The Haunting of Emily
Anne McCourtie
Published by Anne McCourtie
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2012 Anne McCourtie
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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Prologue
“Come on, David…be there,” Emily murmured into the phone. It was late and she was tired after her long trip. She had been trying to reach David on his cell phone for two days, but all she could get was the recording telling her the number was not available. She wondered if he had his phone turned off, although that wasn’t something that he usually did. They hadn’t seen each other in almost two weeks and Emily wanted to let him know she had made it home safely.
Once more she got the recording. In frustration, she hung up the phone and stood in the kitchen trying to think what to do. All she really wanted to do was go to bed. Finally, she decided to call the number she had for Justin and Marcy – the friends David was visiting – and leave a message with them. She knew they might have gone sailing and she had no idea what their itinerary was or if they even had one.
She dialed their number and waited for the beep. “Hi, this is Emily McLofflin, David’s wife. I was just calling to let him know I made it back to Kansas City okay. Please ask him to call me when he gets in. Thanks.” That was the best she could do. At least he couldn’t complain that she didn’t check in with him. Once more she played back the last message she had from him.
“Emily darling, I miss you like crazy and can hardly wait to tell you about the trip. Wish you could be here with me. We’re going up to Thunder Bay for a couple of days. I’ll call you when we get back. Love you.”
Emily smiled at his boyish eagerness. She could just imagine David, his blue eyes fairly sparkling with anticipation and his broad, enchanting smile lighting up the face she adored. She was pleased he was having a good time. He had so wanted to go sailing on the Great Lakes.
It was unfortunate she had to cancel going with him, but her career demanded it. She thought of herself as a late bloomer, which meant she felt she always had to make up for lost time, so the past week had been spent making the circuit of several bookstores where she was the featured author for promoting her latest children’s book. However, as much as she had enjoyed the publicity, she wished she had been able to go with David.
Emily happily anticipated David’s returning home. They had been married four years, yet she still felt a certain girlish giddiness when they were reunited after a long time apart. With a sigh, she carried her suitcase upstairs to the bedroom where she changed into her nightgown and crawled into bed. Soon she was sleeping soundly.
The next morning Emily was awakened by the sound of the doorbell. Groaning, she rolled over to look at the clock and was shocked to see it was already ten. She jumped out of bed and grabbed a robe.
“I’m coming!” she shouted down the stairs to the insistent ringer of the doorbell. Quickly she ran her fingers through her sleep-tousled, light auburn hair before opening the door. Confused and bewildered, she gazed into the face of a State Trooper.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she told the officer. “I…I…was still asleep,” she explained groggily. “What’s going on?”
“Mrs. Trimble?”
“Yes?” Emily said warily. She didn’t bother to explain about keeping her maiden name. Sometimes it was just simpler to be Mrs. Trimble.
“Are you the wife of David Trimble?”
“Yes.”
“Ma’am, I’m Captain Maynard. I’m here to let you know that your husband has been involved in an accident.”
The color drained from Emily’s face as she gripped the door handle with her left hand, steadying herself with her other hand against the doorframe. “What’s happened? Is he okay? Is he badly hurt?
“Ma’am, may I come in so that you can sit down?”
Apprehension filled Emily’s heart and her knees went weak as she nodded and stepped back. The trooper grasped her arm and helped her to a chair in the living room, then seated himself on the sofa before speaking.
“Mrs. Trimble, according to the Coast Guard, there was a sudden, violent storm and your husband was washed overboard. I’m sorry, but he is presumed drowned.”
“What do you mean ‘presumed’? Don’t they know for sure?”
“No, ma’am, they don’t. You see, they’ve not yet recovered his body. They have searched for two days with no luck. I’m sorry. I wish I could give you more of the details. You’ll need to get in touch with the Coast Guard and they can tell you what they know up to this point. Here’s their number.” He handed her a card. “Is there someone that I can call to come and stay with you right now?”
For a moment, Emily couldn’t speak. Her pulse pounded loudly in her head as she tried to focus the thoughts that were running like unruly children through her mind. This isn’t real! It can’t be real! Not my precious David! He can’t be gone. This is a nightmare and I’ll wake up any minute now. She sat there numbly, unable to move or talk.
The trooper waited patiently then gently repeated the question. At last Emily spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes…yes. I…I…have a friend…Sabrina. Her number is programmed into the phone in the kitchen.” She waved vaguely at the doorway leading to the kitchen. The officer went to make the call, then came back and sat down again.
“I’ll wait here with you until you friend arrives. She said she’d be right over. Is there anything else I can do for you, Mrs. Trimble?”
Emily shook her head. Not unless you can make this go away, she thought. David…drowned? Not found? It was impossible. He was supposed to call her. He promised he would call. Her head hurt, she wanted to cry, but couldn’t. Where was Sabrina?
Sabrina didn’t bother with the doorbell as she rushed through the front door into the living room. She hugged Emily without speaking, then followed the trooper to the foyer where she spoke briefly with him before he left. She returned to the living room and sat facing Emily.
“Emily, honey, what can I do for you? Have you had any breakfast?” asked Sabrina, trying to be helpful but not sure what to do.
Emily shook her head. “No…not yet. I…I…was in bed asleep…dreaming. Am I still dreaming, Sabrina? Please tell me I am,” she begged as she looked into her friend’s eyes.
Sabrina choked back her tears and took Emily’s hand. “I wish I could, Emily, believe me, I wish I could. But…no…it’s not a dream. I’m afraid David isn’t coming home.”
Chapter 1
Emily ignored the ringing phone. Because she was busy packing and didn’t want to be bothered unless it was really important, she decided to let the answering machine pick up and she would screen her calls. She listened as her message played.
“You have reached 963-2629. I’m sorry I am unable to come to the phone right now. Please leave a message after the beep and I will call you back as soon as possible.”
“Emily? If you’re there, pick up!”
Recognizing her friend Sabrina’s cheery voice, Emily reached over, pressed the speaker button, and replied, “Hello, Sabrina.”
“Emily, have you got me on that damned speakerphone again? You know I hate that!”
“Sorry, Sabrina, but I need both hands right now.” Emily opened her closet and began looking through her clothes, trying to decide what to take with her to Michigan.
“So what are you doing that you can’t take five minutes to talk?”
“I’m packing. Did you forget that I’m leaving in the morning?”
“No, I didn’t forget. That’s why I’m calling; to see if I can talk you out of this nonsense!”
“Sabrina, we’ve been over this before and you know you can’t talk me out of it.”
“Oh, you’re impossible! This is crazy, moving off to some place a thousand miles from home where you don’t know anyone.”
“I told you. I’m not moving. I’m going to a writer’s conference.”
“Emily, the conference only lasts four days; you’re planning to stay four months!”
“I know. I’m just taking a…a… sabbatical.”
“From what…life? For God’s sake, you don’t even have to slave away at a regular job like the rest of us do! I just don’t see why you can’t stay in Kansas City to take your sabbatical.”
Emily couldn’t concentrate and talk to Sabrina at the same time. She finally gave up and picked up the receiver.
“Sabrina, why don’t you just come on over to the house? Maybe you can help me pick out what to take and I’ll try to explain – again – why I’m doing this. Besides I need to give you a key and tell you about the plants.”
“Well, okay - if you insist. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Good. And if you don’t have any plans for the evening, you can stay and have supper with me.”
“That’ll work. See you in a few.”
Emily reached over and hung up the phone. She loved Sabrina, but she really didn’t want to have to explain her decisions to her best friend. However, she knew Sabrina wouldn’t settle for anything less. Emily sighed as she once more went to the closet and sorted through the clothes.
What was Michigan like in the fall? She had only been there once before and that was in early summer. From what Andrew had said, the weather was not too different from Kansas City, except that cold weather probably started earlier. She would definitely need to take warm clothing. Emily had to make sure to take everything she needed since she planned to be gone for at least four months, and she didn’t want to end up buying more clothes. She was still working her way through the closet when she heard Sabrina’s truck in the driveway. Leaning out the upstairs window, she called to Sabrina.
“The door’s unlocked, just come on up.” As Emily closed the window, Sabrina’s petite, trim figure bounded up the stairs, her curly blonde hair bouncing with every step. Emily envied the ease with which Sabrina kept a slim figure, while Emily had to struggle to maintain her optimum weight. She guessed Sabrina’s secret was that she never slowed down. For a woman in her forties, Emily thought, she seems to have boundless energy.
“Emily, how many times do I have to tell you – keep your doors locked! This is Kansas City, not Podunk, Oklahoma!”
“Oh, Sabrina, you’re such a worry wart.” Emily laughed as she hugged her friend.
“That may be, but you mark my words, one of these days, someone will take advantage of your trusting nature and they’ll rob you blind. Probably while you’re standing upstairs just like this!” Sabrina plopped down on the bed. “So now tell me again why you’re doing this.”
“Well, Sabrina, I’m not really sure I can explain. I have just come to a point in my life that I need to figure out where to go next. I’ve had a really hard time since David died, you know. It’s been so difficult to focus on my work that even my publisher is wondering about me.”
“Yeah, I know, Emily. But it’s been two years now. You need to get on with your life. I know David was a great guy and all that, but he’s gone now.” Sabrina touched Emily gently on the arm to lessen the harshness of her words. Emily sat down beside her on the bed.
“You’re right. I know that. And that’s why I want to leave this house for a while. Everywhere I look, I’m reminded of him. We worked so hard together on this place. Not only decorating it, but creating the gardens. Not many men are interested in that type of thing, but David loved the gardens as much as I did and, well, we had so many things in common…we were so right together!” Emily struggled to not give in to the despondency, which seemed to always hover near her, just waiting to take over. She cleared her throat. “Anyway, I’ve got this great opportunity to fulfill one of my life-long dreams, so I’m going to go for it.”
“And what dream might that be? To get as far away from your best friend as you can?” Sabrina brushed her hair from her forehead and stuck out her lip in a mock pout.
“No, Sabrina.” Emily laughed. “If you knew me better, you would know I’ve always wanted to seclude myself in a cabin in the woods and write some great mystery novel. And now’s my chance.”
“Emily McLofflin, I’ve known you more years than I care to count, and you never shared that with me. I know…because I would have remembered!”
“Okay, okay, so you’re my best friend and you would have remembered. Well, now you know.”
“So why couldn’t you just rent a cabin somewhere closer to home?”
“Well, for one thing, I can use this one for free. All I have to do is pay for the electricity I use.”
“What about water? Or do you have to haul that from a creek?”
Emily ignored the sarcasm. “No, Sabrina. The cabin has running water. There’s a well and they’ve got a pump. In fact, it even has an indoor toilet!”
“That’s great. At least I won’t have to worry about you being eaten by a bear some night on your way to the outhouse!”
Emily looked at Sabrina and they both burst out laughing. “Now that would definitely be an embarrassing way to go. If it’s any comfort, I promise not to go outside the cabin after dark. Okay?”
“Well, okay, I guess.” Sabrina smiled, “So what’s for supper, anyway?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you go downstairs and see what’s left in the fridge while I finish up here. We may have to order in.”
“Oh, I can wait. Let me help you with your packing. What do you have left to do?”
Sabrina stretched out across the bed as Emily moved over to the closet once more and they began choosing her Michigan wardrobe. Sabrina would either nod yes or no as each garment was brought out. Before long, they were done.
“Now can we eat?” asked Sabrina.
Emily laughed, “Yes, yes. I can’t have my best friend and comrade starving to death. I may need your help later.” She grabbed Sabrina’s arm and pulled her up from the bed. “Let’s go.”
Emily led the way down the stairs and into the spacious kitchen she and David had designed. One of the advantages of having been married to an architect was the freedom to have a house that fit her image of a dream home. She could tell him what she wanted and David had the expertise to plan it. He often had suggestions, but they generally agreed on what they wanted. When necessary, they compromised on the features that caused disagreement, so it all worked out well.
One of those features had been the island in the center of the kitchen. Emily wasn’t sure she wanted it, but David insisted she would love it, so she agreed to have it built. As it turned out, he was right. She especially loved the convenience of the breakfast bar, which was part of the island.
Sabrina now perched herself on one of the stools at the breakfast bar while Emily surveyed the refrigerator. “Hmm, not much in here. Some tuna salad and bagels.”
“Ugh! Thanks, but no thanks. How about some pizza? My treat.” Sabrina grabbed the phone book and flipped it open, then found her favorite pizza place.
Emily wrinkled her nose in disagreement. “How about lasagna instead? With a salad. Look up Valentino’s. They make a great lasagna.”
“Yeah, but they don’t deliver, do they?”
“No, but it’s not far. I’ll treat, if you’ll go pick it up, okay?”
“I said I’d treat, so I will. You want to make the call?
Emily dialed the phone and placed the order, then hung up and turned to Sabrina. “They said it would be about twenty minutes.”
“Okay. So while we’re waiting, tell me again about this long-lost family you found in Michigan.”
Emily briefly went over how she had gotten on the Internet and found out there were several McLofflins who lived in Michigan. Then she learned about a park that had originally been a McLofflin estate of some kind. Apparently, it was a very unique piece of property and had been bought by the small town where a Nathaniel McLofflin had been born and raised. Emily joked that he was the only McLofflin she knew of who had been wealthy. It had been very exciting research and when she found out about the park, she just had to go see it.
“Why in the world did you want to drive that far, just to see a park?” Sabrina asked.
“I guess it was like a pilgrimage for me. My mother died six years ago and as an only child, I felt very alone. Then I met David and he became my family, but suddenly he was gone, too. My dad was still alive, but he and my mom divorced when I was about ten, so I didn’t see much of him or his side of the family until he died last year. I sort of reconnected with them at the funeral. Then when I came back from Texas, just out of curiosity, I decided to look up McLofflin on the Internet. And you know the rest.”
When Emily found out about the park, she called her Aunt Theresa and asked her about it. Theresa didn’t know about the park, but she did know about the millionaire, Nathaniel McLofflin, and remembered a story her father told about him. “Papa told us that one time he went to apply for a job at the company Nathaniel owned and when he told Nathaniel he thought they were related, Nathaniel just laughed and said, ‘Yeah, everyone who wants a job here is related to me.’ Papa got so mad he told him to go to hell and slammed out of his office,” Theresa had recalled with a laugh. “Papa always was hot-headed and stubborn,” she added.
Theresa also told Emily a genealogy had been done on the family, but she had no idea who had the chart. “Papa had a copy of the chart and a book. He gave the book to your dad, but your dad lost it when he was in California. I think Geneva has the chart. Or maybe it was one of her kids…I just don’t remember.”
Learning that little bit of family history made Emily all the more eager to go to Michigan. She decided to contact all the McLofflins she could find who lived within a hundred-mile radius of the park and see if they would be interested in getting together so she could meet them. Given how rare the name was and the fact that there was a cluster of them in the area around the park, she figured they were most likely in the same family. So she made the pilgrimage.
“Yeah, I remember how excited you were last year when you went up there and met your long-lost relatives. Cousins, weren’t they?
“Fifth cousins. They were really nice to take time out to come and meet me. I kept in touch with them and through writing back and forth, I came to be invited to come back for a visit and stay at the cabin.”
“There you go again!” Sabrina fussed. “You don’t know these people! They might be criminal sorts or something.”
“God, Sabrina, with your imagination, you should be the writer. The McLofflins are just ordinary people, like you and me.”
“Hmph! You may be ordinary, but I’m not, thank you very much.”
“Oh, Sabrina just go get the food, will you?” Emily shook her head and laughed.
Sabrina slid off the barstool and headed for the door.
While she waited for Sabrina to return, Emily looked out into the back yard. Her gaze lovingly caressed the trees she and David had planted so joyfully that first year. The weeping willow had grown into a magnificent centerpiece which stood near the small pond David had made. Emily loved the haven they had created in the yard, but it was so lonely without David she seldom spent time there anymore. It was just too painful. Over and over she played the tape in her head – the doorbell, the officer standing on the doorstep looking at her so solemnly.
Emily had sat in stunned silence as the officer explained that there had been a boating accident and David was missing, presumed drowned. Later she learned from David’s sailing partner, Justin, that a storm had come up unexpectedly and David had gone to adjust the sails. Something happened and he was thrown overboard. Then all hell broke loose. The boat capsized and it was all Justin could do to hang on to his wife, Marcy, and keep the two of them from drowning. By the time they were rescued, there was no sign of David. The Coast Guard searched for two days, but his body was never recovered – only his empty life jacket. The team doing the investigation said it looked like a cleat gave way and David probably tripped or got caught somehow in the halyard and fell overboard.
Emily had no idea what a cleat or a halyard was, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that David was never coming home again and there was a cavernous, gaping wound in her life where he had been. She wondered if it would ever heal.
A banging on the door broke into Emily’s reverie. With a start she went to open it and found that safety-minded Sabrina had locked Emily in. She opened the door to see Sabrina standing on one foot, juggling containers of food and aiming another kick at the door. She stopped in mid-kick and grinned sheepishly at Emily. “Sorry…no free hands to ring the doorbell.”
Emily took one of the containers, then turned and went back to the kitchen as Sabrina followed. Soon they were devouring the food. Emily hadn’t realized how hungry she was until then. Before long, they had their fill and Emily offered to wrap up the leftovers for Sabrina to take home.
“Oh, just leave it in the fridge. That way, when I come over to take care of the plants, I’ll have a snack.”
“Okay. Just clean up when you’re done with it.”
“Yes, ma’am! Will do.”
“Here’s the key. I think if you come by once a week, that should be enough.” Emily then proceeded to give Sabrina instructions on caring for the plants.
“Okay, I think I’ve got it. But if I know you, there are written instructions someplace, right?”
Emily laughed. “Yes. I’ll put them on the door of the fridge, so you’ll be sure to find them. I’ll also leave my itinerary there as well. It has all the places I’ll be staying and the dates I’ll be there. I’ll have my cell phone with me, but I’ll also leave you the numbers for both the hotel and my cousin Andrew. Please only call him in an emergency. ”
“Got it. So, are you all ready to go now?’
“Pretty much. Just a few little details yet. I’m getting into the spirit of adventure now; I think it will be good for me to get away from here for a while.”
“Well, I hate to admit it, but you’re probably right. You’ve been moping around here far too long. It’s unhealthy. Like I said, I know you and David were the ideal couple and all, but it’s time to move on. Emily, accidents happen. There was nothing you could do about it, so let it go. It was not your fault.” The stricken look on Emily’s face puzzled Sabrina. “Are you okay, Em?” she said gently.
“Sabrina, you’re wrong. It was my fault.”
“What? How could it be your fault? You weren’t even there!”
“I know, but I should have been! We were supposed to go on that trip together. We had been planning it for a long time and then I won that award for my book and my publisher arranged several book signings for me, so I had to change my plans.”
“And so? I’m having a hard time seeing how that makes you to blame for David’s accident.”
“Sabrina, there’s something I never told you or anyone else. It’s the reason I can’t seem to let go of the guilt. David was going to cancel the trip and go with me to accept the award, but I told him to go on to Michigan without me. It was a long-time dream of his to sail on each of the Great Lakes. He was finally going to get to sail on two of them. We had been planning for it for a long time and I knew how much it meant to him, so I kept insisting that he go! If I had just backed off, he would still be alive today!” Emily said heavily.
Sabrina put her arms around Emily and held her.
“Emily! Stop it! You had no way of knowing what was going to happen. You were not responsible, so stop punishing yourself.” Sabrina held Emily out at arm’s length. “I think you’re right – you do need a sabbatical from life! But are you sure it’s such a good idea to go to Michigan? I mean…that’s where…”
“I know. That’s where David died. Don’t worry, I’ll be okay. It’s just a coincidence that my long-lost cousins live there, but I don’t plan to go anywhere near the place where David was…lost.”
“Well, if you’re sure. But…I really don’t feel good about all this!” Sabrina frowned. Then, not wanting to upset Emily, she added, “But, hey, since when did you ever pay any attention to my goosey feelings? You go and have a good time. And call me at least once a week with a progress report!”
The two friends talked late into the night, until at last Emily said she needed to get to bed and get some rest if she was going to get an early start. It was a long drive to Michigan. Sabrina said goodbye and promised to come by and see Emily off the next morning.
Chapter 2
Emily pulled away from her house at 6:30 the next morning, after sharing a tearful goodbye with Sabrina. “It’s only for a few months, Sabrina. I’ll probably be back after the first of the year.”
“What do you mean, ‘probably’?” Sabrina asked suspiciously.
“I mean that I don’t think I’ll be back any sooner than that. I don’t want to spend Christmas or New Year’s in our…my house alone again this year. The past two years without David have been dreadful and until I can put that to rest, I would rather be somewhere else during the holiday season.”
Sabrina hugged Emily again. “I understand. Truly, I do. I just wish you could make peace with his death.”
“Just give me some time, Sabrina. I’m sure it will fade eventually,” Emily promised.
Sabrina sighed, “I hope it will be soon. I miss the old Emily.”
“Well, I will do my best to come back a new woman!” Emily vowed with a laugh. With that she and Sabrina parted to go their separate ways.
Emily was glad to get out of Kansas City before the rush hour. Once she was headed north and the traffic thinned out, she relaxed a little. It was going to be a nice day for driving. The morning had been chilly, but the late September sun soon warmed the air. She was grateful the wind wasn’t blowing as hard as it had been the day before. She hummed to herself as she headed for Iowa.
When the weather was like this, Emily enjoyed driving on long trips. She usually liked having the opportunity to reflect upon her life and make an assessment of where she was and where she was going. However, since David’s death, it had been difficult to see where she was going. She knew her friends didn’t understand why she was still grieving for him. After all, it had been more than two years now. What they didn’t understand is just how close she and David had been.
Emily thought back to her first marriage. Being only nineteen and naive about matters of love, she had been in love with the idea of love when she met and married Jason during her second year in college. Because she loved children, she had majored in elementary education, but after their marriage she dropped out of school at the end of the second year because now all she wanted was to stay at home and be a mother.
Both she and Jason had wanted children, but after four years of trying and three miscarriages, she was told there would be no children; she had to have a hysterectomy. The news came as a crushing blow to them both, although Jason seemed especially bitter about it. Two years later, she was inducted into the world of reality when her marriage ended in divorce.
Jason had been having an affair the last year of their marriage and when the woman got pregnant, he told Emily he was leaving her for a woman who could give him the children he wanted. Even though Emily was not especially surprised, the divorce was excruciatingly painful. She didn’t ever want to go through that again, so at age 25, she resolved to never marry again. And for almost 15 years, she kept that promise to herself. Then she met David.
After 15 years of dating and short-term relationships, Emily had learned a lot about men – the good, the bad, the ugly. She learned never to trust them – with her money, her secrets, or her heart. So when she met David, she was prepared to enjoy another brief interlude in her life until it was time to move on. However, David was not so easily dismissed.
Emily had never met a man like him. He was kind, sensitive and generous, not just with his money, but also with his time and attention. It wasn’t that Emily had never met men that were kind or sensitive or generous, it was just that the combination in David was so special. It was hard for her to describe him to other people. He had a way of being with people that went beyond the normal, shallow communication that usually characterized everyday conversations. Emily was cautious when she first met him, but it didn’t take long for him to win her over. Before she hardly realized what had happened, she had fallen deeply in love with him.
The miracle was he had also fallen in love with her. If ever there were soul mates, Emily decided they must be. She always felt as if she could say or do anything and he would understand or at least try to understand. Of course, they were only married for four short years and because of their careers, a good deal of their time was spent apart, so Emily was sure that helped create a harmonious relationship.
Ah, but when they were together, it was a time of rejoicing. His tender and loving manner elicited her most gracious behavior in response. That’s not to say they didn’t have their moments of conflict. Like any couple, they had disagreements, but they had learned to agree to disagree at times and let it go.
Letting go. That had been so hard for Emily when David died. In fact, she had not yet been able to let go. Because no body was ever found, there was no funeral, no closure for her. There was a memorial service with a few of their closest friends, but it didn’t seem real. Funny, the way their friends treated her afterward. They seemed to feel awkward and not know what to say, so they stayed away. Except for Sabrina. Sabrina had stayed by Emily’s side and helped her get through the worst of it. But no one could help her get through the long, lonely nights when she would have to remind herself David was never coming home again so she could quit listening for his key in the door.
No, no one really understood that when David died, it was like a light went out in her world and left a black hole. There were times when Emily felt she would gladly fall into that hole and be swallowed up if it would stop the endless aching in her heart.
As she approached Des Moines, Emily’s attention was drawn away from her reflections on her life. She needed to be alert to the increased traffic and be watching for her turn off. Once she was on the Interstate headed east, she began to look for a place to have breakfast. She spotted a restaurant with easy access from the highway, and stopped for a quick, late breakfast. Before long she was back on the road. She didn’t want to waste any time getting to her first destination – Somerset Center or somewhere near there. That way the park would be her first stop and she could spend the day taking pictures and snooping around the antique shops she had seen on her earlier, more hectic trip to Michigan the summer before.
Next it was on to Jackson where Tom and Virginia McLofflin had graciously invited her to spend the night, then on to Lansing to see her cousin Andrew and pick up the key to the cabin. She was hoping to be able to treat Andrew and his wife to lunch to thank them for all they had done in arranging for her to stay at the cabin. Andrew was the McLofflin with whom she had communicated the most. They e-mailed each other on a fairly regular basis and it was during these friendly exchanges that he happened to mention the family cabin in the woods. Emily had commented on how great it sounded and then in the spring, Andrew had surprised her by offering to let her use the cabin if she was coming up again for a visit.
Andrew said the cabin was a great “jumping off place” to go do some sightseeing. She hadn’t really planned another trip, but the more she thought about it, the better it sounded. Then one morning after a particularly heart-wrenching dream about David, she decided she needed to get away. She called Andrew and took him up on the offer.
“Andrew, I’ve been thinking about that cabin and I was wondering if you would be willing to rent it out for a while – say three or four months?”
“Well, I won’t rent it to you, but if you’ll just pay for the electricity, you’re welcome to use it. Melissa and I might come up in November for a while, to do some hunting. Would that bother you?”
“No, that would be fine. I can always move to a motel and give you two some privacy.”
“Oh, I don’t know that you would need to do that. There’s plenty of room at the cabin. Of course, you might prefer to be alone if you’re doing some writing.”
“I would just feel more comfortable going to a motel. It’s really not a problem. Just let me know.”
“We can do that. So, as far as I’m concerned, come on up!”
“Okay, it’s a deal! I’ll let you know later on exactly when I plan to be there. I’ll have to come by and get the key and directions from you.”
“Sounds great. We’ll be looking forward to seeing you again.”
Emily smiled at the thought of seeing everyone again. Last time, she had gone with a friend who could only get away for three days, so the trip had been incredibly quick. They had driven up on Friday, met the family on Saturday afternoon, had dinner with them and then ended up driving all Saturday night to arrive back in Kansas City on Sunday morning. Emily vowed she would never do that again.
But meeting the McLofflins was worth the arduous trip. The four brothers – Andrew, Tom, Richard and Edward – had been so genuinely friendly when she met them the first time. Bringing their wives and children, they met her at the park where it seemed like a real family reunion and they made her feel such a part of it. She was very touched by their response to her letter. They didn’t know her, but they had taken time out of their busy lives to go to the park to meet a stranger that claimed to be a relative. It made her feel…special and…well…loved. She was looking forward to seeing them again.
Emily didn’t make it to Somerset Center before she turned in for the evening. By the time she got to Coldwater, she was too sleepy to keep driving. She decided she was close enough to the park and pulled into the first motel she saw. She had barely enough energy to wash her face and brush her teeth before crawling into the bed where she fell quickly into a deep sleep.
The sound of car doors slamming penetrated the fog in Emily’s brain. She slowly opened one eye and looked at the bedside clock. It read 10 a.m. in giant digital numbers. “Guess I missed the continental breakfast,” she grumbled to herself through a yawn. She rolled out of the bed and by 10:45 was heading through the door of the motel office to check out.
“Was everything okay?” the desk clerk asked. She was a short, round young woman with a cheery smile.
“Yes, it was fine, thanks. Can I get some coffee somewhere?”
“Sure. Right through those double doors over there. You missed the rolls and juice, though.”
“That’s okay. I just need to get a little caffeine down right now.”
The desk clerk chuckled. “I can relate to that! It’s the first thing I go for when I get here in the morning.”
Emily turned in her key, then went to fix some coffee to take with her. She pulled out of the motel parking lot and started looking for a place to eat. She finally found a restaurant and went in for breakfast. It was after 1 o’clock by the time she reached Somerset Center.
Emily’s memory served her well and she had no problem finding the park again. She pulled into the parking area, got out and began to walk around the grounds, savoring the peace and beauty of the place. She was glad she had time to take some pictures and just enjoy being there. It was another gorgeous day – chilly enough for a light jacket, but still pleasant. Emily wandered about the park, stopping on a small footbridge to listen to the brook, which ran through the grounds. She thought how wonderful it must have been to live in a setting like this, surrounded by the tall pines and graceful willows that grew there. She was disappointed that the house was no longer standing and wondered what it had looked like.
After a while, she walked past what she knew was the rathskeller and garages built into the side of the hill. She had read that there were tunnels leading from the rathskeller to the home above and a little to the west of the garages. She peered into the windows of the rathskeller and saw what must have been a kind of barroom. On the far side of the bar she could make out a fireplace at the back of the room. She moved on to the next room. Several old display cases held what appeared to be very old objects and papers. It looked as though someone had started building a small museum. She would have loved to have gone inside and explored the tunnels, but for now the doors were locked, so she walked on past the garages to a flight of stone steps leading to a covered pavilion.
The pavilion looked as though it might have been part of the original place. As Emily climbed the stone steps for a closer look, she tried to imagine how it must have been when the McLofflins had a party. She thought there might even have been a bandstand there at one time. Now the pavilion housed a few picnic tables along the sides with an open space in the middle. She wondered if they still had dances here in the summer as she sat down on one of the benches with her back to the table.
She was still sitting there daydreaming when another woman came up the hill to the pavilion. The woman smiled and greeted Emily.
“Good afternoon. Enjoying the park?”
“Yes, I am. How about you?”
“Oh, yes, I come here quite often. Is that your van parked down there?”
“Yes, why?”
“I noticed you’re from Missouri. I was just wondering what brings you to the park?”
“Well, as it happens, I’m a McLofflin. I’m a distant relative of the man that lived here at one time.”
“Oh, really? That’s interesting. Is this the first time you’ve seen the park?”
Emily then explained how she came to find out about the park and all that had ensued since then.
“How exciting for you!”
“Yes, it has been. So I’m just taking some time to enjoy the park before I go on to Jackson. It really is a lovely park.”
“Yes, it is.” The woman paused as she looked around the park, then back at Emily. “Did you know that it’s haunted?”
Emily wasn’t sure she liked where the conversation was going. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe there could be such things as ghosts; she just didn’t want to encounter some nut case who thought there were ghosts everywhere. Very cautiously, she replied.
“No, I haven’t heard that. What makes you think it’s haunted?”
“Well, I read about it in a book. Apparently, there’s a woman who haunts the park. She’s what they call a ‘benign’ ghost.”
“Benign?”
“Right. In other words, she’s not evil or destructive or anything.”
The mention of the book somewhat reassured Emily that the woman was not hallucinating, so she felt safe in continuing the conversation. “That’s good to know. And exactly how was she discovered?”
“Well, it seems at least a couple of people have reported seeing a woman in a dark green dress who comes up to the pavilion, looks around, smiles and then begins dancing – like a waltz or something. Then she goes back through the rathskeller door and disappears. The people who saw her swore that the door was locked when they got to it and tried to open it.”
“So could it just be someone who has a key to the door? Maybe someone like a groundskeeper who likes to dance?”
“I don’t think so. You see, she’s wearing clothing from a different era. A long dress, high collar, long sleeves. They say it looks like a ball gown.”
“Have you ever seen her?”
“No, but I keep trying. The ‘sightings’ have been during the afternoon, so every chance I get, I stop by here and hang out for a while to see if I can see her. Haven’t had much luck, yet.”
“That is fascinating. Does anyone have any idea whose ghost it might be?”
“Not that I know of. I don’t know much about the people who lived here. I think they had a lot of friends and gave a lot of parties. It could be anyone!”
Emily glanced at her watch. If she was going to hit the antique stores, she’d better get on with it. She got up from the bench and turned to the woman. “Well, good luck with your ghost hunting. I’ve got to go do some antique hunting for now.”
“Have a good stay in Michigan!” the woman called as Emily went down the stone steps on her way to the van.
Emily pulled out onto the main road and headed for the shop she had passed on the way to the park. The parking lot of “Joe’s Antiques” was almost empty, so she would have the place to herself. She went into the dimly lit shop and began looking through the treasures.
“Lookin’ for anything in particular?” a gruff male voice called out from somewhere behind the counter.
“No, not really. I just like to look.”
“You from outta state?”
“Yes, Kansas City,” Emily replied to the yet to be seen speaker. She found a unique candleholder that matched one she had at home, picked it up and carried it to the counter. A leathery Native American face came slowly up from behind the counter. The apparent owner – his long gray hair pulled back into a ponytail – gave her a toothy grin.
Emily smiled back at him. “You must be Joe.”
“Yep. That’s me. Found something you like?”
“Yes, I did. I have one like it at home. Now I can have a matched set.”
“That’ll be $12.23.”
Emily handed him a $20 and chatted as he counted out her change.
“Have you lived here a long time?” she asked.
“Too damn long,” replied Joe.
Emily chuckled, “Why is that?”
“Just shoulda moved on a long time ago. Now I’m too damned old to go anywhere.”
“Well, this seems as good a place to be as any. I like it better than Kansas City.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you’d been here as long as me. Oh, well, guess I might as well get used to it, seein’ as how I’ll probably die here. Then I can haunt the damn place!”
“Speaking of haunting, do you know anything about McLofflin Park? I’ve heard it’s haunted.”
“Yep. That’s what they say.”
“Have you ever seen the ghost?”
“Nope.”
“Do you think it’s true that it’s haunted?”
“Wouldn’t surprise me. It was a favorite stopover for bootleggers during Prohibition. That road yonder was a main highway between Chicago and Detroit.”
“But I heard the ghost is a woman who dances in the pavilion. That doesn’t sound much like a bootlegger.”
Joe shrugged his stooped shoulders. “Yeah, well old man McLofflin used to throw some mighty big parties. Folks came from all around and there was plenty of dancing being done, I can tell you.”
“Just how old are you, Joe?” Emily asked with a laugh.
“Well, I’m not that damned old, young lady. I was just a kid, but I remember hearing my pa talking about it. All I can say is there’s probably more than one ghost hanging around that place!”
“You could be right,” agreed Emily as she picked up her purchase and headed for the door. She stopped and turned back to Joe.
“By the way, what happened to the house?”
“Vandals. Started a fire and burnt it partly down. Then when the town got hold of it, they thought it was an eyesore, so the finished burnin’ it down. Damned shame, if you ask me. But then, nobody ever asked me nothin’ or I woulda told ‘em.”
“That’s too bad. I wish I could have seen it.”
“Yep, yep. Damned shame, it was. Well, you take care, young lady and look out for ghosts!” He winked and gave her another toothy grin.
“I’ll do that,” Emily laughed as she turned back to the door. “Thanks for the information. You have a good day.”
Emily was tempted to go back to the park and see if the lady in green would grace the park with her presence, but she decided she didn’t have time if she was going to get to Jackson on schedule. Still, she couldn’t resist one more look as she drove by the park to see if she could spot the phantom dancer in the pavilion. To Emily’s disappointment, it was empty.
Chapter 3
When Emily reached Jackson in the late afternoon, she pulled into a gas station to look over the Internet map to Tom and Virginia’s place. The map was part of a notebook she had made up for the trip. It included phone numbers and Internet maps to the various destinations along the way to the cabin and the writer’s conference in Traverse City. She had arranged her trip schedule to include a few days for getting settled in at the cabin before going on to the conference.
Emily chuckled as she flipped open the well-organized notebook. She could almost hear Sabrina saying, “Emily, I swear you’re obsessive about organization. You’re the only person I know who would think of making up a notebook just to go on a vacation!” Emily thought Sabrina was probably right, but she was still glad she had made the notebook; it was proving to be invaluable. She double-checked her location and the route to Tom and Virginia’s, then turned to the phone numbers and punched their number into the cell phone. Tom answered.
“Tom? This is Emily. I just got into Jackson.”
“Great! We’ve been expecting your call. Do you need directions?”
“I don’t think so. I’ve got a map and I’m pretty good about finding my way around. If I get lost, I’ll give you a call back.”
“You shouldn’t have any problem. By the way, our kids are coming over to have dinner with us. They’re looking forward to meeting you. And I think you and Sharon have been corresponding, haven’t you?”
“Yes, we have. It will be good to finally meet her! I’m so glad they can come. I really appreciate your hospitality.”
“Well, hey, you’re part of the family now!”
“Thank you. I guess that’s true, isn’t it? Okay, so I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
“We’ll be looking for you. Bye for now.”
“Goodbye.” Emily turned off the cell phone and pulled out onto the road. Within fifteen minutes, she found her way to the house – an older two-story frame painted a pale yellow and trimmed in a dark brown. As promised, Tom was waiting on the porch, watching as she pulled in the driveway and stopped behind a small blue car parked there. She leaned out the window and called to him, “Is it okay to park here or should I park on the street?”
He got up and walked over to her van. “Why don’t you pull up here next to our car? That way if we need to go anywhere before you’re ready to go, you won’t have to move your van.”
He stepped back onto the front sidewalk as Emily moved the van over. Once she was parked, he approached and asked, “Can I help you with anything?”
“Oh, not really. I only have one small case to bring in and it’s on wheels.” As she pulled out the case, Tom reached for it.
“Here, let me carry that. Wheels are great except on stairs.” He pointed to the porch.
“Ah, yes, you’re right. Thanks.” She followed him into the house where her nose was assailed by delicious aromas coming from the vicinity of the kitchen. “Mmm! Something smells wonderful.”
At the sound of their voices, Virginia came out of the kitchen and gave Emily a gentle hug. “Hello again. We’re so glad you could come back for a visit. Did Tom tell you the kids are coming over?”
“Yes, and I’m delighted. It will be fun to meet everyone. This is almost like Christmas!”
Virginia laughed. “Except that we’re not having turkey. I hope you like spaghetti. It’s an easy dish to make when you’re feeding a large group of people.”
“ Spaghetti is one of my favorite dishes. Do you make your own sauce?”
“Not exactly. I found a brand I really like, but I also add mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and ground beef.” She paused, then looked dismayed. “Oh, dear, I hope you’re not a vegetarian. I didn’t even think to ask!”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m not a strict vegetarian by any means. I’m certainly not above eating beef once in a while, especially when it’s in a scrumptious spaghetti sauce.”
“I’m so relieved. There for a moment, I was afraid I had really goofed. Well…I need to get back to the kitchen. Tom, why don’t you show Emily the room she’ll be using?”
Tom led the way upstairs to a cozy room with a lovely canopy bed and matching dresser. “This was Sharon’s room,” he explained. “We haven’t changed it much. Just keep it this way for when we have company.”
“It’s beautiful. Is that cherry wood?”
“Yes. It must be some thirty-odd years old now. I wonder if that makes it an antique?”
“Could be. Someone once told me if an item is over 25 years old, it’s considered an antique. If that’s true, then this bed would qualify.”
“That’s good,” he said as he turned to move out of the room. “Now let me show you where the bathroom is.” He led her down the hallway to a spacious bathroom with a skylight. When she commented on it, he told her they had done some remodeling. This led to a tour of the house as Tom narrated the before and after of the remodeling they had done. They were just finishing up the tour when Sharon and her fiancé drove in.
By the time Tom had made introductions, their two other children had arrived. Their son Todd came in with his wife, Alicia, closely followed by Laura, Sharon’s older sister. Laura hobbled in with her leg in a cast due to recent knee surgery. Again, introductions were in order.
Shortly after Laura arrived, the group assembled in the dining room for dinner. As they ate, Emily chatted with the various family members. After they finished the main course, pie and ice cream was served. It was over dessert that Emily asked, during a lull in the conversation, about the ghost at the park.
“By the way, have any of you heard about the ghost at McLofflin Park?”
There was a moment of silence as the family members stared at Emily. Finally, Laura spoke. “Yes, I’ve heard a little about it. Why do you ask?”
Emily shrugged. “Oh, I was just curious. I met a woman at the park who told me about it, but she only knew what she’d read in a book. I just wondered if any of you had ever seen anything unusual there.” She looked around the table to see if anyone else had something to add. As she scanned their faces, she saw a look pass between Tom and Virginia, but neither of them spoke. It was as if they knew something but didn’t want to share it. Emily wondered why as she resumed talking to Laura. “So what have you heard? Have you ever seen the woman that supposedly haunts the grounds?”
Laura shook her head, “No. I’ve just heard people talk about it. Apparently, she doesn’t bother anyone, so I don’t think it’s a big issue with the local residents.”
Emily nodded, “That’s probably true. I would just like to meet someone who had actually seen her. I wonder who she could be?” Again she saw the look pass between Tom and his wife. And again, neither of them spoke.
As no one else had any input about the phantom dancer at the park, the subject was dropped and conversation drifted to other topics.
All in all, the evening was a pleasant one. Emily enjoyed visiting with everyone and seemed to especially connect with Laura, who was also a writer. Each family member appeared to have some creative talent and it was obvious that Sharon was the photographer of the family when she produced a Nikon camera with special lenses.
Emily joined in the festive mood by producing her own small, digital camera and having pictures made with the group. Sharon’s fiancé did the honors since he was not officially a member of the family yet. It was almost midnight when the last visitor left. For once in a very long time, Emily did not think about David.
The next morning, she was going to treat Tom and Virginia to breakfast at a popular local restaurant, but they graciously declined, insisting that Emily was the guest and they intended to treat her like one. Virginia already had breakfast planned and could not be talked out of it. Emily politely acquiesced to their wishes and enjoyed a breakfast which rivaled that of any good restaurant. She thanked them profusely, said her good-byes, then headed for Lansing.
It was in Lansing that she discovered she had left her cell phone charger back in Kansas City. When she stopped to call Andrew, her phone wouldn’t work. She began searching for the charger she kept in the van, then realized she had taken it out when she had cleaned the vehicle in preparation for the trip. She had picked the charger up with some other items and taken it in the house. And that’s where she had left it. In her mind’s eye, she could see it clearly, sitting on the counter next to the wall phone. Well, she would have to get another one. Her phone was her lifeline to Kansas City and Sabrina.
Emily ended up using a pay phone to call Andrew. He made sure she had directions and described the house for her. Even with the directions, she missed it the first time. The house was on a major thoroughfare that did not allow for parking on the street. By the time she saw the narrow driveway she had passed it, so she went around the block and took another shot. With grim determination she managed to get the van turned sharply into the drive. The only thing she didn’t like about driving a minivan was that it was a little harder than a car to maneuver in tight places. As she got out of the vehicle, she looked at the traffic flying by. She would have to be careful backing out, she thought.