by D. S. Butler
I was so startled that for a moment I didn’t move, and then I peered around the corner and said, “What are you doing?”
Jess pressed a finger to her lips and shushed me urgently, and that’s when I heard the voice coming from the hallway.
The visitor was talking to Grandma Grant.
“I’m very sorry to drop in unannounced like this. It’s just that Jessica hasn’t been answering my calls today, and I wanted to make sure she was okay.”
I saw the blood drain from Jess’s face, and it was all I could do to not explode in laughter.
As Grandma Grant led the visitor into the kitchen, Jess froze. Luckily for her, from where she was crouching behind the counter, the new arrival couldn’t see her.
“This is Pete, Jess’s date from last night,” Grandma Grant said, introducing him to me. “And this is Harper, Jess’s sister.”
I walked towards him and held out my hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Jess was just talking about you this morning.”
“Really?” His face lit up, and I felt mean.
He seemed like a nice guy, good-looking in a fresh-faced way. His hair was carefully styled, and he was clean-shaven.
“So, Jessica is okay then?”
I nodded. “Yes. Unfortunately, we got caught up with something this morning, but I’m sure she’ll get back to you as soon as she has the time.”
Pete nodded and looked hopeful. “That is good news. I have to admit after she hurried off so quickly last night, I did think perhaps she wasn’t interested in seeing me again.”
My gaze drifted down to Jess. She really wasn’t being very fair. Poor Pete. I was starting to feel sorry for him.
Unfortunately, Grandma Grant didn’t share my scruples, and she smiled at him. “Why don’t you try chocolates? Jess loves chocolates. You could drop them off here, and I’ll make sure she gets them. We’re very close.”
I shook my head in disbelief.
Jess was now making frantic hand signals beneath the kitchen counter, desperately trying to make us get rid of Pete, but that was easier said than done.
“If you don’t mind, I think I might stick around until Jess gets back,” he said.
Jess made a strange whimpering sound. Pete looked startled and looked around the kitchen for the source of the noise.
I cleared my throat. “I’m not sure that’s a very good idea, Pete. She might not be back for some time, and we don’t actually live here. This is our grandmother’s house.”
Pete smiled cheerfully. “Oh, that’s all right. I don’t mind waiting. Jess mentioned she was coming to your grandmother’s for dinner tonight. So I’m prepared to wait here all day if I have to.”
I desperately tried to think of another way to get rid of him. He seemed quite oblivious to my attempt to get shot of him politely.
But I needn’t have worried. Grandma Grant always had a way to get what she wanted.
“Well,” she said and eyed him critically. “I suppose you could stick around, but I’m about to do a session of my naked yoga, and I’m afraid if you want to stay, you’ll need to participate.”
I shouldn’t have laughed, but I couldn’t help sniggering. Poor Pete didn’t know where to look. His eyes bulged out on stalks, and then he glanced up at the ceiling, refusing to meet Grandma Grant’s gaze.
“Oh, thank you very much for the offer, but… goodness me, is that the time? I really should be going… so sorry to have troubled you. Please, let Jess know I called,” he said, and with that, he scurried off towards the front door.
Chapter 7
After Pete had scarpered, and I managed to dry my tears and stop laughing, Jess and I went back to our cottage. I let her know I thought she was being very mean to Pete, and she promised that she would call him and tell him she didn’t think things would work out between them.
An hour later, I decided to hike back up the hill. I had a shift at the diner that afternoon, so if I didn’t go and look for Yvonne soon, I wouldn’t be able to do it until the evening, and I didn’t fancy stumbling around in the woods in the dark.
As I trudged up the hill, I thought I must be crazy doing the steep walk twice in one day. The scenery was actually quite pleasant, though, and I started to relax, breathing in the sweet scent of blossom. If I wasn’t careful, I might actually start to like exercise. Yeah, maybe not. That wasn’t ever going to happen.
Unfortunately, as soon as I got to the clearing I could see that the forensics team were still there. There were two large vans, and scientists were milling around in white suits. Still, that didn’t stop me looking for Yvonne in the woods, and that was where I suspected she might be anyway.
Walking uphill on the trail had warmed me up, but the temperature underneath the tree canopies was cooler. The wood made me feel like I was entering another world. Even the sound of the ocean was muffled.
I suppose I could have called out Yvonne’s name to try and draw her attention, but I certainly didn’t want to attract the attention of anyone else, so I decided to keep quiet and keep my eyes open.
I made sure that I kept the clearing on my right-hand side at all times. It was so easy to get lost in a dense wood.
I hadn’t gone very far when I experienced the sensation of being watched again. I paused and then very slowly turned around.
There, peeking out from behind a large bush, was the tiny cat from last night.
I had to admit I was very glad to see it was okay.
I kneeled down, being careful not to make any sudden movements that could startle the cat.
“Did you eat that tuna fish I left you last night?”
The cat tilted his head and looked up at me with its big, green eyes.
Considering it was a stray, it was remarkably well-groomed. It had gleaming black fur apart from a slight smudge of white beside its nose.
Just when I thought I might be able to get a little closer and gain the cat’s trust, I heard a loud wail.
The cat heard it too and darted for cover.
I stood up quickly and looked around. I don’t know why I hadn’t spotted her before, but only a few feet away, hovering beside an overturned log, was Yvonne.
I approached her slowly, almost the same way as I had the cat. The last thing I wanted to do was give Yvonne any excuse to dart off into the shrubbery.
But Yvonne didn’t move. In fact, she raised her head and stared hard at me as I walked forward.
I stopped a short distance away and said softly, “Yvonne, I’m so glad I found you.”
Yvonne’s eyes narrowed, and she pursed her lips, looking me up and down.
Finally, she said, “So you can see me at least. Nobody else can.”
This was always the tricky part — telling someone who’d just died they were a ghost. Sometimes, they didn’t want to believe it.
“No one else can see you because you’re a ghost, Yvonne,” I said carefully, not wanting to alarm her.
Yvonne shook her head impatiently. “I know that.”
I nodded. That was good. She knew she was a ghost, at least. That was a positive start.
“Oh, I’m glad you realized. I thought it might be hard to break the news.”
Yvonne made an impatient gesture and said, “I’m floating a foot off the ground, and I’m partially transparent. I’d say that was a rather large clue, wouldn’t you?”
“Well, I suppose when you put it like that… But it must have been a shock. Do you remember what happened?”
Yvonne pulled a face and shook her head. “I’ve been trying to remember, but I can’t. There’s nothing there.” She raised a hand to tap her forehead, but her hand traveled right through her head, and she grimaced.
I supposed that would take some getting used to.
“So you can’t remember who killed you?”
Yvonne’s eyes widened dramatically. “Someone killed me?”
I waited for a moment before answering. What did she think had happened? Surely, she had seen the forensic crime scene officers
crawling all over the cabin.
I nodded. “Yes, that’s why all those people are at the cabin now. They are trying to find out who did it. Do you remember?”
Yvonne shook her head, and I sighed. Of course, she couldn’t remember. That would be too easy, wouldn’t it?
Since Yvonne didn’t look like she was about to bolt, and didn’t appear to be scared of me at all, I decided to sit down on the log beside her.
She was quiet for a moment. I didn’t bother her with any more questions. I waited for her to process the fact she’d been murdered.
“How was I killed?” she asked eventually.
I grimaced, not really wanting to tell her, but I supposed she had the right to know. “I think you were strangled with your scarf.”
Yvonne’s face took on an indignant expression. “My scarf? My Hermes scarf?” She looked absolutely scandalized.
I nodded. I wasn’t sure why she seemed more upset over the fact someone had dared to touch her expensive fashion accessory than the fact someone had taken her life.
“What I don’t understand is, why am I still here? Am I being punished? I can’t imagine what I’ve done to be punished? I was always good and kind to everybody.”
I raised an eyebrow. Well, that was certainly a matter for debate, but I wasn’t going to argue about it now.
“I’m not an expert, but I think sometimes people stick around as ghosts until things are resolved.”
“Until they find my killer, you mean?”
I nodded, and Yvonne took a moment to think things over.
She turned to me and looked at me intently. “How come you can see me when nobody else can?”
That was a good question. One I didn’t really have the answer to. At least I didn’t have a short answer. “I’m… Different.”
Yvonne raised an eyebrow. “You’re weird.”
I scowled. How come I never got to help polite ghosts? Why did I always get the mean ones?
I folded my arms and stood up. I was very tempted to leave Yvonne exactly where I’d found her.
* * *
I didn’t leave Yvonne there, of course. I wasn’t cruel. I decided to give her some leeway, since she had only just become a ghost and the transition must have been difficult.
“I have to go to work at the diner this afternoon. You can come with me if you like, or you can stay here. But I’m the only one who’s going to be able to see you and hear what you say, so I think it’s a good idea if you stick with me.”
Yvonne shrugged. “Well, it’s not like I’ve got anything better to do.”
It didn’t seem as though I was going to get any thanks from Yvonne. I was going to have to lower my expectations.
I started to retrace my route through the woods. “Come on then, it’s this way, back to the trail.”
Yvonne floated beside me, bombarding me with questions about being a ghost, most of which I couldn’t answer.
I did the best I could, though.
We were almost back at the trail when Yvonne floated through a tree. “Oh, my! That felt very peculiar!”
I almost envied Yvonne the ability to zoom through the trees like she did. As I climbed over tree roots and patches of nettles, trying to keep up with Yvonne, I got very out of breath.
Huffing and puffing, we finally emerged on the trail.
Yvonne turned to me, looking at me critically. “Really, Harper, you’re not very fit. You really should exercise more.”
I managed to bite my tongue, but I was liking Yvonne less and less, and I hadn’t liked her very much to start with anyway.
I decided I didn’t have time to go home before work, so we headed straight for the diner, and as we walked —well, I walked, and Yvonne hovered— I attempted to explain about Loretta, the diner’s resident ghost.
“You’ll like Loretta,” I said, although I knew that was stretching things. Loretta was definitely a no-nonsense type of ghost, and it was more likely that she and Yvonne would hate each other on sight. I knew it was cruel of me, but I actually hoped Loretta might put Yvonne in her place and make her a little easier to deal with.
“Loretta has been a ghost for years, and she lives at the diner. She should be able to explain things to you, things I don’t understand. I’m sure she can help.”
“She’s been a ghost for years?”
“Yes, that’s right. She’s an old hand at this whole being a ghost thing. She’ll be able to answer all your questions.”
Yvonne shook her head. “That’s not what I mean. Are you telling me I’m going to be stuck like this? Will I be a ghost for years?”
“I don’t think so. I think when you get everything resolved, you’ll move on.”
“Then why is Loretta still a ghost? Did they never find her killer?”
I shook my head. “It’s not any of my business. You can ask her yourself if you like. But you might be taking your life into your own hands. Loretta doesn’t like people prying into her business.”
Yvonne shook her head as she hovered beside me, muttering about how unfair the situation was.
As we left the trail and started to walk through a quiet residential area, I turned to Yvonne.
“Now, I know you have a lot of questions, and you want to talk to me because I’m the only person who can see you, but I can’t talk to you in public because I’ll look like a complete nutcase. I don’t want anyone to hear or see me interacting with you, do you understand?”
“I’m not stupid,” Yvonne snapped.
“Fine. I just thought I’d warn you. When we are in the diner, I won’t talk to you, okay?”
Yvonne nodded. “Fine.”
“Loretta will keep you busy, and once we get back to my house, tonight, you can ask all the questions you want.”
Yvonne took my advice to heart as we walked along Main Street and didn’t talk to me at all.
I caught her eye as I pushed open the door to the diner and tried to give her a small reassuring smile, but she didn’t look too anxious. Perhaps that was because she hadn’t yet met Loretta.
The diner was quiet, thankfully, and as I rushed into the back room to get ready, Loretta floated through the wall.
She looked down her nose at Yvonne. “Oh, I see you’ve brought me another little pet.”
Yvonne immediately bristled. “I’m nobody’s pet!”
I held up my hands. “Don’t start. I need you two to get along. Loretta, Yvonne is a very new ghost. She only died a few hours ago, so she’ll probably have a lot of questions for you. I would really be grateful if you could keep an eye on her for me. I wouldn’t trust anyone else. Nobody knows more about being a ghost than you.”
Despite herself, Loretta preened at my compliment. “Well, I suppose that is true. I’m sure I could clear my schedule to spare a little time for Yvonne.”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” Yvonne muttered moodily.
I shot her a death glare and then turned back to Loretta, “Thank you very much, Loretta. I really appreciate it.”
And then I rushed out of the back room, reaching for my apron and heading off to find Archie in the kitchen.
The diner started to fill up not long after I left the two ghosts to their own devices, and Archie and I were rushed off our feet. I didn’t really have much time to dwell on Yvonne’s predicament. I was glad I had Loretta to help me look after her. Whatever Yvonne believed, a new ghost did need babysitting as far as I was concerned.
I was serving a customer a large slice of coconut supreme pie, when Loretta rushed through the diner, zoomed up to me and hissed in my ear. “That woman is unbearable!”
And before I could react, she was off again, floating back through the wall. I guessed she was going to sulk in the stockroom. That’s what she always did when she was angry.
For goodness sake. Why couldn’t they have gotten along for a little while? Was it really so hard to be civil to each other? I didn’t have time for tantrums. I had another two orders waiting for me at the kitchen hatch.
>
I served my other customers as quickly as I could and topped up their drinks before going in search of Yvonne.
She was hovering in the back room where I’d left her.
“What did you do?” I demanded.
“Me? Why do you immediately assume it was me?”
“Because Loretta was prepared to help you and answer your questions, so you must’ve done something to upset her.” I folded my arms over my chest. “So tell me what you did?”
Yvonne looked sulky. “Nothing. I just mentioned she might want to update her wardrobe a little bit.”
I shook my head and looked at Yvonne in disbelief. Out of all the possible things she could have talked to Loretta about…she chose to criticize her outfit. Unbelievable.
Besides, Loretta didn’t really have any choice in her outfit. If Yvonne had given Loretta time to explain the realities of existing as a ghost, she would have known that.
“If you’re a ghost, you can’t update your wardrobe. You always appear how you looked on the day you died.”
A look of absolute horror passed over Yvonne’s face. “What? But I had a slice of chocolate cake last night. I can still see the bulge in my stomach. Are you telling me I will have this bulge forever? I would never have eaten it if I’d known!”
I had no idea how to answer that. Some people had their priorities seriously twisted.
“Yvonne, I think that is the least of your problems right now. Let’s focus. You are a ghost, and we need to find out who killed you, so you can find peace and move on. A slight increase in your waistline is not important.”
Yvonne peered down at her belly. “Oh, so you noticed it, too. I knew I shouldn’t have had that cake!”
Chapter 8
I did my best to avoid Yvonne after that. I think she picked up on the fact she’d annoyed me because she stayed pretty quiet for the next hour or so.
About an hour before my shift ended, Jess popped in to see me. She stopped by the counter and waved to Archie through the kitchen hatch while she waited for me to finish serving a customer.
