Jack
I gazed around cellblock four curiously. Faces were supposed to be seen here, beckoning you, and I was with Callie. How did faces beckon? And what were they trying to call you to see?
“Jack, is that a face?” Madi asked, and I turned where she pointed. I could see what she meant.
“No, that’s a shadow, but damn, to someone untrained it could be a face,” I replied. “You may have just debunked that rumour.”
“And there?” Madi said, pointing elsewhere.
Phil moved, and I knew he was zooming in. “Another shadow.”
I shrugged. “Well, I think we’ve solved the mystery of the faces. This cellblock is in a bad state. What with the peelingpaint, the trees outside casting shadows, they offer a valid explanation.”
“There’s still the incident with the locksmith and also the strange noises,” Madi said.
I smiled. “That’s why we’re not marching out to investigate elsewhere. Not every house is going to be haunted. And the level we’ve seen so far blows other places out of the water. But never fear, Madi, we’re staying here.”
“You rhymed that deliberately!” Madi teased, and I laughed.
I liked Madi and Levi. They were good people with open minds, not like Callie’s sister Polly, who’d come with the sole purpose of proving us frauds. Even now, I still didn’t like her. I found her cold and stuck-up, but that could be because I was good friends with Callie and loyal to her.
A small clink made me look around. Madi straightened, and I knew she’d heard that.
“Interesting,” I drawled.
Another noise sounded close by, and I jumped as something hit me. I shone my flashlight down and saw a small stone.
“Did you just get hit?” Madi asked incredulously.
“Yes, someone wants our attention.”
“Hello, my name’s Jack,” I said as Madi held out her voice recorder. “I’m here to speak to you today. I mean no disrespect and hope you’ll talk to me.”
Madi played the voice recorder back, and we heard nothing. I tried a few more questions and received no reply.
“Madi, you try; maybe it will respond to you,” I said.
“Because I’m a woman?” she asked dryly, but I saw her smile.
“Yup,” I said, seeing no shame in admitting it. Madi rolled her eyes but began asking some questions. I liked how she paced them out; she could easily do this for a career.
“Lady.”The word floated in the air, and we swapped glances.
“Hi. I’d like to think I’m a lady. My name is Madi. What’s yours?”
“Everett.”
“Nice to meet you, Everett,” Madi said.
“Is it?”
“That didn’t sound too reassuring,” Madi said, turning to me wide-eyed.
“No,” I agreed, moving closer to her. My two-way crackled, and I answered.
“Jack, that name. There was an Everett Jackson imprisoned there. He murdered his wife in nineteen-twenty-nine and dismembered her body. She refused to divorce him, even though he was carrying on an affair with a younger woman. Jackson went on to kill his sister-in-law and daughter when they began suspecting him.”
“Shit, and I just said it was nice to meet him?” Madi exclaimed. “No wonder he sounded amused.”
