Loxley Belle Read online

  “Yeah, but that was before, when I thought Chuck and Shannon were following us. I think I should get back.”

  Harmon took another swig and handed me the flask. “I’ll take you home, but can’t we at least take a look around? I mean, we’re practically there.”

  I remembered that Harmon told me he had visited the house before, purely by accident, but I was getting a case of the cold chills. I rubbed my arms to try to warm up.

  “Here, take my jacket,” he said as he shifted around and removed his jacket before I could even say no. I slid it on and pulled it close to me. Okay, stop being a silly goose. Harmon is your friend, Loxley Belle. He was right, we would be at Summerleigh in just a few minutes. And I’d been wanting to go, just not with a stranger. But he’s not a stranger.

  “Be careful, Harmon. This road always has potholes after a rain, and you know we had quite a bit of rain last week.” Harmon navigated around the potholes as easily as I would have. I hadn’t expected that. Okay, so he knows where the potholes might be. That’s not proof that he’s been hanging around here, is it?

  It was so dark out here; there were no streetlights on the road behind us or along the driveway. It wouldn’t have done any good even if there had been, since the power had been turned off here for years. As the big car jostled us around, I held my breath and waited for us to clear that last turn in the driveway. Even though it was dark, Summerleigh was easy to see. Her massive white walls gave her the appearance of a broken castle. A sand castle with empty windows.

  Was that a flash of light upstairs? I thought I saw a candle flicker in the nursery, but then it was gone. Could have been a lightning bug. No, that was much larger than a bug. I didn’t have to ask Harmon if he saw the same thing because he was putting the car in park and staring up at the window. But I did anyway.

  “You saw it too, didn’t you?” I asked in a whisper.

  “Yes, but it’s gone now. You know how to get inside. I want to see it.” He reached for the flask again as he got out of the car. With some misgivings, I followed after him. He’d parked his car right where Momma used to park her Master DeLuxe. Harmon sipped from the flask as he stood on the front porch.

  “Not that way,” I whispered as I glanced up at the nursery window again. “You have to go through the back.”

  With a smile, Harmon shuffled down the steps and followed me to the back of Summerleigh. I wasn’t embarrassed about the collapsed back porch or the absolutely overpowering smell, not like Momma would have been. “Watch your step, and don’t touch anything. Remember, this is my house.” I put my hand on the doorknob and fumbled with it until it opened. “One day, I’m coming back to claim what’s mine.”

  “I’ll remember. I’ll remember.”

  We walked into the kitchen, and I felt Daddy’s presence flee from me. He didn’t like that I’d brought a boy here. That must have been it. “Uh, I don’t think we should stay long. I do have to go home.”

  “You said yourself that this was your place. What’s the hurry?”

  “I don’t like it when you try to boss me around.”

  “Fine, I won’t boss you around, toots. Or should I call you thief?” His accusation hurt as much as any slap. “Don’t get me wrong, I admire your skills. First a barrette, then a bracelet and now this flask. You could get a few dollars for it. That’s sterling silver.” He smiled at me as he slipped it into the pocket of the jacket I was still wearing.

  “Keep your voice down, Harmon. And I didn’t take those things for the money. I don’t need any money. I did it because…” I couldn’t think why I did it, but it didn’t matter anyway. Harmon was opening cabinet doors and completely ignoring my wishes. He was touching everything!

  Suddenly, he paused and glanced at me. “Did you say something?”

  “I said keep your voice down. And stop touching things.”

  “No, after that. I thought I heard a woman’s voice. Sounds like it came from in here. What’s this? The living room?” He walked out of the kitchen, and I followed him as closely as I could. My high heels clicked on the grimy floor. “Damn, this place is falling down around us.”

  “Don’t swear in here. Daddy…” I swallowed as Harmon squinted at me in the dark. “My father never liked us to swear in the house. Momma wouldn’t tolerate swearing either.”

  “Isn’t he dead? And I know that she died recently, but you are your own person, Loxley. Practically a woman.”

  Harmon’s indifference to my mother’s recent death disturbed me. “What do you mean practically? I am a woman, but I still like to follow their wishes,” I said as I thrust my chin up at him defiantly.

  “Okay, no swearing. Let’s check out the rest of the house.”

  “Go ahead,” I said as I watched him walk to the front room and head toward the far hallway. I felt very uncomfortable all of a sudden. We weren’t alone at Summerleigh, and Harmon wasn’t at all cognizant of that fact. And that was bad news.

  Loxley…

  I saw legs disappearing up the staircase. But whose? They moved too quickly for me to tell, but they were young. And bare. Without waiting for Harmon, I walked up the stairs a few steps to get a better glimpse. I could think of only one person who would run up and down the stairs bare-legged. Not the horrid Ghost Boy or the Lady in White. Not Daddy or any of the other occasional visitors, the dead who just happened to be passing by Summerleigh.

  Those legs belonged to my sister. After all this time, I knew the truth. My sister Jeopardy was dead. She’d never left us. I gasped as I clutched my chest and my corsage rubbed against my skin. I suddenly felt very vulnerable to the spirits of Summerleigh. Even though she was my sister, I felt cold and kind of sick.

  “Jeopardy? Is that really you?”

  I walked up the stairs slowly, taking my time to clear each and every step. As I stood on the landing, I heard bare footsteps again. Running sounds, running down the hall, but my eyes could see nothing in the darkness. I heard the jacks tapping in the nursery—the Ghost Boy was here too, but he wanted nothing to do with me. I was too grown, too old for him. But then I saw the attic door close, Jeopardy’s castle room door.

  What could I do but walk toward it?

  I heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs behind me and assumed it was Harmon. Who else could it be?

  Stomp, stomp, stomp.

  “This way, Harmon,” I whispered into the darkness. “But stay back. Please, stay back.” I waved my free hand behind me, and he took it. His icy grip surprised me, so much so that I snatched my hand back. Then I realized that Harmon wasn’t there. He was downstairs calling me.

  Dread rose up within me, but I continued on. I had to see my sister. It had been so long, and just knowing she was here…I had to see her face. Tell her I love her.

  As I reached for the doorknob, the door began to shake so hard that I thought it would come off the hinges. It didn’t, but it could have. I stepped back and watched it until it stopped. Harmon was with me now.

  “What is it? What’s going on?”

  I didn’t answer him. He was the one who wanted to be here. He wanted to see the place for himself. So be it.

  I turned the knob, and the door swung open with a creak.

  I heard Harmon’s muffled swearing behind me. “We’re not alone, Loxley. Look, I knew they were following us.” He touched my arm, and I could see the car lights easing down the driveway toward us.

  Could be Aunt Dot or the police. But I knew in my heart that it wasn’t.

  “Where’s a good place to hide?”

  “Follow me,” I said as I dragged him into the attic and shut the door behind us. Even in the dark, I knew where to go. Behind the armoire, the one beside the trunk. These items both belonged to the Lady in White, but I didn’t figure she’d mind. Hopefully.

  It didn’t take long for us to hear the footsteps coming up the stairs.

  Chapter Sixteen—Loxley

  “It’s totally spooky up here. You got a flashlight or something?” That was Shann
on’s voice—I’d recognize it anywhere. High, nasally and as always condescending.

  Chuck snapped back a snarky response, “You don’t have one in your purse? Or in your non-existent bosom? Let’s just go. We’re never going to find them.”

  “Shut up, jerk face, and look around. I may not have a flashlight, but I’ve got a weapon. Those two have got to be up here somewhere. Come out, come out, wherever you are…come out, Crazy Belle.” Shannon’s voice had a sing-songy sound to it, but it wasn’t pleasant. I didn’t for a minute believe she wanted to just hang out. Chuck slammed a door, and I heard a weird shuffling.

  Oh, God. Please don’t let them find us.

  I could see them both through the crack in the armoire door. Chuck flicked a lighter and held it up like a candle. It made a tall flame, and Shannon whined when he got too close. “You’re going to set me on fire if you aren’t careful. Keep looking.”

  Chuck didn’t say much except, “You sure are bitchy for someone who won a crown tonight. Cut the gas. I have to find that flask—it’s my old man’s.”

  “Keep your voice down, stupid. Let’s just go. Your old man won’t care about that stupid bottle.”

  Chuck kicked over a pile of blankets. “It’s a flask, and you don’t know my old man.”

  I heard a sound beside me, muffled but definitely a noise. And then I felt him. The Ghost Boy. His cold hand was on my arm, and his dark eyes were boring into mine. I could see those two pits of darkness even in the blackness. I tried to pull away from him, but he wasn’t turning me loose. And then to make things more terrifying, he leaned toward me and opened his mouth as if he would bite me.

  “No!” I screamed as I tumbled out of the armoire. The boy’s icy grip loosened as I revealed myself to the two intruders.

  “Well, look who it is, Chuck. It’s our very own Crazy Belle. I should have known you’d be hiding like a scared rabbit. And in a closet, no less,” Shannon said sarcastically. Now that my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, I could see her smirk perfectly. That or perhaps I had seen it too many times. I would recognize that smirk anywhere. “Where are his flask and my bracelet? You better cough them up, or I’ll make you regret ever stealing from us!”

  I glanced over my shoulder, but the Ghost Boy had vanished, no doubt happy that I had revealed my location to my tormentors. What had I ever done to him? Except be his friend?

  I stepped to the side, just to get closer to the door, but Chuck must have known what I was thinking because he was quick to block my way. He waved the lighter around, but the flame went out and apparently burned him; he yelped as the room went dark. The only light now was what filtered through the nearby dirty window. Chuck’s lighter clattered to the ground.

  “Stop fumbling around with that lighter and don’t let her out!” Shannon griped as she nearly tripped over something she hadn’t seen. Probably one of my treasure boxes. She’d never find that bracelet, and I was never going to give it to her. Not now, not ever. I thought I heard footsteps not far away, but Harmon never emerged.

  What’s his plan? What do we do now? This is all my fault.

  “I swear something bumped me, knocked the lighter out of my hand. Let’s get out of here. Grab her arm,” Chuck ordered Shannon. They both reached for me, but I ducked and stepped over the small box on the floor. It didn’t do me much good. “No way, Crazy Belle. I’ve got you now.”

  Suddenly there was a banging and clattering, and Harmon stepped out of the shadows. “Get your hands off of her. Leave her alone!”

  Chuck laughed at him and instead of obeying Harmon’s command gripped my wrist and pulled me close to him. “Well, now the other rabbit comes out of hiding. You were just going to let her suffer? Some kind of man. Maybe she should get to know a real man.”

  I didn’t know exactly what Chuck meant by that last statement, but I felt sick and my arm felt like it was going to break from his twisting.

  Shannon’s voice dropped as if someone might hear us. “Now, let’s everyone calm down. I’m here for my property. What are you here for, Chuck?”

  “My property, and I’m not leaving without it.”

  Shannon reached down and picked up the lighter gingerly. “Shut up, fool. Now look, we don’t care about you and Crazy Belle and whatever you’re doing here, but we want our stuff. My bracelet and his flask. If you don’t tell us where they are, you’ll regret it.”

  Moving like a cat, Harmon cleared the distance between him and Chuck; I thought for sure there was a full-on fight coming, but out of nowhere Shannon raced toward Harmon with a small shiny object in her hand.

  The knife! She really did have a knife!

  He screamed, and blood poured from the side of his face. Everyone’s attention was drawn to Harmon, who was tackling Chuck and pushing Shannon to the side. “Loxley, run!”

  Chuck wasn’t playing fair, and Harmon’s face was good and bloody now. How could he see? Shannon was screaming but was quickly recovering and getting back up for the next round. Whatever that would look like.

  “Loxley, I said run!”

  Shannon was running toward me but tripped again. How did that box get there? Then I felt a hand tug on mine, a small, warm hand, and I smelled a familiar perfume. Kind of like wildflowers. Jeopardy!

  “Harmon,” I sobbed as my dead sister pulled me to the door. I thought Shannon would chase me, but she was focused on Harmon. I didn’t see the knife in her hands anymore at least. I wanted to help him, but I had to run. He wanted me to run. And Jeopardy was here, her wild hair flying behind her. I was taller than her—Jeopardy was so young.

  “Jeopardy,” I whimpered as Harmon screamed from the attic. “They’re killing him!” She didn’t pause or stop, but I felt her hand continue to pull me down the stairs and toward the parlor. And then she was gone. Disappeared.

  “Jeopardy!” I yelled, my eyes now blurry with tears.

  Run, stupid!

  I ran out of the kitchen, through the rotten porch and outside. The moon cast a muted light on the overgrown yard, and I could hear the ruckus still going on upstairs.

  Harmon, I’m coming back for you, I promise!

  I raced to his car, praying to God above that he’d left the keys there, but they weren’t to be found. I tripped over my high heel as I hurried to Chuck’s car to search it for keys. I had no better luck. Wherever I was going, I was going on foot.

  “Where are you, Crazy Belle? I’ve got something for you! I want my bracelet! You can run, but I’ll find you. I swear I’ll find you, and it will be worse for you!”

  Then everything went silent. Harmon wasn’t screaming anymore, and Shannon stopped calling to me. The only sound I heard was whippoorwills calling to one another. And Jeopardy’s voice again.

  Run, stupid.

  And I did.

  Chapter Seventeen—Loxley

  The tin roof on Daddy’s hideaway shone like a beacon in the moonlight. Jeopardy was nowhere to be found, and I had nowhere else to go. I could hear Shannon still calling my name in that strange sing-songy voice. “Harmon,” I sobbed in a whisper as I made for the shed. There were no lights on; this place never had electricity. There were gas lamps inside, but no way could I take a risk by lighting one. That would make it too easy for Shannon and Chuck to find me. And if they’d done to Harmon what I imagined, if they’d killed him, then they wouldn’t hesitate to kill me too.

  “Run, Crazy Belle! We’ll find you! We want our property back, thief!” Shannon’s voice hung in the air; they had to be close now. Too close for comfort.

  I hurried up the steps, not even thinking that the shack might be locked. Fortunately for me, it wasn’t. It creaked slightly as I jerked the door open. Clouds of dust met me as I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. The oversized desk, the desk that Daddy built, was exactly where he left it. The desktop was covered with boxes—lots of boxes, full of Daddy’s mementos from the war. I remembered the day Momma and Harper loaded them in the car to bring them out here. For the life of me, I couldn’t figur
e out why Momma would do such a thing. Why would she want to get rid of Daddy’s things? Summerleigh was big enough to hide a hundred boxes, but she wanted them out of the house. Daddy’s ghost hadn’t been too happy about it, but I couldn’t tell Momma. She loved me best when I pretended that I didn’t see my dead father.

  But Momma and Harper had gotten into a knock-down, drag-out over Jeopardy’s things. “No, Momma. She’s coming back! We can’t get rid of her stuff.” On this, Momma relented, but Daddy’s stuff? It had to go. When the two of them had returned about a half an hour later, Harper’s face was an unemotional mask, but Momma was as happy as a lark. There was no time now to dig through these forgotten treasures, but I would have to do that. How could I have forgotten them?

  I didn’t forget, Daddy. Not really.

  Where to hide? There was only one room and no closets. The space beneath the desk wouldn’t hide me for long. It was the largest piece of furniture in the place—they were sure to look there first. I paced the small area, scanning the darkness for a safe place to hide. It had to be here because I could hear them coming and this little building had no exit door. I couldn’t get to the windows; they were blocked with boxes and junk.

  As I walked, I noticed that the floorboards squeaked beneath me. I suddenly remembered a long-ago afternoon of following Jeopardy around. I had been a notorious lurker. Tagalong was the name Jeopardy called me. Of all my sisters, I enjoyed following her the most. I think she knew that I followed her, but unlike Harper, she never shoved me in a closet or commanded me to go home.

  Falling to my knees, I began prying up that loose floorboard. It came up easily, followed by three more. Beneath me there was a gaping black hole, probably full of biting creatures like spiders and snakes. Poisonous, creepy spiders at that. I hated them the most. But my adrenaline was pumping, and I had to survive. Not just for me but for Harmon. He needed my help, and I’d run away like a coward. I had to return to Summerleigh.

  Harmon, I’m coming back for you!

  Without another thought, I descended into the darkness and dragged the boards in place over me. Nobody would know I was here. How could they? Daddy had dug this hole before he laid the first boards down. I bumped into a glass bottle, probably one of Daddy’s forgotten moonshine jugs. I got very still so as not to make any further sounds, and just in time too. They were here! The dark, dusty space smelled terrible—like no fresh air had ever passed through here and something had slowly decayed beneath these floorboards. Oh, God! Please don’t let anything dead be down here! Especially not the Ghost Boy. But it wouldn’t be the Ghost Boy. He never left Summerleigh. Or at least I’d never seen him out here.