Em pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. She felt bad for the guy and didn’t want to embarrass him any more than he already was. He clearly loved his wife and would do anything to make her happy.
“You didn’t call Neil Sutherland, did you?” Josh asked.
“I had Sutherland Construction on my list, but after the first five shot me down, I was too depressed to keep going.”
“I know Neil. He’s a great guy and does great work.” Josh glanced at Em, and she rolled her eyes. He grinned and then said to Steve, “I’ll give him a call for you.”
The other man’s face lit up with a smile. “That’d be great, Josh. I really appreciate it.”
“Not a problem.” He lifted his chin at Em. “Let’s get this done before we lose the light.”
Josh was right. The sun was no longer shining through the trees outside the windows, and it was getting darker inside the house. When they reached the landing, Em handed Steve her broom.
“You’re sure it’s okay?” The way he was holding the broom to his chest, Em had a feeling he wouldn’t give it back even if she changed her mind.
“Yeah, I’m good,” she said, and headed for the first bedroom with Josh and Steve following behind her. She noted the painted furniture and the vintage bedside lamps as she walked into the room. “It’s so weird that they didn’t take anything with them when they left.”
“It was part of the sale. Everything was ordered specifically for the house,” Steve said, standing in the doorway. “They researched what it looked like when May and Clara lived here, from furniture to paint colors.”
“Josh mentioned they were going to open it to the public,” Em said, bending to look under the bed. There were animal tracks in the thick layer of dust that coated the floor. A lot of them.
“They were but not as a museum. Dark tourism had become popular around that time,” Steve said, watching as Josh checked the window. “It still is.”
“Dark tourism?” Em asked, having never heard the phrase before.
“Yeah. There’s good money to be made opening murder houses and haunted estates to the public. They charge for daytime tours and for overnight stays, and sell merchandise too.”
“Is that what you and Jenny plan to do?” Josh asked as they left the room.
“If Abby Mackenzie had her way, that’s exactly what we’d do. But Jenny’s hoping by the time she’s finished”—Steve looked around and lowered his voice—“that Clara and May will finally be able to rest in peace, so I’m not sure the house will be a draw if they’re no longer haunting—”
A red ball rolled out of a bedroom on their right, coming to rest at Em’s feet. “Okay, so it looks like we have a playful raccoon.”
Steve stared at the ball Em had picked up. “You said they were gone.”
Josh, who’d gone into the room, came out shaking his head. “It wasn’t a raccoon or a bat or a rat. It’s a little boy’s room, and the window’s sealed shut.”
“Okay, so we have a playful ghost,” Em said.
Steve looked like he wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or terrified.
“I’m teasing.” She crouched, rolling the ball back into the room. “There’s a reasonable explanation for this.” There was a clunk, and then the ball rolled back to her.
Josh snorted. “Yeah, you’re playing ball with a ghost.”
“No. Look. The floor’s slanted. When the doors slammed, they must’ve dislodged the ball.” Or a raccoon had but she wouldn’t mention that in front of Steve.
His shoulders dropping from around his ears, Steve nodded. “That makes sense.”
They searched the last two bedrooms and checked out the bathroom and a linen closet. They found nothing but more evidence that Steve and Jenny needed to call an exterminator ASAP. There were also some cracks in the ceilings and water damage on the walls and floors. But the one thing they hadn’t found was an open window.
“We missed one.” Josh pointed the poker at what must be the turret room. The door was closed. Steve raised the broom as they walked toward it. Josh went to open the door but it opened on its own with a drawn-out squeal.
Steve yelped, swinging the broom. Em and Josh ducked. Luckily, they both had fast reflexes.
“Good thing I didn’t give him the poker or we would’ve ended up on the house’s list of victims,” Josh said for Em’s ears alone, adding for Steve’s benefit as he walked into the room, “You can relax. There’s nothing in here.”
“But we do have an explanation for the slamming doors,” Em said, nodding at the open window. “And an explanation for how the raccoons got in.”
“Now we just have to figure out who left it open,” Josh said.
“Maybe some of the kids already came to check it out,” Em suggested as she looked around. “It’s a nice room.” The floor and walls were a warm, honey-colored wood with built-in shelves. “It must have been a library. And that must be the Seaton family.” Em angled her chin at the portrait on the wall. A handsome white man sat on a settee with a pretty Black woman sitting beside him. Behind the couple stood two beautiful women.
“Mr. Seaton and his wife, Beth,” Steve said. “Beth was his second wife. She’d been the family’s housekeeper. A year after his wife died, he sold his businesses, married Beth, and moved here to start a new life. The two women are their daughters, May and Clara.”
“Did Jenny think the rumors they were witches had anything to do with May and Clara being biracial?” Em asked.
Steve nodded. “Partially, yes, but they were healers, and back then that was tantamount to being a witch, especially if you happened to be young, beautiful, and single, which May and Clara were. And then May got pregnant and wouldn’t name the child’s father.”
Josh studied the family portrait. “They look like a happy family.”
“By all accounts they were,” Steve said.
“It must’ve been quite the showplace back in the day. This room’s got a great view,” Josh said as he closed the window. It looked onto the sugar maples lining either side of the road, rooftops peeking through the vibrant fall-colored leaves, and smoke from the chimneys rising to the violet-blue sky.
They left the door open and headed for the stairs. Steve looked at ease for the first time since he’d run into the house. Or at least he had until a black cat darted across the hall, chasing a rat.
Steve ran past them, yelling, “I hate this house!”
Josh and Em shouted, “Careful!” at the same time, but Steve ignored them, practically flying down the stairs.
“What do you think the chances are they’ll keep the cat?” Em asked Josh as they walked toward the landing.
“If Steve gets a say, zero.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Black cats get a bad rap.”
Josh grinned. “Especially when they live in a house supposedly haunted by witches.” A door slammed, and then another. Josh raised an eyebrow. “Okay, how do you explain that?”
She leaned over the railing. “A draft. Steve just ran out the door and slammed it.”