Knight Casefiles Book 1: Revelations

Revelations [Chapter 21]

The answers were in the town. I just knew it.

It was a few minutes later that Margaret finally stirred, and it was definitely not because of my poor rendition of the aforementioned yodeling.

“What is that? Are you drowning a cat?” Margaret said, sitting up instantly.

“Nobody appreciates good music anymore,” I muttered, pulling up a seat nearer the bed.

“Music’s supposed to soothe the soul,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “Not cause sleep disrupting nightmares.”

I arched a suspicious eyebrow at her. “Gee, someone’s cranky this morning. You’re not possessed, are you?”

She gave me a sour look. “It’s almost noon, Chris. And no, I’m not possessed. I think getting psychically attacked warrants me a few hours of crankiness.”

Well, I guess she couldn’t be her sunny self all the time. I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt she so rightfully deserved and settled on a concerned look on my face. “You feeling better?”

Margaret yawned and stretched on the bed, while I tried not to notice her distinct lack of any other garment underneath her shirt and shorts. I think I liked tipsy Margaret better than cranky Margaret.

“I think so. I mean, I’m not dead yet or anything so...” she trailed off and simply shrugged. “Thanks for checking on me.”

“No problem.”

The silence that passed between us as I racked my brain for some topic of interest to bring to serve as my monster-hunting equivalent of a doctor’s bedside manner stretched long enough that she got suspicious and a suspicious, cranky, psychic was very difficult to fool. She saw through my act without much effort. I doubted she even needed her powers for that.

“This isn’t just a courtesy call, is it?” The question wasn’t enunciated like a question should be. It was a statement, plain and simple. I’d even go as far as to say that it was an accusation.

I thought about the best thing to say to her and decided that lying and playing democrat wouldn’t get me anywhere. “I wish it was,” I said honestly. “I really do, Margaret. But there’s too much going on right now. I need answers.”

Margaret watched me for a while, enough to make me uncomfortable under her gaze. When she finally spoke, it surprised me to see her usual innocent smile branded on her lips. “Well, it’s not like I have anything better to do.” She sighed. “Shoot.”

I smiled and muttered my thanks for her understanding. “I want to ask you about last night. In that room, when you were doing that séance – what happened there?”

Margaret sat up, her lips pursed as she pondered the question. “I’m not really sure.”

“Something you haven’t encountered before?” I prompted.

She shook her head. “It’s not that. I’ve been in this job for years. I think I’ve encountered enough. But last night was just…weird. Really weird.”

“Yeah, I think I got that part. Anything else?”

“No need to be so snarky, Mr. Knight. It was just... Look, we know that there was supposed to be at least one ghost in that room, right?”

I nodded, motioning for her to go on.

“Well, it didn’t feel like that.”

“You mean, there were more ghosts in that room?”

“No, not exactly. The ghosts – they weren’t just in the room. Chris, I’ve been learning my trade long enough to know how to control it. And even though I was just concentrating on the room, there was just something that was making it hard to focus. It was like, there was something pulling me out of that room.” She shivered visibly at the memory.