remark.
“He’s being a Mr. Poopy-pants right now, isn’t he?” asked Mrs. Beadley.
Mary’s eyebrows crept up, as she and Gran turned to look at her. Mrs. Beadley smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “You have the look. He’s being a Mr. Poopy-pants.” Her eyes got shiny, and she ducked her head. “I used to give him the same look.”
“Oh, Nina. I’m never going to leave you. I’m not going anywhere.”
Gran went to comfort her. Mary felt uncomfortable standing there. She wandered out of the room wondering where Chowder had gotten to. She went through the dining room and into the kitchen.
“Chowder?” she called softly, not wanting to disturb Gran and Mrs. Beadley. She heard a bark from inside the kitchen and looked around a bit. It was nice and clean. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to sense the anchor.
Another bark broke her concentration. She opened her eyes and looked around the floor. A cabinet door shook. “Is the anchor in there?” she asked. She opened the cabinet and looked inside. Pots and pans were stacked up inside. She reached inside to pull some of them out to sort through, but Chowder grabbed her sleeve and tugged.
“What is it, boy?”
Another cabinet door began to rattle. She closed the one she’d opened and reached for it, but the one she closed began to rattle again. She paused to think. Her eyes wandered to the overhead cabinets. She moved to open the one directly over the first cabinet.
“Mary, it’s time to go.”
She pulled the cabinet open and found glasses and coffee mugs.
“Your grandmother is calling you. Are you thirsty?”
She felt like she’d been caught snooping, which maybe she had been, but she was supposed to be, wasn’t she? She closed the cabinet. She gave Mrs. Beadley a guilty look, made worse by the fact that the widow’s eyes were red rimmed. “I was, but if we’re leaving, it doesn’t matter.”
Gran appeared behind Mrs. Beadley. She had Chowder under her arm. “There you are. Let’s go.” Mary nodded and slipped by Mrs. Beadley. Gran gave the widow a hug and said she’d call her in two days but that Mrs. Beadley shouldn’t hesitate to call her if she wanted to.
Mary didn’t know what to say during the car ride home. She was totally out of her depth. Being haunted by a spouse, someone who’d spent decades with you, had to be conflicting. Having that someone there but not there had to be a hard thing to handle. But what about not having them there at all? She glanced over at Gran and wondered how she was feeling about all of this. Grandpa had passed away when Mary’s mother was eight. He’d had a heart attack. There were pictures of him throughout the house, along with pictures of Mary’s parents. She'd been four when her parents were killed. As awful as that had been, it was sort of abstract to her. She only had fuzzy memories of them. She knew stuff about them, but she didn’t remember them. She didn’t really know what it felt like to lose someone. Had the visit brought up those feelings for Gran? Was she missing them? Did Gran wish her loved ones haunted her? She turned to ask her but was cut off by Gran’s excited announcement.
“Oh, look. I think I have a new client.”
Mary swallowed her question. Maybe she really didn't want to know.
Chapter 5
Volunteering to Help
Mary peered out the windshield to where Gran pointed. An old man stood beside a dark sedan parked off their driveway. He was dressed in slacks and a dress shirt with the cuffs rolled up. He perked up as Gran pulled in.
As they got out of the car, the man walked up. He seemed a little nervous and embarrassed to be there. It was a common thing with new clients, especially the ones with ghost problems.
“Sorry to bother you ladies, but are you Mrs. Dubont?”
Gran shut her door and reached out her hand. “Yes, I’m afraid these aren’t my usual office hours. I’ll be happy to make an appointment for you.”
The man shook
“He’s being a Mr. Poopy-pants right now, isn’t he?” asked Mrs. Beadley.
Mary’s eyebrows crept up, as she and Gran turned to look at her. Mrs. Beadley smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “You have the look. He’s being a Mr. Poopy-pants.” Her eyes got shiny, and she ducked her head. “I used to give him the same look.”
“Oh, Nina. I’m never going to leave you. I’m not going anywhere.”
Gran went to comfort her. Mary felt uncomfortable standing there. She wandered out of the room wondering where Chowder had gotten to. She went through the dining room and into the kitchen.
“Chowder?” she called softly, not wanting to disturb Gran and Mrs. Beadley. She heard a bark from inside the kitchen and looked around a bit. It was nice and clean. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to sense the anchor.
Another bark broke her concentration. She opened her eyes and looked around the floor. A cabinet door shook. “Is the anchor in there?” she asked. She opened the cabinet and looked inside. Pots and pans were stacked up inside. She reached inside to pull some of them out to sort through, but Chowder grabbed her sleeve and tugged.
“What is it, boy?”
Another cabinet door began to rattle. She closed the one she’d opened and reached for it, but the one she closed began to rattle again. She paused to think. Her eyes wandered to the overhead cabinets. She moved to open the one directly over the first cabinet.
“Mary, it’s time to go.”
She pulled the cabinet open and found glasses and coffee mugs.
“Your grandmother is calling you. Are you thirsty?”
She felt like she’d been caught snooping, which maybe she had been, but she was supposed to be, wasn’t she? She closed the cabinet. She gave Mrs. Beadley a guilty look, made worse by the fact that the widow’s eyes were red rimmed. “I was, but if we’re leaving, it doesn’t matter.”
Gran appeared behind Mrs. Beadley. She had Chowder under her arm. “There you are. Let’s go.” Mary nodded and slipped by Mrs. Beadley. Gran gave the widow a hug and said she’d call her in two days but that Mrs. Beadley shouldn’t hesitate to call her if she wanted to.
Mary didn’t know what to say during the car ride home. She was totally out of her depth. Being haunted by a spouse, someone who’d spent decades with you, had to be conflicting. Having that someone there but not there had to be a hard thing to handle. But what about not having them there at all? She glanced over at Gran and wondered how she was feeling about all of this. Grandpa had passed away when Mary’s mother was eight. He’d had a heart attack. There were pictures of him throughout the house, along with pictures of Mary’s parents. She'd been four when her parents were killed. As awful as that had been, it was sort of abstract to her. She only had fuzzy memories of them. She knew stuff about them, but she didn’t remember them. She didn’t really know what it felt like to lose someone. Had the visit brought up those feelings for Gran? Was she missing them? Did Gran wish her loved ones haunted her? She turned to ask her but was cut off by Gran’s excited announcement.
“Oh, look. I think I have a new client.”
Mary swallowed her question. Maybe she really didn't want to know.
Chapter 5
Volunteering to Help
Mary peered out the windshield to where Gran pointed. An old man stood beside a dark sedan parked off their driveway. He was dressed in slacks and a dress shirt with the cuffs rolled up. He perked up as Gran pulled in.
As they got out of the car, the man walked up. He seemed a little nervous and embarrassed to be there. It was a common thing with new clients, especially the ones with ghost problems.
“Sorry to bother you ladies, but are you Mrs. Dubont?”
Gran shut her door and reached out her hand. “Yes, I’m afraid these aren’t my usual office hours. I’ll be happy to make an appointment for you.”
The man shook
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