Twilight: Bay City Paranormal Investigations, Book 3

sunshine. Anne locked the cabin door and handed the key to Sam. He stuck it in the front pocket of his jeans. Hanging the strap of the video camera around his neck, he followed the rest of the group up the path leading into the woods.
Chapter Four
    The firs grew tall and thick around the path, plunging the group into a cold green gloom broken by the occasional splash of golden sunlight. Brown pine needles carpeted the ground, muffling their footsteps. The sharp scent of evergreens permeated the air. Hands in the pockets of his jacket, Sam drew a deep breath.
    “This is gorgeous,” he said, smiling up at the branches swaying in the breeze far above his head. “I love how it smells out here.”
    “Great, isn’t it?” Anne swept an arm out in front of her. “You get kind of addicted to the fresh air up here. It’s hard going back down the mountain.”
    “Yeah, I guess if y’all had hot showers here you’d never want to leave.” Dean lifted his personal camera and pointed it at Anne. “Smile.”
    Anne struck a pose, one hand on her hip and the other behind her head. The camera clicked, the flash bright in the dimness. “Oh, man, that’s fantastic!” Dean held up the camera for Anne to see. “You’re beautiful, girl.”
    She waved a dismissive hand, but the flush in her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes told Sam how flattered she was. Biting back a laugh, Sam caught Bo’s eye. Bo just shook his head, an indulgent grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
    “The place where the sightings have happened is just up ahead,” Anne told them. “So far, no one’s seen anything at any time other than after the sunset. But then again, people usually don’t even come up this path except at sunset.”
    Bo gave his braid a thoughtful tug. “Why is that? This is a beautiful hike, I’d think guests would want to come up here more than once.”
    “Well, most folks don’t arrive here until mid-tolate afternoon. They generally want to rest after they get up here, and most people only stay one night so they pretty much leave after breakfast the next morning. This time of year, that doesn’t really leave time for more than one trip to the Rock. Some people go up there more than once in the summer, though, ’cause the sun sets way later.”
    Dean turned around, walking backward in order to talk to Bo and Sam. “Are y’all thinking what I’m thinking?”
    “You mean, that whatever it is might not just be around at twilight?” Sam glanced at Bo, and saw the same thought in his eyes. “Yeah.”
    “Sam, when we get to the spot, go ahead and take video.” Clicking the pen on, Bo scribbled a note on the pad. “Dean, you take stills.”
    Anne’s gaze darted back and forth between the three of them, curiosity bright in her eyes. “How come?”
“Sometimes things show up on film that the naked eye can’t pick up,” Bo explained. “We’ve learned a great deal in the past by taking video and still pictures of the area in question, even if we can’t see or sense anything ourselves.”
Frowning, Anne tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean, sense? You mean, like, psychic stuff?”
Bo and Dean both looked at Sam. He bit back a groan. “Yes, like psychic stuff. I’m psychic. I can sometimes sense things other people can’t sense, even see and hear things other people can’t. Things that show up on film or audio tape later,” he added, noting Anne’s skeptical expression. “We have two other psychics on our team, but they’re back in Asheville finishing up the investigation at the Kimberley Inn.”
The shuttered look vanished from Anne’s face, bubbly eagerness taking its place. “Oh my God, I stayed there one time! It’s awesome! Did you guys see the Lady in Red?”
Sam nodded. “Yeah, we did. I got some video of her.”
“Wow, that’s so cool.” Anne turned and started up the path again. “I guess we better get going. I want to make sure you guys get to do everything you need to before I have to head back.”
Dean fell into step beside Anne, the two of them talking with their heads together. Sam and Bo followed more slowly. Bo’s gait was more hesitant than usual, and his shoulders were tight. Worried, Sam drew closer and laid a hand on Bo’s back.
“Is your leg still bothering you?” he murmured. “You promised to tell me.”
Bo grimaced. “Yes, actually. But it’s different from before.”
“Different how?”
“After the climb up the mountain, it ached, like an overworked