“Is what I think frightened the boy.”
Jack’s chest grew tight as his mouth murmured, “Caleb Caldwell.”
“That’s my guess,” Angus agreed on a nod.
Jack’s chest grew tighter and his voice sounded hoarse when he said, “Belle.”
“That was my guess too,” Angus replied. “It would be strange, him being here. A ghost has to have some connection with the place it haunts. It has to be a place they spent a lot of time in or the place they died in. But it isn’t unheard of for a ghost to find a connection to someplace integral to something that happened in their life. Even so, we did readings on the top of the stairs, the bottom of the stairs and every step besides. We gave it everything we got. There’s nothing there. No ghost leaves no trace. It’s impossible.”
Jack, to his sheer disbelief, found himself stating, “We need the children.”
“Aye, lad, we need the children.” Then Angus shifted uncomfortably and asked, “Has Belle said –”
Jack cut him off, “We haven’t spoken of it. I assumed she tripped.”
Angus nodded again. “Aye, and she might think she did even if Caldwell was present. He’d have to trick her into the fall or, say, appear before her and make her lose her balance, something like that. Ghosts can’t touch humans unless they have a spell to give them powers. We’ve got the diary of a local girl. Cass found it in the library in town. I’ll share that with you later. But, as far as we can tell, Caldwell had no dealings with a witch who could give him that power and, even though this diary mentioned a good deal about him, the local girl doesn’t note that he dabbled in the dark arts. To be able to touch Belle, he’d have to have a spell. To be able to banish all trace of himself, he’d have to be very powerful. Although Cass is sure she felt something else, we’ve yet to discover what that was.” He leaned forward. “But, Jack, something scared that wee ghosty lad. Something that made him disappear when he’s had full run of this house for centuries without any indication he feared anything here. We need to call him out.”
Jack shook his head. “Do whatever you do but Belle and I aren’t moving back to The Point today.”
Angus threw his head back and hooted before looking at Jack. “Lad, you think we’ve been sitting back drinking whisky and chasing ghosty vibes? Belle’s protected. Cass has got her covered. Cass has got everyone covered. The whole house has so much protection it’d take a powerful coven to break through and, even for them, it’d take days.”
Jack was far from convinced but before he could share this with Angus, Angus spoke again.
“I know you don’t believe all I’m saying but believe this, I take my work seriously. My family, for generations, has been doing this work and we all take it seriously. We live it. We breathe it. It’s our legacy. In all my time doing this work I’ve no’ let anyone down and I’ll no’ start with you and I sure as hell will no’ let The Tiny Dynamo down.” He leaned in before he finished, saying, “Do you get me?”
He certainly sounded serious but Jack didn’t reply. He just held his stare.
Angus let it go and urged, “Talk to Belle about that night, Jack. We need to know what she saw and what she felt.”
“And, if there was some other…” he paused and then clipped out the word, “entity, what would you be looking for?”
“A cold draught is usually the way,” Angus answered. “It could feel like a slight breeze. It could be she saw her breath, like she was out in the chill air. Sometimes the ghosties appear full on, like Myrtle and Lewis like to do. Sometimes it’s just a feeling. Even if she just had a feeling she wasn’t alone, Cass and I need to know.”
Jack took a breath in through his nostrils and then he said what he couldn’t believe he had to say.
“I’ll talk to Belle.”
Angus smiled his demented smile. “Good lad.”
Then Jack continued to say what he couldn’t believe he had to say, “I need to get back to Belle but I’ll want a full briefing.”
Angus didn’t give the slightest indication of smugness. He just nodded and agreed, “Absolutely.”
Jack nodded back and then he and Angus started back to the morning room.
They didn’t make it.
They didn’t because they ran into Miles going the same direction.
“Miles,” Jack called, his voice curt and he watched his brother turn.
When Jack saw him, he noted there was something about Miles’s face, something Jack couldn’t quite read but whatever it was, it put Jack on edge and this only intensified when he heard Angus suck in breath behind him.
Miles rearranged his features and changed directions. Meeting Jack, Miles embraced his brother’s stiff frame.
“Jack, I’m so sorry,” Miles murmured, clapping him on the back while still embracing then releasing him and stepping away. “Elaine told me you and Belle were here. I thought I’d go –”
Jack cut him off, “Now’s not the time, Miles.”