away, waiting for Stephanie to pick things back up. She toyed with her flounder, poking it with her fork. She looked defeated. Part of Cooper winced a bit when he realized that she also looked like she didn’t want to be there.
“So,” she said after a few silent moments. “Tell me about the Blackstocks.”
And just like that, she had let him off the hook. Either she didn’t believe him and thought he was lying to her or she believed every word of it and was terrified. Honestly, based on her history of not believing in much of anything he had ever researched, Cooper thought that she likely didn’t believe him. But that was fine with him—for now.
So he told her about his afternoon with the Blackstocks, filling her in on Henry’s drowning five years ago. He also told her about the odd occurrences in their house and how Jenny and Sam had taken him out to the beach, to the very spot where Henry had died.
“That’s harsh,” Steph said. “Of course, I don’t believe there are ghosts in their house, but it’s still a sad story.”
“Still don’t believe in ghosts, huh?”
“I’m not sure. I’d like to say I’m on the fence, but I sort of lean to the no pasture.”
“How did we ever date?”
“Healthy debates, booze, and sex,” she said, only half joking.
“Oh yeah,” Cooper said.
“So what are your next steps with this family?”
“I’m not entirely sure. I want to check out a few things before I bother them again. I told you about Kevin Owens, right?”
“Yes. He drowned a few months ago, right?”
“Yeah. Two months. And he drowned about twenty feet away from the same spot Henry Blackstock drowned.”
“Creepy.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Well, what other things do you need to check out?”
Cooper grinned and took another bite of his burger. He knew it might be a long shot, but he figured there was no harm in at least trying.
“I’m glad you asked,” he said. “It’s going to be boring and lonely. I could use some company. And if you don’t believe in ghosts and don’t spook easily, you shouldn’t have any problems tagging along.”
“What?” she asked.
Cooper told her what he had planned, liking the idea even more when he pictured Stephanie being there with him.
“And you want me to come?” she asked after he told her.
“Absolutely.”
She thought about it for a minute while she finished off her glass of wine. She looked to Cooper and then to the empty wine glass, considering.
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll go. But I’m going to need a few more glasses of wine.”
8
As far as Cooper was concerned, the night was positively filled with small victories. Perhaps the most significant one came when they left the restaurant. Stephanie, never one to forfeit control of a situation and mostly distrustful of everyone—boyfriends, best friends, and parents included—handed Cooper her car keys as they walked into the parking lot. She’d had two more glasses of wine but was far from drunk, so she couldn’t use that as an excuse.
Actually, she used no excuses. The simple fact of the matter was that Cooper knew where they were headed and she did not. He tried to tell himself that the small gesture meant nothing; it was just one person letting another person drive their car. But he also knew that it likely meant something else coming from Stephanie…he juts wasn’t quite sure what it was. It might have even been subconscious on her part.
He pulled out of the restaurant lot and headed back down the main strip, turning off six miles away as they entered the outskirts of Kill Devil Hills. He drove slowly down one of the more secluded beachfront neighborhoods and pointed to the house he had been inside less than six hours ago.
“That’s the Blackstocks house,” he said.
Stephanie looked out through the passenger window and made a hmmph sound.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s nice. Are they rich?”
“I don’t think so.
“So,” she said after a few silent moments. “Tell me about the Blackstocks.”
And just like that, she had let him off the hook. Either she didn’t believe him and thought he was lying to her or she believed every word of it and was terrified. Honestly, based on her history of not believing in much of anything he had ever researched, Cooper thought that she likely didn’t believe him. But that was fine with him—for now.
So he told her about his afternoon with the Blackstocks, filling her in on Henry’s drowning five years ago. He also told her about the odd occurrences in their house and how Jenny and Sam had taken him out to the beach, to the very spot where Henry had died.
“That’s harsh,” Steph said. “Of course, I don’t believe there are ghosts in their house, but it’s still a sad story.”
“Still don’t believe in ghosts, huh?”
“I’m not sure. I’d like to say I’m on the fence, but I sort of lean to the no pasture.”
“How did we ever date?”
“Healthy debates, booze, and sex,” she said, only half joking.
“Oh yeah,” Cooper said.
“So what are your next steps with this family?”
“I’m not entirely sure. I want to check out a few things before I bother them again. I told you about Kevin Owens, right?”
“Yes. He drowned a few months ago, right?”
“Yeah. Two months. And he drowned about twenty feet away from the same spot Henry Blackstock drowned.”
“Creepy.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Well, what other things do you need to check out?”
Cooper grinned and took another bite of his burger. He knew it might be a long shot, but he figured there was no harm in at least trying.
“I’m glad you asked,” he said. “It’s going to be boring and lonely. I could use some company. And if you don’t believe in ghosts and don’t spook easily, you shouldn’t have any problems tagging along.”
“What?” she asked.
Cooper told her what he had planned, liking the idea even more when he pictured Stephanie being there with him.
“And you want me to come?” she asked after he told her.
“Absolutely.”
She thought about it for a minute while she finished off her glass of wine. She looked to Cooper and then to the empty wine glass, considering.
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll go. But I’m going to need a few more glasses of wine.”
8
As far as Cooper was concerned, the night was positively filled with small victories. Perhaps the most significant one came when they left the restaurant. Stephanie, never one to forfeit control of a situation and mostly distrustful of everyone—boyfriends, best friends, and parents included—handed Cooper her car keys as they walked into the parking lot. She’d had two more glasses of wine but was far from drunk, so she couldn’t use that as an excuse.
Actually, she used no excuses. The simple fact of the matter was that Cooper knew where they were headed and she did not. He tried to tell himself that the small gesture meant nothing; it was just one person letting another person drive their car. But he also knew that it likely meant something else coming from Stephanie…he juts wasn’t quite sure what it was. It might have even been subconscious on her part.
He pulled out of the restaurant lot and headed back down the main strip, turning off six miles away as they entered the outskirts of Kill Devil Hills. He drove slowly down one of the more secluded beachfront neighborhoods and pointed to the house he had been inside less than six hours ago.
“That’s the Blackstocks house,” he said.
Stephanie looked out through the passenger window and made a hmmph sound.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s nice. Are they rich?”
“I don’t think so.
Similar Books
