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I winced. “Is this a story I want to hear, Ray?”
“Probably not, but we’ve got you cornered now, so I’m going to make the most of it.” He directed his attention to his daughter. “Ask if she remembers the time she showed up at the Fairhaven Inn.”
That didn’t sound too embarrassing. I repeated the request.
Renee’s eyes fluttered closed. I was ready to toss a pillow on the table in case her head pitched forward. “It’s a local establishment that’s been here for over a century. Anybody could name it.”
Ray sighed. “I raised a tough one. Tell her I was there with Maria Altimonte.”
“He was there with Maria Altimonte.”
Renee clutched the edge of the table. “I never told a soul about that night.”
I frowned at Ray. “You didn’t have an affair, did you?”
“No, but I was thinking about it. That dinner was a slippery slope.”
“He didn’t go through with it,” Renee said. “When I showed up, he left the restaurant before they even ordered.”
“I was mortified,” Ray admitted, “but seeing my baby girl walk into that restaurant ready to call my ass onto the carpet…” He shook his head. “It was both the proudest and most embarrassing day of my life.”
“Your first mistake was choosing a restaurant in the town where you live,” I said.
“Not the point,” Renee interrupted. She stared at the empty space in the kitchen. “Is he really right here in this room?”
“He is.” I walked over and patted Ray’s ghostly head. “Wearing the plaid shirt he was buried in, which he must love because he’s free to change his outfit.”
“Alicia told me he was wearing it,” she murmured.
“I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” I said.
Renee turned her chair toward her father. “Let’s start with why in the hell are you still here? Why not join Mom in the afterlife? She’s probably waiting on you in heaven just like she was always waiting on you here.”
I folded my arms. “You see, Ray. This is why I don’t involve myself in squabbles.”
Ray looked ready to melt into the floorboards, which he could do if he really wanted.
All at once, the fight seemed to leave Renee. Her shoulders sagged and her head lolled to the side. “I can’t … seem to keep my eyes open,” she whispered.
I dashed toward her and eased her head onto the table to avoid a nasty bump.
Ray gaped at her. “Did she just fall asleep in the middle of an argument?”
I lifted her arm and dropped it. “Yep.”
Ray drifted closer to her and peered at her face. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure. There’s been a sleep issue all over town this week. I’ve been trying to dig into it, but it’s been hard with Dusty’s issue, plus the investigator from The Corporation.”
Ray glanced at me. “Interesting.”
“The supernatural world always is.”
“No, I mean this. Your response. You make it sound like it’s your job to fix. I think that’s interesting for someone who claims to want peace and quiet.”
I shrugged. “With great power comes lots of pains in the ass?”
“Isn’t it pain in the asses?”
