Where The Heart Is: A Bay City Paranormal Investigations story

Wake up.”
Dean’s eyes flew open. “What? I’m awake.”
“Yeah, now you are.” Kerry set a huge yellow mug on the table in front of Dean, then sat in the chair beside him and lifted her own mug. “Should you really be reviewing evidence when you can’t even stay awake?”
Dean blinked the fuzziness from his eyes and tried to focus on the laptop screen. At least he’d managed to pause the video before he fell asleep. “I’m just a little tired, that’s all. The coffee’ll help, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Kerry gave him a considering look as he sipped the hot, fragrant liquid. “So. What were you dreaming about?”
The dream-memory of a toy up his ass—an actual toy , not the plugs and clamps and other things whose residual ache he still felt—made Dean choke on his coffee. “Um. You don’t want to know, trust me.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” She took a swallow of coffee, peering at Dean over the top of the mug. “So. You’ve been home for like two hours, but I still haven’t seen that video.”
He thought of the short but sizzling clip Sommer had taken on his digital camera just this morning and nearly dropped his coffee on the floor. “Um. What video?”
“The video from last night, genius. From the investigation? The video with the ghost on it?”
“Oh yeah. That.” Hunching his shoulders, he drank deeply from his mug. “Sorry. I’m just really tired.”
“Obviously.” She grinned at him. “You and Sommer must’ve had some night.”
Dean felt a big, goofy smile spread across his face. “You could say that.” He shifted in his seat, just to feel the lingering soreness in his backside.
“So.”
“So?”
“So, you gonna show me?”
He gaped at her. “ Show you?”
“Show me the ghost video.” She nudged his ankle with her foot. “Keep up, Dean.”
“Oh. I thought…” He shook his head. “Never mind. Um, yeah. Okay.” Setting down his coffee, he closed the overnight video from the kitchen and opened the thermal imaging video. “I need to watch through the whole thing, but I’ll fast forward and show you the ghost part first.”
“Cool.”
Kerry scooted her chair closer. Dean advanced the video to where he thought the relevant part was and hit play. The screen showed a static rainbow swirl which it took Dean a few seconds to recognize as the wall of one of Blue Skye Inn’s bathrooms.
“What’s that?” Kerry asked, pointing at the screen.
“The wall.”
“Why’d you video the wall?”
“I think that was when Sommer and I were…um, talking.” Pushing away the memory of Sommer’s brief but brain-melting kiss, he fast-forwarded the two of them out of the bathroom and into the hallway, then returned to normal play. “Okay, now we’re going in the second-to-last guestroom, which used to be Sommer’s mom’s sewing room. This is where it happens.”
Kerry leaned forward, intent on the video. She let out a little squeak when Sommer’s form appeared like a person-shaped flame. “Wow, that’s wild. No wonder these things are good for finding people in the dark. There’s no way you could miss that .”
“Yeah.” He bumped Kerry’s shoulder with his. “Now keep your eye on the air right next to Sommer. Watch what happens.”
They fell silent, both staring at the computer screen. After a few seconds, the bluegray form took shape to Sommer’s left. Kerry gasped. “Oh, shit. Look at that.”
“Just wait ’til you see the drawer fly open all by itself.”
When it did, Kerry yipped in surprise and clutched at Dean’s arm. “Oh my God, Dean.”
Laughing, he patted Kerry’s hand. “C’mon, Kerry, you already knew that was going to happen. Sommer and I told you and Ron all about it last night.”
“Yeah, well, hearing about it and seeing it are two very different things.” She shot him a wide-eyed glance. “Are y’all sure there wasn’t anything in the drawer?”
Dean nodded. “Not even a dust bunny.”
“Hm. Wonder why the thing, the ghost or whatever, opened that drawer if it’s empty?”
“Who knows? Maybe there used to be something in there at one time. Maybe the apparition thought it was still there.”
Kerry shivered. “That’s creepy and kind of sad.”
“Why?”
“Why creepy or why sad?”
“Both.”
“Creepy because of a ghost thinking . Sad because what if it was something important Sommer needed to know?”
Pausing the video, Dean turned to face Kerry. “So you think the apparition was trying to communicate with