Page 78 of Be Our Ghost
“Maeve,” she called out. “I know you’re sad. You wanted to be with Howard, didn’t you? Did he promise to marry you? To take care of you?”
Goose bumps prickled her arms as she recalled her mother’s words. How she always wanted to ensure Charlie had someone to take care of her. Was that what Maeve had wanted? It couldn’t have been easy, coming on her own from Ireland to Canada. Had she been lonely? Seeking out love from whomever offered it, even if he was already taken? Had Maeve truly loved Howard, or had he just offered her security?
“Maeve, why are you still with us? What’s stopping you from crossing over? And what’s making you so angry?” Charlie tried to imagine what might be troubling her. “Are you mad because Howard and Frances ended up together in death, and you were forgotten?”
A book sailed through the air, barely missing her head. Trembling, she stared at it in disbelief. Her stomach clenched tightly, bringing with it a pang of agony. She gripped the arm of the settee, willing herself not to bolt from the room in a panic. Another book flew past her, smacking into the side of an old dresser. Either Maeve had bad aim, or she wasn’t actually intending to hit Charlie.
Behind her, the team members were whispering epithets, like “Holy shit” and “Bro, did you see that?”
Be brave. You can handle this.
She got to her feet. “Maeve? I don’t blame you for being upset. It’s not fair that you were left behind. Is that what’s making you angry?”
A third book came at her, and she ducked just in time. Was one of the crew doing it to play up the scare factor? In the darkened room, she couldn’t make them out very well. Not that it mattered. Right now, she needed to stay focused on Maeve.
“Even if everyone else has forgotten you, I’m going to keep you in my memory,” she said. “You’re part of a sisterhood, like all the women who’ve worked here over the years. I’ll make sure you’re not erased from history.” She needed a way to ease Maeve’s grief. “We could put a stone marker outside, next to the back garden. To honor the service you gave to the hotel. I know that won’t help with the heartache, but every time someone sees it, they’ll think of you.”
Charlie’s head spun with a sudden rush of dizziness. She sat back down as the emotions barraging her—sadness, anger, helplessness—made her senses reel. Images flooded her mind, and she envisioned herself in Maeve’s shoes. Toiling away as a hotel clerk in the 1920s, with no family around to support her, hoping one day her situation would improve.
Around her, the men were talking—about EVP readings and EMF fluctuations and other jargon. She didn’t care about any of that. She just wanted to be free of the frenzied emotional turmoil battering her brain.
“I’m sorry, Maeve,” she whispered. “I only want you to be at peace.”
Once again, a bone-chilling cold flooded her body, like diving into an icy river.
Then nothing.
No sadness. No pain. No anger.
The fog lifted like a blue sky breaking through the clouds. She released the air from her lungs and opened her eyes. The team members were staring at her in awe.
“Are you all right?” Burke asked. “That was intense.”
“It was. I’m not sure if Maeve is still with us.” Had she left for good? Or had Charlie appeased her enough that she’d relented? For now, Charlie was grateful the darkness had lifted, setting her free. “I think I’m done here.”
As she stood up, her legs wobbled, and she braced herself on the arm of the settee. Burke contacted Logan, and within minutes, four raps came at the door. Logan opened it; behind him was Knox, with a thunderous expression on his face. “Damn it, Charlie, are you okay? You had me scared shitless.”
She launched herself into his arms, taking solace in the warmth of his body. “I’m fine. You saw what happened, right?”
“I wanted to burst in there and tell Maeve to back the hell off. She almost beaned you with those books.”
Charlie didn’t know whether Maeve or one of the crew had thrown the books at her. At this point, she didn’t care. “It’s all good. I’m not sure if she’ll be back, but I’ve done enough.”
“You did plenty,” Logan said. “Unless something else happens, your interaction with Maeve will be the highlight of the episode.”
“Good.” She rested her head against Knox’s broad chest. “Will you take me home? I’ve had enough ghost hunting for one night.”
“You got it, sweetheart.”
* * *
Usually,when Knox slept over, Charlie couldn’t wait to have sex. Tonight, she just wanted him to hold her. Though she’d regained control of her emotions, she was still shaken by what she’d experienced. She rested in his arms, letting the tension ease from her body as he stroked her hair.
“You sure you’re all right?” he asked. “That ghost didn’t mess with your mind, did she?”
“No. I feel like myself again, just exhausted. Maeve was tossing a lot of powerful feelings at me. I hope I was able to help her.” Charlie wanted to believe her words might have eased some of the ghost’s misery but didn’t know for sure. The only way to find out would be to subject herself to the room again, and she was in no hurry to do that.
“How’d you know what to say?”
