Last Dance by Linda Joy Singleton Page B

That’s what a lot of us thought when it opened up fourteen years ago, but now it’s the hottest tourist spot in Pine Peaks. It’s the old brick building beside the barbershop. Fellow by the name of Kasper runs it.”
    “Is that a bad pun? Casper the Ghost running a museum for a ghost?”
    “Kasper with a K.” She smiled approvingly. “I’m surprised someone so young remembers old cartoons.”
    “They’re on the Cartoon Channel. I don’t watch them anymore … but I used to.” With my sisters, I remembered with a sharp pang. Sure, they could be annoying, but we had good times, too. Like if my parents were gone on a weekend, I’d make them pancakes in animal shapes and we’d watch cartoons.
    “Be sure to visit the museum while you’re in town,” Cathy added. “Kasper will tell you plenty about Chloe. It won’t all be true, but it’ll be entertaining.”
    “I’d rather hear more about Chloe from you.”
    “I’ve said enough already. But you can find out plenty in this week’s Piney Press . Here.” She handed me a newspaper from the end table. Then she wished me luck and turned her game back on.
    When I stepped outside, I didn’t see Thorn. So I walked to the parking lot and found her waiting by the jeep.
    “You took long enough,” she said.
    “Sorry. But I found out some interesting stuff.”
    “About what?”
    “Chloe,” I answered simply. “I talked to her best friend.”
    “A ghost has a best friend?”
    “They knew each other when they were young. She gave me this newspaper and said there’s an article about Chloe.”
    “Cool. Let me see.”
    I handed Thorn the paper and we unfolded it together. A bold headline on the front page jumped at me: “Record Breaking Attendance for Chloe Celebration.” Below this caption was a black-and-white snapshot of a beautiful girl with wavy dark hair. She wore a mid-length skirt and a snug sweater that showed off her ample curves. Her sweet, sultry smile was inviting, yet harbored secrets.
    I must have gasped, because Thorn asked what was wrong. But all I could do was stare at the paper. I now knew how Chloe had died.
    She’d fallen to her death over a cliff.
    And I’d seen it happen … in a dream.

“Are you okay?” Thorn asked as we neared Pine Peaks and had to slow for traffic. “You haven’t said a word for miles.”
    “Just tired.”
    “It’s more than that. This has something to do with Chloe. What’s the big obsession?”
    “Nothing.”
    “I don’t buy it. You’re acting weirder than usual. Did you have one of your visions or see a ghost?”
    “So you do believe in ghosts?” I countered.
    “Well, duh.” Thorn rolled her eyes. “I figure everything is possible. But I don’t go around talking to ghosts like you do.”
    “I do not. Mostly I try to shut them out. Although it’s hard to ignore my spirit guide Opal. She loves to nag me.”
    “Spirits, ghosts … What’s the difference?”
    “A lot.” I shifted in my seat to face her, relieved to switch the topic. “Spirits are people who made it safely to the other side. They can come back to visit and sometimes appear in dreams. But ghosts are confused and usually don’t realize they are dead. So they’re stuck here.”
    Stuck here . Those words echoed in my mind and a dark sense of foreboding sent a shiver through me. My hands clenched together so tightly my knuckles turned white. Thoughts and images added up to a clear revelation. My coming to Pine Peaks was no accident. Eleanor Baskers probably had zero information about the missing charms. I’d been summoned here through dreams, lured by a ghost. This trip wasn’t about Nona anymore.
    Chloe was in charge.
    I hated being manipulated. But I had a feeling Chloe would keep haunting my dreams until she got what she wanted—whatever that was.
    “I need to see the museum,” I told Thorn.
    “You’re buying into all the Chloe hype? Are you serious or showing the first signs of insanity?”
    “Both.” I forced a calm