The Haunting of Emily Stone Read Online Free PDF

her part.”
    Lost for words, Robert simply nodded.
    “I'm so sorry that I had to be the one to break it to you,” Douglas continued. “Like you, I allowed myself to dare to dream that this haunting of Emily Stone might actually be something significant, but once we heard this part of the tape, we realized it's just another hoax. A good hoax, a brilliant one in many ways, but... still a hoax.”
    “Clearly.”
    Sighing, Douglas tried to think of something else to say, something that might ease his friend's sense of crushing disappointment. “There'll be other cases, Rob,” he said finally. “Come on, we're always so cautious, maybe you rushed into this one a little but it's okay, we all make mistakes, the key is to learn from them. We have to keep the faith. You can't let this one -”
    “I spent six months on this case,” Robert replied, turning to him. “My name is out there, supporting the Emily Stone narrative. I put my career on the line to investigate their claims, I stood up in conference after conference and presented this evidence, and now... I'm going to look like an utter fool. What the hell was I thinking? How did I let some stupid woman and her snotty-nosed little kid pull the wool over my eyes like this?”
    “There'll be other opportunities,” Douglas said again, although he clearly knew his words weren't helping. “Remember what we agreed, about not allowing ourselves to be disheartened when we faced the inevitable setbacks?” He paused, waiting for a reply. “What are you going to do now?”
    “Now?” Staring at the tape recorder, Robert felt the anger starting to crystallize in his chest. “What am I going to do now ? Hell, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to...” He paused, before grabbing a mug from his desk and throwing it across the room, until it banged against the bookcase and then dropped down harmlessly.

Chapter Eight
     
    Today
     
    “Jenna!” he screamed again, just as the upstairs light clicked on. “It's me!”
    A moment later, the window slid open and a familiar, angry face leaned out.
    “Hey Jenna,” he said with a smile. “It's four o'clock. Do you want to get a beer? I'm sure your old ball and chain won't even notice.”
    “Is it him again?” a male voice called from inside.
    “Oh shit,” Robert grinned. “He noticed.”
    “Go away!” Jenna hissed. “Jesus Christ, Rob, you're wasted again!”
    “I've only had a few ales,” he replied, “as the good gentleman once said in that film I can't remember the name of.”
    “I can't cover your classes today,” she continued. “For God's sake, man, pull yourself together! You're embarrassing yourself!”
    “No,” he replied, “ you're embarrassing myself.” He paused, trying to work out what he meant to say. “Or am I embarrassing yourself ? It's so hard to remember. Let's drink and forget all our troubles!”
    “Go home,” she told him, “and for God's sake, drink some coffee before you get to bed. Trust me, you'll be glad you did in the morning. Or the afternoon, or whenever the hell you wake up.”
    Sliding the window shut, she disappeared from view. A moment later, the light flicked off.
    “What?” he said, still staring up at the side of the house. “No party? Suit yourself.”
    Turning, he began to stumble along the street, although he soon lost his balance again and fell against the wall. As he tried to steady himself, he heard a door opening nearby.
    “Robert!”
    He looked over his shoulder and saw Jenna hurrying out to him, with a dressing gown wrapped tight around her body.
    “Get inside,” she told him, reaching out and taking his hand. “You can sleep in the spare room this once. I can't let you wander off like this, God knows where you'd end up.”
    “I thought I'd go and explore,” he replied. “You know, find somewhere new and take a look around.”
    “You're too drunk to do any exploring. Come on, I'll make up the spare bed.”
    “I knew it,” he said with a