Page 41 of Ghost in the Cupboard

It wasn’t the central heat and dozens of burning candles in the front room that was warming me up quickly.

“Of course,” I said as naturally as possible. “Maybe it will make Harlan more likely to want to appear.”

You’re wasting your time, I thought to myself. Harlan isn’t going to appear. Just as he hasn’t since he croaked.

“And him being here gave us time to have a good catch-up talk,” Rhonda said, patting Danny’s knee in an admonishing way now. “Every time he comes down, he pops in for a quick chat, then he’s off to God only knows where again.”

I chuckled. Because it was expected of me. Mother makes a joke about her son not spending enough time with her. Comedy. All that.

“I was talking to Mom about the Inn,” Danny said, turning his head to look at me.

Somehow, I managed to keep my face neutral, yet inquisitive, as though I had no idea about the inn.

“Oh?” I asked.

“Danny,” Rhonda sighed, rolling her eyes with a chuckle, “seems to think it might be better to open it back up. Not take the doors off or anything, but maybe it would be a place for the local homeless people to use as shelter when it gets too cold this winter.”

“That’s nice,” I said, cocking a discreet eyebrow at Danny.

He gave me a surreptitious shrug while Rhonda was distracted.

“But,” Rhonda said, “Harlan closed that up before he died. I just can’t bring myself to do it. He didn’t want anyone messing with its beauty and history. I can’t open it back up.”

I choked back my first thought and responded the way I was supposed to respond.

“That’s understandable,” I said.

I shot a look at Danny, but he was keeping his face neutral as well.

“All of those lovely, historic rooms,” Rhonda said wistfully, then suddenly had a thought and sat forward. “Have you ever stayed at the inn? I know it has been closed for a while, but…”

“No,” I said. “Never had a reason to. But when I was a kid and things were still kind of booming around here, I remember a lot of people in and out of there. Raving about it.”

She was nodding along excitedly.

“So gorgeous,” she proclaimed. “Every room a different gorgeous, rich color theme. The burgundy room. Gold room. Teal room. On and on. Beautiful old furniture. All of the rooms had en suites. I’m sad to know that it is going unused, but the utilities are off now, anyway. And there is no reason to turn them back on. Who would come stay?”

The homeless could stay, I thought.

“That would pay for the privilege, anyway.” Rhonda chuckled, as though reading my thoughts.

A strained chuckle escaped my mouth and I felt like a jerk. Danny joined in, but I could tell his heart wasn’t in it. Rhonda looked around wistfully, then focused her attention back on me. She slid back in her seat and got comfortable, then her hand returned to her son’s knee. My eyes darted to the corner of the room when the ghost caught my attention.

“Shall we try summoning Harlan again?” she asked. “Get started?”

“Sure,” I said, staring at the ghost in the corner, ignoring her. “Your mother has already joined us again. Are you sure you don’t want to talk to her?”

Danny frowned deeply at me, then turned his head to see where my eyes were pointed. He stared at the corner for a moment, then whipped his head back around to look at me.

“No,” Rhonda said firmly. “In fact, ask her to leave my house.”

A barrage of curses and insults came from the ghost in the corner—none that I hadn’t heard from the ghost before.

“She knows you don’t want her here,” I said, turning my attention back to Rhonda. “She hears you.”

“But she won’t listen,” Rhonda said, shaking her head with a rueful smile.

“No.”