On the television monitors around the studio, the view of the news desk vanished and the pictures Julie had recorded not more than an hour before unfolded for the viewers of the nation’s most watched morning program. In the wings the CEO smiled and sipped his coffee. As Julie’s small camera panned the roadway, it caught the first dead animal, then she expertly pulled back and took in the entire roadway. Everyone was shocked. The strewn animal carcasses made for a view that would upset a lot of viewers. UBC had brazenly placed this segment on the air without warning, because that was exactly what the CEO wanted: gossip, talk, outrage and interest about the show. He smiled. The segment concluded and faded to black.
“The video you saw was filmed by correspondent Julie Reilly, who was gracious enough to phone in her report. We have her live on her cell phone, reporting from the Pocono Mountains. Julie, this is Connie Towers in the studio. We understand you’ve had an exciting start to your day already, and Halloween isn’t until tomorrow night.”
“That’s right, Connie. The unexplained deaths of over two hundred animals occurred not less than a mere few hours after myself and the former professor of paranormal studies from the University of Southern California, Gabriel Kennedy, passed through the area late last night. To see this much death surrounding the road is unlikely to be a natural occurrence. It has led this reporter to speculate that it indeed has something to do with report about the house known as Summer Place. Thanks to our producers, we were able to research the area and have found that the land surrounding this stretch of road is part of the Summer Place property. It is possible that water contamination or a rare outbreak of animal disease has struck these forest animals.”
“Julie, were these animals possibly struck and killed by automobiles after you and Professor Kennedy left the area late last night?”
“The possibility is there, Connie, but only if they ran the Indianapolis 500 here at four in the morning. Professor Kennedy has confirmed that there is no visible bodily damage to these creatures, and therefore the cause of death remains a mystery. Until I report live from Summer Place for the Evening News, this is Julie Reilly, sending it back to the news desk.”
Connie Towers looked over at her producer. He was running his hand in a circle, telling her to continue. He held up ten fingers: she had ten seconds to comment on the report.
“Thank you Julie, that is sure some creepy stuff. I can’t wait to watch the special. Now, back to Robert and Lynn. Guys?”
“I agree with you, Connie, that is something I wouldn’t be happy to be covering,” said the female host. “Julie Reilly will be reporting live on tomorrow’s show from Summer Place, as we all prepare for this monumental special.”
Abraham Feuerstein smiled and handed his cup and saucer off to an assistant. He nodded at the cast of the morning show and then moved away, happy he had decided to make Julie file her audio report by phone.. He didn’t think about the events themselves; even after what had happened last night in his own limo, all the CEO saw were dollar signs scrolling across the teleprompter in his mind. He felt wise and beyond reproach for pushing the special.
As he waited outside of studio 1-B, Abe smiled wider than before.
“Brilliant,” he said as he waited for the elevator. He then turned to his assistant. “I want twenty spots added to the show’s promo package.”
‘That will squeeze out most of the primetime ad-time for our own shows,” she said, taking notes as they both stepped into the elevator.
“I don’t care. Every ten minutes, I want the Summer Place on that television screen. Add some more history script if you have to, but get the story out there. I want everyone in the country talking about Summer Place before the day’s over.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I never thought Halloween could be so lucrative. I should have dug up Professor Gabriel Kennedy many years ago. We’re going to piggyback that man right into ratings history.”
Bright River, Pennsylvania
At least a hundred people were gathered before the closed gate to Summer Place. Some were fans of the show, while some were most definitely not. The fans carried signs that read “Hunters of the Paranormal rules,” and others that told the two hosts of the show that they were loved. But they were being pushed and shoved by local folks from the small town of Bright Waters. Kennedy recognized a few of them — some of them had stood in front of the diner that very morning, aiming accusing looks at him and Julie.
In the absence of Eunice and her large husband, the network had brought in five uniformed security men. Gabriel knew immediately that the special was going to call for far more than that if this mess continued.
“This is a fucking circus already.” He honked the car’s horn when they were forced to stop thirty feet from the front gate by the two converging sides of the crowd. ‘This is never conducive to a controlled experiment. The cameras and stuff are bad enough, but this?”
“Professor, when did you ever believe this would be controlled — by you, or by anyone else involved in the production? You were never that damn naïve, were you?”
One of the admirers of the show slammed into the car’s hood. When the man saw that it was Julie Reilly in the passenger’s seat, he turned and called out to the others. Soon the car was surrounded by those trying to get autographs. Some of them even tried to open the car’s doors.
“Don’t say it. You want me to sacrifice myself and get out of the car so you can drive right on through the gate, right?” She leaned away from the glass as a large man pounded on the widow.
“Now that you mention it, that wouldn’t be a bad—”
Before Gabriel could finish his small joke, someone hit Julie’s window so hard that the glass broke. When he looked over, he saw hands reaching through the shattered window. Julie was actually being pulled at by more than one of the men. Gabriel opened his door without hesitation and pushed his way through the crowd, shoving several people out of the way. When he made it to the two men that were reaching inside of the car, he pulled one away and pushed him down. The other turned and hit Gabriel in the face. Julie sprang from the car. Kennedy was on the ground with a rather large man sitting on his chest. She swung her ample bag toward the man’s head and connected solidly. Then she was pushed from behind by an angry woman, and she knew immediately that this one wasn’t an admirer of the show or her credentials as a reporter.
“Jesus Christ!” Kennedy shouted. He gained his feet and pushed Julie into the car once more. As he got back in and threw the vehicle into gear, he saw two of the security men throwing the gate open. Another three kept the crowd back. Gabriel pushed the accelerator all the way to the floor, spun the wheels just to let the people around the car know that he was coming through, then let off the gas and slowly crept through the gate.
“What the fuck was that about?” Julie asked, trying to slow her heart and regain her breath. She looked over at Gabriel and saw blood running from the corner of his mouth. His jacket had been torn at the shoulder and his glasses were hanging down from one ear. The way he looked made her chuckle as she reached over and used a Kleenex to wipe the blood away. “That was one hell of a rescue, Professor,” she said as she finally got the nervous laughter under some sort of control.
Gabriel looked at Julie. He slowly made his way up the long gravel drive.
“So glad you approve. I was about to get my ass kicked back there, until you waylaid that guy with the horse purse you carry.”
“Believe me that was many years of reporting from places like Iraq and Afghanistan kicking in. It’s a self defense mechanism. You have Summer Place, I have assholes the world over that wanted my ass.”