Page 7 of Ghost Hunters 2

She got to her room and opened the door.

Claire sat on her bed as she grimaced at her. “This is MY room, you know?”

Jillian closed the door behind her and asked her, “What have you done with Matthew?”

Chapter Four

Claire looked puzzled and asked, “What do you mean?”

“Where is he?” Jillian repeated the question.

“I have no idea where that man is,” Claire insisted. “The last time I saw him was the other night when he first arrived.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Claire got up off the bed and walked toward her. “I don’t lie, little missy. And I don’t take sass from anyone. What gives you the right to treat me this way?”

“Because I think you know where Matthew is and we need to find him.”

“I told you I haven’t seen Matthew since yesterday. I have no idea where he is, nor do I care,” Claire said. “I’ve been up here all afternoon.”

Jillian stared at her then headed toward the door. Before she left she turned back and asked, “Is there anyone else, spirit or otherwise in the house?”

“What do you mean by that?” Claire asked.

“Yesterday. I could have sworn I saw something in the kitchen. It was more like a shadow than anything else.”

Claire slowly shook her head. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

“I know you’re lying to me.” Jillian walked around her. “Who or what is the shadowy thing?” she demanded.

Claire wrung her hands. “I can’t tell you. He wouldn’t like it.”

“Who wouldn’t like it?” Jillian asked. She paused for a moment then snapped her fingers. “Is it George?”

“Why would you think that?” Claire whispered.

“George was the only other person that died forty years ago, other than you and Tilly. If you are still here, it only makes sense that George would still be here too.”

Claire looked worried. “George burned to death in the fire. We couldn’t get out of the Inn that night. I couldn’t get to Tilly either. George wouldn’t let me. While the fire burned on the first-floor George kept me trapped in my room.”

“What happened all those years ago?” Jillian asked.

“I can’t talk about it.” Claire kept wringing her hands and backing away from Jillian. “But you have someone snooping around here. A scary man. Maybe he took Matthew.”

“Yes, he and some others are going to help us.”

“Bad. Very bad,” Claire scoffed. “They are gonna get hurt.”

“Oh, yeah?”

They looked over at the open doorway.

Claire stared at Bane. “W-who...” She looked behind him and her eyes widened. “Demons! Oh, lord. The devil has come for me!” Then she simply vanished.

Jillian groaned in frustration. “Claire? Please come back? We need your help!” When she didn’t reappear, Jillian turned to look at Bane. “What was she talking about?”

He shrugged and ignored her question, “So that’s the ghost?”