I took the file and inspected the articles. One stack covered the shooting death of Mike Jones from the time it was reported until the time they closed the case. A second group followed the case of Julia Wyatt and the search for her body, including finding her clothing in Greer’s Woods.
“I think we should turn this over to the police,” I said.
“We can’t do that. We’re not supposed to be here,” Diana said.
“Can’t we just tell Officer Andrews to search the place again?” said Seth. “And tell him how to find the office, and how to open the desk, and where to look—”
“That’s enough, Seth. He’s not that bad,” Mom said.
“He’s not that good, either,” Seth breathed into my ear.
“I can’t remove evidence, but I’d like to get a copy of these,” I said. I put them back in their original order. “I’ll have to get Tom to copy them for me.”
Seth had gone to Vi’s side of the desk and opened a panel.
“You could just copy them now,” he said. He did something inside the panel and then we heard clicks and beeps.
I handed him the papers and motioned everyone else into the dining room. Dad arrived just as we were setting up.
We’d decided Diana would run the séance, since she had the most experience. She wasn’t a medium, but she knew what to do. Vi hoped that the combined “psychic talent” of the group would carry us along in our ignorance. It was getting dark outside. We pulled the curtains and left the lights off so no one would get curious. I wished we had stuck to the pendulum and tarot cards. Séances creep me out.
Seth came into the room with the copies and stood too close. His hand shook when he handed me the sheaf of papers.
“Okay, we need to sit around the table here. I brought some candles,” Diana said. “Rose, did you bring some food?”
“Sara always liked my banana bread. I brought some of that.” My mother placed a small basket on the table.
“Is a ghost going to eat that food?” Seth asked.
“No, we just put it there to attract her spirit,” Diana said. “We light the candles for warmth and light, which is also attractive to the spirits.”
“Let’s get the show on the road here. I don’t want to get caught in Sara’s house like this,” Dad said. I almost hugged him.
We sat, and Diana lit the three candles.
Vi’s eyes glittered across the table toward me, the candles lighting her face with an eerie glow. I felt a familiar chill settle along my spine. I really hate séances.
“Everyone focus your energy and your thoughts on Sara. We all need to be thinking of her to get her to communicate with us.” Diana’s voice was quiet and soothing; I wished I were sitting next to her.
I had Seth, whose eyes had grown to what looked like twice their normal size, on one side, and Alex, who had his eyes shut tight just like he always did in scary movies, on the other. These two were not the ones I’d want backing me up in a dark alley. Dad looked worried next to Mom, then came Diana and Vi.
Everyone seemed nervous except Diana and Vi. They acted like they were about to attend a party.
“Put your hands on the table and lightly hold your neighbor’s hand. The circle will be broken if you let go, and the spirit will leave.”
I saw Mom give Dad’s hand a squeeze; she glanced at him, and he seemed to relax. I got no reassuring squeezes from Alex and Seth, but I did hold on to Seth a little tighter than necessary. He looked a bit unsettled, and I didn’t want the circle broken by nervous vomiting.
Diana closed her eyes, and said, “Our dearest Sara, we bring you gifts from life. Commune with us, Sara.”
The few séances I had attended in the past had been disappointing. We had never been successful, and as the silence stretched it looked like this would be another bust.
Someone sniffed. Alex cleared his throat. The silence became heavy, then uncomfortable as we waited. Nothing happened. The flickering candles cast long, jumping shadows on the walls. I heard the unfamiliar noises of Sara’s house all around us. The refrigerator’s quiet groan in the next room, the pops and clicks of a house settling in for the night, the high-pitched whine in my ears that I only noticed when it was really quiet, all became louder and more sinister as we sat in expectation. Diana repeated her request, and we waited. Still nothing.
Alex shifted in his seat, and I glanced at him; he got ready to say something when Vi spoke.
“There is murder here.” She stared at a spot above my head, and it was all I could do not to turn around and see if there was something there, but I didn’t want to break the circle.
Diana looked surprised and turned to Vi.
“Sara? Are you with us?” Diana asked.
“No, not Sara. She has crossed over,” said Vi.
Vi continued to stare without blinking, just over my head.
“A murderer is unpunished. You must use your talent before another dies,” Vi said.
“Who are you? What can you tell us about the murders?” Diana asked.