Beyond the Grave by Mara Purnhagen

Author:Mara Purnhagen
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-09-01T22:00:00+00:00

BREAKFAST WAS WAITING for us the next morning. To everyone’s relief, Mrs. Hollings had not been back to the kitchen since dinner. Instead, she had ordered croissants and coffee cake from the bakery. After a late night and nearly no sleep, we were happy with the buffet. I helped myself to three croissants and a glass of orange juice while Dad described our eventful evening to Mrs. Hollings.

“Everything lines up with the witness accounts,” he said. “The entire team heard her voice and the footsteps on the staircase.”

Mom, Shane and Annalise reported hearing the exact same things from their positions downstairs. I thought it was a little strange that Rose’s presence had been so loud. It was captured on both the digital recorder and the video cameras, something that had never happened before. How strong was this little girl? Could her energy be strong enough to reach out and touch us? Or worse, hurt us? The idea wouldn’t leave me, and even though I had gone to bed after four in the morning, I had barely slept.

“I thought you might meet Rose,” Mrs. Hollings said, pouring coffee.

“Yes.” Dad buttered a croissant. “The stories are nearly exact. Almost too exact.”

Mrs. Hollings set down her porcelain cup. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“We expected some activity,” Dad said. “None of us were prepared for every reported occurrence to happen all at once, within the same hour.”

“Well, it appears you were here on a good night.” Mrs. Hollings smiled, but it looked tense, as if she was forcing herself to do so. “Rose must like you.”

Dad continued to eat his breakfast. Shane was attacking half the coffee cake, and Annalise looked like she was still half-asleep. Only Mom and Dad were fully awake and alert.

“It is interesting,” Mom mused. “Usually there is some variation when people describe their paranormal experiences. But Patrick’s right. What we heard last night fit in perfectly with other accounts.”

Dad pretended to be absorbed with breakfast, but I knew he was paying close attention to everything that was being said. He didn’t believe the Pink Rose was haunted, I realized. He had already decided that it was a hoax. But he needed Mom to figure it out for herself, so he was planting the first seeds of doubt and gauging Mrs. Hollings’s reaction.

“I’m pleased that Rose made herself known to you,” Mrs. Hollings said. “She does have certain habits, which may explain why so many of our guests report similar incidents.”

“Yes, that may explain it.” Mom had a faraway look in her eyes. It was a look I knew well. She was in a thoughtful mode, her debunker skills on high alert. “We’d like to look around today, take some pictures. Would that be all right with you?”

Our schedule for the day had been planned a week ahead of time, but asking for permission from Mrs. Hollings was an important formality. Always show respect, my parents taught me. You are in someone else’s space, and your job is to make them comfortable with your presence.

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