by Bobbi Holmes
“Boy Dani, you sure know how to change the subject!”
“How did you get here, Lily?” Danielle asked.
“How did I get here?” Lily contemplated the question for a moment. “I don’t know. I suppose I walked. Maybe my car is across the street at Ian’s. I did stop there first.”
Danielle started to ask Lily another question when her cellphone began to ring. She stood up briefly, pulled it from her back pocket, and glanced at it.
“It’s your mother,” Danielle told Lily as she sat back down.
“Oh, I wonder if she’s mad at me for playing hooky at work,” Lily said with a sigh.
“Did your mother know you were coming here?” Danielle asked, not yet answering the phone.
“I don’t know,” Lily said impatiently. “Why do you keep asking me all these silly questions?”
Danielle took a deep breath and then answered her phone. “Hello, Mrs. Miller.”
Lily sat at the desk watching Danielle, while Walt took the chair next to Danielle and sat down. After her initial hello, Danielle sat quietly—her expression blank—listening to what Lily’s mother had to say. Finally, she said, “Oh my god…” and closed her eyes briefly.
“What is wrong? Is mother okay?” Lily asked, standing up quickly. “Here, let me talk to her.”
“I am sure your mother is fine. Let Danielle talk to her,” Walt said, looking from Danielle to Lily.
“How do you know that? Why did Mom call her and not me?”
“Where is your phone, Lily?” Walt asked.
“My phone?” Lily glanced around. “Gee, I’m not really sure.” Lily sat back down, looking confused.
After a few more moments of silently listening to Mrs. Miller on the phone, Danielle said, “No, let me tell him. I had breakfast with him this morning, and he’s running errands. I’d rather we be alone when he hears.”
“Are you talking about Ian?” Lily asked. “What does my mother need to tell him? I bet she’s mad at me for coming back here. She probably thinks I’m chasing him! I bet she didn’t believe me when I told her he was moving down to California to be near me. A summer fling. That’s what she called it.”
Somber, Danielle said goodbye to Mrs. Miller and promised to call her back. Turning her phone off, Danielle dropped it to the floor and looked at Lily.
“Well? What did Mom say? And why didn’t you let me talk to her?”
“Lily,” Danielle said quietly, “you really need to focus, and try and remember how you got here. Why you are here.”
“I don’t know.” Lily sighed. “Like I said, maybe I walked.”
“All the way from Sacramento?” Danielle asked.
“Okay, tell me what my mother wanted.” Lily insisted.
“First, Lily, I need to introduce you to Walt Marlow,” Danielle said wearily.
“Walt Marlow?” Lily frowned and glanced at Walt. “Did you tell him about Walt?”
“Him is Walt Marlow,” Danielle explained.
Lily narrowed her eyes and glanced from Danielle to Walt, back to Walt again. “What are you talking about?”
“Take a good look Lily, you’ve seen his portrait. You met him in your dreams. And he didn’t walk in here a few minutes ago, did he? He just appeared.”
“No.” Lily looked at Walt and shook her head. “No, you can’t be Walt Marlow. Walt Marlow is dead. I can’t see ghosts. And Cheryl could only see ghosts after she…after she…” Lily paused; she looked wildly from Walt to Danielle. “No…No…it can’t be! I AM NOT DEAD!”
Chapter Four
Walt and Danielle sat quietly in the parlor watching Lily pace back and forth, talking to herself as if she were trying to work out a puzzle. Her left hand absently twirled a lock of red hair while her right hand punched and pointed into the air erratically.
“I’m glad to see she hasn’t gotten hysterical like your cousin did,” Walt whispered.
“I just can’t believe this,” Danielle said softly, her eyes filling with tears as she watched her best friend arguing with herself. “I don’t want to lose Lily.”
“You don’t have to lose her,” Walt said. “She could stay with us.”
“No, Walt. This isn’t where she belongs, if she is…is…” Danielle closed her eyes and stifled a sob.
“Well she obviously is,” Walt said calmly.
Lily stopped abruptly and turned to Walt and Danielle. “I’m not dead. I don’t feel dead. Tell me again, Dani, what my mother told you.”
“She said you had a car accident. You were returning from your girls’ weekend and your car ran into a semi and burst into flames. They said you were speeding—going over 100 miles an hour.”
“That’s ridiculous. I don’t speed!” Lily took the chair behind the desk again and sat down.
“Do you remember driving home?” Danielle asked.
“I guess…” Lily closed her eyes for a moment and tried to remember. “It’s funny, until you mentioned it, I had forgotten all about the weekend. I’m not even sure how I got back here. At the time, it just seemed like the most natural thing…but it is all very confusing.”
“Yes, it can be like that. At least it was for me,” Walt said with a nod. “After I was murdered things were hazy and out of sync. At the time, I just accepted it all—didn’t question it—not really. It was not until I acknowledged my death—accepted it—did things come into focus. I stepped out of the fog.”
“I am not dead. I refuse to be dead!”
“Lily, I think it will help if you try to remember. What is your last memory of your trip?” Danielle asked gently.
“Well…I remember putting my suitcase in the car. Dreading the long drive home.”
“Okay, then what?”
“Oh I know!” Lily said excitedly.
“What?” Walt and Danielle chorused.
“We all went to the Indian casino the night before and I won over five thousand bucks! How could I have forgotten that?” Lily’s momentary burst of excitement faded into a frown. “Oh crap, don’t tell me it was burned with my car…”
“Focus on your ride home, after putting your suitcase in your car,” Danielle urged.
“I remember getting on the freeway…then…”
“Then what?” Danielle asked.
Lily shook her head and said, “That’s when it gets really fuzzy. I can’t remember much after getting on the freeway.”
“Your mother did say that’s where you were killed,” Walt reminded.
“I know, but I don’t speed. I mean seriously, me driving over 100 miles an hour. I don’t think so.”
“It was your car, Lily,” Danielle said. “According to your mother there was only one person in the vehicle—a woman. They found your purse not far from the wreckage, with your identification. It must have flown out of the car before the explosion.”
“And the woman in the car was definitely me? My mother said that?”
“I’m sorry, Lily. She didn’t sound like there was any doubt. I’m sure they’ve done what they had to, to verify your identity. I didn’t ask her about it. I was just trying to wrap my head around things.”
“I don’t remember speeding or any accident. Although…” Lily paused and rubbed her head.
“What is it?” Danielle asked.
“My head. I remember. Something hit my head. It hurt and then….then everything gets mixed up.”
“Maybe you hit your head during the accident?” Danielle suggested.
“The only reason you two think I’m dead is because I can see Walt! Dani can see Walt, and she’s not dead. I obviously have some sort of amnesia because I can’t remember how I got here exactly. But it doesn’t mean I’m dead. Maybe I did get hit over the head somehow and because of it, it’s possible for me to see Walt, like Dani does.”
“There are other ways to determine if you…if you have passed over to my side.”
“Such as?” Lily asked.
“I suppose you could try giving Danielle a hug, try picking up s
omething—or simply look in the mirror.”
“The mirror?” Lily asked.
“Remember, that’s when Cheryl truly realized she was no longer alive. She didn’t have a reflection,” Danielle said.
“I thought that was only vampires?” Lily scoffed.
“Vampires and ghosts,” Walt quipped.
“Okay, I’ll take the mirror test—and then we can figure out how I got here.”
“Should I be offended she didn’t want a hug?” Danielle asked Walt, after Lily dashed from the parlor into the entry hall. Just as Danielle stood up, she heard Lily let out a loud scream.
“No reflection?” Walt said dryly, arching his brows.
Danielle raced from the room. When she reached Lily’s side, she looked into the mirror with her friend. The moment she did, she too let out a scream, one even louder than Lily’s.
“Goodness women, I’m sorry about this, but what did you expect Danielle?” Walt asked.
“I didn’t expect this!” Danielle said, still staring into the mirror with Lily.
“What do you think this means?” Lily asked, her eyes still focused on the mirror.
“I don’t have any idea,” Danielle shook her head.
“Does she have a reflection or not?” Walt asked, walking toward the pair.
“Sort of…” Danielle murmured.
“Sort of?” Walt frowned.
Danielle stepped back, making room for Walt. Standing next to Lily, Walt looked into the mirror. He had no reflection, yet Lily had one, a faint ghost-like reflection.
Lily reached out to the mirror, yet didn’t try to touch it. “I can see myself. Does this mean I’m not dead?”
“I don’t know. It’s not a regular reflection—looks—well—like you’re made up of mist,” Walt said.
“I didn’t think a ghost could have a reflection,” Danielle said.
“Then I’m not dead!” Lily said excitedly, turning to Danielle.
Danielle reached out to take Lily’s hand, but her hand moved effortlessly through Lily’s. The two women stood motionless for a moment, staring at each other’s hands. Danielle tried again, but once again, her hand moved through Lily’s.
“Oh crap…” Lily moaned.
“I am so sorry Lily,” Danielle whispered.
“I still don’t believe I’m dead. I can’t explain it, but I feel…I feel as if I’m here for a reason. Maybe I’m having some out of body experience. If a ghost doesn’t have a reflection, then it is possible I am still alive…somewhere.”
“I don’t know anything about out of body experiences. I’ve never met anyone who had one. Are you saying someone else was driving your car?” Danielle asked.
“Well, if I am still alive—somewhere—then that would have to mean someone else was driving my car and was killed. I would never race down the freeway that fast; it can’t be me. Someone must have stolen my car and was trying to get away.”
“But where are you, Lily?” Walt asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Try to remember. Think back to before you got onto the freeway, and then move forward, retrace your steps,” Danielle urged.
“Let’s see…” Lily stepped away from the mirror and began to pace. “Okay…before I checked out of the motel I had something to eat. They served breakfast in the lobby. We all got together, said our goodbyes and I had some cereal and coffee. I checked out and then got on the road.”
“You say you remember getting on the freeway?” Danielle asked.
“Yes. I remember now. I was annoyed with myself for not going to the bathroom one more time before I left the motel. I downed a couple cups of coffee pretty quickly.”
“Maybe that’s why you were speeding—to get to a rest stop,” Danielle suggested.
“No…because I remember turning off to the rest stop. I went to the bathroom. I remember now.”
“Okay, then what?” Danielle asked.
Lily stopped pacing and turned to face Walt and Danielle. “That’s it. I was in the bathroom, and then…my head…I remember my head hurting. Maybe that’s where I hit my head. Then it’s kind of a jumble. The clearest memory I have after that is being at Ian’s, looking for him…oh my god, Ian!”
“I know. I’m going to have to tell him.”
“No, Dani! You can’t. Not yet. We don’t know for sure that I’m dead!”
“I promised your mother I’d be calling her back later. I should probably ask if they’ve made a positive identification on the body—she didn’t mention anything about a funeral and I didn’t ask.”
“They can’t have a funeral, I’m not dead! And you can’t tell Ian; I don’t want to worry him.”
“Lily, I have to tell him,” Danielle insisted.
“Danielle is right, she has to tell Ian. But if your mother tells her they haven’t made a positive identification, I suppose she could leave that window of hope open—until you figure this thing out.”
“Walt, when did you realize you were dead?” Lily asked, stepping closer to him.
“When Danielle told me. I think I always knew, deep down, but I suppose I ignored the signs and blissfully moved through a fog.”
“That’s the thing; I don’t have that deep down feeling. The only deep down feeling I have is that I am alive! I will admit I was in a fog, so to speak—when I first got here. But it’s gone and I see things clearly.”
“You say you see things clearly, but you don’t remember what happened between the time you stopped and may have hit your head, and you arrived at Ian’s.” Walt reminded.
“There is something there, but I just can’t seem to grab on to it.”
“That happens—at least it does for someone who has died. Not everything came into focus immediately for me. It took time. However, you seem to think this is something else, so I don’t know what to tell you.”
“Why don’t I call Lily’s mother back?” Danielle suggested. “It was an awful lot to take in when I first spoke to her. She’s expecting me to call her later anyway. Might as well do it now.”
“Yes! Please do!” Lily said excitedly. “And tell Mom, whatever she does, don’t start planning my funeral!”
“Let’s go into the library, I’ll call her from there.”
Once in the library, Walt and Lily quietly listened to Danielle’s side of the conversation. She and Mrs. Miller were on the phone for almost thirty minutes, when Danielle finally said goodbye.
“Well, what did she say? They haven’t positively identified the body, have they?” Lily asked.
“No, they’re waiting to get a hold of your dental records.”
“That shouldn’t take long. Our dentist retired last spring, but he sold his practice, so the guy who bought it should have my records.”
“Your mom mentioned that. Unfortunately, there was some sort of mix up with the records transferred from your dentist to the new one. A few patient records are missing—including yours.”
“That’s crazy! What does our old dentist say?”
“That’s the problem. He’s out of town and won’t be back until after the weekend.”
“My poor mother, I wish we could tell her everything will be okay,” Lily moaned.
“I wish that too. But we don’t know everything is going to be okay.”
“You can remind her, the body hasn’t been officially identified yet, so there is still hope,” Lily suggested.
“Your mom seems to think it’s just a formality. Although, they’re waiting until after the body has been positively identified to plan the funeral. According to her, the authorities don’t suspect foul play, and with the evidence they have, they’re convinced you were the one killed in the accident.” Danielle’s phone buzzed, indicating an incoming text message. She glanced down and read it. “That’s Ian. He wants to know if he can come over. He needs to ask me something.”
“Ian! I can’t wait to see him!”
“Lily, when he comes over, you have to promise not to distract me while I tell him w
hat happened. It’s going to be hard enough without you trying to talk to me when he’s here.”
Chapter Five
Danielle questioned the wisdom of meeting with Ian at Marlow House to discuss Lily’s possible demise, while Lily and Walt lurked in the background. Even if they both kept quiet—which she doubted was possible—they would be a distraction while she broached such a sensitive subject.
Unfortunately, Ian caught her off guard by calling and asking if it was okay if he dropped by. Had she considered the question a moment, she might have thought to make up an excuse to meet him elsewhere, such as his house across the street. Of course, that would only have worked had Lily not pieced together her phone conversation with Ian. After all, if Lily had been able to go to Ian’s house earlier, Danielle didn’t see why she wouldn’t be able to do it again.
Danielle made her way from the library to the foyer, with Lily and Walt trailing behind. Going to the window by the front door, she pulled the curtain to one side and looked out. It was starting to drizzle. When she spied Ian rushing up the front walk, she quickly opened the front door to let him in.
“It started to rain when I got across the street,” Ian said when he stepped inside and began wiping his feet on the mat. “I wanted to talk to you about Lily.”
“Umm…yes…I need to talk to you about Lily too.” Danielle shut the door after Ian walked into the house.
“Oh Ian, I wish you could hear me!”
“Hush, Lily, we promised Danielle we’d be quiet,” Walt reminded.
“I know, but I wonder why he wants to talk to Dani about me.”
Danielle cleared her throat and glared at Lily, who seemed oblivious to her friend’s annoyance.
“I imagine if you stop talking we’ll find out,” Walt suggested.
“Have you heard from her?” Ian asked, sounding hopeful.
“Why don’t we go talk in the parlor,” Danielle suggested, leading the way.
“Just tell me you’ve talked to her,” Ian said as he followed Danielle into the parlor. “After we left the cafe I tried calling her and got a message that the number is no longer in service. Did she change her cell number for some reason? I don’t know why she wouldn’t have told me.”
