Haunted House

Thursday - October 29, 1992

The three young women sitting around the table looked up at the noise. Two young men had burst inside the building, laughing loudly. The university librarian looked at the boisterous students with a stern frown on his face. The tallest of the pair made shushing motions at his companion, trying to smother his own laughter.

"What has you two in such good spirits?" the brunette asked in amusement.

"Saturday is Halloween, right!" The shorter man answered his girl friend, Paige, a huge grin on his face.

"Yes, Zach, Halloween is Saturday. What of it?" Paige rolled her eyes at her study companions. Boys!

"Well, Hank and me, we were thinking," he started.

"Oh! Poor babies! Did you hurt yourselves?" Rachel, the tallest of the women inquired, a twinkle in her eyes.

Hank frowned at his girl friend, and then stuck his tongue out. The friends laughed, but quickly smothered it, looking toward the head librarian anxiously.

The shortest sighed softly in relief. Angie Ramirez knew she couldn't afford to be thrown out of the library for causing a disturbance right now. Since her computer had crashed Tuesday, she was relying heavily on the library's until she could get home for parts. No, it's not my home any more. It's Rollie's now, she reminded herself sternly, ignoring the pang in her heart. Even though her father had died over a year ago, she still missed him. "What about Halloween?" She prompted, seeking a distraction before she fell into morbid thoughts.

"Well, my uncle's out of town, but I've got a key to his place up the Hudson," Zach said.

"So?" Paige looked down at her textbook, already drifting back into her schoolwork.

"So it's supposed to be haunted!" Zach bounced. "Think about it! A real haunted house on Halloween! Would that be cool or what?"

"Or what," Rachel wrapped a strand of her long ash blonde hair around a finger. "We have that big English test next week. You," she looked pointedly at her dark haired boy friend, "can't afford to do poorly on it. That's why we were meeting here. Remember?"

"Yeah, I know," Hank admitted sheepishly. He did know. If he didn't do well, the coach said he was going to bench him. He had never been benched before! Why had his parents left their old friend in charge of him while they were in Europe? It just wasn't fair! He wasn't doing that badly. So he'd had a couple of poor scores. So what? He still had a passing grade average. He just couldn't be benched at the start of the basketball season!

"All work and no play," Zach responded. "Besides I talked to our English teach. She said we could get extra credit if we wrote papers on the experience. Now what do you say, Rachel?"

"Extra credit?" Rachel and Paige looked at each other. Extra credit was good. They responded together. "Cool!"

"What do you think Angie?" Paige asked the young blonde Cuban American.

"I don't know." Angie chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. She was a firm believer in ghosts and other strange phenomena. It might be dangerous bothering a ghost on Halloween.

Zach winked at the others. "Professor Yaeger said we could borrow some of the equipment from the lab."

Angie perked up at that. "Equipment?"

"Yeah, EMF meters and the camcorder – the good one with the infrared. So what do you say?"

It would be so cool to have proof that ghosts were real, Angie thought. If I had scientific proof, something tangible like meter readings and video, Rollie would have to believe then! She had been trying for years to convince the Australian of that. Plus, while she was doing just fine in English, extra credit never hurt. It could be the difference between a good grade and a great one. She wanted to do her best after all. "I'm in."

"Great!" The boys' grins couldn't get any bigger.

"I can bring my new camera," Paige offered. "Aren't you supposed to be able to take pictures of ghosts?"

"Yeah, you are" Angie answered. "I can scope out the Internet and find out what film will work best."

"Check for any tips, Angie," Rachel told her. "In the mean time, we need to get some studying done."

The boys groaned as they set their book bags down and sat, pulling out notebooks and textbooks. "Slave driver," Zach muttered under his breath.

"I heard that," Rachel singed. With grins, they settled down to get some serious study time in.

Ron Owen snickered with an annoying grin. He topped Hank by almost an inch and was convinced he should be the star center for NYU's basketball team. He wanted to get rid of his rival, Henry 'Hank' Robbins, badly. And get his hand on that hotty, Paige Grant. He could show her how a man handled a woman, unlike Zachary Robinson.

Ron laughed silently and left, a wicked grin on his face. Now where would Mase be this time of day? I think we got us some plans to make! Knowing Mason Murphy was, to all practical purposes, allergic to studying and classes, he headed for their favorite hangout, a local bar where the bartender could be counted to turn a blind eye to their fake ids. He'd join him more often if the coach wasn't so hung up on his athletes attending their classes. Wish my dad was that rich! And he could bring home all the bimbos that he wanted to. I wouldn't mind one bit. Only reason ol' Mase is even here is it’s the old man's alma mater.

Friday - October 30, 1992

"Bad news, Zach!" Hank called as he entered the computer lab.

"What?" Green eyes looked up to meet gray.

"Coach says I can't go with you without someone older along."

"What?!" Zach screeched. "Who does he think we are? Kids?"

"He thinks we're a group of young college students about to go partying and doesn't want me washing my brains out."

"Damn! He probably thinks we're going to have wild sex too. Like the girls will let us get to first base with Angie there without a date!"

"Yeah. We seriously need to hook her up with someone new, dude." The tall athlete fidgeted.

"What?" Zach asked, now amused. His friend had something else to say and was obviously having a hard time saying it.

"Um, Coach said he could come if nobody minds."

"Coach Ted Ashburn said that?! Does he know we're going ghost hunting?"

"Yeah, he knows, Zach. He said it would help our report if we had a realist along to balance things out."

"I hate saying this, but he's probably right," Rachel spoke as she joined them at the workstation. "Oh, and boys, you will be better off if you don't try to fix Angie up with somebody. If it turns sour, she could put some serious hurt on both of you."

Zach and Hank jumped, spinning in surprise. They hadn't realized she was there.

"I really wouldn't want that, Hankie," Rachel cooed, "but I am afraid I would have to agree with her."

Hank blushed furiously and started stammering. "We didn't really mean it, Rach. Honest! Did we Zach?"

"Nuh uh! Nope. Not with Angie. We'll, um, we'll let her find her own dates." Zach crossed his heart and tried to look cool instead of nervous.

Rachel smiled in satisfaction. "Good," she turned to leave the room, "and for your information, Zach. We wouldn't let you get to first base even if Angie wasn't there." She giggled, a cat ate the canary grin appearing on her face, as soon as she was out of hearing range. She'd have to clue Paige in on what the boys had said. She was pretty certain her friend with agree with her, given the way their guys were talking. Still, it wouldn't hurt to make sure they saw eye to eye.

Saturday - October 31, 1992

Angie silently bopped to the radio as their van wound its way toward the Hudson River Valley. She smiled at the bright sunshine. It was a beautiful Saturday. She was kind of glad Coach Ashburn had invited himself along. For one thing, instead of all of them crowding into Hank's clunker (specifically the girls all in the back seat with her squished in the middle), they were traveling in the plush spaciousness of the coach's full size van. Awesome sound system! His participation also made her feel less like a third wheel. This wasn't a romantic outing for couples, it was a real live ghost hunting expedition! A slight frown marred her beautiful face as a black Beamer roared by them going in the other direction. Way too fast! She was relieved it wasn't going their way. She could just picture them riding their bumper and swerving around it. Looking at the nearby river, she shivered, then forced herself to relax. The bozos were gone and it was a beautiful autumn day, no need to let them ruin it.

A short time later, Zach pointed out a turn flanked by an open gate. "Here, Coach."

Coach Ashburn whistled as they caught their first sight of the huge house they were staying in that night. "Some house! We could search for ghosts forever and they can easily avoid us."

"The stories all have the ghost in only a few places - near the kitchen, the main hallway, the library, the upstairs bedrooms," Zach explains. "We don't have to check the entire house."

"How did your uncle get this place?" Paige asked as her eyes took in the elegant curves of the banisters on the huge balcony over the front door.

Her boy friend shrugged. "Auction. The family that originally owned it died out and they put it up for auction. There were very few bids and Uncle Zane won."

"Wait a minute! Zane?! Your uncle is named Zane?" Hank stared at his friend in shocked surprise.

"Yeah, Zane," Zach confirmed, slightly miffed, then shrugged. "I have an aunt named Zoe, too."

"Zach, what's your father named?" Rachel asked, genuine curiosity coloring her voice.

"Zeke."

"You mean Ezekiel, right?" Paige pushed, a hint of desperate hope in her eyes.

Zach shook his head and grinned wickedly. "Nope. It really is Zeke. I've seen his birth certificate."

Angie shook her head. "Weird 'tradition', Zach. Do you plan to follow it?"

Zach climbed out of the van looking thoughtful, then shrugged. "Depends on whether I can find any cool Z names for my kids." He cast a sly look at the shorter blonde. "Are you going with A names for yours, Angie?"

Blue gray eyes narrowed dangerously. Angie used the extra height the step for the van gave her to advantage. "Watch it, Zachary Robinson." She pursed her lips and tilted her head. "There isn't a tradition of A names in my family. Maybe I'll start one."

"Lord, please don't, Angie!" Paige begged. "Gag! Now I'm going to have to re-think this whole thing with Zach."

"What whole thing with me?" Zach whined.

"I mean us! I don't know if I want to marry a guy who is going to give his kids' Z names."

"M--m--m--marry? Who said marry?!" Zach blushed as he stammered.

Paige looked at her boy friend out of the corner of her eyes. She winked at Rachel, then turned toward him, widening her eyes. Her voice quavered slightly with hurt as she asked, "You mean you don't want to marry me?"

"Uh, no! No, that's not it, Paige, baby! I do! I mean, I really care about you, baby, it's just... Don't you think we're a little young to be talking about the M word?"

Rachel smothered a laugh. "He can't even say it. M word!" She broke into laughter.

Paige giggled, wrapped her arms around Zach's neck, kissing his lips. "That's okay, baby, we have time for you to learn all about how to say", she giggled again, "the 'M word' and all about commitment."

The coach cleared his throat. "I hate to interrupt, but we are here to find a ghost, not to, uh, 'improve' your relationship." He looked around. "It will be dark soon. I suggest we unload the van, eat some dinner and make plans. We are suppose to start looking for ghosts once it's dark, right Zach?"

"Um, right, Coach, right!" Zach bobbed his head. The others grinned at his obvious relief.

Unloading the van did not take long. The students looked around the ornate woodwork in the foyer in fascination.

"Where to, Zach?" asked the coach.

"Uh, dining room, I guess, if we're going to eat," Zach answered. He pointed to the left. "That way."

They followed Zach and sat their loads down on the huge dining room table. Everyone looked around at the large room. Most of the furniture was a dark wood. Angie knew by the look that it was real and would be very heavy.

"Dinner?" Rachel asked, holding up one of the bags of food she had brought in.

"Sounds good to me!" Hank agreed readily, always hungry.

They sorted out the food as to who got what, Paige having to rescue her tuna sandwich from the basketball player. "So what's our game plan?" she asked cheerfully. "Where do we look for ghosts, Zach?"

"Yeah! What are we looking for?" Angie asked eagerly, sitting down her grilled chicken sandwich to take a sip of pop.

"Well, I'm not really sure." The others stared at him in shock. He waved his hands in the air. "I mean I know there are suppose to be ghosts here, but I haven't really heard what the stories are."

"What? Are we suppose to search the whole house tonight?" Rachel wailed. "That will take all week!"

"No, not the whole house," Zach promised. "What I have heard seems to indicate the sightings are usually around the hallway and sitting room upstairs, the hall leading to the kitchen, the kitchen itself, the library and the parlor."

"There's a library?" Coach Ashburn thoughtfully chewed on a fry. "Would it have any information? About the original owners and the, um, ghost sightings?"

"Hey! That's a great idea, Coach!" Angie grinned, relieved to have something that might define their parameters.

"Yeah, it is. Great idea, Coach! I remember Aunt Cindy mentioning some family history being in there. She said the older stuff was fascinating."

"Cool!" Paige beamed at her boyfriend.

Coach Ashburn nodded and smiled. "So, after we finish eating we check out the library and see what we can find. Then around ten or eleven, we split up to cover our main sighting areas. How much equipment do we have on hand? I brought my camera and 400 film like Angie suggested. I also brought the team's video camera. It's no where near as fancy as the one you borrowed from Ed though."

"I brought my new camera, lots of 400 film and some 800 in case we check outdoors!" Paige volunteered.

"My camera isn't new or fancy, but I brought it and some film," Rachel added.

"I have the camcorder and three EMF meters that Professor Yaeger loaned us," Zach grinned.

"I brought a tape recorder, flashlights and assorted extra batteries," Angie said.

"Oops! I forgot to bring extra batteries," Paige admitted, feeling rather sheepish.

"As long as your camera doesn't use any oddball type, I should have some, Paige," Angie reassured her friend.

"I feel like a chump, I just brought some composition notebooks and pens," Hank frowned, thinking he had let his friends down. Everybody else had more to contribute.

"Good thing, Hank." Ted smiled at his temporary ward. "I didn't bring any and Angie's ghost hunting tips said we should all write down what we see and feel." Zach, Paige and Rachel sheepishly admitted that they had forgotten to bring anything for that as well.

Angie bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from saying she had brought pads and pens too. Hank had looked so crestfallen when he had said that and so happy when the coach praised him, she didn't want to spoil his moment. "If we go ghost hunting again, we better make check lists and assign things to everybody. We can't always count on someone else to remember," she remarked.

"You're right, Angie," the coach nodded in agreement. "If there is a next time," he smiled slightly, "and we should research the area before we get there."

"Right! I knew that," Zach stammered. "It's just that this opportunity came up at the last moment and all. Didn't have time for any research."

"Let's finish eating and scope out the library," Paige said, hoping to distract everyone from teasing her boy friend.

"Yeah!" Zach immediately took a big bite of his sandwich.

Angie's eyes laughed as she ate a fry. She wondered what the library would have to say about the ghosts. A thrum of excitement ran through her and she started eating faster. Ghosts! We're really hunting for ghosts!

Hunger satisfied, the fearless ghost hunters immediately headed for the library. Rachel gazed with admiration at all the books, the fine leather and gilt on the newer books especially caught her eye.

"Spread out and start searching for something useful," the coach said, heading for one of the shelves. He started scanning the volumes contained within them.

Zach grabbed the wheeled ladder hooked on a rail that went almost all the way around the room. He pushed it over to the shelves over the window and started looking.

Hank shrugged and drifted over to the set of shelves next to the door, Rachel taking the corner right next to them.

Angie looked around, wondering where to start. Spotting some books on a table, she went over there. If Zach's aunt had been reading the original owners' family history, maybe the volumes were there. Some of them looked old enough. It didn't take long for her to realize she was right. The volumes had been carefully marked as to the years they had been written. Just wish I knew which year to look in for the ghosts! Their search of the library could take more than a week without any clues.

A couple of hours later, Hank yelled out, "Got something!"

"What?" Rachel immediately bounced to his side, everyone else turning to look.

"It's a book of local ghost stories," Hank said, waving the volume in his hand.

"Cool! That's just what we need," Paige grinned, relieved to be able to stop.

"Zach, what should I look for?"

"Well, the family name was Clare. They called this place, Chevaux et Pommes."

"They were French?" Rachel asked.

"Sort of, I guess. Aunt Cindy mentioned something about one of their ancestors coming over with Lafayette to fight the English during the revolution. After it was over, he married the local squire's daughter, stayed here and bred horses. The main barn is still here."

"Horses and Apples?" Rachel asked in disbelief.

"Oh yeah. Uncle Zane said the locals always rave about the apple cider when they go down to the village. Apparently, it was really something special." He sighed deeply. "Unfortunately, the secret to it died out with the family. It's a shame, because there is a great orchard behind the barn."

"Okay, listen up, gang! I found our ghosts for the evening," Hank cleared his throat and started to read the slender volume in his hands. "Oh man, we've got a witch too! Or maybe that would be a ghost witch? Anyway, this is what went down according to the Haunted Tales of Tomlin's Cove -- Alain Clare had three sons, Georges, Jacques and Victor. Georges and Jacques were twins, with Georges being the oldest son by minutes. Jacques and Victor both fell in love with Rose Whyte, the daughter of a local gentleman farmer."

"That sucks," Paige said, frowning.

"Yeah," Rachel agreed.

"According to this story, Rose Whyte was really a witch who bewitched Jacques and Victor Clare, making them fall madly in love with her. Late one All Hallow's Eve, while the others were checking a new mare, the witch drove Victor berserk. She lured him from the kitchen, up the main stairs toward the balcony. Victor Clare rushed forward and fell over the balustrade to the carriage way below. He survived long enough to say something to his brothers. The story says he warned Jacques that Rose was a witch and begged him to not wed her. He said if Jacques married Rose, he would not live to see his child born. Victor begged God to condemn Rose Whyte with the same curse. Rose Whyte's beauty and powers proved to be too strong and persuasive. Jacques and Rose were married shortly before the spring planting. Late that night, Rose struck again, luring Jacques to the balcony. Jacques plunged over the balustrade to his death in almost the exact same place as his youngest brother had the previous Autumn on All Hallow's Eve!"

"Wow!" Paige's eyes opened wide with fear. She shivered at the thought that this was the anniversary of Victor's death.

"Rose Whyte was suppose to claim Chevaux et Pommes for her master, the Devil. Unfortunately for her, Victor's revenge for his and his brother's wrongful deaths was too strong, claiming her just as he asked God to do. Nine months after Jacques' death, almost to the day, on All Hallow's Eve, Rose died giving birth to a son. Georges and his wife, Jane, not having children of their own, adopted the boy. They named him Jacques Épine Clare, in honor of his father and mother."

"Eighteen years later, Jacques Épine disappeared, never to be seen again, called to serve his real father, the Devil, along with his mother."

"Oh man! This is the night they died! You didn't say anything about dealing with a witch or the Devil, Zach," Rachel complained. Hank reached out and hugged her, trying to offer comfort, even though he was feeling anxious himself.

"We aren't dealing with a witch. She died a long time ago, guys." Zach looked at the others, seeking support.

"Yeah, but she's probably one of the ghosts!"

"That's what the book claims! People have reported seeing Rose luring Victor, and sometimes Jacques, to their death. There also have been reports of the sounds of an argument in the parlor that moves to the library as Georges apparently tried to convince his brother to give up Rose. Footsteps have been heard in all the locations you mentioned, Zach."

"Then we have plenty of opportunities to see one of the ghosts tonight," Angie said. "What year did it start, Hank? I found journals for the Clare family that Zach's aunt must have left out. I haven't found anything like that story in them, but they're marked by year so maybe we can find more information."

"Cool!" Hank flipped back to the start of the story, looking for the author's notes. "According to the person who told the story, Victor died October 31st of the year 1801."

"So this would be the 190th anniversary of Rose Whyte's death?" Paige shivered. "Creepy!"

Angie shuffled through the old journals, handling them carefully, not wanting to damage them. She held two up. "Here we have the Clare family journals for 1801 and 1802. Does someone else want to do the honors?"

"No, Angie, you found them, you should read them to us," Rachel declared. The others nodded in agreement. They settled into seats around the library, Hank and Rachel beating Zach and Paige to the love seat at the window.

"All right, you asked for it." She delicately turned the pages in the first volume until she found the one dated 31 October 1801. The blonde licked her lips, examining the ancient writing. "Apparently this was written by Georges and it tells a completely different story."

"What? You mean Victor didn't die?"

"No, he died, all right. Listen!" Angie scanned the two volumes, piecing together the Clare's side of the tragic events.

Woe betide this All Hallow's Eve. Our brother, Victor, on this evil day died, trying to harm our fair neighbour, Miss Whyte. He attempted to assault that virtuous maiden in the kitchen. In terror, and not realizing we had left the house to examine the new mare, she fled for the sitting room upstairs, thinking Jacques and I were there and could protect her. Alas, we were not and she was cornered on the balcony. When Victor rushed toward her, she moved to avoid him. Unable to catch himself in time, our brother plunged to the carriageway below. By the time we responded to the lady's screams, it was too late. Victor was dead, his neck broken.

Bitterest and sweetest day! A year after our youngest brother's death, our sister has died as well. Thank the Lord she lived long enough to see her son and to name him Jacques after his father. He will be christened as soon as possible as Jacques Épine Clare - Jacques for my twin - I miss you so much! - Épine for our kind, gentle sister who was part of our family for too short a time. Nay! Jane chastises me and rightly so. Rose will always be our sister. We pledge to you, dearest hearts, we will raise Jacques Épine as our very own. If it is within our power, please Lord, your son will grow up to be a fine, strong man!

"So according to Georges, Rose wasn't a witch, just the victim of malicious gossips. Poor thing!" Paige brushed a tear from her cheek.

"Yeah, but what about Jacques Junior disappearing 18 years later? Why?" Rachel asked, troubled.

"Eighteen years would be 1820, so..." Angie examined the journals beside her, hoping to find one for that year. There was a mystery to be solved here and that would hopefully hold some clue. Wouldn't it be great if we could give the ghosts some peace! "Here." She scanned the pages as fast as she could safely turn the brittle pages. "Listen!"

I wish I could run off those spiteful old fools like we do the starlings from the groves. Drat civilized ways! They are not civilized, the superstitious louts! We do not blame our oldest for wanting to flee this dark and bitter cloud they unjustly place above him. Jacques Épine has begged our forgiveness and blessing. This, his eighteenth birthday, will be the last he will have in our arms. Already they feel so empty, but we must be strong and show happiness for his sake. Our son asks we allow him to leave, to follow those seeking a new life on the frontier. I know he will do well as he will be a fine addition to any settlement. His skills as blacksmith and farrier will be worth their weight in gold wherever he goes. Jacques. No, Jack. I will use the Anglicized form of his name that he will take once beyond those superstitious, petty biddies and blowhards. Jack Thorne will go with our blessing and gifts. Jane and I will not allow our son to leave with meager belongings. Jane will gift our first with her finest mount. Sable has a smooth gait and can travel long with ease. He will carry Jack far, wherever he would go. I will gift our dear son with the best breeding pair from our young great horses. Yes. Jack Thorne will be welcome wherever his journey leads him. May the dear Lord keep him safe and give us patience in dealing with fools!

"Jack Thorne?" Zach pulled on his lower lip. "I wonder if he had a family. Maybe there are still some Clares in the world. I'll have to let Uncle Zane and Aunt Cindy know. I bet they would love to have some things from their Hudson River Valley cousins like those journals."

"That's true, Zach. In the meantime, I think it's time we got ready to hunt some ghosts," Coach Ted Ashburn said. "Since you started this, Zach, you and Rachel take the upstairs hall and balcony. Hank and Paige can take the parlor and library. Angie and I will take the kitchen and that hallway."

Zach, Paige, Hank and Rachel looked at each other is shock.

"Um, Coach, I'd rather be with Rachel," Hank said, feeling somewhat intimidated.

"I know you would, Hank, and Zach would rather be with Paige, but this is a ghost hunt, not a romantic rendezvous. I have a feeling this night will be long enough. Your minds need to be on business. This way, none of you will be tempted by any... distractions."

Angie was careful to not let her smile show. She was pleasantly surprised that Coach Ted was taking the hunt this seriously. She also was grateful for the thought he showed in making the teams. Angie Ramirez did not fancy coming into the crossfire of either couple. Zach and Hank, Paige and Rachel were all good friends with each other. Far better than she and she knew it. There was less likelihood of suspicions between the separated couples because of that. Maybe I should call him Coach Solomon. He sure showing that type of wisdom!

The others nodded, looking dissatisfied, but accepting.

"Good. Let's set up the video cameras so we can catch anything going up the stairs, then find someplace comfortable to wait."

Angie and the coach ended up doing the work of putting the video cameras in place. Coach Ashburn was pleased by her suggestions on how to set them up so they could each confirm any spooks they caught on film. She had obviously taken the ghost hunting instructions she had printed out to heart and had an eye for a camera.

"Maybe you better handle my camera, Angie," the coach said. "In fact, how about the girls handle the cameras and we, gentlemen, will take care of the flashlights and be ready to take the lead, chasing anything suspicious." He grinned at his young crew as they nodded and smiled.

Angie gave her tape recorder to Hank since they had two rooms to cover and these were apparently where the spirits made the most noise. "You can put it in whichever room you spend the least time in."

"I guess the library, since the story said that the noise starts in the parlor. What do you think, Rachel?"

The ash blonde nodded thoughtfully. "Good idea. Thanks, Angie! I wasn't looking forward to being in one of those rooms by myself." She rubbed her arms as if cold.

"I bet. That's the first rule. No ghost hunting alone. Remember that!" Coach Ashburn looked at all of them, his face serious. "I'm responsible for all of you. I don't want to have to explain to your parents if one of you gets hurt!"

"All right, Coach!"

"Gotcha!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Yeah. Sure thing, Coach!"

The man muffled a laugh at the chorus. "Come on, Angie. Let's get to work."

"You got it, Coach!"

The heavy silence was shattered by a cry. Shocked, Zach and Rachel ran down the stairs. Hank and Paige met them at the bottom.

"What happened?" Zach asked, anxiously.

"I don't know!" Hank said.

"It sounded like it came from the kitchen," Paige told them, her eyes wide. "I hope the coach and Angie are all right!"

Frightened, the friends ran toward the kitchen. They leapt down the short flight at the end of the kitchen hall in a couple of bounds and careened around the corner, into the room.

"Coach? Angie?" They called out, looking around.

The kitchen was large, spotless and empty. Hank peered nervously into the huge, open fireplace, but didn't see anyone. He frowned.

Thinking, Zach darted for the backdoor. He fumbled the door unlocked, looked outside and yelled. "Coach! Angie!"

"Where are they?" Paige asked, huddling together with Rachel. Their eyes were wide and nervous.

"I don't know. It doesn't look like they went outside," Zach said.

"Well, they didn't go out the front door. We would have heard them!" Hank declared.

"Maybe the ghosts got them," Rachel suggested. She knew it wasn't a rational thought, but right now, she didn't feel very rational.

Zach shook his head. "No way! There aren't any stories about the ghosts here snatching people. I would have heard about it if there were."

"All right," Hank responded, "then where are they?"

"I..." Zach looked up at his friend, feeling helpless. "I don't know. I..."

"What do we do?" Paige asked, looking from one face to the other. "Call the police?"

"Don't they have to... like wait a couple of days before they take a missing persons report?" Rachel offered, timidly.

"I don't think this would be a missing persons case, Rachel. At least, not the way you're talking about. Maybe they can bring dogs or something and find out where they went?" Paige felt limp with relief at that thought of a tangible method of searching. The ghosts, if there were any, wouldn't have taken the coach and Angie. Dogs would be able to find a trail and follow it.

"Would they come?" Hank asked, anxiously. "They might think it was a prank or something. I mean, I know it isn't, but I would be thinking that on Halloween."

"Crap! This sounds like a bad horror movie!" Zach ran his hands through his black hair.

"What if we got somebody else to call? I mean an adult, a..." Paige flushed. She knew they were legally adult or close enough, but didn't know quite how to explain what she meant so the others would understand.

"You mean somebody not a college student? Like one of the professors or our parents or something?" Rachel suggested.

"Yeah!" Paige almost smiled in relief.

"Who?" Zach asked. "My parents are out of town. So are Hank's. I don't know any numbers for Professor Yaeger. Hell! I don't even know the number for NYU!"

"We could call information," Rachel responded, the thought of an actual action they could take, steadying her.

"Or we could use the contact number for Angie," Hank said.

Zach blinked. "What contact number?"

"Whenever Coach has a road trip, he always gets contact numbers for everybody's parents and families. I'm sure he did this time too. The list should be in the glove compartment in the van. We get it, call Angie's family and they can call the police."

"Um, guys, I don't know if Angie has any family," Paige offered with a sad sigh. "I know her father died a year ago."

"Well, it won't hurt to look," Rachel said, hugging Paige.

"How? Coach Ashburn locked the van and he has the keys with him," Zach pointed out.

"And I have the spares," Hank pulled a set of keys out of his jeans' pocket.

"Great!" Zach looked relieved. He didn't want to admit it, but he'd had visions of them being stuck there and disappearing one by one, until they were all gone. ... Just like a bad horror movie. He definitely needed to change his late night viewing habits!

Deciding to stick together, they all trouped out to the van. The others fidgeted while Hank searched the glove compartment using his flashlight to see. He pulled out a notepad. "This looks like it." They huddled together, looking as he opened it. "Yeah. That's for Mrs. Ashburn. I'd say call her except she flew to Chicago on business yesterday. Here we go. Angie Ramirez. Contact Rollie Tyler and there's the number."

"Your uncle's phones better be working, Zach!" Paige punched her boyfriend in the shoulder, needing to release the tension she was feeling.

"No reason for them not to! Come on! The sooner we call Mister Tyler, the sooner we get somebody looking for the coach and Angie!"

They practically ran into the house. Since Hank was holding the pad, he got to make the phone call. "Come on, come on. Answer the damned phone already!" He gave a thumbs up when he heard someone pick up the line. "Mister Tyler, I'm Hank Robbins, a friend of Angie's." ... "Yeah, well, um... We're at Zach's uncle's house, um, ghost hunting and..." ... "Yeah, well. Um. Angie and the coach have sort of disappeared." He pulled the phone away from his ear as the man on the other end suddenly got louder. "Sir?" He tried to say without bringing the ear piece too close. "We heard a yell and when we looked in the kitchen, that's where they went, we couldn't find them. They didn't go out the backdoor or the front!" ... "The address?" Hank started to panic. "Zach! What's the address?!"

"We're three miles past Stoney Point on 9W."

Hank bobbed his head and relayed the information. "There's a large gate on the left. They're open. Just follow the drive to the house." He listened, nodding his head vigorously. "Yes sir!" He hung up with a relieved sigh. "Mister Tyler is on his way. He said we should stick together and stay put."

The girls looked at each other, then the boys. Staying together sounded good.

Hank cleared his throat. "Actually, he said if we were too scared to stay put in the house, we should wait outside in the car."

"It's going to take awhile for him to get here from New York and it's kind of cold outside. I think we should wait here. We should be okay as long as we stay in a group." Zach looked at the others to see what they thought.

"Angie and the coach were together," Rachel pointed out, "and they disappeared anyway."

"Yeah, but it was just the two of them. It would be a lot harder to make four people disappear," Zach responded. "We don't want to use up the gas or battery trying to stay warm."

"There are blankets in the back of the van. We can share them to stay warm," Hank offered.

"Sure!" Paige said. "And I bet your aunt and uncle wouldn't mind if we borrowed a couple of blankets from them."

Zach sighed. Part of him was relieved. He really didn't relish waiting for the ghosts or witch or whatever to come get them. "Okay." He led the way to a linen closet and they checked to see what was available.

Finding some warm wool blankets woven in bright colored patterns, the girls smiled. They would do very nicely to keep them warm while they waited. Especially with the boys there. The only things spoiling the night was the worry they felt for Angie and Coach Ashburn... And the thread of fear winding its way to their hearts.

Zach straightened up as he spotted a pair of headlights coming up the drive. "He's here!"

Everyone sat up and tumbled outside the van as the large black truck pulled to a stop beside it. They turned on their flashlights as the driver turned off the engine.

Rachel and Paige stared, wide-eyed, at the tall, lanky man dressed in black jeans, heavy boots and a heavy black jacket, stepped down from the vehicle. "Whoa! Stud alert!" Paige whispered to her friend as they took in the long, dark, wavy hair and handsome face.

"Hank?" the stranger asked, looking at the college students.

"Um, I'm Hank." He stepped forward and shook the hand he was offered. "This is Zach, Paige and Rachel." He pointed to each of the others. "Uh, you're a lot younger than I, uh, we expected."

The man shrugged. "Any sign of Ange or the coach?"

"Super-dream stud alert," Rachel whispered as she took in his gorgeous accent. This man was a dream! No wonder Angie couldn't keep a guy! None of them could compare to this guy. None of them could live up to him!

Oblivious to their girl friends' reactions, the boys shook their heads. "No, sir, Mister Tyler," Zach answered.

"Rollie," the Australian said, looking at the house. "You said they were in the kitchen?"

"Yes, sir, er, Rollie," Hank said. "Are you going to call the police?"

Rollie shook his head. "We don't know we need them yet. I'm going to look around first." He stepped back into his truck and they could hear him rummaging around. The friends looked at the objects he was carrying when he came out. He shifted a pair of headphones to join an object with what looked like a miniature satellite dish on it in one hand, stuck something else in his pocket, and reached back into the truck to pull out a large, heavy duty flashlight from a compartment under the dashboard.

The friends glanced at each other. Zach straightened up. "I'll come with you."

Hank looked at the girls, who nodded. "We'll all come with you."

Rollie shook his head. "Thanks, mates, but I think it will be easier if its just me."

"But..." What if the ghosts get you too? They all wanted to say it, but were afraid to come out with it. "Looks like you could use an extra hand and I kind of know the house. It does belong to my uncle," Zach said.

"Nah, you wait out here. I'll be fine. I don't think I'll need the tor--flashlight inside," Rollie nodded toward the brightly lit windows. "Believe me, it will be easier if it's just me."

"How long do we wait?" Hank asked, resigned.

"Half an hour? Forty-five minutes, tops." Rollie responded absently.

Zach blinked. "The place is kind of big if you're going to search all of it. It will take longer than that."

"If I was going to search it." Rollie smiled at them. "I prefer something easier. Maybe you better wait in the van."

The students watched the man go inside, then looked at each other.

"We're not really going to let him go alone... Are we?" Paige asked.

"He was pretty clear about wanting us to wait out here," Zach shrugged. He sighed as he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets.

"What time is it?" Rachel asked. "The least we can do is keep track so we'll know if we need to ... do something."

"One twenty-one," Hank answered, looking at his watch. "Guess Coach was right about this being a long night. Come on, we might as well be warm." They climbed back into the van, huddling together under the blankets, silently watching the house and counting the minutes.

Rollie paused just inside the front door. He shoved the flashlight through a loop on his belt and looked around. Normally, he might appreciate the quiet elegance of the house, but right now, he just wanted to find Angie, make sure she was all right, then go home and crash. He'd been up since five o'clock that morning, working hard on his latest movie project. It wasn't easy doing the special effects for a movie by yourself. He had learned that lesson too well since his mentor's death. He missed Manny a lot. Thinking about Angie's father, prodded him to get busy and find her. If he didn't and something happened to Manny's little girl, the Cuban American would come back and kick some Aussie butt!

The tall man slipped the headphones over his ears and turned on the little parabolic microphone. It didn't have a great range, but he wasn't asking for a lot of range. Angie and the coach couldn't be that far away. If they were making any noises at all, he should be able to hear them. He subconsciously noted the video cameras and stepped around behind them automatically, pulling out the device he'd shoved into his pocket. Turning it on, he adjusted the heat sensor and headed to the left. Finding the dining room, he continued toward the opposite door. This lead to a short, relatively dark passage.

The Australian paused at the top of a short flight of stairs leading down, carefully checking both devices. He frowned and stepped forward. He felt a slight tug at his ankle and ducked slightly as something flew at his head, then disappeared. His brow furrowed as he looked back toward where it, whatever it was, had gone and down at his leg. Just what had Angie gotten herself into?

He walked slowly down the stairs and turned to the left. He paused as he finally heard something. Rollie looked toward the wall in front of the stairs. Turning off the equipment, he took the mic apart and shoved the bits into various pockets and loops. He pulled out his torch and turned it on. The bright light shown on the dark wall. He looked carefully at the dark wood, running his hand over the molding on the wood. He stopped at one place and rubbed his hand back and forth for a second. He pushed in, shook his head, then pushed up.

A portion the wall turned and Rollie ducked to step inside.

Angie and Coach Ashburn looked up, blinking in the bright light.

The coach immediately realized this wasn't Hank or Zach. He was too tall. He struggled to stand up straight, hissed with pain as he put weight on his right leg, then straightened, pushing Angie slightly behind him. "Who?"

The man chuckled. "Ange, you keep cursing like that and I may have to wash your mouth out."

"Rollie!" Angie cried out, happy to hear her friend's voice. "What are you doing here?" she asked, puzzled. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, but..." She stepped forward and hugged him gratefully. As she did, she realized it had been too long since she had seen him. She smiled up at his familiar face, now that his light wasn't shining in her eyes. "Oh, this is Coach Ashburn. I think he sprained his ankle when the ghost pushed us in here."

Rollie frowned and stepped forward, offering the older man an arm to lean on. "How many times do I have to say there are no such things as ghosts?"

"Not this time, Rol! We both saw it." Angie stated as she followed the two men out of the hidden room. "It pushed us!"

The coach shook his head. "Well, we certainly saw something. I'm not sure what." He limped heavily up the stairs, leaning on Rollie for support. "Heard some strange noises too. I don't know what they were."

"Yeah, that's right!" Angie exclaimed. "We both heard it! Now you're going to have admit that are such things as ghosts, Rollie Tyler!"

"Are not," Rollie said firmly.

The others piled out of the van as they saw them walk out of the house. They ran forward, anxious.

"Coach! Angie! Are you all right?" Zach asked anxiously. Why had he ever gotten this stupid idea?

"I'm fine. I think the coach's ankle is sprained though," Angie answered for both of them.

They followed as Rollie guided the injured man toward his truck.

"You got it!" Angie bounced once as she looked at the black truck. She examined what she could see of the exterior, which really wasn't much since it was night and the vehicle was black. She followed Rollie and the coach inside, looking around at the interior. "Cool!" She grinned as she recognized some of the equipment.

"You sound surprised," Rollie said as he rummaged in one of the drawers. "I told you I was doing it."

"I know. I guess I just didn't expect you to actually, well, you know, do it!"

"Angie, I told you three weeks ago that I was getting the truck."

"I know! I just thought you'd go with something else... You know?"

"You mean something less expensive," Rollie said for her as he knelt in front of the coach and checked his ankle with gentle hands. The man and students just looked back and forth as Rollie and Angie talked, like they were watching a tennis match.

"I didn't say that!" Angie held her hands up. "You said it, I didn't!"

Rollie winked at the coach as he expertly wrapped an ace bandage around the swollen ankle and foot. "You thought I wasn't going to be able to manage it on my on. Admit it, Ange. You underestimated me!"

"No! You're the best, Rol! I know that!"

Rollie just grinned as he snapped a cold pack and applied it on Coach Ashburn's ankle.

"Ah!" Ted gasped as he felt the icy touch.

"Sorry, mate. I know it's cold, but it will take the swelling down."

"I know," Ashburn responded. "Believe me, I'm not going to complain. If I did, I suspect Hank and the others would never let me live it down." He looked up at their rescuer. "You're good at this."

Rollie shrugged. "Used to be a stuntman. First aid just sort of came natural."

"Translation, Rollie's always getting hurt and has to doctor himself," Angie said. "How'd you find us, anyway?"

The Aussie stood up and stretched. "I had the heat sensor, but it turned out I didn't need it." Rollie looked slyly at Angie out of the corner of his eye.

"Why not? It should have worked," Angie prodded.

"Yeah, but it turned out all I needed was the parabolic mic. I should have known you couldn't keep quiet, Ange."

"Wha-what?" Angie sputtered, then pushed Rollie. "You!"

Rollie grinned down at the fiery young woman.

"Anyway, the coach and I really did see a ghost and hear it!" Angie declared proudly.

Rollie grunted. "Fine. I'll prove there isn't. Wait here." He climbed down and walked back toward the house.

"Rollie! Wait! I didn't mean..." Angie followed, then threw up her hands. "Men!" She turned around to find her friends gawking at her. "What? What?!?"

The coach coughed into his hand to cover up the grin that threatened to split his face. After the anxious hours trapped in that room with no clue how to get out, this was a relief. It was fun even!

Less than ten minutes later, Rollie was back with something in his hands. Something that gave off an odd glow. "Angie, you should know better. You know this trick."

Angie frowned as she looked at it, then exclaimed. "Cheesecloth! Who?!"

"Why is it glowing?" Hank asked as the others crowded around to see.

"Phosphorescent," Angie answered absently. "What about the sounds we heard though? And this couldn't push us."

"Pushed or tripped, Angie?" Rollie inquired as he showed what else was in his hand. Coach Ashburn shifted forward, trying to see. The Australian handed it to him. "A tripwire."

"Who would do that?" Ted asked. "Not many knew we were coming and they couldn't get in."

Rollie shrugged. "I don't know. I do know that was fastened with a pretty unusual knot. It's mostly used by sailors and I mean sailors, people who sail real sailboats."

"Mason Murphy knows how to sail. Actually, I think it's the only thing he loves," Zach commented.

"You're right. He's unhappy when he's not sailing. I think he was born in the wrong time period, but would Mason know we were coming here?" Coach Ashburn looked at the students.

"He wouldn't, but I bet Ron Owen knew," Paige said. "I saw him at the library when we first talked about it."

"And Ron and Mason are buddies," Hank nodded.

"It certainly seems to add up," Coach Ashburn nodded, "but I can't and won't condemn them without more evidence."

"But...", Zach sputtered.

Angie nodded. "But when we show back up with only you hurt, Coach, their reaction might be all that's needed."

"Maybe," he rubbed his chin, then looked up. "What about those noises?"

Rollie grumbled slightly as he headed back for the house, his hands pulling out the parts for the parabolic mic and assembling it again.

The coach sat there, staring at the line in his hands. "Hank, I know you and Ron have been having problems."

"I don't have a problem, Coach. Ron is a good player." He looked down, sighing. "He just..." Hank shrugged.

"Ron Owens wants Hank's spot on the team," Paige said. "He thinks he's better."

"How do you know that, Paige?" Ted Ashburn looked sharply at the young woman.

She fidgeted a bit, not looking at Zach. "He told that to me when... He made a pass at me. He got really pissed off when I didn't fawn on him, like his other girls did." Paige looked up. "I think he has enough grudge against Hank, Zach and me, that he wouldn't care who got hurt."

"What about Mason though?"

"Mason... sort of floats through life, Coach," Rachel said. "You know he doesn't really try. He probably didn't even think about that somebody might get hurt. If it isn't on a boat, he doesn't really consider it."

Angie frowned. "Doesn't Mason drive a black BMW?"

"Yes, he does. His parents gave it to him for his eighteenth birthday," Zach confirmed.

"I saw a black Beamer going the other way on our trip up here," Angie admitted.

"There are a lot of black BMWs, Angie," Ashburn said. "We need more."

"Beamers with a vanity tag of SAILAWAY?" Angie shook her head. "Damn! I saw it and didn't even think about it. I'm sorry, Coach."

"It's not your fault, Angie. You couldn't know." Coach Ashburn stared at the house. "Just... Let me think about it. I'll handle Ron and Mason. Okay?"

"Okay, Coach," Hank agreed. "I have enough problems just handling English."

Everybody laughed at that. Angie sobered and turned to the house. Where was Rollie? What was taking so long? She frowned, worried. Paige shivered and Zach wrapped an arm around her, more than willing to try and keep his girl warm. Angie looked at them. "Come on, everybody in. There's no reason to freeze our butts off!" She herded her friends into Rollie's newest vehicle and looked around. Finding what she was looking for, she flipped a switch and soon blissful warmth began to chase away the chill.

"How did you know how to do that?" Rachel looked at her in surprise.

"Rollie hates being cold," Angie shrugged.

"You know, Angie, Paige and I are going to have to have a serious talk with you girl!"

"What?"

"Don't what me! Rollie! He is a seriously sexy man."

"Uh, I, uh, hadn't really noticed." Angie started rubbing the corner of a box.

"Not notice? Like Rachel said, serious talk, Angie. A real serious talk!"

Zach and Hank looked at each other. They weren't used to hearing their girl friends talking like this. They wondered if they should say something about it.

"Well, I practically grew up with him! He's like... a big brother, you know?" Angie sat in the chair in the back.

"I wish I had that big brother!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Hubba hubba!" Paige more than agreed, especially since he wasn't really Angie's big brother. Oh yes!

Before the boys could say something they would regret, Rollie returned. Seemingly oblivious to the looks the girls were giving him, he walked over to stand in front of Angie.

"Well, did you find what was making that noise?" Angie asked, looking up into rich, dark brown eyes.

"You might say that," Rollie answered, reaching into his jacket. Before Angie could move, he dropped something into her lap. Everyone stared wide eyed at the half grown cat sprawled out there. It was mostly black with a couple of orange patches and one white patch around an eye. The cat looked around, then up at Angie. As if it was surprised to see her, it gave a cry, half meow, half a soft sort of screech.

Angie melted at those large, appealing eyes. "Oh!" She pulled the young cat into her arms and cooed at it.

"Bloody," Rollie muttered. "Should have known better, now she's going to want to keep him. Bloody hell." He caught the amused look in the coach's eyes and shrugged. "All right, Ange. I'll check and see if I can find his owner."

Angie gave a half shake of her head in protest.

"If I don't find them, I'll take him in for a checkup and his shots and things. You're going to be keeping him though. I don't know which would react worse - Blue or that cat!" He shook his head, then grinned. "And yes, sweetie, that includes feeding him and cleaning out his litter box."

Sunday - November 8, 1992

Rollie set the pet carrier down, then knocked on the door. Who knew the bloody beast would be that heavy? It didn't look that heavy! It hadn't felt that heavy when he found it. Bloody cat.

Angie grinned at him as she opened the door. With the 'dreaded' English test over, her report turned in for extra credit and the knowledge that her cat was well and truly hers now, all was right with her world. "Hey Rol! Where's Chiops?"

"Might have known you'd already named the bloody beast." The lanky man bent down and picked up the pet carrier. "Here! I swear he weighs twenty pounds more than when I found him." The cat yowled as if in protest or maybe triumph. Who knew? It was a cat after all.

Angie stuck her tongue out at him, stepping aside so Rollie could come in. He set the carrier down in the middle of her living room floor. An indulgent smile appeared on his face as Angie went to her knees and opened the cage door. Chiops poured out of the door and immediately put two feet in Angie's lap. Purring, he rubbed his head against her chin. The blonde stroked his sides, loving the feel of his soft fur. Greeting over, the cat started to explore his new home. Angie grinned happily up at her best friend.

"Least you can do is feed me brekkie, Ange."

The blonde's grin widened as she heard his stomach audibly growl. "I guess I better do that before the beast breaks lose and eats me!"

The Aussie followed her to the kitchenette, to sit sprawled in one of her chairs. He rolled his head from side to side, stretching his neck as Angie puttered around putting together a larger than normal breakfast. Rollie grinned as she pulled out the bacon. Wonderful! Angie was going all the way - biscuits, eggs, hash browns, sausage and bacon. A beatific smile filled his face as heavenly aromas filled the air.

"What happened with your two suspects?" Rollie asked.

"Ron wasn't very forthcoming. He played it really tight when the coach and assistant dean confronted him. No surprise there. Mason, on the other hand, immediately turned himself in when he found out Coach Ashburn had been hurt. Big shock, huh?"

"Yeah, from what you were saying he didn't sound like the type."

"Yeah. Anyway with Mason telling the truth there wasn't anything Ron could say. He was suspended for the rest of the quarter and is permanently banned from all the sports teams."

"Good," Rollie said as he accepted a cup of tea from her. He sniffed appreciatively. "Bigelow's English breakfast tea. What about Mason?"

"Mason had a long talk with the coach and came up with his own solution. He was never really happy at NYU. He was only there because his father insisted. The incident made him decide it was time to do what he wanted to do and stop trying to please his father. With a recommendation from Coach Ashburn, he's enlisted in the Coast Guard. He was a lot more relaxed and happy when he came and apologized to us." She looked bemused at the eggs she was scrambling. They'd heard before that Mason's father was threatening to disown him and the young man truly hadn't seemed to care about it. He was a lot nicer now than he'd been before. She could actually get to like this Mason Murphy.

Rollie smiled. "That's good, sweetie." He leaned back. "Oof!"

Angie turned around to find Chiops in the Aussie's lap, peering at the kitchen table as if wondering what was for his brekkie. She laughed at the sour look on Rollie's face. No ghosts, but she had gotten a warm, loving, funny companion to share her little apartment and the lonely nights with. Life was good.