“He says you look lovely today.”

  “He always was a charmer.”

  “Reg wants you to know that he’s happy for you.”

  “He is? What’s he happy about?”

  “He doesn’t want you to be sad,” continued Delilah vaguely. “There’s no point in dwelling.”

  “I’m not dwelling on anything,” said Mrs. Leadbetter. “I’m sure he wanted to tell me something before he died.”

  “Let’s see if we can find out what that was,” said Delilah.

  I glanced along the hallway, not keen on getting caught by Rose as I listened at the keyhole. There was no sign of her, and her office door was shut.

  A clicking noise drew my gaze farther along the hall. Archibald was on his perch, giving me an evil glare. I’d need to watch out for him, as well. I focused back on the conversation.

  “Did he mention the safe?” asked Mrs. Leadbetter.

  “Nothing is coming through about a safe.”

  “I’m sure that’s what he meant to tell me.” Mrs. Leadbetter sounded frustrated. “There’s paperwork in there I need.”

  “You’re looking for the combination to the safe?”

  “Yes! Is that what Reg is telling you?”

  “He’s saying not to worry.”

  “But I am worried. There’s information in there I need.”

  “Reg is saying he’s forgetful. Does that make sense?”

  “He’d forget his own name sometimes if I didn’t tell him.”

  “That’s right,” said Delilah. “He can’t remember the combination code. That must be what he wanted you to know.”

  “That can’t be right. He wrote it on his hand in black pen every week, so he wouldn’t forget it. I tried to read it off his hand after he died, but the ink was too smudged. I think there was a six and a three, but I need the other numbers.”

  “Reg is saying you’re right about those numbers,” said Delilah. “He says you’re almost there. Keep trying.”

  “Can’t he tell me what the others are?”

  “My dear, he would if he could,” said Delilah. “He seems confused. Life is very different for him now.”

  “It’s the same for me,” said Mrs. Leadbetter. “I need those bleedin’ numbers.”

  “Maybe try a two and a one.”

  “Is that what he’s telling you? Are those the numbers I need?”

  “Reg isn’t certain.”

  “That’s no help. And there are three missing numbers.”

  “I’m sorry, the connection is going.”

  “Tell him to come back,” said Mrs. Leadbetter. “Reg can’t leave me like this. He promised he’d look after me. He can’t take those numbers with him.”

  “I really am sorry,” said Delilah. “Might I suggest you find someone who can break the safe open if you need to get into it?”

  “Oh, no. That won’t be possible.” Mrs. Leadbetter sounded worried. “The things in there are private.”

  I hurried away from the door as I heard a chair scraping back and ducked back into the cellar.

  Archibald flapped his wings and squawked in annoyance at my sudden movement.

  “Be quiet,” I whispered to him.

  The parlor door opened. Mrs. Leadbetter walked out. She clutched her tan purse tightly in front of her, her lips pinched together. She did not look happy with the outcome of this session.

  Rose’s office door opened, and she looked out. “I trust you had a good session.”

  “All I know for sure is that my Reg wouldn’t leave me like this. He shouldn’t be holding back this information.” Mrs. Leadbetter sniffed loudly.

  “Perhaps come back again?” Rose touched Mrs. Leadbetter’s arm. “Another session could be what you need. We offer a ten percent discount for a repeat booking.”

  Mrs. Leadbetter brushed Rose’s hand away. “I can’t afford another session.” She strode to the door and slammed it behind her. I watched as Rose went into the parlor and shut the door.

  There went an unhappy customer. I wondered if all the sessions ended like that.

  I turned toward the main stairs and jumped. In front of me was a harassed looking elderly man. He clutched a cap between his hands, his gaze on the doorway Mrs. Leadbetter had stormed through.

  “Are you Reg?” I whispered.

  The ghost’s head whipped towards me and his eyes widened. He nodded and floated closer.

  “Was that your wife who’s just been to see Delilah?”

  He nodded again before pointing over my shoulder and frowning.

  “I don’t think Delilah got the message you were trying to send your wife.”

  He raised his eyes skyward and shook his head.

  “She was doing her best. Delilah’s confused about who she’s actually talking to. She is the real deal.” Well, she was if you wanted to see a few cute ghost animals.

  Reg looked at me. A glimmer of hope filled his eyes, and he pointed at the door.

  I knew what he wanted. It would be easy enough to help him. “I can pass on the numbers to your wife. If you hurry, I can catch her now. She sounded pretty desperate.”

  His face lit up with a smile.

  “Hold up your fingers and tell me the numbers.” I looked around and grabbed a notepad and pen off the sideboard. I copied down the numbers Reg showed me. Delilah had been completely off with her guesses. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  I tore off the piece of paper and rushed out of the house. Mrs. Leadbetter was at the end of the lane, climbing into a small, white car.

  I ran along the lane and tapped on her window.

  She blinked at me before inching down her window. “May I help you?”

  I could see from her puffy eyes she’d been crying. “I work with Delilah. I have a message from Reg. He came back and remembered the numbers you need.”

  Mrs. Leadbetter’s jaw dropped. “He did? That’s incredible. Delilah was certain he couldn’t remember them. What jogged his memory?”

  “I’m just her assistant. I’m not sure how the world of spirits works.” I held out the piece of paper with the numbers on. “Reg said this is what you need to get the safe open.”

  Mrs. Leadbetter opened the car door and stepped out. She took the paper and stared at the numbers.

  “Is this what you need? Will it help?”

  When she looked up at me, there were tears in her eyes. “Thank you. I’ve been so worried. There are all sorts of certificates and financial matters in that safe. And, well, Reg had a little secret.”

  My eyebrows rose. “He kept that secret in the safe?”

  Mrs. Leadbetter’s gaze shifted to the side. “It’s silly, what with the latest trend with all that fifty shades nonsense. He thought I didn’t know about his little fetish. He only did it on Wednesday evenings when I went to the bingo. One night, I arrived home early and saw what he was doing through a crack in the door.”

  This didn’t sound good, but I had to know. “Do you mind me asking what he was doing?”

  Mrs. Leadbetter’s cheeks colored. “He had a thing for masks.”

  “Face masks?”

  “The type you buy in a shop that’s tucked down an alleyway. He had one with zips on. It was the oddest thing. I almost laughed when I saw him in it.”

  I kept a smile firmly off my face. “I understand why you might like to keep them hidden.”

  “It doesn’t bother me, not really,” said Mrs. Leadbetter, “providing he kept them out of my way. We all have our little quirks, don’t we? The thing is, I don’t want anyone breaking open the safe and discovering them inside. I’d be mortified, and Reg’s reputation would be smudged. I can’t have that.”

  I patted her hand. “You don’t have to worry about that now. Reg has given you everything you need.”

  Mrs. Leadbetter gave me a hug before climbing back into her car. “Thank Delilah for me. I’m so pleased she figured it out and Reg came good.” She waved as she drove away.

  “Reg, you dirty old dog,” I muttered to myself as I walked back to the house. I was glad I’d been able to help. Reg’s secret was safe, and his wife had everything she needed.

  The sound of a rumbling diesel engine had me turning on my heel. It was Zach, just in time for our lunch date.

  I raised my hand before running back to the house to grab my jacket and purse.

  The doors to both the parlor and office were closed. I scribbled a note to let Rose and Delilah know I’d gone out for lunch and would be back soon and left it on the sideboard.

  I could do with a break from all this ghost helping business, but I had a feeling this lunch would be all about ghosts, specifically one called Amelia.

  Chapter 7

  I climbed into the Land Rover, along with Flipper, and kissed Zach’s cheek.

  “Good first day?” He turned around the Land Rover, and we headed home.

  “So far, an interesting first day,” I said.

  “Is your new boss good at her job?” He shot me a sideways glance.

  “She has a certain knack for talking to the dead. The trouble is, they’re ghost animals. She thinks people transform into animals when they die, and she communicates with them.”

  Zach laughed out loud. “She’s communing with cats and dogs, thinking they’re people?”

  “That’s exactly it,” I said. “And she can’t see human ghosts.”

  The smile on Zach’s face faded. “There are human ghosts in the house?”

  “There’s one permanent resident,” I said. “I just met another. He should be gone by the time I get back. I helped him and his wife out of a sticky situation.”

  “Are they causing you any trouble?”

  “It’s a bit chilly in my bedroom. Some of the ghost animals enjoy snuggling on the duvet.”

  “But other than that?”

  “Other than that, they’re not being a problem. You have nothing to worry about.”

  Zach smiled at me. “I always worry about you. It’s part of my job as your boyfriend.”

  We drove for another few minutes before Zach pulled the Land Rover into the driveway and we hopped out.

  Jessie was waiting by the front door. She barked when she saw Flipper.

  After the dogs spent a few happy minutes dancing around each other, we all went into the house.

  “Are Helen and Gunner about?” I placed my purse on the kitchen table and kicked off my shoes. It was nice to be back.

  “No. It’s just the two of us. I thought it might be nice for us to have lunch together.”

  I smiled as I sat in a chair at the table. It would be good to have alone time with Zach. “How are things with our own resident ghost?”

  Before Zach spoke, the lights overhead flickered, and a cold wind lifted my hair.

  “She’s making her presence known,” said Zach. “I think that last attempt we had at speaking to her has made her more active.”

  I looked around the kitchen but could see no sign of Amelia. “Something strange happened at work yesterday.”

  “You’re working for a medium; strange things are bound to happen.” Zach opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of white wine. “Do you fancy a drink?”

  Although I was tempted, I shook my head. “I’ll pass. I’ve got a busy afternoon and need a clear head. My boss’s sister, Rose, is a stickler for order. If she catches me smelling of alcohol, it will be the excuse she needs to get rid of me.”

  Zach placed the wine back in the fridge and switched on the kettle. “What happened at the house that was strange?”

  “Last night, Delilah held a seance.” I looked around the kitchen again. “I think Amelia was trying to come through.”

  Zach paused in his tea making efforts. “What did she say?”

  “Something about a ring.”

  “She must mean her wedding ring.”

  “It can’t be anything else,” I said. “We’ve asked her about that, and she’s never hinted that’s the reason she’s still about.”

  “Did Amelia say what she wanted us to do with the ring?” asked Zach.

  “We didn’t get that far. Delilah almost fainted from the strain of having an actual human ghost make contact. It was all too vague to be of much value. But I was shocked when Delilah said Amelia’s name. It’s too much of a coincidence.”

  “Me too.” Zach brought the teapot to the table along with two cups. “Shall we ask Amelia what she wants done with the ring now?”

  “There’s no harm in trying,” I said. “Maybe she finally feels she can trust us and wants to tell us her concerns.”

  Zach took a cold pasta salad out of the fridge and brought it over. “Don’t worry. There’s chocolate cake for dessert.”

  I smiled at him. He knew me too well.

  Zach sat opposite me. “Let’s do it now. We can get it out of the way and then enjoy ourselves. This could all be solved before the end of lunch.”

  I admired his positivity. I took a deep breath and forced myself to relax. It had been a while since I’d felt comfortable in my own home.

  Zach reached over and took hold of my hand. “She’ll be gone soon. If she really is doing this to be spiteful, she’ll get bored and move on to something else. That was always Amelia’s way. She would persist with something until a shiny new thing arrived. Then she’d lose all interest.”

  I nodded. “Amelia, are you here? Is there something you need to tell us about your wedding ring?”

  We waited in silence, only the sound of the dogs padding around the kitchen causing any noise.

  “You try,” I said to Zach. “She responds better to you.”

  He cleared his throat. “If you want me to do something with your wedding ring, you need to tell us what. I can sell it if that’s what you’d like. Do you want the money spent on something?”

  The lights overhead flickered on and off.

  “You could be on to something,” I said.

  “If you want me to sell your ring,” said Zach. “Switch the lights on and off three times.”

  Nothing happened.

  “Try again,” I said.

  “This is ridiculous,” muttered Zach. “It’s not fair she’s messing us around like this.”

  I tightened my grip on his hand. “Maybe this is the best Amelia can do. Ghosts have different strengths and abilities. She might have worn herself out by dimming the lights.”

  “You’re too kind,” said Zach. “If one of your dead ex-boyfriends was haunting us, I’m not sure I’d be so gracious.”

  I wasn’t being kind, I was forcing myself not to say mean and spiteful things about a dead person. I bit my tongue. I was being gracious because I was no longer living here. I’d had to escape before I’d blown my top and ruined everything between Zach and me.

  “Amelia, you’re getting one last chance,” said Zach. “Show us a sign that you want me to sell your ring.”

  There was nothing.

  “She must have gone,” I said.

  Zach sighed and sat back in his seat. “We will figure this out. Maybe I should just sell the ring, anyway. It’s silly it sitting in my sock drawer. It’s not doing anyone any good in there. If I take it out of the house and get rid of it that might also get rid of Amelia. Maybe she’s only hanging around because the ring is here.”

  “Try it; see what happens.” I wasn’t all that hopeful. Amelia didn’t seem attached to the ring. She might be using it as a reason to hang around and cause problems. From what Zach had told me about Amelia, she wasn’t the nicest of people when alive. That would not change because she’d died.

  “Let’s eat.” Zach grabbed plates and cutlery and dished up the pasta salad.

  I sampled the salad. It was tasty, with a balsamic dressing and a drizzle of lemon. It wasn’t a patch on what Helen could produce, but I appreciated the effort.

  “Do you think this new job will work out?” asked Zach.

  “I’m keeping an open mind about it. Rose is prickly, but Delilah and Fred, her husband, both seem okay. Fred is an undertaker. He’s unfazed by being around the dead, whether they’re in a coffin or floating around the dining room.”

  “What about the ghost who lives in the house?”

  “I’m still figuring that one out. She hates Delilah; that much I know.”

  “Is she hanging about because Delilah had something to do with her death?”

  “The ghost seems to think she was involved. She is angry and causing disruption in the house. Delilah can sense something is off, but can’t see her.”

  “It’s unusual, isn’t it, a medium who can only see ghost animals?”

  “It must be. I haven’t got the heart to tell her they aren’t people in animal form. She’s made a career out of this. She does really well.”

  “It sounds like she’s exploiting people.”

  “I don’t think she is, not intentionally. Delilah wants to help people.”

  “I don’t suppose it’s worth her coming here and trying to talk with Amelia?” asked Zach. “If Amelia is coming through to her, maybe she can help with our problem.”

  I hadn’t thought of that. “Give me a few more days. I’ll get to know Delilah and see if she’d be open to it. Maybe Amelia will come through again when I’m back there and tell us what her problem is.”

  Zach scooped up the empty plates and placed them in the dishwasher. “Let’s hope so. Now, how about some chocolate cake?”

  I grinned at him and nodded. “I’ll have an extra-large slice.”

  “Before you ask, Helen made this, so you don’t need to worry about my dubious baking skills. She also left you a tin of brownies to take back.”

  “Yummy. I haven’t finished the first tin she gave me.”

  Zach sat back at the table and passed me the cake. “I’ve also got these.” He handed me several sheets of paper.

  “Houses for sale?” I looked at him in surprise. “Why have you got these?”

  “If we can’t figure out the problem with Amelia, then we need to move. There’s no harm in looking around and seeing what’s available.”

  I placed the house details down. “You love this place.”

  “I don’t if you’re not happy here.”

  “You’ve spent so long making it perfect for us all,” I said. “And I do love it. Well, I did. I’ll love it again.”

 

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