boy to me. The things he watches on his computer
upstairs! Your hair would be as grey and curly as mine if you saw what he was
looking at! Mind you, those programmes have taught me a few things too. Lock
the door, I want your full attention.”
Grace did as she
was told. She was beginning to think that Pearl was not someone who you argued
with.
Pearl listened as
Grace told her about her teaching job. Grace wasn’t sure she wanted to go back,
she didn’t think she could give her all as a teacher anymore, it wouldn’t be
fair to the students.
“Why can’t you
give your all?” Pearl asked.
Grace gave a
little laugh. “I know it sounds silly but I like helping ghosts. It’s probably
selfish but I feel wonderful when I’ve helped them. I wish I could talk to
someone about it, discuss the ghosts’ problems with them.”
“You can talk to
me. I’ve seen how you are with those ghosts, they’re lucky to have found you.
Although, they should have sorted out their problems whilst they were alive!
People waste so much time on the unimportant!”
Grace waited for
Pearl to calm down. “I know, but sometimes life gets in the way, things don’t
run smoothly. I really like helping them but can I do that for a living? I need
to pay my bills.”
Pearl nodded.
“You can do it for a living. You can work here with your brother. I can help
you look out for good storage units. Don’t look at me like that! I know all
about the storage unit business, I watch the same programmes as Frankie.”
“But how will you
help me? Will you come with me?”
“Questions!
Questions! What did I tell you about questions? Now, tell me about this last
ghost you helped, this problem was different from the others. And, don’t ask me
why just yet, there was a reason it was different.”
Chapter 20
Grace told Pearl
all about Mr Manville and Daisy. Pearl was a good listener, she nodded and
didn’t interrupt.
When Grace had
finished Pearl said, “Do you know what was different about this situation?”
Grace thought for
a moment. Then anger reared up in her. “That man at the nightclub! That vile
man and his friends! How could they get away with it? They’re probably still
doing it now. Oh! It makes my blood boil! I wish I could find him.”
“And would you
hit him on the head with your favourite tea pot?” Pearl teased.
Heat flushed into
Grace’s cheeks. “I’d forgotten you were there for that. In fact, I think you
might have been responsible.”
“Details, we’re
not talking about me. What about that … so and so, Eddie Tominski? How did you
feel when you knew he’d murdered your parents? No, that’s a stupid question, I
know how you felt. But what would you do if you discovered a murderer? Would
you try and help? Or let the police sort it out?”
Grace wanted to
know why Pearl was asking all these questions but she was too afraid to ask.
She thought for a moment and then answered truthfully. “I’d get involved. I
can’t stand back and let people get away with things.”
“Many people can.
Aren’t you going to ask me why I’m asking you all these questions?”
Grace gave a
sheepish smile. “I daren’t.”
“Get some
backbone, Grace, you’re going to need it. When I was alive I was like you, I
could see ghosts. And I helped them. But the ghosts I helped were different,
they’d been murdered and I helped find out who had murdered them. The things I
saw! And the pieces of scum I met! But I was like you, I had to help.”
Grace didn’t like
where the conversation was heading. Pearl looked at her and waited. Grace
didn’t want to speak.
Pearl said, “We
can stare at each other all day like a pair of stuffed dummies or you can ask
me what you’re already thinking.”
Grace swallowed.
“Are you telling me that I need to help ghosts who have been murdered?”
“Yes. Next
question. You can ask questions now.”
“But why me?”
“Because you’re
kind, helpful and you can see dead people.
Lynn Collum
Caroline McCall
Charlaine Harris
L J Smith, Aubrey Clark
John Scalzi
Sara Gaines
Kaye Dacus
Karen Erickson
Daphne Swan
Rogue Phoenix Press