but we got a nice photo of Petey with a spectral form behind him.”
They crowded around him, and he pointed to the shape.
“Is that a guy on a snowboard?” Suki asked. “They don’t die as often as you’d think.”
“No, it’s a woman’s face. There’s her chin and there’s her mouth, and she has something on her head.”
Michael squinted at it. “A dead Chihuahua, maybe.”
Angus handed him the picture. “Poke fun if you want, but he says it’s Charlotte Baskerville’s deceased aunt trying to get in touch with her through Petey’s ghost.”
Michael raised his eyebrows. “Not bad.”
“I’m glad you recognize good material when you hear it.”
Suki picked up a nylon bag from the floor and hung it from her shoulder. “Where do you want to set up tonight, Angus? Ideally, the ghost would appear where I can shoot him with the tripod, but I’m prepared to go with video and take a still from that.”
“I’d say the back patio, but if our ghost is shy, we might be better shooting out a window.” He held up a hand. “Listen.”
From out in the hall, they heard voices and the sound of footfalls on the wooden floor.
“ Now what?” Michael muttered, as Thomas Baskerville’s hectoring voice became recognizable.
“No!” This was shouted by Charlotte Baskerville, and was followed by the sound of a door slamming.
Angus opened the door and strode into the hall.
At the end of the corridor, Thomas Baskerville banged on his wife’s closed door.
A nervous-looking man in a suit stood next to him. As Thomas paused, the man glanced back at Angus and said, “Mr. Baskerville, I’m not sure I—”
“Charlotte!” Thomas shouted through the door. “If you’re fine, then why won’t you talk to the man?”
“What seems to be the problem?” Angus said, coming up to them.
The door opened and Charlotte stood there, clutching Lila. She stabbed a finger at her husband. “If you think I’m going to talk to your hired psychiatrist, Thomas, then you’re the one who’s crazy.”
Thomas smiled ingratiatingly. “It’s not me who sees things, dear.”
“Have I ever struck you as a stupid woman?” Charlotte patted Lila nervously. “If I get therapy, which I probably need from living with you, it won’t be with some shrink you’ve paid to show I’m incapable.”
The man in the suit raised his hands in apology. “I’m very sorry to have approached you this way, ma’am. Mr. Baskerville told me you had agreed to a consultation.”
“You heard her say she needs therapy, right?” Thomas demanded.
The suited man took a step back. “I’ll be going now.”
“Just a moment,” Angus said, moving between him and the stairs. “I think you should give Mrs. Baskerville your card, in case she needs another witness to her husband’s harassment.”
The man groaned and reached into a pocket.
“Don’t listen to them!” Thomas raged. “The house is full of moochers, living off my wife’s money! These people are probably telling her the spirits want her to write them a big check.”
Angus shook his head sadly. “What a thing to say, and after you had dinner with a lawyer, too. Do you not know the meaning of slander, Mr. Baskerville?”
“I said probably . You can’t get me on that.” He jerked his head at the psychiatrist. “Let’s go. You’re no help at all.” Thomas walked quickly down the hallway, but the other man beat him and clattered down the stairs first.
Charlotte let out a breath that was almost a sob. “I just want you to know that I would never have married a man who acted this way. It’s as though he got into the habit of being angry and now he can’t stop.”
“Not to be too personal, but I hope the Petey’s Closet finances are separate from your joint accounts,” Angus said.
She nodded. “I set them up that way from the first, so I wouldn’t be tempted to take money from the household budget.” She sighed, then turned in the doorway and looked behind her. “
They crowded around him, and he pointed to the shape.
“Is that a guy on a snowboard?” Suki asked. “They don’t die as often as you’d think.”
“No, it’s a woman’s face. There’s her chin and there’s her mouth, and she has something on her head.”
Michael squinted at it. “A dead Chihuahua, maybe.”
Angus handed him the picture. “Poke fun if you want, but he says it’s Charlotte Baskerville’s deceased aunt trying to get in touch with her through Petey’s ghost.”
Michael raised his eyebrows. “Not bad.”
“I’m glad you recognize good material when you hear it.”
Suki picked up a nylon bag from the floor and hung it from her shoulder. “Where do you want to set up tonight, Angus? Ideally, the ghost would appear where I can shoot him with the tripod, but I’m prepared to go with video and take a still from that.”
“I’d say the back patio, but if our ghost is shy, we might be better shooting out a window.” He held up a hand. “Listen.”
From out in the hall, they heard voices and the sound of footfalls on the wooden floor.
“ Now what?” Michael muttered, as Thomas Baskerville’s hectoring voice became recognizable.
“No!” This was shouted by Charlotte Baskerville, and was followed by the sound of a door slamming.
Angus opened the door and strode into the hall.
At the end of the corridor, Thomas Baskerville banged on his wife’s closed door.
A nervous-looking man in a suit stood next to him. As Thomas paused, the man glanced back at Angus and said, “Mr. Baskerville, I’m not sure I—”
“Charlotte!” Thomas shouted through the door. “If you’re fine, then why won’t you talk to the man?”
“What seems to be the problem?” Angus said, coming up to them.
The door opened and Charlotte stood there, clutching Lila. She stabbed a finger at her husband. “If you think I’m going to talk to your hired psychiatrist, Thomas, then you’re the one who’s crazy.”
Thomas smiled ingratiatingly. “It’s not me who sees things, dear.”
“Have I ever struck you as a stupid woman?” Charlotte patted Lila nervously. “If I get therapy, which I probably need from living with you, it won’t be with some shrink you’ve paid to show I’m incapable.”
The man in the suit raised his hands in apology. “I’m very sorry to have approached you this way, ma’am. Mr. Baskerville told me you had agreed to a consultation.”
“You heard her say she needs therapy, right?” Thomas demanded.
The suited man took a step back. “I’ll be going now.”
“Just a moment,” Angus said, moving between him and the stairs. “I think you should give Mrs. Baskerville your card, in case she needs another witness to her husband’s harassment.”
The man groaned and reached into a pocket.
“Don’t listen to them!” Thomas raged. “The house is full of moochers, living off my wife’s money! These people are probably telling her the spirits want her to write them a big check.”
Angus shook his head sadly. “What a thing to say, and after you had dinner with a lawyer, too. Do you not know the meaning of slander, Mr. Baskerville?”
“I said probably . You can’t get me on that.” He jerked his head at the psychiatrist. “Let’s go. You’re no help at all.” Thomas walked quickly down the hallway, but the other man beat him and clattered down the stairs first.
Charlotte let out a breath that was almost a sob. “I just want you to know that I would never have married a man who acted this way. It’s as though he got into the habit of being angry and now he can’t stop.”
“Not to be too personal, but I hope the Petey’s Closet finances are separate from your joint accounts,” Angus said.
She nodded. “I set them up that way from the first, so I wouldn’t be tempted to take money from the household budget.” She sighed, then turned in the doorway and looked behind her. “
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