Ghost Writer - Pandora Pine Page 0,17
from his phone. Jude assumed he’d been sending the video to everyone they’d ever known.
“It’s nothing.” Jude shrugged.
“Don’t give me that bullshit, Jude. I might not be able to read you, but I know you better than that. Spill it.”
“I didn’t think Wolf saying my name would have this kind of effect on me.” Jude’s own father had been murdered when he was thirteen years old. He hadn’t given any thought at all to becoming a father himself one day. He’d applied the same sort of logic to his life as a father, not looking ahead to anything in the future, taking life day by day instead.
“What kind of effect is that?” The annoyance in Cope’s voice turned to genuine curiosity.
Jude laughed. “Like I’m King of the World.” He’d rejoiced when Wolf rolled over for the first time, ate solid food, and learned to hold his own bottle. They were momentous occasions filled with photos, laughs, and kisses, but he’d never counted on the emotions swamping over him like a rogue wave.
“We’ve been so busy trying to provide for his every need that we haven’t taken a lot of time for ourselves. Whenever we talk lately, it’s never about us, it’s always about Wolf. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but maybe if we’d talked about our own feelings more, we could have been better prepared for this moment.” Cope set a hand on Jude’s knee.
“No.” Jude parked the car in front of the stately Beecher House. “Hearing Wolf talk this morning was the biggest and best surprise of my life. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Some of Jude’s favorite memories of his time with Cope had come as surprises, rather than something either of them had planned out.
“Just wait until he says ‘no’ for the first time like Everly.” Cope snorted.
“I can’t wait for that day.” It’d felt like an arrow through Jude’s heart the other day when Everly didn’t want a hug. He hoped that day with Wolf would never come.
The grey home with black shutters was a symmetrical, three-story, Federal-style home. The first two levels were identical with high ceilings, while the third floor was stouter and built to house the servants. It sat about twenty feet from the street with a black, wrought-iron fence and stone path leading to the front door.
When Jude got out of the car, Cope was staring up at the house with a funny look on his face. He’d held his phone up to snap some pictures of it, but so far as Jude could tell, Cope hadn’t taken a single image. “Are you okay? Is a spirit speaking to you?”
Cope startled. “I’m not sure. Something feels weird.”
“Weird?” Jude asked. “You’re going to need to be a bit more specific.” He’d learned over time the word weird was more a catch-all for things Cope couldn’t quite put a finger on.
Giving his head a little shake, Cope turned back to Jude. “There’s some kind of energy here. I’m not sure who or what it is.”
“Hello?” A short man was jogging down the path to where Jude and Cope were standing on the sidewalk. “Are you from West Side Magick?”
“We are. I’m Jude Byrne and this is my partner, Copeland Forbes.” Jude kept his eyes on Cope to make sure he was okay.
“Marc Waller. My wife Peg and I are the caretakers of The Beecher House.” He held his hand out for both men to shake.
“What’s it like being stewards of a house that was built in the 17th Century?” It was a gorgeous house, but not something Jude would ever be interested in living in.
“Thankfully, the house has been modernized in terms of technology. We have electricity, running water, and working bathrooms. The only things we can’t do are redecorate or add on. The footprint of the house cannot be altered.”
Jude had done his research on The Beecher House. He knew what Marc was saying was dead on. What he’d been hoping for was a little more information about the spirit. If either he or his wife had seen it or if it had spoken to them.
“Why did you and your wife decide to live in this particular house?”
“Peg was raised in a house like this on High Street in Newburyport. Her family comes from money. She fell in love with this house at first sight. All Peg has to do is pay rent here and assist with open houses, so the public are allowed to tour it certain times