Page 10 of The Penitentiary (Ghost Seekers Inc. #1)

Levi

D id that really just happen? A ghostly hand had caressed my junk. “You didn’t mention randy ghosts!” I spluttered and saw Callie’s lips twitch. I sent her a glower, and she wiped the amusement from her face.

“What are you feeling?” Callie questioned.

“Apart from violated? There’s a sense of…” I paused, searching for the right word.

“Levi?” Callie asked, concerned.

“Prey. I feel like we’re prey,” Sunny added, and I nodded. Two seconds ago, Sunny had looked amused, but now he seemed worried.

“It feels hard to breathe. As though something is pressing down on my chest,” I said, and Sunny nodded.

“And we’re done. If you’re having issues breathing, then we don’t put anyone at risk,” Callie stated. I nodded but was too busy concentrating on drawing air into my lungs to reply.

Sunny let out a gasp and sucked in oxygen. He looked worried, and I could understand why. It was getting harder to breathe.

“Out, now!” Callie ordered and began dragging Sunny towards the exit. I staggered behind them and felt myself going lightheaded.

“Levi, come on,” Callie said, appearing and tucking under my shoulder. With her help, I stumbled out into the central hub, where suddenly the weight on my chest lifted, and I sucked in large gulps of air.

“What the hell was that?” I demanded.

“I don’t know. It could be that the emotions overtook you or the ghosts affected you as revenge for being a man. Considering how you and Sunny felt compared to Freddie and me, I’d say the former idea might hold merit.”

“No shit. That was frightening,” I said, not scared of admitting that it had alarmed me.

“I bet. Are you okay now?”

“Yes, Sunny?” I asked, noting my brother appeared quiet.

“Yeah, I’m good. That disturbed me, too. It seemed aimed at men. I think a female exorcist will be needed. If we send a man in there, we’re exposing him to danger,” Sunny replied quietly.

“I agree. I’ll call Michelle; she’ll know what to do. She’ll probably come with Callum,” Callie said.

“Callum? Michelle?” I asked.

“Callum is a priest we use; he’s been successful in most of his exorcisms. Michelle is a female exorcist whom we sometimes use if Callum isn’t available. She’s really good. I’d give her and Callum a first-time ninety-five per cent success rate,” Callie explained.

“Just ninety-five?” I said as a weak joke.

“Yeah. That’s a damn high percentage. You’d be surprised at how many exorcisms fail on their first attempt.

Trust me, Levi, there’s a lot that is whitewashed in the paranormal world.

Exorcisms are hard work and take a lot out of the person conducting them.

That’s why assistants often accompany a priest; they ensure he is fed, watered, and breaks are taken. ”

“I do trust you,” I replied and saw surprise in Callie’s eyes and then a look of warmth swept across her face. My words had touched her, and I realised that Callie had needed to hear that.

“Thank you,” she murmured as Sunny clasped her hand and squeezed.

“Callie, if I thought this was all bullshit, smoke and mirrors, I wouldn’t have brought Madi.

I believe in what you do, and I’ve sure as shit had my eyes opened so far.

I cannot say I fully believed in ghosts, but I was happy knowing something odd existed.

No bull, I can’t go back to my previous oblivious state. I just got my junk groped by a spirit!”

Sunny and Callie all burst into laughter with Freddie as they took in my expression. “Blow the lot of you! I’m going to check on Madi from the command centre.”

Jack

I gazed around cellblock four curiously. Faces were supposed to be seen here, beckoning you, and I was with Callie. How did faces beckon? And what were they trying to call you to see?

“Jack, is that a face?” Madi asked, and I turned where she pointed. I could see what she meant.

“No, that’s a shadow, but damn, to someone untrained it could be a face,” I replied. “You may have just debunked that rumour.”

“And there?” Madi said, pointing elsewhere.

Phil moved, and I knew he was zooming in. “Another shadow.”

I shrugged. “Well, I think we’ve solved the mystery of the faces. This cellblock is in a bad state. What with the peeling paint, the trees outside casting shadows, they offer a valid explanation.”

“There’s still the incident with the locksmith and also the strange noises,” Madi said.

I smiled. “That’s why we’re not marching out to investigate elsewhere. Not every house is going to be haunted. And the level we’ve seen so far blows other places out of the water. But never fear, Madi, we’re staying here.”

“You rhymed that deliberately!” Madi teased, and I laughed.

I liked Madi and Levi. They were good people with open minds, not like Callie’s sister Polly, who’d come with the sole purpose of proving us frauds. Even now, I still didn’t like her. I found her cold and stuck-up, but that could be because I was good friends with Callie and loyal to her.

A small clink made me look around. Madi straightened, and I knew she’d heard that.

“Interesting,” I drawled.

Another noise sounded close by, and I jumped as something hit me. I shone my flashlight down and saw a small stone.

“Did you just get hit?” Madi asked incredulously.

“Yes, someone wants our attention.”

“Hello, my name’s Jack,” I said as Madi held out her voice recorder. “I’m here to speak to you today. I mean no disrespect and hope you’ll talk to me.”

Madi played the voice recorder back, and we heard nothing. I tried a few more questions and received no reply.

“Madi, you try; maybe it will respond to you,” I said.

“Because I’m a woman?” she asked dryly, but I saw her smile.

“Yup,” I said, seeing no shame in admitting it. Madi rolled her eyes but began asking some questions. I liked how she paced them out; she could easily do this for a career.

“Lady.” The word floated in the air, and we swapped glances.

“Hi. I’d like to think I’m a lady. My name is Madi. What’s yours?”

“Everett.”

“Nice to meet you, Everett,” Madi said.

“Is it?”

“That didn’t sound too reassuring,” Madi said, turning to me wide-eyed.

“No,” I agreed, moving closer to her. My two-way crackled, and I answered.

“Jack, that name. There was an Everett Jackson imprisoned there. He murdered his wife in nineteen-twenty-nine and dismembered her body. She refused to divorce him, even though he was carrying on an affair with a younger woman. Jackson went on to kill his sister-in-law and daughter when they began suspecting him.”

“Shit, and I just said it was nice to meet him?” Madi exclaimed. “No wonder he sounded amused.”

“Thanks, Harry, for the information.” I spoke and frowned. “The atmosphere in here has changed. It feels negative, dark.”

“As if we’re being inspected as victims?” Phil said and nodded.

“To me, it’s like I’ve suddenly become prey,” Madi murmured.

Worried, I turned to her. “Do you need to leave?”

“No, but it’s now oppressive here. And my skin is crawling like multiple people are watching us,” Madi replied.

“No faces though,” I said, gazing around.

“Not that I can see. I can spot some shadows that look like some, though,” Madi said and pointed.

I jumped as a stone hit my foot and clattered to the ground.

“What on earth?” Madi exclaimed.

“Someone’s trying to get our attention. We stopped talking about Everett, and he wants us focused back on him,” I guessed.

“Will he harm us?” Madi gasped.

“I’m unsure. I don’t think so, but be careful. Try speaking to him again.”

“Everett, did you kill your wife?” Madi asked. “What about your sister-in-law and daughter? Did you mean to?”

Madi pressed play as we all stiffened.

“Murder…. Yes… Yes… ate her liver.”

“What the fuck!” Madi exclaimed.

“Damn!” Harry’s voice broke in, making us all jump.

“Did you hold information back again?” I accused, and Harry snickered. “Out of line, man!”

“Jackson cooked his daughter’s liver and ate it with mashed potatoes. He claimed he was keeping a part of her,” Harry said.

“What the hell? That’s vile and disgusting,” Madi stated.

“Very disturbing. Was Jackson classified as insane?”

“No, he was disturbingly sane. Jackson described quite vividly how and why he killed those women. And his mistress, Lillian, stood by him and blamed the wife. Said that if Mrs Jackson had granted the divorce, then he wouldn’t have killed her.

And Lillian said the daughter wouldn’t have died if she’d been a dutiful child and respected and supported her father,” Harry continued.

“Did Lillian also get arrested?” Madi asked.

“No. She was innocent of any wrongdoing, although her opinions stank,” Harry declared, sounding disgusted.

“I’d say they did. What happened to them both?”

“Lillian was very clever. Jackson was thirty years older than her, and she was only twenty-one when he was sent down.

She stood by him despite ostracization by her peers.

In return, Everett left her in charge of his string of highly successful shops.

She visited him here weekly and also ensured he had his luxuries he needed.

“By all accounts, they even managed some conjugal visits as well. Jackson was in here for three years before a fellow inmate stabbed him to death. Lillian inherited everything. Three months later, she’d married the brother of the inmate who’d killed Jackson.”

“Wow, really?”

“Yup. Ben Shaw was inside for life. There was no parole, so killing Jackson was no skin off his nose. Lillian went on to have four children with James Shaw, and they lived very well off the inheritance Jackson had left her,” Harry said.

“Holy crap, she set Everett up inside,” Madi exclaimed.

“Looks that way. Ben Shaw never gave her up, just claimed Jackson looked at him wrong one day.”

“Damn, Harry, that’s a story right there!” I said.

“Ain’t it just? So be careful. Madi might not be as safe as you think. I would imagine Jackson has a real grudge against women,” Harry warned and signed off.