Page 19 of Ghost Town Boogie

Mac had resources Colt did not, but how to ask without raising even more questions?

He thought about it, while they checked out the house and moved the bed that was currently in the master bedroom to the empty spare. The new bed frame and mattress he’d ordered would be delivered later this afternoon, along with a new couch and end table. The kitchen table could be saved, he’d decided. He could’ve moved his own bed from the depot, but he didn’t know how long he’d be in this house. Eventually he’d end up in the upstairs living space above records and ghosts again, so why go to the trouble of moving the bed?

A couple of times, as they wrestled with the mattress, Mac grumbled that this would be a good time to get a call about an emergency, but he followed the statement with a crooked smile.

When they finished up Colt grabbed two beers from the fridge he’d stocked last night and handed one to Mac.

“What would you say if I asked you to do some investigative work for me?”

Mac took a swig of the cold beer before answering. “Personal?”

“Not really.” Might as well just jump in. “An old high school friend left town five years ago, after a fight with his folks. Basically told them to fuck off. His sister is back in town, and she says no one has heard from him since. She’d really like to know what happened to him, if he stayed away on his own or if, you know, something happened to him.” Like maybe he was murdered on his way out of town…

Mac didn’t seem at all concerned, and why should he? “We don’t normally investigate grown men who leave home of their own accord.”

“I know, but it would ease Anna’s mind if she knew where he was and that he was alive and kicking.”

“Nice guy, this friend of yours?”

“Asshat.”

Mac nodded and took another swig of beer. “And this Anna?”

“Not an asshat.”

The chief grinned again, widely this time. “Okay, Romeo, I’ll see what I can find out. Text me whatever details you have about the guy, and I’ll get on it.”

Colt nodded. He could give name, address, date last seen and the details Anna had shared about the PIs findings. He didn’t dare add that Jack’s ghost was currently haunting his childhood home.

She’d tried to stay away, she really had, but she could only take so much boxing up and organizing and arguing with her mother about what might be valuable. Or not.

Anna was disappointed to find a couple of employees and a handful of customers in the depot, but no Colt. She got a cup of coffee from Helen Sommers, a woman Anna had known all her life but hadn’t seen in years, then sat at the coffee bar and watched people look through albums and t-shirts. Some of them just browsed, but others were thrilled to find a particular album or a shirt that made them smile.

Some albums were new releases, but she noticed that most were older. You could almost smell the nostalgia.

She glanced toward the stairway at the back of the store. A rope was draped across the bottom. A small sign hanging from that rope read “private.” Was Colt up there? Was he avoiding her? Maybe he was afraid her mom would try to feed him again.

He deserved a day off, she supposed. Helen and the young man behind the counter seemed to have everything in hand, so why not? Maybe he was sleeping into the afternoon, or running on the beach, or getting ready for a date. A date with someone other than her.

Since Anna hadn’t wanted to load up his dumpster on a busy Saturday, she’d walked. She’d told her mother she needed fresh air, and that wasn’t a lie. Oh, the dust they stirred up! There was also the promise that she’d check in with Nicole to see if she might be interested in a couple more cranberry sauce dishes. One of them was shaped like a turkey.

Anna decided she was wasting her time waiting for Colt to show up, so when she finished her coffee she headed out. After leaving the depot, she walked at a leisurely pace. It was a nice day, and downtown Seawolf Beach was an interesting place to take a stroll. There was still so much to be done at the house that she felt lazy for not rushing. The sooner she got this done the sooner she could get back to her life in Nashville, but she needed a break. She had to have some time out of that house! There hadn’t been any more weird incidents, so she’d written off what she’d thought she’d seen to exhaustion. Plates didn’t fly on their own. Snapshots didn’t hang in the air.

Treasures Past was as busy as the record store, as tourists searched for treasures among the junk. Anna browsed herself, while Nicole was busy with a customer who had questions about the origins of a piece of crystal.

Not a cranberry sauce dish.

After maybe half an hour, the crowd thinned. Nicole walked to Anna with a smile on her face.

“See anything you like?”

Nicole was even more nicely dressed than she’d been mid-week, maybe because she expected a busier day. Her blouse was silky and, in Anna’s opinion, too low cut. Maybe she was just jealous of the redhead’s boobs, which were impressive. Her jeans were so tight… how did she sit? Did she sit? She wore red heels when she was going to be on her feet all day. Brave woman, maybe foolish woman. But the effect was impressive.

Anna lowered her voice so the couple looking at kitchenware couldn’t hear. “No. When I get home I’m going to get rid of every doodad and useless keepsake I own.”

Nicole laughed. “At home I’m a bit of a minimalist myself. After spending my day surrounded by all these things, I want my space to be clean. I mean, a clear space on the kitchen table is a soothing sight, after a day at work.”

“I can imagine.”