1. At Sally's Apartment
"Somehow, it's not the same," said Sally.
Matt floated around the living room. "What's different? It looks the same to me."
"It's not the room or the furniture. It's me, Matt. I'm not the same anymore. This whole experience has changed me."
Matt approached Sally and with his arm extended towards her her hair. He almost made it, but was swooshed away when Sally turned to see what he was doing. "Oh, sorry Matt. What were you doing?"
"I was trying to stroke your hair. I used to enjoy doing that."
Sally smiled. "Yes, I remember you doing that. It sometimes made me feel like I was your pet."
"Oh, no, I never meant it like that!" protested Matt. "I only meant it in the most endearing way possible."
"I know that, silly. I never minded being your pet. I'm not one of those women who takes offense at everything a man does to show his love. I know what you meant, and I appreciated it."
"I tried, Sally. I can't say that I was always the best husband in the world. All I can say is that I loved every moment of our lives together."
"We're still together," said Sally.
Matt didn't respond.
"I'm back!" screeched Marybeth as she flew down through the ceiling into the living room.
Sally looked at the newly arrived ghost, disappointed that she was interfering with what she thought was an intimate discussion with Matthew. "I didn't realize you were gone," said Sally. "Where did you go?"
"To that gate place. To see San Gria--"
"San Gria? I thought it was Mimosa...or Dai Quiri?"
Marybeth shrugged. "This time he said his name was San Gria. I'm not up on my saints. I think he must be a Mexican saint or something."
"It's a wine, you idiot," growled Matt.
Marybeth ignored Matt. She shook her broad hip and bumped him against the wall. Fortunately, he didn't pass through it, but remained in the room. "At first he didn't want me to come back, but I insisted."
"You did find out who killed you," said Sally. "I thought that's why you were here, to discover that."
"That was part of it," said Marybeth. "But I realized that I had to learn the truth about Trevor also. I took him in. I believed his story that he was innocent. I now realize that was a mistake on my part. I wanted something so bad that I was unwilling to see the truth. Trevor wasn't really a nice boy, like I thought. He was a manipulator."
"He was a killer," said Matt, doing his best to bump Marybeth out of the way, all to no avail.
"Yes, he was that. But what I came back for was the lottery ticket."
Sally looked surprised. "You know you can't take it with you, don't you?"
Marybeth laughed. "I know that, dearie. I wanted to see you when you got all the money."
"I don't think I really deserve it," said Sally. "I might just give it to the survivors of the Puddingstone family."
Marybeth wrinkled her nose. "You would be better off just flushing the money down the toilet. My family hardly deserves anything. So, where is the ticket?"
Sally pulled out the two halves of the lottery ticket. Chief Harvey Morris, after talking with the City Attorney, had decided that the ticket wasn't really needed in the inquiry into Marybeth Baker's death, so he had given her the half of the ticket they found on the person of Quinn Puddingstone. Sally put the two halves of the ticket together and read out the number.
"I need to look this up on the computer and see if it matches," said Sally.
"Oh, it does," insisted Marybeth. "I wrote the number down before I ripped the ticket into two parts. I already checked it. You just need to go cash it in."
Sally laughed. "I doubt that the local gas station can cash in a five million dollar prize, Marybeth. But let me double-check it anyway."
"Go ahead, waste your time. It's not as though San Gria isn't trying to get me to go through the damn gate."
Matt stopped trying to bump Marybeth out of the way. "You know, we never really found out what's on the other side of that gate, Sally. I'm beginning to suspect that it can lead to both Heaven or to Hell."
"I think you have to cross a river to go to hell, Matt," said Sally. She opened up her laptop and typed in the URL for the California State Lottery. After a minute, she found the winning number posted for the drawing for the ticket Marybeth had bought.
"Marybeth, I think you made a mistake."
"What? What are you talking about? What mistake did I make?"
"The ticket number doesn't match the number posted on the website."
"You must have the wrong winning number. Check the other winning numbers."
Sally scowled, but started checking all the winning numbers posted. "Nope, none of them match, Marybeth. The first number I checked was almost exactly the same as our ticket, but two of the numbers were transposed."
"Transposed?" Marybeth was suddenly very subdued.
"What is it, Marybeth? What's going on?" asked Sally.
"Uh, I do have a bit of a problem with dyslexia," she said quietly. "Actually, I often get numbers mixed up."
"So you copied the lottery number wrong," said Matt in an accusatory voice.
Sally gestured for Matt to back off. "It happens, Marybeth. But I'm afraid that we don't really have a winning ticket."
For a moment Marybeth was silent. Then she started laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"If my nephews had gotten the lottery ticket, the joke would have been on them! They killed me for nothing!" As Marybeth continued laughing, she started to become more transparent. She blinked at herself, realizing that she was passing on. She hurried over to Matt and whispered something in his ear.
As Sally and Matt stared after Marybeth, they saw a shiny luminous stairway materialize in front of her. As she climbed the stairway, the bottom steps disappeared, and new steps appeared at the top. Her ascendence only took a few heartbeats, and then both Marybeth and the silver stairway were gone.
"I think she moved on," said Matt.
Sally nodded, a wistful look on her face. "I think I'm going to miss her," she said.
"Really?" asked Matt. "I won't. She was a hard woman to live with."
Sally smiled. "It's a good thing you didn't marry her then, Matthew O'Brian."
Sally put her cellphone down on the kitchen table. Her coffee was cold, but she drank it anyway.
"You're deep in thought," said Matt. "What's going on?"
"That was Jennifer," said Sally. "She wants me to move back into the house with her, Jack, and Kiera."
Matt fluttered, but remained silent. When Sally didn't say anything, apparently he became impatient. "So, what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking I will do it," said Sally. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do about this apartment. I have a lease on it."
"It's only money," said Matt. "I think being with your family is far more important. You've spent enough time on your own."
"I have you," said Sally. "So I hardly think I'm alone."
"You need people you can hug, Sally. I'm not enough. And if you do move back, I will still be with you. And it would be nice to have Kiera to talk to, too."
Sally laughed. "Okay, Matt, I'll let Jen know I'm coming home. But I do have one question for you."
"You always have questions for me," said Matt.
"Yes, but this one is different. When Marybeth passed on, she seemed to whisper something to you. What did she say?"
Matt smiled. "She told me to take good care of you, Sally. You know, she was a pretty decent person after all."
2. At the Yellow House
"Mommy, mommy, Granma is coming back home!" shouted Kiera.
Jennifer smiled.
“And so is Grampa!” added Kiera. “He’s still see-through, though!”
"Oh, dear, I knew there was a downside to this," moaned Jennifer.
Jack was moving boxes out of the room they had designated for Sally. "Stop complaining and tell me where I can put these."
Sally looked at the stacks of boxes that had filled one side of her room. "What is all that stuff?' she asked.
"Just things that we wanted to sort out and donate to Goodwill," said Jennifer. "But whoever can find the time?"
Alan Ripple backed into the room, struggling to hold onto a bed frame. "Where do you want this, Mr. O?" he asked. He looked around. "Oh, there's no room. Hold on, Melody, I had to stop!"
Melody appeared in the door, pushing the other end of the bed frame. "Sorry, Alan, my bad. But I told you, let your brother carry the heavy things!" She moved out of the way of Jack, who was lugging one of the boxes out of the room.
Alan rubbed his shoulder, trying to hide any signs of weakness. “It’s almost as good as new,” he insisted.
Melody looked over at Sally and shook her head, a rueful smile on her face.
Jennifer looked around the room. "I guess we have to empty out this room before you can put your furniture in here, Mom."
"Daddy said you should have done that last week, mommy," said Kiera.
Jennifer gave her daughter a look of frustration. "She's only four and already she can point out all my mistakes."
"You were the same way," said Sally.
Matt floated above his granddaughter. "Come on, honey, let's get out of the way of the big people."
"Okay, Grampa," said Kiera, running after him.
"She still pretends your husband is here," said Melody to Sally, watching the child scurry out of the room. "That is so cute."
"It's not cute," grumbled Jennifer. "My mother has convinced my daughter that Dad is still alive, but a ghost."
"I think technically, ghosts aren't alive, Mrs. Winston," pointed out Melody.
"Yes," said Alan in a low conspiratorial tone. "We both know all about Mrs. O's obsession with ghosts."
"I can hear you, Alan," said Sally. "Ghosts are real. It's not my fault that you can't see or hear them." She wistfully wished Marybeth was back here so that she could 'possess' someone and prove that ghosts were real. It was a shame that Matt seemed to lack that skill.
No, that wouldn't be appropriate, she realized. Matt had made it clear that 'possession' was not good for either the ghost or the living person.
"Maybe I just miss him," she added, offering an explanation for her behavior that would satisfy those who could not perceive the ghostly realm.
Jennifer’s face softened. It occurred to Sally that this couldn’t be easy for Jennifer, who lost her father and couldn’t even see him as a ghost.
Sally watched as Alan and Melody started piling the boxes on a dolly to take them downstairs. She wasn't sure where Jack was going to store them. The logical place was in the abandoned barn just west of the Yellow House. As far as she knew, however, the barn needed repairs. She hoped that the roof didn't leak. That might ruin the contents of the boxes.
It turned out that the boxes couldn't be stored in the barn. It was already full of junk.
"Why not just take all these boxes down to the Goodwill store?" she asked.
Jennifer sighed. "It's been on the honey-do list for weeks. We did a major clean up after you moved out."
"You should have told me you had no room for me," said Sally. "I could stay in the apartment."
"No, this is better. This will motivate Jack to rent a truck and take the boxes away. Trust me, Mom, it's a good thing."
"You do realize that Alan and his brother have a truck, don't you?" asked Sally. "I'm sure you could pay them to deliver the boxes to Goodwill."
Jennifer nodded. "Okay, we'll do that. Maybe I can convince Jack to give up possession of all this junk."
Sally smiled. Jack didn't like throwing anything out. "I can always find a use for that thing," he would say, regardless of what the thing was. The problem was that often he was right. Sally knew that Jack's hoarding was a constant source of frustration for Jennifer, but she found it rather quaint.
Alan and Melody returned with the dolly, ready to bring another stack of boxes down to the front porch. They were laughing and having a good time together. Alan seemed determined not to allow his shoulder wound to interfere with his relationship with Melody.. Both of them seemed to have recovered from the trauma of the shooting at the Cliff House. In fact, they seemed closer than ever.
She had tried to get them together when she first moved into her apartment. She wasn't sure why she thought they would be good for each other...it was just one of those feelings that she had every once in a while. But it was clear that there was chemistry between the two young people.
Sally smiled to herself as she watched them take another stack of boxes out of the bedroom. Sometimes things worked out just the way you wanted them to. Then she knocked three times on the wooden door frame. She didn't dare jinx their relationship. For all she knew, they were both just happy to be rid of the crazy old lady.
3. At the Yellow House - Sally's Refurnished Bedroom
Sally looked around her bedroom. It was cozy, comfortable, and the way she wanted it. Yes, she did miss her apartment. But now that she thought about it, the apartment was way too much space for her. Besides, it was nice having her daughter around to clean up the dishes in the kitchen. One more chore that Sally could delegate!
The downside was that Sally didn't like leaving dirty dishes around. She either washed them by hand or made sure they were put in the dishwasher. Old habits were hard to get rid of.
The one thing that she really liked about her new set-up was the desk that Jack had installed in her bedroom. She now had a place to put her laptop when she wanted to go online. She could slide it away when she wanted to write in her journal. She had been surprised when Jack said he had found them when he was cleaning up. She had lost track of where they were after the events earlier in the year. And, she had to admit, for the longest time, she had no desire to record her thoughts in her journal. Those thoughts were too dark for posterity.
"I think that's everything, Mrs. O," said Alan, standing in the doorway, Melody by his side. Jeff stood behind Melody. "We've got everything moved into your room, the rest moved back to your house in Crystal Cove, and all the boxes loaded on the truck."
"Thank you for your help," said Sally.
"Mom!" called Jennifer from at the bottom of the stairs. "There's someone here to see you!"
Sally headed downstairs, followed by the Ripple brothers and Melody Campbell. She was surprised to see Dalip Singh waiting in the living room.
"Dalip, why are you here?" she asked.
"Mrs. O'Brian, I've been thinking about this lease that you have on your apartment. I know that you said you would pay for breaking the lease, but I am thinking, this is not a good thing."
"No?" Sally was puzzled. She had discussed terminating the lease and paying the penalty for the early end to the lease. She thought that it was actually a lot better than having to pay for the apartment for another four or five months.
"No, it is not. Because I have been able to rent out the apartment already."
"Oh, Dalip, that is good news! I'm surprised you were able to do that. I didn't realize there was that much demand for apartments."
Dalip Singh laughed. "No, normally not. But I think you already know who the new tenants are."
Sally was puzzled. "I do?"
"It's us," said Melody, beaming broadly. "Me and Alan. We're moving into your apartment."
"You are?"
"Yes, Mrs. O," said Alan. "Thanks to you, Melody and I have gotten to know each other very well. In fact, we've discovered that we love each other."
"That is good news," said Sally. "I'm so happy for both of you. But isn't this a big step? Don't you both already have your own homes?"
Melody shook her head. "I'm living with my parents, when I'm in Crystal Cove. Otherwise, I am at school."
"As for me," said Alan, "living on a rock in a lighthouse keeper's house sounds romantic, but it's really a lot of bother. I've finally figured out why they don't charge for living there. I even wonder why they don't pay someone to live there."
"I think they used to, bro," said Jeffrey. "They just found a sucker in you."
"But none of that matters," continued Alan. "Melody and I want to get married, and as soon as she has her license, we will. Dr. Winston has promised to hire her as a full time nurse as soon as that happens."
"So you see, Mrs. O'Brian," said Dalip Singh, "everything has worked out for the best. So there is no need for you to pay the penalty, since these nice kids are going to take over your lease. But you did say that you would pay for another month of Ms. Baker's lease."
Sally laughed. "Yes, Dalip, I will pay for that." She glanced at the Ripple brothers. "Assuming you two can empty out her apartment? Her brother sent me a letter telling me to dispose of all her belongings. Apparently, even in death, her family is abandoning her."
Alan nodded. "We'll take care of it, Mrs. O."
As everyone was preparing to leave, Melody pulled Sally aside on the front porch. "I just wanted to say, Mrs. O'Brian--"
"Sally. Please, call me Sally."
"Yes, Sally. I just wanted to say how sorry I am that Marybeth's family is being so mean. It just doesn't seem right."
"No, it's not right, Melody. There's nothing more important than family. You are born into a family. You don't get to choose them. But you do get to choose how you treat them. As you start out creating your own family, keep that in mind."
Melody smiled. "That won't be hard. I've met Alan's parents, and they are nowhere as weird as Alan describes them. I think they're wonderful people."
Sally nodded. "Someday I would like to meet them also," she said. She hugged Melody. "I hope you invite me to your wedding."
"Of course, Sally! But there is one last question I have."
"Sure, what is it?"
"I'm not sure I believe in ghosts. I'd like to think that there is something after death, but sometimes I can't tell if that's my wishful thinking or something real. But you've said that you can see Marybeth's spirit. Did she ever pass on? Or is she still around?"
Sally sighed deeply. "Her spirit moved on, Melody. She got the answers she was looking for. I hope she's in a better place now."
Melody wiped away a tear. "I hope so too, Sally. She deserved a better life than she had."
4. At the Yellow House, in the Living Room
Sally sat on the couch, a small notebook clutched in her hand. She was deep in thought, writing down ideas every few minutes. Matt sat on the chair across from her, struggling to maintain his position on the chair.
"I think I've almost got this mastered," he said. "Look! I'm not sinking into the chair!"
"Yes you are, Grampa," said Kiera. "You are slowly going down into the cushion."
Matt looked frustrated, but when he tried to wiggle himself upwards, he only sank further into the chair. Kiera laughed at his antics. "You're silly, Grampa!"
Matt floated up out of the chair. "What are you working on, dear?"
"I want to set up the B&B again. Maybe make it really successful this time," said Sally. "So I'm trying to see what has to be done to fix up the Cliff House."
Jennifer came into the living room, closely followed by her husband Jack.
"You want to do what, Mom? Fix up the Cliff House? Why?"
"I was thinking that I might move in there and then rent out the rooms as a B&B."
Jack nodded thoughtfully. "You could do that."
"Jack, don't encourage her! Mom, that's a crazy idea. You can't let total strangers live with you."
Sally nodded. "Then we can just rent out the whole house. Either way, it has to be fixed up. We need to replace that cracked window."
"How did that get cracked?" asked Jack.
Matt fluttered anxiously. "You can't tell him that it was because two ghosts slammed into it," he warned.
Sally shrugged. "Maybe it was an earthquake or something."
"One more reason you shouldn't live in that house," said Jennifer.
Jennifer clearly thought that she was going to be in charge of her mother's future activities. Sally wasn’t going to accept that, but now was not the time for arguing.
There was a knock at the front door. Sally looked around, waiting for Jack or Jennifer to answer the door, but they didn't seem to hear it. Who could possibly be this far off the main highway? Suppressing her feelings of annoyance, Sally got up from the couch and walked over to the front door mudroom.
She opened the door, surprised to see Jim Bramsby and Eldridge Swathcombe. "Well, hello, gentleman," she said. "What brings you out here?"
Swathcombe bowed slightly as Bramsby smiled broadly. "You do, Sally O'Brian."
Sally's eyebrows rose as various suspicious thoughts danced in her head. "I'm not sure I understand," she said hesitantly. "Come on in and sit down. I thought you two were headed back to Kentucky."
"We are," said Bramsby. "We've been notified that we can escort the suspect back to Louisville. We're driving back, so it will take us a couple of days to get there."
"I'm surprised they didn't send their own policemen out here to do that," said Sally.
"I've been temporarily reinstated," explained Swathcombe. "And I deputized Jim here to help me."
"As Eldridge said, it's only temporary," added Bramsby. "When we first came out here, we didn't realize that we both had the same goal."
"To find the truth about the Puddingstone murders?" suggested Sally.
Bramsby beamed happily at Swathcombe. "See, I told you she was a natural detective! Yes, we both wanted to find the killer. We didn't expect to find that both brothers were killers, but, that's the way the cards get played. We're also escorting the body of Quinn Puddingstone back to Louisville so his family can bury him."
Sally noticed that the two men appeared to be friendlier with each other than she had remembered. She joked about them being so cooperative.
"That's another thing we have you to thank you for. You helped bring us together." Swathcombe patted Bramsby on the shoulder.
Bramsby nodded, scooting forward on the couch. "We realized that we both bring different skill sets to the game. Eldridge knows the law and how cops think. I know the streets and the criminal mind...no, that didn't come out right."
"I think I know what you mean," laughed Sally.
"Yes. Well, anyway, we figured, how about we combine our skill sets and form our own agency? So we're setting up a partnership. Bramsby and Swathcombe, Private Investigators."
"Or S & B Investigations," corrected Swathcombe. "We haven't finalized the name of the business yet."
"It's better to have a name that starts at the beginning of the alphabet," said Bramsby.
"It's actually better, Jim, to lead with our most experienced partner."
"Then it still should be Bramsby and Swathcombe," insisted Bramsby.
"Gentlemen! Please! You need to settle this on the drive back to Kentucky."
Both men stared at her, then nodded in agreement. "Plenty of time to work out the kinks," said Swathcombe. "But we wanted to thank you, Mrs. O'Brian, for your help in bringing us together. Without you, we both would have just let this opportunity pass us by."
"I don't really know that I did all that much," said Sally.
Matt appeared behind the couch on which the two men sat. "Just accept their appreciation, Sally. Don't be the cause of them becoming rivals again."
Sally hadn't considered that prospect, though given the volatility of the two men, it was definitely a possibility. "Well, thank you, gentlemen. But you have a long drive ahead of you. Please take my best wishes for the success of your new business, and pass on my condolences to the survivors of the Puddingstone family."
Sally watched the men get in their vehicle and drive back towards the road. "Would you hire them to solve a crime, Matt?" she asked.
Matt floated on the porch. "Nope. I'd hire you first, Sally."
Sally smiled. "Sometimes you say the nicest things, Matt."
"That's my job," said Matt. "Oh, and to protect you."
Sally's phone buzzed.
Sally put down the notebook in which she was listing all the things she had to do to fix up the Cliff House and answered the call.
"Hello, Henry, how are you today?"
"I heard about the murder in Crystal Cove," said Henry O'Brian. "And some murders in Kentucky? What the hell, Sally? You were involved in it? In some sort of a shooting?"
"I wasn't actually involved in either the murder or the shooting, Henry. I'm not sure what you've heard, but I think you've got your facts all jumbled up. I just helped the police solve the crimes and bring the men to justice who did commit the crimes."
"You should get out of Crystal Cove, Sally. Move to San Francisco or LA, where we can take care of you. We're concerned about you."
"No, I'm happy in Crystal Cove, Henry. I don't need your good intentions."
"You're right. My intentions are good, Sally. I know it's the house that's keeping you there. We should sell it. Create a nest egg for you to live on."
"I'm not selling the Green House, Henry. I'm thinking of making it an investment property. Renting it out, you know. That would be a good nest egg for me too, don't you think?"
"No, I don't think so, Sally. Ever since Matt passed away, you've been making bad decisions. I'm beginning to worry that you're not really competent to be on your own."
"I'm not on my own, Henry. I have my daughter and son-in-law here to help me if I need it. I would thank you to just mind your own business. Goodbye, Henry."
Sally disconnected the call and stared over at Matt. He returned her stare. "Don't worry, Sally, he can't do anything to hurt you."
But Sally wasn't so sure. As much as Matt insisted that he was here to protect her, how could he protect her from his brother's "good intentions"?
Sally’s list was almost complete. Okay, not complete. But certainly pretty long. Sally if she was undertaking a project too big for her. "I don't know that I can afford this," she muttered, closing the notebook.
"You have my insurance," said Matt. "That should easily cover everything."
"I feel a bit guilty about spending your insurance money when you're still here."
Matt laughed. "You know that's silly, don't you?"
"Of course. I just said I feel guilty about doing it. I didn't say I wasn't going to spend the money."
Sally's phone buzzed again.
"I hope that's not Henry, again," she grumbled, picking up the phone. No, it was her sister, Lucy. "Hello Lucy."
"Sally, so good to hear your voice. Have you considered my proposition?"
Proposition? Sally tried to recall what Lucy was talking about. "No, what proposition is that?"
"You know, that you move down here to live with us. We've got your room all set up."
Oh, that proposition. "Why is everyone trying to get me to move out of Crystal Cove?" demanded Sally. "It's really not that dangerous. Most of the murders didn't actually happen here, after all." Although two of them had, she admitted to herself.
"Murders? What murders?" Lucy's voice took on an edge of panic.
"Oh, nothing, forget I mentioned it. Thank you, Lucy, but I am very comfortable right here. I moved back in with Jennifer and Jack, so I am very well taken care of, thank you."
Lucy sounded disappointed with that news. "Okay, but at least come down for a visit. Thanksgiving, maybe. Definitely for Christmas. It gets cold up there."
"I'll think about it, Lucy. I love you, Sis."
"I love you too."
5. On the Path to the Cliff House
The first day of October was brisk and windy. The last of summer had truly passed. Sally hurried along the road towards the Cliff House, as Matt clung to her with intense determination.
They had discovered that while Sally could not grasp hold of Matthew, he could actually grab hold of her. She didn't feel anything, except maybe an initial whisper of a touch, and certainly not through her heavy coat. But Matthew could latch onto her, his hands wrapped around her upper arm. He still seemed to flutter in the wind, but at least he wasn't blowing away.
"I don't understand how ghosts work," said Sally. "Marybeth was able to travel along this road with no problem. She even simulated walking on the road. Why can't you do that?"
"How would I know?" said Matt. "Did you see an Owner's Manual in that stupid room with Mimosa? Who was it that Marybeth saw? Dai Quiri. Maybe he was a better greeter than we had. Maybe he trained her better."
"We didn't get any training."
"As I recall, Sally, you weren't supposed to be there."
"But I was, Matt. I suspect if you had been nicer to Marybeth, she might have given you some pointers on being a ghost."
Matt rolled his eyes, which, for a moment, was really disturbing, since his eyeballs seemed to become entirely white. Now THAT was something that Sally hadn't seen Marybeth do. She decided not to point that fact out to Matt. She didn't want him rolling his eyes any more than he had to.
Matthew continued with his rant. "I am just glad we didn't have to have her as a neighbor. She was really an annoying person."
"Naw, she was alright. You just had to get to know her."
"I was right about her, though," said Matt. "You do have to admit that."
"On the contrary, you have to admit that I was right about Alan and Melody. They seem so happy together. I just knew they were meant for each other."
Matt smiled. "Yes, Sally, I guess being right about bringing two people together is a lot more important than realizing a crazy woman should be avoided."
"Oh, Matt, you're terrible!"
The wind was considerably abated among the tall trees surrounding the Cliff House. Sally felt a bit of trepidation as she approached the house. So much had happened there. How was she going to wipe those memories of Quinn's body, lying in a pool of his blood, from her mind?
Sally hesitated in front of the door. "I've been thinking, Matt."
"About going into the house? Are you reconsidering fixing it up?"
"No, not that. I've been thinking about my fortune. The one I got at the Gate. The one that said, 'There's still something you need to do.'"
"Oh, yes, I remember. You got a fortune cookie for me too." He pulled it out of his pocket. "I still have it."
Sally smiled. "You should see what it says."
"I will. But what were you thinking about?"
"I was thinking that maybe helping Marybeth was that something I still needed to do. I'm wondering if my task in this plane is over now."
Matt frowned. "Don't even think things like that," he warned.
Sally could tell that she had alarmed him. "What does your fortune say?" asked Sally, anxious to change the subject.
Matt broke open the fortune cookie. He held up the fortune.
"Keep your friends close, but remember your enemies are closer."
Sally looked at him. "What does that mean?"
"I think it means we have to find the people who tried to kill us, Sally. They're still out there. You're still in danger."
Sally's heart sank. "I have to find out who forced us over that cliff, Matt. I won't live in fear. I will find them and get justice for them killing you." When Matt didn't say anything, she stared at him, understanding slowly the implications of how he interpreted what she had said. "But if I find them, then what happens to you?"
"I suppose if they are brought to justice, my reason for being here will be fulfilled. Like Marybeth, I will cross over."
"I don't want that, Matt. I want you to stay with me forever."
Matt seemed to shrink in size. "I don't think that's how the universe works, Sally."
6. At the Cliff House - In the Solarium
Sally stood on the ladder, trying to measure the dimensions of the cracked window. It was fairly high on her priority list to replace it, and since it was such a large piece of glass, she figured it would take a while to get a contractor out here who could do it. So she wanted to get a jump on that task.
Matt was down below, trying to hold onto the ladder. Without much success, Sally noted.
Sally heard a strange sound. At first she couldn't interpret what it was. Her initial thought was that it was the wind, whistling through some part of the Solarium. Then, the more she concentrated, the more it sounded like a cry or whimper.
"Is there someone in the house?" she asked Matt.
"Besides us?" Matt released the ladder and flitted up the stairs and through the great room. Then he disappeared, either in the kitchen-dining area, or more likely, up the stairs to the second level. He returned less than a minute later. "It's just us, Sally. I didn't see anyone."
The sound became a little louder. This time Matt was able to hear it too.
"It sounds like a person," he said. "A girl or a woman."
Sally climbed down the ladder and exited the Solarium. She went out onto the overhanging balcony that surrounded the Solarium. The sound of the Pacific surf pounding on the rocks below drowned out every other sound. She looked to see if there was anyone on the beach below, or perhaps clinging to the side of the sheer cliff on which the Cliff House was built. She saw no sign of any persons, not even animals. A few seagulls soared above the surf, but they were too far away for Sally to hear their cries. She re-entered the Solarium and closed the door.
This time, the sound was even louder. It definitely sounded like someone crying.
Then she heard the first words.
"Please...please help me. Get me out of here."
Sally bit her lip as she looked at Matt. "Do you think that's what I think it is?"
He nodded, a wry smile on his face
Sally shook her head. "Oh, no, there's another ghost in this house!"