Page 42 of Ghost in the Cupboard

“Nana is here?” Danny interjected. “Why don’t you ask her something?”

His eyes were pleading with his mom. I knew it wasn’t because he loved his grandmother. He wanted to test me now that he had the chance. I was going to leave the decision up to Rhonda—she was the paying customer. Though I was seething from the thought that Danny had joined our session simply to get confirmation of my abilities.

“I do not want that woman in my house,” Rhonda said through clenched teeth.

“Can I ask her something?” Danny asked desperately. “Please?”

Rhonda rolled her eyes and gestured vaguely at him. Danny turned to me quickly.

“What is she wearing?” he whipped his head around to me. “What is my Nana wearing?”

“That’s…not a question,” I said.

“Just tell me,” Danny barked.

I stared at him for a moment, trying to decide if I’d refuse to answer his question, simply out of spite. However, I wasn’t sure how this would go over with my most reliable, well-paying customer. So, after staring daggers into Danny for a moment, I turned to look at the old woman, who was still cursing at the back of Rhonda’s head.

I took stock of Danny’s grandmother’s appearance, then turned back to stare at him.

“Dark suit,” I said. “Navy, I believe. Straight leg pants with a crisp pleat in front. I believe a white silk blouse with a cowl neck under the suit jacket, also navy. White buttons at the cuffs. An impressive pearl necklace with a cameo. Navy ballet flats. Her hair is pulled back, I think in a chignon. She’s looking at me, but it’s a bun or chignon, I think from how her hair is pulled back. She wanted to be buried in the caftan dress with the butterflies that she always wore after church when she’d sit out on the back porch with her half-lemonade-half-tea and smoke Pall Malls.”

I answered Danny’s question and delivered grandma’s grievance with Rhonda all in one go. Danny stared at me and Rhonda laughed a windchime like laugh.

“Can you imagine, Danny!” Rhonda chuckled. “Burying Mother in that monstrosity? What would people have said?”

Danny said nothing as peals of laughter poured from his mother. Instead, he stared at me, blank faced.

“She wants you to donate her box of caftans to a nursing home,” I added. “Because a caftan is an older woman’s best comfort in a world that slowly becomes more uncomfortable. Except the butterfly one. She wants that left at her gravesite.”

Rhonda laughed harder.

“I got rid of those years ago!” she chuckled, mocking the ghost.

With a poof, Nana Milner disappeared in a cloud of anger. She was there, then she was gone. And Danny was staring at me, ghostly pale. I let Rhonda’s laughter die off as I stared at Danny. Finally, when his color began to return, and Rhonda was settling down again, I gave them a tight smile.

“Do you want to try Harlan again?” I asked. “I’d hate to let the whole hour go by and forget to try.”

“Yes,” Rhonda said, still smiling. “Let’s try.”