she’s sick?” Bradley asked. “How did she even think she could do this?”
“Who’s in Chicago and what are you doing in my house?” a deep male voice demanded.
Both Mary and Ian turned toward the voice, but Bradley continued to search. Mary stepped over to Bradley and took his hand. “We have company,” she whispered to him.
He turned to see the ghost of a tall, muscular man dressed in work clothes standing in the doorway. “You’re the father,” Bradley exclaimed, “from the photo. You’re Clarissa’s father, Henry.”
“You know my daughter? Where is she? What have you done with Clarissa and Becca?”
The ghost raced across the room and hovered threateningly in front of Bradley. “Tell me what you’ve done with my wife and daughter,” he demanded. “Tell me where you’ve taken them.”
“You really love her,” Bradley said, some of the tension in his heart easing.
“Of course I do,” Henry exclaimed. “I’m her father.”
Bradley nodded. “Yes, you are,” he said calmly. “And I’m her father too.”
Henry shook his head. “Are you some kind of nut case? Are you like that dentist? Clarissa doesn’t need more than one father, and that job has been taken by me. Now, where have you taken them?”
“We don’t have your wife or your daughter,” Mary replied. “We’re here to find out what happened to them too.”
He shook his head. “Someone’s taken them,” he said. “Becca would have never left without me. I came home and they were gone. I’ve been searching for them ever since.”
Ian moved forward. “Henry, I’m Ian,” he said. “And this is Mary O’Reilly, a private investigator and this fellow you think is a nut is actually Police Chief Bradley Alden.”
Henry turned to Bradley. “You’re a cop?” he asked.
Bradley nodded.
“Good! It’s about time you guys showed up,” he said. “We’ve got to find my wife, she’s sick. If she runs out of pills…”
Ian held up the prescription form. “She runs out of air,” he finished.
Henry nodded. “She has COPD, she’s not supposed to be stressed,” he said. “I was taking care of her, of both of them…”
“Aye, I understand you were,” Ian said, “and doing a fine job of it. We’re friends of the Brennans and they told us how devoted you’ve been to your family.”
“That’s how…that’s how you know my name?” he asked.
“We know quite a bit about you, Henry,” Mary said. “Like how you went to see Dr. Gary Copper to ask him to leave your family alone.”
Henry nodded. “Yes, I went to see him and he agreed to leave us be,” he said.
“Did he give you anything to eat or drink while you were there?” Ian asked.
“Yes, he insisted I try his sweet tea. And I was trying to get him to see reason, so I did, ” Henry replied. “It actually was pretty bad, had a funny after-taste to it.”
“I bet,” Bradley said. “Copper was known for his bad after-taste.”
“Henry, do you remember what happened after you left Dr. Copper’s house?” Mary asked.
Pausing, Henry searched his memory. “I got in my car,” he said slowly. “I drove back to the highway… I was feeling a little weird, like the tea didn’t sit right. But I had to get to work…”
He stopped and he looked at Mary. “I can’t remember anything after that. I only remember I got home and everyone was gone.”
He glided up to Mary. “Did he take them?” he demanded. “Did Copper take them?”
Mary shook her head and met Henry’s eyes. “No, Becca was concerned that he would come, so she took Clarissa and ran away,” she explained.
“But, why didn’t she wait for me?” he asked.
“Because Copper poisoned you,” she said slowly. “He poisoned your sweet tea. On the way home from Sycamore the tea made you pass out and you crashed your car. Henry you died on the way back to Freeport.”
Henry slowly shook his head. “No. No. I’m not dead,” he argued. “I’m here, I’m right here in front
“Who’s in Chicago and what are you doing in my house?” a deep male voice demanded.
Both Mary and Ian turned toward the voice, but Bradley continued to search. Mary stepped over to Bradley and took his hand. “We have company,” she whispered to him.
He turned to see the ghost of a tall, muscular man dressed in work clothes standing in the doorway. “You’re the father,” Bradley exclaimed, “from the photo. You’re Clarissa’s father, Henry.”
“You know my daughter? Where is she? What have you done with Clarissa and Becca?”
The ghost raced across the room and hovered threateningly in front of Bradley. “Tell me what you’ve done with my wife and daughter,” he demanded. “Tell me where you’ve taken them.”
“You really love her,” Bradley said, some of the tension in his heart easing.
“Of course I do,” Henry exclaimed. “I’m her father.”
Bradley nodded. “Yes, you are,” he said calmly. “And I’m her father too.”
Henry shook his head. “Are you some kind of nut case? Are you like that dentist? Clarissa doesn’t need more than one father, and that job has been taken by me. Now, where have you taken them?”
“We don’t have your wife or your daughter,” Mary replied. “We’re here to find out what happened to them too.”
He shook his head. “Someone’s taken them,” he said. “Becca would have never left without me. I came home and they were gone. I’ve been searching for them ever since.”
Ian moved forward. “Henry, I’m Ian,” he said. “And this is Mary O’Reilly, a private investigator and this fellow you think is a nut is actually Police Chief Bradley Alden.”
Henry turned to Bradley. “You’re a cop?” he asked.
Bradley nodded.
“Good! It’s about time you guys showed up,” he said. “We’ve got to find my wife, she’s sick. If she runs out of pills…”
Ian held up the prescription form. “She runs out of air,” he finished.
Henry nodded. “She has COPD, she’s not supposed to be stressed,” he said. “I was taking care of her, of both of them…”
“Aye, I understand you were,” Ian said, “and doing a fine job of it. We’re friends of the Brennans and they told us how devoted you’ve been to your family.”
“That’s how…that’s how you know my name?” he asked.
“We know quite a bit about you, Henry,” Mary said. “Like how you went to see Dr. Gary Copper to ask him to leave your family alone.”
Henry nodded. “Yes, I went to see him and he agreed to leave us be,” he said.
“Did he give you anything to eat or drink while you were there?” Ian asked.
“Yes, he insisted I try his sweet tea. And I was trying to get him to see reason, so I did, ” Henry replied. “It actually was pretty bad, had a funny after-taste to it.”
“I bet,” Bradley said. “Copper was known for his bad after-taste.”
“Henry, do you remember what happened after you left Dr. Copper’s house?” Mary asked.
Pausing, Henry searched his memory. “I got in my car,” he said slowly. “I drove back to the highway… I was feeling a little weird, like the tea didn’t sit right. But I had to get to work…”
He stopped and he looked at Mary. “I can’t remember anything after that. I only remember I got home and everyone was gone.”
He glided up to Mary. “Did he take them?” he demanded. “Did Copper take them?”
Mary shook her head and met Henry’s eyes. “No, Becca was concerned that he would come, so she took Clarissa and ran away,” she explained.
“But, why didn’t she wait for me?” he asked.
“Because Copper poisoned you,” she said slowly. “He poisoned your sweet tea. On the way home from Sycamore the tea made you pass out and you crashed your car. Henry you died on the way back to Freeport.”
Henry slowly shook his head. “No. No. I’m not dead,” he argued. “I’m here, I’m right here in front
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