The Secrets of Ghosts

by Sarah Painter

  ‘How can you possibly know that?’ Katie didn’t see any reason to inform her uncle that Max was almost certainly not going to be kissing her again any time soon.

  ‘Honey, I was him,’ Cam said. ‘He’s young and randy and ready to sleep with anything that moves.’

  Katie said, ‘Ew, gross,’ at the same time as Gwen said, ‘Anything?’

  ‘You just have to remember that he’ll be doing all his thinking with his—’

  Gwen stepped quickly away from Cam. She looked outraged. ‘I didn’t have you pegged as sexist.’

  ‘What?’ Cam said. ‘I just don’t want Katie to get hurt. Men like that—’

  ‘Maybe she just wants to have fun, too. Did you ever think of that? Women like sex, too, you know.’

  ‘Oh, God,’ Katie said, practically running for the door. ‘This conversation is not happening.’

  ‘You don’t need to be ashamed of your sexuality or your needs,’ Gwen called after her.

  ‘Bye,’ Katie said. ‘Thanks for the lemonade. Gotta go.’

  Katie was relieved to find that Max had made it out to the main road. She didn’t really want him to hear Gwen giving her advice on her love life. He was leaning against her car, looking queasy.

  ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘I will be when you tell me what all this is really about. I keep waiting for the other shoe.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Katie put on her most innocent face. If he asked her outright about hexes, she wasn’t sure she could lie convincingly.

  ‘I don’t know.’ Max shook his head as if clearing his thoughts. ‘I just expected some kind of con, I guess.’

  ‘Isn’t that your thing?’

  ‘It’s what I was brought up doing. My dad trained me in this stuff. He had me running cons when I was still at primary school. It’s not just what was expected, it was the only thing that was expected. You have no idea what that’s like.’

  ‘You’re not a kid any more. You have a choice.’

  ‘And I’m choosing to change. I’m turning over a new leaf. I’m not conning any more.’

  ‘Turning over a new leaf? That sounds like something in progress. Something that you could just flip back whenever you decide it’s all a bit too hard or too boring.’

  ‘If I’d said “turned over a new leaf” you’d have accused me of arrogance.’

  Katie fought the sudden urge to smile. ‘Probably. But at least you’d have sounded more committed. Conning makes everything easy. I bet you’ve never done anything the hard way in your life.’

  Max’s face went blank and his voice matched. ‘And you’d know about hardship. Pretty little rich girl living in the badlands of Pendleford.’ He gestured to End House. ‘You have no idea.’

  ‘Well, at least you’re being honest, now,’ Katie managed.

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Max ran a hand over his face. ‘I don’t know why I said that. Maybe I do have concussion.’ He tried a smile but it didn’t sit. ‘It’s not been the easiest week.’ He looked tired and worried and Katie felt a stab of sympathy.

  Katie drove into town and dropped Max off at the Cosy Inn. ‘Get some sleep,’ she said as he got out of the car.

  Chapter 6

  Katie headed to the kitchen for an afternoon break. Jo often tried out the menu for the next day during the afternoon lull, and Katie was always happy to help her taste it. She found Anna sitting up on the counter in a shocking health-code violation. She was just about to warn her when Jo appeared from the walk-in fridge and gave Anna a look that could melt steel. Anna slid off the counter.

  ‘Out,’ Jo said. ‘I’m working.’

  ‘I’m just getting a Fab,’ Katie said, changing plans. ‘Do you want one?’ Jo had bought Katie a catering-size pallet of her favourite ice lollies for her birthday and they had to stay in the hotel until she got the numbers down. She couldn’t fit more than ten in her freezer compartment at home.

  ‘Are you going to need help with that?’ Anna said, nodding at the plate of cheese Jo was carrying.

  Jo tilted her head slightly and narrowed her eyes.

  ‘We were just going,’ Katie said, hastily, pulling Anna by the arm. ‘See you later.’

  Outside, Katie shook her head. ‘I thought she was going to throw that plate at you.’

  ‘She’s too uptight,’ Anna said, squinting at the cloudless sky. ‘And on such a beautiful day.’

  ‘She’s really nice when you get to know her,’ Katie said. ‘And you shouldn’t annoy her when she’s working.’

  ‘I work without getting all arsey.’

  Katie turned her face to the sun. ‘The kitchen is her space. She doesn’t deal well with others in there. It’s fair enough, really.’ The sun on her face was reminding her of the warmth of Max in the garden, his face in shade with the sun lighting up the tips of his dark curls, revealing hints of red. The scent of mown grass and musk.

  ‘What?’

  Katie opened her eyes to see Anna looking at her questioningly.

  ‘Nothing.’

  ‘Nothing, my arse. Spill it.’

  ‘Okay, down there, though.’ Katie moved away from the kitchen window and around to the side of the hotel. She handed Anna a Fab and unwrapped her own. ‘Max kissed me.’

  ‘Max? The poker player?’

  ‘Mmm,’ Katie said, and bit some of the white coating and sprinkles off her lolly.

  ‘I thought you said he was dodgy.’

  Katie couldn’t stop herself from smiling. ‘Oh, he is. He’s a con man. He told me.’

  ‘That doesn’t sound very stealthy.’ Anna looked confused. ‘Is he staying?’

  ‘I doubt it,’ Katie said. ‘I was just seizing the day, you know. Well, he was seizing the day and I was letting him.’ She felt some of her good mood evaporate.

  ‘Well, I’m glad. It’s nice that you finally fancy someone. I was starting to think you needed hormone treatment or something.’

  ‘Hey. I fancy people,’ Katie said, stung. ‘I want Jon Snow to put down his massive sword and do borderline illegal things to me.’

  Anna laughed. ‘Game of Thrones doesn’t count.’

  ‘I’ve loved James Stewart since I was six.’

  ‘Ew. Neither do dead film stars. I mean real people. You don’t fancy real people. I was beginning to worry about you.’

  ‘I fancy people,’ Katie said. ‘I’ve had boyfriends.’ Kind of.

  ‘Not in the time I’ve known you,’ Anna said. ‘It’s not natural.’

  ‘There’s more to life than sex, you know,’ Katie said.

  Anna gave her a long look. ‘Who said anything about sex? No wonder it’s on your mind, though. You must be frustrated. Have you got a Rabbit?’

  Katie stuck her fingers in her ears. ‘La, la, la.’

  ‘When was your last relationship?’

  Katie pretended to think, as if there’d been more than one. ‘Stuart. We were together for nearly a year. He was really nice. Steady. Reliable.’

  ‘Sounds like you’re describing a car. What happened?’

  Katie shrugged. ‘Just fizzled out, really.’ Not that it had ever been on fire, Katie thought. When she’d tried to talk to Stuart about their problems in bed, he’d said that everything was fine, that some people just weren’t very sexual.

  ‘Mmm. You’re so due a grand passion.’ Anna took a big bite of her lolly and winced. ‘Too cold,’ she said around the ice.

  ‘I definitely shouldn’t be kissing men I only just met, though. That’s a bad idea. Passion doesn’t mean putting myself at risk.’

  ‘Strangers are just friends we don’t know yet.’

  Katie raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you trying to make me vomit?’

  ‘It’s a fridge magnet.’

  ‘Oh, well,’ Katie said, trying to lighten the mood again. ‘You can’t argue with a fridge magnet.’

  Anna pointed her lolly at Katie. ‘Exactly.’

  *

  Back downstairs, Katie was trying not to look at Max, but every time
she walked into the bar area to get a drinks order for the restaurant her gaze seemed to rest, immediately, on him. She told herself that she was keeping a professional eye on him, just in case he was under some kind of hex, but she knew that wasn’t true. He was talking to one of the temp staff, a girl with a smooth honey-blonde bob. He was relaxed and smiling, and she was laughing at something he’d said, looking up at him as if he were a god.

  Katie poured a glass of white wine, wishing she could slug one back herself, and opened a bottle of Coke. She carried the tray back through, hoping that Max was watching her, too. Would he glance up and watch her walk out of the room? Gwen had always said that intuition was something you could train, like a muscle in the body. Katie had thought hers was pretty good, but now it seemed to have deserted her.

  She was at the exit when a communal gasp made her stop and turn round. An unoccupied table in the middle of the bar was floating. Levitating. People were shoving their own chairs back and standing, gasps and shouts and nervous laughter. Then it crashed down, tipping onto its side and teetering for a moment before falling onto the floor.

  Katie hurried over to put the table back up and bumped into Max, who was doing the same. Patrick was waving his arms around and telling everyone not to worry, it had been a trick of the light. One of the temp staff from the agency, a guy Katie didn’t recognise, picked up the table and carried it out of the room, as if it were a naughty toddler.

  ‘Trick of the light, my arse,’ Katie said under her breath.

  ‘Pardon?’ Max said.

  ‘Nothing.’

  ‘Who was nearest the table?’ Max said.

  ‘I don’t know. Maybe her?’ Katie looked around, but the punters had mostly stood up and moved places. Katie hadn’t been paying all that much attention to them before and it was impossible to remember who had been where.

  She spotted Violet, standing next to an older man and woman who must be her parents. They were dressed in neatly pressed shirts and beige chinos and looked utterly ordinary next to Violet in her flapper dress. Katie looked harder. The same vintage-style dress she’d been wearing at the wedding.

  ‘Excuse me,’ Katie said to Max and crossed the room. ‘Pretty exciting, huh?’ she said to Violet. ‘Listen, I don’t know if you saw who was near the table just now. Was anybody touching it?’

  Violet’s mother gave her a quizzical look. ‘I’m sorry, are you speaking to me?’

  ‘Um, maybe. Did you see anything?’

  ‘I just saw a table fall over,’ Violet’s mother said at the same time as Violet said, ‘No one was touching it.’

  Katie looked from Violet to her mother. They really looked nothing alike. And Violet was still wearing that beaded headband thing.

  ‘Excuse us.’ Patrick had hold of her elbow and was steering her away. ‘What are you doing?’ he whispered. ‘You’ll alarm the clientele.’

  ‘It’s okay, I’ve talked to her before. She won’t mind.’

  ‘I mind,’ Patrick said.

  ‘Fine.’ Katie pulled her arm away from Patrick. ‘I’m going outside for some fresh air.’

  On the patio outside the French doors, the wisteria flowers were tumbling in profusion from the vines that climbed the side of the building. The sun was low in the sky, casting a warm honey glow over the view. Katie took a deep breath and told herself that arguing with her boss was not the smartest move.

  There was a gust of cold air and Violet appeared next to her. Katie blinked. Violet had actually appeared next to her. She hadn’t walked out from the dining room or from the side of the hotel. ‘Violet?’

  ‘I think it might’ve been done with wires. Like puppetry.’

  ‘I don’t see how that would work. And who would do that anyway?’

  ‘Parlour trick. I once saw a medium make a table fly. We were all sitting in a circle, channelling our energy, but still. Larks.’

  ‘But why?’

  ‘The medium wanted us to believe she had magical powers, of course.’

  ‘No, I mean, in there. Why would anyone set up wires to make a table tip over?’

  ‘Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, you know.’ Max wandered through the French doors, a bottle of beer in one hand.

  ‘I’m talking to—’ Katie said as she turned to indicate Violet, but she’d gone. Disappeared.

  ‘So, what do you reckon that’s all about?’ Max jerked his head backwards.

  ‘Huh?’ Katie looked left and right and then turned to look out across the lawn. No Violet. She couldn’t have walked back through the French doors because Max had been coming that way and Katie had been watching him do it.

  It was simple. Either Violet was a powerful wizard who was capable of vanishing into thin air or she was a master of disguise and had thrown on a cunning costume in the seconds Katie had been turned away and was now camouflaged as a planter or a deckchair. Or, the third option. Violet was a ghost.

  ‘Excuse me?’ Violet was standing next to them, as if she’d just appeared there.

  Max rubbed his arms and peered up into the cloudless sky. ‘That’s weird. It just got really cold.’

  ‘You’re a ghost,’ Katie said to Violet.

  ‘Rather blunt, don’t you think?’ Violet said. ‘What if I didn’t already know? That would be quite a shock.’

  ‘What?’ Max said. ‘Hang on, who are you talking to?’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Katie said.

  ‘That’s all right.’ Violet sniffed. Then she disappeared again.

  Max was peering at her. ‘Katie?’

  ‘I’ve got to go,’ Katie said. She didn’t feel faint. She didn’t even feel frightened. She just had to get away so that she could think. She headed away from the terrace and through the gardens.

  That was no hallucination. She had just met a ghost. She could talk to ghosts.

  She found herself at the vast ornamental pond and sat on its low stone border. She stared at the lily pads and the encroaching algae and pond skaters and let the elation run through her. It was like electricity, starting at her toes and buzzing through to the top of her head. She could talk to ghosts. She was a Harper.

  Chapter 7

  Max followed her into the garden. ‘What was that? Are you trying to make me believe that there is something ghostly going on here?’ He looked tense. The dangerous, predatory look was back and Katie fought the urge to get up and run.

  ‘I’m not trying to make you believe anything,’ Katie said. ‘You followed me.’

  ‘Katie?’ She looked towards the hotel and saw Patrick Allen barrelling towards them, looking like a man on a mission.

  ‘Oh, come on,’ Max said. ‘This is practically “haunting for dummies”. A flying table, broken china, billowing curtains, you pretending to talk to thin air. All you need now are creepy twin girls saying “redrum” and you’re sorted.’

  ‘I’m not doing anything,’ Katie said. ‘Those things are happening. I just happen to be nearby when they do. Don’t get all over-excited with that cause and effect business.’

  Patrick reached them and scowled at Max. ‘What are you doing here?’

  Max held his hands up. ‘Not a thing.’

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Katie asked Patrick. He was redder than usual and breathing heavily.

  ‘Not in front of—’ Patrick gestured to Max.

  ‘Don’t worry. I don’t think he’s your target audience.’

  Patrick nodded. ‘True. I think The Grange is out of his price range.’

  ‘I’m standing right here,’ Max said, but he looked more relaxed. Katie wasn’t fooled.

  ‘I was hoping you could help,’ Patrick said. He turned to Max. ‘Could you give us a moment, please? This is a private matter?’

  Max shrugged and walked away a couple of steps.

  ‘Okay,’ Katie said. ‘What’s up?’

  Patrick glanced at Max, who had turned his back and was studying the lily pond. ‘I don’t know. It seems as if something a little out of the ordinary is going on.
Maybe something…’ Patrick lowered his voice to a whisper ‘…supernatural.’

  ‘I don’t see what I can do,’ Katie said, truthfully enough.

  ‘Oh, come, I know your family. If you can’t help me, perhaps you can ask your aunt on my behalf.’

  ‘Ask her yourself,’ Katie said. She wished she could take the words back. If Patrick Allen asked for Gwen’s help, Gwen would feel duty-bound to say yes even though she hated the man. Gwen was big on duty.

  Patrick had the grace to look slightly ashamed. ‘I don’t think she’d help me. I’ve not always been, um…’ He paused, then tried again. ‘We’ve not always seen eye to eye.’

  Katie nodded, acknowledging the truth of his statement. After a pause, she added, ‘So?’

  ‘Please.’ Patrick seemed to force the word out. ‘Everyone says that you’re like Gwen. Please help me. I can’t afford to lose any more guests. The restaurant is due to be assessed for an AA Rosette, which would put us on the map, and I’m trying different events to bring in more customers, but it’ll all be for nothing if I can’t stop this nonsense. We’re a boutique hotel — we offer spa treatments and afternoon tea. I can’t have this—’

  ‘Do you have any enemies?’ Max said, turning around.

  ‘I beg your pardon?’

  ‘Have you made any enemies in the hotel trade?’ Max said, speaking more slowly.

  ‘You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs,’ Patrick said. He puffed his chest out, a sure sign he was about to make a proclamation of some kind. ‘Show me a businessman without any enemies and I’ll show you a destitute one.’

  ‘I’m not criticising you,’ Max said. ‘Just making a point. Mind you, it’s a bit of an odd way to go. I would’ve thought a touch of food poisoning in the kitchens would be more effective. That’d shut you down—’ Max clicked his fingers ‘—like that.’

  ‘What do you know?’ Patrick said, looking wary and not a little angry.

  ‘Lots of things,’ Max said. ‘I know about cons, scams and hoaxes. I bet you’ll find you’ve got a disgruntled ex-employee or a business rival.’

  ‘It’s possible, I suppose,’ Patrick said.

  ‘That does seem most likely,’ Katie said. ‘I mean—’ she forced a short laugh ‘—it’s hardly going to be haunted, is it?’