Page 38 of Ghost
Mitch ran outside to see if he couldn’t catch the guy who’d just turned the water on.
“Well, Mr.Montgomery, until further notice, I’m going to have to declare this a crime scene.I’ll need you and your workers to clear out.”Detective Stafford looked around the room.“I’ll need you to lock everything up and leave the keys with me.”
“Is that really necessary?”Mason felt like someone had just kicked him in the stomach.
“I’m afraid so.I’ll do my best to make it as quick as possible.”
“I’d really appreciate that.”Mason rubbed the back of his neck.“I’m kinda on a deadline.My help is leaving next week.”
“I’ll tell you what: let me see what the ME and the forensics team have to say.”Stafford looked around the room.“Since this is obviously an old, old,old...case, I’ll see if we can’t get this all wrapped up by tonight.I can’t promise anything, because it is...well, old, and there may be others that will take priority.”
“I’d really appreciate anything that you can do.Thank you.”
“How can I reach you?”Stafford had his notebook back out.
“I’m staying two houses down, in the basement apartment on the backside.I don’t have a phone yet.”
“Okay.”Stafford scribbled in his notebook.“I will for sure stop by before I leave.
“Thanks, again.”Mason headed for the stairs.“I’m just going to put a few tools away and then I’ll come back and give you the keys.”He turned back around towards Stafford.“Can I lock up the upstairs?”
“Sure, sure.”
Mason went up the stairs.He needed to talk to Francis.
Chapter Fifteen
“Francis?”Mason hadgone all the way upstairs and was now standing in the largest bedroom towards the front of the house.“Francis, I need to talk to you.”
The handsome ghost slowly materialized in front of him.To Mason it seemed to take a very long time, but he began to realize that Francis looked...real.He could no longer see through him, and his coloring appeared like any living human being.He also noticed quite quickly that Francis had tears running down his cheeks into his full, dark beard.
“My mother killed me.”
“Are you sure that’s what happened?”Mason asked quietly.
“Yes.”Francis seemed to clear his throat, his eyes sharp and sad all at the same time.“I remember everything now.”
