Haunting at Remington House. Laura V. Keegan

heard a woman scream. But there’s no one up here except us,” explained Linda.

      Shaking her plump finger at them, Nellie scolded, “You girls and your imaginations. Shame on you. Look! It’s just the cat, for heaven’s sake.” Wiggins came tearing down the attic steps, a blur of fur as he whizzed by and disappeared into the study on the first floor. “Now, both of you apologize for your silliness and get back to work.” She rolled her eyes at Tom.

      “Sorry,” they said in unison, both blushing.

      “It’s okay, girls. Do you want me to look around the attic?” Tom asked.

      “Well,” Linda said, “I would feel better if you did. I’m kind of nervous. We’re so far from everyone up there. I know we’re being silly, but . . . ”

      Tom interrupted. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll do a quick check, make you feel more comfortable.” He walked to the end of the hallway, started climbing the stairs to the attic.

      “I’ll go with you,” Michael said.

      Cassie started to say something. Tom stopped her with a cold glare, was annoyed with the frosty look she gave him. He didn't want to listen to any of her ghostly theories. Not now.

      Cassie took Lizzie’s hand. “Mary, come downstairs with Lizzie and me. We’ve got plans to make. And I want to show you the summer portfolio I’m working on. Lizzie can help us until her dad’s ready to take her for a walk.” She stomped down the stairs obviously making sure Tom knew she was annoyed.

      Tom turned the doorknob of the first room, discovered it was locked. He jiggled the knob back and forth. “I don’t remember locking this. Michael, I have to get the keys. I’ll be right back. Go ahead and check the other rooms.”

      Linda and Gwenn hung back a few steps as Michael went down the hallway looking into each open room. Most were filled with boxes, some half unpacked, but nothing seemed out of place.”I know it sounded like a scream to you girls, but honestly, in this setting, a cat howling could spook anyone. Old attic. Dim light.”

      Linda wrung her hands. “Gwenn, you were as scared as I was. You heard it, too. Do you think it was the cat?” Gwenn didn’t answer her sister.

      Tom returned with the skeleton keys dangling in his hand. After several tries he found the right one. “Hmm. Nothing much in here,” he said looking around the small room. "Besides, it was locked, so Wiggins couldn’t have been in here. God, it smells horrible. I’ll open the window and air it out. Better have you girls see what might be in these trunks. They reek. God! What a stench.” He covered his nose with his sleeve.

      Tom glanced at the girls who obviously were not happy at the prospect of finding the source of the smell. “Never mind. I’ll bring Joe up here later. He and I can go though these.” He wrenched open the window, an old wooden-framed slider that hadn’t been opened in a long time. A gentle breeze was blowing; fresh air flowed into the closed quarters. “Better,” Tom said. “I’ll leave it open for a while.”

      Tom followed Michael and the girls into a large room to their left, the room he eventually planned to make into a suite and office for Nate. “Looks like you unpacked some of these boxes. I guess I forgot to tell you not to get into the ones marked Elise. I wanted to go through them myself.”

      “We didn’t open those. We’re working on the crates in the room down the hall,” Gwenn said defensively.

      “Nell must have, then.” Tom slammed the door making everyone jump. “Sorry.” He handed the keys to Michael. “Would you finish looking around, Michael? I have a few things to take care of. Told John I’d call him at two o’clock. Almost forgot. Girls, if you’re nervous being up here, maybe you better see if Nell has something else she’d rather have you do.”

      “No,” Gwenn said. “We’re fine. The cat was probably chasing a mouse or howling to hear himself howl. My cat does that sometimes. I think animals get lonely and like to hear their own voices. Come on, Linda.”

      “I’ll look around a little, Tom. Go on and make your phone call,” Michael said.