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“I think two ghosts are effective enough.”
She stared at the blackbird with rounded eyes. “Birds can see us?”
“I can’t say for sure. Why don’t you wave your arms and do a little dance; see what it does?”
She raised her arms in the air, then suddenly dropped them to her sides. “You made that up.”
I smiled. “Come into the house with me. I have a question for you.”
Ray joined us on the front porch. “Am I welcome, or is the invitation only for Mrs. Pratt?”
“Please, Ray. We’re dead. Call me Ingrid.”
Ray shook his head. “Nope. Doesn’t feel right, ma’am.”
“Then call me Nana Pratt, like my grandchildren.”
I shifted the box in my arms. “If you’re finished with the pleasantries, can one of you open the door for me?” As much as I didn’t want to encourage them to stick around, they might as well make themselves useful while they were here.
Ray glanced at the closed door. “Can I do that?”
“Focus on making contact. You have to convince yourself that you’re solid.”
“My wife used to say I was delusional. Maybe it’ll finally come in handy.” Ray stared at the door with a pinched expression.
“You don’t have X-ray vision,” I told him. “You’re not trying to see through it. Never mind.” My arms were getting sore. I set down the box and bag and opened the door.
Nana Pratt tried to lift the bag but to no avail. She gave up and let me carry it into the house.
“Did you pick up any blueberries?” she asked. “I noticed you were low.”
“Stop poking around in my fridge.”
“Oh, how I miss blueberries,” she said.
“Strawberries were my favorite,” Ray said. “With a nice dollop of ready whip.” He rubbed his stomach.
“What’s your question for us?” Nana Pratt asked.
I unpacked the box. “Is the library any good?” I’d been an avid user of the London Library, and I felt confident Fairhaven wouldn’t be able to compete.
“Miss Hailey Jones is an excellent librarian,” Nana Pratt enthused. “If you need information, she can help you.”
Ray tried in vain to lift a can of paint. “If you’re going there, would you mind picking up the latest James Patterson?”
“I didn’t know you liked to read,” Nana Pratt said.
“I didn’t have anybody to check out books for me until now,” Ray replied. “I wasn’t sure how I felt about having a living person in my space, but I’m starting to see a few perks.”
I pinned him with a hard look. “Inyourspace?”
He waved a hand in the direction of the cemetery. “That’s my space.”
“Don’t worry, Lorelei,” Nana said. “We fully intend to honor your rules.”
“Glad to hear it, because you know what I’m capable of if you don’t.” I hadn’t intended to sound so harsh, but I wanted to get my point across. I couldn’t afford to have nosy ghosts roaming the halls. They’d only cause trouble.
“Do you like to read?” Ray asked me.
