It was Monday morning, the day after Easter when I went to the post office and struggled
to get the thick manila folder out of my mailbox. It was thick and jammed in. I wish the
postal worker would have simply left a note! I didn’t want to tear anything inside.
Finally, after much wiggling I freed it and locked my box. I turned the envelope over to
see who it was from.

 

The return address showed it was from Emily Adams, in the town of Port Angeles, Washington.
Though I was a paranormal investigator, few people outside the State of California ever
contacted me. I never open my mail before I get back home, but something told me, compelled
me, if for no other reason curiosity, to open it now. Perhaps because of what it might
contain.

 

I could sense that this wasn’t an ordinary inquiry letter into my services! The envelope was heavy

and what was contained inside I believed was meant to convince me that she needed my help

desperately. So, I walked to the nearest counter and turned it over and carefully opened it. I found

a frantically written one page letter with a check for $10,000.00 attached to it.

 

Many newspaper clippings and photos were attached also. Most were of people, 8 in all, along
with 3 pictures of a house! I had never received payment in advance, let alone a check so huge and I

sat everything down and held the letter in my hands and read it as best I could. “I am begging you to

come to Port Angeles, Washington to help me. There is an evil house that
took the lives of eight of my relatives in 1941. 

 

I have enclosed numerous newspaper clippings and photos for you to review. I found your website
online and checked with your State’s Attorney General’s Office and Better Business Bureau about
you and was so relieved to feel you are not out to con people out of their money. To show my
sincerity, I offer you payment in advance to find out what posses the house I was willed by
my uncle, who also died in that horrible house.

 

I have good instincts, but perhaps gullible now and then, but I don’t feel that about you. I
believe that if you decide not to investigate this house, that you would return my check. If
I don’t hear from you within 7 days, I will as a matter of caution put a stop payment on the
check. I am 89 years old sir; please don’t disappoint me by keeping my check. I hate to be
ripped off! My address is shown below and on this page, as well as my phone number.

 

I am begging you to come to Port Angeles and try to answer the questions that torment me in
the night all these years. “What is behind the deaths of those I loved so dearly? What is l
urking in that house�? It was signed Emily Adams. I have received letters from people before
who alleged that a certain place was haunted before which turned out to be elaborate hoaxes,
but there was nothing I sensed about this letter which made me feel it was a hoax.

 

First off, Emily had gone to great length to present me with articles from her town’s newspaper
detailing the murder’s of people that were relative’s as well as identifying the house in the
photo. Second, she paid me a sum no one had paid me before, and more importantly, she paid
upfront! This told me that she was not only frightened, but desperate! She was also right in
the fact there are people who pretend to be paranormal investigator’s, but aren’t.

 

They are part of the lower food chain of folks who prey on the suffering of those who have
lost a loved one! I took a moment to look at the 8 x 10 photo of the house she had enclosed.
It was old, abandoned, a two story structure with what looked like a front porch and a side
back porch. I gathered up everything on the counter and got back into my car and went home.

 

Then, I picked up my phone and called Jenny, David and Sebastian who made up my paranormal
investigation team. Only one was home and I left messages for the other’s to get over to my
place ASAP! They would know it had something to do with an investigation. But Jenny was home
and I talked so fast, she repeatedly chided me between laughter to calm down. She finally cut
me off in mid-sentence and told me she was coming over and hung up before I could even say
good-bye.

 

I wanted to call Emily and tell her I agreed to investigate her house, but I held back. This
wasn’t a decision to be made by me alone. I sensed from all that I had read, that this was a
dangerous house; that something dangerous was still in that house and the others would have
to agree. If just one of them didn’t want to go, I would call Emily and tell her we could not
help her, and I would return all that she had sent me.

 

Jenny was the first to knock on my door, and I saw that look that all investigators�?get when
they believe that there is a chance to investigate the supernatural. “I got here as quickly as
I could, tell me about our next assignment�? she blurted out at the speed of sound! Just as I
was about to tell Jenny to catch her breath the phone rang and made us both jump, then laugh!

David was on the other end and Sebastian was with him.

 

They were having lunch and asked what I wanted? I just said; “you aren’t going to believe it,

just get over here�? I hung it the phone and expected them to get a speeding ticket through town,

as Jenny and I laughed. But they got no ticket and missed having any traffic accidents along the

way! When all three had sat down they could tell I was about to burst. The expression on their

face was a mirrored reflection of my excitement.

 

On my lap were all the papers that Emily had sent to me, and all eyes were on the papers. “Let
me tell each of you that what I am about to tell you were sent to me from an 89 year old woman
from Washington State. She has a house in the country where 8 of her relatives were killed.
Killed in that house�? Nervousness now filled each of their eyes, as I offered David the photo
of the house.

 

As they studied the features of the house, I explained all the contents of the envelope, especially
the newspaper articles. They were dated and aged and I told them I sincerely believed her. Finally,
I held up the check Emily had enclosed. This is Emily’s check to us for $10,000.00�? I watched my
friend’s eyes just about pop out of their head! I began to laugh, and reassured them it was real!

“She wants to pay us up front�?

 

When their excited lessened, Jenny was the first to speak. But, it’s all the way up in Washington

State. That would take a couple days to get there! Sebastian said what was more along my thoughts

though. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this; I don’t know�? David blurted out; “You have to be joking

Sebastian, this has to be the greatest opportunity to investigate a truly haunted house!
 
That lady in Washington State sent us $10,000.00�? I added, “If we “all�?decide to accept this
case, I will make sure the check is good before we left. If one of us chooses they don’t want to
go, none of us go, and I will send her check back�? Jenny’s womanly instincts jumped in and she
asked what I knew about the house? One at a time I passed each faded newspaper clipping around
from person to person.

 

The mood in the room changed from excitement to apprehension. This investigation, if we accepted
it would be unlike anything we had ever handled before. When the last article was handed back to me,
I paused, and then asked, “Questions�? The conversation varied from topics such as “When can we
all leave�?to “I think this is out of league�? But finally, the talking was done.

 

I was the one who called for a vote! But before we voted, I gave a summary of what we had established
our paranormal investigation business for. I was careful to tell them that I felt there could be danger inside

that house as well. When I asked for a vote of hands, Sebastian was the first to raise his hand cautiously.

David was next with the smile of an adventurer! I was the third to raise my hand, leaving only Jenny.

 

I could see the nervousness in Jenny’s eyes and was sure she was going to say no; I was so sure,
but she raised her hand with a slight smile! It was unanimous! “Is everyone sure you want to go?
Once we leave, once we get to that house, you can’t back out. We’ll need each other to investigate
the property and house�? All three nodded yes. Then it’s settled. Now I saw the excitement in my
friend’s eyes, the look that made me smile.

 

I picked up the phone and called Emily, and the phone rang and rang unanswered. I had expected to
hear an answering machine. Just as I was about to hang up, Emily answered. I asked if she was Emily
and told her who I was. She seemed so excited at our agreement to come to Washington State. “I told
her it would be about a week to get everything together and she said that was fine.

 

She was just grateful for our help. After I hung up, I looked to my friends and said, I told her about
a week, because I wanted to make sure her check cleared first. David and Sebastian needed time to get
away from work, and Jenny needed to arrange for her mother to baby-sit her daughter Alexis. We also
needed to make sure all the equipment we were taking worked properly and had plenty of back up batteries.

 

From that day, our lives were put in fast forward as we went about checking our flash lights, both
video cameras, tape recorders, as well as my EMF Detector and digital audio recorder. We double
checked our 2 way radios plus a thermal scanner to measure any “cold spots�?we may find in the house.
Each was responsible for their own notebooks and pocket books to record anything they saw, heard or
felt.
 
When everyone assured me they were set, and April 23rd arrived, I called Emily and told her we were on
our way. We loaded up the van and headed north on I-5, taking turns to drive and sleep. Then, when we
reached the capital of Washington State, we switched to Highway 101 to take us to Washington State.
When we arrived in the town of Port Angeles, we found it to be a city by the sea.

 

We each got a motel room and decided to rest up for 2 days before we met Emily, to follow her to the
old house. There was excitement in the air, impatience and worries too, though no one said anything
to me. But from time to time I sensed it in their eyes. In truth, this was our biggest case taken. I
had the greatest hopes that we could gather up evidence of something truly supernatural; from beyond
this world, breaking through into our world.

 

Each of us had read all the articles we could about hauntings, poltergeists, apparitions, lost spirits,
and the danger’s associated with encountering one. We also knew that before we would enter that house
that we would recite a prayer of protection, as well, as tell the spirits we were not there to bother
them, but to help them if we could. We would ask their permission to photograph and record them; not
that it would be a guarantee; but politeness was critical.

 

We would be split up into two teams but staying on the same floor as much as possible. With two way
radios, we hoped to help each other if there one of us encountered danger. The number #1 rule we
followed, was if one of us radioed to “Get Out�? we would do so without argument. After the second
day of rainy weather, I called Emily and we agreed to meet at the Port Angeles Public Library.

 

Emily was a frail woman who looked older then her years. Her eyes showed wisdom and pain from so much
tragedy befalling ones family members. We ordered some breakfast and coffee and one of the first things
I explained to her was the Liability Release form I needed her to sign. It simply gave us permission
to be on the property and conduct an investigation for paranormal activities.

 

I assured her that it also relieved her of liability for any injuries or damages incurred. Those words
didn’t sit well with Emily, but I assured her we would be fine. She signed both copies, and then we
signed below, with the waitress being a witness. While we ate our breakfast I tried to clarify for my
team what it was that Emily hoped we could do for her during our investigation of the house and
surroundings?

 

But instead of responding, her eyes looked like she was somewhere else. We waited patiently
for her to answer but finally, I touched her shoulder. I don't know who had been more frightened at

that moment, Emily or us. In truth, we all thought she was about to have a heart attack. Jenny was the

most scared; I could see it in her eyes. But Emily caught her breath, calmed down, and apologized for

scaring us. I asked her once more what information did she hope we could find out that was worth

$10,000.00. "Mercy sakes, I thought I mentioned that in my letter"?

 

©2006 Raymond Cook (All rights reserved)