Do you believe in ghosts?

Last Sunday night, I met up with a group called The Shadow Seekers who are not only believers, but they’re working to prove the existence of spirits. They were kind enough to invite us along on a paranormal investigation at a historic cemetery.

For the record (and as if you don’t know it after hearing about my adventures in New Mexico), I’m not exactly the great outdoors type. It was cold Sunday night, and I was dressed in so many layers of clothing, I looked like that poor kid in the snowsuit in “A Christmas Story” who couldn’t walk outside to play. But never let it be said that Casey Daniels is not a good sport! I had boot warmers. I had hand warmers. I was even smart enough to bring an entire bag of Halloween-size Snickers bars. Oh yeah, I was prepared, all right.

And in for quite an adventure!

We met at the cemetery at 9:30 and split up into groups. Zorro and I went along with Tammie, the head of The Shadow Seekers, and her husband, Rich. It was great to get their expert points of view on paranormal investigations and what we should or shouldn’t do. Zorro was our EVP man. He carried a digital tape recorder and did his best to get the spirits talking in response to the questions he asked. Tammie and I headed out with our cameras.

And what did we find?

Well, I learned a few important things, and if they will ever make their way into one of my Pepper Martin mysteries, I can’t say. But I do know that taking photos in a dark cemetery isn’t easy. I was never sure exactly what I was going to get. I also learned that a cemetery surrounded by city streets and city traffic isn’t the quietest place to rest in peace! I wonder if the folks buried there could ever have imagined that the quiet, country cemetery where they chose their plots would someday be surrounded by activity.

One of our first stops was a beautiful monument to a girl who died at age seventeen about one hundred years ago. The angel statue atop her monument is surrounded by glass (depending on which story you believe, that’s either because it was once stolen or because it sometimes disappears and reappears!). Tammie had her own tape recorder going and we stopped there to “chat” with the grave’s resident.

“Is anyone with us here tonight?” Tammie asked.

We were rewarded by nothing more than the sounds of city traffic and the crunch of the leaves at our feet.

Tammie didn’t let that stop her. “Can you give us a sign that you’re here? Can you tap on the glass?”

And yes, I am a writer. And of course that means I do have an active imagination. But I know what I heard in response.

And what I heard was a tapping on the glass!

As for our other adventures . . . tune in next week to find out if Zorro captured any EVPs. And what did show up on all those pictures I took in the dark???

Since the crazy guy talking to himself mentioned the crazy guy talking to himself, I figured I’d better prove it with a picture! Yup, there he was in the cemetery in the middle of the night…talking to himself!