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“You know about me?” he gasped. “Did you see me? Does she know?”

He was frantic and I didn’t have time for his hysteria.

“Look, man, your ghostly marital problems are between you and the grave. I’ve gotta work out what the hell is going on around here. Unless you know the answer to that?”

“I try to keep out of the way, so I don’t hear much.” He poked his head out the bush to check whether the coast was clear. “If she finds me I’m dead meat.”

“Well if she killed you once, I’m sure she’d have no qualms about killing you again.”

He sighed. “I knew taking a mistress was a bad idea.”

“Commiserations,” I said drily as I heard a familiar drum beat start. “Gotta go.”

“Wait!”

I dove out of my hiding spot and sprinted towards the front door.

“What is this insufferable music?” Bronwyn yelled.

I ran inside as Rick Astley crooned behind me and Bronwyn screeched, trying to get him to shut up.

Rickrolling a ghost hadn’t been on my bucket list, but the twelve-year-old stuck in my brain thought it was pretty funny.

Safely inside, I hurried along the hallway toward the back stairs, knowing the front stairs would lead me directly in view of where Harri and Larri were.

It was nerve-racking navigating the halls at night, the floorboards creaking even as I kept my footsteps light. Moonlight filtered in through the wonky windows, abstract shafts of light creating strange, shadowed shapes on the walls and floors.

The annoying thing was that I couldn’t tell if one was that microwave ghost or not.

As I approached the kitchen, I heard low chatter and the clinking of dishware.

“Everything’s going to be fine, Popty!” Owain said. “He won’t find out.”

I paused, leaning closer, brows creasing.

Ping! Ping!

“I know you’re worried, but it’s all under control. I just need to stall him out while I talk to my parents and get them to call the dogs off.”

Ping! This one sounded a little questioning. I didn’t know how, but it did.

“Well, I’ll uhhh, distract him…” Owain said with a coy lilt to his voice.

Another ping of question and my brow winged up too.

What kind of distractions was he thinking of with that tone of voice? My mind immediately went to sweaty bodies and twisted sheets, and I almost stepped around the corner to offer myself up like a sacrifice to be distracted.

Okay, okay. You caught me, babe. Distract away!

“Maybe he likes rocks or something. We have a lot of rocks!”

That thought screeched to a halt.

Rocks? I mouthed.

I needed to get out of this looney bin.

I slipped past the doorway swiftly and climbed the stairs, sneaking up into the darkness. Luckily there were a few lights that had been left on around the house, so it wasn’t pitch black. Still, I missed my equipment, feeling naked without it. Even something as simple as my torch would have made me feel more secure.