CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Amanda winced as she turned the old room key into their lock. Don’t wake up. Don’t wake up.

Stepping inside, she scanned the room for Jake’s wallet. There. On the table. With quick-footed steps, she grabbed the leather billfold and opened it to where Jake had put the key in one of the credit card slots.

On the other side of the room, Jake grumbled and rolled over. She froze. Waited to see if he would wake up, notice her. The silence filled the air. Even the second hand on her watch sounded deafening.

Ten seconds passed. No movement from Jake. She exhaled, quickly dashed out of the room, and pulled the door shut. Stood outside, listening for any movement through the door. None.

Good. She could take care of the ghosts and Pearl and get back before Jake woke up.

Scurrying down the stairs, Amanda checked her watch for a time check. Three o’clock. She had an hour, give or take.

She hurried to the parking lot, where Pearl’s Jeep pulled up to get her.

“Nice ride.”

Pearl tapped the dash. “My Jeffrey here has taken good care of me.”

“Jeffrey the Jeep?” Amanda had heard of people naming cars but didn’t know anyone who actually did.

“He’s a smooth ride. Took me on many mudding trips.”

Amanda had also heard of mudding—the art of going off-road in a vehicle and driving through the mud for fun—but never knew anyone who had actually done it. Maybe Pearl had also done the infamous cow tipping? She would need to find out someday.

Pearl pulled out of the lot and took the main highway toward Zephyr Land. “So what’s the plan? Do you just see ghosts automatically? Can you get a message to Opal and Becca? How does it work?”

Amanda grinned. If only her ability had a logical side. A way to explain it to strangers.

“Let’s just get to the park. Knowing Opal, she will find me.”

Pearl turned in surprise. “That’s her, all right. She’s only a year older than me, but she was the bossiest older sister around. Always thinking she knew how to take care of my girls better than me. You got siblings?”

The question sent a pang straight into Amanda’s heart. She turned and stared out the window for a quiet moment before answering. “A younger brother. He’s five.”

Pearl’s eyes widened. “That’s quite an age difference. Was he a whoops baby?”

Amanda glanced at the old sign welcoming them into Zephyr Land property. “I think he was more of a second-chance baby. My parents don’t have the gift, only my two aunts. So they really didn’t know what to do with me. My brother, Max, is the normal kid they’d always hoped for.”

Her parents’ frequent remarks rang shrill in her ears. How she was such a strange child who couldn’t keep friends around for long. How they couldn’t send her to camp for fear she might see the dead and be sent home. How they always longed for normal and doubted the psychiatrists who claimed she didn’t have a mental illness. Amanda swallowed a lump of hurt and tried to focus on the present.

Pearl slowed the Jeep and pulled up to the gate. “That’s a shame. Parents not knowing how to relate to their own kids.”

“Tell me about it. Max was their way of getting the child they always wanted.”

A wave of sadness swept through her as she said the words. She hadn’t thought about her brother in a long time. He was a sweet kid, albeit a bit spoiled. Mom and Dad had succeeded with him where they’d failed with her. So far, he had no indications of supernatural ability. He didn’t talk to ghosts. Normal—just the way her family wanted things to be.

“You had parents who didn’t appreciate you. I appreciated the hell out of my twins, and they were taken from me. Same day that our dog, Sam, died too. Right next to Sarah. He’d seemed to know she was sick and wouldn’t leave her side that day. Maybe he died of a broken heart? He was old. We never knew why.”

Amanda wondered about the dog for a moment but didn’t ask. She only nodded and stepped out to unlock the gate. Once they entered and relatched the lock, she said, “I’m sorry about your daughters. For what it’s worth, Becca and Sarah are both beautiful. Sweet girls.”

Pearl drove to the boardwalk. “Thanks. Do I just park here?”

“Anywhere is fine.” Amanda glanced around. Which soul would appear first?

They got out of the car. Pearl glanced around, taking in the whole sinister scene.

“You said Opal has been trapped here since the derailment?”

“Yes.”

“Do you see anyone?”

Amanda glanced around, scanning every ride and surface. Some swings creaked in the distance, but Becca wasn’t there.

“Opal?” she called out. “Becca?”

A rustling wind blew through the pines. Pearl crossed her arms, shivering. “Breeze was cold.”

“That usually means they’re close by.” Amanda walked out a few feet, keeping an even gaze on all the nooks and crannies where ghosts could hide.

“Amanda.”

She turned to find Declan leaning against the doorframe to the log flume. “Declan, hi.”

Pearl watched but didn’t say anything.

“Who is she?”

“This is Pearl, owner of the Abandon Inn. Opal is her sister, and Becca is her daughter.”

Pearl stepped closer to Amanda. “Is there a ghost talking to you now?”

“Yes. His name is Declan, the one who helps souls move on.”

“Hello,” Pearl said, facing the other direction than where Declan stood.

He chuckled. “Tell her hello. I’ll get Opal and Becca for you. But I need to know if you decided to help us or not.”

“You didn’t give me much choice,” Amanda said. “But yes, Jake and I went to the library and reviewed some records. We talked to witnesses, including Randall Kern—”

“That no-good, cheating, corrupt fool!” a male voice said from behind her.

Amanda spun around, facing a tall, executive-looking soul she hadn’t seen before. “And you are?”

“Chester. I’m the one who hired Randall.”

Maybe she could finally figure this out and release these spirits after all. “Randall said that your company took shortcuts to save money. You used lower-quality bolts.”

Chester leaned back his head and laughed. “That no-good moron wouldn’t know a decent bolt if it hit him in the head.”

Amanda bit her tongue. Jake had talked so much about Randall’s accomplishments, she knew the man wasn’t an idiot by any means.

“Pearl, why don’t you have a seat on the bench?” Amanda asked. “I’ll let you know when Opal or Becca appear.”

“Okay.” Pearl walked right through Chester before sitting down.

“Excuse me,” he said. “Most people watch where they’re going.”

“Stop it,” Amanda said. “She can’t see you.”

“Then how come you can?”

Declan stepped forward. “Because she’s gifted. She’ll help us.”

Why did everyone volunteer her without her permission? Did being gifted mean she automatically had no say in anything?

“Wait a second. I said I would help my boyfriend with his paper and research. I never said I would play police cop and take down the killer—”

“They need this.” Declan marched up to her, his pale face and dark-green eyes only inches from her. “I need this. If you don’t help, I can’t finish my job. If that happens, I get sent to some awful part of the world in the worst weather for my next assignment.”

“I understand—”

“No!” His sharp glare sent chills through her. “You don’t know what it is like to spend ten years with Idaho winters. With Death Valley summers. I tried to be reasonable, ask you for help. I tried asking my boss for more time. I got nowhere. Stop being afraid of your gift. You need to help. End of story.”

She glanced down at her feet, unable to endure his fierce green eyes. His words were sharp, but they were true.

With a heavy sigh, he added, “Amanda, look at me.”

With a deep resolving breath, she met his gaze. Fury vanished into the background. Instead, compassion gleamed from those big eyes.

“I know it’s hard to accept your gift. My sister, Brianna, has it too, and she went through agony to come to terms with herself.”

“All I want is a normal life.” She wrapped her arms around her, as she’d done on the carousel.

Declan glanced around the amusement park. “Normal is overrated. I hate to tell you, but normal isn’t in your reach.”

“How’d your sister cope, then?”

“It took a long time, but she finally understood that to help others and herself, she couldn’t ignore who she was. Quirky flaws, ability to the talk to the dead, everything. We don’t get to pick and choose which gifts we get, but we can’t waste the ones we have.”

Amanda chuckled. “My aunt would say the same thing.”

“Where do you think I got the speech?” he said, grinning.

Chester paced back and forth. “I’m sorry. Am I interrupting this tender moment for us to find out what the hell is going on?”

Declan shot him a cold glare. “Hey, Mr. Callous. Keep it civil.”

The guy huffed and puffed and stormed off down the boardwalk.

“He’ll be back. Just an impatient guy,” Declan said. “What did you learn from the witnesses?”

Amanda reiterated everything she and Jake had learned that morning, including her suspicion that Randall Kern had something to do with the derailment.

“Good job,” Declan said. “Thank you. Sincerely.”

“So can you go get Opal and Becca? They wanted to see Pearl.”

With a wide grin, Declan pointed to where Pearl sat. “They’re already over there.”

Amanda looked. Becca gripped tightly onto Pearl’s leg, a child so happy to see her mama again. Opal sat next to her on the bench, a heartwarming smile on her face.

“See what you can have a part in doing?” Declan whispered. “C’mon. You can’t tell me that some part of your soul doesn’t warm at that sight.”

She relaxed and let her arms fall to her sides. She had to admit, seeing two souls reunited with the living—even if Pearl couldn’t see them—did send a happy flutter through her.

“Maybe.”

“Maybe? You’re a tough crowd, Amanda Moss.” He chuckled. “I better go check on the others.”

“Quick question?”

“Yeah?”

She turned to face him. “Did your sister ever manage to date anyone who accepted her gift?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. She’s married to him now, though the beginning was rough.”

“So it’s possible?”

“Of course. There’s always hope, Amanda. Always.”

And with that fortune cookie, he walked away, slowly fading out of sight.