We all look at one another. I’m waiting for someone else to step up to stomp out her flame.
No such luck.
Corinne’s eyes twinkle, and I know we’ve lost her to Lanie’s dark side. She’s sold. Hook. Line. Sinker.
“Nina...?” I draw out her name, hoping she’ll be the voice of reason like she typically is.
She shrugs.
Damn. Lanie got to her too.
I sigh, knowing when to throw in the towel. I’ve been overruled. “What exactly is the goal of this club?”
Lanie’s face lights up when she realizes that she got the green light. She claps her hands together and leans in as though we’re about to make a circle and sing kumbaya.
“Keep it simple. We enlist the help of the spirits on hand and inspect the details of crimes to solve them.”
“We utilize our resources to gather evidence and make arrests when necessary,” Nina suggests, sounding sure about whatever she’s been working out in her head.
“Yes,” Lanie jumps in. “Every meeting, Corinne will read her cards pertaining to our mission of the night.”
They had me hooked until that last part.
“This is an ongoing club? As in, once we find a way to send Billy and Jackson on, we’re going to actually open ourselves for more ghosts?”
Ollie scared the bejesus out of me. He turned out to not be so bad, but what if the next one is? Will I never feel safe in my own home again?
“I see the panic, and I’ll remind you that there are ways to protect yourself, Alyssa. We’ll work on it with the help of my mom.” Corinne’s eyes hold mine, and I see that she fully intends to keep her word on this.
I take a deep breath. “What is the mission tonight?”
“Corinne, take notes,” Lanie instructs. “Alyssa, call to the room Jackson Moore and Billy Garet.”
My lips smack together. “Will we always treat this club like an official hearing?”
She narrows her eyes at me, pulling an irritated face. I don’t say another word, crossing my arms over my chest and getting comfortable. This is Lanie’s show.
“Tonight, we’ve learned that Billy was run off the road by a man.” She turns toward me. “Could you please ask him if he can be sure what the make and color of the vehicle driven by the man was? Also, can he recall if the driver stopped after causing the accident?”
“He can hear you, you know.”
She shrugs. “I’m only trying to include you in this task. Don’t want you to feel worthless.”
I roll my eyes. “News flash—I’m the one who can actually hear the spirits.”
It’s Corinne who grumbles at that, still not thrilled that she can’t communicate with them too.
“It was a red Ford truck. F-250. It was big. I can’t be sure if he stopped, but I don’t think he did. I vaguely remember as my car veered off the brim, the truck disappeared around the curve. He left the scene. I’m almost positive, but not one hundred percent.”
I relay that information to the group. Corinne jots everything down, while Lanie and Nina stare into space.
“Jackson, you’re up,” I call out, assuming his debriefing is about to begin.
“It was the same asshole who killed me,” he bites out through his teeth, hands balling into fists in front of his chest, looking ready to fight. “Except there were three people involved with my accident.”
“Three? This is the first I’m hearing of this.”
“Yeah, well, things aren’t exactly clear, toots. It’s taken me a while to work it out.”
