The Grey Girl, The Van Tassel Murders

Arthur answered the door, bleary-eyed and confused. “It’s five in the morning.” He yawned then suddenly perked up. “Did you find a way to get Chloe back?”

“Yes,” Alex said, but then he shook his head. “No. I mean maybe.”

To Arthur’s ears, Alex sounded like a Chihuahua on espresso.

“Dad, I just had the weirdest night of my life.”

“Alright, tell me about it.” Arthur moved so Alex could enter the house, then headed to his room, motioning his son to tell his tale. As he listened to Alex’s tale of the ghostly visitors, he began to doubt the truth of what he was hearing. “Ok, wait. Let me see if I have this straight. The ghost of Henry shows up at your house. Then a ghost cat. Then Lewis, who is actually some kind of reanimated corpse possessed by Lewis’ ghost. Then a one-hundred-and-fifty-year-old black cat shows up with a message from a witch from Salem who knew Henry’s wife.”

Alex rubbed his eyes as he waited for the coffee to brew. “Yeah, that about covers it.”

“Ok, that has got to be the strangest night I’ve ever heard about. And with us, that’s saying a lot.” Arthur’s brows knitted as he replayed what Alex had said. “So how does this get Chloe back?”

“The message said we have to find something the witch, Liza, gave to Henry’s wife while she was in Salem. Then we, I don’t know, call her, I guess.” Alex began pouring coffee into three mugs.

“Ok, so we call her. Then what?” Arthur asked, gesturing to the third mug. “Is Aaron on his way?”

“Yeah, I called him from the car.”

“Good, he’s been studying this stuff ever since we met Chloe.” He crinkled his nose at the bitter drink. “Pretty much hasn’t slept since she was taken. Been trying to figure out how to bring her back.”

Just as he finished speaking, Aaron flung open the door, his arms laden with heavy, old books. “We talking about how to bring Chloe home?” He dropped the books on the counter and grabbed the third mug. Without waiting for a reply, he rushed on. “Good. I think I might have a way.” He began rummaging through the books, tossing one then another aside. “I don’t think this has ever been done before, right? I mean, how many centuries-long dead people have been brought back to life? Without, you know, killing everyone they meet.” Suddenly he shouted, “Got it!”

His exclamation at finding the right book caused Arthur to spill coffee on his shirt.

Aaron continued, “We need her body or bones. Something she was attached to. Oh, shit, this might be a problem. We need a witch.” Misunderstanding the looks on his father’s and brother’s faces, he explained, “No, I mean a proper witch. Not that card reader across from the adult theater.”

“First of all, I think we have a proper witch on speed dial, as it were. And second, why do you know about a fortune teller near the porn places?” Arthur asked as a blush crept up Aaron’s neck.

“Who cares?” Alex leapt up, searching his pocket, “I have her necklace. It got caught on my hand when she was …” He didn’t finish. “So all we have to do is find her body.” It looked as if the words left a disgusting taste in his mouth. “Give her back the necklace and have the witch do whatever she does. Wait! We don’t have to sacrifice a soul or something do we?”

“I don’t know what the price is,” Aaron explained truthfully.

“Whatever it is, you boys will let me pay it,” Arthur interrupted. His sons immediately tried to shout him down until he held up a hand for silence. “I’m the oldest, the wisest, and the most experienced. That and I am your father, so you will do what I say.”

“When has that ever worked?” Aaron laughed then he turned serious. “No, Dad, I’ll take on that responsibility. Alex can’t because he loves Chloe too much.” Now it was his turn to raise his hand to quell the protests. “Dad, you need to guide this idiot, or he’ll mess this up and lose her. That, and if he does and she wises up and finds a decent boyfriend, she’ll need you to walk her down the aisle.”

“No!” Alex’s hand slammed down on the counter. “I have always said I would do anything for her, so that’s settled. I will do anything for her.”

The three men stood glaring at each other in the spacious kitchen of the house where they had first met Chloe. Aaron was the first to sag. “Looks like we all love her too much.”

Arthur reached out, laying a hand on each son’s shoulder. “No matter what happens, we have to bring her home.” Alex nodded followed by Aaron.

“Ok, so what’s the plan?” Arthur asked softly.

Alex suddenly felt drained. The long night was catching up with him. The realization that he had no idea what to do next began pressing in around him. He looked into the expectant eyes of his family. “I …” He rubbed his eyes. They ached with want of sleep. “I …” He exhaled in exhaustion. “I don’t know.” He began to pace. “We need to talk to Henry, but I have no idea how to contact him or Lewis.”

“You just spent several hours with them,” his father protested.

Aaron stepped between his father and brother. “It’s a very delicate process to contact a spirit. On top of that, we have a revenant to deal with.” He slowly made his way back to his books. Reverently opening one, he slowly searched for the page. “This is difficult, very difficult.” He studied the page. “I’ll need some very specific items in order to recall the dead.”

Arthur and Alex exchanged a worried look.

“First, I’ll need silence from the two of you,” he continued in a hushed whisper. “I need to concentrate” He turned to his brother and said, “Alex, I need all the money you have on you.”

Alex was taken aback but immediately began to rummage through his pockets, producing several bills and some change.

“Very good. Father,”—he bowed his head as if praying—“I will need that pocketknife that belonged to Grandpa, the one you decided not to leave us when you pass but will take with you.”

Arthur’s face betrayed disbelief, but he hurried from the room. When he returned he placed an old knife on the cash produced by Alex. Aaron counted the cash and pocketed the knife. “Yeah, I guess that will do.”

Alex and Arthur frowned at each other. Aaron raised his arms as he bowed his head. “Be absolutely silent,” he ordered. He recited something in Latin, throwing his head back and throwing his arms wide, startling his family. Letting his arms drop, he began mumbling something neither Alex nor Arthur could understand. Suddenly, he looked up, raising his arms again. Staring straight ahead, seeming to look through time and space, he said, “Hey, Henry Van Tassel, we need to talk to you and Lewis.” He dropped his arms and began to smirk. The smirk turned into a smile that turned into a laugh.

Alex punched him in the shoulder while grabbing his money from the counter. Arthur slapped him on the back of the head, holding out his other hand for his knife. Aaron retrieved the knife and, still laughing, placed it in his father’s hand.

Alex was beside himself. “What the hell, man! We need to … Whoa!”

Henry appeared through the wall as Lewis rose up from the floor. “We understand plans need to be made.” Lewis tilted his head at the gaping mouths.