“I’m not sure I’m any better at determining ghost activity than you are, but I’ll take a look. At the very least, it might put your imagination to rest.”
Max got to his feet. “I’ll leave it with you then.” He stopped at the door. “The thing is… with this being the hundredth anniversary and all… I’m afraid that old Josiah will also return.”
“What are you afraid of? What more could he do?”
Max shrugged. “Maybe try to repeat his crime… if he knows the kids are back. Or he might go after someone else.”
“That doesn’t make sense, Max. Tell you what… I will start checking into things today and keep you posted.”
As Max left, Bertie was just coming in. After she had settled at her desk, she looked over at Harry. “What’s on Mr. Marshall’s mind this morning?”
Harry filled her in on what Max had told him. “Can you check on the ages of those kids when they died?”
“That should be easy enough. What are you going to do?”
“I’m going out to the Henderson farm and take a look around, see if there’s any sign of vandalism. I don’t know what else it could be. And then – when I find nothing – maybe I can put Max’s mind at ease.” He reached for his jacket as he stood up. “Oh… and see if you can find anything on those who come back as ghosts, if they’re the same age as when they died.”
“Are you serious?” She looked at him and he shrugged. “Why don’t you contact Izzy, the young woman who saw the Blue Moon Ghost? She might know?”
“You mean Miss Brewer,” Harry said. “She was very interested in ghosts and all that paranormal stuff, wasn’t she? Okay, I’ll call her.”
***************
Harry drove out to the farm, parked the truck and got out. The old barn had long since collapsed and the rusty hulks of several machines stood nearby. If he remembered correctly, the charred remains of the house had been demolished and the site levelled by a bulldozer. Over time, grass had grown over the site until it was no longer visible.
He walked over to the dilapidated machinery and made his way slowly around each piece. The ground was littered with pieces of metal and numerous scraps of rust. He went back to the truck and called Isabel Brewer.
“Not everyone agrees on that one,” Izzy told him. “The general consensus is that no matter what age a person is at death, if their spirit appears to someone, they seem to be in their twenties or thirties. I’ve never come across an explanation for it but that seems to be the way it works.”
Harry thanked her. With a slight smile on his face, he started the truck and drove away. His next stop was at Max’s house. He rang the doorbell and heard Max’s footsteps almost immediately.
“Mr. Hogan. Come in.” They went into the living room and sat down. “Have you learned something?”
