Haunted Hearts Read online

  Ari’s calm energy softened the air, but he noticed something else almost immediately.

  In the dim, sallow flicker of the candles, something ethereal was languidly swirling in front of them. It was nothing more than an amorphous gray film at first, which he assumed was a trick of the light. But as he watched, a shape materialized, shifting, appearing to organize itself as it moved.

  His intake of breath was audible. Ari squeezed his hand but didn’t look at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Father Joe lean forward. The man’s eyes were riveted to the thing in front of them.

  Colors and definition evolved from the shape as the clock continued ticking.

  Ari spoke gently. “It’s a lot of work to traverse the veil so we can see you. Thank you for honoring us with your presence, spirit. We welcome you.”

  Nick wasn’t so sure. His chest tightened as he watched the thing morph and move. Finally, the outline of a figure emerged. It was almost certainly a human-shaped silhouette, a shadowy something that seemed to be straining to make itself visible.

  His feeling of anxiety intensified as the figure came into clearer focus. It was larger than he’d expected, taller, with an orange-tinged aura that threw sparks. He shifted on the couch to protect Ari, not sure what this thing was.

  A sound became audible, faintly at first, then louder and more urgent. Screaming. Fury.

  Ari pushed him back to unblock her view. “Martha? Is that you? Please let us see you so we can help.”

  Before he could tell her what a shit idea that was, Nick’s attention was caught by the figure, which emerged fully as if from behind a curtain. It was a girl, certainly, clad in an antiquated and rotted bathing suit, hair wet and streaming, grass and roots clinging in her hair, sticking to her skin. The heart-shaped locket lay askew, chain twisted in her hair. A cut on her cheek streamed with blood, which dripped onto her shoulder and down one side.

  The screaming became more urgent and the mouth of the spirit opened in an angry rictus. Her eyes were burning coals.

  “Mother of God,” Father Joe muttered.

  “E.J.! You! You left me!” the girl screamed, spitting water and shaking her fist in the air. The scream became an ear-splitting screech.

  Ari was off the couch, approaching the apparition, before Nick could stop her. He grabbed at her reflexively but she was too fast. “No!”

  The thing launched itself at the woman he loved, fists pummeling, drenched hair flying.

  Chapter Thirteen

  It was pure rage. The ghost’s fists were like blasts from an air gun, battering Ari as she moved into its field. The warped little face hovered in front of her, eyes aflame, mouth gaping.

  Ari endured the air punches, and her automatic psychologist response kicked in. “You’re so mad! You’re so mad at E.J.” She struggled to keep her feet planted as she tried to make herself heard over the screaming. “He left you, and he shouldn’t have done that.” She could only hope her guess was close enough to the truth that it would calm the spirit’s fury.

  The volume of the screaming lessened enough for Ari to feel emboldened. She held her ground, not allowing herself to be pushed back by the explosive gusts. “E.J. should have been there to help you. It wasn’t right for him to leave. He was your brother! He should have protected you.”

  The screaming transformed into wracking sobs as the fists ceased their bombardment. Gasping, the ragged voice echoed around the room. “He left me. He left me. And I died.”

  Ari nodded. Nick’s heat was reassuring. She knew he was standing right behind her. Her pounding heart slowed. “Martha, you are so angry. I understand that. And you’re sad, too, aren’t you?”

  The apparition doubled over and faded slightly. “I miss him,” the voice wailed.

  “I know. You stayed with him all the time. But then you couldn’t find him.” She tried to stroke the creature but realized this wasn’t possible. “I can help you find him. Will you allow me to do that?”

  Martha’s face tipped up. Ari could now see this was the girl child in the drawings in the basement, in the painting she now owned. The face calmed slightly. “He won’t come if I’m mad. Sometimes I get so mad he refuses to see me. But then he comes back. But he hasn’t been back in a long time.” The expression was pure confusion. “He must be terribly mad at me.”

  Ari nodded. It was possible Earnest had avoided Martha’s spirit due to her anger, even in life. And if her spirit continued to rage, he might be avoiding her in the afterlife. This possibility was something she hadn’t considered.

  “It’s okay to be mad, Martha. But you’ve been mad a long time, and I’m sure E.J. didn’t mean to leave you. Did he?” She held her breath, hoping this was the right tactic.

  For a long moment, the spirit shifted and wobbled as if still underwater. Eventually, she appeared plainly again. “No.” The wet hair swished as she shook her head. “He thought I was right behind him. He didn’t know I’d got stuck in the rushes.”

  So that’s what happened. Ari’s heart went out to Martha, and to Earnest, who must have lived with grief and guilt for the rest of his life. She glanced back at Nick, who nodded his understanding.

  “Martha, I’m going to call E.J. Is that all right?” She didn’t wait for an answer.

  She raised her arms overhead. “E.J., we invite you with love and acceptance to show yourself here. Your sister is waiting for you.”

  The silence was broken only by the watery sobs of Martha, who hovered next to Ari, a murky specter.

  After a moment, Ari turned to the priest, who sat frozen in place a few feet away. “Father Joe, please join me.” She held out her hand. The man’s eyes widened as he rose and took his place by her side.

  Ari clasped the priest’s hand and raised their arms together. “E.J., Martha knows you didn’t mean to leave her. Father Joe will offer you forgiveness for not knowing Martha was in trouble that day.” She looked over at the man’s surprised expression and offered him an encouraging tilt of her head.

  Tension filled the room for a split second as the priest adjusted to his task. He dropped Ari’s hand and raised his arms. His sonorous voice filled the space as if he were speaking in a cathedral filled with the faithful.

  “E.J., God knows the truth. Martha knows the truth. And you, my son, know the truth. Martha’s death was an accident. But you have blamed yourself for not knowing she was in danger. You were her brother, her protector.” He drew breath and scanned the room with care. “Earnest Jenkins, I absolve thee from thy sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

  Something moved. It was Martha. Her image swirled and faded, wobbled and faded further, then froze, leaving a watercolor stain in the air.

  The clock ticking was like a gong and seemed to go on and on. Then a sound came from the kitchen. A door opening and a whoosh of air.

  “The door to the basement,” Nick hissed, nodding toward the short hall that led to the kitchen.

  A distinct whiff of bay rum cologne wafted by as golden mist swirled around the ceiling in the hall. The mist glittered overhead, then drifted down and faded.

  Father Joe stood back, making room in the circle, as a shadow emerged from the mist, shifting and organizing into a shape. Nick threw an arm around Ari’s shoulders and pulled her close. She reached for Father Joe’s hand and squeezed it.

  A faint image of an old man, stooped and withered, became barely visible. “Welcome, Earnest,” Ari said. “We are honored you are here.” Before she could coax Martha to fully return, the old man shifted, as if vanishing under water and re-emerging. This time he was distinctly younger, standing tall, face unlined.

  “Holy shit,” Nick murmured, then, to the priest, “Sorry, Father.”

  The apparition morphed again, and as it faded and wobbled, it moved toward the shadow of muted color that was Martha. A swirl of golden light and color rose and fell, arranging itself.

  At last, the figure of the boy E.J. appeared, dressed in shorts and knee s
ocks, a button-down shirt, hair neatly combed. He didn’t look at Ari or Nick or Father Joe and didn’t seem to know they were there. His mouth moved, but Ari couldn’t hear him. As he spoke, the figure of Martha re-emerged, this time fully dressed and appearing as she had when Ari had first seen her in Violet’s room.

  The two spirits laughed and chattered silently, not including anyone else in their conversation. They drifted away from the group in the circle and floated toward the hall, fading as they went.

  The energy in the room changed abruptly. The sense of completion, of emptiness, was clear. Ari addressed the men.

  “Martha and E.J. have left this house. I’m going to close the circle.”

  Father Joe’s eyebrows rose. “Should we go to the basement to verify…?”

  Nick shook his head. “Ari’s right. She’s intuitive. And even I can feel that they’re gone. Can’t you, Father?”

  The priest stood still a moment, then smiled sadly. “Yes, yes, I can.” He gestured to Ari.

  A burst of light flooded her chest when she walked the perimeter of the circle she had cast. I did it, she thought, tears in her eyes. The conjuring had worked. Earnest’s and Martha’s hearts were reunited, no longer haunted by years of separation.

  “Thank you, spirits, for joining us this night. You are free to go, or to stay in peace, as you like. Martha and E.J., we are joyous that you shared yourselves with us. We honor you.” She picked up each element’s symbol and thanked it. “Thank you, earth, for bringing stability and groundedness to the magic today. Thank you, water, for giving us life. Thank you, air, for assisting the spirits in their journeys. Thank you, fire, for giving energy to the magic this night.” She raised the blue feather. “I now close this circle. Blessed be.”

  Nick reached to hug her and she moved into his heat. Suddenly, a thunderclap shook the house and a jagged bolt of lightning illuminated the room. The men’s shocked faces lit up, and she jumped.

  Nick clutched her protectively and looked toward the inky windows. “What the hell?”

  We’re not done.

  It wasn’t a voice, exactly, more an awareness that burst into her mind. Had it come from inside her—or from Earnest?

  She searched the room, confused. “E.J?”

  A pull in her chest propelled Ari out of Nick’s embrace. “There’s something else.” She ignored his questioning look. The irresistible sensation of being lured outside sent her to the front door. “I have to see…”

  “What? Where are you going?” Nick was on Ari’s heels as she strode out, across the porch and down the front walk. Father Joe’s footfalls sounded behind him. Quelling the alarm that rose in his throat, he caught up to her and examined the clear dome of stars and moon. Not a cloud in sight. “Bizarre,” he muttered.

  Ari was striding down the sidewalk, past darkened houses, moonlight gleaming on her upswept hair. How did she move so fast in those stilettos? He quickened his pace to stay with her.

  “I’m meant to find something.” It was stated so quietly he almost didn’t hear her.

  “Find what? How do you know?” He clicked his phone flashlight on and aimed it ahead of them. The night was frigid and the dark was enveloping. He shivered, though Ari didn’t seem to notice the cold through her thin dress.

  She didn’t answer his question, but paused at the corner of the block. Her stillness was unnerving, though as he opened his mouth to question her, he realized that he trusted Ari and knew she would explain in good time. He shut his mouth and waited.

  She swiveled right and continued to the end of that block. In the light of the moon, a small park was visible, abutting the newer homes built mid-century. Their square brick façades were cookie cutter and less interesting than the older bungalow-style homes on Starling Pond Drive. A few porch lights were on, but the street was mainly dark and eerily quiet.

  Ari crossed to the park, to the stone wall that bordered the green space. Nick followed at her side, silent. She began walking the perimeter of the park, more slowly now and seeming, as he’d noticed at the Garcias, like a human Geiger counter. Her attention was directed at something internal, something he could not see or hear.

  Father Joe caught up to them, slightly breathless, and gave Nick a questioning look. Nick shrugged and put his finger to his lips.

  “There’s something here,” Ari murmured, slowing her pace further. She passed a towering oak tree and went to it. Her hand pressed into the bark, and her face went still, lips parted. Nick stood back, suspecting she might need space.

  She gazed up at the leafless branches, etched against the midnight sky. “This tree was here when Martha drowned. It was much smaller, but it knows. It was at the edge of the pond.”

  He nodded at her, not wanting to break the spell of her discernment.

  She approached the rock wall cautiously. “Here?” she whispered. She angled slightly left once she reached the waist-high wall and ran her hands over the stones. “Here?” Her voice was barely audible.

  She pivoted to Nick in the dark. “I need your light.”

  He stepped forward and shone the light on her hands, which continued to investigate the moss-covered rock. After a moment, her hand stilled.

  “This is it.” She leaned in and used her fingernails to hook the edges of a chunk of granite the size of a small teapot. The stone didn’t budge. Without pause, she extracted a long pin from her hair. The chignon tumbled down and her tresses cascaded over her shoulders. Nick’s breath ticked up. Even in the midst of this strange adventure, Ari was the most unconsciously alluring woman he’d ever seen.

  She wedged the pin into the cracked mortar and pried the granite loose. Nick handed his phone to the priest, stooped and took hold of one side. Together they wiggled the stone out enough that he could grab it. He extracted the stone and spoke over his shoulder.

  “Light.”

  Ari’s hand was already in the hole as Father Joe directed the light at her. Her fingers were closing around something.

  Her exclamation was triumphant. “This is it.” She straightened, faced the men and opened her palm.

  It was Martha’s locket.

  The decades-old metal was blackened, the chain in pieces.

  “He must have concealed the locket here—at the edge of the pond—after Martha died.” She rubbed the tarnished silver with her thumb. The initials EJ were on one side, MJ on the other. Her eyes sparkled with tears. “E.J. wanted us to find this.” Her voice choked.

  Nick wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders. “He wanted you to find it,” he corrected.

  Father Joe spoke up. “I agree, Dr. Fairchild.” His voice was thick. “You have set his soul at rest with his beloved sister.”

  Ari laughed on a sob, creating a hiccup. She reached for the priest and embraced the two men. The three of them laughed, whooping in the dark.

  Epilogue

  It was Día de Muertos, the day the neighborhood children would trick-or-treat. Rosie and Violet Garcia were decked out in their Halloween costumes, Harry Potter and Princess Elsa.

  Nick snapped a picture of the girls standing on their front porch next to the pink spider. “You guys look amazing. Good luck getting lots of candy!”

  The girls screamed their excitement and rushed to meet their father on the sidewalk. It was early evening, approaching dusk.

  “Have fun, man,” Nick said to Tom with a wink.

  Tom chuckled and tousled Harry Potter’s hair. “I love this stuff.” He leaned in and lowered his voice. “Can’t thank you guys enough. Trick or treating in the hotel would have been a big letdown for my little princesses.”

  Nick smiled. “Thank Ari. She’s the one.”

  The young man snorted. “Believe me, we know. I think Lindy wants to have another baby and name her after Dr. Fairchild.”

  This got a full laugh out of Nick.

  Ari and Lindy came out the front door, followed by Father Joe. Nick had persuaded her to wear the outfit from the night before, now his favorite look of all t
ime.

  The girls ran up to Ari and their mother. “Dr. Ari, can you come trick-or-treating with us?” Violet begged.

  Ari laughed. “I have to go, but I’ll come visit you, okay?”

  The little girl curtsied clumsily. “Okay.” She began jumping up and down. “You look so pretty! Is that a princess dress?”

  Nick answered, coming up behind the girls. “Dr. Ari is actually a queen, but she doesn’t tell very many people.”

  “She is?” Violet’s eyes were huge.

  “No, silly,” Rosie said knowingly. “He’s joking. Even though,” she continued, looking at Ari, “you do look really pretty.”

  “I appreciate that.” Ari gave each girl a hug. “Have fun. I’ll see you soon.”

  They waved the girls and Tom on their way, then said goodbye to Lindy and Father Joe.

  Nick opened the Jeep door for his femme fatale, enjoying the show of leg, and got behind the wheel. He turned to her. “I have something for you.”

  “Oh?”

  He drew a shining object from his suit pocket.

  Ari gasped. “The locket!”

  “The very one.” He unclasped the brilliant new chain and hung the sparkling silver ornament around her neck.

  “It’s beautiful.” She ran her finger over the smooth surface, tracing the engraved initials. “When did you have time to clean it and buy a new chain?” Her voice was mildly accusing.

  “Oh, I have my own magic, Fairchild.” He winked at her.

  Her eyebrows rose. “Good to know. I can’t wait to see more of that.”

  “It’s a promise.” He started the car. “Where to, my darling? I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.” He put a hand on her knee and slid it under her dress, slipping his finger under the garter.

  Ari leaned in and placed her lips against his. “The future,” she whispered, and he was lost. Heat rose between them, the sweet flame he’d come to associate with her.

  Her phone chimed abruptly and she pulled away reluctantly. “That’s odd. No one contacts me on the weekend. I should check.” She grimaced as she scanned the text.