The Ghost in the Rain

You know, sometimes I sit back and wonder just how many times I’ve crossed paths with the so-called supernatural. Hauntings? Yeah, I’ve run into more than a few in my day.

Honestly, some folks just roll their eyes at the idea of ghosts, brushing it off like it’s all smoke and mirrors, you know? To them, spirits are just campfire tales—about as real as the clouds overhead. But let me tell you, the darkness inside people? That’s a hundred times scarier than any ghost or monster you could ever cook up in your wildest dreams.

Still, let’s be real—not everyone’s made of steel nerves. Not even the ones packing a badge and a sidearm. I mean, you’d think we’d be fearless, right? But that’s not always the case.

But let me tell you about Dan Whitaker.

So, strictly speaking, Dan’s what you’d call a forensic specialist. He’s the department’s medical examiner—little on the heavy side, pale as chalk (no kidding, the guy practically glows in the dark), always tossing out wisecracks, and just gives off this laid-back vibe. But, man, when it comes to the job? Nobody’s more dedicated. We met back during rookie cop training—bunked together in the dorms. That kind of thing forges a bond you can’t really explain unless you’ve been through it yourself.

—You’d think, after everything he’s seen, Dan would be the last guy to get rattled by a ghost story.

But, you know, nothing’s ever set in stone. And that one time? Dan really did come face-to-face with what folks called a “ghost.”

You see, this all started with Dan’s very first trip out to a crime scene.

I’ll let him take it from here—let Dan tell you about the wild night he spent in that haunted house, way out in the sticks.

Name’s Dan Whitaker—Mike Landry’s partner. Gotta be honest, I never wanted to talk about this.

Seriously, even now, it gives me the creeps. It’s kind of embarrassing, and just thinking about it still makes my skin crawl.

But when I look back, this was my first real lesson in what makes cops tick—the way this job gets in your head—and it left a mark that’s stuck with me ever since.

Back then, I was still green—didn’t always think things through. Mostly, I ran on adrenaline and a good dose of rookie optimism. Hell, I probably thought I was invincible.

Truth is, I’d already been at it for two years. But medical examiners like me? We don’t get called out to crime scenes much. Most days, I was elbow-deep in the lab, talking to the dead, digging through bodies to figure out what happened.

But this case? No way I was sitting this one out. Skipping the scene wasn’t even on the table.

It all went down in a small Southern town—the kind where everybody knows everybody, and secrets don’t stay buried for long.

Down here, it’s always raining—sticky, humid, everything soaked to the bone. By the time we rolled up with the other officers, we were all drenched, boots squishing every step, and dog-tired from the drive. Man, I remember thinking, couldn’t they have picked a nicer night?

Back then, Mike hadn’t transferred in yet. The guy riding shotgun with me was Tom McKinley—Big Tom. Built like a linebacker, didn’t say much, and always looked like he had the world on his shoulders.

Everybody on the team called him Big Tom. He was older—at least ten years ahead of me. And let me tell you, in our line of work, when someone gets called “Big,” it’s a sign of respect. Means you know your stuff, and, yeah, I looked up to him. I asked what kind of case we were rolling into, but Big Tom just shrugged and said it wasn’t even clear if there was a case yet. Made me wonder, what the hell were we doing out there?

So I was stumped. If it’s not a case, why drag me all the way out here? I pressed him for details, but he just clammed up and said I’d find out soon enough. He was the veteran, I was the rookie—so, fine, I dropped it.

Didn’t get the full story until we finally pulled up. That’s when Big Tom admitted he’d kept quiet so he wouldn’t freak me out.

The house we were heading to? Supposed to be haunted. It sat all by itself on a patch of overgrown land—most neighbors had already packed up and moved, but the ones still around swore they’d heard some creepy noises coming from inside. Stuff that’d make your hair stand on end.