“Sadly, we didn’t have much joy tonight,” said Delilah. “Maybe the planets are out of alignment.”

  “It’s got nothing to do with the planets,” said Rose. “It’s got everything to do with how tired you are. You push yourself too much. You were showing off for Miss Shadow.”

  “I wasn’t!” Delilah frowned at her sister. “Besides, I won’t need to push myself now I have Crystal and Lorna here.”

  “We can try the seance again, now I’m here,” said Crystal. “Maybe you just need a little extra boost to your energy.”

  “No. Everything has been disturbed now,” said Rose.

  Delilah looked around the room and nodded. “Rose is right. We had an agitated presence with us. She didn’t like what we were doing and kept interfering.”

  “We have to get rid of that spirit before we do anything else,” said Rose. “It needs to be gone before the clients arrive tomorrow for private readings. You can’t afford to mess those up.”

  I glanced over to see the dark-haired ghost frowning and shaking her head. It looked like she was determined to stay put.

  I noticed Crystal also glanced at the dark-haired ghost and then looked at Delilah. Maybe she was genuine and could see her?

  “Well, another time,” said Crystal. “I need all the practise I can get before we start the live shows. I have to admit I’m terrified at the thought of performing in front of a big audience.”

  “You’re a natural,” said Delilah. “The public will love you.”

  An angry sounding squawk came from the hallway. Archibald swooped through the door and flew around the room. The ghost animals scattered. It seemed they weren’t all that keen on Archibald.

  “Who let him out?” Rose ducked as Archibald flew straight at her head.

  “He doesn’t like his cage,” said Delilah.

  “He leaves droppings everywhere,” snapped Rose. “I’m always cleaning up after him.”

  “They’re only tiny bird poops.” Delilah cooed and encouraged Archibald to land on her arm. “When a bird needs to go, what can you do?”

  “Keep him in his cage, where he’s supposed to be.” Rose flapped a hand at Archibald when he got too close to her face.

  Archibald did another circle of the room before launching himself at me, his talons outstretched.

  I ducked, and he missed me by an inch. Archibald squawked angrily as he made an undignified landing on the carpet. Ruffling his feathers, he strutted over to Flipper and tried to nip his paws.

  Flipper jumped out of the way and ran over to me.

  “You little scamp,” said Delilah. “Don’t you go causing trouble for Lorna and Flipper.” She scooped the parakeet into her arms and placed him on her shoulder. “Don’t mind Archibald. He gets excited when we hold seances. He feeds on the natural energy and behaves like a child on a sugar high.”

  “There’s no harm done.” There hadn’t been, but only because I’d ducked in time. I’d have to keep an eye on our vicious little feathered friend. He clearly didn’t like strangers.

  Flipper growled quietly next to me, his gaze on Archibald. I placed a reassuring hand on his head.

  Delilah looked around the room. “The room is clear. The excitement must have agitated the ghosts. They have left us.”

  I discreetly looked around the room. Delilah was right. All the ghost animals had disappeared when Archibald arrived. But the dark-haired ghost was still there.

  “I have work to do,” said Rose. “Miss Shadow, I start work at seven in the morning. I’ll expect you to meet me at that time in my office.” She left the room without giving me a chance to reply.

  “I could do with a sit down and a nightcap before bed,” said Delilah. “Who’s joining me?”

  “I wouldn’t say no to a spot of something,” said Fred.

  “Me neither,” said Crystal. “You can tell me all about the seance.”

  “How about you, Lorna?” asked Delilah. “Care for a brandy?”

  “I’ll call it a night,” I said. “I need to be up bright and early to start work with Rose.”

  “I hope you don’t mind the early starts,” said Delilah. “My sister is always up at the crack of dawn. She needs to be. She has so much going on. I’m hoping you will help with that.”

  “I’ll be happy to.” Providing she let me. Rose seemed to be a woman who liked to be in control. Anyone who offered to help could be seen as interfering.

  I walked with the others out of the parlor. We said our goodnights at the bottom of the stairs.

  I noticed the dark-haired ghost had followed us. I gestured for her to come with me as I climbed the stairs with Flipper.

  Once I was in my bedroom, the door firmly shut behind me, I looked straight at the ghost. “So, what was all that about?”

  The ghost swung her long dark hair over her shoulder. Now I had a chance to study her, I could see she was an older lady, similar in age to Delilah.

  “I can tell you’re angry,” I said. “I get the feeling you’re not keen on Delilah.”

  The ghost nodded. She waved her hands around and started speaking.

  “Hold on,” I said, as I moved to the bed and sat down. “We need to be creative when we communicate. I can’t hear you.”

  The ghost shook her head and scowled at me.

  “I don’t make the rules,” I said. “I’ll ask you some questions, and we’ll see how we get along. Maybe I can help you. I’m guessing there’s a reason you’re here?”

  The ghost stopped trying to talk and nodded.

  “You don’t look like Delilah, so I’m guessing you’re not family. Are you related to Fred?”

  She shook her head.

  “Were you friends with Delilah when you were alive?”

  The woman’s mouth twisted to the side. Eventually, she shook her head.

  “Maybe you were friends, but had a falling out just before you died?”

  The ghost nodded.

  Now we were getting somewhere. “Did you work together?”

  Again, she did that twist of her mouth.

  My eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you were in the same line of work? Were you also a medium?”

  The ghost smirked but then nodded.

  “That must be weird. Now you’re dead, I guess your skills are defunct.”

  That comment earned me a serious scowl.

  “At least now you have all your questions answered about what’s on the other side,” I said.

  She folded her arms across her chest and glared at me.

  “Okay, so we’re getting off the point. Were you and Delilah business rivals?”

  The ghost nodded.

  “If you’re as famous as Delilah, it should be easy to find out who you were.” I pulled out my phone and was about to do a search for mediums when it was shoved from my hand.

  “What’s the matter?” I retrieved my phone from the floor. “You don’t want me to know who you are?”

  The ghost jabbed a finger at the door.

  “You’re more interested in Delilah?”

  She nodded.

  “How did you die?”

  The ghost mimed steering something.

  “You crashed your car?”

  A shake of the head.

  “You died in a car, but it wasn’t an accident?”

  That earned me a nod.

  “If you’re here, do you think Delilah had something to do with your death?”

  The ghost flapped her arms around and nodded her head vigorously.

  I leaned back on my elbows. This didn’t sound promising. My boss was implicated in a murder. I shivered as the room grew colder. I looked up to see several of the ghost animals had joined us. There were two cats, three dogs, and a rabbit floating around the room.

  “Do you see your ghostly pet companions?” I asked.

  The ghost looked down at the animals and nodded.

  “Delilah can see them,” I said, “but she can’t see you.”

  The ghost shook her head and waggled a finger in the air.

  “I don’t think Delilah can sense you’re here. She sees the animal ghosts just fine. In fact, she thinks they’re people. They aren’t, are they?”

  The ghost rolled her eyes. She ducked down and petted the head of the dog.

  “That’s what I’m thinking; they are just animals. Delilah’s got muddled with what she can see.”

  The ghost looked skeptical.

  “I’m telling you, Delilah can’t see you. She hasn’t been ignoring you. She doesn’t know you’re here.”

  The ghost’s nose wrinkled.

  “I get why that might make you angry. You’ve been hanging around here trying to get Delilah’s attention, and she wasn’t able to help you.”

  The ghost pointed a finger at me and raised her eyebrows.

  I nodded as I flopped back on the bed. “Yes. I guess it’s up to me to help you figure out what happened when you died.”

  Chapter 6

  I was up early the next morning. The bags I saw under my eyes as I stared in the bathroom mirror showed how bad a night’s sleep I’d had.

  Every half an hour, one of the ghost animals had disturbed me by jumping on the bed and sticking their cold little nose under the duvet. Or they’d woken me by chasing each other around the bedroom and making the room freezing.

  Having several ghost animals on your bed was also the exact opposite of a hot water bottle. I would have to do something about them quickly, or I’d become sleep deprived and miserable.

  As I washed my face, I realized it was more than that. I missed home. I was missing Zach. And I didn’t like working without Helen around. It wasn’t the same. It wasn’t fun. I had no one to talk to about my crazy theories and no one to make me brownies and tea.

  I grabbed my phone and sent a message to Zach, suggesting lunch. I had promised I’d be in touch every day, and it would be nice to go home and have lunch together.

  It would also be good to see how Amelia was getting on and if she’d really tried to make contact through Delilah last night.

  My phone buzzed. I smiled as I checked the message. I had a lunch date.

  After I was washed and dressed, I hurried down the stairs with Flipper.

  When I entered the office, I discovered Rose sitting in front of a computer. She had an empty mug of coffee on the desk and looked deeply engrossed in whatever she was reading on the screen.

  She glanced up at me and then looked pointedly at the clock on the mantelpiece. “You’re late.”

  I checked the clock. It was two minutes past seven. “It won’t happen again.”

  “I trust you slept well.”

  “Not too bad. It always takes me a few nights to get used to a new bed.” And all the accompanying ghost animals that had made such a nuisance of themselves.

  “Don’t use your tiredness as an excuse to slack off today,” said Rose. “We’ve got lots to get through.”

  I tried not to be insulted by the accusation I was a slacker. “Tell me what I need to do, and I’ll do it.”

  “I’m starting you in the archive,” said Rose. “There’s not much you can mess up down there.” She pushed her chair back and stood.

  I resented the fact Rose thought I would mess things up. No matter how much work this archive needed, I would do the best job I could. I would show Rose she needed me.

  “This way.” Rose brushed past me, leaving a trail of lavender scent behind her. We headed along the hallway. She stopped at a small wooden door. “We keep the archives in the cellar.”

  I just knew she was going to say that. I pasted a bright smile on my face. “Lead the way.”

  Rose smirked at me. She opened the door and turned on the bare overhead bulb. “Be careful on the stairs; they’re wobbly in places.” She stepped gingerly down the staircase.

  I waited at the top of the stairs, my hand on Flipper’s head. “What do they tell you about never going into the cellar in a haunted house?”

  Flipper tilted his head and looked down the stairs.

  “At least I’ve got you to keep an eye out for me. You can growl if any ghosts get feisty while we’re down here.”

  “Come on, Miss Shadow. I don’t have all day.”

  I ignored my concerns about the cellar and followed Rose down the stairs. I was relieved to see it wasn’t full of creepy dark corners and cobwebs. It was chilly, but the stone had been painted white, and there were rows of filing cabinets and shelving running the length of the room.

  “We keep the old records of Delilah’s business down here,” said Rose. “For her upcoming tours, I want to run a series of adverts about her previous success. Vignettes of her achievements when contacting the dead, and the work she’s done helping people have one last conversation with those they cared about.”

  “That sounds good.”

  “I know it’s good. I want you to organize the soundbites we’ll use for the advertisements. There are newspaper clippings going back thirty years down here. They’re all in date order. I always keep everything in order. I need you to go through them and pull out effective quotes for the materials.”

  That didn’t sound too bad. When Rose had threatened me with the archive yesterday, I’d assumed she’d want me grubbing around in lots of old cardboard boxes. “I’ll get started right away.”

  “Be careful with everything you touch.” Rose looked at me with narrowed eyes. “Don’t get my filing out of order. I will check your work.”

  “I know my way around a filing system,” I said. “I have no intention of messing up yours. That wouldn’t do either of us any good.”

  Rose sniffed as she turned and headed back toward the stairs.

  “What’s Delilah doing today?”

  “Don’t disturb her,” said Rose. “She has a day of private sessions. She can’t be bothered by you. There will be people coming and going all day. They need exclusive, uninterrupted access to Delilah. It’s what they’re paying for.”

  “Delilah must be good at what she does if she’s so busy.”

  “My sister’s services are in high demand.”

  “I imagine they are.” If you wanted to talk to your dearly departed dog or cat. As for trying to contact your deceased family member, I was yet to be convinced.

  “Stay out of the way,” said Rose. “Don’t go pestering her with unnecessary questions. If you have any problems, you come find me.”

  “I won’t pester her. I’m just interested in what Delilah does.” Actually, I was fascinated. I’d love to see one of her private sessions in action. Last night’s seance had left me confused. Delilah could see ghost animals, so she had an ability of sorts, but was that the extent of her skills?

  Rose headed up the stairs. “I’ll check on you later to see how you’re getting on.”

  I bit down on my sarcastic reply. Rose had made it clear she didn’t want me here. I would show her I was good at what I did. She had nothing to worry about when it came to her precious archiving system. I’d find the best quotes to promote Delilah.

  I shook my head as I settled in the chair by a small desk in the corner. Why were people not suspicious that Delilah was passing on nonsense messages from ghost animals? I guess, when you’re desperate and missing someone, you grab every fragment of hope they’re still there, watching over you and wanting to help in your hour of need.

  Flipper nudged me with his nose and cocked his head to one side.

  “It’s just you and me today. I hope you don’t get too bored down here.” I petted his head and then stood and hunted the first file of newspaper clippings.

  By the time I’d returned to the desk, two ghost cats had appeared and were sitting at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Hello, you two. I hope you won’t cause me any trouble today. No messing up the archive, or Rose will have me fired.”

  The ghost cats stared at me unblinking.

  “That’s good. Just so we understand each other.”

  I flipped open the folder of clippings and read through them. The first article outlined Delilah’s successful tour on the south coast, making contact with ten ghosts in one show. It included a brief mention of a woman who said her dead husband had told her to move on and find love, which was good, because she’d just gotten engaged to her husband’s best friend and felt guilty about betraying his memory.

  I smiled as I read through several more newspaper clippings. All the offers of help and advice Delilah gave were positive. She passed on good news, blessings, and wishes. I was glad to see she didn’t scare people or unsettle them. Everything she told them seemed happy and vague enough not to cause problems. It was enough to keep them satisfied and make them think their loved one had been in touch.

  I’d been focused on the newspaper clippings for several hours and hadn’t realized how cold it had gotten. I rubbed my arms briskly. I’d also been joined by some rabbits and a couple of ghost dogs since I’d been down there, and they didn’t help to keep the place warm.

  “I need a sweater if you lot are planning on keeping me company all day.” I hurried up the stairs and opened the door. I paused as I heard voices in the hallway.

  “Right this way, Mrs. Leadbetter.” It was Rose, sounding surprisingly soothing and quiet. “Delilah is ready for you in her parlor.”

  “I hope she can help me,” wavered the voice of a woman. “I’m sure my Reg wanted to tell me something before he passed. It was something important. I’m sure of it.”

  “If he did, now is the chance for him to tell you.”

  I heard a door open and close. I waited another moment and then crept into the hallway. I couldn’t resist going to the parlor door and pressing my ear against the keyhole. It was too much of a temptation not to hear Delilah in action.

  “Is he here?” asked Mrs. Leadbetter.

  “There is a presence in the room,” said Delilah.

  “My Reg?”

  “Yes! Your Reg has joined us.”

  I frowned. I doubted Delilah would have gotten that name unless his wife had just revealed it. I hated to think Delilah was cheating people, manipulating information out of them and making up messages from the other side.

  “What has he got to tell me?”

 

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