The Haunting of Jeanie Brown

The anniversary date of Jeanie Brown’s death would be coming up on June 3, 1945.  It had been nineteen years since the night Tom Brown and Ned Carter set a plan to rob Jim and Jeanie of the money her father had given to them as part of their wedding gift. During the robbery Ned was supposed to kill Jim Banks. But the plan had gone wrong because neither Tom, nor Ned could have predicted that their infallible plan would be interrupted by a summer storm. 

Nineteen Years Earlier

Yorkville, South Carolina

June 3, 1926

Ned and Tom

Ned waited in the shadow of trees and bushes at a bend in the road that he knew Jim and Jeanie would be traveling. (Just like Tom had told him to do.)  It began to rain, yet Ned stayed to carry out the plan.  However, by the time Jim and Jeanie got to the spot where Ned was, the thunder and lightening had gotten so bad it spooked their horses and the buggy flew by so fast, there was no way Ned could catch up to stop them.  So he decided on another plan without Tom’s help.  He followed them into town staying out of sight. He saw them run into the Yorkville Inn. Since the first plan fell through, Ned was trying to decide what to do next.  He wished Tom could be there to tell him his next move but Tom wasn’t there, so he had to make a decision on his own.

Ned sneaked around in back of the rooming house and found the back door unlocked.  He quietly walked in and hid in the shadows under the stairway. He watched as Jim and Jeanie walked up the stairs to their room. He was still under the stairway trying to think of what he should do next when he heard Jim coming back down.  Ned watched as Jim turned to go toward the kitchen. Now’s my chance he thought. Maybe I can talk some sense into Jeanie.  Ned knocked on the door; Jeanie thought it was Jim--although, he had not been gone long enough to get food. He wants just one more kiss, she thought; and smiled as she opened the door. Her smile quickly faded when she saw it was Ned Carter.  She asked, “What are you doing here? Ned did not answer; he pushed past her and walked into the room. Looking the room over he said, “I have often wondered what a Honeymoon-suite looked like.” Jeanie replied, “Well now you know; now will you please leave?”  Ned said, “I’ll leave only-- if you’ll come with me.”  Jeanie laughed and kept laughing until Ned grabbed her by the arms and told her to stop laughing at him!  He said that her father had sent him to bring her home!  Jeanie said, “I don’t believe you!  Now, I’m asking you again to leave before Jim gets back or there will be trouble.” Ned just stood there smiling then he reached behind him and from a pouch that was hooked onto his belt he pulled out a large knife. He told Jeanie that if she did not leave with him right then-- That he would wait for Jim and gut him like an animal.  Jeanie knew by looking into Ned’s eyes that he meant to do just what he said.  Jeanie pleaded with him not to hurt Jim.  She told Ned that she was going to have a baby, Jim’s baby. “You are lying to me to save Jim.”