Welcome back Yu-Gi-Oh fans to Yu-Gi-Oh GM Book 1: the Rise of El Loco Desperado. In the last chapter of 'Ghosts of the past' David arrived at the town of Clarksdale, Indiana and began his investigation. After inquiring of some of the local townsfolk and a couple of students David met with Garrett Brooks' old science teacher professor Ben Harrison. After a visit to a local church David's fear that dark forces are at work in Clarksdale were confirmed. To add to David's concerns it appears the local Sheriff is unwilling to assist him. In fact the Sheriff seems a little too determined to KEEP David from investigating what's going on. What terrible secrets will David discover next? You'll just have to wait and see, fans. Get ready as 'Ghosts of the past' continues.

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and all canon characters are strictly the property of Kazuki Takahashi. I'm just borrowing them for a while but will put them away when done. David Cardigan and all original characters in this saga are strictly my property.

David sat in the lounge of the Inn the Wilbanks Inn. Shawna and her husband sat in a couple chairs across from David. "The Sheriff almost threatened you, huh?" Ralph Wilbanks asked.

David nodded. "Usually I have no problem with working with law-enforcement, but there's something about this man that leaves me with a bad feeling in my throat. It's almost as if…it's almost as if I'm dealing with someone who wants to hide something, or is hiding something for someone else."

Shawna said, "I'm not surprised there."

David asked, "What do you mean, Mrs. Wilbanks?"

Shawna sighed and said, "Well, sheriff Miles, to tell you the truth, has never exactly liked the Wilbanks family all that much."

"And why is that?" David asked positively inquisitive.

"Well, I think it has to do with the fact that his family has wanted this Inn since it first opened in my grandpappy's time," Ralph answered.

David asked, "So, why hasn't he used his power as Sheriff to try and take it?"

Shawna shook her head. "Because our family has too many powerful friends on the town council and the populace. The Sheriff kept his aspirations on taking the Inn to himself…that is until eight months ago."

"What happened eight months ago?" David asked.

"Well a couple things, sheriff Miles' opponent in the town election disappeared under mysterious circumstances and the sheriff married his new wife, Jezebel, from Kentucky."

David's face wrinkled in disgust. "Jezebel, now there's a name with some nasty origins," the writer said darkly.

Shawna said, "Mr. Cardigan you don't know how right you are! I've met up with this woman a couple of times, and let me tell you, something about her has given me the creeps. It's almost as if this woman is more than she seems. And whatever she is, it ain't good!"

"Fascinating," David said out loud.

Inwardly David thought. Jezebel Miles, there's another someone I'm going to have to keep a close eye on.

Shawna asked, "Have you been able to find out anything on the P.D.L. people?"

David shook his head. "I haven't as yet, however Dr. Harrison and his students have agreed to lend a hand."

The Wilbanks couple looked visibly relieved. "Thank God…" The Wilbanks male said. "I've known Ben for many years and I was wondering when he'd step in."

"The decision hasn't been an easy one, you two. Dr. Harrison has reason to believe that someone has been watching him when he's been at work." David explained.

Shawna added, "Strange he should say that. We've also had this feeling like someone or something was watching us. It doesn't happen when we're at church or at the Inn but whenever we're out and about…" She left to comment unfinished as she shivered.

David thought to himself, Things are definitely worse around here than I thought, Supernatural activity, a sheriff acting suspiciously, add if Dr. Harrison and the Wilbanks couple believing they're being watched, something's definitely up.

David said, "I'll see what I can do about all this. Meanwhile I want you to tell me all about the ghost trouble your Inn has been having."

Shawna sighed and began. "Ah yes the ghost, it's in room 10 on the second floor. That room has always been avoided by the guests here."

"Why is that?" David asked.

It was Ralph Wilbanks who answered. "It's a story my granddad always told me when I was a kid. Seems back around the time this Inn was first built, a young white couple who were on their way to Oregon came to stay here."

"I see, anything about this couple stand out?" David asked.

"My granddad got to talk with the couple the man and woman were named um….Liam and Josette Lancaster. Said they were on their way to Oregon to meet up with somebody who had a…"

David felt his face pale. The name Lancaster, he knew that name, from his uncle's research. Shawna Wilbanks and her husband noted David's expression. "Mr. Cardigan, are you all right?" she asked.

David said in almost a monotone voice, "Ma'am, the name you just gave is very well known to my family. The couple you just described disappeared en route to Oregon. The job that Liam Lancaster was going to take was a job offer…from my illustrious great grandfather Matthew Cardigan."

The two looked astonished. "Your…ancestor? Dear sweet God, Mr. Cardigan if we'd had any idea."

David raised a hand. "It's all right your family couldn't have known. I myself only found out about it in the early 90's. My uncle has been doing research on the family history. Please anything that you can tell me I'd appreciate."

Ralph shivered before he spoke, "That's the spooky thing. Their deaths were quick but very painful. Liam strangled his wife but before the police could arrest him he knifed himself to death in that room. He kept muttering something about the voices controlling his actions. The thing that makes it really weird is right before they died Josette Lancaster's pendant disappeared. It was a gift given to her by her husband."

David's face furrowed. "That's odd indeed, and this makes things even more complicated." David then smiled and said, "Thanks for letting me know about this Shawna and Ralph, this is information that will come in very handy."

Ralph asked, "What are you going to do?"

David said, "At some point I'm going to have a little interview with that ghost. But in the meantime with everything that's going on, I think it would be best if I laid low for a bit. There is one request I have, if you find anything weird going on please come to me first thing, it may be of importance."

The Wilbanks couple nodded. David decided that he was about as ready as he was going to be so he headed upstairs for a nap.

X X X

David let out a yelp as he came awake, His magical alarms going off. David looked around cold sweat dripping down his face. He heard the thumping sounds coming from down the hall. David calmed himself and checked the clock. It was 10 at night. The resident spook of the Inn is finally up and about, David thought.

David got up and quickly dressed. As he left the room he heard the seemingly distant voice moaning in an inhuman and unnatural fashion. Outside the night sky was cloudy and dark. Only a few lights shined in the inn giving the place an ominous and eerie look. Most people would've been positively freaked out by this. But David having dealt with his fair share of ghosts, spooks, specters and such knew what he was getting into. It was times like this that being a wizard came in handy. David heard a couple sets of footsteps coming up the stairs. It was Ralph armed with his double-barreled rifle, Shawna close behind. David sighed and asked, "Ralph, could you kindly put that thing down? When dealing with the supernatural you have to handle this carefully."

Another inhuman wail escaped from room 10. Ralph shivered. "Lord have mercy, Liam is in a terrible way tonight! Vampires, ghosts, and conspiracies this is just crazy!"

David said, "Like I said leave this to me, I'll handle this."

David walked over to the door to room 10. Pulling out the key the Wilbanks couple had given him. Then he heard the voice wail despairingly, "I mourn for she whom I've lost," before he began a terrible moan.

David already red-eyed from being dragged out of bed put the key to the lock and flung the door open angrily as he snapped, "Now how is a guy supposed to get any sleep around here with all this racket going on?"

The ghostly figure before him was dressed in an 1800's style longcoat, a string tie, shoes, pants and a button-up white shirt. His hands and face were a deathly pale. And his eyes glowed an eerie white-blue color. David before he entered noted the Wilbanks couple staring at him in stunned disbelief. David shrugged and said, "What, that ghost is keeping me awake."

David entered and walked up to ghost as he began to moan again. "Excuse me?" David politely inquired.

No response just more moaning. David again asked "Excuse me?"

Again the ghost continued to moan and wail away. "Excuse me!" David said with a touch more irritation.

Once again David got no response. Finally calling forth his magic and touching the ghost on one shoulder he verbally and mentally shouted at the ghost, "HEY!"

The ghost was brought out of his miasma of sorrow with a start. David asked, "Can you keep it down to a low moan? Some of us among the living are trying to sleep here!"

The ghostly man looked on David and said, "Oh lovely, another mortal tourist comes to revel in my misery. Be gone mortal this room is my eternal prison and torment!"

David shook his head and responded with, "Nope, nope, not leaving."

The ghost's eyes flared red as he seemed to expand letting out a shriek of rage as he yelled, "BE GONE MORTAL!"

David sighed and shook his head and said, "Not so loud please, I'm not deaf! And I'm not some ogle-eyed tourist!"

"What?" the ghost asked.

David explained, "I'm a wizard, and I've dealt with poor souls like you who're stuck in this kind of situation. Why do you think I'm able to hear, see, and speak with you so easily?"

The ghost looked surprised, "You've…dealt with my kind before?" he ventured.

David nodded and said, "I have, and I know a lot more about you than you think, Liam Lancaster."

The ghost let out a long sigh of relief. "It's been so long since I heard anyone utter my real name. I can sense it now, you are one who understands the supernatural. Then perhaps it's not too late, the plans of that monster can be stopped after all."

David looked around the room and pulled up a chair. He sat down and pulled out a pen and notepad. David said, "I'm ready when you are, Mr. Lancaster, tell me what you know."

David heard the Wilbanks couple outside whispering. From what little David was able to pick up it was clear they were impressed with David's skill at handling this situation. The ghost began its explanation. "My beloved Josette and I were on our way to Oregon. With the likelihood that Oregon would become a state in the union soon they would need representation. And Mr. Matthew Cardigan saw it as a golden opportunity. I'd been a supervisor for a while at one of his textile plants. And I found to my surprise and delight that we were becoming friends with him and his wife. We were two of the only people who knew that his wife was Egyptian."

That surprised David. I really have to ask my uncle about what he found in my great grandfather's secret diary, he thought.

The ghost continued. "When Mr. Cardigan made me the offer to help oversee his expansion out in Oregon my Josette and I jumped at the chance as it would be a fresh start for us. In hindsight perhaps it might've been better if we'd gone with Mr. Cardigan instead of going off on our own little wagon trail. When we came to Clarksdale we'd meant to stay only a few days. But that's when the nightmare started. People around town started dying of a mysterious plague no one could cure. It was about that time that I started hearing the voices in my head. The ones talking about how everyone was out to get me and that I should kill everyone around me."

David thought for a long moment. "Sounds like a particularly nasty version of my mental suggestion spell."

The man said, "The voices were irresistible…and the things they had me do in the days that followed…were things no ordinary person should ever have to go through! All those murders, the blood, and worst of all, the murder of my sweet Josette when I couldn't control myself! Every day at dawn when I return to the underworld I run for my life from the spirits of those I murdered. And always I hear that same voice, the one who made me commit all those horrible acts laughing at me telling me it's plans to create it's necro-paradise and how I served my purpose."

David said, "Hold on a moment, Mr. Lancaster!"

David closed his eyes and activated his magic detection spell. He opened his eyes and examined the ghost. He spied the inferno red chains glowing with a smoky black aura of energy. David even from where he sat felt the cold down to his soul. Just as I was afraid of, the Cardigan male thought.

David took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Lancaster, I'm afraid you've been the victim of far more than a mental suggestion spell. You're also under a curse spell, a spell only available in the school of necromancy."

"NECROMANCY!"! the ghost yelped. "But doesn't that have to do with the dead?"

David nodded and explained, "I'm afraid so. When you killed yourself all those years ago you played right into the hands of the Necromancer/warlock who cast the spell."

The ghost began to cry in agony and shame at having been used like he had. "Mr. Lancaster…" David said after what seemed a small eternity. "Mr. Lancaster, do you know the name of the one who was responsible for doing this?"

The ghost looked up a pained expression on his face. "I do, but the one responsible cast a spell on me to see that I could never speak his name as much as I wish to."

David mentally swore, Damn, a mental block spell, whoever this character is took that contingency into account.

The ghost said, "I can tell you this. He tried to steal Mr. Cardigan's textile company and that monster almost had me fired. As I understand it, Mr. Cardigan halted his plan and Mr. Cardigan's wife, Taliba, had something to do with it."

David's face paled. No way, tried to steal my great grandfather's company? He thought.

David wanted to whoop in joy. Whoever this character was he may have been doing all that he could to cover his tracks but he hadn't done a good enough job. It was just like captain Moyers had always told David, "Even the best and smartest of perps slip up eventually."

And in this case whoever was responsible for this poor fellow's condition had not completely gagged Liam from telling him about who they were. The mention of the attempted coup at the old Cardigan textile company had made David remember something his uncle had found out from the secret diary of Matthew Cardigan. The ghost noticed David's expression. "Sir, are you well?" he asked.

David looked at the ghost and said, "Mr. Lancaster, you don't realize just how much you've just helped me! Thanks to you I can now truly get to the bottom of this. My uncle can help me find out something from a piece of my family's secret history."

The ghost's face furrowed. "Secret history, who are you, stranger?" the spirit asked genuinely perplexed.

David looked the ghost square in the eye and answered. "My name is David Adam Cardigan."

The ghostly figure's eyes widened in stunned surprise. "Cardigan, did you say, Cardigan…" it asked desperation and potential hope dripping in its words. "Are you related to Mr. Matthew Cardigan?"

David nodded in confirmation. "He was my great grandfather."

A despairing wail ushered from the mourning spirit before he cried, "Has it truly been so long?"

David got his feet and put up his hands in a calming fashion after setting the paper and pen down. "Mr. Lancaster, please, I know this is all quite a shock for you but you must calm down."

"How can I be calm, Mr. Cardigan, when for several generations I've been a wailing spirit cursed and trapped in this place, and my dear sweet Josette is trapped in the pendant I gave her?"

David asked, "Wait, what? What was that about your wife?"

Liam explained, "When he told me of what he'd done he told me of how he'd taken my beloved Josette's spirit as his. When he tried to remove me from my position at Cardigan textiles he tried to seduce my wife. My wife, God bless her, would have nothing to do with him."

David whistled. "Now I think I'm starting to see motivation here for doing what he did! Mr. Lancaster, I give you my word as a wizard, as a detective, and as a Cardigan that I'll find out who committed this grave injustice against you and your wife. I will free the two of you from your curse and make whoever was responsible pay the consequences for what they've done!"

The ghost said, "I believe you can, David Cardigan, just as I believed your great grandfather could do anything. But you must be careful he is very powerful and very dangerous! He has gained control of much of the town and has dark intentions for the students of Indiana A&M."

David said out loud, "Just as I was afraid of, your case and the strange happenings around here are interconnected. But I'll see to it that whatever's happening here is stopped."

The ghost flashed a sad smile. "I believe you can, David Adam Cardigan, but be cautious good wizard. And may God bless your efforts. Should you need me again I will be here. And thank you, for giving me back some hope."

David nodded. "If I have my way, Mr. Lancaster, you and your wife will have more than just hope, you'll have final release to move on. I'll contact you if I need you."

The ghost smiled and vanished. David heard a couple sets of footsteps and saw the Wilbanks couple walk in. When they saw the ghost was gone Ralph asked, "Is Liam gone?"

David shook his head. "No, but he's been given a measure of peace for the moment. But there's no time to waste!" David yawned. "I have to get some sleep. Tomorrow things are going to get interesting. Prepare yourselves Mr. and Mrs. Wilbanks hell is coming to Clarksdale and it isn't going to be pretty."

X X X

The next day David got up and after dressing and having a conversation with his uncle David went out. At the Wilbanks's suggestion he went to a local café which served a pretty good pancakes and sausage. As he ate the locals came in and began talking. David's keen ears picked up the conversations. "Did you hear about Allyson's scare last night?" David heard an older man say.

"You mean Mrs. Christian? I heard something happened." a younger female voice answered.

"Yeah one of poor Allyson's cats, Felix I think it was, got killed last night and whoever it was attacked her. And get this, she claims that whatever it was looked like her granddaughter," the male voice said.

The woman asked, "You mean the one who disappeared from Indiana A&M six months ago and was never found?"

David listened more keenly. "With all the creepy stuff going on in this town I ain't surprised. What's sheriff Miles doin'?"

"That's the disturbin' part, the sheriff just told her she's imagining things. He ordered the police to not investigate it or anything she calls about," the older man said.

David's eyes widened. So the sheriff doesn't want any of the town police investigating. And chances are he's keeping this from the state police also. Between his wife Jezebel and our meeting I'm getting a feeling that Sheriff Gregory Miles most certainly knows more about what's going on than he's telling. Well, it wouldn't be the first time I've had no choice but to bring either a misguided and/or corrupt police officer down. But the pursuit of justice, as Captain Moyers always told me, is not always easy.

David returned to his blueberry pancakes as he continued his train of thought. I think I'm going to have to ask the Wilbanks' about where Miss Allyson Christian lives, I'm thinking this is something worth looking into.

"Poor Mrs. Christian. First her husband has that heart attack, then she loses one of her granddaughters, and now one of her cats." David heard the woman say.

"The good news I hear is that her son is coming in from Indianapolis."

David thought to himself, That could be a fortuitous turn of events. If what I suspect about Mrs. Christian's granddaughter is true then the wisest course of action would be for her son to get her away from here.

David finished and paid for his meal. He quickly returned to the Wilbanks house and got the address of the woman. David was about to leave when his cell phone rang. David picked it up. "Cardigan," he answered.

"Hello, Mr. Cardigan." A familiar and friendly sounding British voice greeted.

"Dr. Harrison, good to hear from you." David greeted.

"Yes, I just wanted to let you know, my team has assembled and I can vouch for the reliability of all of them. We'll be arriving at the Wilbanks Inn this afternoon as planned."

David nodded and explained, "Glad to hear that because we're going to have to get to work right off the bat."

"What's going on?" The Englishman asked.

"Allyson Christian's cat was murdered last night and whatever it was tried to attack her as well. And from what I understand it looked like her granddaughter."

"Young Persephone?" The British college professor asked. "Oh my, this is disturbing information. She was in her second year on the cheerleading squad and quite a bright young lady as her teachers said to me. In that case, we'll hasten our arrival, we'll see you soon."

David nodded and said, "Thanks, professor, I'll talk to you then."

David hung up and looked at Ralph as he explained, "We're about to have more company here at the Inn. Dr. Ben Harrison and his team are coming."

Ralph's eyes widened, "Ben? Well that's good to hear, and anyone Ben brings is okay by me."

David sat in a chair and waited. Around noon Ben Harrison and his team of investigators arrived. And among them David recognized a familiar face. David clasped hands with the young blonde-haired girl he'd met on the bus. "Good to see you again, Lisa." he greeted.

The blonde girl nodded and said, "And you too, Mr. Cardigan, things have just been creepy since I got here."

"How so?" David asked.

"Well, besides the howling from the neighborhood dogs I've heard at night, I swear I've seen what looks like someone or a group of people looking at me. And here's where it gets creepier, it felt like…you'll think this is silly."

Ben Harrison who had been listening said, "Lisa, my dear, be rest assured nothing you say will be scoffed at, please tell us what you felt, it may bear some significant relevance."

"Well…" she explained. "It felt like there were cold hands probing my mind. And I swear there was an eerie red glow from the eyes of whoever was out there. I pushed them away with my abilities but…" And then her face paled as she covered her mouth.

David however caught on and used his magical senses. And that's when he detected them. Psychic abilities, well what do you know. the wizard thought.

David inquired, "Your abilities, you mean your psychic abilities?"

Lisa winced, "Oh damn, the cat's out of the bag. Mom and Dad told me to keep my abilities a secret."

"So that you could fit in?" David asked.

The girl nodded. David said, "Well since we're being honest, Lisa. Let me reveal to you…my little secret."

Seeing a pen in her shirt pocket he pointed a finger at it. The pen floated out and hung in mid-air. Lisa's face widened in surprise as did everyone in the room. "My God, Mr. Cardigan, who or what are you?" Lisa asked in awe.

"I'm a wizard, Lisa, a genuine spell casting wizard! And don't worry we wizards will have nothing to do with demon summoning or bringing back the dead. Those sorts of things go against our code and generally freak us out."

The girl asked, "Why are you telling us this?"

David explained, "Because young lady you and everyone else here need to be made aware of what you're getting into. This is no game of Dungeons and Dragons, this is a dangerous game we're playing, and not everyone in this town is on our side! And before this is done all of you will be facing things the rest of the world is better off not knowing about. So, no matter what happens, what you see in the next few days must be held in absolute secrecy! If the world ever found out the truth about the supernatural…"

The professor nodded in understanding. "There'd be panic in every major city in the U.S," he surmised.

David nodded and said, "Exactly!"

The professor then pointed to a boy with spiky brown hair wearing a Indiana A&M jersey a blue short-sleeved shirt and jeans who looked like he was in good shape. The young man shook hands with David before introducing himself. "Jonathan Frinks, I'm a junior here, and a history major. I first joined Doc Harrison here during the spring term. A girl who I was dating from the cheerleader squad, like Persephone, disappeared during the spring term. She later turned up when I caught her attacking another of the squad."

Another girl, this one having with jet black hair shook hands with David. She said, "Brenda McCormick, I'm a junior here also. My little brother James disappeared here a month ago when he was visiting from Indiana State. When the sheriff wouldn't lift a finger to help me Dr. Harrison approached me."

David nodded and said, "Gentleman and ladies…you're about to enter a world unlike anything you've ever known before. In this world the danger of getting killed is very real, and the chances of losing your soul are very real! If any of you want to back out now and get away from this town I'll not think any worse of you."

The small group of paranormal investigators stood their ground firmly. David nodded and said, "Very well, welcome to my world everyone, but just remember this, if any of you want to live to see the sunrise and your loved ones again…from now on I ask all of you to do exactly as I tell you! Which means if I say run, then run!"

The young man, Jonathan Frinks, said, "I told Doc Harrison, when I wanted in, that I was with him all the way, now I'll tell you the same, I'm with ya' all the way coach Cardigan! I know how to be a team player, you call it, I'll play it!"

Brenda said, "I'm not jumping ship now, I have to find my little brother. I promised my mom that I'd find him, and it's a promise I mean to keep."

Lisa answered, "My brother has always protected me from bullies and people who wanted to hurt me. I know he can sometimes be a jerk but he's still my brother and I want to protect him as well."

Dr. Harrison explained, "As a teacher at Indiana A&M it's part of my responsibility to protect the students here. If there is some kind of paranormal activity here it's my job to record it and find a scientific and logical way to see that this kind of fiasco can never happen again."

David nodded in understanding. "All right, our first task is to head up to Mrs. Christian's. We'll have to proceed with extreme caution. It appears sheriff Miles is deliberately trying to interfere with this investigation. Whatever the reason, we have to consider him part of the proverbial enemy camp."

Brenda said darkly, "After what he pulled earlier last month, that's no problem for me!"

Jonathan said, "Yeah, to tell you the truth something about that guy in recent months had been putting my nerves on edge also."
Lisa nodded and said, "I'll do what I have to do."

Dr. Harrison said, "The van is ready and we can leave whenever you're ready."

David checked his pack and saw all the supernatural equipment he brought from Portland along with his duel disk. Jonathan's keen eyes noted this. "Is that a P.D.L. duel disk, Mr. Cardigan? What's that doing with you."

David smirked and said, "A little something in case our mysterious opponents try something sneaky. Think of this as a trump card."

The athlete and history major shrugged. "Okay."

The group headed out the door.

X X X

As David and the others piled into the van they were unaware of the individual hiding behind a nearby tree watching them. When the van pulled out of the lot the blonde-haired, clean-shaven man wearing a leather coat, blue jeans, and a red and black checkerboard colored flannel shirt took out a crystal and waved a hand over it. A shadowy female figure faded into existence. "Report my servant," The contralto voiced female said a southern accent to her voice apparent.

"Mistress, some of the students and professor Harrison are getting suspicious."

"Dah, let them think what they will!"'

"Great lady, I mean no disrespect, but I feel this might be more serious. David Cardigan is with them."

"What?" she snapped.

The man nodded, "The one the master ordered targeted by Cowl and that force of vampires is here! And in spite of your…special servant's best efforts, from my best guess, I think Cardigan isn't intimidated at all."

The woman thought for a long moment. "Well then we'll have to more firmly explain to him why attempting to stop the new Necromancer paradise is a bad idea! Tonight will be initiation night! I believe one of the new dorms is bringing in some new followers. I shall see that some special surprises await. Mr. Cardigan, will not survive the night! And as for the others I'll have Persephone take care of them!"

The man nodded, "And what of me, mistress, what shall I do?"

The woman said, "Continue to monitor the situation and report back to me in the unlikely event something goes wrong. Rest assured our servants at Indiana A&M shall see you are properly accredited my servant."

The man bowed and said, "By the will of you and the master, my mistress!"

The image from the crystal faded. The man put the crystal back in a pocket and headed off to his vehicle to follow the van.

Uh-oh, looks like things are getting serious here. David's found himself some help but the enemy is on to him and are planning some bad things for David and Dr. Harrison's team. What will David and his allies discover from Mrs. Christian? Will the group be able to survive a possible vampire attack? And what diabolical plan do David's enemies have in store for him? Come back next time for 'Ghosts of the past' part 4. Until next time, read and review, and have a nice day.