“Done doing what?” I asked.
The way Gorman was grinding his teeth, he’d be gumming pudding by next week.
“I’m warnin’ you. The Covenant ain’t standin’ for this.”
“Gorman, Jo-Jo’s leaving town to go on tour, and things will get back to normal. I thought you’d be happy.”
“Well, yeah, but what about them others? We don’t want our town overrun by a bunch of—”
“Evil pervert bloodsuckers, I know. Believe what you want, but there is no plot to make St. Augustine the vampire capital of the world.”
“Besides,” Kevin said as he bopped up to poke an EMF meter at my bodice, “Ms. Marinelli already told you she can’t control where vampires live.”
“Kevin,” I warned, “do not shove that thing at me.”
“I just need to get tonight’s baseline reading, and then I need to show you the piece of video I got last night.”
“Not right now, please.” I turned to Vince. “I’d love to meet your wife, but I must get the tour started. Maybe we can chat after I finish?”
He nodded. “If not tonight, we can share a table for Jo-Jo’s performance tomorrow.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” I said, and faced Gorman as Vince walked away.
“Listen, I’ve been civil to you, but you’re violating the restraining order, and we both know it. You’ve said your piece, so I suggest you go now. And Kevin,” I continued without giving Gorman a chance to respond, “I’ll see your video later.”
With that, I retrieved my lantern and stepped into the crowd.
“Welcome to Old Coast Ghost Tours, everyone. I’ll collect your tickets as we begin our tour by passing through the city gates.”
That galvanized the group. They surged toward me to hand over their tickets, and the tour was on. The evening was a huge success, partly because Gorman had taken the hint and left. Mostly because the ghosts came out to play. After multiple sightings at the Huguenot Cemetery, I herded my group to the Tolomato Cemetery. There the Bridal Ghost made herself visible, and at least five light orbs zipped and dipped to the ooohs and aaahs of the crowd. My group felt cold spots all over the old town, and some tourists reported being touched on the shoulder or arm, yet no one became distraught by the phenomenon. Kevin didn’t get in anyone’s way, thanks to two cute, curvy brunettes who latched on to him. I heard them introduce themselves as Leah and Caro, and within fifteen minutes, Kevin was allowing them to help take temperature readings and shoot video. After the tour, I met Vince’s wife, Jessica. Petite and auburn-haired, I liked her immediately, but the three of us only spoke long enough for me to give Vince Donita’s name, and to arrange for me to take Jo-Jo to Ike’s club. Vince and Jessica would get to the club early enough to talk to Donita for a few minutes, and would save a table for four. Leah and Caro still monopolized Kevin so completely, I thought for sure I’d be able to slip quietly home. He caught me as I put the lantern away.
“Ms. Marinelli, I really need you to see this. I’ve never captured anything quite like it, and I need to know if it means something to you. Please?”
Since the girls flanked him, I figured I could be quick. “Okay, let’s see what you have.”
Kevin opened the lid of a portable DVD player, and clicked Play. Sharp images showed me in my Regency gown on last night’s tour. The shots all seemed to have been taken in the plaza, and I didn’t see anything unusual until a white outline appeared behind my left shoulder as I gestured toward the cathedral in the background. The figure had a distinct head and torso but no facial features. A minute later, the white figure had gone, and a dark, amorphous shadow hovered over my right shoulder. Prickles stabbed the back of my neck where my hair rose as I watched the shadow press toward me, the edges of the image curling almost as if it were embracing me. Suddenly, the dark mass fractured and faded. Kevin kept the video running and both images showed up two more times as I moved the group to another landmark in the plaza, and then to the Spanish Military Hospital. The only difference was that when they appeared again, the black figure hovered longer than the white one.
“What do you make of that?” Kevin asked. “Are they ghosts you recognize?”
I fought a shiver because I didn’t want Kevin to think me a wimp. “They’re energies or entities, but they aren’t true ghosts or any spirit I recognize. I never felt them last night.”
“I think,” Caro volunteered, “they’re, like, ghostly versions of those cartoon angels and devils. One on each shoulder.”
“The dark one seems to be what we call a shadow man,” Kevin said. “They’re not generally harmful, but no one knows why they show up as dark instead of light.”
“What about the white form? Is that an angel?” Leah asked.