals. That’s Everly. A better way to describe it is to say she’s more sensitive.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.” Ten started walking toward the bridge. “Do you think she’s a stronger receiver than us because she’s so young or because she’s that much more powerful?”
“We know she’s more powerful than we were at that age. Which is scary because she’s tuning into these spirits almost without her consent.”
“Right. When we’re working, we open our gifts up to speak with ghosts. Everly doesn’t know how to shut it down, so they’re finding her and taking advantage of her untamed skills. I need to get her a teacher, sooner rather than later.”
Cope absolutely agreed with Ten’s assessment. The sooner Everly learned how to shut her gifts off, the better it would be for her growing body and her mental health.
“Ah, here are our guests of honor,” Aloysius’s voice boomed out when Cope and Tennyson walked out onto the bridge. “I was just telling our friends the story of what happened on this bridge that bitter cold night back in 1975. Are the teenagers here?”
The crowd pushed closer to Ten and Cope, making Cope feel a bit claustrophobic. Being able to see and hear the rush of the river wasn’t helping matters. He took a deep breath and opened his gifts wide. “Three of them are here. We’ve got Michael Kemp, Brian Wells, and Michelle Brinks. All three are wearing the clothes they wore the night of the accident.”
Michael moved toward Cope. “You can see us?” he asked, looking skeptical.
“Michael is asking if we can see him.” Cope focused his full attention on the spirit. “Yes, Tennyson and I can see you. Why haven’t you crossed over to the other side?”
“I was drunk the night of the accident. My girlfriend had broken up with me, and I was angry and hurt. We bought beers and drove around drinking them.” Michael slid his hands into his pockets. His eyes never left the ground in front of him. “I was the one who wanted to jump the bridge. Everyone else in the car was screaming at me to stop. I kept going. Yeah, I was drunk, but I knew better. I thought that if I pulled off the jump, maybe Cindy would come back to me.”
Cope quickly relayed everything Michael said to the crowd.
“How do we know those ghosts are really here?” someone called out from the crowd. “For all we know, you’re just talking to yourself.”
A few people chorused their agreement.
It was on the tip of Cope’s tongue to ask why they’d all come if they didn’t believe his and Ten’s gifts were genuine. Looking around the crowd, he spotted several with smartphones aimed at him, no doubt recording every second of this seemingly one-sided conversation.
“Mark, you came on this trip to speak with your father, right?” Ten asked, his hands balled into fists at his side.
“H-How did you know my name?” Mark asked. The crowd parted around him, leaving the man standing five feet or so away from Tennyson. “You must have seen a list of who was taking this train trip. We had to fill out a form with our names and who we were looking to connect with from the other side.” He folded his arms across his chest, making him look like a petulant child.
Ten took a deep breath, obviously trying to keep from losing his temper. Ronan came from the back of the crowd to stand at his husband’s side. “Your father’s name is Jefferson, but his friends called him Buck, thanks to a bizarre hunting accident in 1964. Something to do with being gored in the ass by a deer while taking a dump in the woods.”
Mark paled. He took a step back, crashing into a woman with pink hair who had her phone pointed at the man. She gave him a shove to get him away from her. “That wasn’t on the form I filled out.” Fear filled his eyes as if he was terrified of Ten revealing something a bit more delicate.
“You want to talk to him to apologize for something that happened before his sudden death five years ago. A fight where you accused him of cheating on your mother with a woman from work, right?”
Mark stood with his mouth hanging open. His lips moved, but no sound came out. He nodded, his eyes never leaving Tennyson.
“We’ll connect more with your father later, but if you don’t mind, Mark, Cope and I would like to continue speaking with the spirits of these dead teenagers.” Without waiting for a reply, Ten turned back to Cope, who couldn’t conceal a grin.
“So, you’re saying that you haven’t crossed over because of the guilt you feel over what happened here on this bridge?”
Michael nodded. “I killed my friends. How could I possibly go to heaven after that? I’m not worthy. I deserve to spend a lifetime suffering for what I did.”
