Raising the Dead Page 8

  I shrugged. “I wasn’t, either. All I knew was that I was with my family and had no reason to be scared.”

  Two hours later, I felt that same sense of security with my friends. It was Halloween night and we were miles away from other people, but I was happy. The threat of an attack by a strange guy seemed remote, for some reason. Everything was fine. If it wasn’t, would I be able to stand outside and smile like this?

  Under the cloak of the cloudy, moonless night, the glow of Jared’s jack-o-lantern became an eerie beacon. The four of us stood across the street from William’s house to get the full effect. Away from traffic and streetlights and even stars, the pumpkin blazed, blocking out almost everything else.

  “This is just so cool,” Avery murmured.

  It was. And it was so much better than how I had spent last Halloween, holed up in the apartment my family was renting, trying to catch up on a semester’s worth of American History. Standing in the slightly chilly night with three friends, admiring a gourd before we went back inside to watch TV and stuff ourselves full of caramel corn made this the best Halloween ever. I knew it was one of those moments I would always remember because it was so simple, so unplanned. It was close to perfect. And it would have been totally perfect except for one thing: William’s words.

  I’m so sorry for what you’re about to go through.

  “We should go back in,” Jared announced. “Check on William.”

  We headed up onto the porch. Avery and I went inside, but Noah and Jared hung back. “We’re going to take another tour,” Noah explained. He and Jared had started calling it that: their tour. Like a tour of duty. They carried large flashlights and scanned the ground, the stones, and even the outer ring of the woods. They hadn’t seen anything, and Avery said if the guy was in the woods, the constant lights might make him think the police were patrolling the area.

  “When did your mom say they’d be back?” Avery asked. She was evaluating our snack supply, which we’d managed to cut in half. I had just poked my head into William’s room, where he was sleeping soundly.

  “At least an hour,” I told Avery. “They found something interesting in the last coffin, but she didn’t say what it was. Probably more Civil War stuff.” I scooped up some wrappers from the coffee table. “Are you okay with staying here or do you need to head home?”

  “No, it’s fine. I called my mom and checked in.” She poured the last bag of chips into a plastic bowl. “This has been great, actually. I never thought I’d enjoy a quiet Halloween like this.” She chuckled. “A Silver Spirits marathon with an actual Silver spirit.”

  I followed Avery into the kitchen. “Very funny. We don’t have to watch it, you know. I’m perfectly happy with a good slasher flick. You know, something with an abandoned campsite and screaming models posing as teenagers.”

  I threw away the trash and waited for Avery to respond. But when I turned around, she was at the back door, gazing out the glass.

  “What is it?”

  She squinted like she was trying to see better. “I don’t know. I think something’s happening up there.”

  I moved next to her. The hill blocked a lot, but I could see the occasional flash of light coming from the cemetery. Avery frowned. “It’s like—“

  “They’re running,” I finished.

  Avery pulled at my hand. “We have to go help them.”

  My mind was twisting itself around what was going on and what we needed to do. “Flashlights,”

  I said. “We can’t go up there in the dark.”

  Avery began to dig through the kitchen drawers. I kept my eyes on the hill, where two beams of light zigzagged around the cemetery. Noah and Jared were shouting to one another, but I couldn’t make out their words.

  “I could only find one,” Avery said.

  I took it from her. “I’ll go. You stay here with William.” She began to protest, but I stopped her. “Someone needs to stay here, and I know the cemetery better than you. Make sure the front door’s locked, okay?”

  Avery nodded and went into the living room. “Is it locked?” I called. She didn’t answer. I listened, but the house was quiet. The only noise was the muffled commotion coming from the cemetery.

  “Avery?” I crossed the kitchen and stood in the hallway. I could see the living room. Avery had her back to me. She was simply standing there, with her arms at her side. Why wasn’t she moving? The front door was open a tiny bit. “Avery?” I knew she heard me, but she didn’t turn around. I took a few more tentative steps until I was also in the living room.

  And then I saw the man sitting on the sofa.

  “You!” It was the same man I’d glimpsed so many times, dressed in a black trench coat. I guessed him to be in his early thirties, but his skin was unnaturally haggard. Folds of skin sagged under his eyes. I was so intent on his facial features that it took me a second to register that he was holding a gun.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Where is he?” the man asked.

  I was shoulder to shoulder with Avery, whose mouth was slightly open in surprise. “He’s still at the hospital,” Avery said. I nodded in terrified agreement, barely able to hear her over the pounding of my heart.

  “Liars.” He tilted the gun slightly, as if he wanted to make sure we noticed it. “I need to see him. I need to end this.”

  “End what?” I asked. Jared and Noah would burst through the back doors at any moment. Mom and Dad might have left the morgue. Maybe Shane and Trisha were on their way. If we could keep this guy talking long enough, we would have help.

  “I’m so tired,” the man said. I had to agree—the bags under his eyes suggested major lack of sleep. “You know how long it’s been since I slept more than two hours in a row? Years. But that’s about to end. Tonight.”

  “Why haven’t you been sleeping?” Avery must have had the same idea as me: keep him talking. But something about her innocent inquiry set the man off.

  “Because he won’t let me!” The anger in his voice made me take a step back.

  I wanted to ask who wouldn’t let him sleep. Was he talking about William? But I didn’t want to trigger another outburst. He was tired and crazy and armed. And I didn’t know what he wanted or what would make him snap.

  A soft cough came from down the hallway. William was awake. He would need me to bring him his medication.

  The man smiled. “Good. I need to speak with Mr. Kitsman.”

  Stall, I thought. Every second helps.

  “Why?” I blurted out.

  “It doesn’t concern you.”

  “You’re pointing a gun at me and my friend,” Avery said. “That concerns us.”

  He narrowed his eyes. Avery jerked her head toward the front door. “Thank God you’re here!”

  As soon as the man looked at the door, Avery lunged. I didn’t think about it—I rushed forward, too. While Avery grabbed the gun, I held back the guy’s other arm, which was surprisingly bony. It was like he was a skeleton beneath the oversized coat. He barely resisted as I pinned down one side and Avery pinned down the other. The three of us were on the sofa, stunned and completely unsure what was going to happen next, when Noah and Jared burst through the back door.

  “We saw someone out there!” Jared said as they rushed through the kitchen.

  They were red and panting, and I saw the panic in their eyes as they registered what was happening.

  “Get over here!” Avery yelled. They immediately sprinted forward. Jared took over Avery’s spot and Noah came over to me. The man didn’t even attempt to struggle.

  “We have to get that gun out of here.” I began looking around the floor by the sofa.

  “Gun?” Noah was practically sitting on the man’s arm.

  I saw the gun’s black handle near Jared’s foot. “Don’t move.” I didn’t want to pick it up. I’d never held a gun, and I was terrified that I would handle it wrong and it would go off. I nudged the gun with my foot. It was so light that it skidded into a corner. “It’s fake.
”

  “You sure?” Jared asked.

  I knelt down and grabbed the handle. “I’m sure. It’s plastic.” I felt a fast rush of relief. Even if this guy got away, at least he couldn’t shoot us.

  “Call 911,” I said to Avery as I handed her the toy weapon. “I’m going to check on William.”

  But it was William who was checking on us. He was standing in the entryway dressed in a blue bathrobe, looking confused. “I heard yelling.”

  “It’s okay. Everything’s fine.” I tried to guide him back to his room, but he was focused on the strange scene taking place on his sofa. “I know you,” he said to the man. “You were there when I fell.”

  “That’s the man who attacked you,” I whispered.

  “Attacked?” William took a wobbly step forward. “I wasn’t attacked. I felt a pain in my chest and I fell. He was all the way across the cemetery when it happened.” He furrowed his brow. “But why are you here now? And what were you doing on my property?”

  The man shifted slightly in his seat, which made Jared and Noah automatically tighten their grip. “I need to talk with you.”

  “You look so familiar.” William took another step, but I could tell it was difficult for him so I went to his side and put my arm under his.

  “I should look familiar.” The man sighed. “I’m family.”

  “That’s impossible.”

  For the first time, I saw more than fatigue in the man’s face. I saw a flicker of anger. He sneered. “You wish it was impossible.”

  “Who are you?” William was leaning on me. His left hand was shaking and I knew he needed to sit down. This was too much for him. I nodded at Avery, and she came over and helped me walk William over to a chair across the room. We stood on either side of him like guards. If the stranger sitting on the sofa so much as flinched, I would make sure William was safe, and I knew Avery was thinking the same thing.

  “My name is Jeremiah Pickett.”

  The name was oddly familiar to me. Then I remembered: it was the name etched on one of the tombstones. On my first visit to the cemetery, William had told me it was the grave of one of his ancestors, a young Civil War soldier who died in battle.

  Jeremiah was watching William’s face like he was waiting for him to recognize the name. When William didn’t say anything, Jeremiah continued.

  “He didn’t die childless like everyone thought. Which makes me your cousin. And we have family business to discuss.”

  “I don’t understand what you mean,” William said. His voice was soft and strained.

  “The police are on their way,” Avery said. “You can discuss things with them.”

  Jeremiah looked past us. His eyes focused on something in the hallway. “I’m trying,” he whispered. “Don’t do this to me.”

  “Who are you talking to?” Noah asked.

  “He’s right there,” Jeremiah said. “You see him, don’t you? Standing in the doorway?”

  It was a diversion, a trick to get us all to look at the same time so he could try to break free. Noah and Jared didn’t fall for it. Neither did Avery. But I turned my head so I could see what Jeremiah was talking about.

  I didn’t see anything at first. The hallway was dark, the kitchen lights turned off. It was dark. Against that darkness, though, I thought I saw a curl of white smoke. It was faint, like a puff of breath against a cold winter’s night. But it was something. Wasn’t it? I didn’t feel a cold breeze or obvious presence, but something about the mist was unsettling to me.

  “Do you see him?” Jeremiah’s eyes were wide, his eyes unblinking as he stared at the space. “I’m trying!” he yelled. “I’m trying to fix this!”

  “What is that?” Avery whispered. The little cloud of smoke had become a more visible shade of white.

  “It’s him! He won’t let me sleep until I take back what’s his.” Jeremiah began to struggle in Noah’s and Jared’s hold. “Give it back to me!” His wild eyes were fixed on William. “Give it all back!”

  Behind his frantic screams I could hear the distant wail of a police siren. Help would be here in minutes. The white cloud was still there, hovering in the hallway. Noah noticed it. I saw him cast a confused glance in its direction before trying to reposition himself on the sofa. Jeremiah was thrashing, but it seemed like he was trying to curl up, to shield himself from the ball of pale mist.

  “He’s been visiting me for years,” Jeremiah whimpered. “He says I’m his great-great-grandson, and it’s up to me to restore his memory. He won’t let me rest until I do it. You have to help me.”

  Red and blue lights flashed outside. “Everything’s okay now,” I told William. He was watching Jeremiah with a strange mix of wonder and fear.

  Avery opened the door for the two police officers, who quickly placed Jeremiah in handcuffs. My parents arrived a minute later, followed by Shane and Trisha. Trisha sobbed as she hugged Noah, then cupped his face in her hands and made him promise a hundred times that he was all right. Mom was the same way with me. She didn’t cry, but her wide eyes told me that she was about to. Dad and Shane were more stoic, immediately trying to assess the situation and speak with the officers.

  It was a calm commotion. There were a lot of people talking, but it felt under control. We had to give statements to the police. They tried talking to Jeremiah, but he simply closed his eyes and refused to speak.

  “Did you see it?” Avery asked me. “The misty cloud thing?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you think it was, you know, a real ghost?”

  Jeremiah was curled up on the sofa, his arms behind his back. It looked like he was sleeping. “He thought it was,” I said.

  Mom walked over to us. “Well, this has been quite an eventful Halloween.” She rubbed my shoulder. “How are you doing?”

  “Fine. Tired.” I was tired, but not exactly fine. My pulse was still racing, and I felt jumpy.

  “We’ll leave as soon as the police are finished here.”

  “How was the morgue?” Avery asked. Then she giggled, almost hysterically. “I’ve never asked anyone that before.”

  Mom smiled. “We have a lot of artifacts to catalog. The child’s coffin wasn’t really a coffin at all.”

  “What was it?” I asked.

  “It was a storage box filled with papers and documents. And this.” She showed us a small leather book. The brittle pages were yellowed with age and filled with tiny, neat handwriting. “It’s the journal of Jeremiah Pickett. We think everything we found in the coffins belonged to him, that he was hiding weapons and information from Confederate troops. This journal will probably help explain everything.”

  “And maybe it will help him.” I motioned toward Jeremiah. Now that he was safely subdued, I was feeling calmer. But I was angry, too. It didn’t matter that the gun was a fake. He had threatened us, made us feel fear. “He said he had to restore his ancestor’s memory,” I said. “The book might help do that.”

  “I hope so.” Mom sighed. “I’m going to talk to William. Shane’s staying here tonight. We should be able to go home in a few minutes.”

  “I’m going to say goodbye to Jared,” Avery said. As soon as she left my side, Noah came over.

  “I’m wondering if I should thank you,” he said.

  “Thank me for what?” He was the one who had helped restrain Jeremiah. I should have been thanking him.

  He grinned. “For throwing the craziest Halloween party I’ve ever been to.”

  “I do my best.” I yawned. “I’m so ready for bed.”

  “Me too.” He paused. “You saw the mist thing, right?”

  “Yes. So did Avery.”

  Noah shook his head. “My life has been a lot more interesting since I met you, Charlotte.”

  “Is that a compliment?” I hoped it was.

  “It’s the truth.” He smiled. “And a compliment.”

  As soon as the police had finished with us, we left. I fell asleep in the car, happy that Halloween was over. Everything could
return to normal now, I thought. We had uncovered the secrets of the dead. Now they could rest.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Have you considered a career in party planning?” I asked Avery. “Because you’re really good at this.”

  “This isn’t a party,” she reminded me. She pulled back the foil covering a casserole dish and set the dish on William’s kitchen table amongst the other dishes and trays full of food. A single lily stood in a vase at the center of the table. Avery surveyed her work. “I think we’re all set.”

  “The band’s here,” Jared announced. He stopped at the table to swipe a canapé, and Avery swatted at his hand with a smile.

  Noah came into the kitchen carrying a plate of vegetables. “A news van just pulled up out front,” he said. “Should I let them in?”

  “No.” I knew William was still getting ready for the ceremony. “Could you have the reporters follow you up the hill? I don’t want them inside.”

  “Sure.” Noah looked at the table full of food. “Are those cheese puffs?”

  “Don’t even think about it,” Avery said. “You can have one later.”

  Jared laughed. “I’ve already been scolded. Come on, I’ll help you outside.”

  The guys left. “I’m looking forward to this,” I said as I rearranged the vegetables, “but I don’t know what to expect, really.”

  “I know.” Avery fussed with the flowers. “But we’re not a part of the ceremony. Our work is done.”

  “I guess.”

  Our work today meant preparing the post-ceremony luncheon. Avery had taken care of nearly all of the details. I felt a little useless. But maybe the real work had already been done. Preserving old graves and returning remains to their rightful resting place was important, too, and I knew I had helped in some small way.

  The front door opened. I was thrilled to see Annalise, who was holding hands with Mills. She let go long enough to give me a hug. “I’m so happy to see you!”

  Mills gave me a stiff hug. “I’m looking forward to this,” he said. I knew he would be. Genealogy was a passion of his. I directed him to the cemetery so I could speak with Annalise in the living room.