From Chapter 5

Vic

“I’d like to know more about the witch,” Vic said. “Sheldon enslaved a spirit and made it serve him. So did it kill Sheldon when it escaped?”

“Odds are good that Nathan Irving was the witch, at least from what Gideon and Jeremy uncovered in their research. But it isn’t a certainty.” Simon toyed with a pencil as they talked. “I’m worried about what happens when—not if—Sheldon’s ghost turns up.”

“Speaking of which…while you’re here, how about you take a look at the cards Sheldon choked on,” Ross suggested. “Not exactly pleasant, but you’re likely to pick up something about them beyond what our crime scene folks saw.”

“Sure.” Simon looked nauseous at the thought. “Just remember—I’m a psychic, not a psychometric. So I’m not going to read anything by touching them, although I might get a vision later.”

Vic and Ross accompanied Simon down to the evidence room. The cards were in a plastic bag, mangled and warped.

“They look like a custom deck.” Simon pointed to the ornate art on the backs. “Let’s suppose that Gideon and Jeremy are right and Irving really was a witch. Maybe Irving had commissioned a special deck of cards, something he could have used in a ritual to enhance his abilities. I’m betting they would have been very personal to him—and that would have given the cards power. Sheldon might have stolen them and used the cards against Irving to siphon magic.”

Ross snapped photos of the cards’ art on both sides, and the officer returned the bag to the evidence locker.

“So where is Sheldon’s ghost in all of this?” Vic asked as they went back to the workroom. “Why isn’t he haunting the house along with everyone else? Where do ghosts go when they’re not…ghosting?”

“Like I mentioned before, sometimes it takes a spirit a little while to get its bearings after death,” Simon told them. “Apparently dying is disorienting. I know you’re in a hurry to solve this, but ghosts don’t usually show up immediately. Sheldon might be collecting his wits, so to speak, after being murdered. More like gathering energy. And since new ghosts aren’t usually as powerful as older haunts, he might be staying out of the way of the other spirits—especially if one of those spirits is Irving.”

“You think they’re all in the house together?” Ross asked.

Simon frowned. “Here’s my theory. If Gideon and Jeremy are right, Irving is our best candidate for being a true witch. He was always competing with Sheldon and probably resented that Sheldon was more famous even though he lacked real magic.

We can see if anything in their research for the book and the documentary bears this out, but Irving might have used his magic to harm people he didn’t like. At some point, Sheldon found a way to steal Irving’s magic and use it. Later, he might have killed Irving and enslaved his ghost to help in the show.”

Vic nodded. “Then Irving’s ghost broke loose from Sheldon’s control and maybe had something to do with the other people your sources say came to a bad end.” Vic theorized. “He also found a way to get past the protections Sheldon set on the house and returned to kill him.”

“What about the ghost behind the locked door?” Ross asked.

Simon shrugged. “No idea. But I’m sure he’s related somehow to the Ocean Paradise.”

“Won’t poking around in the house bring Irving’s ghost back?” Ross looked worried.

“I think Irving’s spirit might have been the one who has been harassing Gideon and Jeremy,” Simon speculated. “He got out after Sheldon died, and he might be dealing with loose ends. But I don’t think he can move on—and we can’t let him stick around.”

“Can you banish that many spirits?” Vic asked, worried.

“Looks like I’m going to have to. But I think we can get help from Gabriella and Miss Eppie. This is starting to feel like “Murder on the Orient Express. Lots of suspects and everyone’s got a motive.” Simon sighed, looking at the stacks of letters.

“Except I’m not getting the impression that the murder was a group project,” Ross pointed out. “And the most likely ghost to have done it is in the wind.”

“It would be good to get rid of Irving’s ghost before Sheldon’s returns,” Simon replied. “If the two of them go at it in spirit form, it could be…epic.”