“That’s a beautiful portrait. Your wife?” A stunning woman in the prime of her life, revealing some secret knowledge through the hint of a smile.
“Evelyn. She passed eight months ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Upstairs.”
“Oh,” I glanced toward the ceiling, then refocused on him. “I apologize for my rudeness, but you do know I’m not a medium?”
“I know that, Dr. James. I don’t believe in mediums. I don’t believe in ghosts. I don’t…” He collapsed onto the sofa, indignation burning away as quickly as it had arrived. “I don’t know what I believe any more.”
I walked toward him, placing my mug on a side table, and spoke quietly as I sat nearby. “Charles, why have you contacted me?”
“I’ve heard things, seen things.”
“Like what?” I pulled a pen and notepad from my shirt pocket.
“Doors opening and closing. Footsteps. Evelyn’s hair brush moving across the dresser.”
“Has anyone seen or heard anything besides you?”
“I’m not in the habit of throwing dinner parties.”
“Um, yes, I see. What I mean is, can anyone verify these activities?”
“I’m not crazy, if that’s what you’re asking. But no, nobody’s been here. Not since Evelyn passed.”
“Ever notice anything when she was alive?”
His eyes glazed for a few moments. “Not that I recall.”
“All right.” I stood up. “This might take some time, but —”
“Wait, there was one thing. A few years ago our grand-kids stayed for the week. One night, we kept hearing what sounded like footsteps going up and down teh stairs. I went out to check on the kids, but they were both asleep. Evelyn said it was just water knocking in the pipes. Whatever it was, we never heard it again.”
“How old were they?” I asked, scribbling in my notepad.
“The kids? They must have been around ten and twelve at the time. Why?”
“Many researchers believe that paranormal activity often increases when pre-adolescent children are present.”
“There hasn’t been any kids around since then.”
“That’s understandable. I’ve read theories surmising that a triggering event, such as the present of children, acts much like dropping a pebble in a pool. Even after the initial disturbance passes, the waves from that event continue to disrupt the surface.”
“You’ve read theories, Dr. James, but what do you believe?”
“What I believe isn’t relevant to —”
“Hogwash.”
“All right. Most paranormal activity is explained through the readings I’m going to collect tonight. Much of what you describe is often the result of excess energies produced by various sources.”
“And what about those things that can’t be explained?”
“I don’t pretend to know the answer. I just think we need to collect more data.”
“You missed your calling, Dr. James. You should have been a politician.”
* * *
Two hours later, with the equipment set up and three cups of coffee down, I saw in a faded, greenish-gray armchair before two laptops, waiting for any sign of activity.
“What is all that stuff?” Charles asked, delivering another steaming cup. He had changed into a plaid bathrobe, still faded, still gray.
“This machine measures EMF levels. That one records EVP, and this computer is hooked to the cameras for low-light and infrared detection.”
“I don’t know what EMF or EVP is, but how are those going to find out what’s going on?” He looked at the mass of cables snaking from the room, a tangled skein of multicolored intrusion into his bland existence.
“EMF is electromagnetic frequency. Paranormal activity can often be located through the detection of EMF. EVP is electronic voice phenomena, which typically takes the form of communication through signals like white noise or static. Most haunting experiences are explained through these means. Low-frequency sound waves can cause objects to rapidly vibrate and seemingly move on their own. They can also trigger the flight-or-fight response, causing people to experience cold chills. Some bands of EMF can even cause people to sense a mysterious presence.”
Charles rubbed his hands across his robe, glancing around: “But this is different.”
“That’s what I’m here to find out.”
* * *
About Steven J. Bitz
