Grayce placed her fingers against her temple and closed her eyes. “Let me see,” she said dramatically. “I sense you are in Garretsville, Montana where you plan to help a bunch of ghosts mosey along.”
“Aunt Beth told you.” Meredith sighed.
“She did indeed. Beth emailed us both.” Regan laughed. “Is there a term for a bunch of ghosts? We have a gaggle of geese, a murder of crows, a mob of kangaroos, and a pack of wolves. What do we call a group of ghosts?”
“How about a hover or a linger?” Meredith suggested. “It’s kind of what they do, and we can use either word as a noun. Flock, murder, pack, mob and herd are verbs or nouns depending on how they’re used. I’m not sure about gaggle. I’d have to look it up.”
“If it’s a vote, I’m all for calling them a linger of ghosts,” Regan said.
“Me too,” Grayce added. “It has a nice ring to it.”
“It’s official then. I am here to help a linger of ghosts pass into the light.” Soft, masculine laughter flitted through her mind. Meredith scanned her surroundings, seeing no sign of Daniel, which meant nothing. He might be hanging around in the shadows between the trees, or he might’ve chosen to be invisible and just far enough away that she couldn’t feel his chill.
“So you know where I am. Do either of you sense anything I need to know? Any visions, Grayce?” Her identical twin sister had the gift of foretelling, and she was also an empath, though to a slighter degree than their aunt.
“No visions, but I do have a very strong feeling that things are not going to be easy, and you’re there to help a particular spirit.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I already know who that is. He’s being very rude right now. His name is Daniel, and I believe he’s eavesdropping.” This elicited a disgruntled snort from the ghost.
Grayce frowned. “I also sense a few hostiles in Garretsville, Meredith. Guard yourself well and call for reinforcements. The hostiles really need to be sent on their way. I have the feeling they are a big reason why that town has so many ghosts.”
Should she tell her sisters about the creepy you are familiar incident? Could be the three had used that line on any medium who showed up to help the spirits to cross. Likely they’d said it to heighten the fear factor and to chase away anyone intending to banish them. Mean ghosts were addicted to the fear they created with their hauntings, and it had worked. They’d frightened her all right.
“I’ve already had an encounter with the unfriendlies, and I have no intention of taking any risks where they’re concerned.”
Judging by the background, Grayce had joined Regan at her home in County Waterford. Meredith squelched the envy caused by seeing her sisters together for the call. Grayce would pick up on it, and Meredith didn’t want either of them to know how lonely and unhappy she was now that they lived so far away.
“What’s new with you two? How’s my darling nephew?” she asked her older sister. “Is he walking more?” Conan had taken his first steps a few months ago, shortly after turning one.
Regan chuckled. “Conan walks like a tiny drunk. We aren’t calling him a toddler yet. He’s more like a wobbler. I’ll text you a video.”
“I’d love that. How’s Fáelán’s doctoral program coming along, Regan?” she asked, gladdened just to see and hear her sisters.
“Really well. He’s ready to begin the field work for his dissertation,” Regan said. The pride she felt for her husband came through loud and clear. “Fáelán and two of his fellow doctoral candidates have formed a partnership, and they’ve applied for a number of grants. We should get word any day about funding, and then they’ll begin work on the Wicklow Dig.” She sighed happily.
“I can’t wait to see what they turn up,” Meredith said. “How’re things going with the Wicklow Farmhouse Inn, Grayce?”
Fáelán’s proposed archeological dig happened to be located right on the farm Grayce and her husband Brían owned, which was a win-win situation for everyone. If Fáelán managed to unearth the home and the burial site of the long gone Irish king he swore had lived there, that would draw tourists, archaeologists, and anthropologists. All of them would need a place to stay.
“Better than expected.” Grayce moved into the camera’s direct line of sight, edging out their older sister. “We’ve leased