“Very funny,” Dee Dee said. “I’m not sure about you, but I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep a wink. Let’s make a pact to keep each other awake just in case we doze off, though.”

We chatted like teenage girls for the next couple of hours. Before I knew it, we must have nodded off to sleep, because I awoke with the sense of an unknown presence nearby. I bolted upright! My heart raced so fast, I feared the organ might burst out of my chest. Sweat popped out on my forehead. I sat up, stock still, afraid to breathe. The hair on my arms shot up like porcupine quills. We weren’t alone in the room. I made a hair-trigger decision, and shook Dee Dee awake. I wasn’t about to face the unknown without company.

“What?” She moaned and shoved at my hand.

“Shhhh.” I touched my lips with a finger.

“What? Why did you wake me?” she whispered. Now awake, she sat up. A clammy hand latched onto my arm. I quickly prayed the body part belonged to Dee Dee.

“I don’t know. Something woke me up. I have a terrible feeling we’re not alone.”

“Oh, you’re probably dreaming. I’m tired. I’m just going to rest my eyes.” She loosened her death grip on my arm and lay back down.

“Look, did you see that?” My stomach tightened, searching the shadowy corners of the room.

“See what?” Dee Dee twisted around.

“Over there, a man dressed in a Union uniform.” I must be dreaming. Maybe I was still asleep. “Dee Dee, pinch me,” I said. She obliged without a second thought. “Ouch!”

“Why did you holler? You told me to pinch you.” Even though darkness hindered my sight, I sensed her big grin.

“Yeah, but you didn’t have to enjoy it so much,” I whined. “Did you spot him? Quick, help me find my camera.” She made no effort to help.

“Trix, quit scaring me. That’s not funny.” No sooner had the words left her mouth than she was digging her claws into me, for real this time. “I d-d-d-don’t see a male ghost – unless he’s wearing a skirt.”

“What!” My ghost was a soldier; no way he’d be caught dead in a skirt. In a flash, reality hit me like a snowball in winter. Dee Dee didn’t see my ghost. She saw another one.

The apparitions were gone as fast as they appeared. “Come on; let’s try to make the best of this. After all, I’m here to get a story on Doc’s visitors. Right? Why don’t you attempt to get some sleep and I’ll keep watch. I’m sure they won’t come back, now they know we’re here. We probably scared them as much as they scared us.” Yeah, right! When we told Harv we’d seen them as well, he might be a happy camper, but I sure wasn’t. I could’ve lived a lifetime without seeing a ghost. Camera in hand, I twiddled with the settings, wondering which button was best for apparitions.

“I won’t be able to sleep a wink. My night is ruined.” Dee Dee pulled down her zipper. “I guess it won’t kill me to try.”

I hope you’re right, Dee Dee.

“You promise to stand guard? Just in case?”

“Sure, you can count on me.” Famous last words. I wouldn’t have to work very hard to keep the ole’ peepers open. I knew this story could potentially be a real boost for my career. When Wade, my ex-husband, divorced me for greener pastures, I had to get a job. Twenty years had passed since I’d been in the workforce.

With my confidence about as low as a snake’s belly, I applied everywhere, but Harv was the only one willing to give this newbie a chance. The pay wasn’t much, but it kept the wolves from the door. Even though my probation period was up, I felt I was still under the microscope. I had to accept every assignment, and make each article a little better than the last. Maybe a Pulitzer awaits me in the future. Way in the future.

As I struggled to stay awake, I pictured the museum piece as a feature article. Next, I imagined all the national magazines and news channels calling me for personal appearances. Last thing I remember, Diane Sawyer was sitting across from me, interviewing ‘Moi.’ She wore a beige sweater complemented with a dark brown skirt. The prettiest pair of high heels adorned her feet. And to add chocolate on top of the ice cream, guess who sat beside me? None other than Harrison Ford. I’d finally made it. I wondered if Daddy would be proud of me now. Take that, Wade Middlebrooks Montgomery, III .

As Harrison leaned over to give me a big kiss on the cheek - the most dreadful noise erupted that didn’t have any place in mine and Harrison’s dream. And who in their right mind shook me? How dare they wake me? Didn’t they value their life? Dee Dee would pay big time for this. I pried open an eye – it wasn’t Dee Dee! An ashen-faced Doc kneeled by my side.

“Doc! What’s the matter? Did you see the ghosts?” He made a valiant effort to answer. His mouth moved, but no words came out. He gripped his chest.

“Oh, my goodness. Dee Dee! Wake up. Doc’s having a heart attack!” She went from rustling around, to sitting straight up, in zero to sixty. She climbed over me to reach Doc.

“You give him mouth-to-mouth, and I’ll apply chest compressions,” Dee Dee commanded as she pushed Doc down on the floor.

Dee Dee’s been itching to save someone since she completed her CPR course. It didn’t faze her confidence a bit that it took her three times to pass.

“Wait a minute, Dee Dee. Let’s check for a pulse first.”

“Oh, yeah.” She poked around his neck. Doc pushed her hand away. “He’s fighting us Trix, he must be in shock. Go ahead with mouth to mouth.” Raw fear rose in his eyes as he stammered, grabbing my arm.

“No, no,” he sputtered. “I’m not having a heart attack, and I didn’t see a ghost.”

“Then spit it out, man. What’s wrong with you?” Dee Dee’s body, coiled, was still prepared to jump on Doc and use compressions if necessary. I laid a hand on her arm to hold her back.

“Come on. I’ll show you. It’s awful, just awful,” he moaned as we scrambled to help him stand. It amazed me how fast his speech came back; I thought he was a goner a moment ago.

We followed him out of the quilt room and down the hall. I held Dee Dee’s arm and pulled her along. If I had to witness what was awful, just awful she did, too.

We stopped in the doorway of the Andrews’ Raiders display. “There,” Doc said, pointing.

I pulled Dee Dee forward and peeked inside. Nothing jumped out at me. Then again, a dead body isn’t going to jump far. Dee Dee’s voice sounded far away as everything went black.

CHAPTER THREE

My eyelids fluttered open. I awoke propped upright on a stark white stretcher, a blood pressure cuff squeezed my arm, and an oxygen mask covered my mouth and nose. A paramedic held a needle, at least six inches long, poised, ready to aim. The young woman appeared way too eager to stick the offending weapon somewhere.

“Don’t do that!” I wondered if she understood my muffled cry.

“Hey, Joe! We’ve got a live one over here,” she called to her partner.

“You better believe I’m alive!” I grabbed at the oxygen mask.

“Whoa there ma’am. You’ve had a bad scare and we need to make sure you’re okay. Let’s take the pressure one more time before you stand up. We don’t want you to drop like a sack of potatoes again.” The paramedic squeezed the bulb to tighten the cuff around my arm.

“Hey, Trix.” Dee Dee placed her hand on my shoulder. “Relax. You gave us a scare. Let the EMT do her job.” Dee Dee looked like she needed to be on the stretcher instead of me. Her face was pale as biscuit dough.

Then I remembered. “Is he…?”

“Yep. Dead as a doornail. Killed with a bayonet.” Dee Dee always did have a way with words.

“Who is it? What happened?” I strained to sit up, but my head swirled and I feared I would pass out again. I was amazed at how much strength a body needed to maneuver from lying down to standing up.