“That’s interesting.” Evangeline’s eyes narrow. “Go on.”
“The second time was at the community centre miles away in Clapham, where Delores used to go to meet up with her friends. I saw it and followed it, then it…”
“It what?” Evangeline asks, her eyes lit with curiosity.
“I could’ve sworn it turned and looked right at me.”
“But that’s not possible.” Evangeline frowns. “From what I know of reapers, they are only cognisant of the person they’ve been assigned to reap. It shouldn’t have been aware of your presence at all.”
“You don’t think…” I swallow nervously. “You don’t think it’s come for me, do you? Am I going to end up dying in some freak accident?”
“Honey, you did that already and they sent you back,” Dusty reminds me.
“Dusty’s right, dear,” Evangeline says. “If they wanted you dead, you’d be dead. But I have to say, I’m at a total loss, I’ve never heard of reapers acting like this…. Bruce?” She looks to him for confirmation.
“I’m stumped too.” He lifts the hand not currently wrapped around Dusty and strokes his jaw. “Unless…”
“Unless?” I repeat, certain I probably don’t want to hear the answer.
“Unless you saw the same one both times?”
“A rogue reaper?” Evangeline blinks. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“I’ve never heard of them behaving like this, either.” Bruce shakes his head as he looks at me sympathetically. “It may not be here for your soul, but even I can tell this doesn’t sound good, mate.”
“Thanks a lot, really comforting,” I say flatly. “What am I supposed to do now?”
“Carry on as normal,” Evangeline replies.
“I hate to break it to you, Evangeline, but there’s nothing normal about this. In fact, my life is so far from normal these days I don't even recognise it.” I frown.
“I know, but since it first appeared the night Delores died, I say help her unravel her unfinished business, get her crossed into the light, and by finding the answers for her, you might just find answers for yourself.”
“You think the two are connected?”
“I don’t think it can be discounted without more information.” Evangeline tilts her head slightly as if she’s listening to something we can’t hear. “I’m sorry,” she says suddenly, “but I have to go now. I’m needed elsewhere. Good luck, dear.”
Before I can say anything else, she’s gone between one blink and the next, leaving Mrs Abernathy on the sofa, still knitting with her pink ball of yarn.
I glance down at my watch. “We should get going too,” I tell Dusty. She plants another kiss on Bruce’s lips, leaving a bright red print from her lipstick.
“We’re going now, Vivienne,” I call out toward the back of the shop.
“Go then, and bring gin next time you stop by, the good stuff, not that tap water from Tesco,” she yells back as I roll my eyes.
Dusty helps Delores up from the sofa as I wave goodbye to Bruce and turn toward the door.
“Tristan, wait a moment.” Bruce jogs over to me. “I know you’ve got a lot on your plate right now, but Dusty said she’d mentioned to you about…” He drops his voice. “You know… my unfinished business.”
Dusty had mentioned it to me months ago after Bruce had taken her on a wild Valentine’s date to the land of the dead, a place he could only visit for short periods of time because he’s anchored to our world and will stay until his remains are found and his murder solved.
I nod. “She did mention it, yes. And I really want to help you, I just haven’t figured out how yet. Your murder happened over forty years ago, your remains were never recovered, it’s a cold case, and you may even still be a missing persons case if they had no cause to suspect foul play back in the day. Danny doesn’t know about me—I mean, about the whole ghost thing. I’m still trying to figure out how to get him to reopen a cold case without having to explain why.”
“It’s okay.” Bruce nods slowly. “I get it. It was always going to be a long shot and to be honest, I’ve kind of gotten used to being stuck here with the portal.”
That’s the key reason the bookshop exists and has for so long. It’s a crossing point, an in-between place where the world of the living meets the world of the dead. Concealed behind one of the walls is a portal into the spirit world, and somehow Bruce has found himself responsible for that portal.
“I will help you,” I tell Bruce earnestly, “I promise. I just need to figure out how.”
