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“So how can you impartially investigate a haunted house?”
Adam shrugged. “I didn’t say I did it impartially. I spend the night at a location to keep an eye on the equipment and to figure out either the fraud or the science behind the so-called evidence.”
“You spend the night? What about the crew?”
“They’ll go back to the motel and sleep.” He indicated one of the surveillance cameras. “That’s why we installed those. Plus, every room has recorders and meters, so there’s no need for the whole crew to stay.”
“You’re telling me that in all the episodes ofHex or Hoax?,the investigations are just cobbled-together scenes of surveillance footage and Clyde acting?”
“That’s what I’m telling you.” He hefted the crate into his arms and started toward the conference room.
Bee sighed and followed him. “I’m feeling very naive about Hollywood right now.”
“Don’t waste your energy. It’s just for entertainment.” Adam set the crate on a table in the conference room, where several rows of TV monitors glowed an eerie green. Each one showed the various camera shots from a different part of the library. He checked them all and made a few adjustments. “Later in the week, we’ll use the low-light cameras to get shots of Clyde investigating. Or pretending to.”
Bee suppressed another sting of disappointment. Aside from actual footage of paranormal activity, the primary content of all theHex or Hoax?episodes involved interviews with the site’s owners or employees, and lots of footage of Clyde prowling around in the dark conducting his “investigation.”
He tried convincing ghosts to come out, startled at sudden noises, remarked on changes in readings for light, energy, and temperature. He noticed cold spots, felt invisible things brush against him, and talked about his suspicions with the crew and his conclusions with Adam. And he did this all while looking picture-perfect with his single curl of blond hair and bright-blue eyes.
No wonder. He acted all of that out for the cameras long after Adam and the crew had done the real investigative work. Which, as far as Adam was concerned, wasn’t even “real.”
Bee rubbed the middle of her chest, where an ache had formed. The image of Adam on camera played like a filmstrip through her mind—scenes of him dissecting video footage and explaining away apparitions as “light anomalies” or slowing down audio recordings to prove the spooky sounds were nothing more than a structure settling on the foundations.
According tohim, anyway. It wasn’t as if his conclusions were peer-reviewed by his fellow esteemed scientists.
She let out her breath slowly and straightened her shoulders. Once again, she could handle disillusionment. This wasn’t the production she’d been expecting, but the fact remained thatHex or Hoax?was still her best chance for saving the library.
Yes, it would have been easier if a.) she was working with a man who believed ghosts existed, b.) the show was less of a farce and more of a true paranormal investigation, and c.) she could guarantee a hexed conclusion.
But none of those things were insurmountable problems. And they shouldn’t have much of an impact on the show’s conclusion about whether or not the Gardenia House was haunted.
Even if Clyde did come in later toactlike he’d seen a ghost, there was no way Adam or anyone else would find a real-world explanation for the house’s paranormal activity.
Acting, editing, bad script, whatever else theHex or Hoax?crew did wouldn’t change the basic fact of Captain Marcus’s ghost.
She hoped he knew how badly she needed him to appear on camera. Interrupting her and Adam’s touching by slamming doors was not nearly enough to prove Captain Marcus’s existence.
In fact, Bee wished the ghost would back off from interfering in anything she did with Adam and instead step up his haunting of the Gardenia House.
“See you tomorrow, man.” Paul headed toward the doors.
“Later, dudes.” One of the gaffers hitched a backpack over his shoulders.
One by one, the crew filed out. Bee locked the door behind them and turned to look at Adam. Her pulse jumped a little as she realized they were alone.
“You can go, too,” he said. “I won’t mess anything up.”
“For liability reasons, I can’t leave you alone.” She twisted a ring around her finger. “What is it you do when you’re just hanging around a haunted house?”
“Check the equipment, walk through the rooms.” He shrugged. “Keep an eye out for the usual suspects like flickering lights, projected images, and smoke machines. I review the footage we’ve taken so far. Read up on the accounts of whatever happened at the site—whether it was a murder or a peaceful death. I usually eat a sandwich at some point.”
Bee couldn’t help smiling. “I brought a sandwich too. Cream cheese and cucumber.”
“Roast beef and cheddar.” He smiled back at her, and Bee’s pulse sped up as if he’d just turned a key in an ignition. Her engine had long been in need of a jumpstart, and it appeared that Adam could get the job done with the power of his smile alone.
Clearing her throat, she gestured to the staircase. “So go ahead and do what you need to do. I hope you don’t mind me accompanying you.”
“Not at all. I just need to turn the lights off.” He started toward the main lighting panel.
