Page 2 (1/2)

While Munson haunted Main Street, Hardy was said to haunt the jail and the cell where he had died

The doors to the cells ooden with barred s They were entered with large jail keys that had to be returned--lest the guest be charged a hefty fee In the age of the plastic slot card, the Old Jail was a holdout But entering a cell with a big jail key held greater charm

The door wasn’t locked, so Sloan stepped inside The couple had done a pretty thorough job of searching Draere still open and the mattress lay crookedly on the bed

Sloan turned back to make sure he hadn’t been followed There was a security camera in the hall but he knew that was just for show; Mike never ree the tape He seldo about the shadowy apparitions they’d seen in the halls or the "cold spots" that hadat such a place He walked to the dresser; it was heavy A wide-screen TV sat on it, along with the bust of an Indian chief

Sloan waited a minute, then shook his head, said quietly, "Give it up Return the wallets"

He heard the rasp of so, he saw that that there were tallets on the floor They ed behind the dresser and wall--and fallen when he tugged at the dresser

He picked them up and headed to the door, then looked back into the roohostly appearances--great But quit with the money, the keys and the wallets, huh? All these people think you’re the next best thing to Jesse Ja your wonderful reputation"

For athere, still wearing a gray jacket and a sweeping gray hat with a plume, a cross between a Western outlaw and a disenfranchised soldier He had a neatly clipped golden beard and his eyes were bright He saluted Sloan

Shaking his head, Sloan walked back to the breakfast rooaped at hied behind the dresser," he said

"Oh, thank you!" Lucinda gushed

"Yeah, ’s in them," Sloan said

"You said you searched everywhere!" Lucinda accused Jerry

"Hey, you were in the roo when they heard it

The sound was terrible; it seemed to coht have been piercing except that it was ain

"What the f--" Jerry began, leaping to his feet

"Oh,

Even Sloan felt as if ice trickled down his spine

And then he realized the source of the screa from the basement of the theater next door

Sloan strode quickly fro, slatted doors that led into the Gilded Lily He saw the long bar and the rows of seating to the side of it and the stage at the far end

"Hey!" he called out, seeing no signs of life

He hurried behind the bar to the stairs that went down to the basement and storm cellar, now a depository for over a hundred and fifty years’ worth of costumes, props, scenery and other old theater paraphernalia

He heard the screaht blinded him for a moment The basement was divided into a main room and three side rooms, separated by foundation walls

He blinked and adjusted his vision A woman stood alone at the back of the main basement room She held an old burlap cover that had apparently protected shelves holding wigged , blonde and pretty, and he recognized Valerie Mystro, the current ingenue in residence at the Gilded Lily Theater Company

"Valerie!"

She didn’t hear hi in horror at so on the shelf

Sloan strode over to her and took her by the shoulders She looked at hi him at first

"Valerie!"