Angie of the Garden

Chapter Six-2

"Have a drink with us instead. We're sitting by the pool."
They joined Paul outside. The brilliant sunshine illuminated the deep green spring foliage all around them. The three men did not fail to notice this living collage. Their conversation remained very casual until Nustad mentioned Angie.
"By the way, I have some more information about the woman who wrote the diary," Paul told him.
Hollis suddenly became very intense. Sebastian looked away. He had to resist the temptation to tell Paul about Fairhaven's ghost.
"Did I say something wrong?" he asked them.
"No, of course not," Hollis assured him. "I was going to talk to you about her later on, but Sebastian can hardly contain himself at the moment. So I'll do it now. I've had several encounters with the ghost of Angie Barton."
Paul stared at him, saying nothing for a long time. He knew that Hollis was not above fabricating a story in order to enjoy a laugh at someone else's expense. The historian had been his victim on more than one occasion. Yet he could not detect any evidence of guile in the expression his host now wore. Paul ran his hands through his bushy gray hair several times before responding.
"You're telling me you've actually seen a ghost?" "I have."
"Where?"
"In that garden." Hollis pointed to it.
Paul stood up to observe the array of plants inside the wrought iron gate. He thought it was a pretty spot, especially on this lovely day. Still that was not enough to explain why a supernatural being would be drawn there. In any case the historian was a skeptic when it came to the paranormal. Though he had heard many stories about people encountering spirits, including tales of long dead presidents appearing in the White House, he personally did not believe that those who had departed this world could revisit it.
"You don't believe in ghosts," Hollis observed.
"That's correct," Paul replied as he turned around and sat down again. "Has anyone else seen her?"
Hollis was reluctant to speak for Sebastian, though in this instance it turned out to be completely unnecessary. His brother not only acknowledged seeing Angie, but also produced a photograph of her.
"I was going to show this to you before," he told Hollis. "But then you told me that Paul was here, so I decided to wait until later. I took this several nights ago."
Hollis and Paul looked at the photograph. Sebastian had taken it from a considerable distance, due to his brother's admonishment about not startling his patient. Despite the small image that was produced by the camera, it was possible to discern a solitary figure standing in the garden. There was an unnatural radiance surrounding her. Hollis could be seen sitting on the large rock outside of the fence.
Paul Nustad examined the picture. Then he looked at his friend incredulously. For his part Hollis was not only intrigued by the photograph, but also appreciated the vindication it provided for him.
"There is certainly something there," Paul conceded. "Though the photograph is of such a poor quality that I can't hazard a guess as to who, or what, it is."

"Don't blame me," Sebastian told him. "Hollis won't let me get any closer to the garden when he's with his patient."
"Patient?" The historian questioned the doctor.
"Yes. The person I met in the garden was too reserved to be the brave woman who challenged the Oregon Trail, in my opinion. Then there is the question as to how she became a domestic servant on Long Island. Even if her father went broke, I believe Angie would have been doing something much more interesting. The only explanation is that she suffered some kind of trauma during her journey."
Paul sat back to think about what his host had told him. Hollis had always been the first to question the validity of any unusual claim or story. Now he seemed to have accepted the existence of this ghost at face value. Apparently the woman from the nineteenth century was not the only one who had changed.
"I am a skeptic, as you correctly pointed out. The first question that occurs to me is why would the spirit of someone who died over a hundred years ago appear to you? And why would she come here? This could not have been where she had the most memorable experiences of her life."
"That's true," Hollis agreed. "But it is the place where her diary was buried. She may have been visiting the garden for many years before I found it. I think that by reliving the experiences described in the diary, Angie is able to reclaim the spirit she's been lacking. After it disappeared she probably kept coming back in the hope of finding her journal. I just happened to be looking towards the garden during one of Angie's appearances."
"But you dug it up years ago. And you happened to see her only now?'

"Maybe she's been looking for the diary all along, but chose not to reveal herself to anyone until now. Angie may have reached the point where she decided to seek someone's help. And perhaps Angie's seeking help not only in locating the diary, but also wants to share her experiences with someone, so that she can finally find peace."
"If that's true then it's very convenient for her to have a psychiatrist living here," Paul responded in a doubtful tone. "What has she told you so far?"
Hollis hesitated for a moment. He was very concerned about infringing on doctor- patient confidentiality. The he realized the historian would probably discover much of the information Angie had provided on his own.
"As you know, Angie's lover, Tom Shanahan left Boston because of William Conner's death. He was shot during a scuffle between the two men. Angie followed him. Her friend Cassia was going west with her fiancée. Angie went with them to find Tom."
"That's not entirely correct," Paul told him. "I've learned more about the death of Conners. He did not die of a gunshot wound. He died after hitting his head on a rock near the Charles River."
"How did you find that out?" Hollis questioned him.
"I read the official records concerning the incident. The authorities considered his death an accident. He fell during an altercation with Shanahan. So your patient has given you the wrong information."
"She did say it was an accident, though Shanahan didn't think the police would believe that if he turned himself in. The public outrage over Conner's death, and Reginald Barton's desire to keep Angie from becoming involved with a common seaman, would force them to charge Shanahan with murder. Reginald had a lot of influence in Boston.

As for the manner of his death, it's possible I misunderstood Angie. As I think back she never said Conners was shot. Angie just said the gun went off, and then the two men fell to the ground. Tom got up and realized Conners was dead. Her description would fit if the man died from hitting his head on a stone."
"That makes sense," Paul conceded. "You should ask her about it, though, if she appears again."
"Angie has started describing her journey west. I wouldn't want to spend any time rehashing the events that led to her departure."
"Don't you think this situation cries out for a scientific investigation?" Paul asked him.
"I do not intend to have a bunch of college kids with ectoplasm detectors or a team of writers from The Enquirer harassing my patient," Hollis replied firmly.
"There are many reputable scientists in the field of paranormal research," Paul countered. "Ed Barnes from the University of Minnesota is one. He's not with The Enquirer. You could really get to the bottom of this. If she really is genuine, then this event is too important not to be investigated."
Hollis looked away. He could not deny the validity of his friend's logic, but his relationship with Angie was too precious to be put in jeopardy. Fortunately for the doctor, he did not have to respond at that very moment due to his wife's intervention.