Page 41 of Ghost Town Boogie

Those pictures, the ones hidden in the 3 Doors Down album, had to mean something. Jack might’ve blackmailed Walter. Last he’d heard, Sawyer’s father was living in Mobile, not far away but no longer in Seawolf Beach. Did he visit? Did he wander into downtown shops looking for duck pictures?

What had happened to Crystal? Maybe she’d just moved on, the way people do. Maybe she really had gotten tired of Seawolf Beach and decided to try her luck somewhere else.

If there was no reason for saving them, why were the pictures hidden so well?

He could ask Mac to run a search on Crystal, but he didn’t remember her last name. Maybe Tuck would know. There had to be records of the salary his uncle had paid. But if he asked the police chief to investigate he’d want to know why. Colt didn’t have a why he could share with anyone. He also had to wonder if stirring the pot by bringing Crystal into it would lead to more violence. Another fire… another murder…

Anna would be in danger, if she wasn’t already.

Unless he could talk to Jack he might never have the answers. Right now, Jack wasn’t talking.

Colt had never before wanted to talk to a ghost. He’d never attempted to call one to him, the way Anna had suggested he call her father. It was a terrifying prospect, to actively bring the spirits to him. If he did that, they might never leave.

Just as he was about to try to call Jack’s name to test the waters, Anna joined him on the porch. Colt was glad for the reprieve.

The look she gave him as she took the chair next to his was telling.

“Your mom’s having a come-apart about me, I suspect.”

“You’re not wrong,” Anna admitted. She didn’t sound concerned. “She thinks you’re…”

“Go ahead, say it,” he nudged when she hesitated.

“Squirrelly.”

Could be worse, he supposed. “She’s not alone in that assumption. Too many people have seen me talking and reacting to people they don’t see.”

“She says you were never the same after the accident.”

“That’s the truth,” he muttered.

“I told her you were a magnificent lover with unmatched skill in bed, so I could deal with a little squirrelly.”

He stopped rocking and looked at her. “You did not.”

She smiled. “No, but I thought about it.”

The porch shuddered, just a little. Ah yes. Jack had given Colt specific instructions where his sister was concerned. Instructions he’d ignored.

“I texted with Emily for a bit,” Anna said. “She’s agreed to spend the night and head to Florida with Mom tomorrow morning. Her in-laws were late getting to the house so she’ll be a little later than she’d planned getting on the road. It sounded like she was glad of the chance to catch her breath and skip stopping at a hotel on the way to Aunt Sally’s place. After a good night’s sleep, they can make the drive in one day.”

That meant Colt had a little more time to try to talk with Jack. A little more time to make sense of this mess.

Jack was faint, fading in and out but present. Bare chested, in his shorts and running shoes, he looked lost. In the wrong place, at the wrong time. Gone was his usual confidence, his swagger, his air of I’m better than everyone else. The spirit whispered in Colt’s ear. “Don’t let them hurt her.”

CHAPTER 16

It was good to see her cousin, to chat and catch up. How many years had it been? Too many. Emily was four years younger than Anna, which meant as children they hadn’t had a lot in common on the occasions they got together either in Seawolf Beach or at Aunt Sally’s house, which was a hop and a skip away from the happiest place on earth. They weren’t a big family who held annual reunions and celebrated holidays together, and as adults they’d moved on with their own lives.

Emily lived a couple or three hours north of her mother, which was close enough to visit often but it wasn’t possible for her to be there every day. Even weekly visits were a challenge. Her husband’s job meant they couldn’t move, and Aunt Sally had no desire to leave her own house, a home she’d lived in for more than forty years. She had friends nearby, doctors she liked and depended on, a routine that suited her. Emily had her hands full with two rambunctious boys who kept her on the run. Her in-laws were watching the kids for a few days while she attended to family business.

The cousins kept in touch on social media, shared pictures and wished each other happy birthday, and texted on occasion, but a real, actual hug was very nice. It had been too long.

Colt was distracted, as he had been all day, but he said all the right things to Emily when he was introduced. He tried to shake her hand but was pulled in for a quick Emily hug, which startled him. Nina Miller pursed her lips and then mouthed squirrelly. Thank goodness neither of the huggers saw.

Emily was happy to put her small bag in the main bedroom, glad she wouldn’t have to hit the road again tonight. Traffic had been brutal, she said. She called her husband Curtis and explained the delay. The schedule had changed, thanks to the fire, but everyone was doing their best to adjust. From Anna’s vantage point and judging by Emily’s reaction, Curtis didn’t have a problem with the change in plans. He might even have expected it. The call ended with mutual “love you.”

Anna wasn’t jealous. No, not really jealous, though she was a bit envious.