Page 8 of Ghost Hunters 2

Jillian nodded. “You sure don’t scare easily, do you?”

“Most fear me. Not the other way around.”

Jillian stared at him. “Yeah.” She chuckled. “You did scare her. Wow.”

“I heard what you asked her. Matthew is missing?”

Nodding, she sighed. “Dino is really upset.”

“I’m a good tracker. Show me where he was the last time you saw him.”

She went back downstairs.

Bane followed.

She showed him Matthew’s room. “It looked fine to us.”

“It isn’t though,” Bane said as he knelt down. “See the few bloodspots on the carpet? Then him leaving his cane means he was in a panic or he was coerced to leave by someone.” He raised his head up and sniffed the air. “Someone that smells like ashes.” Turning, he hurried out of the room.

Jillian stopped to stare down at the bloodspots that were hard to see as the carpeting was a burgundy color. “Wow.” She went out to the hall and of course, Bane was gone.

Shaking her head, she headed to the parlor.

Dino was coming back in through the front door and he asked, “Did you find him?”

“No. And we might not find him either.”

“What do you mean?” Dino asked.

“I spoke to Claire and apparently she isn’t the only ghost we have to deal with. George Walker is still here too.”

Dino stared at her then threw up his hands. “There are no such things as ghosts, Jillian. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that.”

“You can deny it if you want to, but when Matthew disappeared I was with you and there was no one else in the house. I don’t even think your... I mean Bane wasn’t even in the house yet. Matthew never would have wandered away without telling you or without his cane. How else do you explain his disappearance?”

Dino ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know but I can’t get my head wrapped around the idea that there are ghosts in the world. It’s bad enough thinking humans can be so bad to one another. Let alone that there are vengeful ghosts hanging around pulling evil shit too.”

“I get it, Dino. I do. But if anyone can find him it would be your dad.”

“Why do you say that?” He looked sceptical.

“He came in when I was confronting Claire. And you know what? She was terrified of him.” She smirked. “It was so odd. Then he noted that there were blood drops in Matthew’s room.”

“What?” Dino exclaimed as he looked a bit pale. “Do you think he is hurt?”

“I don’t know, but I got the impression she was afraid of George too.”

“Afraid...What the hell? She's a supposed ghost, yet she is running scared? Why is she afraid of this George creep?”

Jillian shook her head. “I have no idea and I don’t really want to find out. Another thing, I don’t think George or Claire can leave the Inn.”

“What makes you think that?”

“After forty years they are still here. If they could go anywhere I think they would have by now.”

“That means Matthew must be within the house somewhere,” Dino surmised. “We have to start looking right away. He has heart medication he has to take too.”

“Ok, we’ve checked the first and second floors; the only place we haven’t checked is that basement.” Jillian turned headed to the kitchen. She grabbed a flashlight and handed it to Dino. “They work so we got lucky in that at least.”