Ghost Writer - Pandora Pine Page 0,50
Wolf was down for the night.” Cope handed the baby to Jude. “I’ll go see what’s going on.”
As Cope said the words, the typewriter kicked into high gear. “No, I’m coming with you.” Jude was halfway out the door before he realized he was holding his son. Christ, what the hell did he do now? He didn’t want Cope to face the spirit by himself, but he didn’t want to leave the baby alone and vulnerable either.
“Let’s go. Stay behind me.” Cope moved past him and into the hallway.
Jude’s heart was pounding like a hummingbird on espresso. He held the baby against his shoulder, facing away from Cope and whatever they were going to see when they entered the office.
The keys were flying, stamping the paper at record speed. The only time they slowed down was when the carriage was all the way to the right. It slid back to the left, advancing the paper to the next line. The clack of the striker against the page started all over again.
“What’s it say?” Jude whispered, as Cope leaned over the desk to get a better look.
“It’s another hymn.” Cope didn’t sound very pleased.
Wolf started to cry. He wasn’t whimpering like he did when he was hungry or shouting because he was wet. The baby was screaming as if someone were burning him. Jude took him outside the room, comforting the baby the best he could while keeping an eye on Cope.
The ghost writer continued to type at a manic pace. When the page was filled with as many words as possible, the paper slid free from the roller. It hit the surface of Cope’s desk, got caught in the whirl of the central air, and floated gracefully to the floor, typed side down.
Looking as if he didn’t want to move from where he stood, Cope reluctantly went to the side of the desk and bent to pick up the sheet. He brought it to Jude, holding it up for him to read. “I think it’s The Old Rugged Cross.”
So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies, at last, I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown
“You’re right. Alan Jackson did a version of that song years back. I was in Alabama at the time and I swear it played on the radio twice an hour.” Jude rubbed a hand over the baby’s back hoping to soothe him. The motion wasn’t working. “I knew the lyrics by…” Gasping, Jude trailed off, unable to believe what he was seeing.
“What? What is it?” Cope moved closer to his husband.
“The middle section of text. Do you see it?” Jude was still breathless over the hidden message Brooks had cleverly been able to leave.
So I'll S cherish the old T rugged Cross
Till my A trophies, at last, I lay N down
I will H cling to the old O rugged Cross
And exchange P it some day for E a crown
“Extra letters.” Cope looked up at Jude with shock on his face. “If you read them by line it spells Stanhope. Do you think that’s Brooks’ last name?”
“There’s only one way to find out.” Jude was halfway out the door before he remembered he was still holding Wolf, who was snuffling against his shoulder. He could feel wet spots on his neck from his son’s tears.
“We have to get him out of here.” Cope set a hand on the baby’s back.
Jude didn’t know what to make of Wolf’s reaction to the ghost writer. Could he sense the spirit in the room? Or was it more that the little boy sensed how tense his parents were? “How about a story?” Jude pulled the baby back from his shoulder. Tears were still rolling down his face. Wolf set his little hands on Jude’s cheeks. Love like Jude had never known made his heart feel as if it were going to burst. This room was the last place their son should be at the moment. “Come on, let’s go read Duck! Rabbit!”
Hopefully Wolf would come back to his usual happy self when Jude did his funny voices during the story.
23
Copeland
Thankfully, Wolf had been his usual self during story time. He’d laughed at Jude’s ridiculous voices and clapped his hands at the end of each book they read. It was their usual custom to read four books and then put Wolf to bed. Cope would sing a song or two and they’d tiptoe out of the room after a few final