“No. You can arrive at six if you like, but this door won’t be opened until eight. Because I’m a nice guy and we’re already awake, I’ll let you come in. But today only. And I don’t care what time you show up. The house isn’t going to let you in a minute before eight.” He made an exaggerated show of looking at his watch. “It’s now twenty past six. Time’s a-wasting.”
The two men glared at each other. Finally, Harvey spun around and stepped closer to the door. Beckoning to the crew waiting outside, he said, “All’s clear. Come on in.”
The crew remained frozen in the driveway, looking up at the house, focused on something on the second floor.
Harvey let out a string of expletives more or less telling the crew to hurry up and get to work. Their heads moved in unison, first to Harvey, then switching to the upstairs window, and then to one another before returning their gazes to Harvey and starting all over again.
Harvey stood in the doorway with his hands clenched and his face red under his tan, giving it the appearance of an inflamed cyst about to pop. “You have exactly one minute to get inside or you’re all fired!”
Nola, fully dressed in her school uniform, appeared from inside one of the vans, carrying what looked like a can of beer. She immediately put it down when she saw Jack.
“Hi, Dad!” She smiled brightly as she stepped out of the van, her smile fading as she followed the gazes of the crew. With a look of relief, she said, “Oh, don’t be scared. That’s just Louisa, the nice ghost. Most of the time, anyway. She’s not the one you need to be worried about.” She glanced at Harvey before addressing the crew again. “And you’re not who she’s upset with, so you should be fine.”
The crew huddled together, mumbling something we couldn’t decipher, their gazes traveling from the apoplectic Harvey back to the upstairs window.
Marc stepped out onto the porch. “He’s serious. Get in here now or consider yourselves fired.”
With looks of resignation, the crew gathered their equipment and marched up the piazza steps, then through the front door.
Marc waited a moment for everyone to pass before pulling Jack aside. “Look, Jack. We’re family, remember?”
“Are we really, Matt? Cain and Abel were family, too, and look how that worked out.”
Marc’s lips thinned in an attempt to keep smiling. “We want the same thing, right?”
Jack looked surprised. “I had no idea you also wished you’d disappear and never be found. Who knew?”
Through gritted teeth, Marc said, “I meant, we both want this to be over so that we can get paid and you can get your career back on track. Seems to me it would be to your advantage if you helped things go more smoothly. Just give me a key and the alarm code and I’ll make sure everyone keeps the noise to a minimum until eight o’clock. All right?”
Jack pretended to consider his answer. “You know, I think I’d rather sew my head to the carpet. But thanks for the suggestion.”
Marc dropped all pretense of affability. “Fine. But tell your wife to make those ghosts back off. I had to hire a whole different crew because the original one was too spooked to return after all the little electrical problems and other issues they experienced in December. We can’t let that happen again.”
“I’m not sure what you’re referring to, but if you have an issue with Melanie, I’d suggest you speak with her directly. She doesn’t need me to tell you where you can shove your opinions.”
I sent a warning look at Jack just as Sarah sent a smelly and especially loud explosion into her diaper. She usually did that only for Rebecca, but I supposed she considered Marc an extension of his wife. I wished she knew how to high-five.
“I need to go take care of this. And as far as me having any control over any assumed paranormal elements in this house, I don’t. It’s an old house, and old houses are almost always haunted. Deal with it.”
I headed toward the stairs, trailing a path of stinkiness while Sarah remained oblivious, thanks to the uberexpensive (and well worth it) disposable diapers I put on the children at night. The cloth diapers Sophie had sent were kept neatly folded in a drawer in the back of the nursery closet. Jack’s voice followed me as I slowly climbed the stairs, pausing midway so I could listen.
“I know what you’re doing, Marc. Why you want a key. And I’m not going to give it to you. You can’t get it through your thick skull that there is no more treasure hidden in our house. No more hidden diamonds. I’m guessing you must have read the article in that online treasure-seekers blog last month about the Hope Diamond, or you wouldn’t be breathing down my neck for the key. Well, don’t hold your breath.” He paused as if considering. “Or better yet, please do. Right now I’ve got to go talk to my daughter.” He stepped past Marc out onto the piazza, his bare feet stomping onto the wood floor.
Sarah squirmed in my arms, starting to fuss. To my relief, Jayne entered the foyer from the kitchen. “Good morning!” she said, running up the stairs to greet us. She pulled back, putting her finger under her nose. “I’m hoping the smell’s coming from Sarah.”
“Funny,” I said, handing the baby to her. “I’d help you, but I have to go play referee right now. JJ’s still sleeping.” I headed down the stairs.
“Don’t you want to get dressed first? Or at least brush your hair?”
I didn’t even pause. “After three skeletons removed from the property and the unending construction work, the neighbors won’t even notice.”
I dodged crew members to grab a throw from the sofa in the front parlor before catching up with Jack. He stood at the curb in a wide stance with his hands on his hips, just like park rangers advised that one do if confronted by a bear or another dangerous animal. I blinked in confusion until I realized that Nola wasn’t alone. I placed the throw over Jack’s shoulders, but I wasn’t sure he noticed.
“What are you doing here so early?” he asked Beau, who looked rather calm, considering the circumstances.
Before Beau could answer, Jack’s gaze moved to Nola. “And why are you up and dressed for school already?”
“I have to be at school early with Lindsey and Alston to set up our science project. And Beau is here because I needed him to buy beer since he looks twenty-one and has a fake ID.”