We are all at Haystone Manor. The call we were expecting came at 7:30 this
morning. I agreed with Andrew that we
would try to time our arrival for when they woke in the early afternoon. It would give us the time we need to finish our
preliminary research and for them to recover from the night’s events. Andrew told me it had been a group decision
to call us in, and related some of the events they had experienced so far. Carrie Hess seems the most fragile member of
the group with hysteria and a fainting episode. Drake McGavan is also having a difficult time. Andrew and Florence Goode are coping better
but it is a strain supporting the others.
Now we are in fact here, we have already started taking the strain from
their shoulders.
I did not say anything to him about
Peri nor her phone call alerting us.
She has integrated well into Andrew’s circle of friends, although Carrie
is the exception. Being polite, I have
to say Carrie is a particularly difficult woman. Highly strung. Rachel has
taken her in hand. Carrie is resistant
to this – she began well enough but then learned Rachel’s profession.
Drake appears depressed. He was fine until he was introduced to Nick
and then became withdrawn. I am aware
Nick can be intimidating but he was on his best behavior today. I cannot explain Drake’s reaction. Florence is shadowing Alex and is very keen
to learn new techniques. Andrew and I
are working together to formulate a strategy.
Alex did as much as she could this
morning, having worked all thru the night.
I assisted her until about 2:30 a.m.
She slept on the journey up here.
Our information is still sketchy but we have the laptop and she is
continuing to dig into the past while we’re here.
We left the island shortly before noon. Profelis has everything under control there.
The journey was uneventful. Andrew gave
me directions on how to find the Manor and we arrived on time. Peri was outside the gate lodge, waiting for
us. She opened the gates and let us
in. She told us the others were having
lunch and gave us a very quick briefing on the various personalities, then we
went inside.
After the introductions, we told
Andrew what we had discovered so far and detailed the equipment we’d brought
with us. Nick and Peri went to scout
the exterior of the Manor while Alex, Rachel and I unpacked our bags and
equipment. There are plenty of rooms in
the lodge. Carrie and Florence share a
room, as do Andrew and Drake. Alex and
Rachel are sharing the lounge. I will
sleep in the small sitting room, and Nick and Peri have commandeered the dining
room. So far, the domestic arrangements
have been very amicable.
As I write this, it is 11:30 p.m., and
we are all in the Manor. Nick, as
property master, enlisted Drake’s help in setting up and in monitoring the
results. Peri is roaming at will. We are in the library tonight, it being a
large enough room to accommodate us all.
The Manor is surprisingly well kept, clean and maintained. There is little furniture and no
heating. It is very cold. Carrie did not want us to use this
room. She says there is a bad smell in
here which ties in with earlier accounts.
No one else can smell it, although Peri has confirmed to me Carrie’s
words.
I have been up to the top floor
landing which is where the other two manifestations occurred. I sensed .. something. The nearest I can describe is an echo, a
shadow overlaid on the present day. I
am not even sure if there are actual spirits here. What Andrew and the others may have experienced could be only
ripples of the past imprinted on the fabric of the Manor by the sheer intensity
of the emotions generated by long gone events.
Peri did manage to talk with me because, as I thought would happen, she
has been actively seeking information since her arrival, and she related in
detail the events of the past three nights – 1st, the smell in the
library, 2nd, the gunshot and the blood, 3rd, the man’s
voice shouting. It’s interesting that
the last 2 occurred in more or less the same place. Nonetheless, what we have here is 3 related but disjointed
incidents. They are apparently in an
incorrect order, not in sequence. That
is what my instinct says but I could be wrong.
Only time will tell. As for
tonight, we have added our equipment to that already here and we are simply
waiting to hear if anything new will take place.
*****
Andrew called at 7:30. I took it.
He sounded tired, down, and slightly at the end of his rope. He asked for Derek and I didn’t ask him any
questions. I got the feeling it would
have been something he couldn’t handle at that moment. I knew we were ready to go,
equipment-wise. We just needed the
bodies to get in the car. I figured
we’d be there mid morning. I was
wrong. Derek arranged for us to arrive
mid afternoon. Made sense. Andrew, Merli, the others, would all feel
better balanced after some sleep. For
us to turn up, even expectedly, their reactions would have been extreme.
Alex worked all night and into the
morning, taking breaks for breakfast and, by the state of the kitchen when I
got down there this morning, an early hours attack of the munchies. From what I heard at the briefing this
afternoon, she didn’t get a whole lot back on her investment.
Rachel arrived at past 9:30 with her
bags ready packed. Actually, planning
to leave later gave us a better chance to prepare. We had the gear ready but we stocked up on blankets, extra food
and fuel, that kind of thing. Merli
told me yesterday there was space for us in the lodge but not much of anything
else so we took the time to get ready.
I figured that, once we got onto the Haystone estate, none of us would
want to take time out for supplies.
We hit the road just short of
midday. Alex slept and I don’t blame
her. She looked worn out. Rachel read the book on Haystone in back;
Derek sat up front with me because he had the directions. Trip went fine and we got to the gates
exactly on schedule. Merli was waiting
for us and told us names and personalities before we went in. She looks fantastic; whatever’s affected the
others hasn’t touched her. I can’t wait
to get some time alone with her.
Andrew (Andy) has interesting friends
– and he’s different when he’s with them.
More laid back and off-duty.
Drake McGavan is a long time associate of his. Photographer. I’ve seen
some of his work and it’s good. Drake
was pleased to see us – really pleased.
He said that he wasn’t going back in unless we went with him. I don’t say he’s a coward by nature but the
events here have pushed him to the edge.
He isn’t used to it happening even though it’s what he wants. Florence Goode is another friend in the
club. I get the feeling these 3 hang
together a lot. Nice lady. Quiet and intelligent. Keen to learn. She was pleased to see us too and was honest in telling us that,
at first, she hadn’t wanted us here.
She’d changed her mind. Last is
Carrie Hess. Carrie has an attitude I
don’t like. For someone so emotionally
fragile, she comes across as very superior, almost inviting retaliation. Merli has no time for her. Carrie was charming but with a sharp
edge. Then Andrew made the
introductions and, when he said that Merli and I were a couple, Drake ..
changed. I don’t know why exactly but I
think I can guess. The guy’s hopes went
down the toilet. Once we all knew each
other, we briefed Andrew on what we’d learned so far then Merli and I went to
check around outside while Derek, Alex and Rachel unpacked everything and got
us into our rooms.
I feel sorry for Drake. I know what it’s like to see Merli and have
big hopes. I got lucky. He won’t.
I figured the best way to help him over it was to work with the guy so I
told him he had to help me set up the gear.
At first, he was reluctant, not because he dislikes me but because he
didn’t want to go back inside the Manor.
I told him he’d be fine, that I had years of experience in this kind of
thing, plus I was armed and I knew how to use weapons.
At 7:00, the others came up to the
Manor and we prepared for the night.
We’re using the library. Carrie
says there’s a stink in here but I can’t smell it. Alex is researching on the laptop with her assistant
Florence. Rachel’s looking strained
because she’s been trying to work with Carrie today. Drake’s pacing but he’s calm enough. Merli’s on the prowl upstairs.
Andrew and Derek are conferring on the strategy. So far, nothing’s happened tonight but it
isn’t midnight yet. Everything which
has happened on previous nights has happened at midnight.
I think I wrote that too soon – I can
hear voices upstairs.
*****
If Carrie thought the others getting
here would be some kind of victory over me, she was disappointed. It is great seeing Nicky again. It’s only been a few days but I have missed
him so much. Well, they arrived on time
and have paired up with their natural counterparts. Derek’s with Andy, sorting out plans and options. Drake’s with Nicky, the two men of
action. There’s a little friction there
but, on the whole, they’re getting along.
Neither loves sitting around waiting for something to go down. They’re doing the equipment checks pretty
regularly. Alex is with Florence – a
fantastic match. Alex seems engrossed
in this mystery and Florence is keeping her on track which means Alex isn’t on
my back every second demanding her answers.
The one I really feel for is Rachel because she doesn’t have a natural
cooperation with Carrie. She has
‘doctor and patient’, and the patient is refusing treatment. Rachel has years of experience though and
she’ll make a breakthrough. But I can
feel the strain as she’s trying to hold back her instinct to tell Little Miss
Precious the way of things.
Before the Range Rover pulled thru the
gates, we had a fairly tense morning.
They’d expected Drake to be long gone but I knew he’d stick around. He’s here for his friends as much as for
himself. He wouldn’t bale on them. But he was forthright in his opinions. No way was he going back inside until help
came. So Andy called Derek at
7:30. I hung around outside the door so
I could listen in. From what I heard,
Derek and the others would turn up mid afternoon so we could get some sleep
first.
Aquila is getting very pissed with
this house. She won’t go training all
the time I’m with ‘strangers’, she won’t leave me open to attack – and I
wouldn’t put anything past Carrie Hess right now – but she does go up to the
Manor and prowl around, listening, watching, when I’m awake. When I sleep, I can feel her pacing and it’s
very irritating. It’s like having
insomnia despite being asleep.
When I woke, I went outside to wait
for the Range Rover to turn up. I was
on my second cigarette when Nicky stopped at the gates. He gave me such a big smile. Carrie and her attitude just .. went
away. Before we all went in the lodge,
I told them the names and the personalities they were going to meet. Then we couldn’t put it off any longer. Drake was upbeat, over his little tantrum,
and eager to become involved again. I got
the feeling that he saw Derek and the others as a shield, something he could
hide behind. Then Andy told him who Nick
is and Drake’s balloon of hope went pop.
Florence too is eager and attached herself to Alex. I think there’s a natural affinity there –
both like researching this type of property.
Carrie and Rachel began well enough – Carrie sees Rachel as an educated,
powerful woman in control of her life, and clearly sees herself in the same
light – but it didn’t last. They were
deep in conversation when Carrie found out Rachel was a head doctor. Oh, yeah, that was my fault. I’d called in a shrink to deal with her.
Nicky and I went out to patrol the
grounds late afternoon after Derek and Alex had briefed us on what they’d
learned so far. Not a whole lot but
very useful. Nicky asked me about Drake
and I told him what I could. He
enlisted Drake’s help setting up the rest of the gear in the Manor. The barriers are slowly coming down; Drake
just needs a little time to realize that I told him the truth the day I met
him.
Right now, as I scrawl today’s entry
in this notebook, I’m on the top floor landing. Everyone else is in the library.
I’ve given Derek as much detail as I can on the events of the past 3
nights. The smell is still there; only
Carrie and I can smell it. The top
floor landing appears to be where the action is and I’m here ready. It’s past 11:30. So far, nothi
There was a man’s voice. Soon as it began, the recorder up here came
on. It wasn’t shouting, not this
time. Aquila moved to exactly the point
where it was coming from. She said she
could feel an energy there, something alien yet something at home. The words on this occasion … It was a man speaking to someone else, and
I’d say it was a sweetheart because the language he used was very personal. It was also very unhappy. Maybe he was trying to end a liaison or she
was and he didn’t want it to end. There
was a lot of ‘what else can we do?’ and ‘it’s hopeless, we both know it’, and
‘I can’t bear to lose you but – ’
I really hope Alex and Derek can
kickstart their sight because I can’t bear Aquila’s pacing for much longer.
*****
Before Kat left for school this
morning, I arranged with her 2 times each day to call me if she has to. I figure, with no way to charge the battery
on my cell phone, I can’t leave it switched on. So, at 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., I will turn my phone on for 15
minutes. Outside those times, I told
her to call the island and speak to Profelis.
Now he knows where she is, he can always get a message to Peri who can
pass it on to me. I’m packed for cold
weather and I’ve taken a sleeping bag.
When I got to the island, I learned that, yes, Andrew had called and we
would leave at around midday. Alex
looked worn out but she told me she’d been working all night. She put in a few more hours this
morning. Nick, Derek, Profelis and I
raided the stores for food and blankets, extra flashlights and batteries. Profelis decided to stay behind and I’m
glad. Kat needs someone local in an
emergency and I know I can trust him.
We finally got away just before noon
and Alex promptly went to sleep. Derek
gave me the book he’d bought on Haystone so I spent the trip reading. It’s a fascinating place. I was looking forward to getting there and
making a start.
Peri was waiting for us and she
briefed us on the personalities inside the lodge. She didn’t bother with Andrew except to say he was a little
different to the guy we knew but he was on vacation. I have to say she did a very neat job of summarizing the
people. Very fair in her approach. She didn’t play up one or play down
another. Then we went in and met the
people themselves. Peri took a backseat
in the introductions. This is Andrew’s
show and he’s in charge. He was a
little embarrassed at having his employer here as an employee but Derek was
fine, insisting on first names and even managing to call him Andy like everyone
else does. Drake McGavan and Florence
Goode are old hands in the club. The
newcomer is Carolyn Hess – and she is ripe for an appointment in my consulting
room. The size and weight of the chip
on her shoulder is immense. At first,
she was fine albeit with a bright, brittle edge, then she found out I’m a
psychologist. Now she’s refusing to
talk with me except in monosyllables. I
don’t need to be empathic to know Carrie blames Peri for me being here because
the looks she is sending Peri’s way are venomous.
Alex briefed us on the research done
so far. Andrew’s group found it
enlightening to a degree but it still doesn’t answer what’s going on. The man’s voice shouting belongs to either
Jack or Barnaby McFarlane. Who used the
gun and whose blood was spilled – it could be any of the children. Clearly, we have some work to do.
We’ve all paired up. It seems the fairest way. Andrew and Derek. Drake and Nick, and Peri (there could be mild friction there). Alex and Florence. Me and Carolyn Hess; far be it for me to have it easy every
time! Alex and I will be using the
lounge. Derek has the small sitting
room. Nick and Peri are in the dining
room. It means we’ll have some time to
ourselves to discuss our findings. The
others sleep upstairs.
This afternoon was mainly getting to
know each other. Nick took Drake up to
the Manor to set up the rest of the equipment.
It’ll do Drake good; take his mind off Nick’s wife.
After supper, we all went up to the
Manor. Andrew suggested the library as
it’s a big room so we’re all in there.
Apparently, this is the room with the smell. Carrie can smell it, no one else can. It could be her neuroses have a base in latent psi ability. If I can, I’ll check her out. I’m not holding my breath on that one.
It’s past 11:30 and nothing’s happened
y
It’s now midnight. There’s been an incident. A man’s voice again. (Jack or Barnaby? Did the women never speak in this house?) And on the top floor landing again. Derek and Andrew have checked the recording
and we’ve all listened to it. The voice
is talking to someone and it’s possible that we may be able to hear the other
voice if we clean up the recording.
Derek and Andrew are going to work on that for the remainder of the
watch, with Nick and Drake assisting. Peri was on site at the disturbance and she has something to add
but she won’t say it in front of the others.
It’ll have to wait till we get back to the lodge.
*****
I have an assistant. Actually, it’s nice. I know I’ve worked with Nick and with Rachel
but I’ve never had an assistant before – a junior partner. And I’m aware that I can’t tell her what to
do but, honestly, the situation hasn’t arisen.
Florence is so full of eager questions that all I have to do is answer
them. She’s computer literate although
she hasn’t used a laptop before. She’s
learning fast and is a joy to teach.
I thought I’d be pretty much wiped out
after last night but I slept during the trip and Florence’s energy is feeding
my own. I worked all thru the night and
into the morning but I didn’t learn very much new. I managed to trace Clemency McFarlane – or should I say Clemency
Nash? When Haystone was sold and the
family disintegrated, Clemency moved to Missouri and married a former
Mississippi boatman named Rendell Nash. They had no children, lived a quiet life, were a devoted couple,
and died within a year of each other back in the 40s. But she was definitely here in Haystone during that 4 year
interval.
Andrew called at 7:30 and Derek
arranged for us to leave at midday. He
worked with me till 2:30 this morning and then, apologetically, had to give in
to his fatigue. It was 15 minutes after
he left that I got the result on Clemency.
I have to confess – I did nothing to help the others finish the
preparations for the trip. I was
beat. All I did was get in the Range
Rover when it was time to leave and I went straight to sleep. The next thing I know, we were at Haystone’s
gates and Peri was there to meet us. She gave a brief rundown on Andrew’s
friends then we went in to meet them. I
am hopeful that I can get a few minutes alone with Peri to finish our
unfinished business but I’m not going to press for it here. There’s too much going on already.
As I’ve written, Florence Goode has
made herself my unofficial assistant.
She tends to play down what she does in ‘real life’ as she calls it but
she can’t hide the fact that she’s very well organized and smart. There’s a quiet sense of fun in her. She and Andrew are very close in temperament
and I think those two get the most from these club outings. Drake McGavan is a quite renowned
photographer in the city. He hopes to
be the first to capture incontrovertible proof of the existence of ghosts. Up till now, he’s had fun too in the trying
but Haystone’s shown him it is serious business. The last member of the group is Carrie Hess. I haven’t had too many dealings with her yet
but I can tell from Rachel’s expression that Carrie is hard work. She seems very superficial. She must have depths but they’re very well
hidden.
Rachel and I are sharing the lounge in
the lodge. It’s also the communal room
so we won’t be given any chances to oversleep.
Derek and I briefed everyone on the findings to date and Florence nodded
all the way thru. Later, she told me it
had been excellent. Obviously, there
are spirits in the Manor which we can hear but now we can start to identify
them, put names to the voices. I
thought it a strange thing to say – so far, only one voice has been heard that
we know of .. unless Florence has a secret she doesn’t feel able to share yet.
Nick took Drake up to the Manor to set
up the rest of the equipment. We ate a
good, hot supper – Andrew was grateful for the extra supplies we brought – and
then we went to the house and set up our base in the library. It’s a sad room. All those shelves, and not one book on any of them. The house has an atmosphere of melancholy
but that could be me feeling sorry that no one lives here. Reading what I’ve just written .. makes me
think of Mark and the first time he really saw Cypress Grove. Not the first time he actually saw it
– his mind was too colored by what he’d read.
Oh, wait a second. We could be
in the same trap. We’ve read a lot,
researched so much, and we’re ‘seeing’ what we expect to see rather than concentrating
on what’s actually going on. I’ll have
to watch that. It could be
I had to stop and come back. Something happened upstairs. The recorders all switched on at the same
time. Peri was waiting but she says she
didn’t see anything. She looked very
directly at Derek when she said it. I
think she has something more to tell us but we have to be alone. At least no one’s fainted tonight. Must be because we’re here.
*****
Well, isn’t life just fabulous? But, before I detail the particulars of the
latest disaster to befall me, I have to go back to very early this
morning. Carrie fainted. I stayed with them until she began to groan
and look like she was going to puke, and then I left. I am not proud of that fact but, if I’m honest, all the legions
of hell couldn’t have made me stay there.
I ran all the way back to the lodge but I didn’t go in. I locked myself in my truck and I sat there
until it started to get light. I didn’t
sleep. I didn’t do anything except
shake. I wanted Haystone to be scary
but not this scary. What in God’s good
name happened in there?
Actually, no, I didn’t just
shake. I talked to myself. I argued up a storm. I threatened, I swore, I promised. I had it down pat. Then, when the others eventually came back, they were surprised
to see me – as if I’d run out on them without saying a word. I told Andy exactly what I’d thought for
hours. He agreed, they all did, so all
those arguments I’d prepared didn’t have to be used. He went into the kitchen and called home then he told us they’d
be here mid afternoon so we may as well get some sleep. I slept so well. It was relief. I do not
mind seriously scary if there are people who can cope with it with me. Okay, Peri can cope with it but she’s only
one and she’s a woman. I have an image
to protect.
I
woke at 2:50. Andy was doing breakfast,
or lunch, or whatever. I could hear
voices outside so I looked out the window.
They’d arrived! Peri was talking
to them. Two guys, two women. One woman is older, blonde. The other is darker skinned, dark
haired. One guy is a lot older – I got
the feeling he was in charge. He looked
the part. The other .. he looked
okay. Capable. I went downstairs to find the others
waiting. Flo had just come in from the
little sitting room across the hall.
Carrie was smiling – I don’t know why.
Maybe she was pleased the help had come, like I was. Peri brought them in then moved back to let
Andy introduce us to them and them to us.
The older guy is Derek, the younger is Nick. The blonde is Rachel and the brunette is Alex. Andy got us coffee and we sat around
talking. Alex – nice lady – told us all
the research they’d done. Andy was
surprised and little angry about it.
Later, when they’d gone out to unpack, he told me that maybe they hadn’t
expected him to cope alone so they started work without getting the call.
I’m
getting ahead of myself. We were
getting along fine when Andy mentioned that Nick is Peri’s husband. I felt like someone had kicked me in the
gut. The day went flat, lifeless,
monochrome. I honestly wanted to go
home. Flo was getting along with Alex,
asking lots of questions. Andy and
Derek were working out plans. Carrie
was with Rachel – for a while anyway. I
was just coming to the realization that, joy, I was going to be working with
Nick when Carrie suddenly got up and walked out. Rachel was embarrassed. I
think it’s hilarious. Rachel’s a shrink
and, boy, does Carrie need her!
Anyway,
Nick and Peri went out to look around while the others unpacked. We got a few minutes to talk about them on
our own. Andy’s turn to be embarrassed
but, as Flo pointed out, we were calling the shots, not them. Even so, Andy didn’t say much. Carrie was very angry at being analyzed
without her knowing. Flo said that Alex
was very helpful and she hoped to learn a lot.
Carrie said Nick was good looking but Derek was distinguished. Flo agreed about Nick but said Derek was
nice. Carrie said Rachel had started
nice but had analyzed her and said she could help but Carrie didn’t need help –
yeah, right.
They’ll
be sleeping downstairs. We have the
same rooms as before. It means we can
assess their performance without them knowing.
Nick
insisted I help him at the Manor putting cameras and more recorders in
place. He bragged he had years of
experience plus he had a gun and knew how to use it. I’m still not sure if that was a veiled threat to me or not. On the whole, though, he’s okay. Capable.
We’ve been doing the rounds together and he hasn’t shot me yet. It’s past 11:40 and
More
voices. More accurately, another
voice. Upstairs again. But no one fainted, no one screamed. Bonus point for us. We (me and Nick) are helping Andy and Derek
play with the recording to see if we can clean it up. Find out if it was Jack or Barnaby McFarlane. See?
I was paying attention earlier.
*****
Damn,
damn, damn! Peri said she was a minor
member of this Luna Foundation so why do they all treat her as something
special? It’s galling, it really is. They hang on her every word. And, what’s worse, she’s only brought in a
shrink to ‘put me right’. For the
record, let me just state that I have absolutely no objection to therapy. Everyone who is anyone goes to a
therapist. I have often considered
it. It’s fashionable. But I refuse totally to have one foisted on
me! And, just for the record again, I
will state that Rachel is a pleasant enough woman. Under different circumstances – if we’d met at a civilized dinner
party, for example – I am convinced we would have become firm friends. As it is, I have to guard every word which
comes out of my mouth. This is
intolerable. This is my vacation! I’m supposed to be having a good time …
I
had expected Drake to be long gone but he was still there when we got back this
morning. He spoke his mind and, as
Florence, Andy and I had already discussed while we continued the watch
in the Manor all night, Andy agreed to call. I think Peri eavesdropped on his conversation. I know she wasn’t in the same room as
us. Andy then told us they’d be here in
the afternoon so we could get some sleep first. I need a good, hot shower, I know that, but I made do with some
beauty sleep and, after the tribulations of the night, I slept rather well.
When
we woke, Florence and I went downstairs in time to hear an engine pulling up
outside. Florence went to peek out the
sitting room window. I’m not that low
so I just waited for them to tell Peri to get in her place. I admit, I was smiling about it when Drake
came in a few seconds after Florence returned.
A few minutes after that, Peri brought in her friends and I realized
they were on her side. It was
disappointing but it was going to get worse.
It transpires that Nick – who is rather gorgeous – is married .. and
he’s married to Peri. I don’t know what
he sees in her. Maybe he just adores
being nagged a lot. Derek is
distinguished, extremely well spoken and dressed. I understand from Andy he is very rich as well. Plus, of course, he lives in a big house and
he has a butler. A girl could do
worse. Alex is pleasant, very
intelligent, but I’d expect no less from some kind of computer analyst. Rachel is the shrink. Naturally, Peri arranged in advance that
Derek would pair with Andy and so tell us all what to do, Nick would keep
Drake’s animal urges under control, and Alex would ‘educate’ Florence .. which
left me with the good doctor. I tell
you, it is not going to happen!
We
had a few minutes to ourselves to debate our strategy while the others
unpacked. Andy said Derek has some
ideas based upon the research they’d done.
I have to admit, the findings are useful. The house used to belong to the McFarlane family and it appears
that, whatever happened to cause the voices, the gunshot and the blood, and
that terrible smell, happened during a 4 year period when the 5 children were
all in residence. It’s intriguing. Florence said she’d work closely with Alex
and keep an eye on her. This is our
investigation, after all. These people
are just hired help.
Then,
after supper, we all went back to the Manor.
Nick had taken Drake up there during the afternoon to set up the new
equipment. The house looks so untidy
now – wires and cables everywhere. You
really do have to watch where you’re walking.
For some unknown reason, Andy suggested using the library. The stink is still there, even worse this
time. It makes me feel sick. Rachel is still trying to make
conversation. If she thinks I’m that
stupid, it’s a miracle she has any patients.
I shall continue to ignore h
Why
does it happen when I’m in the middle of a sentence? There was another voice.
At least it was just talking this time and not bellowing in my ear. I wasn’t scared. We all went upstairs and what do I find? Peri’s already there. Mmm.
She wasn’t with us when we heard the shouting. You know, I think she’s behind all this. She brought recording equipment with
her. Maybe she has sounds already
recorded and she’s working it by remote control. That would explain a lot.
It’s what I thought from the start.
There’s nothing in Haystone at all. It’s all fabrication.
Well, do I feel better or what?
Least I know why Rachel is here – she puts ideas in people’s heads. These people Andy works for … They’re a bunch of frauds!
I
shall consider it my mission to expose each and every one of them.
*****
Well,
DR is here. I knew I’d have to make the
call soon as Carrie fainted last night.
I thought it would help. I don’t
believe it has. Oh, it’s helpful DR and
the others being here with regard to what’s happening in the Manor, but my
friends have changed. I’ve
changed. I didn’t want to but DR is my
employer and I can’t forget that. But
he has made very stringent efforts to not give orders; he’s asking what I
think, what I want – like Peri’s done.
Drake, Florence and Carrie … I
think I’ve made monsters of them. I
suppose I should have expected it (but not to this degree). We all want to make a good first impression
and most of us do it by exaggerating our personalities. Thus, Drake was very upbeat, macho, and
strutting his stuff. Florence was
extremely professional and calm, and almost piercing in her focus. And Carrie was just completely over the
top. With 1 phone call, I’ve turned my
long awaited annual vacation into the trip from hell.
Drake
didn’t drive away. He was at the lodge this
morning and he very thoroughly laid out his conditions for staying. I made the call. DR said they could be here by mid morning but I suggested mid
afternoon. We could have used the
sleep. Everyone seemed pleased with
that and I think we all slept well. I
know I did. I woke at around 2:00 and
started lunch. Then the Range Rover
arrived. PB was outside to meet them
and brief them on what’s been going on.
I expect she knows the right words to use. DR came in and I did the introductions. DR insisted on first names (which I find very awkward) and he is
getting into the spirit of things by addressing me as Andy (which sounds
completely wrong). All in all, it was
an okay first meeting. My friends were
slightly more than usual, DR and the others slightly less. DR must have told them to take their lead
from us.
Natural
pairings occurred. DR with me, as the
two ‘leaders’. Florence with AM, as the
two researchers. Drake with NB, and P. I can see trouble there. Lastly, Carrie with RC. AM detailed all the findings they’d made to
date. I was amazed. I didn’t even think they’d look. Later, I said to Drake that I was angry
about it. It’s almost like they didn’t
trust me to be able to cope. To have
learned so much, they must have begun days ago and worked on nothing else. But at least now we have some idea of who
lived in the Manor. We can maybe start
to identify the owner of the voice.
And
then I really screwed things up. Till
that point, we were doing okay. Without
even thinking, I remarked that NB and P are married. Drake looked sick. I knew
he’d react like this and it’s entirely my fault, just as it will be mine if
those two come to blows. So far, they
seem to have declared a truce but I think NB knows that Drake has fantasies,
even hopes, and, with NB’s background …
Well, I’m just glad I didn’t tell Drake about that.
RC
annoyed Carrie thru no fault of her own.
Florence is watching over AM like a hawk. I feel helpless yet DR is deferring to me in everything. If we all survive the remaining time at
Haystone with our sanity intact, it’ll be a miracle.
We
had a small debate on our own – I felt even more helpless. They dissected the people I spend most of
the year with as if they were slabs of meat.
But what can I do about it? I’m
the leader of this group and they’ve taken over. Drake went with NB up to the house this afternoon to set up the
equipment. I packed away the extra
supplies – it was good of DR to think about that.
We
ate supper and went back to the Manor.
I suggested the library – it’s a big room and NB had already put the
monitors in there. Carrie didn’t say
anything but I could tell she didn’t like the idea. RC is still trying to talk with her but Carrie won’t
respond. PB’s gone upstairs, hoping to
catch any action as it happens. Maybe
she’d act as go-between if things get any wor
This
is amazing! It’s so exciting! The recorders all came on together. Then we heard it – very faintly from this
distance – but it was definitely another voice. Nobody panicked and that is down to DR and the others. We raced up there but P hadn’t seen
anything. After a few seconds, the
voice faded away. DR and I, with Drake
and NB, are going to work on the recording tonight. This is what I meant about bringing in the
Foundation. Perhaps if Florence, Carrie
and Drake see exactly what it is they do, they’ll stop all this suspicious
doubt about their motives. I can only
hope. But, for now, I have work to do!
*****
I
hate to write this but I believe Peri has an agenda. When her friends arrived, I went to sneak a look thru the small
sitting room window, and I overheard what she said about us. She also told them in rather blunt language
the events of the past few nights.
Literally, she reeled off the facts and I can’t argue with them. It was what she said about us. It was so cold, as if we weren’t real people
but just traits and statistics. What
was worse was that they all listened so carefully to her. She said things we hadn’t told her and – for
me, at least – it was true. All of
it. Creepy. I suddenly realized there’s a lot more to Peri than I knew or had
even imagined.
It’s
nearly midnight now and there has been another incident. Andy and Derek, Drake and Nick have started
work on the recording which was taken.
The rest of us don’t have much to do, so I’m writing my journal. I should relate the events of this morning
so this is a complete record of the day but I’ll be brief.
Drake
was still around. I’m glad about that
because otherwise I’d have to ride home with Carrie. He said that, unless Andy called, he would stay in the
lodge. We’d already talked it over
anyway so Andy called. He told us they would
be here mid afternoon. We ate breakfast
and slept.
On
schedule, they arrived. Like I’ve
written, Peri was outside waiting to tell them about us. I was irritated by that. I think we should have had the chance to
tell about ourselves. But .. I have to
say they do seem nice people.
Alex
is lovely. I am keeping an eye on her
because she may have a false impression of me, and she works so fast on her
computer that I don’t want to miss anything.
She gave us a really terrific briefing this afternoon – so much detail
that a lot makes more sense now. There
could be 5 ghosts in this house, or the ghostly echoes of their voices. Alex is a bit like me – very driven to
discover the truth behind things. I
know Andy thinks I’m being suspicious about her motives but Alex appears very
honest. I like her and she seems to
like me.
Rachel
also is a very warm, caring person.
She’s trying to get on with Carrie but she’d have better luck trying to
get warm on a iceberg. Okay, so
Rachel’s a psychiatrist. So what? She isn’t here to put Carrie right. She’s here to .. figure out the
personalities behind the voices. Even I
can work that one out.
Derek
is very nice as well. So knowledgeable
and competent. I get the feeling
nothing much fazes him. I think I’d
really like to have him as a friend. No
matter how bad it gets, I just feel he’d be there to help. I can’t say he’s bossy – he’s been very
polite and .. well, like Peri. Asking
rather than telling, making suggestions and not giving orders. And yet I can see by the way the others all
look to him and listen to him that Derek is very much the boss of the
Foundation. He treats Peri as an equal,
I noticed. A very subtle difference
between her and the others.
As
for Nick .. my God, if I ever dreamed of the right guy for me, it’d be
him. He is so .. everything. Peri is one lucky woman. He has this way of looking at you that just
makes my knees go weak. This is going
to sound so stupid but, in a way, I’m glad he’s married. If he wasn’t, I really think I’d make a fool
of myself. Nick is extremely physical,
competent. I just get a sense of
there’s nothing he wouldn’t tackle. He
isn’t much for talking though – and that stillness and quiet just add to his
charisma.
As
for Peri .. she seems different too since Derek and the others arrived. Catch her alone, and she’s still just as
friendly. See her with them, and I can
feel there’s an edge. The nearest I can
describe it is put a doctor in a dinner party with strangers and then watch him
at work with other doctors. There’s a
professionalism, pride in the work, an edge when he’s with colleagues who
understand, and that’s missing when he’s relaxing with friends or
strangers. Watching Peri now as she
watches the group huddled over a second laptop, I get the impression that she’s
changed gear. Whatever’s going on in
Haystone Manor .. it won’t hurt us.
Peri won’t let it. It’s almost
as if she’s on guard, putting herself between us and ‘them’.
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