Every once in a while, Tif and I tried to have breakfast together, almost like we were normal people. It was a pleasant Friday morning. We sat at McDonald's, eating our breakfast and chatting before work.
"Been at kind of loose ends lately, adventure-wise," I said, drinking my coffee. "I had all sorts of fun running around Lancaster and New Castle, but now that that's over with, I don't know what else to do. It's been slow."
"Oh, god," said Tif.
"What?"
"You get into some of the craziest ones when you get bored. When you have nothing to do for a while, out come the maps and Shoemaker books, and you get into something insane."
"I mean, I hope. I could use something like that right now. I thought I was going to get to investigate a haunted tobacco store, but that turned out to be nothing."
"Nothing on the horizon?"
"Couple of potential adventures scheduled in June. Nothing too exciting planned right now. I don't always do wild stuff when I get bored."
"Remember that time you had Biz and me put a rain spell on the whole city? What was that, about fifteen years ago?"
"Something like that. 2007 sounds about right."
"That was interesting. Something like that, maybe?"
"Right now, just about anything would do."
"Right now, just about anything would do."
Tuesday night. Michelle and Paul were out taking Biz grocery shopping, and I had the house to myself. Sort of. Rosie and Butters were around, and Cookie the hamster, and Ida was around someplace. You're never really alone in my house.
I heard the wind outside, kicking up. A storm was coming. I stepped out onto the back porch to watch.
I love storms. They're like a free firework show with a somewhat slow-paced but exciting movie. I stood on the porch for a while, watching as it built.
Thunder and lightning. I love that. The wind was pounding everything; I watched our tree blow back and forth violently. I could hear the garbage cans get knocked over on the northwest side of the house. I stopped just out of range of the rain and watched for a while.
"What's for dinner?" Michelle asked as she came into the house.
"Sausage, corn, and baked potatoes," I said. "After dinner, I need to run up to Highland Cemetery to get some photos."
"Okay."
"There was some tree damage from the storm. I've sold the idea of an article to my editors, so I need some photos to send with it." I put the sausage in the oven. "I wonder if that stirs up the ghosts."
I turned the oven on. Then I stopped to think about that.
Then I sat down at my computer and sent a message to the team.
"So....Highland?" said Tif.
This time, we were sitting on the sidewalk on Main Street, in front of the Texas Restaurant. We were having Growlers, a specialized chili dog. It's the closest thing you can get to a Lock Haven cuisine.
I nodded. "We have some trees down up there. A lot of the time, damage can cause more activity, similar to the way home repairs do. It seems to rile them up. So I'm taking the team up to check it out."
"When you going?"
"Saturday evening seems to be the best time. I checked with Dave, the cemetery manager. He wants to join us."
"Think you'll find anything?"
"We'll see. The potential is definitely there."
"At least it'll keep you busy."
"Which is probably best for society anyway."
"Lou?" Tom called back. "Two guys are here asking for you."
"Thanks, Tom." I walked up to the front office, expecting some sort of history question, and instead found Tim an Devaughn standing by the counter. I grinned.
"Hi, guys! What's up?"
"Well, we stopped by to check and see what equipment we need for Saturday," said Tim.
"I'd say the basic stuff. We don't need anything too complicated; just what you can carry. We'll meet up at the top of the cemetery---Drive up the hill and look for Soldiers' Circle."
"We also wanted to order some stickers and business cards," said Tim. "And we need a logo designed for the team."
"We also wanted to order some stickers and business cards," said Tim. "And we need a logo designed for the team."
"My friend Emily can help you with that," I said. "Emily?"
Emily stood up from her desk and brought over an invoice. "Sure, I can help with that. When do you need it by?"
"June seventh would be good if you can," said Tim. "If not, that's okay too."
"I think that's plenty of time," said Emily.
"LHPS has a logo, I think SPI needs one, too," said Tim. "LHPS is a ghost. For ours, maybe a haunted house or something?"
"I can come up with something," agreed Emily.
"Just run it past Lou when you get it," said Tim. "I trust him."
"I trust Emily," I said. "She's really good."
"Dad, can you walk me down to Juliet's?" Paul asked.
I looked at my watch. I had plenty of time, and it was a nice day out. "Sure," I said. "Come on, let's go."
We walked down to his friend's house, a block and a half away. When Paul tapped at her door, Juliet appeared, and Paul handed her a popsicle.
"Hey, kiddo," I said,"Is your mom home?"
"Sure," said Juliet. She ran upstairs. A moment later, her mother appeared.
"Hi, Amanda," I said. "Sorry to bug you."
"Oh, it's no problem," she said. "What's up?"
"We're going to investigate Highland Cemetery tonight," I said. "About seven to nine-ish. Would it be okay with you if I invited Juliet along?"
"Sure, she'd love that."
Paul ran to grab Juliet, and said,"Juliet! Do you want to come and investigate a cemetery with---"
"Yes," said Juliet.
I smiled. "We'll pick her up and drop her off."
It was seven when we stopped at Highland and got out. Me, Tim, Devaughn, Vince, and Petey, plus Paul and Juliet. I was wearing my usual outfit---The LHPS uniform, black jeans, black bandanna, boots with skulls on them, fingerless gloves, and the tactical vest.
"Storm damage is over here," I said. "Looks like they've started cleaning some of it up. We had a few trees down up here along the top, mostly right around this area."
Tim's outfit was a lot like mine, but more official-looking somehow. He had a polo shirt with symbols on the sleeves, a vest and equipment belt, and heavy fingerless gloves. Devaughn had a more military-style outfit with cargo pants, an equipment belt, and a camouflage jacket with paranormal patches all over it.
"You want your vest right now?" I asked Paul.
He shook his head. He was still in his soccer uniform from that morning, which he took some pride in. "Not right now, Dad."
"I'll wear it," volunteered Juliet.
I put it on her. It fit better than I thought it would; she's pretty tiny, but it worked well enough.
"This is Soldiers' Circle," I said. "The first black soldier to fight with a white unit in World War I is here. Over there is a guy who was an honor guard at Lincoln's funeral. John Sloan, the famous artist, is over there. That statue down there---That's Peter Meitzler. He was built with a beer glass in his hand, but during Prohibition, some temperance ladies came along and smashed it off."
"Really?" Paul asked. "Where?"
"I'll show you. My suggestion tonight is we set up shop near the Kistler Mausoleum; we've had activity there before."
"I'll show you. My suggestion tonight is we set up shop near the Kistler Mausoleum; we've had activity there before."
"We have some new 3D printed stands for the EMF detectors," said Tim. "Wait until you see."
"Do you have any more equipment, Dad?" Paul asked.
"Yeah, kid, it's all in the black bag."
We began unpacking. Vince and Tim got out their EMF detectors, and set them up on stands around the mausoleum. I took some photos and checked things out with my all-in-one. Juliet followed along, fascinated by it all.
Paul and I walked down the path to the Meitzler statue, overlooking the city. I said,"See? You can see where his fingers are all broken off, where he was holding the glass."
"I see it," agreed Paul. "They should put it back."
"That idea has been proposed," I admitted.
We walked back toward Soldiers' Circle, where Tim and Devaughn were exploring. I said,"Henry Shoemaker's grave is right over there."
"Well, I gotta see this," said Tim.
We walked over to Shoemaker's grave. I'd been there a million times before; Shoemaker was one of my big heroes. Tim said,"I love this. Get my picture, Devaughn."
I took a walk around the top of the cemetery. All of the historic people up here....Former mayors, business owners, writers. It had been slow since returning from Lancaster, but this was exciting. I'd always loved Highland Cemetery; to me it represented the best of Lock Haven's past. I always came out of it knowing I was going to end up here myself one day....And thinking, Well, that's okay.
I rejoined the others. We walked around the loop at the top of the hill, taking reading and looking at the historic graves. Then we returned to the Kistler Mausoleum.
"The EMF detectors are lighting up," Devaughn pointed out.
The detectors we'd set up around the mausoleum were spiking from green to yellow. I walked around to the north side. "Over here, too. And there's no reason for it---There's no lights, no power lines up here at all."
"No," agreed Tim. "Didn't you say you'd gotten some activity like this before?"
I nodded. "Several years ago, I was up here with Millie and Charlie. We got a lot of similar activity, without any explanations, right here in this same mausoleum. It's probably Gertrude Kistler, who drowned on a family vacation when she was twelve, in 1920---Her grandparents are here."
"Still going," said Vince.
I looked over the flashing lights.
"We got activity, guys. We got this."
It was a nice night. After, Paul and Juliet were hanging out on the trampoline in the backyard. I brought out some reheated hot dogs for them.
"Here you go, guys. Eat up." Paul had claimed to be hungry after the investigation, which wasn't surprising. For some reason, I often come home from investigations hungry myself, and he's always hungry these days.
The two of them ate their hot dogs. I said,"You guys learn anything tonight?"
Juliet nodded with some enthusiasm. "Yeah!"
Juliet nodded with some enthusiasm. "Yeah!"
I asked,"You have a good time?"
"Bet," said Paul.
"Yeah!" said Juliet. "And it kept me busy all night!"
I smiled.
"Me too."