Authors: Mary Carter

The Things I Do For You (28 page)

BOOK: The Things I Do For You

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Well, maybe she did, but once in a while a girl had to vent. Bailey sipped her wine and just listened to the conversations around her. They talked and laughed, and drank, and came and went from the table, but Bailey just sat there looking at the baby monitor. She wished the sweet little girl would wake up so she could hold her and play with her and smell her hair. Would this be her life? Living vicariously through the children of their guests?

From the monitor came a slight crackle. Bailey leaned forward to listen closer. Suddenly, there was a faint tinkle, like a bell ringing, and the sound of laughter. Everyone who was still at the table froze. Rachel stood up first, grabbed the monitor, and looked up toward the room.

“Someone’s in there with her.” The laugh had definitely not been a baby’s laugh. Captain Jack’s face had gone as white as a sheet, so white Bailey couldn’t look at him. Everyone began the race to the stairwell together. When they reached the room, they were all breathless. The baby was standing up in the crib, looking at the corner of the room. There was no one there. Rachel grabbed her and held her.

“She’s fine,” Dean said.

“Who was laughing?” Bailey looked around for Brad. Since he wasn’t in the room, she turned and screamed his name. She felt a little guilty when the French couple slapped their hands over their ears, but it did the trick. Brad came running up the stairs.

“Where were you?”

“Sorry,” Brad said. “I was getting Angel a drink. What’s wrong?” Bailey filled him in, and was happy when Rachel and Dean added to the story. At least it wasn’t just her this time crying ghost. Brad and Jake began a room-by-room search. Bailey pulled Captain Jack out of the room.

“What aren’t you saying?” she whispered. Captain Jack shook his head and looked away. “Tell me.”

“It sounded just like her,” Captain Jack said.

“Who? It sounded just like who?”

“Edga.” Jake and Brad came stomping down from the third floor. Brad was carrying a picture frame. It had obviously been smashed; tiny shards of glass at the edges were all that remained intact. He turned the picture to Bailey. It was a black-and-white of a young couple. They were both very attractive, and smiling. Everyone looked at Captain Jack.

“That’s Edga and Trevor,” he said. “It was taken on their first day here.”

“Who is that?” Rachel said. “Is it the ghost who was laughing?”

“An American ghost!” Dean said. “We love it.”

“Not when she’s laughing at our baby, we don’t,” Rachel said.

“Where did that picture come from?” Bailey asked. “I’ve never seen it there before.”

“Neither had I,” Brad said. “It was in the middle of the floor.”

“Middle of the floor,” Jack repeated softly. “Underneath the highest rafter.”

“How did you—”

“Right where they found her hanging,” Jack finished. He shook his head and started for the stairs. Bailey hurried after him. He kept a fast clip and was soon out the door, almost running back to the ferry. Bailey went after him.

“Someone is playing a trick on us,” she said.

“I warned you,” Jack said. “Edga is still around.”

“She is not. I’m telling you—”

Jack whirled around. “Who?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’m sorry, Bailey. But it’s no trick. Strange things have been happening in the house and with the light since she died. I’m sure the Coast Guard has paid you a few visits about the light?”

“Of course. We think it’s just a malfunction—”

“It’s her. I’m telling you, it’s her. She wasn’t happy here. And if the look in your eyes is any kind of a clue, I don’t think you are either. It’s starting to scare me.”

“Scare you?”

“You remind me of her. In so many ways. She was so in love too. But it drove her crazy. She started to get paranoid.”

“Are you saying I’m paranoid?”

“If you’re not, you should be. You have a ghost! If I were you, I’d pack my bags and move out.”

“I don’t see that happening.”

“Good night, Bailey. Think about what I said.”

“What would we do? Have another auction?”

“No. I’d buy her off you.”

“Is that what this is all about? You want the lighthouse for yourself?”

“No,” Jack said. “I want to burn it.” With that and a tip of an invisible hat, he was once again off and running.

Chapter 27

O
n their second to last morning at the lighthouse, Bailey made Rachel and Dean French toast. Maybe that was a mistake. They were still talking about the sound of a woman’s laugh coming through the baby monitor.

“Angel left the table right before it happened,” Bailey said. “She said she was going to the bathroom.”

“You think it was her?” Dean said.

“It had to be,” Bailey said.

“Why didn’t she tell us?” Rachel said.

“Because she knew you wouldn’t like her sneaking into your baby’s room.”

“We have to ask her. Is she coming to breakfast?” Bailey looked out the window to see if she could spot her jogging down the path, but there was a thick layer of fog that morning, obscuring everything.

“She won’t tell us the truth,” Bailey said. “We’ll have to get her to laugh instead and then see if we recognize it.”

“What’s going on in here?” Brad entered the room freshly showered. Bailey loved how he smelled.

“We’re going to make the blonde with the big boobs laugh,” Dean said. Brad looked around to see what he was talking about.

“Your wife thinks she is the ghost,” Rachel said.

“I’m making French toast,” Bailey said. “Do you want some?”

“Do you make English muffins when the British come?” Dean said.

“No,” Brad said. “But we hang out two lanterns.” The couple just cocked their heads and looked at him. Bailey laughed. Dean thrust a syrupy knife in their direction.

“Ah, joke!” he said. “Very good. You can make the blonde laugh with that one, no?”

“Bailey?” Brad said. “A moment.”

“We don’t need a moment,” Bailey said. “They were just talking about hearing someone laugh on the baby monitor, and I just happened to remember that minutes before, Angel had excused herself to go to the restroom.”

“So?” Brad said.

“So obviously, she popped her head into the baby’s room, the baby did something funny, she laughed, then she lied about it.” Bailey kissed Brad on the cheek and handed him a cup of coffee.

“That’s not possible,” Brad said. Jake stepped into the room.

“What’s not possible?” Jake said.

“Nothing,” Brad and Bailey said at the same time.

“The blonde with the big boobs is our ghost,” Dean said. “At least we think so. But first we have to say the English muffin joke and make her laugh.”

“I don’t get it,” Jake said.

“To be honest, we don’t either,” Dean said. “They are serving us French toast, because we are French, no? So I ask if they serve English muffins to the British. He says, ‘No, but we hang out the lantern.’ ”

“Two lanterns,” Brad said. “Two if by sea.”

“The British are coming,” Bailey said.

“Oh, so you are buying English muffins, no?”

“Would you like some French toast, Jake?”

“What were you saying about Angel?” As if on cue, Angel appeared in the doorway. She was in her usual running gear, tiny shorts and a tight sports bra. Bailey couldn’t stand the way the woman had to pop into the dining room in her sweaty little outfit every single morning before showering.

“Hi, y’all!” she called. “God, it’s so gorgeous out there. Oh my God, is that French toast? That smells delish!”

“If you go by sea, you can have two English muffins,” Dean said. He threw his head back and laughed, then stared at Angel, who just smiled back. He looked at Bailey and shrugged, like,
I tried.

“I’m just going to have grapefruit,” Angel said, patting her flat, tanned stomach.

“Did you go into the baby’s room last night?” Jake said. “Were you the woman we heard laughing on the monitor?”

Interesting investigative style,
Bailey thought.
Confront the suspect directly. One problem. Suspects will lie.

“You got me!” Angel said.

“What?” Brad said.

“I should have ’fessed up. I love babies. I just couldn’t help a peek. She was awake when I went in and gave me the cutest little look. She just tucked her chin into her shoulder and smiled at me. I had to laugh.”

“Angel,” Brad said.

“I know, I should have told you,” Angel said. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Rachel said. “We always have to peek at her too.”

“I can’t wait to have kids,” Angel said. She snuck a glance at Jake, who was smiling at her without any hesitation at all.

“Beautiful women make beautiful children,” Jake said. There was a beat, then he glanced quickly at Bailey. Their eyes connected for several seconds.

“I’m going to shower,” Angel said. She headed out of the room.

“Wait,” Brad said. Angel turned back around. “Why are you lying?”

“Brad?” Bailey said. “What are you talking about?”

“Angel wasn’t using the upstairs bathroom,” Brad said. “She used the one down here. I was in the kitchen when she came out. We were having a chat when all of you started running upstairs.”

Angel threw her arms open. “Got me again,” she said.

“So you weren’t peeking in the baby’s room?” Rachel said.

“I was down here,” Angel said. “With Brad.”

“Well, not with me. I was just in the kitchen getting more wine when she came out of the bathroom.” Bailey felt a stillness settle in her chest as she looked from her husband to Angel. They were both speaking in measured voices, as if reciting lines from a play. Why in the world would Angel lie about chatting with Brad in the kitchen? Unless they were doing more than chatting.

“I just thought you guys would feel better if there wasn’t some ghost hanging about the place,” Angel said. “I mean, we all get to leave. But you two have to live here. And frankly, I would be totally freaked out if I were you.”

“Why don’t we let Angel take her shower,” Bailey said. “Running might make you look good, darling, but it doesn’t do much for your smell.” There was just a slight hesitation before Angel laughed. And if anyone was unconvinced seconds ago, it was now quite clear. Angel’s laugh was nothing like the woman on the baby monitor.

“Bailey?” Brad said. “A word?”

“No,” Bailey said. “Whatever you have to say in front of me, you can say in front of our ‘guests.’ ” Granted, it probably wasn’t nice to put air quotes around the word “guests,” but Bailey was sick of Brad pulling her aside to scold her in private. She’d warned him about this: Who wanted to live twenty-four / seven with strangers? Did he think they were never going to fight in front of anyone else? It was exhausting always being “on,” having to watch every single thing that came out of her mouth.

“Wow,” Jake said. “The tide clock is going nuts.” Everyone looked at the clock. Sure enough, the hands were swinging like a pendulum from High Tide to Low Tide.

“Can’t blame that one on me either,” Angel said.

“You’re the one who confessed to something you didn’t do,” Bailey said. “And my guess is it’s because you feel guilty. About something.”

“Bailey,” Brad said.

“So what exactly were you two chatting about anyway?”

“Thank you for breakfast,” Jake said. “Can I help with the dishes?”

“We’ve had enough of your help around here,” Brad said.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Rachel lifted Simone out of her high chair, even though the baby looked as though she could keep eating until sundown.

“Thank you for the nice place to stay,” Rachel said. She grabbed Dean by the shoulder and yanked him up mid-bite. “Let’s go,” she said in a loud stage whisper.

“I’m sorry if it’s a little tense in here,” Brad said.

“We had a lovely time,” Rachel said.

“You’re here one more night, aren’t you?” Bailey said. The couple looked at each other.

“We want to see more of Manhattan,” Rachel said. “We’re leaving early.”

“Thank you for coming,” Bailey said.

“We’re so sorry,” Brad said.

“Stop apologizing,” Bailey said.

“Good luck,” Rachel said. They scooted out of the room like racewalkers. Bailey hadn’t noticed before that their suitcases were propped by the door.

“I don’t think Captain Jack will be here for another hour,” Bailey said.

“We’ll wait outside,” Rachel said.

“Don’t forget to sign the guest book!” Brad called after them.

BOOK: The Things I Do For You