Ghost Girl in Shadow Bay: A Young Adult Haunted House Mystery (15 page)

"It was in the dreams," Peyton told him
candidly. "Caitlyn was scared to death of her father, and with good
reason--but the love was definitely there for him, just as it was
for her mother."

Bryant raised a brow. "You're really getting
into this, aren't you?"

"I'm really into
you
, Bry." She
grinned sheepishly. "The other stuff is something that sort of fell
into my lap. I have to see where it goes."

"I know," he said. "And I feel the same way
about you, Peyton."

"Good." She moved closer and gave him a
quick kiss.

They loaded the microfilm and Peyton scanned
till she came to an article on the murder-suicide. It was a brief
one that covered the basic information on the crime.

The next article was more detailed. Peyton
could feel Bryant hovering over her shoulder as she read about
Byron and Rebecca St. Claire's seemingly idyllic life as a couple,
gone horribly wrong when they intersected with the life of Trevor
Newbury. The story strongly suggested that Caitlyn was an
unfortunate victim of circumstances.

A third article went even further, causing
Peyton to shudder. She honed in on the part that read: "After
murdering his wife and the caretaker, Byron St. Claire took his
seriously wounded daughter to the bay, whereupon he treaded out as
far as he could and drowned her, along with himself. Both bodies
were recovered later that day..."

Peyton gasped. "That's why Caitlyn appeared
to me in the bay! That's where she died--"

"Yeah, I see that," Bryant said. "It's
bizarre, but it makes sense when nothing else seems to about what
you saw."

"She must have been reaching out to me,
trying to set the record straight." Peyton thought about her last
dream when Caitlyn led her through the secret door and down to the
water before turning into a ghastly skeleton. "Maybe her soul
somehow still feels trapped in the bay."

Peyton sighed as Bryant's hands rested
tenderly on her shoulders.

"Well, the cat's out of the bag now," he
said. "Maybe she'll let go and give you back your life."

"I hope so," she said, even if a small part
of her had bonded with Caitlyn and would miss her.

Gazing up into Bryant's eyes, Peyton closed
hers and puckered her lips, inviting a kiss. He didn't disappoint,
bringing his face down and pressing his lips into hers. Peyton
enjoyed his taste and got a little carried away with the kiss,
forgetting for a moment that they were in the library.

It was Bryant who pulled away. "We'd better
get going."

"Do we have to?" Peyton asked, only half
joking. She wasn't in a big hurry to get back to her haunted house.
Not when she would rather be almost anywhere else with Bryant,
where they could pick up where they left off.

"We could always go somewhere and grab a
bite to eat."

"Well, my stomach does seem to be growling."
She laughed as it suddenly made a rumbling noise.

"How does pizza sound?"

Peyton knew exactly what he was getting at.
They could drop by the Pizza Palace to stuff themselves and snoop
on Lily and Kirk at the same time.

"Perfect," she told him.

"Looks like we've got ourselves an extended
date," he said.

Peyton smiled, determined not to let the
specter of Caitlyn and a horrible tragedy from times past spoil the
present with Bryant.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

That night Peyton video called Erica without
fear of Vance trying to confiscate her cell phone again, as her
mother had stepped up and given her permission, against his
objection. Peyton told Erica what she and Bryant had learned about
Caitlyn's death.

"That's horrible!" Erica exclaimed. "I'm
trying to imagine a rotting, bloated, fifty-year-old ghost corpse
putting its scaly arms around you in the bay."

"It wasn't
anything
like that,"
Peyton told her.

"I know. But it still creeps me out just
thinking about it." Erica sighed. "So now that you know your ghost
friend was murdered in the bay, what's next? Will it turn out that
the whole family drowned? And the caretaker, too?"

"I don't really know what's next," Peyton
admitted. "And Caitlyn and her father were the only ones who
drowned."

"You think Caitlyn hopes the case can be
reopened by the cops?"

"I doubt it, since no one's suggesting Byron
St. Claire wasn't behind the killings." Peyton propped an elbow on
her pillow. "I think maybe this whole thing is some sort of closure
for Caitlyn." Or so she hoped.

"Just make sure she doesn't take you with
her, wherever she drifts off to," Erica said seriously. "I don't
even want to think about losing my best friend to the other
side."

Peyton chuckled. "Being a bit overly
melodramatic, aren't you?"

"Hey, I'm not the one who moved away to
Shadow Bay, Minnesota and is being stalked by ghosts and
stuff."

"You're right, Erica. Like I asked for
this."

"Sorry, I didn't mean that."

"I know you didn't," Peyton told her,
understanding how this whole thing must be freaking her out.

"I only want you to watch yourself," Erica
said. "There's no telling what dark forces of nature you're dealing
with."

Peyton could hardly argue the point. Trying
to get a handle on paranormal events was out of her element. All
she could do at this point was hope that Caitlyn was satisfied and
that nothing else unworldly lurked around the corner.

Peyton managed to take her mind off the
macabre as Erica talked about her new boyfriend, Tyler. In turn,
Peyton gushed about her latest date with Bryant and how it had
turned into a double date with Lily and Kirk.

* * *

Labor Day was Peyton's first official
holiday in Shadow Bay and she wasn't sure whether to be happy or
sad. Yes, she did miss being in San Diego and having fun with her
friends, especially Erica. But she also liked the idea of spending
as much time with Bryant as possible, and having Lily around, if
only for one more day.

Peyton hadn't seen Caitlyn's ghost in person
or in dreams for some time and hoped her spirit had been put to
rest now that some things were out in the open. At least,
technically speaking. The authorities already knew the real story
behind the family tragedy and had no say in false rumors that may
have spread over the years.

Maybe Caitlyn is satisfied that Bry and I
know she drowned in the bay and didn't die in the house with her
mother.

For now Peyton just wanted to concentrate on
the living and her relationship with Bryant.

She slipped into a tank top and denim
shorts, leaving her hair down and loose, believing Bryant preferred
it that way. Grabbing her iPhone, Peyton looked forward to the
family's first picnic.

* * *

Caitlyn watched as Peyton left the room that
they shared across time, though the gap had shrunk of late. She
followed Peyton unseen, eager to share in the spirit of the
holiday, before darkness set in.

Caitlyn recalled Labor Day celebrations when
her family was still happy and the future seemed so bright and full
of promise. Then it had all come crashing down that fateful day so
long ago. And ended any dreams she had of having a family some
day.

Now Caitlyn would settle for breaking the
grip of terror she had known for nearly fifty years, trapping her
in a world from which there seemed no escape.

The time was near for history to repeat
itself.

But with Peyton's help, there was light at
the end of the tunnel. Caitlyn hoped her father would never be able
to hurt anyone again, even if she loved him as much in death as in
life. She loved her mother, too, and believed she had suffered
enough for becoming involved with the caretaker.

As such, Caitlyn had carved out a plan to
break free of her father's hold. She wanted to experience peace in
death and didn't want to see Peyton or her family hurt.

But Caitlyn's father stood in the way. His
will was strong and his domination of the household unchallenged
even after all these years. If he had his way, everything would
stay as it was for all time.

I must fight him, though he frightens
me
.
Otherwise daddy will continue to do as he pleases, no
matter who stands in his way.

The lives of everyone in that house and the
caretaker's cottage were in grave danger should she fail.

Caitlyn saw her mother and father. They were
standing beside Melody and Vance McIntyre, who were busying
themselves in the kitchen in preparation for their picnic. Then,
with a nod of her father's head, Caitlyn watched as they entered
the bodies of the McIntyres with the ease of floating through the
air.

Caitlyn quavered at the thought of what as
to come, while hoping that strength in numbers would be enough to
prevent misfortune from once again striking those powerless to
resist.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The countertops and table were loaded with
seemingly enough food for the entire neighborhood. Peyton would
have been happy just knowing there was plenty for Bryant and Luke,
along with Lily and her grandmother, who had agreed to come to the
house for the first time in many years.

"Take that tray of ribs out to your mother,
Peyton," Vance said, wiping his hands on a stained apron.

"Okay." She took some potato chips from a
bowl and stuck them in her mouth. "Anything else?"

"See if she needs help setting the picnic
table."

"Will do."

Peyton noted that her stepfather had begun
to grow sideburns. It struck a familiar chord. Byron St. Claire had
sideburns in her dreams. Was it just a coincidence? It gave her a
chill, even though it was a gorgeous sunny day with summer
beginning to fade.

She made a face. "What's with the
sideburns?"

Vance smiled while lifting a bag of charcoal
like a sack of potatoes. "It's something I've wanted to try for a
few years now. Seemed like a good time to go for it."

Peyton pulled no punches. "I think I'd stick
to the clean shaven look if I were you."

"Guess it's a good thing I'm married to
Melody and
not
her daughter," he said tartly. "She seems to
like my new look."

Peyton sneered.
Mom never wanted dad to
have any hair on his face. Why had she changed her tune? Or had
she?

She hoped Vance's new look was in no way
associated with some angry, evil spirit.

Crossing the lawn, Peyton met her mother
halfway. She was wearing a hideous dress that looked totally retro
and was a major embarrassment.

"Mom..." Peyton's mouth hung open. "Where on
earth did
that
come from?" She pointed at the dress.

"I found it in the attic, hidden away in an
old trunk," Melody explained matter-of-factly. "Fits perfectly,
too, as though it were made for me. Isn't it wonderful?"

"Not really. It's awful."

Her mother frowned. "Let's not be too
judgmental, dear."

Peyton couldn't help herself. "That just
isn't you, Mom." Not the mother she knew who had usually been
fairly conservative in her dress, rather than over the top. Even
her hair was starting to grow out in a way that Peyton thought was
eerily similar to Rebecca St. Claire's hairstyle.

Am I imagining this? Like with Vance and the
sideburns?

"Well this is the new me," Melody responded
with an edge to her tone. "So you might as well get used to
it."

Peyton doubted she ever would. And that
included the hair. "Whatever."

Her mother's mouth softened. "I happen to
like what I'm wearing, Peyton. Just as I assume you like
your
clothing, which I rarely complain about, even when
maybe sometimes I should."

Playing the guilt trip and it's
working
. "You're right, Mom. I'm sorry."

Actually she wasn't really, but Peyton saw
no reason to argue further when her mother seemed in no mood to
listen. Nothing new of late.

"So what are you up to?" Melody asked.

"Just coming to see what I can do to
help."

"Actually, there are a few things before our
guests begin to arrive..."

Peyton was all ears while thinking about one
guest in particular.

* * *

The barbecue picnic was in full swing and
Peyton managed to put her differences with her mother and
stepfather aside for the moment, as she spent time congregating
with Bryant, Lily, and Kirk, whom Lily had invited as her date.

"This place is cool," he said, brushing a
lock of black hair from his brow. "Can't say it looks very haunted
to me."

Peyton glared at Lily for what she could
only imagine she must have told him.

"Hey, I never said the house was
haunted
, really." Lily twisted her mouth to one side. "I
just said it's kind of possessed, but not necessarily in a bad
way."

"Is there a good way to be possessed?" Kirk
looked at Peyton.

She considered Caitlyn to be a good person,
but still wouldn't wish the experience on anyone else. "Not
really."

"Didn't think so."

Peyton wasn't sure she wanted to announce
what was going on at her house to the whole world. But she didn't
blame Lily for sharing what had to be unsettling, even with her
grandmother's thoughts on the issue and history with Caitlyn.

"It's no big deal," Bryant said, putting a
protective arm around Peyton. "Most houses, especially the old
ones, have their little demons at work behind the scenes. I hear
strange noises in our cottage all the time. Kind of comes with the
territory."

Kirk nodded. "Yeah, I think I know what you
mean."

"Same here," Lily said.

Peyton smiled at Bryant, thanking him
silently for intervening.
I just wish it was just run of the
mill old house haunts to worry about
.

Kirk's eyes widened. "Hey, Bryant, it looks
like your dad has the hots for Peyton's mom."