Page 12 of Ghost Hunters 1

“What curse?”Dino asked.

Matthew looked at his grandson and smiled slightly.“The one that’s keeping me alive when I should have been dead a long time ago; the curse that’s keeping Claire from crossing over and the same curse that’s keeping Tilly a prisoner.She has to be in this house somewhere, we just need to find her.”

Dino shook his head.“Grandpa, for the last time, there is no curse.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Jillian told him.

“Come on, don’t tell me you believe in this ghost tale stuff too?”Dino scoffed.

“Did you ever wonder where people got their tales to tell?”Jillian asked.“In every story there’s just enough of the truth to keep the tale alive.”

“I think it’s just bull.Made up to sell tickets or books...or for some money-making scheme.”Dino rolled his eyes.

“We need to find where Claire hid Tilly,” Jillian told him as she wasn’t in the mood for a debate over this or an argument.

“And we need to damn well hurry,” Matthew said.

“Why?”Jillian and Dino asked together.

Matthew looked at them both.“The anniversary of the night the fire burned the Inn to the ground is four days from now.I have a feeling deep in my bones that Claire is going to start another fire.”

Jillian nodded.“Now that you’ve come back she just might.”She hesitated and said, “Didn’t Claire say her dog started the fire by overturning a lamp in the parlor?”

Matthew shook his head.“When I came back that night, I found Sammy’s body outside the Inn.The poor dog’s neck was broken and it looked like someone had tossed her out the front door.There wasn’t a singed hair on her head.”

“Wow,” Jillian whispered in shock.“That’s just freakin’ cruel.”She glanced around for Poppy.Spotting her in the rug she shook her head.“Who would do that?”

“Maybe we should stay for a few days,” Dino suggested as he looked concerned.“Just to make sure there’s no trouble.”

Jillian nodded.“I think that is a good idea, thank you.I’ll get some rooms ready.Suddenly, I find I’m not all that anxious to be alone out here.”Jillian left to get the rooms ready.

Matthew gave his grandson a concerned look.“I’m glad we’re staying for a while.I feel like there will be more trouble.”

“What do you mean?”Dino asked.“Like whoever did that to the dog can’t still be here.”

“And why not?Claire is still here,” Matthew replied.“Don’t be telling me that you didn’t just see that?But I think there’s more than Claire’s spirit roaming this house.I feel something more like hatred here.”

“Are you forgetting Tilly’s spirit?You said she was here too,” Dino reminded him.

Matthew shook his head.“Tilly would never hurt anyone.She was and always will be a gentle woman; no this is someone else entirely.”

“How do you know this?”Dino asked him.

“I can feel it, deep down in my bones.”

“But Grandpa—” Dino began.

“No, I know it’s true whether you believe it or not.There is something here that is evil.”

Dino studied him and noted he was sweating and he looked pale.The whole trip had been more than he could take right now.He stood and reached for his grandpa’s arm.“Come on, let’s find our room.I think you need to rest.”