We stopped on the sidewalk in front of the Marshall House. Since it was on the same street as the Honeybee, I passed by the upscale Greek Revival hotel often. Declan and I had eaten in the adjoining restaurant a couple of times, and I adored the marble in the front lobby and the cast-iron balconies and veranda outside.
“The Marshall House was originally built by Mary Marshall in 1851, and though subsequent owners changed the name several times, it closed in 1945 and reopened in 1946 as the Marshall Hotel,” Teddy said. “It was closed again ten years later, and only in 1999 opened as the luxury hotel you see now, again called the Marshall House. There are many well-documented episodes of haunting in this building.”
“Oh!”
The exclamation came from a tall, thin woman walking near the wall. Deanne turned her head to look behind her at the same time the rest of us did. The woman bent to pick her floppy sunhat off the ground where it had apparently fallen. She jammed it back on her head and hurried past us. When we turned back, Teddy was grinning. Then, in a flash, the grin dropped, and she once again focused on our group.
“Well, heck,” Tom said. “Turns out this is where me and Bridie are staying!”
Teddy smiled. “Wonderful! Have you had any odd experiences so far?”
“We’ve only been here one night,” Bridie said with a tentative frown. “At the front desk, they told us we might see some strange things, though.”
“You just might,” Teddy agreed. “Most of these hauntings are attributed to a period of about six months during the Civil War when the building was converted into a hospital for Union soldiers.”
Jaida and I exchanged a look.
Another hospital. No wonder it’s haunted.
“There have been instances of guests awakening with the feeling of a hand being pressed on their forehead, as if someone were checking their temperature,” Teddy said. “And several times the figures of soldiers in Union uniforms have been seen inside.”
Sam’s lips curved into a wry, unbelieving smile.
Teddy smiled back at him, unfazed. “Then, in the late 1990s when this latest renovation was being made, human remains were found under the floorboards of a downstairs room.”
Sam’s expression sharpened.
“When they were examined, it turned out they were body parts rather than entire bodies.”
Lucy blanched. “Goodness.”
“Wow.” Colette sounded delighted.
“The downstairs was used as a surgery in the hospital,” our guide quickly went on to explain. “The remains that were found were amputated limbs from Union soldiers, you see. In those days, amputations—” She flicked a glance in Colette’s general direction. “Well, we don’t have to go into detail about that. Anyway, when they cleared out the remains, strange noises—moans, heavy footsteps—began, and the staff would find items and paperwork had been moved around.” Her gaze drifted back over Deanne’s shoulder, and she appeared to give a little nod. With a tight smile, she said, “But soldiers aren’t the only spirits in the Marshall House. There are also children heard playing in the upper hallways, bouncing balls and running up and down.”
Bridie gasped. “I heard them in the middle of the night! I wondered why children that age weren’t in bed at that hour.” She turned and stared at her husband with wide eyes.
He shrugged. “Sorry. Didn’t hear a thing. The concierge did mention that guests have been harassed by the ghosts of small children, though.”
“Harassed!” Bridie said.
“Oh . . .” Deanne said. Her voice was deeper than I’d expected.
“Nonsense,” Sam said in a flat tone. “Just nonsense. Teddy, where would that kind of story come from?”
We all looked at our guide, but she wasn’t paying attention to us at all. She stood stock-still, gazing vacantly at a spot on the sidewalk by the corner of the building. Her eyes were round and unblinking, and dark circles had suddenly appeared beneath them. Her skin had taken on a waxy sheen. Then her eyes rolled back, and she swayed. Lucy gasped. I reached out and grabbed her thin wrist, while Jaida put her arm around the young woman’s shoulders.
Our touch seemed to steady her. Blinking, her gaze cleared, and she looked around at us. Colette started to move toward her, but Bianca put her hand on her daughter’s shoulder.
“Hey, now.” Sam’s brow furrowed in concern. “You okay?”
Bridie bustled over and looked into Teddy’s eyes. “What happened?”
“I’m all right.” Teddy’s voice quivered, though.
“Now, that might be true, but you just about passed out on us there, right in the middle of the sidewalk. I’m a nurse, hon. Tell me what’s going on.” The woman’s words had taken on a tone of soothing, professional comfort that I’d heard Declan use when he was working.
“I felt a little lightheaded is all,” Teddy insisted in a bright voice.
However, I still had my hand on her arm and could feel she was shaking.
She took a deep breath and let it out. Then she looked around at our group again and when she spoke, her words sounded brittle. “I’m so sorry. I do suddenly feel a bit under the weather. I’m afraid I’m going to have to cancel the rest of tonight’s tour. Perhaps we could try again tomorrow? In fact, tomorrow I’ll contact everyone—you all gave me your cell phone numbers, right?”
At the responding nod, she continued. “I’ll get in touch to confirm our rain check tour tomorrow, then. No charge.”
Sam stepped forward. “Now, don’t you worry about that. You don’t look so good, and besides, we have dinner reservations at the Olde Pink House tomorrow night.”
“Oh, I see,” Teddy said, her words barely audible. “Yes, of course, you all must have other plans. Give me a moment, and we’ll move along. The Olde Pink House is on the tour, and you’re going to love those stories.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jaida said. “You’re not well.”
“That’s right!” Bridie said. “You need to go home and get some rest, young lady.” She looked her up and down. “And maybe grab a burger on the way. Have you eaten today?”
Teddy stiffened. “Yes, thank you.” She looked down at the ground. “I’ll refund your money in full. It should show up on your credit cards in a day or two.”
“Then that’s that,” Sam said. “And don’t you worry about a thing, young lady. We sure did enjoy the first part of the tour, isn’t that right, Deanne?”
His wife, who had remained silent as she watched the exchange, nodded. Her eyes were narrowed in speculation as she said, “We sure did.” She turned her head to look over her shoulder at the wall behind her and then turned back. “Teddy? Did you see something? A spirit of some kind?”
Teddy’s face wavered into something resembling a smile. “Well, naturally. I’m good friends with all the spirits on my ghost tour.”
Colette nodded emphatically. “I knew it!”
Startled, Bianca looked down at her daughter.
Teddy turned to look at her, too. When their eyes met, something seemed to pass between them, but I wasn’t sure what.
“Now, hon,” Bridie said. “Can we call someone for you? We want to make sure you get home all right.”
Jaida smiled and stepped forward. “That’s so nice. However, we’re locals”—her gesture took in Bianca, Lucy, and me as well as herself—“and I happen to be a friend of Teddy’s. We can see she gets home all right.”
Bridie looked relieved.
“That’s fine, then,” Tom said. “Bridie, let’s go. Maybe we can still salvage some of this evening.”
She turned angry eyes on him, and I had a feeling the coming hours might be a little rocky for those two thanks to Tom’s callousness.
“Say, why don’t you come along with us?” Sam said to the other couple. “I’m sure us out-of-towners can find a little something to entertain us for the next few hours.” He winked at Bridie, who blushed. “Let’s start inside here, where you folks are staying. We can have a drink and then move on. You can carry your drinks with you on the street here, you know, just like New Orleans.” He pronounced it Noo Or-LEENS. “We’ll make a night of it!”
Tom appeared uncertain but went along with the others as they drifted toward the doors.
Deanne, still quiet, was moving along with her husband and the other couple. However, she was still watching Teddy as she did so.
“Seriously,” Jaida said to Teddy as soon as the others were out of hearing range, “are you all right?”
Teddy gave a little nod. “I’m okay. It was just a bit of a shock when . . .” She trailed off. Her gaze flickered toward me without quite meeting my eyes.
Bianca frowned. “How about we go down to the Honeybee, and you can tell us about it?”
“The Honeybee Bakery?” Teddy asked.
“Sure!” Colette said. “Katie and Lucy own it. They’ll open it up just for us. Won’t you, Lucy? Please?”
My aunt half smiled at her. “You bet.” And then at Teddy. “If you want to?”
The young woman nodded, but I could tell she was still pensive. We started down Broughton Street toward the bakery, Colette marching ahead in the lead while Bianca and Lucy tried to keep up with her. Teddy hung back, though. Jaida and I exchanged a look and slowed our steps as well.
When Colette was out of earshot, Teddy suddenly stopped and turned to me. Quick as a flash, her hand reached out and her fingers curled around my arm.
“Katie.”
The intensity of the single word shot ice water through my veins.
Jaida stopped, too, concern radiating from every pore.
“There’s a woman. She’s dead. She wants you to find out who killed her.”
That hung in the air for a few beats until I finally managed to blurt out, “Wh . . . what?”
“She’s dead, Katie. Murdered.”
I struggled to think through the alarm and curiosity clouding my brain. “When did this murder happen, Teddy?” I asked. After all, we were on a ghost tour. Could this be part of it? Could her earlier episode be part of the show?
“Tonight.”
My mouth dropped open. “Tonight?”
“Tonight. And she told me to tell you she wants your help.” When she saw my skeptical expression, Teddy said, “Maybe I should put that a different way. She insists on your help. And let me tell you—she’s really angry about being dead.”
I slowly put my hand over my eyes and murmured, “I don’t blame her.”
“Hey, you guys!” Colette called from ahead. “Come on.”