“O

K, just approach her slowly, no sudden moves. Just be honest and open, and you’ll do fine.” Jackson put his hand on Emily’s shoulder and added, “Twizzlers wouldn’t hurt.”

Emily gave him a blank stare and then said, “It sounds like you’re talking about a dog.”

A rabid dog, Jackson thought to himself, but he forced a smile. “She’s just...particular.”

Emily nodded and Jackson saw her eyes fill with tears. “As long as you guys can make these...things go away. I haven’t slept in three weeks! I can’t eat. I can’t concentrate. It’s horrible!”

Jackson felt the familiar tug at his stomach that came when someone around him was hurting. He squared his shoulders. “We’ll make this better. Jinx is brilliant at this stuff.” He didn’t add that they had yet to come across a real ghost. Or that if they needed to get rid of one, he’d have no idea how. Jinx had given him the job to research that stuff—but he’d come up with nothing. He figured it was just a detail to figure out later, and he hoped Jinx just trusted him to come through.

Emily swiped impatiently at her eyes. “I’ll go get some Twizzlers from the vending machine.” She got up from a picnic table outside the school cafeteria and entered through the door, disappearing around a corner.

As if on cue, Jinx appeared from around the other side of the building. She saw Jackson and nodded, her pink-tipped bangs flopping over her eyes. Swinging her bag up on the table, she blew a big breath up to get her bangs out of her eyes. Jackson could smell the perfume she swore she didn’t wear, a musky scent.

“Where’s our meal ticket?”

Jackson gave her what he hoped was his most disapproving stare. “Emily,” he said.

Jinx grinned. “You say tomato...”

“She’s going through a lot, you know. Just try to be nice, OK?”

Jinx shrugged and played with the corner of the Fringe patch she’d sewn onto her messenger bag. “Yeah, yeah, we all have it tough.”

Just then Emily appeared at the door of the school, pushed, and walked slowly out.

“What does she think I am, a rabid dog?” Jinx asked.

Jackson had to hide a smile. Emily approached the picnic table and looked at Jinx and Jackson. She held her arm out straight in front of her. “I thought you might like these.” The Twizzlers bag crinkled in her fingers. Her posture screamed “uncomfortable.” Inwardly, Jackson cringed.

Jinx glared at Jackson—knowing who Emily had gotten her info from—then trained her gaze at Emily. “Well, sit down if you want to talk.”

Emily took a seat across from them while Jinx snatched the Twizzlers.

Before Emily could say anything, Jinx said, “The fee is $400 with a $200 deposit. You pay us no matter what the outcome is. We can tell you if your place is haunted, but we don’t guarantee we can get rid of them.”

Emily looked from Jinx to Jackson, then back to Jinx. She glared at her. “What good does it do me to have you tell me my place is haunted? I know my place is haunted! I want you to get them out!”

Jackson was too startled to say anything. Jinx had just given him a big fat “I don’t believe in you” vote when it came to getting rid of ghosts. Never mind that he actually didn’t know how...she should still trust him!

“Just a minute, Emily,” he said as the girl got up to move. “I need to talk to Jinx.”

He grabbed Jinx by the upper arm—a move he knew she hated—and pulled her up, walking her to a shaded spot away from the picnic table.

“Dude, grab my arm again and I’ll stick this Twizzler up your—”

Jackson cut her off. “What do you mean we can’t make them go away?”

Jinx stared at him while the comprehension dawned on her. “Oh, Jackson, I didn’t mean to say anything about you and your talents. It’s just, we’ve never had to get rid of ghosts before.”

Jackson glared. “We’ve never determined if there has been a ghost. So you may just suck at ghost detection too.”

“It’s just...I have all this equipment and you have...well, I don’t know. You’ve never talked about it.” Her voice trailed off. Jackson knew his face had darkened. He didn’t say anything. She still should trust him.

Jinx finally sighed. “Well, come on. We’ll say we can get rid of the things. But if we can’t, you have to be the one to pay her back.”

Jackson nodded and tried to playfully grab her upper arm again as they walked back to the picnic table.

“I will kung fu you,” Jinx snarled. “Do not try me. I’m doing this whole thing as a favor to you anyway. And may I say again, I don’t trust that girl.”

Jackson snorted and said, “Yeah, yeah.” He turned serious as they reached the table. Jinx flopped down opposite Emily and grabbed a Twizzler.

“OK,” she said, taking one of her gigantic bites, “We’ll get rid of the suckers for you. Guaranteed. Now, tell me why you think the place is haunted.”

Emily’s face relaxed and she almost smiled. She leaned in and said, “I’ll tell you why I know it’s haunted.”

Jinx stared at her, affecting the most bored look Jackson knew she had. He elbowed her.

Emily went on. “Because the ghosts are trying to kill me.”