Gifts of the Ghost

Later that evening, I tried again to read a little more with Maggie sitting by my side.

We exchanged a glance. Her face was so hard to read. I hoped she might have some idea if the answers were in the journal.

“Do you think he knew who killed you?” I asked.

All I received in response was a shrug before she disappeared. I harrumphed and set the journal aside again. It might hold answers, but it was hard to read, like trying to sift toxic sludge by hand. I’d try again tomorrow.

Aunt Linda had asked me to stop in the shop the next day to help unpack some supplies. The renovations were almost complete, and it was nice to be back in the shop working again.

She cut open a box and sorted it onto the shelves. “Did you find anything in the journal?”

“He was a horrible man. That’s what I found.” I shuddered at the things I’d read. “In the journal, he admits to cheating on his wife while he was here in America. Which is certainly bad enough, but he seduced an American soldier’s wife to do it.”

“Ugh, men like him give all the others a bad name,” she spat.

I stopped unpacking to take a call from the historical society, returning my call with color preferences, so I could start working on the candles for their centerpieces.

Aunt Linda smiled as I raced through unpacking the rest of the boxes, in a hurry to get home and get started.

I set everything up and filmed the dipping of the historical society’s candles. I’d just set them to music later. The videos of the candles went well, but after a couple of hours, I needed a break.

Drawn to the journal, I needed to continue reading it, as much as I hated it. I picked it up again.

The burdens of leadership. I had a young corporal executed for sedition today. Sedition and his unscrupulous tongue when it came to questions about my personal affairs in front of the missus. I forget his name as surely as it will be forgotten by history. At least in death, he sends a bitter reminder to the rest of the men under my command that discretion is the better part of valor.

I could feel my skin crawling. Beyond disgusted once again, I went back to making the candles. The TikToks were a welcome distraction from how horrible his journal made me feel.

I dove in again the next day while waiting for the attendant at the dress shop, with Maggie nearby, wearing as close to a smile as I’d ever seen on her. It was time to find a dress for the ball for my date with Don.

Cecilia is with child. Her husband, the dullard, has been unable to provide for her in such a way. Now she believes it is providence’s blessing that she should carry a child now. Of course, the child’s true nature must be concealed.

I set the journal aside as the shop attendant arrived with a few Victorian-era pieces. In this old shop, I felt like my ancestor herself, out for a new frock. Who could the child have been when it had grown up?

Maggie nodded at the dress. I’d tried on several, but none of them had seemed to be the right thing. With her help, I felt confident that I would look perfect for this special event.

Purchase complete, I headed home to continue reading. As much as it curdled my stomach, I had to carry on. The man was a horrible person. I couldn’t imagine anyone staying around him long enough to fall in love with him or carry his child. My mind churned through the journal entries I’d read so far.

Once home, I put my plans to read and make videos on hold when Don called as I was hanging my new dress on a hook in my closet.

“We just got word,” he said. “The jury’s reached a decision. Would you like to come to the courthouse with me?”

“I’m not sure that I should.” I was hesitant to go back. Or anywhere near Kim, for that matter. What if the verdict wasn’t what I liked? Would I launch myself across the courtroom at her and get thrown in jail myself?

“No problem. You don’t have to,” Don said. “I can always come by afterward to tell you what the verdict is.”

“I think I’d rather that,” I admitted rather sheepishly.

“I’ll see you in a little while.”

“Thank you,” I said. “That would be really nice of you.”

I set myself to work while I waited, trying to pass the time as quickly as I could, but my plans to work on the videos I needed for upload didn’t go so well.

With a huff, I gave up and called Aunt Linda to help keep me from worrying. “Want me to come in and help you get ready?”

“Nah, I think we’re good for now. Stay home and relax while you can,” she suggested.

Frustrated, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself while I waited. I puttered around the house, wiping counters, folding towels. Stuff that could’ve waited.

Eventually, Maggie appeared beside me. She pointed toward the journal.

Oh, that darn thing. My shoulders slumped. I was pages and pages into it and nothing good had come up. Mostly, it made me mad a leader could be allowed to be such an awful person. I was already stressed out without reading about how General Howe had been a rotten person.

“Do you really think that’s a good idea?”

She shook her head no but still pointed toward it, her face still solemn.

“All right,” I agreed, picking it up and finding where I’d left off. I plopped down on the sofa.

A colonial spy has reached out to me, looking for information. There is little risk of these upstarts doing any damage to the British Empire, so what better way to profit from their ill-fated rebellion?

Was he talking about my ancestor? Maggie’s brother? I read on.

One of the previous soldiers I trusted is about to sell me out.

Now surely that was Nathan Hale.

This soldier has collected evidence to expose me and plans to use this as a tactic to sow chaos.

He continued the story a few pages later.

The ambitious colonial has been dealt with. Alas, where I had thought his secrets would die with him, Cecilia has notified me of the man’s sister. It seems this sister might also have access to the evidence against me. I believe a cleansing fire might be to properly sort out this problem.

I gasped and looked up at Maggie.

“General Howe killed you.” I finally had a big missing piece of the puzzle.

11

A knock on the door startled me out of my horror.

Even with my attention focused on the door, I had enough foresight to put the journal under one of the chair cushions, out of view. With a roiling feeling in my stomach, I walked over and opened the door.

Don stood on my front stoop with a neutral expression. The verdict. Suddenly, all my nerves and emotions rose back to the surface and turned into a boulder in my throat.

I wasn’t sure if I was excited that he was there or just worried about Kim’s verdict. Part of me didn’t even want to see him, so I didn’t have to find out. What if it was bad news? I shuddered at the thought of Kim being set free.

His eyes dropped as he took his cap off to hold in his hands.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I stammered. “Would you like to come in?”

Don shuffled his feet on the wooden planks of the porch. “Nah, I’m on duty. There’s a mountain of paperwork waiting for me back at the station.” He leaned against the doorframe. “I wanted to tell you in person.”

My breath caught. “Tell me what?” It felt like the floor wasn’t solid anymore. Had Kim been released?

“They found her guilty,” he said. Relief washed over me. “Sentencing is set to start next month.”

“Guilty,” I breathed. It still didn’t feel quite real. But that was it. The jury had found Kim guilty.

“And it wasn’t just one or two charges,” Dom continued. “They found her guilty on every charge. Arson, stalking, aggravated battery, and a few others. It's a slam dunk for the ADA and the--”

I jerked forward awkwardly and wrapped him in a hug. He returned my embrace, but I pulled back a little, shocked that I’d thrown myself at him. He didn’t seem to be too upset by my actions.

“Um, thank you, and um, I’m sorry about that,” I apologized, smoothing out wrinkles that weren’t on the front of my shirt.

“You’re welcome. I’m sorry that all of this stuff happened to you in the first place.”

With a nod, I thanked him again for his support and his help through it all.

“Yeah, no problem. Look, we should talk about the ball before I have to go.” He fiddled with his hat for a moment, but I couldn’t concentrate on anything, much less stringing sensible words together.

So I nodded again, and he continued. “The dance starts at seven, but I have to work the parade first. Would it be okay if I pick you up around six forty-five?”

“Um, sure. I’d like that.” Another stupid nod was all I could manage. “It’s perfect. I can be ready for you.”

His radio started squawking. “I’m so sorry. I have to go.”

“Goodbye.” I gave a little wave.

But he was already turned around, and he took off running to the squad car.

I stood there, unsure of how I felt. Don was practically perfect, but Wes continued to pop into my head at the most awkward times. Like this.

Should I have reached out to Wes? It’d been too long, and I didn’t want to look silly if I reached out now. Especially when I had a date with someone else. Ack.

I went back inside to where Maggie still stood in the entryway. “The journal is going to have to wait a bit,” I said, grabbing the book from under the cushions and putting it away. “I need a break.”

She nodded to me.

The next day Aunt Linda needed me to help decorate and set up the shop. It was a welcome relief from all the discoveries of the past twenty-four hours.

Arriving bright and early, I only detoured for a cup of coffee. “The journal gave up a few more of its secrets,” I told Aunt Linda as I shook my head in disbelief. “General Howe killed Maggie. I just can’t read any more yet. It’s too much.”

“There, there.” She patted my shoulder in sympathy. “It’s completely understandable to shy away from horrible things like that. Everything you’ve told me sounds terrible. The man wasn’t a hero. I might not want to read anything else.”

“Can you believe the way history repeated itself?” I swept up another pile of construction dust. “He burned Maggie alive. That is exactly what Kim was trying to do to us, even if that wasn’t her original intention.”

“So what do we do now? There won’t be a body for Maggie, and she can’t just stay a ghost forever. Can she?” Aunt Linda stopped arranging a display to look at me in concern. “She has to go on to the next place, right?”

“She didn’t disappear when we found out who killed her. Maybe there is another way to help her move on and find peace.” I shrugged, unsure of what that could be.

Around five, all the businesses closed, and everyone poured out into the streets to watch the parade.

I stayed on the sidewalk in front of the shop until most of the parade had passed. It was time for me to sneak away and get ready for the ball. I didn’t want Don to have to wait for me to get dressed.

Shadow waited at the front door when I arrived. I leaned down to pet her before going to the shower. It didn’t take as long as I’d thought to get ready, and I finished with time to spare before Don arrived.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, and my thoughts turned to Wes. Was he going to be there tonight?

While I waited, the journal beckoned to me. So I pulled it out, starting where I’d left off, and steeled myself for more confessions from the twisted general.

When the Roman General Scipio defeated Carthage, he salted the earth. Following his tremendous example, I have razed the traitor’s family tree. Their family home longed for the torch, and I found myself awestruck by the violent beauty of the destruction. Let that serve as warning to those that would dare cross me. My legacy will be planted in the fertile dirt of my enemies' graves.

A familiar rap on the door shook me from the journal’s pages. How could one man could be so ruthlessly evil? With shaking hands, I put the journal away.

I opened the door with a flourish and a smile on my face.

“You look absolutely lovely,” Don said, holding out his arm to me.

I grinned as I took it. We made a dashing pair in our historical garb. “Well, hello there. Don’t you look all fancy in that getup?”

His personal truck sat idling outside as he guided me around to the passenger door.

“How did the candle-making work out? Did you get them all done?” Ever a gentleman, he opened the door and held out one hand for me to use as I stepped up on the running board and up into the cab.

I waited for Don to get in the driver's seat before answering. “Yes, and I can’t wait to see how they’ve set them up for the ball. Aunt Linda took all the candles over earlier, so I didn’t even get to have a sneak peek.”

He chuckled and backed out of my driveway. “Each year, they do such an amazing job. The ball never disappoints.”

Conversation flowed easily with Don, as usual, and soon we arrived to find the parking lot almost full of vehicles.

“We aren’t late, but it seems we’re the last to arrive,” I said with a chuckle.

“That’s okay.” He parked the truck at the back of the lot, then he did the gentlemanly thing once more, helping me out and holding out his arm to walk me in.

I hooked my hand in his offered elbow. The ballroom was full, and we stood just inside the main doorway for a moment, looking around at the beauty of the room and costumes.

I spied Aunt Linda across the room, standing with Maggie next to her in her usual ghostly garb.

Questions filled me, and I decided I needed to speak with her privately about why Maggie was here.

“Are you hungry?” Don asked, “Or maybe you’d like to dance first?” He patted his lapel pocket. “I bought two tickets for the buffet if you’d like to eat now.”

My stomach rumbled with hunger right on cue. “Food sounds wonderful. I would love to eat, but I need to run to the restroom first though.”

“Sure, I’ll be here when you get back.” He nodded toward two seats that had just opened. “I’ll grab those, so we don’t lose them.”

As I made my way across the room, I got Aunt Linda’s attention. “Follow me,” I whispered as I passed her.

We both ended up in the restroom, alone for the moment.

I checked all the stalls to be sure that we didn’t have any inadvertent eavesdroppers. “Why is Maggie here?” I hissed. “With you?”

“I honestly don’t know.” She shook her head in bewilderment. “It looked like she was watching the entrance for someone to come into the ballroom.”

“Well, then we’ll just have to wait and see who she is waiting for.” I nodded with determination. She hadn’t followed us to the restroom. When we walked out, we found her in the exact spot we’d left her. I joined Don, draping my shawl over the chairs as I did, so we could grab some food.

“When will the store be open again?” Don made an attempt at idle conversation as we waited in the buffet line, but the room was loud with the music and all the conversation. Small talk was nearly impossible.

“The grand re-opening is tomorrow,” I almost yelled. “You should come by and see all the stuff we’ve done. It looks so amazing.”

Don’s smile dazzled me, but I found myself searching for Maggie again. I felt so guilty for flirting with him when she was upset.

We returned to our, thankfully, still available seats, and set in to eating, which slowed the conversation for a few minutes. The food was fantastic, but I’d lost most of my appetite, worrying about Maggie.

Don must’ve noticed my distracted state of mind as we finished everything on our plates. Or, rather, as I pushed the food around my disposable dish. I couldn’t help but notice him glancing at me repeatedly as I looked around for Maggie.

After pushing his plate away, he smiled at me encouragingly and rather patiently. “Would you like to dance?”

“Yes, please,” I said, taking the hand he offered. If I wasn’t so worried about Maggie, this would’ve been a great time, but right now I needed to monitor the door. Who was she here looking for?

Classical arrangements of popular songs made dancing a simple task. I felt lighter, and all my worries fled with each turn and twist to the music. I almost forgot to keep an eye on the door until I saw Wes walk through.

He was dressed up and looking so dashing.

And right behind him came the ghost from the tunnel, William, yelling at Wes at the top of his voice. He was throwing his hands around in the air, panicked and shouting as if everyone could see him instead of only me and Linda.

What in the world?

12

People twirled and dipped around us, but I stopped dancing and took a step back from Don, completely shocked by the spectacle of ghostly William berating physically bodied Wes.

Don tilted his head as he looked at me. “Are you okay?”

I tracked Don with my peripheral vision because my eyes were focused on Wes and William. But still, I nodded. “Yes,” I murmured. “I’m fine.”

Don followed my gaze, and his expression fell as he spotted Wes.

“I need to speak to him.” I looked back at Don apologetically. “Sorry to interrupt our dance.”

“All right.” He sighed, and his brow furrowed. “I’ll go get a drink.”

It was regrettable that I had upset Don, but strange things were afoot. I rushed over to Wes, doing my best not to look like I was hurrying or desperate to see him. When I got close, I slowed down and affected a serene smile toward Wes, who was still being harangued by the ghost, though he didn’t seem to notice anything was wrong.

“Hi there.” He smiled at me. “I’m happy to see you.” He took a moment to take in my costume. “You look amazing.”

“You look wonderful, yourself,” I replied, taking in a steadying breath. The last thing I need for him to think I was upset. I was, but he didn’t need to know. “Where have you been lately?”

“I’ve been out of town for a while, and when I returned, the clinic was backed up.” He brushed a hand through his hair. “I’ve been meaning to reach out to you, but I’ve literally been collapsing into bed each night, exhausted from the long days.”

“Hello! Why are you ignoring me?” William yelled, waving his ghostly appendages in Wes’ face. “Why won’t he listen to me?” he said when he noticed me standing there. “He’s been ignoring me all day.”

Unsure of what to say, I debated answering the ghost. Though, if I did that, Wes would think I was insane.