The House of Secrets

‘Have you seen her, Matthew? Have you seen her with Sarah?’

‘Well, no, not really. I just—’

‘I can’t talk to you about this, Matthew. Not now. We need to take the patients. These are soldiers with psychiatric injuries, soldiers who need peace and quiet. They need our help, now. The hospital needs the income. We can charge them, and I can get Dr Severton to see to their care. Don’t you see, you need to work, darling? You can pursue this new interest of yours at the weekends.’ Bethany couldn’t keep the desperation out of her voice.

‘Dr Severton could see to the patients. That’s a splendid idea. You know, Bethany, you do have a remarkable business sense. Whatever you think, darling. I trust you implicitly. I know this hospital means the world to you. That’s why you’re the business manager.’

‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I’ll see to it right away. How’s Sarah doing? Will she be able to do the job?’

‘She is doing very well,’ he said.

‘Matthew, you realize if the newspapers discover you’ve hired Sarah, they will stake this place out. We’ll get no peace. The sanctuary we offer our patients will be compromised.’

They murmured and for a moment I couldn’t hear what was said between them.

‘What’s bothering you, darling? Something tells me that your worries have nothing to do with Sarah or my interest in the occult.’

‘It’s Minna,’ she said. ‘I’m worried about her. I know that she believes she has a newfound psychic ability, and I realize how interesting that is to you. She thinks that Gregory is alive and has come to get his revenge. She needs more help than we can provide. I know how much you care for her, but I think we are doing her a disservice by allowing her to stay here. This house can only remind her of the past. You don’t believe that Minna is truly a medium, do you? Darling, you are risking your career.’

‘You’re shivering,’ he said.

‘Close the window, please. It’s freezing in here.’

He closed the window. And that was that. I couldn’t hear them any longer.

Try as I might, I couldn’t focus on the stack of notes that needed to be sorted. Rather than sit at my desk, I stood by the door that led into Dr Geisler’s office with my ear pressed against it. I could have left, gone upstairs, packed my things, and slipped out the front door with no one any the wiser. But I had no place to go and no money to get there. I listened until I heard Bethany leave. When the door shut behind her, I slipped into Dr Geisler’s office. He uncapped his pen and started to make some notes on one of the yellow pads that were scattered all around the office.

‘Excuse me,’ I said.

‘Finished?’ Dr Geisler put his pen down.

‘No.’

‘Are you able to read my handwriting?’

‘Yes.’

He studied me and something in my expression must have led him to ask, ‘Is everything okay?’

I pointed at one of the guest chairs that faced his desk. ‘May I?’

‘Please.’ He studied me. ‘Sarah, whatever is the matter?’

‘I can hear everything that is said in this office when the windows are open,’ I said. ‘Since I’m one of those people who needs fresh air, I had my window open this morning.’

‘I’m so sorry.’ Dr Geisler would not make a good poker player. Regret, followed by the flush of embarrassment, washed over his face.

‘Who is Alysse?’

The seconds passed, marked by the ticking of the brass ship’s clock that rested on the shelf behind the desk. He closed his eyes and used his forefinger to massage the furrow that had formed between his brows.

‘Forgive me for being blunt, but I heard everything you and Bethany said. I know no one named Alysse, and I would like you to explain yourself. You said she’s attached herself to me. What does that mean?’

‘Alysse is the sister I lost in the influenza epidemic. She didn’t want to die.’

‘Does anyone?’

‘I’ve seen her. Not like a ghost, white and shimmery like the gothic fiction that my wife loves. I’ve felt her essence, seen glimpses out of the corner of my eye. She’s come to me in dreams, and just when I see her, just when I think I can speak to her, I wake up. I think she is trying to communicate with me.

‘I know you are the key. Sarah, what happened last October? There were no fingerprints found on the gun, and based on Jack Bennett’s shoulder wound, the weapon couldn’t have been fired by you.’

A shiver ran down my spine. I grabbed the arms of my chair, bracing myself as the room started to spin.

‘Take a deep breath,’ Dr Geisler said in a soft voice.

I did as he instructed. The dizziness passed.

‘Sarah, I’m familiar with your case file. I’ve spoken to Dr Upton about your testimony at Jack Bennett’s trial. I’m well aware of your position and the things that you witnessed, the things that the jury didn’t hear. I also have spoken to Zeke, and he told me what he saw. Would you like me to tell you what I think?’

I must have nodded, for he continued to speak.

‘I think your biological mother, Grace Kensington, came to you in spirit form, with the sole mission of protecting you from Jack Bennett. I’m willing to bet that you haven’t seen her again. Have you?’

I shook my head, ignoring the implication of his words, not trusting him enough to confide in him about the weeping noises that had plagued me for weeks.

‘So she fulfilled her quest and crossed over. That’s not so unusual. Spirits are with us all the time. We’re separated by something that no one understands.’ He opened his desk drawer, took out an old picture, and slid it across the desk to me. The picture showed a young woman dressed in a floor-length evening dress. The tilt of her head gave her an air of self-assurance. Her smile radiated warmth. I turned the photo over. On the back, someone had scrawled Alysse, June 1917.

‘Why do you think she’s here?’ I asked.

‘Because I’ve heard her weeping.’ Dr Geisler watched me. ‘You’ve heard it too?’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘It started after the foreman read the “not guilty” verdict.’

‘She was at your trial, as God is my witness. I felt her presence hovering around you, and I make no claim to any special ability in that regard. I’m afraid she wants me to do something for her, and she wants to use you as the conduit. I know it’s a lot to take in, but all I’m asking is that you listen for her. If she comes to you, please tell me. I give you my solemn word that I will not send you to an asylum. I won’t breathe a word of what you say to anyone. I will treat our communication as sacrosanct. I know you experience things.

‘Zeke knows there’s no way you could have shot Jack Bennett. He’s worried about you. In fact, he approached me about your psychic ability. He thinks you may be a medium. I know that you took a terrible fall off the second-storey landing at Bennett House. Did you know an incident like that can trigger latent psychic abilities?’

‘I didn’t,’ I said. ‘Does Zeke believe your theory?’

‘Zeke is an educated, open-minded man, with a healthy dose of scepticism that will keep me honest. You need to talk to him. He wants to know why you experience these things. You can’t blame him for that, can you? If you were in his shoes, wouldn’t you want as much information as possible?’

I didn’t get a chance to answer. The door burst open and Minna rushed in, her hands clenched into fists, her eyes wild, her breathing hard and fast.

‘What’s happened?’

‘Matthew, I swear I’m going mad.’

Matthew got up and went to Minna. He put his arm around her, and led her to the small love seat in the corner of his office.

‘I’ve seen him, Matthew. I swear on my life that your brother is alive.’ Minna sat down in the chair and buried her hands in her face. ‘He’s going to kill you. He’s coming after us.’

‘Minna, Gregory’s dead.’ Dr Geisler met my eyes. I motioned towards the door. He nodded his head. I flung the door open, ready to flee to the safety of my own room, but I collided with Bethany. We almost toppled over, but Bethany remained upright and held me fast.

‘I’m so sorry,’ I said. ‘I didn’t realize—’ I didn’t realize you were eavesdropping.

‘I wanted to see my husband, but Minna—’ The skin on her cheeks blossomed into an unbecoming shade of red.

‘She’s quite shaken.’

‘That woman is going to be the end of us.’ She shivered and rubbed her arms. ‘She’s clearly worked herself into a frenzy. Do you know what’s wrong?’

‘She mentioned someone named Gregory. I thought it best I leave.’

‘Good thinking. I need to speak to them. I’m sorry you had to witness that, Sarah. My sitting room is just a few doors down from your room. I’ve got shelves of books in there. Help yourself. Borrow anything you like. Lunch will be served in half an hour. I’ll see you then.’

She rapped twice on the door and let herself in.

Chapter Three

After a simple lunch of potatoes au gratin and broccoli I went back to my typewriter. I had just settled into my work when Dr Geisler knocked on my door. He stepped into the room. Energy crackled off him like bolts of lightning. He rose up on the balls of his feet and rocked back down on his heels.

‘Sarah, would you like to come with Minna and me to visit a house?’ He stood before my desk, rocking and bobbing.

‘Visit a house?’

‘A woman named Virginia Wills is turning her house over to the City to house servicemen. She doesn’t want to live there anymore, but can’t bear to part with it. She believes her grandfather is angry with her. She wants to try to reach him.’

‘Why can’t she talk to him herself?’ The minute I uttered the words I knew the answer to my question.

‘Because he’s dead. Don’t you see what an opportunity this is? I’ll bring you and Minna. If we’re lucky, one of you will sense something. This could be the breakthrough I’ve been waiting for. Don’t worry, there’s no pressure. Mrs Wills won’t even know that you have the ability to see ghosts. She thinks that Minna is the psychic, and we won’t disabuse her of that idea, unless, of course, you see something.’

I hesitated.

‘Of course, if you’d rather not, I understand. I just thought you might be interested.’

‘I’ll just get my coat,’ I said as I pushed away from the desk.

Minutes later, I stood before my vanity, trying to tuck my flyaway curls into some semblance of order when there was a rap at my door.

‘Yes.’ I pinched my cheeks, trying to force some colour into them. The pinching didn’t work.

‘It’s Minna.’

She glided into my room in one graceful motion. Her hair had been swept up into a subtle but elegant French twist, and held into place by a silver-filigreed comb. Her black dress flowed over her sinewy body in waves.

‘I come bearing gifts.’ She held out a burlap sack that smelled of lavender and tangerine. ‘It’s soaking salts. I wanted to apologize for bursting in on you today.’

She wore no shoes, so her white feet, with their high arches and callused toes, stood out against the black of her hemline. I recognized those calluses. I had seen them on my adoptive mother, Jessica Bennett, the result of many years spent en pointe as a principal for the San Francisco ballet, a career sidelined after a knee injury.

‘I bought them at City of Paris. There’s a seashell in the bag that you use as a scoop.’

‘They smell wonderful. Thank you,’ I said.

‘You know, Magnin’s victory window broadcasts KYA live each day at noon. Would you like to go some time?’

The radio station’s victory window was quickly becoming famous. Last week Lana Turner showed up and broadcast live on the air, while an enthusiastic crowd gathered outside the window. Was I ready to face a crowded Union Square? The thought of it raised my heart rate.

Not wanting to explain myself, I pretended to hesitate. ‘I’d like to, I’m just not quite ready to be out in public yet. The trial – I encounter hostility at times.’

‘That will pass.’ She moved over to my dresser and stood before my seascapes that lay on top of it. She leaned close and studied them.

‘This room suits you. Its colours are warm and bright. Like you.’ She reached out a finger and traced a slow, sensuous line over one of the paintings. ‘Did you paint these?’

‘No. I brought them from home. They were done by a Bennett Cove artist.’

‘The brush work is remarkable.’ Minna took a deep breath. ‘Listen, Sarah, I wanted to explain what happened to me earlier, if you don’t mind. It’s rather strange and no one believes me.’

‘There’s no need to explain. I understand.’

‘But you don’t.’

I watched with dismay as she sat on my bed, folded her hands on her lap, and kept her eyes riveted on them as she spoke. ‘Twenty-seven years ago I stood Matthew’s brother up at the altar. I left Gregory standing there, rejected him at Grace Cathedral with 200 people as witness. He never forgave me. Two days later he crashed his car, probably on purpose. They said that it was completely incinerated in the fire. The body was burned to ashes. But I think Gregory is here. I’ve seen him. He’s either a ghost come back to get revenge on me for leaving, or he didn’t die at all. I’ve seen him, and I’m frightened.’

I recognized her look of desperation. I had experienced it myself when I had seen things that no one wanted to believe.

‘Tell me,’ I said. ‘Where have you seen him? If he’s alive, the police should be called.’

‘I’ve called the police,’ she said. ‘I filed two reports, but they dismissed me. They had the audacity to tell me I was seeing things and blamed it on the war, if you can believe that. I’m afraid if I call again, they will make good on their threat to have me committed to an asylum. I couldn’t bear that.’

‘But where have you seen this man? Has he spoken to you? Has he threatened you?’

‘I haven’t seen him directly.’ She shivered. ‘It’s the small things. I catch glimpses of him in a crowd. I saw him in Union Square today. I’m certain of it. I smelled his aftershave on my pillow last night.’ Minna shook her head and stood. ‘I’ve said too much. There’s nothing you can do. I just wanted to apologize.’ She stood up. ‘You’re a good listener, Sarah Bennett.’

I grabbed my coat and headed downstairs, all the while wondering what I had got myself into.

* * *

Dr Geisler drove a black Chevy sedan. His medical licence allowed him unlimited quantities of gasoline, which had become so precious since the outbreak of the war. He and Minna sat in the front. Since I didn’t have a very good vantage point in the back, I leaned back and listened to their small talk.

We arrived at a large house situated on Russian Hill and fashioned after an Italian villa. There weren’t any places to park, but that didn’t matter, as a man waited for our arrival. When he saw our car, he waved to Dr Geisler, who pulled up to him and rolled down his window.

‘Dr Geisler? I’m to take your car for you, sir. I’ll park it around the back of the house.’ He opened the door for Minna. I opened my own door and joined Dr Geisler and Minna on the sidewalk in front of the house. ‘Mrs Wills is waiting for you. You can go on up to the house.’

As we got close, the shabbiness of the house became more apparent. It had become difficult in this time of war to find maintenance men, which explained why the paint had faded and greyed in spots. Tall weeds grew in the small lawn, giving the house a look of disrepair, as though no one had cared for the exterior in quite some time. As we approached the front door, I noticed two blue stars, and one gold.

A middle-aged woman dressed in a wool gabardine suit that must have cost the Earth opened the door for us. She wore too much make-up, but had a kind smile that put me at ease. ‘Dr Geisler?’ She spoke in a breathy voice as she extended her hand to him. ‘I’m Virginia Wills. Won’t you come in?’

We stepped into a world of white – white walls, white window frames, and white ceilings – balanced out by a floor constructed of dark wood. An old sideboard, too massive to move, held an old oil lamp. Bright spots on the walls marked the places where the rest of the furniture used to be. A large window encompassed the entire western-facing wall, filling the room with light.

When I moved into the beams that shone through the window, the room grew so cold that my breath came out in curlicues of fog.

Dr Geisler and Minna were busy with Mrs Wills, so they didn’t notice me, shivering and freezing as though I were outside in a snowstorm.

‘Most of the furniture’s been moved out already,’ Mrs Wills explained, ‘but I’ve got tea ready in here.’

The room warmed once again, and I lingered for a moment in a beam of sunlight.

‘This way, please.’

We followed Mrs Wills as she led us down a dark corridor into a sitting room with a bay window that overlooked the street. Two armchairs and two dining chairs had been arranged in a circle, so we would have a place to sit. A tea trolley on rollers held a silver coffee service. Mrs Wills busied herself pouring for the three of us.

‘I’m getting a feeling,’ Minna said. She stood in front of the bay window, bathed in the late morning light, and touched the back of her hand to her forehead.

Mrs Wills gasped.

Dr Geisler narrowed his eyes as he watched Minna turn in a slow circle.

He doesn’t believe her.

‘Somebody has died in this house,’ she said.

‘Yes,’ Mrs Wills said in awe.

Minna held her hands out and tipped her head back. Everyone held their breath. Minna dropped her hands to her sides and shook her head.

‘It’s no good. It’s gone. I’m sorry.’

Minna floated with a dancer’s grace over to one of the chairs. Mrs Wills offered her a cup of coffee, but Minna waved her off, opting to tip her head back and close her eyes in quiet repose.

Mrs Wills set the cup she had offered Minna on the tray. She pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and dabbed at her eyes. Dr Geisler waited, sipping his coffee, as though we had all the time in the world. When he spoke, his gentle voice echoed off the walls.

‘Would you like to tell us what’s happened, Mrs Wills?’

‘You’re a psychiatrist, correct?’

‘Yes, madam. I am a licensed medical doctor, whose specialty is psychiatry.’

‘I think I’m going mad, Dr Geisler.’ The hand that held the cup started to tremble. Mrs Wills set it down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

‘My great-grandfather built this home, and my family has lived in it ever since. My mother was born in this house, and so was I. My children and I are going to move into the housing at Hamilton Air Force Base. My husband’s a pilot.’ Fresh tears welled in her eyes. ‘That’s not important. We are going to put beds in here and make a place for servicemen to live before they ship out. I’ve seen the pictures in the newspaper, with the poor men sleeping in hotel lobbies. I want to do my part, and this house is empty, so I don’t know why this is so hard for me.’ She paused and smoothed out a non-existent wrinkle in her skirt. ‘Things have been moving.’ Her gaze met Dr Geisler’s, as if to gauge his reaction to the words she found so shocking.

‘There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Mrs Wills.’

‘Silverware started going missing. At first, I thought the workmen were stealing, but I discovered the missing items tucked into the old sideboard. Last week, I came to let the painters in. I turned my back for just a minute, not even that. My purse and car keys disappeared. I found them in the sideboard as well. I didn’t put them there, of that I am certain. Why would I?’

‘How did you come to look in the sideboard to find the items?’

‘It’s the only piece of furniture in the house. It’s too big to move, and it doesn’t fit anywhere in my new home. The painters worked all morning and went to lunch. When they came back, all of their paintbrushes had been cleaned and dried, as though they were brand new. We found them in the sideboard.’

Dr Geisler spoke, but his voice faded away. I gulped the weak coffee, but my throat tightened as I swallowed it.

‘Excuse me,’ I heard myself say as I stood up.

The walls had started to undulate. When I giggled out loud, Dr Geisler put his coffee cup down and turned to face me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Minna try to stand up, but Dr Geisler shook his head, and she sat back down. All eyes were upon me as I clung to the back of my chair, gasping for breath. Why couldn’t I get enough air? The floor moved beneath my feet, and then everything went still and quiet.

I floated in blissful peace, in a tunnel of pure love. It was warm here, warm to heart, warm to soul. The shape of a man formed near me. As he got close, I could make out his thinning grey hair. He wore a tweed suit, complete with vest and watch fob, reminiscent of the early twentieth century. He stood before me, surveying the room. I couldn’t see Dr Geisler anymore. The light in the tunnel blinded me to everyone but the man. I didn’t fear him. I didn’t fear anything. I had never experienced such perfect bliss.

He surveyed the room. His gaze lit on Mrs Wills. His love for her radiated off his body and enshrouded her in the same white light that encircled me now. So that’s what love looks like. When the man turned his attention to me, the white light around Mrs Wills vanished.

‘Can you see me?’ the man bellowed, frustrated, begging to be heard.

I nodded, not daring to try to speak.

‘By God, you can.’ He moved towards me. ‘Tell her I didn’t mean to scare anyone. It’s my gold watch. It fell behind the sideboard. I don’t want her to lose it. Do you understand me?’

I stood, mute, unable to move.

‘Young lady, do you understand me? Please.’

I nodded.

‘Tell my granddaughter I am with her all the time, watching over her. Tell her I will love her as long as the sky is blue.’

And, just like that, he vanished, taking the white light with him.

I gasped for breath, as though I had been under water. When I raised my head, Dr Geisler and Mrs Wills sat on the front of their chairs, concern etched into their inquiring faces. Minna leaned back. She clutched the arm of the chair on which she sat, a sardonic look on her face.

Dr Geisler moved towards me, his eyes ablaze with excitement, his cheeks flushed. ‘Are you all right?’

‘I’m not sure,’ I said.

In truth, my knees had turned to rubber. The experience had drained my energy. I could have lain on the floor and slept like Rip Van Winkle.

‘What happened? Tell me.’ Dr Geisler put an arm around me. ‘If you ladies will excuse us for just a moment.’ Minna and Mrs Wills watched in silence as Dr Geisler ushered me from the room. We came to a stop in the hallway. ‘Tell me what you saw.’

‘I saw him. He spoke to me from a tunnel of light.’ I shook my head to clear the cobwebs that gathered there.

‘He spoke to you?’ Unbeknownst to us, Mrs Wills had followed behind and had overheard our conversation. At the sound of her shrill voice, Dr Geisler let go of my elbow and moved over to her.

‘Mrs Wills, everything is going to be all right. Sarah may have had an experience.’

‘I’ll thank you not to mollify me,’ Mrs Wills said. ‘I demand to know what is going on. I called you here, and I want to know what that young woman saw.’

Dr Geisler turned back to me, worry lines etched on his face.

I smiled at him. ‘This is all new to me, Mrs Wills. I’ll tell you everything, but do you mind if we sit down first. I’m a bit shaky.’

Mrs Wills was at my side in an instant. She led me back into the room where the chairs had been arranged. When I sat in one of the armchairs, Mrs Wills pulled one of the dining chairs close to mine. She took my hand, her gaze intent, never leaving my face.

‘Please,’ she said, ‘tell me about Grandpa. What did he say? How come you were able to see him, and she wasn’t?’

‘I’m not sure,’ I said. ‘Last October, I fell off the second-storey landing of my family home.’

Dr Geisler and Minna had followed us into the room.

‘Since that time, I have been plagued with visions and noises that I cannot explain. Today your grandfather came to me. He apologized for his methods. He didn’t mean to frighten you. But his gold watch is behind that heavy sideboard. He doesn’t want you to lose it.’

Dr Geisler sat next to Mrs Wills on the seat, using every bit of his bedside manner to offer her comfort in this time of distress.

‘Where do we go when we die?’ she asked. ‘I thought we went to heaven, to live with Christ. Are you saying everything that I’ve been taught is a lie?’

‘You mustn’t assume that,’ Dr Geisler said. ‘We don’t know enough to make any assumptions.’

‘I’m not sure I believe you. I should never have called.’ She touched her forehead, as if the touch could stave off a headache.

‘He said he’s with you all the time,’ I said.

‘You could be making all this up,’ Mrs Wills said. She had collected herself now. She stood up and started stacking our dirty coffee mugs onto the tray. ‘Although why you would try to make up a story is beyond me.’ Her voice sharpened with anger now, as the realization of my words sank in.

‘He said that he’ll love you as long as the sky is blue.’

Her gaze met mine, full of wonder and hope. The unshed tears glimmered like diamonds against the sapphire blue of her eyes. Her face softened, and I knew I had convinced her that I spoke the truth.

We all followed her to the old sideboard. Between the four of us we managed to wrest the giant piece of furniture away from the wall. Just as we pulled it away from the place it had rested for years, we heard the sound of something falling.

Mrs Wills reached back and pulled out a watch covered in the dust of decades.

‘I have been looking for this watch for years. I cannot believe this. How can I ever thank you? I’m happy to pay you—’

‘No,’ I said. ‘I don’t want to be paid, really. I’m glad I could help.’

‘And we should be getting along,’ Dr Geisler said.

‘Sarah, you are amazing. Really. I am in your debt. If there’s anything I can do for you.’

‘There is. Please keep what happened here today to yourself. If you could see your way to do that, I would be grateful. I don’t like people to know—’

Realization dawned on Mrs Wills’s face. ‘You’re Jack Bennett’s daughter. Oh, you poor girl. Of course. I won’t tell a soul.’ She hugged me, thanked me again. ‘What an unusual woman you are, Miss Bennett. I’m so very glad that you came today.’

We bid our farewells. Outside, the man who had taken the car when we arrived waited for us. Minna, who hadn’t spoken a word to me, took her place in the front seat. No one spoke the entire way home.

Dr Geisler fidgeted, drummed a staccato on the steering wheel, and tried over and over again to catch my eye in the rear-view mirror. I avoided looking at him. He had questions, but I didn’t want to be interrogated. Not today.

‘Sarah, I have many questions, but I can see you’re tired. Would you like to take the rest of the day off? You and I will speak tomorrow. The typing can wait.’

I nodded at him as I got out of the back seat. He and Minna let themselves in the house through the door that led to the mud room off the kitchen. I opted to go through the front door. As I hurried out of the garage and into the blustery spring afternoon, I knew that if I were to turn around, I would find Minna staring at me, and the look on her face would not be a happy one. I had upstaged her. At some point in the future, she would exact her revenge.