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“GET OUT!”

The shout tore through the sitting room and up the staircase. Something on the second floor banged — loud enough that Nate actually paused and looked at the ceiling.

Then he looked at the ghost.

“That was almost impressive,” he said—and the ghost wanted to break something so badly his whole body ached with it.

“Leave,” he said. His voice came out quieter than he meant. “Please. Just leave.”

He hadn’t meant to say please; the word had just slipped past his lips and now he couldn’t take it back.

Nate considered him for a moment. “I can’t,” he said then, in a calm way. “I’ve already bought this house.” He turned back to the wall, but didn’t immediately start measuring again.

After a moment, he turned to the ghost with a thoughtful expression. “My being here makes you very uncomfortable, doesn’t it? Why is that?”

What a dumb question.

“Because it’s my house,” the ghost said. “Obviously.”

“That’s not what I asked.” Nate set the tape measure down. “Most territorial ghosts are angry for a reason. What’s yours?”

“The reason is that I want you to leave.”

“Okay. Why?”

“Because — “ The ghost stopped. “Because this is my house and I don’t want anyone in it.”

“Why not?” The stupid medium kept prodding.

“Because I don’t.”

“That’s not an answer.” Nate leaned against the window frame and crossed his arms, waiting. His gaze rested on the ghost’s face like the answer he wanted might be written there.

The ghost hated him for it.

He hated that the question was simple and he couldn’t answer it.

Why did he need people out of this house?

How the hell should he know?

He didn’t know anything.

He didn’t know how he’d died, why he was here, or even his own name.

But he couldn’t say that. Not to this medium who had invaded his space and was refusing to leave it.

“I have to,” he said quietly. Let it be enough.

Nate reached for his notebook again.

“Don’t write that down,” the ghost said.

Nate stopped and thought. He put the notebook down and picked up the tape measure instead. “Okay,” he said. He turned his attention to the windows.

The ghost watched him for a few more seconds, then he drifted through the wall and out of the house.

He still wanted the medium gone.