Chapter Six
by Alia

Patrick and Julia rushed back into the living-room after the shattering noises ceased. Although the mirrors had cracked and the glass had flown throughout the room nothing was out of place, and every mirror was intact. "Julia I fear it is no longer safe for you to reside here," Patrick said as he glanced around the now calm room.

"I believe he is correct," Barnabas agreed reluctantly. He had so longed to find her, but it seemed once again she was involved in something paranormal, something that from what they now suspected, had to do with Angelique once more.

"I don't intend to be driven out by ghosts," she told them quietly. "I will however agree to getting out of here for a while. I want to go and do some research, maybe find something out about this house, and the women who lived here."

"Maybe that would be helpful," Patrick said. "I'm sure we could find something at the library in the archives. I'll even insist that we keep our brunch date. Will you join us," he asked Barnabas.

The other man nodded. How had Julia met this man, and was there more to their relationship than friendship? He pondered all this in mere moments before he accepted the invitation.

Julia gave a small smile although inwardly she was wondering why he was here, and why he looked at her friend with hardly concealed resentment. Could he possibly be jealous? He had never shown any hint of it in all the years she'd known him, and he had certainly known her feelings for him. She was reading too much into this. She had no reason to believe he was doing anything other than checking up on business for Roger, but she had a small bit of hope that it was her he was checking on.

Brunch was quiet and uneventful. They talked of politics, and Patrick told them of his travels, but soon enough the topic turned to ghosts once more.

"I've always had this ability to sense spirits, disturbances. It's disconcerting at times especially among non-believers. I just hope I can be of some help in this case."

After the bill was settled they headed to the library, and the newspaper archives.

Their searching was fruitless. Julia sighed softly as she put the last of the old newspapers away back in the archives. "I'm afraid this has all been a waste of---" She stopped as she saw a small piece of torn paper fluttering down from one of the shelves. She had searched that place completely just a few minutes before, but had not seen any such paper. She picked it up and unfolded it carefully.

She stared at the words hardly believing them, and also shocked to see that the paper wasn't aged as the others were, but fresh and new as if printed that very morning. Barnabas and Patrick stepped around the corner as she read it for the second time. She told them quickly of the paper's mysterious appearance.

Barnabas took it, read it, and handed it to Patrick.

"This must have been after mother moved out," he said. "She never mentioned anything like this at the apartment." He read it aloud as if that would help them make more sense of the tragedy. "Rosa Chilblain, and Valerie Blair were found dead in their apartment this morning after a lavish party the night before; suspects still being sought, guests questioned."

"I guess we now know why we're being haunted," Julia said softly.

"I don't think these hauntings will stop until we figure out what happened, and what if anything you two have to do with this," Patrick said softly.

"Not another séance," Julia said as she remembered their experiences of the past.

Barnabas had hoped this part of their lives was behind them, but he supposed the paranormal would forever be a part of his life. He owed his very existence in this time period to an abnormal event. Maybe he would be forever tied to Angelique for Valerie Blair could be no one else, but who was Rosa Chilblain? He couldn't help but think it was someone he knew.

"Shall we get back to my apartment, and get this over with," Julia said resigned. She shuddered feeling prickles of fear run down her spine.

Part Seven