Ghost Guardian

By Holly Sullivan McClure and Book Design Magic

In their ancestral home in the South Carolina Low Country, teen twins, Aislinn and Audrey, have seen their share of ghosts. Now, Landon, the four-year-old they baby sit, has seen a ghost, or maybe a mummy. A boy and girl from their new school have been kidnapped. Their father's long-dead hero has returned to balance karma. Two murder victims see

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lost Mountain Press
• Release date: Jun 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781087893921

Holly Sullivan McClure

From a family that saw ghosts and considered it the height of ill manners when dead relatives failed to pay an occasional visit, writing paranormal mysteries is a natural for Holly Sullivan McClure. She was born in the Smokey Mountains of Western North Carolina, lived a few years in New Orleans, and spent a couple of decades on a barrier island off the coast of Georgia. Stories of local hauntings were collected and added to family lore. She first shared these tales as a storyteller at Tour of Southern Ghosts at Stone Mountain Park. Acceptance led to a full-time writing career. She now resides with her dog Sam near a civil war battlefield in Georgia where she is working on the third book in this series.

Book preview

Ghost

Guardian

Book 2

Low Country Mystery Series

Holly Sullivan McClure

Copyright © 2018 Holly Sullivan McClure

Published by Lost Mountain Press

Book cover and design by Book Design Magic

All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from Author except for brief passages cited in a review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All registered trademarks are the property of the respective owners and are used within guidelines of fair use.

ISBN-13: 978-1-0878-9392-1

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Haunting Landon

Chapter 2 The Disappearing Deckers

Chapter 3 Where’s That Tingle?

Chapter 4 Mind Games.

Chapter 5 Across Time and Space, They Find You.

Chapter 6 An Excellent Day

Chapter 7 Isn’t That Touching

Chapter 8  Motive for Murder?

Chapter 9 Crossing Over

Chapter 10 Calling Deep Time.

Chapter 11 Meet Me at the Crossroad.

Chapter 12 It’s Good to be Home

Chapter 13 Why Did They Do That?

Chapter 14 Rest Easy Ms. Martha

Chapter 15 The Dead Will Tell

Chapter 16 The End of the Line

Chapter 17 Does This Mean We’re Famous?

Chapter 18 All’s quiet  in the Haunted Woods

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Holly Sullivan McClure

Other Books By  Holly Sullivan McClure

Chapter 1

Haunting Landon

The candy apple red pickup truck whipped up a dust cloud as it sped down the unpaved road. It slowed to turn onto the freshly laid cobblestones of Hanover Hall’s circular driveway and braked to a stop at the foot of the veranda steps. A pretty young woman got out of the driver’s side. She wore a stylish grey pants suit, sensible shoes and a frantic expression.

Her passenger, a little boy of about four, climbed out of the truck the second it stopped. He scrambled up the wide marble steps and onto the veranda as fast as his chubby little legs would run. Stretching to his full height, he strained to reach the doorknob.

The woman grasped his shirt in a vain attempt to restrain him. She rang the doorbell then gave the kid a gentle smack on his butt when he banged the door with his fist.

Stop that, Landon.

The little boy ignored her. He slapped at the door with both hands, wailing at the top of his lungs, Audrey, Aislinn, Let me in. I gotta tell you something.

Paige Hanover opened the door, still in her pajamas.

The young woman stammered an embarrassed greeting. I’m sorry, Paige. She caught Landon by the arm when he tried to rush past her. He twisted out of her grasp and barged into the house.

She gave up trying to control him and continued her apology. Landon woke me up this morning pitching a screaming fit. He insisted he had to come right away to see your girls. I don’t know what in the world got into that child.

Hey, Julia. Paige hid a yawn behind her hand. Come in and we’ll see if Audrey and Aislinn are out of bed yet. Maybe they can do something with him. Are they babysitting today?

He’s supposed to go to daycare at the hospital this morning, but he made me bring him here first. Julia shushed Landon when he yelled for Audrey and Aislinn again.

Landon caught sight of Audrey coming down the stairs and shouted his message The dead lady that lives at my house said I have to tell you something. He pumped his elbows up and down to accent each word. And I ain’t making it up, Audrey.

Dr. Caldwell stammered, Oh, good lord, Landon.

Paige put a reassuring arm around the distraught woman’s shoulder. She and Dr. Julia Caldwell bonded as the new moms in town when Julia came to live in the house left vacant by the Hanover’s housekeeper’s mother when Martha Decker went to live with her son near the capital. Maggie Lee set the Hanover twins up with the babysitting job.

Audrey hurried to Landon’s side and put her arms around him. The screaming fit surprised her. He could be a total brat when he didn’t get his way, but not like this. Landon trembled with fear.

Julia knelt beside her son. You’re making a scene, sweetie. You need to settle down.

He squinted his big brown eyes and wailed, Mama, leave me alone. I gotta talk to Audrey and Aislinn. The dead lady said they knew what to do.

Aislinn must have heard him. Only eight o’clock, and she dragged herself out of bed. She took her time descending the stairs, her back erect and her nose in the air.

Audrey recognized an attempt at a regal entrance, which is not easy when you’re wild haired, barefoot and wearing wrinkled boxer shorts.

Aislinn scanned the situation with the aloof, know-it-all manner she affected after she and Audrey became the biggest item on the local news, when they discovered the motive for a thirty-year-old murder and found evidence that brought the killer to justice. All that at the same time they helped solve the mystery of their dad’s missing mom and twin brother.

Two months later Aislinn still basked in the fame while Audrey hoped everybody forgot about it before they enrolled in their new school. Walking that fine line between fame and exposure might be exciting to her sister, but not for Audrey. Those elaborate stories they concocted to explain how they found the bodies of their grandmother Hanover and her son, still threatened to unravel if anyone looked too closely at them.

When the twins inherited their Grandmother Magenta’s psychic gifts, it changed things for their family, mostly for the better, but the fear of what their new friends would think if they knew the Hanover women talked to the dead, left them determined to keep their abilities a deep dark secret. It made it less scary to have Magenta live with them for the summer and teach them to use their gifts.

Gotta hand it to Aislinn. She knew what to do. She went to Julia Caldwell and took her hand, patting it like she knew everything. Dr. Caldwell melted. Her sigh of relief said it all; We’re in good hands now. Aislinn Hanover is here.

Audrey gagged, loud enough for Aislinn to hear. She crossed her arms and watched her sister at work, impressed in spite of herself.

Aislinn patted and cooed, Don’t you worry Dr. Caldwell. Everything will be OK. Landon probably just had a bad dream and needs someone to listen to it. Audrey and I will find out what’s bothering him.

It worked like a charm. Amazing. Dr. Caldwell hugged Aislinn, thanking her for being so wise and capable, and Aislinn loved every minute of it.

Audrey watched as long as she could stand it as her barely teen aged sister patted Dr. Caldwell’s back and said soothing stuff like a wise old woman. After a couple of minutes, Landon tugged at her shorts. He couldn’t take anymore either.

Audrey took his hand and led him down the hall to the kitchen. Let’s get out of here before we both get sick, she said.

Aislinn could follow if she ever got out of Dr. Caldwell’s bear hug.

Behind her, Audrey heard Julia Caldwell apologizing again for the intrusion, complaining about her little boy’s vivid imagination, which she declared got worse every day that dawned.

Aislinn used that syrupy voice again. Mom, why don’t you and Dr. Caldwell have a nice little visit while Audrey and I chat with Landon? Hmmm?

She dropped the Queen Elizabeth act and came running after Audrey and Landon, her bare feet slapping on the polished heart pine floors of the hall.

Audrey picked Landon up and perched him on a bar stool at the kitchen counter. She poured him a glass of milk but he pushed it away. Don’t want any milk. No cookies neither. I wanna tell you what the dead lady said. And she wants you to tell that dead boy so he can help the lost girl. And don’t say I had a bad dream like my mama does. It wasn’t no dream and I know it. It was for real.

Dead boy? Did he know about Donovan? That came as a shock. How would he find out they had a ghost buddy? Did you tell him about our friend? she asked her sister.

Of course not, Aislinn said. That’s the last thing in the world I’d tell anyone. She hopped up on the stool beside Landon, ready to take over. Must be more than a dream that’s scaring him. How else would he know about Donovan?

Who’s Donovan? Landon asked.

The only dead boy we know, Aislinn said. So, what is it the dead lady wants us to tell him?

The lady said the dead boy could help us find Lynnie, Landon’s face screwed up, ready to start crying again.

Calm down, honey, Audrey said. What did the lady tell you about Lynnie?

That she’s lost. She’s a girl that’s lost and the dead boy can help us find her. Landon pounded his little fist on the counter in frustration. You gotta find her. The dead lady said she’s in bad trouble. She’s gonna keep haunting me until you do something.

Haunting you? Audrey said.

That’s what it’s called when dead people bother you. I’ve seen them on TV. Scooby Doo gets haunted all the time.

Only four years old and Landon already talked to dead people. Impressive.

Audrey and Aislinn turned thirteen years old before they saw a single spirit or recognized any paranormal gifts. It started two months ago when they moved to Hanover Hall and met Donovan, the dead boy, their first ghost. That’s when the psychic ability they inherited from their grandmother Magenta kicked in and gave them powers they didn’t understand.

You must be really psychic, Landon. Do you see other dead people besides the woman at your house? Aislinn asked.

Landon glared at her with his mouth hanging open, then whispered, Others? I don’t want to see no others. The whisper became a wail. I want the dead lady to go away but she won’t leave until you help her find Lynnie. Tell that dead boy to talk to her. That’s what she wants. Then tell him to make her get out of my room and leave me alone.

Shhh, Aislinn said. Do you want your mama to hear you?"

He whimpered, No, I’m tired of her saying I’m imagining things. But I don’t want that dead lady in my room either.

They understood why he wanted the dead lady to go away. It scared them out of their wits when Donovan showed up, asking them to help him get even with the man responsible for his death. Poor little kid. No wonder Landon got frightened. Who wanted some dead person in your bedroom? It took them all summer to get used to it.

Well? Landon asked. "Are you gonna talk to that dead boy?’

Audrey took a swig of the milk Landon didn’t want and passed the glass to Aislinn, stalling.

Did the lady who haunts you tell you her name? Audrey asked.

I don’t want to know her name, and she didn’t tell me nothing ’cept that I should make you and Ace understand that Lynnie is lost and the dead boy will help you find her. She keeps saying that. I told her to get out of my room, but she said not until I tell you. Now, you gotta do it or she’ll probably haunt you too.

Aislinn had a question for Audrey. Why do you think she talked to Landon? If she’s an earthbound, she could go straight to Donovan, so why not talk to him, or to us, instead of to a scared little kid?

Audrey wondered the same thing. What did the dead lady look like? she asked.

Like an old lady. Landon slid down off the stool, ready to go home now. He delivered his message and the dead lady ceased to be his problem. His baby sitters could deal with her.

Old, like your grandmother? Aislinn asked.

Nope. Like a really, really old white lady who’s probably a witch, cause that’s what she looks like. Really old and really scary, and maybe she’s a mummy too, cause she’s all wrapped up like one. He headed down the hall, totally calm. No more screaming fits for now.

Didn’t sound at all like his grandmother. The dead lady was a really old white woman. The Caldwells were African American. They had met Landon’s grandmother and she wasn’t even as old as Magenta, and not the least bit ugly. And a mummy? Good lord, how weird could this get? Maybe Landon was imagining things.

Audrey and Aislinn followed Landon when he trotted back down the hall to the foyer.

They found Paige and Julia in the living room, waiting. Julia Caldwell gave the twins a look of pure wonder when they delivered her now perfectly calm son to her. She gushed about what a wonderful way they had with children.

Landon is a bit hyperactive but your daughters can handle him much better than his pre-K teacher. That woman doesn’t understand my baby. She has no patience with gifted children.

She hugged the twins again and thanked them for understanding Landon with his difficult, genius disposition.

Landon stood behind her and rolled his eyes.

They didn’t doubt Landon’s genius IQ. He probably inherited it from his parents. His brilliant mom won out over dozens of new pediatric surgeons to get the residency at St. Theresa’s Memorial Hospital. His famous dad stayed in Atlanta because of his partnership in a big law firm, and some sort of political thing. The twins forgave Landon for being difficult because they understood how upset it made him that his parents lived in separate homes. He missed his daddy.

Aislinn went back to patting Dr. Caldwell’s hand again. Oh, it was nothing really, ma’am. If he sees any more imaginary people, just call us. Audrey and I will talk to him. He just needs someone to listen.

So, when did her sister become a psychiatrist?

Audrey gave Landon a good-bye hug and excused herself. Let Aislinn stay behind and schmooze with Dr Caldwell. She wanted to see if the dead boy had come home after more than a week of absence. They knocked on his door and called to him every day, and not a sound came from his room.

As much as Landon wanted to be rid of the dead lady who haunted him, the Hanover twins wanted their dead buddy to stick around.

Donovan didn’t owe them an explanation for his whereabouts. He became earthbound by choice, taking on a heavy work load, helping other earthbound souls clear up problems that held them here. But he usually checked in with them every couple of days at least, usually more often. Audrey couldn’t suppress a little twinge of fear that maybe he moved on to a higher plane. He earned it with all the good deeds he did, but he promised he wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.

You never really knew what might happen in the afterlife. The people Donovan referred to as his teachers, had a lot of control over what he did, and from what they could see, he didn’t dare break the rules.

Audrey climbed the back stairs behind the dining room. Fresh paint covered the walls on that wing of second floor, but it remained unfurnished except for a few odd pieces. The downstairs alone had several empty rooms they never used, even when both grandparents resided in the house.

Emily Ann Whitney and Paige prowled antique stores all along the Carolina Coast, searching for period pieces that worked in the enormous antebellum mansion built back in the dark ages. Captain Charles Langston Hanover, the first Hanover to live in the house, had been dead as a doornail for generations but he didn’t appear at all interested in moving on. Great Granddaddy Charlie, better known to the twins and Magenta as ‘the captain,’ remained as another one of the many spirit people living in the old house, chatting with Magenta like best friends.

If little Landon Caldwell knew how many dead people haunted Hanover Hall, he would never come back.

Spirits of Hanover ancestors totally infested Hanover Hall, and guests from the other side often dropped in for a visit. The twins considered this another secret they must guard with their lives. If their new friends ever found out, they wouldn’t come within a mile of their house. Only Magenta knew the full extent of the infestation. No ghost in the universe could hide from their super-psychic grandmother.

At the end of the hall on the second floor, Audrey retrieved the key from a behind an old gas light fixture, and opened a door. Narrow stairs led up to the attic. Maggie Lee Decker, their housekeeper, never ventured beyond the locked door. Audrey’s bare feet left dusty footprints on the steps as she climbed to the little room under the eaves in the shade of an ancient oak tree. She knocked and waited. No answer. She knocked again and called out, Donovan. Are you home? Not a sound.

Only she and Aislinn visited Donovan in his little attic room. Even Paige didn’t know about his living arrangements. And their father, understanding as he tried to be, would pitch a fit if he knew a dead teen aged boy lived in a room of his own in the attic. Magenta probably knew. She knew everything, but she never mentioned it.

Audrey held her ear to the door listening for movement. She remembered a time when Donovan became too depressed to materialize, when the full realization of all he lost when he died at the age of fifteen, hit him. They thought he went into the light, the way TV ghosts do. Or maybe something went wrong again and sent him into a depression like it did when he saw the adult version of his only girlfriend. He might be brooding alone in there, like before.

Is he there? Aislinn approached without making a sound.

Audrey yelped. "Give me a heart attack, why don’t you.

Well, is he? Aislinn didn’t bother to knock. If Donovan didn’t want to be seen, he could dematerialize. She put her shoulder against the door and pushed. It creaked open.

Inside, the cot he slept on, or whatever ghosts do when they